Smart antenna channel simulator and test system

• US 6,236,363 B1
• Filed: 08/17/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micronetics Wireless, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micronetics Wireless, Inc.
• Inventors: Amin, Moeness G., Robbins, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull, Fred H
• Application Number:
  US09/375,732
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 342/360, 342/372, 342/378, 342/169, 342/170, 342/171, 342/172, 342/173, 342/375, 455/423, 455/424
• US Class Current: 342/360
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/267 Phased-array testing or checking devices

Abstract

The invention is a method and apparatus for verifying the integrity of a smart antenna system. The simulator section replicates multiple sensors with directional and non-directional components with variables from Doppler, delay and angular spread. Hardware/software combinations simulate the line-of-sight signal, reflected signals, and refracted signals that require manipulation by the smart antenna processor to extract the temporal and spatial information of the signals of interest. The channel simulator of the present invention introduces independent variability of the most significant factors involved in the simulation; delay spread, Doppler spread, and angular spread. The simulated signals have variable numbers, amplitude, phase, delay and bearing components for representing a variety of terrain, environmental, equipment and capacity conditions for both indoor and outdoor applications. The simulation accounts for the various scattering and multipath conditions that are encountered in typical rural and urban environments. The output of the smart antenna processor is checked against input parameters to compare, verify and calibrate the smart antenna system, and the working condition of the individual smart antenna is accurately tested. Co-channel interference nulling, multipath mitigation, and geo-location capabilities are verified by the analysis of the processed data as compared to the input simulation data.

Claims

1. A smart antenna test set for evaluating performance of a smart antenna system, comprising:

a source for a reference signal;

a multi-channel signal stimulator for generating a plurality of test signals from said reference signal, said test signals connectable to said smart antenna system;

a control unit with an operator interface wherein operator inputs represent characteristics of said smart antenna system and user selectable test conditions;

means for transforming said operator inputs into delay, Doppler, and angular spread effects;

means for modifying said test signals with said delay, Doppler, and angular spread effects;

means for inserting said test signals into a smart antenna processor, and

a measurement device connectable to an output signal response of said smart antenna processor, wherein said measurement device compares said output signal response to an expected response.

2. The smart antenna test set of claim 1, said means for transforming further comprising into local scattering effects, said means for modifying further comprising with local scattering effects.

3. A smart antenna test set according to claim 1, wherein said control unit is connected to said source, to said measurement device, and to said output signal response, and said expected response is a function of said reference signal and said operator inputs.

4. A smart antenna test set according to claim 1, wherein said means of transforming said operator inputs and said means for modifying said test signals comprise in combination:

said control unit connected to said simulator, said control unit and said simulator incorporating software and circuitry adapted to interpret and apply said operator inputs as modifications to said test signals.

5. A smart antenna test set according to claim 1, wherein said test conditions comprise assumed environmental and equipment conditions.

6. A smart antenna test set according to claim 1, further comprising means for adjusting each of said delay, Doppler, and angular spread effects of each said test signal.

7. A smart antenna test set according to claim 1 wherein said source and said measurement device are interconnected.

8. A smart antenna test set according to claim 1, wherein said measurement device comprises means for interpreting a geo-location response from said output signal response.

9. A method for testing a smart antenna system, consisting of the steps:

providing a reference signal;

generating control inputs representing test conditions;

transforming said control inputs into delay spread effects, Doppler spread effects, and angular spread effects;

generating a plurality of multipath signals as a function of said reference signal and said delay spread effects;

generating a plurality of channel signals as a function of said multipath signals, said Doppler spread effects, and said angular spread;

summing selective sets of said channel signals into sensor signals, each said sensor signal corresponding to a respective sensor of the sensor array of said smart antenna;

applying said sensor signals to the smart antenna processor of said smart antenna system,

receiving a smart antenna system response;

measuring said smart antenna system response with a measurement device.

10. The method for testing a smart antenna system of claim 9, said transforming said control inputs further comprising into local scattering effects;

said generating a plurality of channel signals as a function further comprising of said local scattering effects.

11. A method for testing a smart antenna system according to claim 9, said test conditions comprising user selectable assumed environmental and equipment conditions and geo-location of source of said reference signal for simulation.

12. A method for testing a smart antenna system according to claim 9, further comprising the step of comparing said smart antenna system response to said reference signal and said control inputs.

13. A method of testing a smart antenna system according to claim 12, said step of comparing said smart antenna system response further comprising comparing geo-location information in said smart antenna system response to said reference signal and said control inputs.

14. A method for testing a smart antenna system according to claim 9, wherein said generating a plurality of multipath signals comprises using a multi-channel signal simulator.

15. A method for testing a smart antenna system according to claim 9, said providing a reference signal comprising use of a bit-error-rate tester.

16. The method for testing a smart antenna system according to claim 9, said method conducted with apparatus comprising a control unit connected to a multi-channel simulator, said control unit and said simulator incorporating software and circuitry adapted to interpret said control inputs as modifications to said reference signal.