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

• US 7,996,004 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIPA Frohwitter Intellectual Property AG
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hayata, Koji, Aoe, Hideo, Uchida, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRPOUR, NAGHMEH
• Application Number:
  US12/359,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20090131043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 925 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 method for diagnosing problems in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising a base station controller communicatively coupled with an external network, one or more base stations communicatively coupled with the base station controller and providing one or more wireless coverage areas, and one or more general-purpose wireless communication terminals communicatively coupled with the one or more base stations via the one or more wireless coverage areas, the method comprising:

providing, in the wireless communication system, a maintenance device communicatively coupled with the base station controller and the external network;

selecting a wireless coverage area from among the one or more wireless coverage areas for testing the wireless communication system;

selecting a general-purpose wireless communication terminal from among the one or more general-purpose wireless communication terminals for testing the wireless communication system, the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal being connected with the selected wireless coverage area;

setting the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal with a test software program;

receiving, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, an initiation signal from the maintenance device for initiating a test of the wireless communication system; and

in response to the initiation signal, performing the test at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal by executing the test software program, wherein execution of the test software program causes the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal to transmit one or more test signals to the maintenance device via the selected wireless coverage area, the selected wireless coverage area'"'"'s corresponding base station, and the base station controller.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the external network is a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the external network is the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the test software program is downloaded to the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal from the maintenance device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the test software program is set in the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal prior to selecting the terminal for testing the wireless communications system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the initiation signal is activated by an operator of the maintenance device or by a timer configured to activate the initiation signal at predetermined intervals.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the test software program comprises:

generating, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a loopback packet;

transmitting, from the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, the loopback packet to the maintenance device;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a transmitting time at which the packet is transmitted;

receiving, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a reply packet from the maintenance device in reply to the loopback packet;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a receiving time at which the reply packet is received;

calculating, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a delay time based on the transmitting time and the receiving time, thereby obtaining a packet delay of the wireless communication system; and

transmitting, from the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a diagnosis of the wireless communication system to the maintenance device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein executing the test software program comprises:

transmitting, from the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a request for a test file to the maintenance device;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a file acquisition start time indicating a time at which the request is transmitted,

receiving, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, the test file from the maintenance device and a message indicate that transfer of the test file is complete;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a file size of the received test file and a file acquisition completion time indicating a time at which the transfer of the test file is complete; and

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

9. A wireless communication system comprising:

a base station controller communicatively coupled with an external network;

one or more base stations communicatively coupled with the base station controller and providing one or more wireless coverage areas;

a maintenance device communicatively coupled with the base station controller and the external network; and

one or more general-purpose wireless communication terminal communicatively coupled with a base station in the one or more base stations via a wireless coverage area,

wherein a wireless coverage area is selected from among the one or more wireless coverage areas for testing the wireless communication system,

wherein a general-purpose wireless communication terminal is selected from among the one or more general-purpose wireless communication terminals for testing the wireless communication system, the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal being connected with the selected wireless coverage area,

wherein the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal is set with a test software program,

and wherein the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal is configured to;

receive an initiation signal from the maintenance device for initiating a test of the wireless communication system; and

in response to the initiation signal, perform the test by executing the test software program, wherein execution of the test software program causes the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal to transmit one or more test signals to the maintenance device via the selected wireless coverage area, the selected wireless coverage area'"'"'s corresponding base station, and the base station controller.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 9 wherein the external network is a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

11. The wireless communication system of claim 9 wherein the external network is the Internet.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 9 wherein the test software program is downloaded to the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal from the maintenance device.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 9 wherein the test software program is set in the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal prior to selecting the terminal for testing the wireless communications system.

14. The wireless communication system of claim 9 wherein the initiation signal is activated by an operator of the maintenance device or by a timer configured to activate the initiation signal at predetermined intervals.

15. The wireless communication system of claim 9 wherein executing the test software program comprises:

generating, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a loopback packet;

transmitting, from the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, the loopback packet to the maintenance device;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a transmitting time at which the packet is transmitted;

receiving, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a reply packet from the maintenance device in reply to the loopback packet;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a receiving time at which the reply packet is received;

calculating, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a delay time based on the transmitting time and the receiving time, thereby obtaining a packet delay of the wireless communication system; and

transmitting, from the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a diagnosis of the wireless communication system to the maintenance device.

16. The wireless communication system of claim 9 wherein executing the test software program comprises:

transmitting, from the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a request for a test file to the maintenance device;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a file acquisition start time indicating a time at which the request is transmitted,

receiving, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, the test file from the maintenance device and a message indicate that transfer of the test file is complete;

recording, at the selected general-purpose wireless communication terminal, a file size of the received test file and a file acquisition completion time indicating a time at which the transfer of the test file is complete; and

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