PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11791908-B2
Application Number: US-202117335607-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Systems and methods for testing multiple mmWave antennas

Abstract:
A testing system may include a test electronic device having a test antenna disposed in a first signal path of a first antenna array of an electronic device. The test antenna may receive a first signal from the first antenna array. The testing system may also include a reflector disposed in a second signal path of a second antenna array of the electronic device. The reflector may reflect a second signal from the second antenna array to the test antenna. The reflector may include a flat, parabolic, or elliptical curvature that reflects a radio frequency signal emitted by the second antenna array to the test antenna.

Claims:
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A testing system, comprising:
 a test electronic device comprising a test antenna configured to be disposed in a first signal path of a first antenna of an electronic device and receive a first signal from the first antenna; 
 a first reflector configured to be disposed in a second signal path of a second antenna of the electronic device and reflect a second signal from the second antenna to the test antenna; and 
 a second reflector configured to be disposed in a third signal path of a third antenna of the electronic device and reflect a third signal from the third antenna to the test antenna. 
 
     
     
       2. The testing system of  claim 1 , wherein the first antenna comprises a first antenna array, and wherein the second antenna comprises a second antenna array. 
     
     
       3. The testing system of  claim 1 , wherein the first reflector is configured to be disposed along a boresight of the second antenna. 
     
     
       4. The testing system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is configured to operate the second antenna at a horizontal polarization and send the second signal at the horizontal polarization, and the test electronic device is configured to operate the test antenna at the horizontal polarization and receive the second signal at the horizontal polarization. 
     
     
       5. The testing system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is configured to operate the second antenna at a vertical polarization and send the second signal at the vertical polarization, and the test electronic device is configured to operate the test antenna at the vertical polarization and receive the second signal at the vertical polarization. 
     
     
       6. A method for operating a testing system, comprising:
 positioning a test antenna of the testing system in a signal path of a first antenna of an electronic device; 
 directing the test antenna along a first axis based on a first path loss between the first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna of the electronic device; 
 directing the test antenna along a second axis based on a second path loss between the second antenna and the third antenna; 
 receiving, at the test antenna:
 a first beam from the first antenna; 
 a second beam from the second antenna via a first reflector of the testing system; and 
 a third beam from the third antenna via a second reflector of the testing system. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , comprising rotating the test antenna about a third axis based on a polarity of the test antenna. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein directing the test antenna along the first axis balances the first path loss between the first antenna, the second antenna, and the third antenna. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first axis is along a line connecting the first antenna and a center point of the electronic device. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , wherein directing the test antenna along the second axis balances the second path loss between the second antenna and the third antenna. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second axis is along a line connecting the second antenna and the third antenna. 
     
     
       12. A testing system, comprising:
 a test electronic device comprising a test antenna configured to be disposed in a first signal path of a first antenna of an electronic device and receive a first signal from the first antenna; and 
 a reflector configured to be disposed in a second signal path of a second antenna of the electronic device and reflect a second signal from the second antenna to the test antenna, wherein the electronic device is configured to: 
 operate the second antenna at a horizontal polarization and send the second signal at the horizontal polarization, and the test electronic device is configured to operate the test antenna at the horizontal polarization and receive the second signal at the horizontal polarization; or 
 operate the second antenna at a vertical polarization and send the second signal at the vertical polarization, and the test electronic device is configured to operate the test antenna at the vertical polarization and receive the second signal at the vertical polarization. 
 
     
     
       13. The testing system of  claim 12 , wherein the first antenna comprises a first antenna array, and wherein the second antenna comprises a second antenna array. 
     
     
       14. The testing system of  claim 12 , wherein the reflector is configured to be disposed along a boresight of the second antenna. 
     
     
       15. The testing system of  claim 12 , wherein the test electronic device comprises a second reflector configured to be disposed in a third signal path of a third antenna of the electronic device and reflect a third signal from the third antenna to the test antenna. 
     
     
       16. The testing system of  claim 12 , wherein the test electronic device is communicatively coupled to and controls one or more actuators to move, angle, rotate, tilt, or any combination thereof, the test antenna. 
     
     
       17. The testing system of  claim 12 , wherein the test electronic device comprises a processor configured to measure characteristics of the first signal and the second signal. 
     
     
       18. The testing system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to generate one or more reports based on the characteristics. 
     
