Robert Bultitlude photo

Dr. R.J. C. Bultitude

Adjunct Research Professor

Specialty Areas:

Wireless Communications

(Radio Propagation, Channel Modelling,   

Digital Link Performance Prediction)

Email: rbultitude@sce.carleton.ca

Home Office Phone Number:
613-832-2859

Appointments can be pre-arranged by telephone or email

Biography: Robert J. C. Bultitude received the BSc. E.E. degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1975, and the M. Eng., and Ph. D. degrees from Carleton University in 1980 and 1987, respectively, all in electrical/electronics engineering.   He conducted his graduate studies at Carleton as a part time student, while working at The Government of Canada Communications Research Centre (CRC), Ottawa.

Robert worked on mobile radio systems with the consulting firm Hoyles Niblock & Associates (now HN Engineering) in Vancouver from 1975-1977, and on radar head end siting and commissioning with Leigh Instruments, Ottawa during 1979-1980.  In 1980, he joined CRC, where, during the past 34 years, he has conducted both theoretically and experimentally-based research on radio propagation pertinent to portable, indoor, and mobile communications.  From 1989-1999, he managed the CRC Land Mobile and Indoor Radio Propagation Research Group, and in 2000, he relinquished his management position to take up a Research Scientist position in the same group in order to devote more time to research.  After a major reorganisation at CRC in 2012, he was a senior research scientist and senior advisor in a newly formed CRC Radio Propagation Studies Group, until November, 2014. 

Since the early 1990s, Robert has been an Adjunct Research Professor in the Dept. of Systems and Computer Engineering.  During this time he has held an NSERC Discovery Grant, supervised or co-supervised fourteen Master's and Ph.D. students in their thesis work, and led a major Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research Project, involving professors from Carleton, Laval University and The University of Manitoba.  He also collaborated with Profs. Mahmoud and Falconer and a Ph.D. Student (now Dr. Eliana Yepez) in the implementation of a MIMO channel sounder, which can be made available for use within the department.

Dr. Bultitude was the principal author of a paper that won the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Neal Shepherd Best Paper award for year 1997, and he is currently an IEEE VTS Distinguished Lecturer.  He is an active participant in the International Radio Science Union (URSI), and in the European COST mobile radio action group.  He also participated in the European WINNER projects.

Summary of Research Interest:  Propagation Measurements & Data Analysis, Channel Modelling (Directional, Double Directional, MIMO), Stochastic Modelling (Temporal and Spatial Change Point and Meta-Analysis), and Digital link performance prediction based on measured data. Frequency Bands: 30 MHz –to-60 GHz.

Selected Publications:

Journal Papers

  1. Bultitude, R.J.C., and Bedal, G.K., “Propagation characteristics on microcellular urban mobile radio channels at 910 MHz,” IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 7, No. 1, Jan. 1989, pp 31-39.

  2. Bultitude, R.J.C., Mahmoud, S.A., and Sullivan, W.A., “A comparison of indoor radio propagation characteristics at 910 MHz and 1.75 GHz,” IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications,  Vol. 7, No. 1, Jan. 1989, pp 20-30.

  3. Tholl, D,, Fattouche, M., Bultitude, R.J.C., Melancon, P., and Zaghloul, H., “A comparison of two radio propagation channel impulse response determination techniques,” IEEE Transactions on antennas and Propagation, Vol. 41, No. 4, April, 1993, pp 515-517.

  4. Bultitude, R.J.C., Melancon, P., Zaghloul, H, Morrison, G., and Prokki, M.,  “The dependence of indoor radio channel multipath characteristics on transmit/receive ranges,” IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 11, No. 7, September, 1993, pp 979-990.

  5. Bultitude, R.J.C., and Leslie, A.W., “Propagation measurement-based probability of error predictions for digital land mobile radio,” IEEE Trans. Veh. Technol., Vol. 46, No.3, August, 1997, pp.  717-729.

  6. Bultitude, R.J.C., Hahn, R.F., and Davies, R.J.,  “Propagation considerations for the design of an indoor broadband communications system at EHF,” IEEE Trans., Veh. Technol. Vol. 47, No. 1, February, 1998, pp. 235-245.

