Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7353020?dq=5,241,671
Timestamp: 2015-05-27 06:58:58
Document Index: 119684424

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 2005', 'Application No. 2003', 'art 221', 'art 215', 'art 215', 'art 215', 'art 214', 'art 214']

Patent US7353020 - Radio access point testing apparatus and method of testing radio access point - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA reception sensitivity is measured at a high precision. An access terminal function portion includes the transmitter part and receiver part of a communication terminal in a radio communication system. A path switch part effects switching so as to connect the input ends of receivers to antennas or to...http://www.google.com/patents/US7353020?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7353020 - Radio access point testing apparatus and method of testing radio access pointAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS7353020 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/349,150Publication dateApr 1, 2008Filing dateFeb 8, 2006Priority dateNov 17, 2003Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS20060217073Publication number11349150, 349150, US 7353020 B2, US 7353020B2, US-B2-7353020, US7353020 B2, US7353020B2InventorsAkihiro Saitou, Yoshiaki Hasegawa, Masao YamayaOriginal AssigneeHitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (22), Referenced by (1), Classifications (16), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetRadio access point testing apparatus and method of testing radio access point
US 7353020 B2Abstract
A reception sensitivity is measured at a high precision. An access terminal function portion includes the transmitter part and receiver part of a communication terminal in a radio communication system. A path switch part effects switching so as to connect the input ends of receivers to antennas or to terminate them. The path switch part switches the paths of a signal from a transmitter and signals toward the receivers. An access point controller adjusts a packet error rate into a predetermined range, and obtains the reception sensitivity on the transmission power of the access terminal function portion after the adjustment.
1. A radio access point testing apparatus comprising:
2. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein in the receiver sensitivity measurement, said access point controller performs:
adjusting the transmission power from said access terminal function portion so as to bring the packet error rate into the predetermined range;
obtaining the reception sensitivity on the basis of the transmission power of said access terminal function portion after the adjustment; and
storing a test result which contains the obtained reception sensitivity and/or a failure decision result based on the reception sensitivity, in a storage unit, or transmitting the test result to a maintenance device.
3. A radio access point testing apparatus comprising:
an access point controller which controls said access point,
(2) a measurement path diagnosis which acquires a first reception power value of said receiver in the case of connecting said receiver with said transmitter part of said access terminal function portion, and a second reception power value of said access terminal function portion in the case of connecting said transmitter with said receiver part of said access terminal function portion, and in which failures of said receiver and the signal path are diagnosed depending upon whether or not a difference between the first reception power value and a predetermined first reception power expectation, and a difference between the second reception power value and a predetermined second reception power expectation lie within predetermined ranges, respectively,
wherein in the measurement path diagnosis, said access point controller performs:
4. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein in the measurement path diagnosis, said access point controller further performs:
5. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 3,
6. A radio access point testing apparatus comprising:
wherein said path switch part includes:
wherein said access point controller performs:
8. In a radio access point having an access terminal function portion which includes a transmitter part and a receiver part of a communication terminal in a radio communication system, and which serves to test a radio access point;
either of a receiver of one loop and receivers of two loops, for receiving forward signals that are transmitted from the access terminal function portion and the communication terminal;
a path switch part for effecting switching so as to connect an input end of the receiver to an antenna or to terminate the input end, and for switching paths of the signal from the transmitter and the signal toward the receiver; and
an access point controller which controls the access point;
9. A radio access point testing apparatus comprising:
an access point controller which controls said access point and is capable of controlling both of a receiver sensitivity measurement and a measurement path diagnosis;
(1) said receiver sensitivity measurement in which a packet error rate is adjusted into a predetermined range, and in which a reception sensitivity is obtained based on the transmission power of said access terminal function portion after the adjustment; and
(2) said measurement path diagnosis which acquires a first reception power value of said receiver in the case of connecting said receiver with said transmitter part of said access terminal function portion, and a second reception power value of said access terminal function portion in the case of connecting said transmitter with said receiver part of said access terminal function portion, and in which failures of said receiver and the signal path are diagnosed depending upon whether or not a difference between the first reception power value and a predetermined first reception power expectation, and a difference between the second reception power value and a predetermined second reception power expectation lie within predetermined ranges, respectively.
10. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in the receiver sensitivity measurement, said access point controller performs:
11. In a radio access point having an access terminal function portion which includes a transmitter part and a receiver part of a communication terminal in a radio communication system, and which serves to test a radio access point;
an access point controller which controls the access point and is capable of controlling both a receiver sensitivity measurement and a measurement path diagnosis;
This is a continuation-in-part application of application Ser. No. 10/910,583, filed Aug. 4, 2004, which claims priority of Japanese Application No. 2005-139727 filed May 12, 2005 and Japanese Application No. 2003-386193 filed Nov. 17, 2003, all of the disclosure of which are hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
In the invention, the reception sensitivity is measured by furnishing a radio access point apparatus with a test terminal called a “TAT (access terminal function portion)”. The TAT is the test terminal which is endowed with the same call processing function as that of a general access terminal. Owing to the endowment with the same call processing function as that of the general access terminal, the reception sensitivity can be measured without influence on a general service. Besides, a radio-frequency switch is connected to an antenna input end in order to exclude a measurement error ascribable to the external noise. During the receiver sensitivity measurement, the switch is set so as to cut off the section between the antenna and an access point receiver, so as to prevent the external noise from being inputted. Further, the normality of the path between the TAT and the access point receiver is confirmed using the output signal of a transmitter mounted in the access point. Thus, when the receiver sensitivity measurement value as desired, for example, has not been acquired, it is permitted to specify the cause.
