Systems, methods and apparatus for determining a radiated performance of a wireless device

• US 7,773,964 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Li, Jing, Tierney, Patrick, Cassett, Tia Manning, Breit, Gregory Alan, Fok, Kenny, Seckendorf, Paul M., Ozaki, Ernest T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/258,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20060194553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 4552261-2264, 4551151-1153, 455/423
• US Class Current: 455/226.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/10 Radiation diagrams of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/102 Power radiated at antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/15 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/29 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/327 Received signal code power [RSCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, processors and computer-readable media include a radiated testing module that executes a predetermined radiated performance test on a wireless device. The test dictates various performance-related parameters to measure and log at each of a plurality of predetermined positions. Further, the wireless device receives synchronization information operable to enable synchronization between the logged measurements and each of the positions. The synchronized log allows the wireless device, or another apparatus, to determine a radiated performance characteristic based on a predetermined analysis protocol. Further, the described embodiments allow for the determination of several radiated performance characteristics in a single test, using a single, unaltered wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of determining a radiated performance characteristic of a wireless device, comprising:

determining a measured signal characteristic of a signal received by the wireless device at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test;

recording the measured signal characteristics in a test log on the wireless device; and

recording, in the test log on the wireless device, synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the measured signal characteristics;

where the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data are determinative of the radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the radiated performance characteristic corresponding to a predetermined position associated with the plurality of positions based on the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly receiving the synchronization data at the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, where the action of determining the measured signal characteristic further comprises measuring the received signal with a receiver module located on the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a predetermined analysis protocol to the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data to generate the radiated performance characteristic.

6. The method of claim 5, where the measured signal characteristics comprise gain values, and where the action of applying a predetermined analysis protocol further comprises:

determining a maximum one of the gain values and the corresponding maximum gain position;

determining a maximum radiated sensitivity at the maximum gain position; and

determining a total radiated sensitivity of the wireless device based on the maximum radiated sensitivity.

7. The method of claim 5, where the measured signal characteristics comprise radiated power values, and where the action of applying a predetermined analysis protocol further comprises:

determining a maximum radiated power value for each one of the plurality of positions; and

determining a total radiated power metric for the wireless device based on the maximum radiated power values.

8. The method of claim 5, where the measured signal characteristics comprise complex voltage values for each one of a first antenna module and a second antenna module of the wireless device, and where the action of applying a predetermined analysis protocol further comprises determining an envelope correlation coefficient, ρ

e, based on the complex voltage values at at least a portion of the plurality of positions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously performing a second radiated performance test determinative of a second radiated performance characteristic at some portion of the plurality of positions.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the recorded measured signal characteristics and the corresponding recorded respective positions to another device to determine the radiated performance characteristic.

24. The method of claim 1 further, comprising:

transmitting a signal having a reference signal characteristic to the wireless device at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test; and

transmitting the synchronization data to the wireless device, the synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the transmitted signal characteristics;

where the reference signal characteristics and the synchronization data are used to determine a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

recording the reference signal characteristics;

recording the synchronization data;

receiving a record of measured signal characteristics and synchronization data as measured by the wireless device for each of the plurality of positions;

synchronizing, for each of the plurality of positions, the reference signal characteristics with the measured signal characteristics based on the synchronization data; and

determining the radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device based on the synchronized reference signal characteristics and the measured signal characteristics.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising generating the radiated performance characteristic corresponding to a predetermined position associated with the plurality of positions based on the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising wirelessly transmitting the synchronization data to the wireless device.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising applying a predetermined analysis protocol to the synchronized reference signal characteristics and the measured signal characteristics to generate the radiated performance characteristic.

29. The method of claim 28, where the measured signal characteristics are each associated with a gain value, and where the action of applying a predetermined analysis protocol further comprises:

determining a maximum one of the gain values and the corresponding maximum gain position for each of the plurality of positions;

determining a maximum radiated sensitivity at the maximum gain position; and

determining a total radiated sensitivity for the wireless device based on the maximum radiated sensitivity.

30. The method of claim 28, where the measured signal characteristic comprises a radiated power value, and where the action of applying a predetermined analysis protocol further comprises:

determining a maximum radiated power value for each one of the plurality of positions; and

determining a total radiated power metric for the wireless device based on the maximum radiated power values.