  7. Bultitude, R.J.C., “Estimating frequency correlation functions from propagation measurements on fading radio channels: A critical review,” IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 20, No. 6, August, 2002, pp. 1133-1143

  8. Hendrantoro, G., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Falconer, D.D.F., “Use of cell-site diversity in millimetre-wave fixed cellular systems to combat the effects of rain attenuation, IEEE Journal, Selected Areas in Communications , Vol. 20, No. 3 , April 2002 , pp. 602 -614

  9. Kwakkernaat, M. R.J.A.E., deJong, Y.L.C., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Herben, M.H.A.J., “Improved structured least squares for the application of Unitary Esprit to cross arrays,” IEEE Signal Processing Letters, June, 2006.

  10. Bultitude, R.J.C., Schenk, T.C., et. al., “A propagation-measurement-based evaluation of channel characteristics and models pertinent to the expansion of mobile radio systems to frequencies beyond 2 GHz,” IEEE Trans., Vehicular Technology, Vol. 56, No. 2, March, 2007, pp. 382-388.

  11. Kwakkernaat, M.R.J.A.E., de Jong, Y.L.C., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Herben, M.H.A.J.,  “ High resolution angle of arrival measurements on physically non-stationary mobile radio channels,” IEEE Trans. Ant and Prop., Vol. 56, No. 8, August, 2008, pp.2710-2729.

  12. Charalambous, C.D., Bultitude, R.J.C., Li, Xi, and Zhan, J, “Modelling wireless fading channels via stochastic differential equations: Identification and Estimation based on Noisy Measurements,” IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications,  Vol. 7, No 2, February, 2008, pp.434-439.

  13. Dahman, G.S., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Hafez, R.H.M., “The use of frequency-orthogonal, pseudo-noise (FOPN) sounding signals for identifying transmissions from different transmit antennas,”  IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters, Vol. 8, 2009.

  14. Dahman, G.S., Hafez, R.H.M., and Bultitude, R.J.C., “Angle-of-departure-aided opportunistic space division multiple access for MIMO applications,” IEEE Trans., Wireless Communications, Vol. 9, No. 4, April, 2010, pp. 1303-1307.

Selected Conference Papers

  1. Bultitude, R.J.C., “A study of coherence bandwidth measurements for frequency-selective radio channels,” Proc., IEEE Veh. Tech. Conf., Toronto, May, 1983, pp. 269-278.

  2. Bultitude, R.J.C., and Mahmoud, S. A.,  “Estimation of indoor 800/900 MHz digital radio channel performance characteristics using results from radio propagation measurements,” IEEE ICC87, Seattle, June 8, 1987, pp 70-73.

  3. Melancon , P., and Bultitude, R.J.C.,  “Probability of error on radio links with fixed terminals in microcellular land mobile and indoor environments”, Proc. , Third International Conference on Mobile Radio Communications (PIMRC92), Boston, October 1992, pp 476-482.

  4. Bultitude, R.J.C.,  “Comparison of the N-path Rayleigh fading uncorrelated scattering model with measured characteristics on land mobile radio channels,” Proc., International Conference on Universal Portable Communications, Ottawa, Oct. 1993, pp 950-954.

  5. Hahn, R.F., and Bultitude, R.J.C., “A comparison of wideband indoor radio propagation characteristics at 950 MHz, 40 GHz, and 60 GHz,” Wireless 93, Calgary, July, 1993.

  6. Bultitude, R.J.C., “Propagation measurements and channel modelling for indoor radio channels at EHF, “Proc. ANTEM 94 -Symposium on Antenna Technology and Applied Electromagnetics, Ottawa, August 1994.

  7. Bultitude, R.J.C., and Hughes, D.A , “Propagation loss at 1.8 GHz on microcellular mobile radio channels,” Proc. 7th International Symposium on Personal, Indoor, and Mobile Radio communications, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC, October, 1996, pp. 786-790.

  8. Bryant, G.H., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Neve, M.J., “A spatial field model for mobile radio,” Proceedings, 8th URSI Commission F Triennial Open Symposium on Wave Propagation and Remote Sensing, Aveiro, Portugal, September 22-25, 1998, pp. 220-223.

