System for remotely testing a cellphone base station
First Claim
1. A radio access test unit for testing the operation of a cellular telephone access base transceiver station (BTS) in a telephone network, the test unit includinga test transceiver;
- control means controlling the test transceiver; and
monitor means to monitor signals received by the test transceiver;
wherein the test unit is located at or proximate to the base station, the test unit being connected to a remote control station via a first communication link whereby instructions to initiate a test are transmitted from the control station to the test unit;
wherein the test transceiver includes a test antenna located within a coverage area of the base transceiver station, whereby the control means causes the test transceiver to establish a radio link with the base station;
the test transceiver including a storage containing a predetermined number which the test transceiver dials to establish a telephone link to a first test signal generator whose location in the network is identified by the predetermined number;
the monitor means monitoring signals received by the test transceiver and generating an error signal when the signal from the first test signal generator is not correctly received.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To enable testing of lightly loaded, remote base stations 2, a mobile phone 3 located within the cell is programmed to dial a test number via the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The test number generates an audio signal, e.g. a fixed tone which is transmitted to the mobile phone. A test unit 4 is connected to the mobile phone and initiates the test program and monitors receipt of the audio signal. Test unit 4 includes control logic 5 connected via a communication link 54 to a base station 2, and via lines 51, 52, 53 to phone 3. A tone monitor 7 tells control logic 5 whether a radio downlink test tone has been received, and the result is stored in a memory 11. A second tone generator 8 can be actuated by control logic 5 to test a radio uplink from phone 3 to base station 2.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A radio access test unit for testing the operation of a cellular telephone access base transceiver station (BTS) in a telephone network, the test unit including
a test transceiver; - control means controlling the test transceiver; and
monitor means to monitor signals received by the test transceiver;wherein the test unit is located at or proximate to the base station, the test unit being connected to a remote control station via a first communication link whereby instructions to initiate a test are transmitted from the control station to the test unit; wherein the test transceiver includes a test antenna located within a coverage area of the base transceiver station, whereby the control means causes the test transceiver to establish a radio link with the base station; the test transceiver including a storage containing a predetermined number which the test transceiver dials to establish a telephone link to a first test signal generator whose location in the network is identified by the predetermined number; the monitor means monitoring signals received by the test transceiver and generating an error signal when the signal from the first test signal generator is not correctly received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- control means controlling the test transceiver; and
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13. A remote test arrangement for a mobile telephone base transceiver station (BTS), the arrangement including:
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a test unit; a remote control station; the test unit including a test transceiver, control means controlling the test transceiver, and monitor means to monitor signals received by the test transceiver, wherein the test unit is located at or proximate to the base station, the test unit being connected to the remote control station via a first communication link whereby instructions to initiate a test are transmitted from the control station to the test unit; wherein the test transceiver includes a test antenna located within a coverage area of the base transceiver station, whereby the control means causes the test transceiver to establish a radio link with the base station; the test transceiver including a storage containing a predetermined number which the test transceiver dials to establish a telephone link to a first test signal generator whose location in the network is identified by the predetermined number; the monitor means monitoring signals received by the test transceiver and generating an error signal when the signal from the first test signal generator is not correctly received, the test unit including test analyzing means to analyze the error signal and generate an alarm signal when the error signal exceeds a predetermined limit. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification