Patent Publication Number: US-2023156494-A1

Title: Mobile terminal testing system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a mobile terminal testing system for testing a mobile terminal. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     When a mobile terminal for performing communication while moving, such as a mobile phone or a data communication terminal, is developed, the developed mobile terminal needs to be tested whether or not communication can be normally performed. Therefore, a mobile terminal to be tested is connected to a testing device operated as a pseudo base station that simulates functions of an actual base station to perform communication between the testing device and the mobile terminal, and a test to confirm contents of the communication is performed. 
     Moreover, in the mobile communication system, a 5th generation (5G) new radio (NR) service, which is a 5G wireless system, has started. 
     In 5G NR, a 5G line is specialized for user plane (U-Plane: user data signal), and control plane (C-Plane: communication control signal) defines specifications for non-standalone (NSA) that transmits and receives using a long term evolution (LTE) line and stand alone (SA) that operates independently in 5G NR without cooperation with LTE. 
     Patent Document 1 discloses a mobile terminal testing system for performing a test of NSA with a mobile terminal testing device operated as a base station of LTE and a mobile terminal testing device operated as a base station of NR. 
     RELATED ART DOCUMENT 
     Patent Document 
     [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2020-088558 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problem That the Invention is to Solve 
     In such a mobile terminal testing system, when the mobile terminal compatible with NSA is tested, the configuration of the testing system becomes large because the mobile terminal testing device operated as the base station of LTE and the mobile terminal testing device operated as the base station of NR are used. 
     The size of the mobile terminal testing system can be reduced by integrating the mobile terminal testing device operated as the base station of LTE and the mobile terminal testing device operated as the base station of NR. However, development of a new testing device having such a configuration is costly and takes a time to complete the development, resulting in a delay of the test of the mobile terminal. 
     Moreover, considering adaption to SA in the future, a configuration that can easily adopt SA is desired. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile terminal testing system that can be easily adding or deleting test functions for another communication standard to or from test functions for a predetermined communication standard. 
     Means for Solving the Problem 
     A mobile terminal testing system according to the present invention includes: a mobile terminal testing device that tests a mobile terminal by simulating a mobile communication base station; and an external device that executes a test by controlling the mobile terminal testing device, in which the external device includes an interface unit of a first communication standard, which controls an interface with a user for the first communication standard, and an interface unit of another communication standard, which controls an interface with the user for the second communication standard, the mobile terminal testing device includes a measurement unit of the first communication standard, which transmits and receives a signal to and from the mobile terminal according to the first communication standard, and a measurement unit of the second communication standard, which transmits and receives the signal to and from the mobile terminal according to the second communication standard, and the interface unit of the second communication standard and the measurement unit of the second communication standard transmit and receive information via the interface unit of the first communication standard. 
     With this configuration, the interface unit of another communication standard and the measurement unit of another communication standard transmit and receive information via the interface unit of a predetermined communication standard. Therefore, test functions for another communication standard can be easily added to or deleted from the test functions for a predetermined communication standard. 
     Further, in the mobile terminal testing system according to the present invention, the external device further includes a scenario unit of the second communication standard, which controls the measurement unit of the second communication standard to transmit and receive the signal to and from the mobile terminal by the second communication standard, and the interface unit of the second communication standard and the scenario unit of the second communication standard transmit and receive information via the interface unit of the first communication standard. 
     With this configuration, the interface unit of another communication standard and the scenario unit of another communication standard transmit and receive information via the interface unit of a predetermined communication standard. Therefore, test functions for another communication standard can be easily added to or deleted from the test functions for a predetermined communication standard. 
     Further, in the mobile terminal testing system according to the present invention, the first communication standard is a 5th generation (5G) new radio (NR), and the second communication standard is long term evolution (LTE). 
     Advantage of the Invention 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mobile terminal testing system that can be easily adding or deleting functions of a test for another communication standard to or from test functions for a predetermined communication standard. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram of a mobile terminal testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  2    is a sequence diagram illustrating a transmission sequence of information or control instructions from an LTE interface unit to an LTE scenario unit of the mobile terminal testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    is a sequence diagram illustrating a transmission and reception sequence of information or control instructions of the LTE interface unit and the LTE measurement unit of a mobile terminal testing device in the mobile terminal testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, a mobile terminal testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     In  FIG.  1   , a mobile terminal testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a mobile terminal testing device  1  and a personal computer device (hereinafter simply referred to as “PC”)  2  as an external device. 
     The mobile terminal testing device  1  is controlled by the PC  2  to test mobile terminals. 
     The mobile terminal testing device  1  is composed of a computer unit that includes a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk device, an input port, and an output port. 
     In the computer unit, the CPU executes an operating system (OS) stored in the hard disk device, such that the CPU can control a device connected to the input port and the output port. 
     The mobile terminal testing device  1  includes a communication unit  11 , an LTE measurement unit  12  and an NR measurement unit  13 . 
     The communication unit  11  is composed of a communication module. The communication unit  11  communicates with a PC  2  via a local area network (LAN)  3  conforming to the Ethernet (registered trademark) connected to the input and output port. 
     The LTE measurement unit  12  transmits and receives a radio frequency (RF) signal of LTE to and from the mobile terminal. The LTE measurement unit  12  measures the RF signal received from the mobile terminal. The LTE measurement unit  12  transmits, to the PC  2 , information of the measured result of the RF signal received from the mobile terminal. 
     The NR measurement unit  13  transmits and receives a radio frequency (RF) signal of NR to and from the mobile terminal. The NR measurement unit  13  measures the RF signal received from the mobile terminal. The NR measurement unit  13  transmits, to the PC  2 , information of a measured result of the RF signal received from the mobile terminal. 