that the access terminal function portion establishes a calling connection state with a predetermined device through a modulation/demodulation process portion, and transmits packets;
that the access point controller obtains a packet error rate;
The CPL 201 (second directional coupler) connects the transmitter 133, the DUP 130 (or a path to the antenna) and the SW 202 (or a path to the test function unit) to one another. Besides, the CPL 204 (first directional coupler) connects the SW 205 (the receiver-0 or the transmitter), the SW 203 (a path to the antenna or a terminating part for termination) and the SW 209 (a path to the access terminal function portion) to one another. The CPL 207 connects the SW 208 (the receiver-1 or the transmitter), the SW 206 (a path to the antenna or a terminating part for termination) and the SW 209 (the path to the access terminal function portion) to one another.
The SW 203 switches the input terminal of the receivers 134 so as to be connected to the loop-0 antenna 116 through the DUP 130, or to be terminated (connected to the terminating part). Besides, the SW 206 switches the input terminal of the receiver-1 135 so as to be connected to the loop-1 antenna 117 through the BPF 131, or to be terminated (connected to the terminating part). The SW 202 switches the part 221 of the reverse radio signal extracted by the CPL 201, so as to be outputted to the test function unit 113, to be outputted to the loop-0 forward main signal path 227, or to be outputted to the loop-1 main signal path 232.
In an ordinary operation mode (a non-test mode), as shown in FIG. 3 by way of example, the SW 203 is set on the side of the loop-0 antenna 116, and the SW 205 on the side of the receiver-0 134. Besides, the SW 206 is set on the side of the loop-1 antenna 117, and the SW 208 on the side of the receiver-1 135. That is, a loop-0 forward radio signal and a loop-1 forward signal are respectively inputted to the demodulator 137 through a signal path 301 and a signal path 302.
Subsequently, the access point controller 115 judges the signal paths 303 and 304, access terminal function portion 126 and receiver part 215 to be normal (S109), in a case where the difference between the access point reception power value reported at the step 718 and the expected value of the access point reception power lies within a first range (for example, �3 dB) (“YES” at S105), and where the difference between the TAT reception power value reported at the step 711 and the expected value of the TAT reception power lies within a second range (for example, �3 dB) (“YES” at S107) This case is denoted as “Case-1”.
Subsequently, the access point controller 115 diagnoses the receiver part 215 of the access terminal function portion 126 to be abnormal (S111), in a case where the difference between the access point reception power value and the expected value of the access point reception power lies within the first range (“YES” at S105), and where the difference between the TAT reception power value and the expected value of the TAT reception power lies outside the second range (“NO” at S107). In this case, the access point reception power value is normal, and hence, the signal path 303 (including a part common to the path 304) is normal. Further, the transmitter 133 of the access point is normal in view of the step S101. Accordingly, the receiver part 215 of the access terminal function portion 126 is diagnosed to be abnormal. This case is denoted as “Case-2”.
The Case-3 corresponds to a case, for example, where the access point reception power value is −85 dBm, where the expected value of the access point reception power is −70 dBm, where the measured value of the TAT reception power is −69 dBm, and where the expected value of the TAT reception power is −70 dBm. The difference between the access point reception power values becomes −15 dBm, which lies outside the deciding threshold value, and the difference between the TAT reception power values becomes 1 dBm, which lies within the deciding threshold value. Therefore, the receiver 134 is diagnosed to be faulty.
(1) The reception power value at the receiver-0 end is computed in accordance with the following computational formula:
(2) The transmitter part 214 mounted in the access terminal function portion 126, and the reception path are calibrated on the basis of the computed value of the above step (1). There will be described an example in the case where the transmission power of the access terminal function portion 126 is −30 dBm, while the reported value of the reception power of the receiver-0 134 is −72 dBm, and where the correction value for the frequency f2 and the loop-0 to-be-handled is −0.3 in view of the receiver correcting table shown in FIG. 12. First, the access point controller 115 computes the power at the receiver-0 end.
The actual reception power at the receiver-0 end becomes −72.3 dBm in accordance with the above formula.
Subsequently, the access point controller 115 calibrates the access terminal function portion 126 and the reception loop. First, the access point controller 115 takes the difference between the transmission power of the access terminal function portion 126 and the actual reception power at the receiver end. The transmission power of the access terminal function portion 126 is −30 dBm, and the actual power at the receiver-0 end is −72.3 dBm, so that the difference between the two values becomes 42.3 dBm. This is the loss value of the transmitter part 214 of the access terminal function portion 126 and the signal path by way of example. Assuming that a predetermined path loss stored in, for example, a memory is 40 dBm, a deviation of 2.3 dBm is involved.
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