Wireless relay directional testing

• US 10,250,340 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Inman, Dwight Devan, Reeves, Raymond Emilio, Mayfield, Calvin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Stephen M D
• Application Number:
  US15/443,127
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/16 Test equipment located at the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A wireless relay performs Radio Frequency (RF) testing at geographic azimuths. In the wireless relay, a wireless access point wirelessly exchanges user data with wireless user devices and exchanges the user data with Relay Equipment (RE). In the wireless relay, the RE exchanges the user data with the wireless access point and wirelessly exchanges the user data with a wireless communication network. The RE wirelessly receives a directional RF test instruction indicating geographic azimuths. The RE performs a directional RF test at the geographic azimuths based on the directional RF test instruction. The RE transfers RF test results for the geographic azimuths to the wireless communication network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless relay comprising a wireless access point and Relay Equipment (RE) to perform Radio Frequency (RF) testing at geographic azimuths, the method comprising:

the wireless access point wirelessly exchanging user data with wireless user devices;

the wireless access point and the RE exchanging the user data;

the RE wirelessly exchanging the user data with a wireless communication network;

the RE wirelessly receiving a directional Radio Frequency (RF) test instruction indicating one or more of the geographic azimuths, wherein the directional RF test instruction comprises detecting RF signal strength at a specified date and time, and wherein at least a portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the RE in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message;

the RE performing a directional RF test at the one or more geographic azimuths based on the directional RF test instruction; and

the RE transferring RF test results for the one or more geographic azimuths to the wireless communication network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the directional RF test further comprises detecting RF interference at a specific one of the geographic azimuths.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the directional RF test further comprises detecting RF noise at a specific one of the geographic azimuths.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the RE performing the directional RF test based on the directional RF test instruction further comprises performing the directional RF test at a specified user load on the wireless access point.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least an additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the RE using a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) and wherein the directional RF test instruction is retrieved using the URI.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least an additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the RE in a in a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein at least an additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the wireless access point in an S1-MME message and wherein the additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is transferred to the RE.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the RE is further configured to perform the directional RF test at a specified user load on the wireless access point.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least an additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the RE using a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) and wherein the directional RF test instruction is retrieved using the URI.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least an additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the RE in a in a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) message.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least an additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the wireless access point in an S1-MME message and wherein the additional portion of the directional RF test instruction is transferred to the RE.

12. A wireless relay comprising a wireless access point and Relay Equipment (RE) to perform Radio Frequency (RF) testing at geographic azimuths comprising:

the wireless access point configured to wirelessly exchange user data with wireless user devices and exchange the user data with the RE;

the RE configured to exchange the user data with the wireless access point and wirelessly exchange the user data with a wireless communication network;

the RE configured to wirelessly receive a directional Radio Frequency (RF) test instruction indicating one or more of the geographic azimuths, wherein the directional RF test instruction comprises detecting RF signal strength at a specified date and time, and wherein at least a portion of the directional RF test instruction is wirelessly received by the RE in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; and

the RE configured to perform a directional RF test at the one or more geographic azimuths based on the directional RF test instruction and transfer RF test results for the one or more geographic azimuths to the wireless communication network.

13. The wireless relay of claim 12 wherein the RE is further configured to detect RF interference at a specific one of the geographic azimuths.

14. The wireless relay of claim 12 wherein the RE is further configured to detect RF noise at a specific one of the geographic azimuths.