Enhanced satellite positioning terminal external field test system and method integrated with network quality real-time monitoring

Abstract

The invention relates to an enhanced satellite positioning terminal external field test system and method integrated with network quality real-time monitoring, and the system comprises a main control computer which is used for transmitting a test instruction, configuring parameters, and collecting data, recording and analyzing; the network quality monitoring unit is used for monitoring the performance index of a downlink in real time and transmitting back the measured data in real time, and measuring the air interface network signal quality by adopting an external independent antenna; the positioning data acquisition unit is used for receiving satellite signals; the external field test equipment is used for providing a test network environment; wherein the main control computer uniformly controls the network quality monitoring unit and the positioning data acquisition unit, so that network measurement and positioning measurement keep the same sampling frequency, synchronous data acquisition is carried out, and a timestamp is recorded for each frame of data. The network quality can be accurately monitored in real time, and indisputable data support is provided for validity judgment of test results.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication testing, in particular to an enhanced satellite positioning terminal field test system integrated with real-time network quality monitoring and a method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] The vehicle-to-everything (V2X) application urgently needs high-precision positioning. The GNSS enhanced positioning system mainly consists of navigation satellites, GNSS reference stations, satellite augmentation service platforms, data broadcasting satellites, 4G / 5G systems, RSUs, and vehicle-mounted terminals, as shown in the architecture Figure 1 Satellite augmentation positioning using 4G / 5G network to broadcast differential data is a key technology. The 4G / 5G communication system receives satellite augmentation service data (RTD, RTK, and PPP-RTK augmentation service data) from the satellite augmentation service platform and sends it to the vehicle-mounted terminal in a unicast or broadcast manner. The positioning performance of the terminal in real scenarios highly depends on the continuity and stability of the 4G / 5G network. Therefore, when performing performance verification of the terminal in typical field scenarios such as open land and urban canyons, ensuring the reliability of the augmentation data link is a prerequisite for obtaining accurate test results.

[0003] The current test method is not perfect and mainly follows the field test method specified in the public draft of the communication industry standard plan number 2023-0734T-YD "High-precision positioning satellite augmentation positioning technology requirements and test methods for vehicle-to-everything application scenarios". The test process mainly includes: selecting test points, erecting equipment, configuring terminal modes, executing static or dynamic tests, collecting positioning data, and finally comparing with reference true values to calculate accuracy indicators. The above existing standard scheme does not integrate high-precision network quality independent measurement means and accurate time synchronization, which makes it impossible to effectively identify the root cause of positioning abnormalities. In the test, enterprises usually integrate or use external embedded boards inside the OBU to be tested, and read network information through AT commands or internal APIs of the module.

[0004] The main shortcomings of the prior art are:

[0005] 1. Network interference cannot be quantified and associated: In the field test environment, the signal strength (RSRP) and signal quality (SINR) of the 4G / 5G network naturally fluctuate, which will directly affect the reception of augmented positioning data. The existing standard scheme does not monitor and record the network status in real time. When the test results do not meet the requirements, it is difficult to determine whether the terminal performance is insufficient or the network conditions are poor, which brings great difficulties to problem positioning and leads to doubts about the effectiveness of the test results. The final positioning accuracy indicators mix data from normal and poor network periods, which cannot truly reflect the inherent performance level of the terminal under stable network conditions, reducing the credibility and reference value of the test results.

[0006] 2. Low test efficiency: due to the inability to identify network problems during testing, abnormalities are often discovered during data post-processing, leading to the need for retesting, wasting manpower and resources, and prolonging the testing period.

[0007] 3. Accuracy of test result data is questionable: vehicle-mounted board / OBU integration relies on the measurement and reporting values of the built-in chips of the communication module (such as 4G / 5G module), and there are differences in measurement accuracy and algorithms between different manufacturers and different models, which may have deviations. Running OBU detection reporting software may occupy part of the terminal's computing and communication resources, and it needs to be evaluated whether it interferes with the terminal's own positioning performance. Although the use of integrated board card solutions can quickly and cost-effectively test, it is only suitable for rapid production line testing and is not suitable for accurate evaluation testing. SUMMARY

[0008] The purpose of the present application is to provide an enhanced satellite positioning terminal field test system and method integrated with real-time network quality monitoring. By introducing an independent professional network tester and its measurement antenna, and deeply integrating it into the automatic control system, high-precision synchronization with GNSS test equipment in sampling frequency and timestamp is achieved, thereby accurately monitoring the network quality in real time, and providing indisputable data support for the effectiveness of the test results.