     
       19. The testing system of  claim 18 , wherein the test electronic device comprises a memory device, and wherein the processor is configured to store the one or more reports in the memory device.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to test equipment, and more specifically to testing multiple radio frequency antennas that are located in different areas of an electronic device. 
     Test equipment may include multiple test antennas that conduct over-the-air (OTA) testing of multiple, separately located radio frequency (RF) antennas or antenna arrays (e.g., capable of millimeter wave (mmWave) transmission and/or reception) of an electronic device. In particular, each test antenna may be disposed in a signal path of a respective device antenna or antenna array to receive an emitted RF signal from the respective device antenna or antenna array for testing purposes. However, it may prove expensive to utilize multiple test antennas to test the multiple antennas or antenna arrays of the electronic device and, further, may prove inefficient and inconsistent when repeatedly arranging the multiple test antennas to properly receive the emitted RF signals from the device antennas or antenna arrays to test electronic device after electronic device in a manufacturing environment. 
     SUMMARY 
     A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below. 
     In one embodiment, a testing system may include a test electronic device including a test antenna. The test antenna may be disposed in a first signal path of a first antenna of an electronic device and receive a first signal from the first antenna. The testing system may further include a reflector. The reflector may be disposed in a second signal path of a second antenna of the electronic device and reflect a second signal from the second antenna to the test antenna. 
     In another embodiment, a method for operating a testing system may include positioning a test antenna of the testing system in a signal path of a first antenna of an electronic device. The method may also include directing the test antenna along a first axis based on a first path loss between the first antenna, a second antenna, and a third antenna of the electronic device. The method may also include directing the test antenna along a second axis based on a second path loss between the second antenna and the third antenna. The method may also include receiving, at the test antenna, a first beam from the first antenna, a second beam from the second antenna via a first reflector of the testing system, and a third beam from the third antenna via a second reflector of the testing system. 
     In yet another embodiment, a reflector of a testing system may include a surface to reflect a signal from an antenna of an electronic device, the surface including a surface roughness. The reflector may further include a curvature to reflect the signal to a test antenna of the testing system. The reflector may pivotably mount to an arm, and the arm may be disposed within a testing chamber of the testing system. 
     Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation to various aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure alone or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of embodiments of the present disclosure without limitation to the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings described below in which like numerals refer to like parts. 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram of an electronic device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of a notebook computer representing an embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of a handheld device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  4    is a front view of another handheld device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a front view of a desktop computer representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  6    is a front view and side view of a wearable electronic device representing another embodiment of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective diagram of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    having three antenna arrays, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  8    is a block diagram of a testing system that tests antennas of the electronic device of  FIG.  1   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective diagram of the testing system of  FIG.  8   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  10    is an illustrative diagram of a flat reflector of the testing system of  FIG.  8   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  11    is an illustrative diagram of a parabolic reflector of the testing system of  FIG.  8   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  12    is an illustrative diagram of an elliptical reflector of the testing system of  FIG.  8   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  13    is a perspective diagram of the testing system of  FIG.  8    illustrating positioning and orienting a test antenna of the testing system of  FIG.  8    to decrease path loss between antennas of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    and a test antenna of the testing system of  FIG.  8   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  14    is a method to decrease the path loss between antennas of the electronic device of  FIG.  1    and the test antenna of the testing system of  FIG.  8   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  15    is a perspective diagram of the testing system of  FIG.  8    illustrating dimensional parameters for station replication, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS 
     One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure. 
     When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Use of the term “approximately,” “near,” “about”, and/or “substantially” should be understood to mean including close to a target (e.g., design, value, amount), such as within a margin of any suitable or contemplatable error (e.g., within 0.1% of a target, within 1% of a target, within 5% of a target, within 10% of a target, within 25% of a target, and so on). 
     An electronic device may include multiple antennas and/or multiple antenna arrays. Further references to “an antenna” in this disclosure may include both a single antenna and an antenna array having multiple antennas. Each antenna emits radio frequency (RF) signals to transmit or receive data over-the-air (OTA). During manufacturing, the antennas of the electronic devices may be tested to ensure that they are working properly. In some cases, to test the multiple antennas, multiple test antennas of test equipment may receive RF signals from the multiple antennas of the electronic device. Each test antenna may be positioned in a signal path of a respective antenna of the electronic device to sufficiently capture the emitted RF signal from the respective antenna. 
     However, testing in this manner may prove expensive, inefficient, and inconsistent. Each test antenna is a specialized antenna that may be expensive to purchase and maintain. Furthermore, the orientation and set up of multiple testing systems with multiple test antennas may lead to inconsistent performance due to variances in configuring each test antenna and testing system. Moreover, additional variance may be introduced when testing different types of electronic devices with numbers of antennas and/or antenna locations. 
     The presently disclosed embodiments include one or more reflectors used in combination with one or more test antennas to test the antennas of electronic devices. Each reflector may include a metal-plated surface with a particular surface roughness. The test antenna may be positioned in a signal path of a first antenna (or antenna array) of the electronic device to receive RF signals emitted from the first antenna. The one or more reflectors may each be positioned to reflect the RF signals emitted from one or more antennas (or antenna arrays) of the electronic device to the test antenna. 
