Mobile communication test system and mobile communication test method

Abstract

This invention provides a mobile communication testing system and a mobile communication testing method that promote the shift-left approach to the development process of new mobile communication terminals, thereby shortening the development period for higher layers and reducing development costs. [Solution] The mobile communication test system 1 has a test control unit 50 which includes a setting control unit 51 that sets a test scenario including a transmission mode defined in a layer that enables protocol testing without going through the PHY layer and RF unit, and a pseudo-communication control unit 52 that, when executing protocol testing, generates IP packets with a modified format according to the set transmission mode and controls the pseudo-base station unit 10 to send and receive the modified IP packets between the codec processing unit 13 and the opposing codec processing unit 33, and is characterized by performing protocol testing without going through the PHY layer and RF unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile communication test system and a mobile communication test method capable of testing upper layers without implementing lower layers such as a radio signal transceiver (RF unit) and a PHY layer.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a mobile phone system, with the increasing functionality of mobile terminals, the wireless communication speed between a mobile base station (hereinafter referred to as a base station) has been increased. For example, technology development for migrating from 4G (4th generation) services adopting, for example, the LTE-Advanced system to 5G (5th generation) services (NR: New Radio) is in progress. Furthermore, in recent years, in order to achieve faster and more accurate communication, development is progressing from 5G NR services to the development stage of 6G (6th generation) services.

[0003] Under such circumstances, new models of mobile communication terminals (hereinafter referred to as communication terminals) such as mobile phones are continuously developed. For newly developed communication terminals, it is necessary to test whether the communication terminal operates normally. Amid the intensifying competition in the development of communication terminals, it is an extremely important point to test communication terminals in a short period at a low cost and efficiently.

[0004] As an example of a test device for a communication terminal, for example, a set of one or more sets of communication units, layer processing units, and message processing that simulate the operation of a base station. This pseudo base station is a new communication terminal that transmits and receives radio frequency signals corresponding to a predetermined communication standard according to a test scenario, and a test device for testing the operation of the communication function of the communication terminal has been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] In the test apparatus described in Patent Document 1, layer processing is performed at each layer on the signal data transmitted and received between the simulated base station and the communication terminal under test during testing. The data at each layer is stored as log data and displayed appropriately on the display unit. Thus, the test apparatus described in Patent Document 1, like other general conventional mobile communication device test systems, performs communication and signal data processing for testing communication terminals via RF signals transmitted and received between the RF unit of the simulated base station and the RF unit of the communication terminal.

[0007] On the other hand, in the midst of the fierce technological development competition for communication terminals described above, many vendors are moving towards shifting the development process left in order to reduce development costs. As an effective measure to achieve this, there is a growing demand for testing of higher layers without implementing lower layers such as the RF section (RF module) and PHY layer.

[0008] However, conventional mobile communication test systems of this type typically conduct tests via the RF section between a simulated base station and a communication terminal, and have not considered any technology to realize a test process that enables rapid testing of upper layers without implementing lower layers, which has been attracting considerable attention in recent years.

[0009] Therefore, in conventional mobile communication test systems, when testing mobile terminals, it is necessary to perform layer processing up to the PHY layer and then transmit and receive the processed signal data via the RF section. This hinders the shift-left development process mentioned above, resulting in longer development times and higher development costs.

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve these conventional problems, and aims to provide a mobile communication testing system and a mobile communication testing method that can promote the shift-left of the development process for new mobile communication terminals, thereby shortening the development period for higher layers and suppressing development costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To solve the above problems, the mobile communication test system according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises: a pseudo base station unit (10) comprising: a layer processing unit (12) that performs hierarchical processing based on a mobile communication standard including multi-RAT; a codec processing unit (13) that encodes or decodes DL information and UL information to send and receive IP packets (7); and a scenario processing unit (11) that controls the layer processing unit and the codec processing unit; a mobile communication terminal unit (30) comprising: a counter layer processing unit (32) that performs hierarchical processing based on the same communication standard as the layer processing unit; a counter codec processing unit (33) that interacts with the codec processing unit to exchange the DL information and the UL information; and a terminal processing unit (31) that controls the counter layer processing unit; and a test control unit (50) that controls the pseudo base station unit and the mobile communication terminal unit according to a test scenario, wherein the counter layer processing unit interacts with A mobile communication test system for performing protocol testing of the aforementioned mobile communication terminal, wherein the test control unit includes: setting control means (51) for setting a test scenario including a transmission mode defined in a layer capable of performing the protocol test without going through the PHY layer and RF unit, and codec selection information corresponding to the transmission mode; and pseudo-communication control means (52) for controlling the pseudo-base station unit to select the set transmission mode and codec selection information when executing the protocol test according to the scenario, generate an IP packet with a modified format using a codec selected based on the codec selection information in accordance with the transmission mode, and transmit and receive the modified IP packet between the codec processing unit and the opposing codec processing unit, characterized in that the protocol test is performed without going through the PHY layer and RF unit.