  9. Bultitude, R.J.C., “Estimation and application of static and dynamic radio channel parameters,” Proceedings, Workshop on Channel Modelling and Access Techniques for Wireless Communications, European Wireless 98, held in conjunction with the 28th European Microwave Conference, Amsterdam, October 7, 1998, pp.17-27.

  10. Bultitude, R.J.C., Falconer, D.D., et. al., “Canadian progress in the study of radio propagation phenomena pertinent to small area, fixed, multipoint communications systems at EHF,” Proc.  Abstracts, IIVIth General Assembly, International Union of Radio Science, Toronto, August 13-21, 1999.

  11. Bultitude, R.J.C., Willink, T.J., et. al., “Detection of changes in the spectral characteristics of measured mobile radio data for space wave modelling applications,” Proc. Queens University Biennial Symposium on Communications,” Kingston, Canada, May 28-31, 2000, pp. 90-94.

  12. Hendrantoro, G., Falconer, D.D., and Bultitude, R.J.C., “Preliminary Results from the Examination of the Impacts of Rain Attenuation on EHF Cellular Radio Links” , To be presented at Wireless 2000, Calgary, July 2000, Vol. 1, pp.146-155.

  13. Adnani, N., and Bultitude, R.J.C., “Analysis of Wideband Measurement Data to Assess and Predict System Performance for IMT2000 Systems,” To be presented at RAWCON 2000, Boulder, Co., September 10-13 2000, pp. 55-58.

  14. Bultitude, R.J.C., and Adnani, N., “Propagation Measurement Based Probability of Error Estimates for Digital Links on Microcellular Urban Mobile Channels at 2 GHz and 6 GHz (a progress report),” Presented at the Asia Pacific Radio Science Conference,” Tokyo, August 1-4, 2001.

  15. Adnani, N.V., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Hafez, R.H.M., “Comparison of model and propagation-Measurement-based BER performance predictions for Rake receivers in urban microcellular wcdma systems,” Proc. U.R.S.I. General Assembly, Oct. 23-29,2005, New Delhi, India.

  16. Bultitude, R.J.C., Pugh, J.A., and Vigneron, P.J., “Characterisation of Mobile VHF channels for segmented wideband digital communications, “ Proc. U.R.S.I General Assembly, Oct 23-29, 2005, New Delhi, India.

  17. Bultitude, R.J.C., Han, M. Adnani, N.V., and Hafez, R.H.M., “Comparison of expected performance on B3G spread spectrum mobile radio links at 1.9 GHz and 5.8 GHz based on propagation measurements, Proc. VTC 2006 Fall, Sept. 23-28, Montreal.

  18. Yepez, E., Falconer, D.D.F., and Bultitude, R.J.C., “Estimating spatial correlation of the channel elements of a multiple input multiple output system based on outdoor to indoor channel measurements,” Proc. ANTEM/U.R.S.I 2006, Montreal, July, 2006.

  19. Yepez, E., Falconer, D.D.F., and Bultitude, R.J.C., “Estimated capacities for a multiple input multiple output system based on outdoor to indoor measurements,” Invited paper, EuCAP2006, Nice, France, October 6-13.

  20. Bultitude, R.J.C., deJong, Y.L.C., Salous, S., Khokar, K., and Pugh, J., “Measurement and modelling of emergency-vehicle-to-indoor 4.9 GHz radio channels and prediction of IEEE 802.16 performance for public safety communications, IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference, Dublin, Ireland, April 22-25, 2007, 3 pages.

  21. Dahman, G., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Hafez, R.M.H, “A method for identifying simultaneously-transmitted signals from different antennas in multi-antenna channel sounding experiments,” invited paper, URSI General Assembly, Chicago, 9-16 August, 2008, 4 pages.

  22. Bultitude, R.J.C., Dahman, G.S., and Hafez, R.H.M., “Double directional radio propagation measurements and radio channel modelling pertinent to MIMO communications in microcells,”  2010 IEEE Conference on Wireless Information Technology and Systems,  Honolulu, Hawaii, August 28-Sept 3, 2010, 4 pages.

  23. Bultitude, R.J.C., and Levin, G., “Radio propagation measurements on microcell-type relay channels in downtown Ottawa,” Oral Presentation given at U.R.S.I. North American Radio Science Conference (URSI2010), Toronto, Canada, July 11-17, 2010.