     In some embodiments, a curvature of each reflector may increase or maximize an amount of RF signal captured by the test antenna to decrease or minimize energy loss. In particular, the curvature of a reflector may be flat, parabolic, or elliptical, where each curvature may provide a different focus of a respective RF signal when reflecting the respective RF signal to a test antenna. In additional or alternative embodiments, the surface roughness of a metal making up a reflector may be configured, designed, or decreased to provide better reflective behavior to prevent or decrease signal loss when reflecting an RF signal. 
     As discussed above, orientating and aligning multiple test antennas when testing multiple electronic devices may lead to inconsistent test results due to variances in setting up each test antenna. However, the presently disclosed embodiments provide systems and processes for consistent and efficient positioning of the alignment of the test antenna and the reflectors by positioning the test antenna at a particular position, angle, and rotated orientation such that the signal or energy loss (e.g., path loss) is reduced or minimized between an RF signal received from the first antenna and other RF signals received from other antennas via reflectors. Moreover, while the disclosed embodiments are described as testing transmission of wireless signals by electronic devices, it should be understood that the techniques described herein are contemplated to also or alternatively apply to testing reception of wireless signals transmitted by the electronic devices. 
     Turning first to  FIG.  1   , an electronic device  10  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include, among other things, one or more processor(s)  12 , memory  14 , nonvolatile storage  16 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , an input/output (I/O) interface  24 , a network interface  26 , a power source  28 , and a transceiver  30 . The various functional blocks shown in  FIG.  1    may include hardware elements (including circuitry), software elements (including computer code stored on a computer-readable medium) or a combination of both hardware and software elements. It should be noted that  FIG.  1    is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in electronic device  10 . 
     By way of example, the electronic device  10  may represent a block diagram of the notebook computer depicted in  FIG.  2   , the handheld device depicted in  FIG.  3   , the handheld device depicted in  FIG.  4   , the desktop computer depicted in  FIG.  5   , the wearable electronic device depicted in  FIG.  6   , or similar devices. It should be noted that the processor(s)  12  and other related items in  FIG.  1    may be embodied wholly or in part as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the processor(s)  12  and other related items in  FIG.  1    may be a single contained processing module or may be incorporated wholly or partially within any of the other elements within the electronic device  10 . 
     In the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1   , the processor(s)  12  may be operably coupled with a memory  14  and a nonvolatile storage  16  to perform various algorithms. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor(s)  12  may be stored in any suitable article of manufacture that includes one or more tangible, computer-readable media. The tangible, computer-readable media may include the memory  14  and/or the nonvolatile storage  16 , individually or collectively, to store the instructions or routines. The memory  14  and the nonvolatile storage  16  may include any suitable articles of manufacture for storing data and executable instructions, such as random-access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard drives, and optical discs. In addition, programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that may be executed by the processor(s)  12  to enable the electronic device  10  to provide various functionalities. 
     In certain embodiments, the display  18  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), which may allow users to view images generated on the electronic device  10 . In some embodiments, the display  18  may include a touch screen, which may allow users to interact with a user interface of the electronic device  10 . Furthermore, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the display  18  may include one or more organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, or some combination of LCD panels and OLED panels. 
     The input structures  22  of the electronic device  10  may enable a user to interact with the electronic device  10  (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease a volume level). The I/O interface  24  may enable electronic device  10  to interface with various other electronic devices, as may the network interface  26 . The network interface  26  may include, for example, one or more interfaces for a personal area network (PAN), such as a Bluetooth network, for a local area network (LAN) or wireless local area network (WLAN), such as an 802.11x Wi-Fi network, and/or for a wide area network (WAN), such as a 3rd generation (3G) cellular network, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), 4th generation (4G) cellular network, long term evolution (LTE) cellular network, long term evolution license assisted access (LTE-LAA) cellular network, 5th generation (5G) cellular network, and/or 5G New Radio (5G NR) cellular network. In particular, the network interface  26  may include, for example, one or more interfaces for using a Release-15 cellular communication standard of the 5G specifications that include the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range (e.g., 24.25-300 GHz). The transceiver  30  of the electronic device  10 , which includes a transmitter and a receiver, may allow communication over the aforementioned networks (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi, LTE-LAA, and so forth). 
     The network interface  26  may also include one or more interfaces, for example, broadband fixed wireless access networks (WiMAX), mobile broadband Wireless networks (mobile WiMAX), asynchronous digital subscriber lines (e.g., ADSL, VDSL), digital video broadcasting-terrestrial (DVB-T) and its extension DVB Handheld (DVB-H), ultra-Wideband (UWB), alternating current (AC) power lines, and so forth. As further illustrated, the electronic device  10  may include a power source  28 . The power source  28  may include any suitable source of power, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and/or an alternating current (AC) power converter. 
     In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  may take the form of a computer, a portable electronic device, a wearable electronic device, or other type of electronic device. Such computers may include computers that are generally portable (such as laptop, notebook, and tablet computers) as well as computers that are generally used in one place (such as conventional desktop computers, workstations, and/or servers). In certain embodiments, the electronic device  10  in the form of a computer may be a model of a MacBook®, MacBook® Pro, MacBook Air®, iMac®, Mac® mini, or Mac Pro® available from Apple Inc. By way of example, the electronic device  10 , taking the form of a notebook computer  10 A, is illustrated in  FIG.  2    in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The depicted computer  10 A may include a housing or enclosure  36 , a display  18 , input structures  22 , and ports of an I/O interface  24 . In one embodiment, the input structures  22  (such as a keyboard and/or touchpad) may be used to interact with the computer  10 A, such as to start, control, or operate a graphical user interface (GUI) or applications running on computer  10 A. For example, a keyboard and/or touchpad may allow a user to navigate a user interface or application interface displayed on display  18 . 
       FIG.  3    depicts a front view of a handheld device  10 B, which represents one embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  10 B may represent, for example, a portable phone, a media player, a personal data organizer, a handheld game platform, or any combination of such devices. By way of example, the handheld device  10 B may be a model of an iPod® or iPhone® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. The handheld device  10 B may include an enclosure  36  to protect interior components from physical damage and to shield them from electromagnetic interference. The enclosure  36  may surround the display  18 . The I/O interfaces  24  may open through the enclosure  36  and may include, for example, an I/O port for a hardwired connection for charging and/or content manipulation using a standard connector and protocol, such as the Lightning connector provided by Apple Inc., a universal serial bus (USB), or other similar connector and protocol. 