[0012] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system according to claim 1 of the present invention can perform testing of upper layers such as the MAC of the mobile communication terminal without implementing lower layers such as the RF unit and PHY layer. Compared to performing the test via the RF unit and PHY layer, this promotes a shift-left in the development process of new mobile communication terminals, shortens the development period of upper layers, and reduces development costs.

[0013] Furthermore, in the mobile communication test system according to claim 2 of the present invention, the codec processing unit and the opposing codec processing unit may alternately transmit the IP packet having System Frame information (70) and 1 TTI's worth of DL information or UL information (71), and perform non-real-time communication with the System Frame information as a virtual system time.

[0014] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system according to claim 2 of the present invention can simulate synchronization of IP packets with DL information and IP packets with UL information by referring to a virtual system time, and can obtain good test results equivalent to those of tests performed in true real time, even though the timing is not real time.

[0015] Furthermore, in the mobile communication test system according to claim 3 of the present invention, the layer processing unit has a first transmission mode that transmits DL information including MAC PDU via the MAC layer, and a second transmission mode that transmits DL information including PHY SDU including virtual DUT received power, DUT received frequency, DCI information, etc. via the PHY layer and the virtual DUT-PHY layer, the codec processing unit can change the format of the IP packets transmitted and received in accordance with the opposite codec processing unit, and the scenario processing unit may be configured to perform the protocol test by selecting the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode of the layer processing unit according to the test scenario and selecting the format of the IP packets transmitted and received by the codec processing unit.

[0016] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system according to claim 3 of the present invention can select a first transmission mode and perform testing of upper layers such as the MAC layer without implementing lower layers such as the PHY layer and RF section, and can also select a second transmission mode and verify virtual DUT received power, DUT received frequency, DCI information, etc., without implementing lower layers, thereby promoting a shift-left approach to the development process of new mobile communication terminals.

[0017] Furthermore, in the mobile communication test system according to claim 4 of the present invention, the simulated base station unit may be configured to simulate the communication operations of base stations constituting each of the following networks as the multi-RAT: NR standalone, LTE standalone, LTE / NR Inter-RAT Mobility, and NR non-standalone.

[0018] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system according to claim 4 of the present invention can perform tests on upper layers such as the MAC layer of the opposing layer processing unit of a mobile communication terminal that conforms to the communication standards of base stations constituting each of the NR standalone, LTE standalone, LTE / NR Inter-RAT Mobility, and NR non-standalone networks, without implementing lower layers such as the PHY layer and RF unit, thereby promoting a shift-left approach to the development process of new mobile communication terminals.

[0019] To solve the above problems, the mobile communication test method according to claim 5 of the present invention is a mobile communication test method that performs a protocol test on the opposing layer processing unit of a mobile communication terminal using the mobile communication test system described in claim 1, and is characterized by performing the protocol test without going through the PHY layer and the RF unit, comprising: a setting step (S1) of setting a test scenario that includes a transmission mode defined in a layer capable of performing the protocol test without going through the PHY layer and the RF unit, and codec selection information corresponding to the transmission mode; a step (S4) of selecting the set transmission mode and the codec selection information when executing the protocol test according to the scenario; a step (S5) of generating an IP packet with a modified format using a codec selected based on the codec selection information in accordance with the transmission mode; and a control step (S6, S7) of controlling the pseudo-base station unit to send and receive the IP packet with the modified format between the codec processing unit and the opposing codec processing unit, wherein the protocol test is performed without going through the PHY layer and the RF unit.

