Method for conformance testing of radio communication equipment
View Patent ↗The invention provides a method of conformance testing of a secondary station for use in a radio communication system which permits a soft handover process in which the secondary station engages in communication with a plurality of primary stations. The method permits testing the response of the secondary station to power control commands received simultaneously from each of the plurality of primary stations instructing it to adjust its output transmission power. In particular, the method enables testing the secondary station's assessment of the reliability of the power control commands received from each primary station, which has not been possible previously. The test is performed by transmitting known sequences of power control commands to the secondary station from each of the primary stations, then comparing the actual pattern of changes in output transmission power with the expected pattern of changes.
1. A test method for conformance testing of a secondary station engaging in a soft handover testing process in which the secondary station communicates with a primary station whereby an output transmission power of the secondary station is adjustable in response to power control commands received by the secondary station from the primary station, the test method comprising:
receiving a one or more test signals from the primary station, each test signal including a sequence of power commands, wherein each sequence of power commands in the one or more test signals is arranged to establish a particular combination of power control commands that occurs a plurality of times during the reception of the plurality of test signals by the secondary station;
adjusting and monitoring the output transmission power of the secondary station based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station; and
determining whether a function of the output transmission power of the secondary station is within a specified tolerance associated with the secondary station.
2. The test method of claim 1 , wherein the function of the output transmission power is a sequence of changes of the output transmission power based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station.
3. The test method of claim 1 , wherein the specified tolerance is a function the one or more test signals received from the primary station.
4. The test method of claim 1 , wherein the function of the output transmission power is a difference between a first level of the output transmission power prior to receiving the one or more test signals received from the primary station and a second level of the output transmission power subsequent to adjusting and monitoring the output transmission power of the secondary station based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station.
5. The test method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary station uses an estimate of a reliability of the one or more test signals received from the primary station in determining a required change in the output transmission power.
6. The test method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of power control commands in each test signal is pseudo-random.
7. The test method of claim 1 , wherein each sequence of power control commands is arranged to establish a sub-sequence of power control commands that occurs a one or more times during the reception of the one or more of test signals by the secondary station.
8. The test method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary station simultaneously receives the one or more test signals from the primary station.
9. A secondary station engaging in a soft handover test process in which the secondary station communicates with a primary station whereby an output transmission power of the secondary station is adjustable in response to power control commands received by the secondary station from the primary station, the secondary station comprising:
a transceiver capable of receiving one or more test signals from the primary station, each test signal including a sequence of power commands, wherein the sequences of power commands at least establish a particular combination of power control commands, which combination occurs one or more times during the reception of the one or more test signals by the secondary station;
a power controller in electrical communication with the transceiver, wherein the power controller is operable to adjust the output transmission power based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station; and
a microcontroller in electrical communication with the transceiver and the power controller,
wherein the microcontroller is operable to monitor an adjustment of the output transmission power by the power controller based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station, and wherein the microcontroller is further operable to determine whether a function of the output transmission power is within a specified tolerance associated with the secondary station.
10. The secondary station of claim 9 , wherein the function of the output transmission power is a sequence of changes of the output transmission power based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station.
11. The secondary station of claim 9 , wherein the specified tolerance is a function of the one or more test signals received from the primary station.
12. The secondary station of claim 9 , wherein the function of the output transmission power is a difference between a first level of the output transmission power prior to receiving the one or more of test signals from the primary station and a second level of the output transmission power subsequent to adjusting and monitoring the output transmission power of the secondary station based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station.
13. The secondary station of claim 9 , wherein the microcontroller uses an estimate of a reliability the one or more test signals received from the primary station in determining a required change in the output transmission power.
14. The secondary station of claim 9 , wherein the sequence of power control commands in each test signal is pseudo-random.
15. The secondary station of claim 9 , wherein the particular combination of power control commands is a sub-sequence of power control commands.
16. The secondary station of claim 9 , wherein the transceiver simultaneously receives the one or more test signals from the primary station.
17. A secondary station engaging in a soft handover test process in which the secondary station communicates with a primary station whereby an output transmission power of the secondary station is adjustable in response to power control commands received by the secondary station from the primary station, the secondary station comprising:
means for receiving a one or more test signals from the primary station, each test signal including a sequence of power commands;
means for adjusting and monitoring the output transmission power of the secondary station based on the one or more test signals received from the primary station; and
means for determining whether a function of the output transmission power of the secondary station is within a specified tolerance associated with the secondary station.