Radio access point testing method and testing apparatus

• US 20050107080A1
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Yoshiaki, Kanomata, Yoshihiro, Nakagoshi, Arata, Oota, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

The normality verification and radio characteristics test of a radio communication system are executed.

RF-SWs (radio-frequency coaxial switches) 220 and 221 change-over the paths of signals which are transmitted to and received from an access terminal function portion 122 included in an access point 100. RF-SWs 222-224 connect the access terminal function portion 122 with a desired one of radio analog portions 210-212. A test function controller 217 controls the changeover operations of the RF-SWs 220-224 in accordance with information designated by a maintenance apparatus (OMC). An access point controller 216 controls in accordance with received test sort information, one or more of (1) an antenna failure test in which a voltage surface wave ratio is evaluated on the basis of the transmission power of the access terminal function portion 122, (2) a receiver failure test in which, after a packet error rate has been adjusted, a reception sensitivity is evaluated on the basis of the transmission power of the access terminal function portion 122, and (3) a transmitter failure test in which transmission power from any of the radio analog portions 210-212 is evaluated on the basis of the reception power value of the access terminal function portion 122.

Claims

1. A radio access point testing apparatus, comprising:

an access terminal function portion which has a communication function of a communication access terminal in a radio communication system, and which operates for testing a radio access point;

an antenna of one loop or antennas of two loops for transmitting a signal to and receiving a signal from the communication access terminal by radio;

radio analog portions of respective sectors, each of which is connected with said access terminal function portion;

said each radio analog portion including;

(a) a radio reception part of one loop or radio reception parts of two loops which receives/receive forward link signals transmitted from said access terminal function portion and the communication access terminal;

(b) a radio transmission part which transmits reverse link signals that are transmitted to said access terminal function portion and the communication access terminal;

(c) a first switch for changing-over a path of the signals that are transmitted to and received from said access terminal function portion, between path passing through the antenna and path not passing through the antenna; and

(d) a directional coupler which connects the antenna, said first switch, said radio transmission part and/or said radio reception part to one another;

a signal processing portion which modulates and demodulates the signals;

a second switch for connecting said access terminal function portion, said radio analog portion of a desired one of the sectors and/or a desired one of the loops;

a test function controller which changes-over said second switch in accordance with identification information of the sector and/or loop to-be-tested, and which changes-over said first switch at a predetermined timing in a case where test sort information indicates an antenna failure test; and

an access point controller which receives a test start instruction containing the test sort information, and which controls in accordance with the test sort information, one or plurality of (1) the antenna failure test in which a voltage surface wave ratio is evaluated on the basis of transmission power values of said access terminal function portion before and after the changeover of said first switch, (2) a receiver failure test in which a packet error rate is adjusted into a predetermined range, and a reception sensitivity is evaluated on the basis of the transmission power of said access terminal function portion after the adjustment, and (3) a transmitter failure test in which transmission power from said radio analog portion is evaluated on the basis of a reception power value of said access terminal function portion.

2. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 1, the antenna failure test includes that:

said access point controller transmits to said test function controller a switch changeover instruction which contains sector identification information and/or loop identification information, when it has received from a maintenance apparatus a test start instruction which contains the test sort information indicating the antenna failure test, and the identification information of the sector and/or the identification information of the loop to-be-tested;

said test function controller receives the switch changeover instruction, and sets said second switch so that the sector or the loop thereof corresponding to the sector identification information and/or the loop identification information contained in the instruction may be connected with said access terminal function portion;

said test function controller sets said first switch so that the paths of the signals which are transmitted to and received from said access terminal function portion may not pass through the antenna;

said access terminal function portion establishes a calling connection state with a predetermined apparatus through said signal processing portion, and transmits packets;

said access terminal function portion transmits its transmission power value P1 to said access point controller;

said access point controller receives the transmission power value P1, and stores the received value P1 in a memory;

said test function controller changes-over said first switch so that the paths of the signals which are transmitted to and received from said access terminal function portion may pass through the antenna;

said access terminal function portion transmits a transmission power value P2 after the changeover of said first switch, to said access point controller;

said access point controller receives the transmission power value P2, and stores the received value P2 in a memory;

said access point controller reads out the transmission power values P1 and P2 which are the values before and after the changeover of said first switch, from the memory, and calculates the voltage surface wave ratio on the basis of the read-out values of the transmission power values P1 and P2; and

said access point controller transmits to the maintenance apparatus, a test result which contains the calculated voltage surface wave ratio and/or a failure decision result based on the voltage surface wave ratio.

3. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the voltage surface wave ratio is calculated on the basis of the transmission power values P1 and P2 read out from the memory, in conformity with the following equation:

Voltage surface wave ratio=(P2+P1)/(P2−

P1)

where P1;

the transmission power value of said access terminal function portion in the case where the paths of the signals do not pass through the antenna; and

P2;

the transmission power value of said access terminal function portion in the case where the paths of the signals pass through the antenna.

4. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 1, the receiver failure test includes that:

said access point controller transmits to said test function controller a switch changeover instruction which contains sector identification information and/or loop identification information, when it has received from a maintenance apparatus a test start instruction which contains the test sort information indicating the receiver failure test, and the sector identification information and/or the identification information of the loop to-be-tested;

said test function controller receives the switch changeover instruction, and sets said second switch so that the sector or the loop thereof corresponding to the sector identification information and/or the loop identification information contained in the instruction may be connected with said access terminal function portion;

said access terminal function portion establishes a calling connection state with a predetermined apparatus through said signal processing portion, and transmits packets;

said access point controller evaluates the packet error rate in such a way that the number of error packets counted by said signal processing portion is divided by the total number of received packets;

said access point controller instructs said access terminal function portion to alter the transmission power, in accordance with the measured packet error rate;

said access terminal function portion alters the transmission power in compliance with the instruction from said access point controller;

said access terminal function portion transmits the transmission power value P1 which is after the alteration, to said access point controller;

said access point controller receives the transmission power value P1, and stores the received value P1 in a memory;

said access point controller evaluates the packet error rate again;

said access point controller judges if the evaluated packet error rate lies within a predetermined range, and it iterates instructing said access terminal function portion to alter the transmission power, and receiving and storing the transmission power value P1, until the packet error rate falls within the predetermined range;

said access point controller reads out of the memory the transmission power value P1 in the case where the packet error rate lies within the predetermined range, and a predetermined path loss value of which extends from said access terminal function portion to said radio reception part, and calculates the reception sensitivity by subtracting the path loss value from the transmission power value P1; and

said access point controller transmits to the maintenance apparatus a test result which contains the calculated reception sensitivity and/or a failure decision result based on the reception sensitivity.

5. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 1, the transmitter failure test includes that:

said access point controller transmits to said test function controller a switch changeover instruction which contains sector identification information, when it has received from a maintenance apparatus a test start instruction which contains the test sort information indicating the transmitter failure test, and the sector identification information to-be-tested;

said test function controller receives the switch changeover instruction, and sets said second switch so that the sector corresponding to the sector identification information contained in the instruction may be connected with said access terminal function portion;

said access terminal function portion transmits the reception power value of said access terminal function portion to said access point controller;

said access point controller receives the reception power value, and stores the received value in a memory;

said access point controller reads out of the memory the reception power value of said access terminal function portion, and a predetermined path loss value between said access terminal function portion and said radio transmission part, and calculates the transmission power from said radio analog portion by adding the reception power value and the path loss value; and

said access point controller transmits to the maintenance apparatus a test result which contains the calculated transmission power and/or a failure decision result based on the transmission power.

6. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a forward link attenuator which adjusts a path loss in a direction from said access terminal function portion to said radio analog portion; and

a reverse link attenuator which adjusts a path loss in a direction from said radio analog portion to said access terminal function portion;

wherein said test function controller simulates an environment of said access terminal function portion by controlling a power attenuation value/power attenuation values in said forward link attenuator and/or said reverse link attenuator.

7. A radio access point testing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein in each of the tests, a failure occurrence is decided, depending upon whether the evaluated value falls within or out of a predetermined threshold value.

8. A radio access point testing method which employs an access terminal function portion for testing an access point;

radio analog portions of respective sectors, each including a first switch for changing-over paths of signals that are transmitted to and received from the access terminal function portion, between paths passing through an antenna and paths not passing through the antenna, and each being connected with the access terminal function portion;

a second switch for connecting the access terminal function portion with a desired one of the radio analog portions;

a test function controller for changing-over the first switch and the second switch; and

an access point controller for controlling one or plurality of tests;

wherein

the access point controller receives a test start instruction which contains test sort information, and identification information of the sector and/or a loop to-be-tested;

the access point controller transmits to the test function controller a switch changeover instruction which contains the sector identification information and/or loop identification information;

the test function controller receives the switch changeover instruction, and changes-over the second switch so that the sector and/or loop corresponding to the identification information may be connected with the access terminal function portion, in accordance with the identification information of the sector and/or loop to-be-tested; and

the access point controller controls in accordance with the test sort information, one or plurality of (1) an antenna failure test in which a voltage surface wave ratio is evaluated on the basis of transmission power values of the access terminal function portion which are the values before and after the changeover of the first switch, (2) a receiver failure test in which a packet error rate is adjusted into a predetermined range, and a reception sensitivity is evaluated on the basis of transmission power of the access terminal function portion which is the power after the adjustment, and (3) a transmitter failure test in which transmission power from the radio analog portion is evaluated on the basis of a reception power value of the access terminal function portion.