[0020] With this configuration, the mobile communication testing method according to claim 5 of the present invention allows testing of upper layers such as the MAC of the mobile communication terminal without implementing lower layers such as the RF unit and PHY layer. Compared to testing via the RF unit and PHY layer, this promotes a shift-left in the development process of new mobile communication terminals, shortens the development period of upper layers, and reduces development costs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The present invention provides a mobile communication testing system and a mobile communication testing method that can promote the shift-left approach to the development process of new mobile communication terminals, thereby shortening the development period for higher layers and reducing development costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a mobile communication test system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an example of the device configuration of a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing another example of the device configuration of a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control device when a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention is realized with the device configuration shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a communication interface between a pseudo base station part and a mobile communication terminal part (DUT) of a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a communication sequence between a pseudo base station part and a mobile communication terminal part (DUT) of a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) shows a communication sequence for transmitting a synchronization start packet at the start of communication, and (b) shows a communication sequence for transmitting a synchronization end packet at the end of communication. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a control sequence during a DUT test implemented between a pseudo base station part and a mobile communication terminal part (DUT) of a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention, between the start and end of communication. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a control procedure related to the transmission and reception of synchronization communication data for one TTI between a codec processing unit and a counterparty codec processing unit according to the control sequence shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of an IP packet transmitted and received between a pseudo base station part and a mobile communication terminal part (DUT) of a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a basic control sequence related to the test operation of a mobile communication terminal part in a mobile communication test system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an example of a test sequence implemented in step S25 of the control sequence shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 12]This is a flowchart showing the test operation control of the mobile communication terminal unit in a mobile communication test system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This figure illustrates the switching operation of two layer processing systems that are performed without going through the RF section, based on the test operation control shown in Figure 12. (a) shows an example of MAC-MAC layer processing, and (b) shows an example of PHY-Virtual DUT PHY layer processing. [Figure 14] This figure shows the socket connection structure in the TE PC during DUT testing when NR pseudo-base stations and LTE pseudo-base stations are mixed in a mobile communication test system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This figure shows the transmission timing of NR packets and LTE packets during DUT testing when NR pseudo-base stations and LTE pseudo-base stations are mixed in a mobile communication test system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows the packet timing synchronization pattern of NR packets and LTE packets during DUT testing when NR pseudo-base stations and LTE pseudo-base stations are mixed in a mobile communication test system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows the control sequence during DUT testing when NR pseudo-base stations and LTE pseudo-base stations are mixed in a mobile communication test system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] The mobile communication test system according to the present invention is capable of testing, for example, mobile communication terminals that communicate in accordance with the NR communication standard, and has the function of simulating NR base stations and LTE base stations located in the respective NR and LTE areas within a non-standalone (NSA) NR network.

[0024] In addition, the mobile communication test system 1 according to the present invention may also have the function of simulating NR base stations located in NR areas within a standalone NR network (NR SA), LTE base stations located in LTE areas within a standalone LTE network (LTE SA), and NR base stations and LTE base stations located in NR and LTE areas within an LTE / NR Inter-RAT (Radio Access Technology) Mobility network.

[0025] Thus, the mobile communication test system according to the present invention is capable of performing tests on mobile communication terminals based on communication standards for mobile communications that include multiple radio access methods (multi-RAT), such as NSA (NR), NR SA, LTE SA, and LTE / NR Inter-RAT Mobility.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the mobile communication test system and mobile communication test method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] In order to realize a test function for a mobile communication terminal based on the mobile communication standard including the multi-RAT described above, the mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is generally configured to include a pseudo-base station unit 10, a mobile communication terminal unit 30, a test control unit 50, an operation unit 61, and a display unit 62, as shown in Figure 1.

[0028] The pseudo-base station unit 10 is a functional unit that performs the operation of a pseudo-base station opposite the mobile communication terminal unit 30 when performing protocol testing (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as testing) of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 by executing a predetermined scenario, and has a scenario processing unit 11, a layer processing unit 12, and a codec processing unit 13.

[0029] The above scenario, which enables testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30, describes a series of operational test procedures for simulating a communication sequence based on a predetermined communication standard (e.g., LTE standard, NR standard, etc.) in the mobile communication test system 1. In the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the above scenario describes a series of operational test procedures for simulating a communication sequence based on a multi-RAT communication standard (in particular, a communication sequence that can be performed without going through the PHY layer or RF unit).

