Interoperability verification for implementation according to communication standard

1. A method for verifying interoperability of an implementation of a communication standard with the communication standard, the method comprising:

(A) generating a communication stream containing pilot information, the communication stream being generated from a set of seed values using a data sequence generator;

(B) receiving the communication stream via circuitry of a signal analyzer, the signal analyzer comparing the pilot information with pilot information expected from an implementation that is interoperable with the standard, the comparing including:

(1) identifying pilot symbols from the generated communication stream,

(2) comparing the identified pilot symbols with the expected pilot symbols, and

(3) examining a phase of the pilot symbols from the generated communication stream; and

(C) determining interoperability based on the result of the comparing.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the creating a set of seed values includes creating a set of words, each word being of a predetermined bit length and comprising a respective bit combination.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 , wherein:

each word has a bit length N, where N is an integer;

the set of words includes 2 N words, and

the words include all possible bit combinations.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

using each seed value into the data sequence generator; and

operating the data sequence generator to generate a respective communication stream from each seed value, each communication stream including a generated symbol.

5. A method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the determining includes, for a given one of the seed values:

identifying a pilot symbol in the generated symbol;

comparing the identified pilot symbols with the expected pilot symbols;

based on the comparing, determining whether there is a match between the expected pilot symbol and the identified pilot symbol; and

removing the given seed value from the set of seed values if there is not a match between the identified pilot symbol and the expected pilot symbol.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the determining further includes:

determining a number of seed values remaining in the set of seed values after comparing;

if the number of remaining seed values is zero, determining that the implementation is not interoperable;

if the number of remaining seed values is one, determining that the implementation is interoperable; and

if the number of remaining seed values is greater than one, determining that it is uncertain whether the implementation is interoperable.

7. A computer-readable medium having a computer program product thereon, the computer program product, when executed by a computer, directing processing equipment to perform a method as recited in claim 1 .

8. An apparatus for verifying interoperability of an implementation of a communication standard with the communication standard, the apparatus comprising:

(A) means for generating a communication stream containing pilot information, the communication stream being generated from a set of seed values using a data sequence generator;

(B) means for comparing the pilot information with pilot information expected from an implementation that is interoperable with the standard, the means for comparing including:

(1) means for identifying the pilot symbols from the generated communication stream;

(2) means for comparing the identified pilot symbols with the expected pilot symbols; and

(3) means for examining a phase of the pilot symbols from the generated communication stream; and

(C) means for determining interoperability based on the result of the comparing.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the means for generating a communication stream uses a set of seed values including a set of words, each word being of a predetermined bit length and comprising a respective bit combination.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9 , wherein:

each word has a bit length N, where N is an integer;

the set of words includes 2 N words, and

the words include all possible bit combinations.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:

means for using each seed value in the data sequence generator; and

means for operating the data sequence generator to generate a respective communication stream from each seed value, each communication stream including a generated symbol.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11 , wherein the means for determining includes, for a given one of the seed values:

means for identifying a pilot symbol in the generated symbol;

means for comparing the identified pilot symbols with the expected pilot symbols;

based on the comparing, means for determining whether there is a match between the expected pilot symbol and the identified pilot symbol; and

means for removing the given seed value from the set of seed values if there is not a match between the identified pilot symbol and the expected pilot symbol.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein the means for determining further includes:

means for determining a number of seed values remaining in the set of seed values after comparing;

means, operable if the number of remaining seed values is zero, for determining that the implementation is not interoperable;

means, operable if the number of remaining seed values is one, for determining that the implementation is interoperable; and

means, operable if the number of remaining seed values is greater than one, for determining that it is uncertain whether the implementation is interoperable.