Over-the-air test

• US 9,488,685 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore Sales Pte Ltd (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Limited. (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kysti, Pekka, Nuutinen, Jukka-Pekka, Malm, Juhamatti
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Nhan
• Application Number:
  US13/638,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20130059545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,360 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.12, 455/63.4, 455/550.1, 455/561, 455/562.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/105 using anechoic chambers; Chambers or open field sites used therefor test sites used for measuring on other objects than aerials G01R29/0828; wave absorbing devices H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0087 using auxiliary channels or channel simulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/391 Modelling the propagation channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0874 using subgroups of receive antennas

Abstract

An emulating system of an over-the-air test comprises a radio channel emulator, a selector, a connector and a plurality of antenna elements placed around a test spot for an electronic device under test. The selector receives data on a simulated radio channel from the radio channel emulator and selects a subset of a plurality of positions of antenna elements on the basis of the data. The connector connects only the antenna elements in the subset and the radio channel emulator for physically realizing the simulated radio channel.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising:

selecting a subset of positions of antenna elements from a plurality of potential positions of antenna elements around a device under test on the basis of a simulated radio channel of a plurality of paths in an over-the-air test; and

connecting only the antenna elements in the subset and a radio channel emulator together for physically realizing the simulated radio channel.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising selecting a subgroup of antenna elements from the plurality of the antenna elements in fixed positions around the device on the basis of the positions of the antenna elements with respect to the simulated radio channel;

and

performing the connection between the subgroup and the radio channel emulator for physically realizing the simulated radio channel.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising selecting the subset from the potential positions of the antenna elements on the basis of a size of a quiet zone achievable with the simulated radio channel and antenna elements of various subsets.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising selecting the subset from the potential positions of the antenna elements by an optimization of an error between a theoretical spatial cross correlation and a real spatial correlation achievable with antenna elements of various subsets in the optimization.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising selecting the subset on the basis of data on an angular distribution of the simulated radio channel between the emulator and the device under test.

6. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising selecting the subset for a number of the antenna elements equal to or less than a number of the antenna elements which the simulated radio channel is receivable from or inputtable to at a time by the emulator, the number of antenna elements in the subset being less than the number of the plurality of the antenna elements.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising forming a predetermined number of antenna-element-specific channels of the simulated radio channel in the emulator for connecting each antenna-element-specific channel to an antenna element in a position of the subset.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising selecting the subset of positions from the potential positions of the antenna elements distributed around the device under test in solid angles.

9. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising selecting the subset of positions from the potential positions of the antenna elements distributed around the device under test in plane angles.

10. A connection system, the connection system comprising a selector placable between an emulator and a plurality of antenna elements around an electronic device under test for a wireless connection between the electronic device under test and the emulator through a simulated radio channel of a plurality of paths of the emulator;

and

the selector is configured to receive data on the simulated radio channel from the emulator and to select a subset of positions of antenna elements from a plurality of potential positions of antenna elements for connection on the basis of the data.

11. The connection system of claim 10, wherein the selector is configured to select a subgroup of antenna elements from the plurality of the antenna elements in fixed positions around the device on the basis of the positions of the antenna elements.

12. The connection system of claim 10, wherein the selector is configured to select the subset from the potential positions of the antenna elements on the basis of a size of a quiet zone achievable with the simulated radio channel and antenna elements of various subsets.

13. The connection system of claim 10, wherein the selector is configured to select a subset of positions from the plurality of the potential positions of the antenna elements by an optimization of an error between a theoretical spatial cross correlation and a real spatial correlation achievable with antenna elements of various subsets in the optimization.

14. The connection system of claim 10, wherein the selector is configured to select the subset with a number of antenna positions equal to or less than a number of the antenna elements which the simulated radio channel is receivable from or inputtable to at a time by the emulator.

15. The connection system of claim 10, wherein the selector is configured to select the subset of positions from the plurality of potential positions of the antenna elements distributed around the device under test in solid angles.

16. The connection system of claim 10, wherein the selector is configured to select the subset of positions from the plurality of potential positions the antenna elements distributed around the device under test in plane angles.

17. An emulating system of an over-the-air test, the emulating system comprising a radio channel emulator, a selector, a connector and a plurality of antenna elements placed around a test spot for an electronic device under test;

the selector is configured to receive data on the simulated radio channel of a plurality of paths from the emulator and to select a subset of positions of antenna elements from a plurality of potential positions of antenna elements for connection on the basis of the data; and

the connector is configured to connect only the antenna elements of the subset and the radio channel emulator for physically realizing the simulated radio channel.

18. The emulating system of claim 17, wherein the selector is configured to select a subgroup of antenna elements from the plurality of the antenna elements in fixed positions around the device on the basis of the positions of the antenna elements.

19. The emulating system of claim 17, wherein the selector is configured to select the subset from the potential positions of the antenna elements on the basis of a size of a quiet zone achievable with the simulated radio channel and antenna elements of various subsets.

20. The emulating system of claim 17, wherein the selector is configured to select the subset of the positions of the antenna elements from the plurality of the potential positions of the antenna elements by an optimization of an error between a theoretical spatial cross correlation and a real spatial correlation achievable with antenna elements of various subsets in the optimization.

21. The emulating system of claim 17, wherein the selector is configured to select the subset with a number of antenna positions equal to or less than a number of the antenna elements which the simulated radio channel is receivable from or inputtable to at a time by the emulator.

22. The emulating system of claim 17, wherein the selector is configured to select a subset of positions from the plurality of potential positions distributed around the device under test in solid angles.

23. The emulating system of claim 17, wherein the selector is configured to select a subset of positions from the plurality of potential positions distributed around the device under test in plane angles.