[0009] To achieve the above purpose, the present application provides the following scheme:

[0010] An enhanced satellite positioning terminal field test system integrated with real-time network quality monitoring, comprising:

[0011] A main control computer for sending test instructions, configuring parameters, collecting data records and analyzing;

[0012] A network quality monitoring unit for real-time monitoring of downlink performance indicators and real-time return of measurement data, using an external independent antenna to measure air interface network signal quality and apply high-precision timestamps;

[0013] A positioning data acquisition unit for receiving satellite signals to obtain positioning data and apply high-precision timestamps;

[0014] A field test device for providing a test network environment;

[0015] The main control computer controls the network quality monitoring unit and the positioning data acquisition unit, so that network measurement and positioning measurement maintain the same sampling frequency and perform synchronous data collection, and timestamps are applied to each frame of data.

[0016] Optionally, the network quality monitoring unit comprises a network tester and a network measurement antenna, wherein the network measurement antenna is installed on the roof, the height is not less than the highest point of the roof, and the isolation distance with the communication antenna used by the terminal to be measured is at least 1 meter.

[0017] Optionally, the positioning data acquisition unit comprises a high-precision combined navigation device and a terminal to be measured, wherein the high-precision combined navigation device and the terminal to be measured share the same GNSS receiving antenna through a power divider, the insertion loss of the power divider is less than or equal to 3.5 dB, and the port isolation is greater than or equal to 20 dB.

[0018] Optionally, the field test device is pre-configured in a specific operator frequency band according to the network environment of the test site, completes network authentication, and is externally connected with a high-gain antenna or a signal amplifier.

[0019] The application also provides an enhanced satellite positioning terminal field test method integrated with real-time network quality monitoring, comprising:

[0020] The test parameters and network quality threshold are set by the host computer;

[0021] The host software controls the terminal to be measured to automatically access the test network to receive enhanced positioning data, and records the data;

[0022] The network quality monitoring unit collects network signal parameters in real time and marks them with high-precision time stamps;

[0023] The positioning data acquisition unit synchronously collects positioning data and marks them with corresponding high-precision time stamps;

[0024] The network signal parameters are determined in real time according to the network quality threshold, and when the measured value exceeds the threshold, it is marked as a weak network state, and color coding rules are used for real-time warning display;

[0025] Based on the marking result, the positioning data is screened and analyzed, and a test report is automatically generated.

[0026] Optionally, the high-precision time stamp comprises Beijing time, UTC time and total marking quantity.

[0027] Optionally, the screening and analysis of the positioning data based on the marking result comprises: mode one automatically removes all data in the weak network marked period; mode two compares and analyzes the positioning performance difference between the weak network marked period and the normal period, and calculates the average positioning error, error standard deviation and fixed rate change rate of the two periods, respectively.

[0028] Optionally, the automatic generation of test reports includes: generating data tables containing curves showing the change in network quality over time and descriptions of valid data periods, outputting them in PDF format, and simultaneously generating an Excel file containing the raw data and calculation results.

[0029] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention uses a professional network tester and an independent measuring antenna to form a high-precision network monitoring subsystem, and uses the main control software to achieve sampling frequency synchronization with the positioning test equipment and high-precision timestamp data recording, thereby achieving accurate identification of invalid data. Attached Figure Description

[0030] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an enhanced satellite positioning terminal field test method integrating real-time network quality monitoring according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an enhanced satellite positioning terminal field test system integrating real-time network quality monitoring according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment proposes an enhanced satellite positioning terminal field test system integrating real-time network quality monitoring, including:

[0036] The main control computer is used to send test commands, configure parameters, collect, record, and analyze data.

[0037] The network quality monitoring unit is used to monitor downlink performance indicators in real time and transmit the measurement data back in real time. It uses an external independent antenna to measure the air interface network signal quality and stamp it with a high-precision timestamp.

[0038] Positioning data acquisition unit for receiving satellite signals to obtain positioning data and stamping high-precision time stamps;

[0039] Field test equipment for providing a test network environment;

[0040] The main control computer controls the network quality monitoring unit and the positioning data acquisition unit to keep the same sampling frequency and synchronize data acquisition for network measurement and positioning measurement, and records time stamps for each frame of data.