[0030] In the simulated base station unit 10, the scenario processing unit 11 performs control to send and receive signal data for testing the mobile communication terminal unit 30 to and from the simulated base station unit 10 in accordance with a scenario set based on the operation of the operation unit 61.

[0031] The layer processing unit 12 is the part that processes the signals of each layer of the signal data transmitted and received during testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30. Specifically, the layer processing unit 12 includes an RRC (Radio Resource Control Layer) processing unit 21, a PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol Layer) processing unit 22, an RLC (Radio Link Control Layer) processing unit 23, a MAC (Medium Access Control Layer) processing unit 24, a PHY (Physical Layer) processing unit 25, and a virtual DUT-PHY processing unit 26.

[0032] During testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30, the layer processing unit 12 is configured to perform signal processing on the RRC layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, and MAC layer, or on the RRC layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, PHY layer, and virtual DUT-PHY layer, for signal data transmitted and received between the mobile communication terminal unit 30 and the layer processing unit 30. To enable this signal processing, the layer processing unit 12 has a structure that allows it to selectively switch between two transmission modes as the signal path (transmission mode) to the codec processing unit 13: a first transmission mode that goes to the codec processing unit 13 via the MAC processing unit 24, and a second transmission mode that goes from the MAC processing unit 24 to the codec processing unit 13 via the PHY processing unit 25 and the virtual DUT-PHY processing unit 26.

[0033] The codec processing unit 13 functions as a transmitting and receiving unit that transmits and receives the above signal data during testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30. It has the function of encoding the signal data from the pseudo-base station unit 10 and transmitting it to the mobile communication terminal unit 30, and the function of receiving and decoding the encoded signal data from the mobile communication terminal unit 30.

[0034] A characteristic configuration of the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment is that the codec processing unit 13 transmits and receives test signal data in MAC layer signal format to and from the mobile communication terminal unit 30. Furthermore, the codec processing unit 13 has two signal modes with respect to the layer processing unit 12: a first transmission mode that is directly connected to the MAC processing unit 24, and a second signal mode that is connected to the MAC processing unit 24 via the PHY processing unit 25 and the virtual DUT-PHY processing unit 26.

[0035] The mobile communication terminal unit 30 is a device under test (DUT) to be tested by the mobile communication test system 1. During testing, it is a functional unit that performs signal data transmission and reception operations (test operations) as the opposing station of the pseudo-base station unit 10 in accordance with the above scenario. As shown in Figure 1, the mobile communication terminal unit 30 is not limited to a configuration in which a physical machine (the mobile communication terminal itself) is placed, but may also be composed of software that realizes the functions of the physical machine instead of the physical machine.

[0036] The mobile communication terminal unit 30 includes a terminal processing unit 31, a peer layer processing unit 32, and a peer codec processing unit 33. The terminal processing unit 31 controls the operation of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 to transmit and receive signal data for the above test with the pseudo base station in accordance with the operation of the pseudo base station according to a scenario set based on the operation of the operation unit 61.

[0037] The opposing layer processing unit 32 processes signals at each layer for the signal data transmitted and received between the mobile communication terminal unit 30 and the simulated base station during testing. Specifically, the opposing layer processing unit 32 has an RRC processing unit 41, a PDCP processing unit 42, an RLC processing unit 43, and a MAC processing unit 44, and is configured to process signals at each layer—RRC layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, and MAC layer—for the signal data transmitted and received between the mobile communication terminal unit 10 and the simulated base station unit 10 during the above-mentioned test.

[0038] The opposing codec processing unit 33 functions as a signal data transmission and reception unit between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the other unit during the above test. It has the function of decoding and receiving encoded signal data from the pseudo-base station unit 10, and the function of encoding signal data from the mobile communication terminal unit 30 and transmitting it to the pseudo-base station unit 10.

[0039] The test control unit 50 is a functional unit that comprehensively controls the simulated base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 in order to perform tests of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 according to a scenario. The configuration of the test control unit 50 will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 4.

[0040] The operation unit 61 consists of, for example, an operation panel with switches and buttons. The operation unit 61 selectively performs various settings necessary for the communication operation test of the mobile communication terminal unit 30, including setting various information necessary to start and stop the communication operation test of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 under test and displaying desired information on the display unit 62.

[0041] The display unit 62 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display and displays various information, including test information such as log data obtained during testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30.