     The PC  2  is composed of a computer unit that includes the CPU, the RAM, the ROM, the flash memory, the hard disk device, the input port, the output port, a display unit, and an operation unit. 
     The display unit is composed of an image display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays an image for inputting information necessary for setting the test, an image showing a state during the test, and the like. 
     The operation unit is composed of input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel, and outputs information and the like input by an operation to the CPU. 
     In the computer unit, the CPU executes the OS stored in the hard disk device, such that the CPU can control a device connected to the input port and the output port. 
     The PC  2  includes a communication unit  21 , an LTE interface unit  22 , an NR interface unit  23 , a scenario module  24 , an LTE scenario unit  25 , and an NR scenario unit  26 . 
     The communication unit  21  is composed of a communication module. The communication unit  21  communicates with the mobile terminal testing device  1  via the Ethernet (registered trademark) conforming to the LAN  3  connected to the input and output port. 
     The LTE interface unit  22  controls an interface that allows a user to make settings related to LTE for the test and control execution of the test. The LTE interface unit  22  displays, on the display unit, a setting screen of a pseudo base station or a setting screen of a test procedure that is used in the test to create a scenario for LTE of the test or control the execution of the test, according to the operation input to the operation unit. 
     The LTE interface unit  22  transmits information on the set scenario to the LTE scenario unit  25  via the NR interface unit  23 , and the scenario module  24 . 
     The LTE interface unit  22  transmits and receives the set setting information of the pseudo base station or control information such as start of the measurement of the received signal or the like to and from the LTE measurement unit  12  of the mobile terminal testing device  1  via the NR interface unit  23  and the communication unit  21 . 
     The LTE measurement unit  12  of the mobile terminal testing device  1  sets a base station simulated based on the setting information of the pseudo base station transmitted from the LTE interface unit  22  of the PC  2 . For example, the LTE measurement unit  12  measures the received signal based on the control information transmitted from the LTE interface unit  22  of the PC  2 , and transmits the measured result to the PC  2  via the communication unit  11 . 
     The NR interface unit  23  controls an interface that allows a user to make settings related to NR for the test and control execution of the test. The NR interface unit  23  displays, on the display unit, a setting screen of a pseudo base station or a setting screen of a test procedure that is used in the test to create an LTE scenario for NR of the test or control the execution of the test, according to the operation input to the operation unit. 
     The NR interface unit  23  transmits information on the set scenario to the NR scenario unit  26  via the scenario module  24 . 
     The NR interface unit  23  transmits the set setting information of the pseudo base station or control information such as start of the measurement of the received signal or the like to the NR measurement unit  13  of the mobile terminal testing device  1  via the communication unit  21 . 
     The NR measurement unit  13  of the mobile terminal testing device  1  sets a base station simulated based on the setting information of the pseudo base station transmitted from the NR interface unit  23  of the PC  2 . For example, the NR measurement unit  13  measures the received signal based on the control information transmitted from the NR interface unit  23  of the PC  2 , and transmits the measured result to the PC  2  via the communication unit  11 . 
     The scenario module  24  distributes information on the scenario transmitted from the LTE interface unit  22  and the NR interface unit  23  to the LTE scenario unit  25  or the NR scenario unit  26 . 
     The LTE scenario unit  25  transmits information to the LTE measurement unit  12  of the mobile terminal testing device  1  via the communication unit  21  in order to execute each procedure of the test according to the scenario for LTE, in response to an instruction from the LTE interface unit  22 , and controls the LTE measurement unit  12 . 
     The NR scenario unit  26  transmits information to the NR measurement unit  13  of the mobile terminal testing device  1  via the communication unit  21  in order to execute each procedure of the test according to the scenario for NR, in response to an instruction from the NR interface unit  23 , and controls the NR measurement unit  13 . 
     In the present embodiment, the information or control instructions from the LTE interface unit  22  to the LTE scenario unit  25  are transmitted via the NR interface unit  23  and the scenario module  24 , as illustrated in  FIG.  2   . 
     Moreover, the information or control instructions of the LTE interface unit  22  and the LTE measurement unit  12  of the mobile terminal testing device  1  are transmitted and received via the NR interface unit  23 , as illustrated in  FIG.  3   . 
     With such a configuration, LTE functions of the LTE interface unit  22 , the LTE scenario unit  25 , and the LTE measurement unit  12  are added to NR test functions of the NR interface unit  23 , the scenario module  24 , the NR scenario unit  26 , and the NR measurement unit  13 , such that it is possible to correspond to the test of NSA. 
     Moreover, it is possible to correspond to the test of SA only with the configuration of the NR interface unit  23 , the scenario module  24 , the NR scenario unit  26 , and the NR measurement unit  13 . 
     Moreover, development costs and development time can be reduced as long as the LTE interface unit  22 , the LTE scenario unit  25 , and the LTE measurement unit  12  can be used from the existing testing device of LTE. 
     In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the mobile terminal testing device  1  is controlled from the PC  2  is shown, but the present embodiment is not limited thereto. Similarly, a configuration in which the mobile terminal testing device  1  is integrated with the PC  2  can be also implemented. 
     Although the embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it is apparent that those skilled in the art could have made changes without departing from the scope of this invention. It is intended that any and all such modifications and equivalents are involved in the appended claims. 
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SIGNS 
     
         
           1  Mobile terminal testing device 
           2  Personal computer device (external device) 
           12  LTE measurement unit (measurement unit for another communication standard) 
           13  NR measurement unit (measurement unit for predetermined communication standard) 
           22  LTE interface unit (interface unit for another communication standard) 
           23  NR interface unit (interface unit for predetermined communication standard) 
           24  Scenario module 
           25  LTE scenario unit (scenario unit for another communication standard) 
           26  NR scenario unit (scenario unit for predetermined communication standard)