Wireless communication system and test method thereof, and access terminal for testing wireless communication system

• US 7,542,762 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIPA Frohwitter Intellectual Property AG
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Communication Technologies, Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hayata, Koji, Aoe, Hideo, Uchida, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour; Melody
• Application Number:
  US11/022,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20060019651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/561, 455/424, 455/450, 455/67.1, 455/453, 455/57.1
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A wireless communication system and its test method capable of executing a test of the wireless communication apparatus from a remote place by using a terminal generally used in wireless communication systems are implemented with a low-cost configuration and a simple procedure. A terminal obtained by installing a test AP on a general terminal that is used in general wireless communication systems and that can execute APs via a communication network is placed in a coverage area of a wireless communication apparatus. A maintenance center for the wireless communication system activates the terminal. The terminal executes the test AP and conducts communication with the maintenance center by using control signals and test signals for testing wireless communication system. A test is executed by measuring an actual communication state of the wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system in which a general wireless communication terminal that is present in one or more coverage areas of a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses executes a first program provided in the general wireless communication terminal and conducts communication with another wireless communication terminal via a communication network connected to one of the wireless communication apparatuses associated with the general wireless communication terminal, said wireless communication system comprising:

a maintenance apparatus for the wireless communication system; and

at least one second wireless communication terminal placed in one of the coverage areas of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses, said coverage area selected as a test area for making a test of the wireless communication system,

wherein said second wireless communication terminal is a general wireless communication terminal and includes an application program for testing the wireless communication system that is downloaded from the maintenance apparatus after said second wireless communication terminal is placed in said coverage area,

wherein said maintenance apparatus activates said second wireless communication terminal at regular intervals or based on a instruction from a user of the maintenance apparatus,

wherein when said maintenance apparatus activates said second wireless communication terminal, said second wireless communication terminal activates the application program, executes communication with said maintenance apparatus, and makes a test of said wireless communication system, and

wherein the test comprises performing either a first series of steps or a second series of steps at the second wireless communication terminal, the first series of steps comprising;

generating a loopback packet, transmitting the loopback packet to the maintenance apparatus, and recording a transmission time at which the loopback packet is transmitted;

receiving a reply packet generated in response to the loopback packet from the maintenance apparatus and recording a reception time at which the reply packet is received;

diagnosing the wireless communication system by calculating a delay time from the transmission time and the reception time and obtaining a packet delay in the wireless communication system; and

transmitting a result of diagnosing the wireless communication system to the maintenance apparatus;

the second series of steps comprising;

transmitting a request for a test file to the maintenance apparatus and recording a transmission time at which the request for the test file is transmitted as a file acquisition staff time;

receiving the test file and a file transmission completion response from the maintenance apparatus in response to the request and recording a file size of the received test file and a reception time at which the file transmission completion response is received as a file acquisition completion time; and

measuring a data transfer rate to diagnose the wireless communication system by calculating a file transfer time and a file transfer rate based on the file acquisition start time, file acquisition completion time, and the file size of the received test file.

4. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless communication apparatus controller which connects to the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses and another communication network, and controls the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses.

5. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the application program which tests the wireless communication system is an application program activated by an operating system provided in the general wireless communication terminal; and

the application program which tests the wireless communication system is an application program that executes a test of said wireless communication system in cooperation with said maintenance apparatus via said wireless communication system.

6. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

said maintenance apparatus comprises an interface to said wireless communication system, a control unit, and a server for transmitting/receiving test signals to/from the second wireless communication terminal; and

when said control unit activates the second wireless communication terminal via said interface, transmission and reception of the test signals are conducted between the second wireless communication terminal and said server, and a test result measured by the second wireless communication terminal during the transmission and reception of the test signals is received and displayed on said control unit.

7. The wireless communication system according to claim 1, wherein the second wireless communication terminal is placed in a cell or a sector formed by each wireless communication apparatus.

2. A test method for a wireless communication system in which a general wireless communication terminal that is present in one or more coverage areas of a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses executes a program provided in the general wireless communication terminal and conducts communication with another wireless communication terminal via a communication network connected to one of the wireless communication apparatuses associated with the general wireless communication terminal, said test method for wireless communication system comprising the steps of:

placing at least one specified wireless communication terminal in one of the coverage areas of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses, said coverage area selected as a test area for making a test of the wireless communication system;

providing the specified wireless communication terminal with a test program for the wireless communication system, wherein the specified wireless communication terminal is a general wireless communication terminal and receives the test program by downloading it from a maintenance apparatus in the wireless communication system after being placed in said coverage area; and