[0041] Further, the main control computer is built-in integrated test software for sending test instructions to control test procedures, configure parameters, collect data records and analysis. The main control computer establishes stable connection with the network tester through Ethernet cable or USB cable. The sending of test instructions and the return of measurement data are based on the special API interface provided by the equipment manufacturer to ensure the reliability of control and the real-time performance of data throughput.

[0042] Further, the network quality monitoring unit includes a network tester and a network measurement antenna, wherein the network measurement antenna is installed on the roof with a height not lower than the highest point of the roof and maintains an isolation distance of at least 1 meter from the communication antenna used by the terminal to be tested.

[0043] Specifically, the network tester (such as Rohde & Schwarz QualiPoc, Keysight Nemo, etc.) monitors the key performance indicators of the downlink in real time, such as reference signal received power (RSRP) and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). The tester is controlled by the main control computer and returns the measurement data in real time. The independent network measurement antenna is installed on the roof and separated from the communication antenna used by the terminal to be tested, and is used for high-precision and undisturbed measurement of air interface network signal quality. Its installation position needs to meet: the height is not lower than the highest point of the roof, the direction is as vertical as possible upward, and the isolation distance from the communication antenna used by the terminal to be tested is at least 1 meter or more, so as to avoid mutual coupling interference between the two, and ensure the purity and reliability of the air interface network signal quality measurement.

[0044] Further, the positioning data acquisition unit includes a high-precision integrated navigation device and a terminal to be tested GNSS, wherein the high-precision integrated navigation device and the terminal to be tested GNSS share the same GNSS receiving antenna through a power divider, and the power divider has an insertion loss of ≤3.5 dB and a port isolation of ≥20 dB.

[0045] Specifically, the high-precision integrated navigation equipment (as a dynamic test reference true value) and the GNSS terminal to be tested share the same GNSS receiving antenna through a power divider to ensure that the initial conditions of the received satellite signals are consistent, and the satellite antenna is fixed on the roof of the vehicle. Both share the same GNSS receiving antenna mounted on the roof through a passive power divider. The passive power divider needs to have a low insertion loss ≤ 3.5 dB and a good port isolation ≥ 20 dB to ensure that the satellite signal strength after distribution can still meet the receiving requirements of the high-precision equipment, and each port does not interfere with each other, thereby ensuring that the initial conditions of the satellite signals received by the terminal to be tested and the reference equipment are consistent.

[0046] Further, the field test equipment is pre-configured in a specific operator frequency band according to the network environment of the test site, and completes network authentication, and is externally connected with a high-gain antenna or a signal amplifier.

[0047] Specifically, the field test equipment includes a power supply, a test vehicle (for dynamic testing), and a 4G / 5G CPE that converts 4G / 5G signals into WiFi signals to provide stable networks for the above test hardware equipment, for remote monitoring or multi-site collaboration. The 4G / 5G CPE needs to be pre-configured in a specific operator frequency band according to the network environment of the test site, and complete necessary network authentication (such as SIM card authentication). To ensure the stability of the network link, a high-gain external antenna or a signal amplifier can be used to avoid introducing additional network delay or jitter due to unstable CPE signals.

[0048] The embodiment also provides a field test method for an enhanced satellite positioning terminal integrated with real-time network quality monitoring, comprising:

[0049] The test parameters and network quality threshold are set by the host computer;

[0050] The host software controls the GNSS terminal to be tested to automatically access the test network to receive enhanced positioning data, while recording the data;

[0051] The network quality monitoring unit collects network signal parameters in real time and marks them with high-precision timestamps, wherein the high-precision timestamps include Beijing time, UTC time, and total number of markers.

[0052] The positioning data acquisition unit synchronously collects positioning data and marks them with corresponding high-precision timestamps;

[0053] The network signal parameters are determined in real time according to the network quality threshold, and when the measured value exceeds the threshold, it is marked as a weak network state, and color coding rules are used for real-time warning display;

[0054] Based on the marking results, the positioning data is filtered and analyzed to automatically generate a test report.

[0055] Further, the screening and analysis of the positioning data based on the marking results includes: mode one automatically removes all data in the weak network marked period; mode two compares and analyzes the positioning performance difference between the weak network marked period and the normal period, and respectively calculates the average positioning error, error standard deviation and fixed rate change rate of the two periods.