     User input structures  22 , in combination with the display  18 , may allow a user to control the handheld device  10 B. For example, the input structures  22  may activate or deactivate the handheld device  10 B, navigate user interface to a home screen, a user-configurable application screen, and/or activate a voice-recognition feature of the handheld device  10 B. Other input structures  22  may provide volume control, or may toggle between vibrate and ring modes. The input structures  22  may also include a microphone that may obtain a user&#39;s voice for various voice-related features, and a speaker that may enable audio playback and/or certain phone capabilities. The input structures  22  may also include a headphone input that may provide a connection to external speakers and/or headphones. 
       FIG.  4    depicts a front view of another handheld device  10 C, which represents another embodiment of the electronic device  10 . The handheld device  10 C may represent, for example, a tablet computer, or one of various portable computing devices. By way of example, the handheld device  10 C may be a tablet-sized embodiment of the electronic device  10 , which may be, for example, a model of an iPad® available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. 
     Turning to  FIG.  5   , a computer  10 D may represent another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1   . The computer  10 D may be any computer, such as a desktop computer, a server, or a notebook computer, but may also be a standalone media player or video gaming machine. By way of example, the computer  10 D may be an iMac®, a MacBook®, or other similar device by Apple Inc. It should be noted that the computer  10 D may also represent a personal computer (PC) by another manufacturer. A similar enclosure  36  may be provided to protect and enclose internal components of the computer  10 D such as the display  18 . In certain embodiments, a user of the computer  10 D may interact with the computer  10 D using various peripheral input structures  22 , such as the keyboard  22 A or mouse  22 B, which may connect to the computer  10 D. 
     Similarly,  FIG.  6    depicts a wearable electronic device  10 E representing another embodiment of the electronic device  10  of  FIG.  1    that may be configured to operate using the techniques described herein. By way of example, the wearable electronic device  10 E, which may include a wristband  43 , may be an Apple Watch® by Apple Inc. However, in other embodiments, the wearable electronic device  10 E may include any wearable electronic device such as, for example, a wearable exercise monitoring device (e.g., pedometer, accelerometer, heart rate monitor), or other device by another manufacturer. The display  18  of the wearable electronic device  10 E may include a touch screen display  18  (e.g., LCD, OLED display, active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, and so forth), as well as input structures  22 , which may allow users to interact with a user interface of the wearable electronic device  10 E. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  7    is a perspective diagram of the electronic device  10  having three antenna arrays  47 A-C, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As discussed above, while three antenna arrays  47 A-C are shown in the electronic device  10 , it should be understood that, in some embodiments, any one (or more) of the antenna arrays  47 -C may be replaced with a single antenna. Moreover, going forward, an individual antenna array (e.g., antenna array  47 A) or a single antenna implementation may be generically referred to as an antenna array  47 , an antenna  47 , or an antenna group  47  for convenience. The electronic device  10  may include the transceiver  30  that may support transmission and receipt of various wireless signals over mmWave frequencies (e.g., 24.25-300 gigahertz (GHz)) via the one or more antenna arrays  47 . To be clear, while an antenna array  47  is described as transmitting or receiving a wireless signal over an mmWave frequency, in some embodiments, a single antenna may transmit or receive a wireless signal over an mmWave frequency. The antenna arrays  47  may be configured in an omnidirectional or directional configuration, in a single-beam, dual-beam, or multi-beam arrangement, and so on. Each antenna array  47  may be associated with a one or more beams and various configurations. In some embodiments, each antenna array  47  may correspond to a respective transceiver  30  and emit radio frequency signals that may constructively and/or destructively combine to form a beam or RF signal  46 A-C (collectively  46 ). The electronic device  10  may include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, multiple transceivers, and/or multiple antennas as suitable for various communication standards. For reference purposes, it should be understood that each antenna array  47  may emit a boresight beam (e.g., a beam emitted along an axis of maximum gain (maximum radiated power) of the antenna array  47 , a beam emitted along an axis of symmetry of the antenna array  47 , and so on). The electronic device  10  may include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, multiple transceivers, and/or multiple antennas as suitable for various communication standards. It should be noted that, going forward, an antenna array  47  may be referenced to as an antenna  47  or antenna group for convenience, and may include one or more antennas. 
     As illustrated, a first antenna  47 A may emit a first beam  46 A from a first surface  48  of the electronic device  10 . The first surface  48  may include a front or a display surface (e.g., a surface having the display  18 ). For example, the first surface  48  may be a surface in the positive Z-axis direction, as illustrated in both  FIGS.  3  and  7   . Additionally, a second antenna  47 B disposed at a second surface  49  of the electronic device  10  may emit a second beam  46 B. The second surface  49  may include a surface in the positive Y-axis direction, as illustrated in both  FIGS.  3  and  7    (e.g., a top surface of the electronic device  10 A when a user is holding the electronic device  10  in a portrait mode or vertical position). A third antenna  47 C disposed at a third surface  50  of the electronic device  10  may emit a third beam  46 C. The third surface  50  may include a surface in the positive Z-axis direction, as illustrated in both  FIGS.  3  and  7    (e.g., a bottom surface of the electronic device  10 A when a user is holding the electronic device  10  in a portrait mode or vertical position). While the electronic device  10  shown in  FIG.  7    is illustrated as having three antennas  47  at the first surface  48 , the second surface  49 , and the third surface  50  of the electronic device  10 , it should be understood that, in additional or alternative embodiments, the electronic device  10  may include more or less antennas  47 , at more, less, or different locations of the electronic device  10 . For instance, in some embodiments, the electronic device  10  may include an antenna  47  at a side edge of the electronic device  10 . 