  24. Bultitude, R.J.C., “Using frequency-orthogonal pseudo-noise (FOPN) sounding sequences to identify signals from multiple transmit antennas in mobile double-directional and relay channel sounding systems, “Invited presentation, URSI Commission  C, URSI General Assembly, Istanbul Turkey, Aug 13-19, 2011.

  25. Bultitude, R.J.C., Levin, G., and Zhu, H.  “Radio propagation measurements and channel modelling pertinent to urban microcellular Communications systems incorporating relay links,” Proc. PIMRC 2011, Toronto, Sept 11-14, 2011.

  26. Levin, G., Bultitude, R.J.C., “Modelling, measurement, and analysis of fast fading on narrowband relay channels,” Proc. PIMRC 2011, Toronto, Sept 11-14, 2011.

COST (European Co-operation on Science and Technology)Temporary Documents

  1. Charalmbous, C.D., Zhan, J., Bultitude, R.J.C., and Li, X, “Radio channel modelling, estimation and identification from measured data,” TD03-81, presented at the Paris COST 273 meeting, COST May 21-22, 2003, Paris, France (7 pages).

  2. Bultitude, R.J.C., Considerations concerning statistical stationarity in the analysis of measured data and radio channel modelling,” Three hour tutorial, presented at the Duisburg Cost 273 meeting, Duisburg, Germany, September, 2004. 

  3. Bultitude, R.J.C., “Methods for estimating and modelling consistency intervals, and the detection and simulation of changes on mobile radio channels,” TD08-424, presented at the Wroclaw COST2-100 meeting, Wroclaw, Poland, Feb 7, 2008, (19 pages).

  4. Bultitude, R.J.C., Dahman, G.S., and Hafez, R.H.M., “Double directional radio propagation measurements and radio channel modelling pertinent to mobile MIMO communications in microcells,” TD11019, presented at the Aalborg COST2100 meeting, Aalborg, Denmark, June 2-4, 2010, (13 pages).

  5. Bultitude, R.J.C., Smith, T., Cule, D, and Zhu, H, “Comparison of Quasi-Simultaneous Outdoor-to-Indoor Propagation Loss and Delay Dispersion Measurements at 150, 450, and 700 MHz,” TD(12)04056, presented at the Lyon COST IC1004 Meeting, Lyon, France, May 2-4, 2012, ( 9 pages).

Selected Reports from Thesis Projects Supervised or Co-Supervised

  1. Hendrantoro, G., “ESTIMATION OF CELL AREA COVERAGE AND CEDLL-SITE DIVERSITY GAIN IN 30 GHz FIXED CELLULAR SYSTEMS UNDER RAINY CONDITIONS,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Carleton University Dept. of Systems and Computer Engineering, May, 2001.

  2. Adnani, N., “RAKE RECEIVER PERFORMANCE IN DIRECT SEQUENCE SPREAD SPECTRUM SYSTEMS OPERTAING AT HIGH DATA RATES,” Ph.D. Thesis dissertation, Carleton University, Dept. of Systems and Computer Engineering, May, 2004.

  3. Han, M., “PROPAGATION MEASUREMENT BASED ESTIMATION AND COMPARISON OF DSSS MICROCELLULAR MOBILE LINK PERFORMANCE AT 2.25 AND 5.8 GHz,” Master’s Thesis Report, Dept. of Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University, November, 2006.

  4. Yepez, E., “PREDICTION OF SINGLE AND MULTI-USER DOWNLINK CHANNEL CAPACITIES BASED ON MULTIPLE ANTENNA PROPAGATION MEASUREMENTS,” Ph.D. Dissertation, Carleton University, Dept. of Systems and Computer Engineering, May, 2007.

  5. Zhang, G., “ESTIMATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF DELAY AND ANGULAR DISPERSION ON MOBILE RADIO CHANNELS IN 2.25 GHz MICROCELLS, “Master’s Thesis Report, Carleton University, Dept. of Systems and Computer Engineering, May, 2008.

  6. Dahman, G.S., “MULTI-ANTENNA MOBILE RADIO CHANNELS:  MODELLING AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE PREDICTIONS,” Ph.D. Thesis Dissertation, Carleton University Dept. of Systems and Computer Engineering, May, 2010.