[0056] Further, the automatic generation of the test report includes: generating a data table containing the change curve of network quality over time and the effective data period description, outputting in PDF format, and simultaneously generating an Excel file containing the original data and calculation results.

[0057] As shown in Figure 1 , the specific test method includes the following steps:

[0058] Step one, select static test points and set up equipment according to industry standard requirements, or set vehicle speed requirements according to dynamic test conditions;

[0059] Step two, start the system and connect all equipment. The operator sets the test parameters by loading the pre-defined configuration file (XML or JSON format) in the main control software in the main control computer. Key configurations include network quality threshold threshold RSRP ≤-110 dBm, SINR ≤ 3 dB, and the selection of threshold is based on industry standards (3GPP TS 36.133 specifies the value range of RSRP as-44dBm to-140dBm, and the value range of SINR as 0 to 30) and industry field measurement data statistics.

[0060] Step three, establish connection and start testing: the main control software controls the automatic access to the test network provided by the CPE by sending AT instructions or calling the network connection management API of the terminal to be tested, and starts to receive enhanced positioning data. At the same time, the high-precision integrated navigation equipment and the terminal to be tested are started synchronously by software instructions, and data recording is started.

[0061] Step four, at the beginning of the test, the host software sends a start command to sample at an interval of 1s, which is a balance between data accuracy (can capture typical fluctuations in network and positioning), system processing load and storage space after selection. To ensure the starting point of all device sampling clocks consistent, a software broadcast command can be used to realize high-precision synchronous triggering with a hardware trigger signal (such as GPS second pulse PPS). The network tester, the terminal to be tested, and the high-precision integrated navigation device use their own internal high-precision clocks to independently mark each data packet with a time stamp accurate to the millisecond level. This method does not require a complex real-time clock synchronization system, reducing the integration difficulty. The timestamp contains at least the following three types of information: Beijing time (used for on-site personnel intuitive reading and test equipment log recording, facilitating preliminary positioning of problems), coordinated universal time UTC (as a standard time reference, used for precise time alignment between different devices, as it is not affected by time zone and daylight saving time, it is the core basis for later cross-device data accurate alignment), total number of markers (a monotonically increasing counter representing the cumulative number of data reported since the start of the test, used to check the continuity and integrity of the data packet during data post-processing, and quickly detect data loss or out-of-order caused by communication interruption).

[0062] Step five, after the test, the host software based on the UTC timestamp of each data stream, uses a linear interpolation algorithm to accurately align the network KPI data, the terminal to be tested data, and the reference true value data to the same time axis with an interpolation step of 100 milliseconds. During data processing, the software executes a judgment logic every 1 second to check if the current network quality indicator is below the preset threshold. The judgment logic uses an event-triggering mechanism, and once any network indicator crosses the threshold, a "weak network marker" is marked for all associated data at that time in the data stream. Once any network quality indicator exceeds the limit, the software immediately marks all data at the current time point in the data stream with a "weak network marker". The software interface displays the network status in real time, with color changes and event markers, and its basic elements include: network KPI curve over time, real-time data status bar. Color coding rules are used for warning: green indicates good network, yellow indicates near threshold, and red indicates "weak network" state, thereby enhancing the operability of the field test.

[0063] Step six, the software supports two analysis modes: mode one automatically removes all data in the "weak network marker" period when calculating the final positioning accuracy, fixed rate and other indicators, and only uses the data in the good network period for statistics. This ensures that the performance evaluation results truly reflect the inherent capabilities of the terminal; mode two is specifically designed to compare and analyze the positioning performance difference between the "weak network marker" period and the normal period, and calculates the average positioning error, error standard deviation and fixed rate change rate of the two periods respectively. Through quantitative comparison, the robustness of the terminal under poor network conditions is evaluated.