     In some embodiments, the antennas  47  of the electronic device  10  may undergo testing during manufacturing by, for example, measuring the beams  46  and/or characteristics of the beams  46 , to ensure that the antennas  47  are functioning properly. Indeed, test equipment may include multiple test antennas to receive RF signals from the multiple antennas of the electronic device. Each test antenna may be positioned in a signal path of a respective antenna of the electronic device to sufficiently capture the emitted RF signal from the respective antenna. However, testing in this manner may prove expensive, inefficient, and inconsistent. In particular, each test antenna may include a specialized antenna that is expensive to purchase and maintain. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  8    is a block diagram of a testing system  51 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated, the electronic device  10  (which may be referred to as a device-under-test (DUT)) may be placed in the testing system  51  The testing system  51  may further include a test electronic device  54  (e.g., test equipment) having, among other things, processing circuitry (e.g., a processor  56 ), memory  58 , a receiver  60 , and one or more test antennas  62 . The processor  56  may include the attributes described above with respect to the processor  12  of the electronic device  10 , and the memory  58  may include the attributes described above with respect to the memory  14  of the electronic device  10 . The one or more test antennas  62  (collectively referred to as a test antenna  62 ) may include a horn antenna (e.g., a dual polarized horn antenna), a dish antenna (e.g., a reflector antenna), a slot antenna, or any other suitable antenna for receiving RF signals, including mmWave frequencies. For example, the test antenna  62  may operate between 20 gigahertz (GHz) and 40 GHz and may have a gain between 8 decibels (dB) and 10 db. In some embodiments, the receiver  60  may be part of a transceiver that also includes a transmitter. The receiver  60  may receive RF signals from the electronic device  10  via the test antenna  62 . 
     To better illustrate the physical characteristics of the testing system  51 ,  FIG.  9    is a perspective diagram of the testing system  51 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The testing system  51  may include a chamber  72  that secures the multiple components (e.g., the test antenna  62 , the reflectors  66 , the electronic device  10 , etc.) of the testing system  51  discussed in  FIG.  8   , and decreases or prevents interference of the RF signals emitted from the antennas  47  of the electronic device and received at the test antenna  62  and/or the reflectors  66 . The chamber  72  may be metal, plastic, or any material strong enough to secure the components of the testing system  51 , and enable accurate measurements of RF signals. The electronic device  10  may be mounted to a base or mounting plate  73  that is affixed to a surface  74 A (e.g., a side surface in the negative X-axis direction) of the chamber  72 . The mounting plate  73  may keep the electronic device  10  in a constant position while testing is performed. 
     The test antenna  62  may be pivotably mounted to a base  75  that enables the test antenna  62  to pivot (e.g., 360 degrees). Any suitable joint or device, or number of joints or devices (e.g., a hinge joint, a ball-and-socket joint, a combination of one or more hinge joints and one or more ball-and-socket joints), may enable the test antenna  62  to pivot respective to the base  74 . In some embodiments, the test antenna  62  may include a ball joint at a mounting point, tail or root  76  of the test antenna  62 , and the base  75  may include a socket for which the ball joint of the test antenna  62  engages to enable directing, angling, tilting, and/or rotating the test antenna  62 . As discussed in more detail below, in some embodiments, the base  75  may include one or more actuators to enable the processor  56  of the test electronic device  54  to position, tilt, angle, and/or rotate the test antenna  62 . The base  75  may itself be mounted to a removable plate  77 A that is attached to a surface  74 B (e.g., a top surface in the positive Z-axis direction) of the chamber  72  that is adjacent to the surface  74 A. Moreover, the removable plate  77 A and/or the base  75  may enable movement of the test antenna  62  in a lateral direction along the surface  74 B of the chamber  72 . In this manner, the removable plate  77 A may be removed with the base  75  and the test antenna  62  attached to enable convenient adjustment of the test antenna  62 . 
     Similarly, each reflector  66  may be pivotably mounted to a respective arm  78  that enables the respective reflector  66  to pivot (e.g., 360 degrees). Any suitable joint or device, or number of joints or devices (e.g., a hinge joint, a ball-and-socket joint, a combination of one or more hinge joints and one or more ball-and-socket joints), may enable a reflector  66  to pivot respective to an arm  78 . In some embodiments, the test antenna  62  may include a ball joint at a mounting point, tail or root  79  of the reflector  66 , and the arm  78  may include a socket for which the ball joint of the reflector  66  engages to enable directing, angling, tilting, and/or rotating reflector  66 . Additionally or alternatively, the arm  78  may include one or more actuators to enable the processor  56  of the test electronic device  54  to position, tilt, angle, and/or rotate the reflector  66 . Each arm  78  may itself be mounted to a respective removable plate  77 B,  77 C that is attached to a respective surface  74 C,  74 D (e.g., a respective side surface in the positive or negative Y-axis direction) of the chamber  72  that is adjacent to the surfaces  74 A,  74 B. In particular, the surface  74 C may be opposite of the surface  74 D to enable testing of the top and bottom antennas  47 B,  47 C of the electronic device  10 . In this manner, a removable plate  77 B,  77 C may be removed with an arm  78  and reflector  66  attached to enable convenient adjustment of the reflector  66 . As illustrated, the arm  78  may be further coupled to a second arm  80  via a pivotable joint (e.g., a hinge joint  81 ) that enables a higher degree of positioning of the reflector  66 . While the perspective diagram illustrates the testing system  51  in a particular arrangement, different types of electronic devices  10 , different types of reflectors  66 , different types of antennas  47 , and/or different types of test antennas  62  may be used, and may include different arrangements of the testing system  51 . 
     RF signals transmitted from an antenna (e.g., a front-facing antenna  47 A) of the electronic device  10  may traverse a direct signal path  64  to the test antenna  62  for testing purposes. In particular, the test antenna  62  may be positioned along a boresight of the antenna  47 A (e.g., along an axis of maximum gain (maximum radiated power) of the antenna  47 A, along an axis of symmetry of the antenna  47 A, along a zero degree beam emitted from the antenna  47 A, and so on). To test additional antennas of the electronic device  10  not disposed in the signal path  64 , the test electronic device  54  may include one or more reflectors  66  to reflect RF signals transmitted from the additional antennas (e.g.,  47 B,  47 C) via reflection signal paths  68 A,  68 B (collectively  68 ) to the test antenna  62 . Each reflector  66  may be positioned along a boresight of a respective additional antenna  47 B,  47 C. In some embodiments, the test electronic device  54  may include multiple test antennas  62 , where a first reflector  66  may reflect an RF signal from a first additional antenna (e.g.,  47 B) of the electronic device  10  via a first reflection signal path  68 A to a first test antenna  62 , and a second reflector  66  may reflect an RF signal from a second additional antenna (e.g.,  47 C) of the electronic device  10  via a second reflection signal path  68 B to a second test antenna  62 . 
     The reflectors  66  may be made of any suitable material, such as a metal, that has a surface roughness/resistance that sufficiently reflects RF signals  46 . In particular, the effectiveness of the material to reflect specific frequencies of the RF signal  46  may be dependent upon the surface roughness of the material. The less rough or less resistant the material, the better reflective behavior of the material. Table 1 below illustrates the maximum frequency of an RF signal that may be reflected by the reflector  66  having a surface roughness listed in the table: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Maximum Frequency (gigahertz) 
                 Surface Roughness (micrometer) 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
            