activating the test program, using the specified wireless communication terminal, to establish connection between the specified wireless communication terminal and the maintenance apparatus and to execute transmission and reception of control signals and test signals between the specified wireless communication terminal and the maintenance apparatus, wherein the test program is activated by said maintenance apparatus at regular intervals or based on a instruction from a user of said maintenance apparatus, and wherein the test program causes the specified wireless communication terminal to perform either a first series of steps or a second series of steps, the first series of steps comprising;

generating a loopback packet, transmitting the loopback packet to the maintenance apparatus, and recording a transmission time at which the loopback packet is transmitted;

receiving a reply packet generated in response to the loopback packet from the maintenance apparatus and recording a reception time at which the reply packet is received;

diagnosing the wireless communication system by calculating a delay time from the transmission time and the reception time and obtaining a packet delay in the wireless communication system; and

transmitting a result of diagnosing the wireless communication system to the maintenance apparatus;

the second series of steps comprising;

transmitting a request for a test file to the maintenance apparatus and recording a transmission time at which the request for the test file is transmitted as a file acquisition start time;

receiving the test file and a file transmission completion response from the maintenance apparatus in response to the request and recording a file size of the received test file and a reception time at which the file transmission completion response is received as a file acquisition completion time; and

measuring a data transfer rate to diagnose the wireless communication system by calculating a file transfer time and a file transfer rate based on the file acquisition start time, file acquisition completion time, and the file size of the received test file.

8. The test method for the wireless communication system according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

confirming connection between the specified wireless communication terminal and the maintenance apparatus for the wireless communication system, and then executing transmission and reception of control signals and test signals between the specified wireless communication terminal and the maintenance apparatus; and

compiling a test result of the wireless communication system after completion of the measurement, transmitting the compiled test result to the maintenance apparatus, and releasing the connection.

9. The test method for the wireless communication system according to claim 2, wherein the wireless communication system includes a wireless communication apparatus controller which connects to the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses and another communication network, and controls the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses.

10. The test method for the wireless communication system according to claim 2, wherein:

the test program is an application program activated by an operating system provided in the specified wireless communication terminal; and

the test program executes a test of the wireless communication system in response to activation given by the maintenance apparatus via the wireless communication system.

3. A wireless communication terminal used in a test of a wireless communication system in which the wireless communication terminal is present in one or more coverage areas of a plurality of wireless communication apparatuses, executes an application program provided in the wireless communication terminal and conducts communication with another wireless communication terminal via a communication network connected to one of the wireless communication apparatuses associated with the wireless communication terminal, said wireless communication terminal comprising:

an operating system for conducting basic operation of said wireless communication terminal;

a plurality of application programs;

an application platform for coordinating said operating system with said application programs; and

a test program for said wireless communication system,

wherein the wireless communication terminal is placed in one of the coverage areas of the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses, said coverage area selected as a test area for making a test of the wireless communication system;

wherein the wireless communication terminal is a general wireless communication terminal and receives the test program by downloading it from a maintenance apparatus in the wireless communication system after being placed in said coverage area,

wherein said test program is activated by said maintenance apparatus at regular intervals or based on a instruction from a user of the maintenance apparatus,

wherein when activated by said maintenance apparatus, said test program operates on said operating system and said application platform and executes a test of said wireless communication system by conducting communication with said maintenance apparatus, and

wherein said wireless communication terminal is configured to;

execute said test program by performing either a first series of steps or a second series of steps, the first series of steps comprising;

generating a loopback packet, transmitting the loopback packet to the maintenance apparatus, and recording a transmission time at which the loopback packet is transmitted;

receiving a reply packet generated in response to the loopback packet from the maintenance apparatus and recording a reception time at which the reply packet is received;

diagnosing the wireless communication system by calculating a delay time from the transmission time and the reception time and obtaining a packet delay in the wireless communication system; and

transmitting a result of diagnosing the wireless communication system to the maintenance apparatus;

the second series of steps comprising;

transmitting a request for a test file to the maintenance apparatus and recording a transmission time at which the request for the test file is transmitted as a file acquisition staff time;

receiving the test file and a file transmission completion response from the maintenance apparatus in response to the request and recording a file size of the received test file and a reception time at which the file transmission completion response is received as a file acquisition completion time; and

measuring a data transfer rate to diagnose the wireless communication system by calculating a file transfer time and a file transfer rate based on the file acquisition staff time, file acquisition completion time, and the file size of the received test file;

compile a test result of said wireless communication system after completion of the test program, transmitting the compiled test result to said maintenance apparatus, and releasing the connection; and

finish said test program.

11. The wireless communication terminal used in a test of said wireless communication system according to claim 3, wherein the wireless communication system includes a wireless communication apparatus controller which connects to the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses and another communication network, and controls the plurality of wireless communication apparatuses.