Method and device for enabling testing of a communication node

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10389455-B2
Application number	US-201615535292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 11, 2016
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

The embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a testing device (101) for enabling testing of a communication node (103). The testing device (101) measures a test parameter associated with RF characteristics of the communication node (103) when it is located at a test location (105) during a first condition. The communication node (103) is configured with a node setting during the measurement in the first condition. The testing device (101) measures the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node (103) when it is located at the test location (105) during a second condition. The communication node (103) is configured with the same node setting in the second condition as in the first condition. The testing device (101) checks whether a result parameter associated with the test parameter measured during the first and second condition fulfills a requirement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a testing device for enabling testing of a communication node, the method comprising:
measuring a test parameter associated with radio frequency (RF) characteristics of the communication node when the communication node is located at a test location during a first condition, thereby producing a first measurement value for the test parameter, wherein the communication node is configured with a node setting during the measurement in the first condition;
measuring the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node when the communication node is located at the test location during a second condition, thereby producing a second measurement value for the test parameter, wherein the communication node is configured with the same node setting in the second condition as in the first condition;
obtaining a result value using the first and second measurement values, wherein the result value is a function of at least the first and second measurement values; and
checking whether the result value fulfills a requirement.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node when the communication node is at a reference location during the first condition, thereby producing a third measurement value for test parameter, wherein the communication node is configured with the same node setting during measurement of the reference parameter as during the first and second conditions, wherein
obtaining the result value comprises obtaining the result value using the first measurement value, the second measurement value, and the third measurement value, wherein the result value is a function of at the first, second, and third measurement values.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
checking whether the third measurement value fulfills the requirement.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the communication node is located in a far field test range or Compact Antenna Test Range, CATR, when being located at the reference location.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein obtaining the result value comprises:
calculating a difference between the first and second measurement values, and
summing the calculated difference and the third measurement value.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the result value is a vector that comprises the first and second measurement values.

7. A method performed by a testing device for enabling testing of a communication node, the method comprising:
measuring a test parameter associated with radio frequency (RF) characteristics of the communication node when the communication node is located at a test location during a first condition, wherein the communication node is configured with a node setting during the measurement in the first condition;
measuring the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node when the communication node is located at the test location during a second condition, wherein the communication node is configured with the same node setting in the second condition as in the first condition;
checking whether a result parameter associated with the test parameter measured during the first and second conditions fulfills a requirement; and
when the result parameter fulfils the requirement, verifying that the communication node is capable of operating during the second condition.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
when the result parameter does not fulfil the requirement, verifying that the communication node is not capable of operating during the second condition.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
checking whether the test parameter measured during the first condition fulfills a requirement.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
when the test parameter during the first condition does not fulfil the requirement, verifying that the communication node is not capable of operating during the first condition.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the node setting, the test parameter measured during the first and second conditions are stored in at least one of: the communication node, the testing device and an external memory.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test parameter is at least one of: Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power, Equivalent Isotropic Sensitivity, Timing Alignment Error, and frequency stability.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first condition is a normal environmental condition and the second condition is an extreme environmental condition.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication node is an Active Antenna System base station.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test parameters in the first and second conditions are Over The Air measurements using a reference antenna.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the test location is a radio frequency anechoic chamber.

17. A testing device for enabling testing of a communication node, wherein the testing device is configured to:
measure a test parameter associated with radio frequency (RF) characteristics of the communication node when it is located at a test location during a first condition, thereby producing a first measurement value for the test parameter, wherein the communication node is configured with a node setting during the measurement in the first condition;
measure the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node when it is located at the test location during a second condition, thereby producing a second measurement value for the test parameter, wherein the communication node is configured with the same node setting in the second condition as in the first condition;
obtain a result value using the first and second measurement values, wherein the result value is a function of at least the first and second measurement values; and
check whether the result value fulfills the requirement.

18. The testing device according to claim 17 , being further configured to:
measure the test parameter associated with the RF characteristics of the communication node when the communication node when it is at a reference location during the first condition, thereby producing a second measurement value for the test parameter, wherein the communication node is configured with the same node setting during measurement of the reference parameter as during the first and second conditions, wherein
the testing device is configured to obtain the result value by using the first measurement value, the second measurement value, and the third measurement value, wherein the result value is a function of at the first, second, and third measurement values.

19. The testing device according to claim 18 , being further configured to:
check whether the third measurement value fulfills the requirement.

20. The testing device according to claim 18 , wherein the communication node is located in a far field test range or Compact Antenna Test Range when being located at the reference location.

21. The testing device according to claim 18 , being further configured to:
calculate a difference between the first and second measurement values, and
sum the calculated difference and the third measurement value.

22. The testing device according to claim 17 , wherein the result valu

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Elfström Torbjörn
• Nilsson Ove
• Persson Lars
• Saarman Moritz

Classifications

• H04B17/101 Primary

  for measurement of specific parameters of the transmitter or components thereof · CPC title

• H04B17/0087

  using auxiliary channels or channel simulators · CPC title