               
                 28 
                 75 
               
               
                 43 
                 49 
               
               
                 87 
                 24 
               
               
                 220 
                 &lt;1 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     In some embodiments, the reflector  66  may be plated in the material (e.g., in cases where the material has sufficient surface roughness but is expensive to manufacture the entire reflector  66  from the material). For example, gold has a surface roughness of approximately 1.6 micrometer (μm) and, as such, may sufficiently reflect RF signals having frequencies of approximately less than 200 gigahertz (GHz). As such, in some embodiments, the reflector  66  may be made of any suitable material (e.g., aluminum) and have gold-plating. In additional or alternative embodiments, the material of the reflector  66  may have a sufficient surface roughness to reflect RF signals of any suitable desired frequencies (e.g., less than or equal to 75 μm to reflect RF signals of less than or equal to 28 GHz, less than or equal to 49 μm to reflect RF signals of less than or equal to 43 GHz, less than or equal to 24 μm to reflect RF signals of less than or equal to 87 GHz, less than or equal to 1 μm to reflect RF signals of less than or equal to 200 GHz, and so on). 
     As should be noted, using the reflectors  66  to receive RF signals (e.g., from the top antenna  47 B or the bottom antenna  46 C as shown in  FIG.  7   ) via the reflection signal paths  68  at the test antenna  62  may result in power gain loss of the signals compared to receiving the RF signals via the direct signal path  64  at the test antenna  62 . For example, when the test antenna  62  is positioned 30 centimeters (cm) from the front-facing antenna  47 A of the electronic device  10  along the direct signal path  64 , the test antenna  62  may receive RF signals along the direct signal path  64  from the front-facing antenna  47 A having a power gain of  10  decibels (dB). In comparison, the test antenna  62  may receive RF signals having frequencies in the n257 band (e.g., 26.5 GHz to 29.5 GHz) along the reflection signal paths  68  having a power gain of 4.5 decibel milliwatts (dBm) averaged over the top and bottom antennas  47 B,  47 C of the electronic device  10 . As another example, the test antenna  62  may receive RF signals having frequencies in the n260 band (e.g., 37 GHz to 40 GHz) along the reflection signal paths  68  having a power gain of 3.5 dBm averaged over the top and bottom antennas  47 B,  47 C of the electronic device  10 . As such, there may be a loss of power gain in the range of 5-7 dB along the reflection signal paths  68  using the reflector  66  compared to not using the reflector  66  along the direct signal path  64  (not accounting for free space loss). 
     Based on the receiver  60  receiving the RF signals  46  at the test antenna  62  from the antennas  47  (e.g., directly or via the reflectors  66 ), the processor  56  may measure characteristics of the RF signals  46 , such as an amplitude, power, gain, signal strength, frequency, phase, noise level, signal-to-noise ratio, and so on. In some embodiments, the processor  56  may generate one or more reports based on the measured characteristics of the RF signals  46 , and output (e.g., display, print out, send, transmit) the one or more reports for analysis. In additional or alternative embodiments, the processor  56  may store the measured characteristics of the RF signals  46  or data based on the measured characteristics in the memory  58  of the test electronic device  54 , the memory  14  of the electronic device  10 , and/or the storage  16  of the electronic device  10  (e.g., in a lookup table). For example, the memory  14  or the storage  16  of the electronic device  10  may store operating parameters (e.g., an input power, an input current, or any other suitable settings of a transmitter of the electronic device  10 ) for transmitting the RF signals  46 . In particular, the operating parameters may correspond to standard characteristics of the RF signals  46  (e.g., when transmitted by a standard transmitter or a transmitter of a control group). The processor  56  may generate correction factors or coefficients based on the measured characteristics of the RF signals  46 , such that the correction factors, when applied to the transmitter of the electronic device  10 , compensate for differences between the standard characteristics of the RF signals  46  and the measured characteristics of the RF signals  46 . The processor  56  may then cause the memory  14  or the storage  16  of the electronic device  10  to also store the correction factors. In one embodiment, the processor  56  may output (e.g., display, print out, send, transmit) differences between measured characteristics of the RF signals  46  and the standard characteristics of the RF signals  46 . 
     In addition to the material of the reflector  66 , a curvature of the reflector  66  may enable focusing a reflected RF signal to better capture the signal and prevent or reduce energy loss. With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  10    is an illustrative diagram of a flat reflector  82  of the testing system  51 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The flat reflector  82  may include a flat surface made of or plated with the material described above (e.g., gold-plated). 
     The flat reflector  82  reflects the RF signal  46  emitted from the antenna  47  of the electronic device  10  in the reflection signal path  68  in a reflection pattern  83  to the test antenna  62 . The reflection pattern  83  illustrates the focus or dispersion of the RF signal  46  along the reflection signal path  68 . If the reflection signal path  68  is excessively long (e.g., greater than 5 centimeters (cm) greater than 10 cm, greater than 12 cm, greater than 15 cm, greater than 20 cm, and so on) then the reflection pattern  83  may include a conical pattern (e.g., with a point at the flat reflector  82 ) that scatters or disperses the RF signal  46  in the reflection signal path  68 , such that receiving the RF signal  46  via the reflection signal path  68  may be inefficient and lead to signal or energy loss (e.g., path loss) when compared to the RF signal  46  received via the reflection signal path  68 . The more focused the reflection pattern  83  is, the less path loss is experienced in the reflection signal path  68 . For excessive reflection paths, the presently disclosed embodiments may implement other curvatures of the reflector  66  to prevent or decrease path loss. 
