Test equipment and testing methods based on harmonic beamforming

• US 10,145,878 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Brunel, Dominique Michel Yves, Domino, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US15/862,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20180224490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/17 Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations H04B17/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0404 the mobile station comprising multiple antennas, e.g. to provide uplink diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/08 at the receiving station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0842 Weighted combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for radio frequency emissions testing based on harmonic beamforming are provided herein. In certain configurations, a method of emissions testing of cellular communication assemblies for emissions compliance is provided. The method includes transmitting a signal beam using an antenna array of a respective cellular communication assembly after manufacture thereof, the signal beam including a fundamental lobe and one or more harmonic lobes. The method further includes determining one or more testing locations of the signal beam based on detecting a direction of the fundamental lobe using test equipment, the testing locations corresponding to locations associated with the harmonic lobes. The method further includes evaluating a level of harmonic emissions at each of the one or more testing locations using the test equipment to establish whether or not the respective cellular communication assembly complies with emissions testing.

Claims

1. A method of harmonic testing of cellular communication assemblies for emissions compliance, the method comprising:

transmitting a signal beam using an antenna array of a respective cellular communication assembly after manufacture thereof, the signal beam including a fundamental lobe and one or more harmonic lobes;

determining one or more testing locations of the signal beam based on detecting a direction of the fundamental lobe using test equipment, the one or more testing locations corresponding to locations associated with the one or more harmonic lobes;

evaluating a level of harmonic emissions at each of the one or more testing locations using the test equipment; and

establishing that the respective cellular communication assembly complies with emissions testing when the level of harmonic emissions at each tested location is determined to be below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein when the level of harmonic emissions at one or more of the tested locations is determined to be above the predetermined threshold, establishing that the respective cellular communication assembly is not in compliance with emissions testing.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising omitting testing at positions away from the one or more harmonic lobes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the harmonic testing includes spurious emission testing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the harmonic testing includes detecting second harmonic emissions from the respective cellular communication assembly.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the harmonic testing includes detecting third harmonic emissions from the respective cellular communication assembly.

7. The method of claim 1 implemented using automated test equipment.

8. Automated test equipment for harmonic testing of cellular communication assemblies for emissions compliance, the automated test equipment comprising:

one or more measurement antennas configured to generate a receive signal in response to receiving a signal beam transmitted from an antenna array of a cellular communication assembly, the signal beam comprising a fundamental lobe and one or more harmonic lobes;

a signal analyzer configured to analyze the receive signal to detect a direction of the fundamental lobe; and

a testing location determination system configured to determine one or more testing locations of the signal beam based on the detected direction of the fundamental lobe, the one or more testing locations corresponding to locations associated with the one or more harmonic lobes, the testing location determination system further configured to control the automated test equipment to evaluate a level of harmonic emissions at each of the one or more testing locations.

9. The automated test equipment of claim 8 wherein the automated test equipment is further configured to compare the level of harmonic emissions at each of the one or more testing locations to a predetermined threshold.

10. The automated test equipment of claim 8 further comprising a handler configured to move the cellular communication assembly.

11. The automated test equipment of claim 8 further comprising a platform configured to receive the cellular communication assembly, the platform configured to be at least one of movable or rotatable relative to the one or more measurement antennas.

12. The automated test equipment of claim 8 wherein the one or more measurement antennas are implemented to be at least one of movable or rotatable with respect to the cellular communication assembly.

13. The automated test equipment of claim 8 wherein the testing location determination system is further configured to omit testing at positions away from the one or more harmonic lobes.

14. A method of harmonic testing of cellular communication assemblies using automated test equipment, the method comprising:

generating a receive signal using one or more measurement antennas of the automated test equipment in response to receiving a signal beam from an antenna array of a cellular communication assembly, the signal beam comprising a fundamental lobe and one or more harmonic lobes;

analyzing the receive signal to detect a direction of the fundamental lobe using a signal analyzer of the automated test equipment;

determining one or more testing locations of the signal beam based on the detected direction of the fundamental lobe using a testing location determination system of the automated test equipment, the one or more testing locations corresponding to locations associated with the one or more harmonic lobes; and

evaluating a level of harmonic emissions at each of the one or more testing locations using the automated test equipment.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising comparing the level of harmonic emissions at each of the one or more testing locations to a predetermined threshold.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising moving the cellular communication assembly onto a testing platform using a handler of the automated test equipment.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising at least one of moving or rotating the testing platform to control a relative position between the cellular communication assembly and the one or more measurement antennas.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising at least one of moving or rotating the one or more measurement antennas to control a relative position between the cellular communication assembly and the one or more measurement antennas.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising omitting testing at positions away from the one or more harmonic lobes.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein evaluating the level of harmonic emissions includes evaluating at least one of second harmonic emissions or third harmonic emissions of the cellular communication assembly.