Malfunction detection method and base station apparatus utilizing the same

• US 20060003773A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Tadayoshi, Miyata, Takeo, Iwami, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,570,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A measuring unit inputs a detection received signal and measures a received RSSI value as the detection received signal. A first comparator inputs a plurality of received RSSI values measured by the measuring unit and compares them with a predetermined threshold value. A signal difference deriving unit derives a relative relationship among the plurality of RSSI values. A second comparator compares the relative relationship with a predetermined value. If the first comparator and the second comparator detect any malfunction, a decision unit receives notification accordingly from the first comparator and the second comparator and finally judges the malfunction of communication functions associated therewith.

Claims

1. A base station apparatus, comprising:

a control unit which allocates a predetermined channel to a terminal apparatus to be communicated and allocates another channel, which differs from said channel allocated to the terminal apparatus, to a control signal;

a communication unit which communicates with a terminal apparatus to which a predetermined channel is allocated to and which transmits periodically a control signal to which a channel other than said channel is allocated;

a measuring unit which receives periodically, via said communication unit, a control signal from another base station apparatus through a channel other than the channels allocated to the terminal apparatus and the control signal, and which measures the quality of the thus received control signal; and

a detection unit which detects a malfunction, if any, of the communication unit based on the quality of the control signal measured by said measuring unit.

2. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring unit measures the strength of a received control signal as the quality of the thus received control signal, and

wherein if the strength of a measured control signal is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, said detection unit determines that a malfunction of the communication unit has been detected.

3. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit includes a plurality of antennas,

wherein said measuring unit measures, as the quality of the thus received control signal, the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas, and

wherein said detection unit detects a malfunction of the communication unit, based on a relative relationship among the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas.

4. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communication unit includes a plurality of antennas,

wherein said measuring unit measures, as the quality of the thus received control signal, the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas, and

wherein if the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas are greater than a predetermined threshold value, said detection unit detects a malfunction of the communication unit, based on a relative relationship among the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas.

5. A base station apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said detection unit calculates a difference in strength between control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas, and if the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that part of the communication unit containing an antenna corresponding to the smaller strength in the control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas suffers a malfunction.

6. A base station apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detection unit calculates a difference in strength between control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas, and if the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that part of the communication unit containing an antenna corresponding to the smaller strength in the control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas suffers a malfunction.

7. A base station apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said detection unit calculates a difference in strength between control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas, and if the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that part of the communication unit containing an antenna corresponding to the larger strength in the control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas is normal.

8. A base station apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detection unit calculates a difference in strength between control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas, and if the calculated difference is greater than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that part of the communication unit containing an antenna corresponding to the larger strength in the control signals received respectively by two of the plurality of antennas is normal.

9. A base station apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said detection selects maximum strength and minimum strength from among the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas, and if the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas lie within a first range from the selected maximum strength and lie outside a second range from the selected minimum strength, it is determined that part of the communication unit containing an antenna corresponding to said strength of control signals is normal.

10. A base station apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detection selects maximum strength and minimum strength from among the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas, and if the strengths of control signals received respectively by the plurality of antennas lie within a first range from the selected maximum strength and lie outside a second range from the selected minimum strength, it is determined that part of the communication unit containing an antenna corresponding to said strength of control signals is normal.

11. A base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said communication unit receives a channel allocation request from a new terminal apparatus while a detection processing is being executed, said detection unit stops the detection processing.

12. A base station apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when said communication unit receives a channel allocation request from a new terminal apparatus while a detection processing is being executed, said detection unit stops the detection processing.

13. A base station apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when said communication unit receives a channel allocation request from a new terminal apparatus while a detection processing is being executed, said detection unit stops the detection processing.

14. A base station apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said communication unit receives a channel allocation request from a new terminal apparatus while a detection processing is being executed, said detection unit stops the detection processing.

15. A malfunction detecting method characterized in that a control signal is received periodically from another base station apparatus by a predetermined channel allocated to a terminal apparatus to be communicated and another channel, which differs from said channel allocated to the terminal apparatus, the another channel differing from a channel allocated to the control signal, the quality of the received control signal is measured, and a malfunction of functions to communicate with the terminal apparatus is detected based on the measured quality of control signal.

16. A program executable by a computer, the program including the functions of:

allocating a predetermined channel to a terminal apparatus to be communicated, allocating another channel, which differs from said channel allocated to the terminal apparatus, to a control signal and storing information on the allocated channels in a memory unit;

communicating, via a wireless network, with a terminal apparatus to which a predetermined channel is allocated to and transmitting periodically a control signal to which another channel, other than said channel allocated to the terminal apparatus, is allocated;

receiving periodically, via a wireless network, a control signal from another base station apparatus through a channel other than the channels allocated to the terminal apparatus and the control signal, measuring the quality of the thus received control signal and storing information on the measured quality of the control signal in a memory unit; and

detecting a malfunction, if any, of functions to communicate with the terminal apparatus based on the quality of the control signal stored.