     With the foregoing in mind,  FIG.  11    in an illustrative diagram of a parabolic reflector  84  of the testing system  51 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The parabolic reflector  84  may include a parabolic-curved surface made of or plated with the materials described above (e.g., gold-plated). The parabolic reflector  84  reflects the RF signal  46  in a reflection pattern  85  in the reflection signal path  68  from the antenna  47  to the test antenna  62 . The reflection pattern  85  may include a parallel pattern that facilitates focusing the RF signal  46  along the reflection signal path  68  at the test antenna  62 , such that the RF signal  46  experiences less path loss than the conical reflection pattern  83  of the flat reflector  82  shown in  FIG.  9   . 
     Additionally,  FIG.  12    is an illustrative diagram of an elliptical reflector  86  of the testing system of  FIG.  8   , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The elliptical reflector  86  may be an elliptically-curved surface made of or plated with the materials described above (e.g., gold-plated). The elliptical reflector  86  reflects the RF signal  46  from the antenna  47  to the test antenna  62 . The curvature of the elliptical reflector  86  is elliptical, which enables the elliptical reflector  86  to receive the RF signal  46  sent from a primary focal point  90  and focus it at a secondary focal point  92 . It should be noted that the reflection pattern  88  is more focused at the test antenna  62  than any other pattern, and thus path loss in the RF signal  46  along the reflection signal path  68  received at the test antenna  62  would be decreased and/or minimized compared to the flat reflector  82  and/or the parabolic reflector  84 . 
     By utilizing the reflectors  66  and the test antenna  62 , thus avoiding the need to set-up one or more test antennas  62 , the testing system  51  may be more efficiently set up and reproduced for testing multiple electronic devices  10 , across multiple testing systems  51 , across multiple manufacturing plants, and so on. With this in mind,  FIG.  13    is a perspective diagram of the testing system  51  illustrating positioning and orienting the test antenna  62  and reducing path loss between the antennas  47  and the test antenna  62 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the test electronic device  54  may adjust a position of the test antenna  62  by moving or angling the test antenna  62  at different points along a first axis  102  and a second axis  104 . The first axis  102  may be along a line connecting the front antenna  47 A of the electronic device and a center point  103  (e.g., halfway across the width and halfway across the length) of the electronic device  10 . The second axis  104  may be along a line connecting the top antenna  47 B and the bottom antenna  47 C of the electronic device. Additionally, the test electronic device  54  may rotate (e.g., in a direction  105 ) the test antenna  62  around a third axis  106 . The third axis  106  may include an axis of maximum gain (maximum radiated power) of the test antenna  62 , an axis of symmetry of the test antenna  62 , and so on. 
     The test electronic device  54  may be communicatively coupled to and control one or more actuators (e.g., linear actuators, rotary actuators, and so on) to move, angle, rotate, and/or tilt the test antenna  62 . In some embodiments, an external operator may move, angle, rotate, and/or tilt the test antenna  62  manually. The test electronic device  54  may utilize a laser alignment tool and/or an optical sensor (e.g., a camera) to project a laser point on the electronic device  10  to accurately move, angle, rotate, and/or tilt the test antenna  62  along the first axis  102  and/or the second axis  104 . In particular, the test electronic device  54  may position the test antenna  62  to decrease or minimize a path loss in the RF signals received at the test antenna  62  from the antenna  47 A and/or the antennas  47 B,  47 C via the reflectors  66 . 
     With this in mind,  FIG.  14    is a method  110  for decreasing or minimizing path loss between the antennas  47  of the electronic device  10  and the test antenna  62 , according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Any suitable device (e.g., a controller) that may control components of the test electronic device  54 , such as the processor  56 , may perform the method  110 . In some embodiments, the method  110  may be implemented by executing instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium, such as the memory  58 , using the processor  56 . For example, the method  110  may be performed at least in part by one or more software components, such as an operating system, one or more software applications, and the like, of the test electronic device  54 . While the method  110  is described using steps in a specific sequence, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps may be performed in different sequences than the sequence illustrated, and certain described steps may be skipped or not performed altogether. 
     At block  112 , the processor  56  of the test electronic device  54  moves or positions the test antenna  62  in the signal path  64  of a first antenna (e.g.,  47 A). In particular, the processor  56  may position the test antenna  62  in the direct signal path  64  of the first antenna  47 A (e.g., along a boresight of the first antenna  47 A). In some embodiments, the processor  56  may position the test antenna  62  by pointing the test antenna  62  straight down at the electronic device  10  (such that the axis of symmetry of the third axis  106  (e.g., axis of maximum gain (maximum radiated power) of the test antenna  62 , the axis of symmetry of the test antenna  62 ) is normal to a surface (e.g., the first surface  48 ) of the electronic device  10 , and moving the test antenna  62  such that it is positioned in the direct signal path  64  of the first antenna  47 A while still pointing the test antenna  62  straight down at the electronic device  10 . 
     At block  114 , the processor  56  directs, angles, or tilts the test antenna  62  along a first axis  102  to balance path-loss of RF signals  46  transmitted by the first antenna (e.g.,  47 A), second antenna (e.g.,  47 B), and the third antenna (e.g.,  47 C). In particular, the processor  56  may balance the path loss of the RF signals  46  transmitted by the antennas  47  by maintaining a mounting point, tail or root  76  of the test antenna  62  while incrementally angling or tilting an opening  108  of the test antenna  62  at multiple points along the first axis  102  and determining the path loss at each point. The processor  56  may balance the path loss by any suitable technique. For example, the processor  56  may balance the path loss by determining a path loss for each antenna  47  at each point along the first axis  102 , and determining an average, median, minimum, maximum, and so on, of the determined path losses for the antennas  47  at each point. The least resulting value may be the point of balanced path loss. In additional or alternative embodiments, weights may be applied to each path loss, and the balanced path loss may be based on the weighted and determined path losses. The free space path loss (FSPL) in decibels (dB) may be determined using Equation 1 below: 
     
