Method for checking characteristics of electronic device and communication device included in electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11075703-B2
Application number	US-201916964854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2019
Priority date	Jan 24, 2018
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for inspecting whether an electronic device and a communication device included in the electronic device operate normally. A method for checking characteristics of a wireless communication device, according to various embodiments of the present invention, comprises the steps of: providing a wireless communication device at a first location, wherein the wireless communication device includes an antenna array and a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the antenna array, and the wireless communication circuit is configured to transmit and receive signals having frequencies of 20 Ghz to 100 Ghz and includes a plurality of phase shifters configured to adjust phases of the signals in order to form directional beams together; providing a signal detecting device at a second location separated from the first location so as to detect a wireless signal from the wireless communication device; allowing the wireless communication device to transmit a first signal in a state in which all the phase shifters are configured to have a first delay; detecting a first power of the first signal by using the signal detecting device; allowing the wireless communication device to transmit a second signal in a state in which all the phase shifters are configured to have a second delay; and detecting a second power of the second signal by using the signal detecting device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for identifying characteristics of a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
providing the wireless communication device in a first position, the wireless communication device comprising an array of antennas and a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the array of antennas, the wireless communication circuit being configured to transmit/receive signals having a frequency between 20 GHz to 100 GHz, and the wireless communication circuit comprising a plurality of phase shifters configured to adjust the phase of the signals to together form a directional beam;
providing a signal detecting device in a second position spaced from the first position so as to detect a radio signal from the wireless communication circuit;
causing the wireless communication circuit to transmit a first signal in a state in which the phase shifters are all configured to have a first delay;
detecting first power of the first signal by using the signal detecting device;
causing the wireless communication circuit to transmit a second signal in a state in which the phase shifters are all configured to have a second delay; and
detecting second power of the second signal by using the signal detecting device.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the difference between the first delay and the second delay is a multiple of a reference angle, and the reference angle is obtained by dividing 360° by 2 to the power of the bit number of the phase shifters.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising detecting a current flowing through the wireless communication circuit while power is applied to the wireless communication circuit.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first delay is 0°, and the method further comprises determining whether or not the first power is included in a first selected section.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second delay is an n multiple of the reference angle, n being one of 1, 2, 4, and 8, and
the method further comprises determining whether or not the second power is included in a second selected section different from the first selected section.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising confirming the wireless communication circuit unacceptable, based on confirming that the first power is not included in the first selected section.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the confirming the wireless communication circuit unacceptable further comprises confirming that one of remaining components included in the wireless communication circuit, other than the plurality of phase shifters, is unacceptable.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the detecting second power of the second signal comprises identifying whether or not the second delay is 180°, when the second power is included in the second selected section.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising confirming the wireless communication circuit normal when the second delay is 180°.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
configuring the second delay to be double, when the second delay is not 180°;
causing the wireless communication circuit to transmit the second signal in a state in which the phase shifters are all configured to have double the second delay; and
detecting second power of the second signal by using the signal detecting device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising confirming the wireless communication circuit unacceptable when the second power is not included in the second selected section.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the confirming the wireless communication circuit unacceptable comprises confirming that an unacceptable element is included in at least one of the plurality of phase shifters.

13. An electronic device comprising:
a wireless communication device comprising an array of antennas and a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the array of antennas, the wireless communication circuit being configured to transmit/receive signals having a frequency between 20 GHz to 100 GHz, the wireless communication circuit comprising a plurality of phase shifters configured to adjust the phase of the signals to together form a directional beam, and each of the plurality of phase shifters comprising a designated number of PS (phase shifter) elements;
a processor operatively connected to the wireless communication device; and
a memory operatively connected to the processor,
wherein the memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
receive information regarding an unacceptable element included in the wireless communication device from an external device, the unacceptable element comprising a PS element included in at least one of the plurality of phase shifters;
extract data related to the unacceptable element from a table stored in the memory; and
change the extracted data.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the table comprises information regarding activation of the plurality of phase shifters for forming a beam in a designated direction, and the data related to the unacceptable element comprises information instructing activation of the unacceptable element in order to form a beam in the designated direction.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the instructions are configured to cause the processor to add, to the extracted data, information instructing deactivation of the unacceptable element and information instructing activation of different elements related to the unacceptable element, thereby changing the extracted data.

16. A system for identifying characteristics of a wireless communication device, the system comprising:
the wireless communication device;
a signal detecting device; and
the characteristic identifying device,
wherein the wireless communication device comprises an array of antennas and a wireless communication circuit electrically connected to the array of antennas, the wireless communication circuit is configured to transmit/receive signals having a frequency between 20 GHz to 100 GHz, the wireless communication circuit comprises a plurality of phase shifters configured to adjust the phase of the signals to together form a directional beam;
wherein the wireless communication device is configured to transmit a first signal in a state in which the phase shifters are all configured to have a first delay and to transmit a second signal in a state in which the phase shifters are all configured to have a second delay;
wherein the signal detecting device is configured to receive the first signal and the second signal and to transmit data related to the first signal and the second signal to the characteristic identifying device; and
wherein the characteristic identifying device is configured to determine power of the first signal and power of the second signal, based on the data related to the first signal and the second signal, and to identify characteristics regarding quality of the wireless communication device, based on at least one of the determined powers.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the difference between the first delay and the second delay is a multiple of a reference angle, and the reference angle is obtained by dividing 360° by 2 to the power of the bit number of the phase shifters.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to detect a current flowing through the

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jiyong
• Kim Yeonjeong
• Kim Jihoon
• Kim Namkyoung
• Na Hyoseok
• Son Junghwan
• Chung Tongho

Classifications

• H04B17/191

  Over-the-air testing · CPC title

• H04B17/318

  Received signal strength · CPC title

• H04B17/12 Primary

  of transmit antennas, e.g. of the amplitude or phase · CPC title

• H04B17/102 Primary

  Power radiated at antenna · CPC title

• H04B17/17 Primary

  Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations (H04B17/18 takes precedence) · CPC title