[0064] The software automatically executes the report generation process based on the selected analysis mode: first, it filters the data according to the selected analysis mode, and then calculates various performance indicators. In Mode 1 (Pure Performance Evaluation), the software first removes all data from the complete dataset based on the "weak network markers" and indexes them by time, forming a "pure" data subset containing only data from periods with good network conditions. Then, it calculates the terminal's core performance indicators based solely on this subset, including positioning accuracy (by comparing the tested terminal with the reference value point by point, calculating the root mean square (RMS) value of its horizontal and vertical errors, 95th percentile error, and maximum value), fixed solution ratio (the percentage of fixed solutions out of the total number of valid points; fixed ratio = (number of fixed solutions / total number of valid data points) × 100%. Here, "total number of valid data points" refers to the number of data points after filtering), and convergence time and positioning availability in specific scenarios (the percentage of time within the total test duration where the terminal outputs positioning results that meet accuracy requirements; availability = (time meeting accuracy requirements / total time with good network conditions) × 100%), thus objectively reflecting the inherent performance of the terminal under ideal network conditions. In Mode 2 (Robustness Assessment), the software clearly divides the data into two comparison sets: a "normal network group" and a "weak network group" based on the "weak network tag." It calculates the aforementioned performance indicators for both groups in parallel, then analyzes the relative rate of change of key indicators ((normal network group RMS - weak network group RMS) / normal network group RMS × 100%, used to quantify the degree of accuracy degradation caused by network deterioration), absolute value differences, and error stability (comparing the standard deviations of the error sequences of the two groups to assess whether the volatility of the terminal's positioning output significantly increases under weak network conditions). This quantitatively assesses the terminal's ability to maintain performance and its robustness under adverse network conditions. Finally, a data table is automatically generated, integrating the above data filtering logic, indicator calculation results, and comparative analysis conclusions, including the original data, the network quality change curve over time, and a description of the effective data period. The test report is output in PDF format, and an Excel file containing the original data and calculation results is also generated simultaneously to ensure the traceability of the testing process and results.

[0065] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A field test system for an enhanced satellite positioning terminal integrating real-time network quality monitoring, characterized in that, include: The main control computer is used to send test commands, configure parameters, collect, record, and analyze data. The network quality monitoring unit is used to monitor downlink performance indicators in real time and transmit the measurement data back in real time. It uses an external independent antenna to measure the air interface network signal quality and stamp it with a high-precision timestamp. The positioning data acquisition unit is used to receive satellite signals, acquire positioning data, and add high-precision timestamps. Field testing equipment is used to provide a test network environment; The main control computer uniformly controls the network quality monitoring unit and the positioning data acquisition unit, so that the network measurement and positioning measurement maintain the same sampling frequency and perform synchronous data acquisition, and records a timestamp for each frame of data.

2. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The network quality monitoring unit includes a network tester and a network measurement antenna. The network measurement antenna is installed on the roof of the vehicle at a height no less than the highest point of the roof and maintains an isolation distance of at least 1 meter from the communication antenna used by the terminal under test.

3. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning data acquisition unit includes a high-precision integrated navigation device and a GNSS terminal under test. The high-precision integrated navigation device and the GNSS terminal under test share the same GNSS receiving antenna through a power divider. The power divider has an insertion loss of ≤3.5 dB and a port isolation of ≥20 dB.

4. The testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The field testing equipment is pre-configured in a specific operator frequency band according to the network environment of the test site, and completes network authentication, and is connected to an external high-gain antenna or signal amplifier.

5. A field testing method for an enhanced satellite positioning terminal with integrated real-time network quality monitoring, used in the system described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, include: Set test parameters and network quality thresholds using the main control computer; The main control software controls the GNSS terminal under test to automatically connect to the test network to receive enhanced positioning data, and records the data at the same time; The network quality monitoring unit collects network signal parameters in real time and adds high-precision timestamps; The positioning data acquisition unit synchronously collects positioning data and adds a corresponding high-precision timestamp; The network signal parameters are judged in real time according to the network quality threshold. When the measured value exceeds the threshold, it is marked as a weak network state, and a color coding rule is used to display a real-time warning. Based on the marking results, the location data is filtered and analyzed to automatically generate a test report.

6. The test method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The high-precision timestamp includes Beijing time, UTC time, and the total number of markers.

7. The test method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The location data filtering and analysis based on the marking results includes: Mode 1 automatically removes all data with weak network marking periods; Mode 2 compares and analyzes the positioning performance differences between weak network marking periods and normal periods, and calculates the average positioning error, error standard deviation, and fixation rate change rate for the two periods respectively.

8. The test method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The automatic test report generation includes: generating a data table containing a curve of network quality changes over time and a description of the effective data period, outputting it in PDF format, and simultaneously generating an Excel file containing the raw data and calculation results.

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