Over-the-air testing of multiple mobile radio devices under test

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12041471-B2
Application number	US-202217573272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 11, 2022
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of operating a test system for over-the-air, OTA, testing of at least two mobile devices under test, DUTs. The at least two mobile DUTs have respective mobile subscriber identities, IMSIs. The method comprises simulating, by a mobile radio cell simulator connectable to the test system, a first mobile radio cell being open for attachment by all of said mobile DUTs, and attaching all of said mobile DUTs to the first mobile radio cell. The method further comprises simulating, by a mobile radio tester connectable to the test system, a second mobile radio cell being barred for attachment by said mobile DUTs. The method further comprises prompting, by the mobile radio cell simulator, one particular DUT of said mobile DUTs to perform a handover to the second mobile radio cell. The method further comprises subjecting, by the mobile radio tester, the particular DUT to an OTA test procedure within the second mobile radio cell. The method further comprises prompting, by the mobile radio tester, the particular DUT to leave the second mobile radio cell. The method further comprises indicating a status of the particular DUT subjected to the OTA test procedure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a test system for over-the-air, OTA, testing of at least two mobile devices under test, DUTs, having respective mobile subscriber identities, IMSIs,
the method comprising
simulating, by a mobile radio cell simulator connectable to the test system, a first mobile radio cell being open for attachment by all of said mobile DUTs, and attaching all of said mobile DUTs to the first mobile radio cell;
simulating, by a mobile radio tester connectable to the test system, a second mobile radio cell being barred for attachment by said mobile DUTs;
prompting, by the mobile radio cell simulator, one particular DUT of said mobile DUTs to perform a handover to the second mobile radio cell;
subjecting, by the mobile radio tester, the particular DUT to an OTA test procedure within the second mobile radio cell;
prompting, by the mobile radio tester, the particular DUT to leave the second mobile radio cell; and
indicating a status of the particular DUT subjected to the OTA test procedure.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
repeating the OTA testing for every other DUT of the at least two mobile DUTs.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
the simulation of the second mobile radio cell comprising
simulating the second mobile radio cell in a second frequency band different from a first frequency band of the first mobile radio cell.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
the prompting of the particular DUT to leave the second mobile radio cell comprising one or more of:
detaching from any mobile radio cell;
returning to the first mobile radio cell; and
enforcing an offline radio mode.

5. The method of claim 1 ,
the indication of the status of the particular DUT comprising
displaying the status of the particular DUT.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
generating a detailed test report for the particular DUT subjected to the OTA test procedure.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
moving, by the mobile radio cell simulator, the first mobile radio cell to a third frequency band different from the first frequency band; and
prompting, by the mobile radio cell simulator, each attached DUT of the at least two DUTs to perform a handover to the moved mobile radio cell.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
prompting, by the mobile radio cell simulator, each attached DUT of the at least two DUTs to refrain from radio transmission; and
refraining, by the mobile radio cell simulator, from radio transmission for a predefined period.

9. The method of claim 8 ,
the prompting of each attached DUT of the at least two DUTs to refrain from radio transmission comprising
synchronizing discontinuous reception, DRX, intervals of each attached DUT of the at least two DUTs.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising
detecting, by a controller of the test system, a transmission failure of a specific DUT of the at least two DUTs; and
remedying the transmission failure of the specific DUT.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
the remedying of the transmission failure of the specific DUT comprising one or more of:
suspending, by the controller, the OTA test procedure if the specific DUT and the particular DUT are the same;
deactivating, by the controller, the specific DUT; and
prompting, by the controller, a removal of the specific DUT from the test system.

12. The method of claim 1 ,
the test system comprising
a DUT receptacle including at least two DUT arrangement positions, respectively comprising a transmission detector including a broadband antenna;
a plurality of testing antennas, being connectable to the mobile radio tester; and
a signalling antenna, being connectable to the mobile radio cell simulator.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
the test system further comprising
a shielding member enclosing the test system.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising
detecting, by the at least two transmission detectors, a DUT arrangement position of the respective DUT on the DUT receptacle during attachment to the first mobile radio cell.

15. The method of claim 14 ,
the detection of the DUT arrangement position of the respective DUT on the DUT receptacle during attachment to the first mobile radio cell comprising
verifying, by the controller, whether the mobile subscriber identity, IMSI, of the respective DUT, a mobile device identity, IMEI, of the respective DUT, and the DUT arrangement position of the respective DUT relate to an assigned DUT arrangement position.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising
setting, by the controller, calibration values of the second mobile radio cell in accordance with a device type and/or the DUT arrangement position of the particular DUT.

17. The method of claim 12 ,
each of the at least two DUT arrangement positions further comprising a holder for the respective DUT.

18. The method of claim 12 ,
each of the at least two DUT arrangement positions further comprising an indicator for a status of the respective DUT.

19. The method of claim 12 ,
each of the at least two DUT arrangement positions further comprising a display for the status of the respective DUT.

20. The method of claim 12 ,
each of the at least two DUT arrangement positions further comprising a power and control connection for the respective DUT.

Assignees

• Rohde & Schwarz

Inventors

• Sterzbach Bernhard

Classifications

• H04W36/0009

  for a plurality of users or terminals, e.g. group communication or moving wireless networks (user group management H04W4/08; processing of subscriber group data H04W8/186) · CPC title

• H04W24/06 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using simulated traffic · CPC title