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     F 
                     ⁢ 
                     S 
                     ⁢ 
                     P 
                     ⁢ 
                     L 
                   
                   = 
                   
                     
                       20 
                       ⁢ 
                       
                         
                           log 
                           
                             1 
                             ⁢ 
                             0 
                           
                         
                         ( 
                         d 
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     + 
                     
                       20 
                       ⁢ 
                       
                         
                           log 
                           
                             1 
                             ⁢ 
                             0 
                           
                         
                         ( 
                         f 
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     + 
                     
                       20 
                       ⁢ 
                       
                         
                           log 
                           
                             1 
                             ⁢ 
                             0 
                           
                         
                         ( 
                         
                           
                             4 
                             ⁢ 
                             π 
                           
                           c 
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     - 
                     
                       G 
                       t 
                     
                     - 
                     
                       G 
                       r 
                     
                   
                 
               
               
                 
                   ( 
                   
                     Equation 
                     ⁢ 
                         
                     1 
                   
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     Equation 1 may include a distance (d) between a transmitting antenna (e.g., an antenna  47  of the electronic device  10 ) and a receiving antenna (e.g., test antenna  62 ), a frequency (f) of the transmitted signal, a transmitter gain (G t ), and a receiver gain (G r ). For example, the path loss when the test antenna  62  is 30 cm from the front-facing antenna  47 A of the electronic device  10 , for a signal transmitted from the front-facing antenna  47 A having a frequency of 40 GHz, a gain of a transmitter of the electronic device  10  coupled to the front-facing antenna  47 A being 0, and a gain of a receiver of the test electronic device  54  coupled to the test antenna  62  being 0, may be 54.02 dB. As another example, the path loss when the test antenna  62  is 15 cm from the front-facing antenna  47 A of the electronic device  10 , for a signal transmitted from the front-facing antenna  47 A having a frequency of 40 GHz, a gain of a transmitter of the electronic device  10  coupled to the front-facing antenna  47 A being 0, and a gain of a receiver of the test electronic device  54  coupled to the test antenna  62  being 0, may be 48.00 dB. Accordingly, the difference of 15 cm between the test antenna  62  and the front-facing antenna  47 A, all other things being equal, may result in a difference in path loss of approximately 6 dB. 
     At block  116 , the processor  56  directs, angles, or tilts the test antenna  62  along the second axis  104  to balance the path-loss between the second antenna (e.g.,  47 B) and the third antenna (e.g.,  47 C). It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the test antenna  62  may be angled along a line parallel to the second axis  104 . In particular, similarly to block  114 , the processor  56  may balance the path loss of the RF signal  46  transmitted by the antennas  47  by maintaining the mounting point  76  of the test antenna  62  while incrementally positioning the opening  108  of the test antenna  62  at multiple points along the second axis  104  and determine the path loss at each point. The processor  56  may balance the path loss by any suitable technique. For example, the processor  56  may balance the path loss by determining a path loss for each antenna  47 B,  47 C at each point along the second axis  104 , and determining an average, median, minimum, maximum, and so on, of the determined path losses for the antennas  47  at each point. The least resulting value may be the point of balanced path loss. In additional or alternative embodiments, weights may be applied to each path loss, and the balanced path loss may be based on the weighted and determined path losses. The processor  56  may use Equation 1 when performing the path loss calculations. 
     At block  118 , the processor  56  rotates the test antenna  62  orientation about a third axis  106  to balance path loss based on a polarity of the test antenna  62 . In particular, any of the antennas  47  may operate (e.g., transmit an RF signal  46 ) using a vertical or horizontal polarization. Similarly, the test antenna  62  may operating (e.g., receive the RF signal  46 ) using a vertical or horizontal polarization. In particular, the test antenna  62  may use a vertical polarization to receive an RF signal  46  sent by an antenna  47  of the electronic device  10  using a vertical polarization, and the test antenna  62  may use a horizontal polarization to receive an RF signal  46  sent by an antenna  47  of the electronic device  10  using a horizontal polarization. To balance path loss between the polarizations, the processor  56  may rotate the test antenna  62  incrementally in the direction  105  about the third axis  106  incrementally at multiple points, and determine the path loss when the test antenna  62  receives an RF signal  46  using vertical polarization, and determine the path loss when the test antenna  62  receives an RF signal  46  using horizontal polarization, at each point. The processor  56  may balance the path loss by determining an average, median, minimum, maximum, and so on, of the determined path losses at each point. The least resulting value may be the point of balanced path loss. In additional or alternative embodiments, weights may be applied to each path loss, and the balanced path loss may be based on the weighted and determined path losses. The processor  56  may use Equation 1 when performing the path loss calculations. 
     At block  120 , the processor  56  may receive, at the test antenna  62 , a first beam from the first antenna (e.g.,  47 A) via the direct signal path  64 , a second beam from the second antenna (e.g.,  47 B) via a first reflection signal path  68 A, a third beam from the third antenna (e.g.,  47 C) via a second reflection signal path  68 B. In some embodiments, the test electronic device  54  may perform the method  150  to decrease or optimize path loss between each individual antenna  47  of the electronic device  10  and the test antenna  62 . The path loss between each antenna  47  and the test antenna  62  may be less than a certain decibel value for scalability and efficiency (e.g., the path loss being less than 60 dB). In this manner, the method  110  may enable the test electronic device  54  to decrease or optimize path loss between the antennas  47  of the electronic device  10  and the test antenna  62 . 
     The method  110  may enable scalability in setting up multiple and repeated testing systems  51  for consistent and accurate testing results. To aid in the scalability of the testing system  51 , the test electronic device  54  may utilize notation for station replication. With this in mind,  FIG.  15    is a perspective diagram of the testing system  51  of  FIG.  8    illustrating dimensional parameters of the notation for station replication, according to embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the notation for station replication may include six different values (e.g., X, Y, Z, d, o, φ). The X value may indicate an X-axis offset of a mounting point, tail, or root  76  of the test antenna  62  from the front-facing antenna  47 A. The Y value may indicate a Y-axis offset of the mounting point  76  of the test antenna  62  from the front-facing antenna  47 A. The Z value may indicate a height of the test antenna  62  from the front-facing antenna  47 A. The d value may indicate an angle or tilt of the test antenna  62  (e.g., maintaining the mounting point  76  of the test antenna  62  while pointing the opening  108  of the test antenna  62 ) along the first axis  102 . The o value may indicate an angle or tilt of the test antenna  62  along the second axis  104 . The φ value may indicate a polarization angle (e.g., in the direction  105  shown in  FIG.  13   ) of the test antenna  62  about the third axis  106 . An example of notation for station replication may include (3, 0, 3, 6, 0, 45°). In this example, the X-axis offset, the Y-axis offset, and the Z-axis offset of the tail of the test antenna  62  may equal 3 cm, 0, and 3 cm, respectively. Furthermore, the angle of the test antenna  62  along the first axis  102  and the angle of the test antenna  62  along the second axis  104  may equal 6 cm and 0, respectively. The polarization angle of the test antenna  62  may equal 45°. 
     While the method  110  is described as pertaining to the antennas  47 A-C of the electronic device  10  illustrated in  FIG.  8   , it should be understood that the method  110  may be applied to electronic devices having more or less antennas  47 , at more, less, or different locations of the electronic device  10 . For instance, in some embodiments, the method  110  may apply to an electronic device having an antenna  47  at a side edge of the electronic device. 
     By employing the techniques described in the present disclosure, the systems and methods described herein may allow for the utilization of one or more reflectors  66  in combination with the test antenna  62  to test the antennas  47  of electronic devices  10 . Further, different curvature designs of the reflectors  66  may be utilized to decrease or minimize energy loss and improve capturing of the RF signals  46 . Moreover, the test electronic device  54  may adjust the position, angle, and rotation of the test antenna  62  to decrease or minimize path loss. Additionally, notation representing alignment of the test antenna  62  may enable quick and convenient replication to set up the testing system  51 . 
     The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. 
     The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ,” it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20210601
Publication Date: 20231017
Grant Date: 20231017
Priority Date: 20210601
Inventors: NG, SZE YANG DENNIS
SHEN, JR-YI
RAJAGOPALAN, HARISH
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04B17/101", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q15/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B7/0408", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B17/309", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B17/101", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B7/0408", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01Q15/14", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 84193426