Wireless transceiver test bed system and method

• US 9,654,986 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parsons Corporation (New Port Group Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Echo Ridge, LLC
• Inventors: Kennedy, Joseph P., Carlson, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay A
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLEMING-HALL, ERICA L
• Application Number:
  US14/011,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20140051363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 455 6711, 455 6712
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/0085 using test signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/10 of transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/20 of receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/391 Modelling the propagation channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A system and method for testing wireless transceivers in a virtual wireless environment including emulating an RF environment, creating virtual spectrum users having selectable transmission parameters and physical characteristics and evaluating the operation of the wireless transceiver in the virtual wireless environment.

Claims

1. A method of processing signals for a wireless unit under test (UUT) in wireless transceiver test bed having a virtual wireless channel (VWC), comprising the steps:

generating a simulation signal of RF energy;

in the VWC, dividing the simulation signal into a plurality of discrete time intervals;

processing the simulation signal in piecewise fashion by performing the following steps for each discrete interval,

(i) formatting the RF energy of a first discrete interval of the simulation signal to create a first digital baseband signal;

(ii) sending the first digital baseband signal to a UUT;

(iii) in the UUT, processing the first digital baseband signal and creating a second digital baseband signal;

(iv) sending the second digital baseband signal to the VWC;

(v) in the VWC, processing the second digital baseband signal for the first discrete time interval received from the UUT to evaluate the behavior of the UUT, and

(vi) repeating steps (i) through (vi) for the remaining plurality of discrete intervals of the simulation signal;

wherein the length of the discrete time interval is dependent upon at least one of (a) the processing speed of the VWC and/or the UUT, (b) the processing memory of the VWC and/or the UUT, and (c) the communication link between the VWC and the UUT.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating a simulation signal of RF energy includes noise, interference, path loss and multipath transmission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of formatting the RF energy of the simulation signal to create a first digital baseband signal includes pre-computed values for noise and interference.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of formatting the RF energy of the simulation signal to create a first digital baseband signal includes pre-computed values for attenuation and the number and delay of multipath components.

5. A wireless transceiver test bed for testing a wireless unit under test (UUT) comprising:

a non-transitory memory for storing computer readable code;

a virtual wireless channel (“

VWC”

) processor operatively coupled to the memory, the virtual wireless channel processor configured to;

generate a simulation signal of RF energy;

divide the simulation signal into a plurality of discrete time intervals;

process the simulation signal in piecewise fashion for each discrete interval, including;

(a) format the RF energy of a discrete interval of the simulation signal to create a first digital baseband signal;

(b) send the first digital baseband signal to a UUT;

the UUT operatively coupled to the memory, the UUT configured to;

(c) process the first digital baseband signal and create a second digital baseband signal;

(d) send the second digital baseband signal to the VWC; and

a test processor in the VWC operatively coupled to the memory, the test processor configured to piecewise process the second digital baseband signals for each of the plurality of discrete time intervals received from the UUT to evaluate the behavior of the UUT;

wherein the length of the discrete time interval is dependent upon at least one of (i) the processing speed of the VWC and/or the UUT, (ii) the processing memory of the of the VWC and/or the UUT, and (iii) the communication link between the VWC and the UUT.

6. The wireless transceiver test bed of claim 5 wherein the virtual wireless channel processor is configured to generate the simulation signal of RF energy including noise, interference, path loss and multipath transmission.

7. The wireless transceiver test bed of claim 5 wherein the virtual wireless channel processor is configured to format the RF energy of the simulation signal to create a first digital baseband signal using pre-computed values for noise and interference.

8. The wireless transceiver test bed of claim 5 wherein the virtual wireless channel processor is configured to format the RF energy of the simulation signal to create a first digital baseband signal using pre-computed values for attenuation and the number and delay of multipath components.