WIRELESS ACCESS POINT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TESTING SIGNAL RECEPTION SENSITIVITY

• US 20140036715A1
• Filed: 10/17/2011
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Chung, Jae Ho, Rho, Wi Sang, Ji, Yung Ha, Han, Kyu Jeong
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/29 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/226 using past references to control power, e.g. look-up-table
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/262 taking into account adaptive modulation and coding [AMC] scheme AMC per se H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing signal reception sensitivity of a wireless access point are provided. The apparatus includes a receiver which is configured to receive a test start request signal, a transmission power level change request signal and a test packet retransmission request signal from a neighboring access point apparatus; a test signal generator which is configured to generate a test packet signal to be transmitted to the neighboring access point apparatus; a transmission power level adjuster which is configured to adjust a transmission power level of the test packet signal; a transmitter which is configured to transmit the test packet signal to the neighboring access point apparatus with a power having a level adjusted by the transmission power level adjuster; and a test executor which is configured to execute a test program having a predetermined sequence for testing a signal reception sensitivity of the neighboring access point apparatus.

Claims

1. A method for testing a signal reception sensitivity of a wireless access point apparatus, comprising:

(a) transmitting a predetermined test packet from a first access point apparatus to a second access point apparatus, the predetermined test packet being transmitted at a predetermined first transmission power level;

(b) measuring a packet error rate of the test packet and writing a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) level applied to the test packet, the packet error rate being measured and the MCS level being written by the second access point apparatus;

(c) transmitting a request for changing a transmission power level for transmitting a test packet from the second access point apparatus to the first access point apparatus;

(d) transmitting another test packet with a changed transmission power level from the first access point apparatus to the second access point apparatus; and

(e) repeating the operations (b) to (d) until the changed transmission power level reaches a predetermined second transmission power level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after the operations (a) to (e), the method further comprises:

(f) transmitting a test target AP switching request signal from the second access point apparatus to the first access point apparatus;

(g) transmitting another test packet from the second access point apparatus to the first access point apparatus with a predetermined third transmission power level after transmitting the test target AP switching request signal;

(h) measuring a packet error rate of the test packet transmitted in operation (g) and writing an MCS level applied to the test packet transmitted in operation (g), the packet error rate being measured and the MCS level being written by the first access point apparatus;

(i) transmitting a request for changing the transmission power level from the first access point apparatus to the second access point apparatus;

(j) transmitting another test packet with a changed transmission power level from the second access point apparatus to the first access point apparatus; and

(k) repeating the operations (h) to (j) until the changed transmission power level reaches a predetermined fourth transmission power level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation (b) further comprises:

measuring a reception power after receiving the test packet, the reception power being measured by the second access point apparatus; and

evaluating a signal reception sensitivity of the second access point apparatus based on whether the packet error rate of the test packet of the MCS level is smaller than or equal to a predetermined reference value for the measured reception power.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said operation (b) further comprises:

checking for a variable MCS level in the measured reception power level based on a pre-stored MCS table if the packet error rate is smaller than or equal to the predetermined reference value, the variable MCS level being checked for by the second access point apparatus,

wherein said operation (c) comprises transmitting information on the variable MCS level from the second access point apparatus to the first access point apparatus, and

wherein said operation (d) comprises changing an MCS level to apply to a test packet based on the received information on the MCS level, the MCS level being changed by the first access point apparatus.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said operation (h) further comprises:

measuring a reception power after receiving the test packet transmitted in said operation (g), the reception power being measured by the first access point apparatus; and

evaluating a signal reception sensitivity of the first access point apparatus based on whether the packet error rate of the test packet of the received MCS level is smaller than or equal to a predetermined reference value for the measured reception power, the signal reception sensitivity being evaluated by the first access point apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein operation (h) further comprises:

checking for a variable MCS level in the measured reception power level based on a pre-stored MCS table if the packet error rate of the test packet received by the first access point apparatus is smaller than or equal to the predetermined reference value, the variable MCS level being checked for by the first access point apparatus,

wherein said operation (i) further comprises transmitting information on the variable MCS level from the first access point apparatus to the second access point apparatus, and

wherein said operation (j) further comprises changing an MCS level to apply to a test packet based on the received information on the MCS level, the MCS level being changed by the second access point apparatus.

7. A wireless access point apparatus, comprising:

a receiver which is configured to receive a test start request signal, a transmission power level change request signal and a test packet retransmission request signal from a neighboring access point apparatus;

a test signal generator which is configured to generate a test packet signal to be transmitted to the neighboring access point apparatus;

a transmission power level adjuster which is configured to adjust a transmission power level of the test packet signal;

a transmitter which is configured to transmit the test packet signal to the neighboring access point apparatus with a power having a level adjusted by the transmission power level adjuster; and

a test executor which is configured to execute a test program having a predetermined sequence for testing a signal reception sensitivity of the neighboring access point apparatus,

wherein the test executor is configured to control the test signal generator, the transmission power level adjuster and the transmitter to transmit a predetermined test packet to the neighboring access point apparatus with the power having a predetermined first transmission power level in response to receiving the test start request signal; and

change a transmission power level based on the test program and transmit a test packet having the changed transmission power level to the neighboring access point apparatus in response to receiving the transmission power level change request signal and the test packet retransmission request signal.

8. The wireless access point apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a measurer which is configured to measure a reception power after receiving the test packet and measure a packet error rate of the test packet if the receiver receives the test packet from the neighboring access point apparatus;

an MCS level recorder which is configured to record an MCS level applied to the test packet; and

a reception sensitivity evaluator which is configured to evaluate a signal reception sensitivity based on whether the packet error rate of the test packet of the MCS level is smaller than or equal to a predetermined reference value for the measured reception power.

9. The wireless access point apparatus of claim 8, wherein, in case the packet error rate has a value that is smaller than or equal to the predetermined reference value, the reception sensitivity evaluator is configured to check for a variable MCS level that is applicable for the measured reception power level, based on a pre-stored MCS table.

10. The wireless access point apparatus of claim 9, wherein the test executor is further configured to transmit information on the variable MCS level to the neighboring access point apparatus through the transmitter.