31. The method of claim 28, where the measured signal characteristic comprises a complex voltage value for a first antenna module and a second antenna module of the antenna system on the wireless device, and where the action of applying a predetermined analysis protocol further comprises determining an envelope correlation coefficient, ρ

e, based on the complex voltage values.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising simultaneously performing a second radiated performance test determinative of a second radiated performance characteristic at some portion of the plurality of positions.

11. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions is for:

determining a measured signal characteristic of a signal received by a receiver module of a wireless device at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test;

recording the measured signal characteristics in a test log on the wireless device; and

recording, in the test log on the wireless device, synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the measured signal characteristics;

where the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data are determinative of a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein execution of the computer-executable instructions is also for:

transmitting a signal having a reference signal characteristic to a wireless device at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test; and

transmitting the synchronization data to the wireless device, the synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the reference signal characteristics;

where the reference signal characteristics and the synchronization data are used to determine a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

12. At least one processor configured to perform the actions of:

determining a measured signal characteristic of a signal received by a receiver module on a wireless device at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test;

recording the measured signal characteristics in a test log on the wireless device; and

recording, in the test log on the wireless device, synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the measured signal characteristics;

where the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data are determinative of a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

34. The processor of claim 12 further perform the actions of:

transmitting a signal having a reference signal characteristic to a wireless device at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test; and

transmitting synchronization data to the wireless device, the synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the transmitted signal characteristics;

where the reference signal characteristics and the synchronization data are used to determine a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

13. A wireless device, comprising:

a means for determining a measured signal characteristic for a signal received at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test;

a means for recording the measured signal characteristics; and

a means for recording synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the measured signal characteristics;

where the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data are determinative of a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

35. The wireless device of claim 13 further comprising:

a means for transmitting a signal having a reference signal characteristic to the wireless device at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test; and

a means for transmitting synchronization data to the wireless device, the synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the transmitted signal characteristics;

where the reference signal characteristics and the synchronization data are used to determine a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

14. A wireless device, comprising:

a receiver module operable to receive a signal at each one of a plurality of positions associated with a predetermined radiated performance test, the signal having a measured signal characteristic as determined by the receiver module, the signal further having synchronization data corresponding to a respective position for each one of the plurality of positions and further corresponding to each of the measured signal characteristics; and

a data repository having a device test log comprising the measured signal characteristic and the synchronization data corresponding to each one of the plurality of positions; and

wherein the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data are determinative of a radiated performance characteristic of the wireless device.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, further comprising a performance analyzer module operable to generate the radiated performance characteristic corresponding to a predetermined position associated with the plurality of positions based on the measured signal characteristics and the synchronization data.

16. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the receiver module is operable to wirelessly receive the synchronization data.

17. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the receiver module is operable to process the signal to determine the measured signal characteristic.

18. The wireless device of claim 14, further comprising a performance analyzer module having a predetermined analysis protocol, wherein the performance analyzer module is operable to apply the predetermined analysis protocol to the measured signal characteristic and the synchronization data for each of the plurality of positions to generate the radiated performance characteristic.

19. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein the measured signal characteristics comprise gain values, and wherein the predetermined analysis protocol is operable to determine a total radiated sensitivity of the wireless device based on a maximum radiated sensitivity, wherein the maximum radiated sensitivity is determined at one of the plurality of positions having a maximum gain value.

20. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein the measured signal characteristics comprise radiated power values, and wherein the predetermined analysis protocol is operable to determine a total radiated power metric for the wireless device based on a maximum radiated power value for each one of the plurality of positions.

21. The wireless device of claim 18, wherein the receiver module comprises a first antenna module associated with a first receiver module defining a first receive chain, and a second antenna module associated with a second receiver module defining a second receive chain, wherein the measured signal characteristics comprise complex voltage values for each of the first antenna module and the second antenna module, and wherein the predetermined analysis protocol is operable to determine an envelope correlation coefficient, ρ

e, between the first receive chain and the second receive chain based on the complex voltage values.

22. The wireless device of claim 14, further comprising a radiated performance testing module operable to simultaneously perform a second radiated performance test determinative of a second radiated performance characteristic at some portion of the plurality of positions.

23. The wireless device of claim 14, further comprising a radiated performance testing module operable to transmit the recorded measured signal characteristics and the corresponding recorded respective positions to another device to determine the radiated performance characteristic.