[0042] Next, the implementation of the mobile communication test system 1 (see Figure 1) according to this embodiment will be described. As an example of the implementation of the mobile communication test system 1, a configuration combining multiple PCs (personal computers), such as the one shown in Figure 2, can be considered. In the configuration shown in Figure 2, a test device PC (TE PC6A) that implements software realizing the functions of the pseudo-base station unit 10 and a DUT PC7A that implements software realizing the functions of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 as a DUT are controlled from the control PC 5A. Here, the TE PC6A and the DUT PC7A are connected by a cable, for example, using Ethernet®, and perform TCP / IP communication. On the other hand, the test results of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 are derived by controlling the TE PC6A from the control PC 5A via a control API (Application Programming Interface). In this configuration, the control PC 5A, TE PC6A, and DUT PC7A may each be physical machines or virtual machines.

[0043] Another possible implementation of the mobile communication test system 1 is the configuration shown in Figure 3. In the configuration shown in Figure 3, the TE PC6A and DUT PC7A exemplified in Figure 2 are housed in the same PC (TE / DUT PC6B) (software for realizing NR TE, LTE TE, and DUT respectively is implemented). The test results of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 are obtained by controlling this TE / DUT PC6B from the control PC5B using a control API. In this configuration, the functional units of the TE and DUT communicate via TCP / IP through an internal loopback connection within the TE / DUT PC6B.

[0044] The configuration of the mobile communication test system 1 shown in Figure 1 can be realized, for example, by housing the functions of the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 in a single TE / DUT PC 6B (see Figure 3), and controlling this TE / DUT PC 6B from a single control PC 5B having the functions of a test control unit 50, as shown in Figure 3. The functional configuration of the control PC 5B (hereinafter referred to as the control device 5) in this case is shown in Figure 4.

[0045] The control device 5 shown in Figure 4 is composed of a computer device and functions as a control PC that comprehensively controls the TE / DUT PC6B, which has the functions of a pseudo-base station unit 10 and a mobile communication terminal unit 30. In Figures 5, 6, 7, and 13, for convenience, the functional unit that has the functions of a pseudo-base station unit 10 and the functional unit that has the functions of a mobile communication terminal unit 30 are represented as the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30, respectively.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the control device 5 includes a control unit 60, an operation unit 61, and a display unit 62. The control unit 60 includes a CPU 60a, a storage unit 60b, a virtual connection destination 60c, and an external interface (I / F) unit 60d. The CPU 60a realizes the test control unit 50 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 60b, for example.

[0047] The test control unit 50 is a functional unit that comprehensively controls each part of the simulated base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 in order to perform tests of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 according to a scenario. The test control unit 50 is composed of a setting control unit 51, a simulated communication control unit 52, a test information management unit 53, and a display control unit 54. The setting control unit 51 and the simulated communication control unit 52 correspond to the setting control means and the simulated communication control means of the present invention, respectively.

[0048] The setting control unit 51 performs various setting processes, such as setting scenarios (including base stations for simulated communication) for testing the mobile communication terminal unit 30 and setting simulation parameters, based on predetermined setting operations performed by the operation unit 61.

[0049] The simulated communication control unit 52 executes a simulated communication operation that simulates communication between an NR base station and an LTE base station (base station information pre-configured as a virtual connection destination 60c) and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 being measured, according to the simulation parameters, based on the scenario described above.

[0050] The test information management unit 53 is a functional unit that acquires signal data transmitted and received between, for example, an NR base station and an LTE base station and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 during a simulated communication operation (test), determines whether the mobile communication terminal unit 30 is operating normally, and manages the test results based on the determination result.

[0051] The display control unit 54 is a functional unit that controls the display of various information on the display unit 62, including test information such as log data obtained during testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30. For example, the display control unit 54 has a display control function that displays test result information (information for understanding the combination of base stations performing the simulated communication and the carrier used, etc.) related to the testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30, based on signals transmitted and received between the mobile communication terminal unit 30 and NR base stations and LTE base stations during simulated communication operation, on the display unit 62 in association with the type of radio access system (RAT).

[0052] Of the components of the control unit 60 in the control device 5 other than the test control unit 50, the storage unit 60b is a functional unit that stores various information such as the program for realizing the test control unit 50, as well as test result information. The virtual connection destination 60c is information used to identify virtual connection destinations such as NR base stations and LTE base stations simulated by the simulated base station unit 10 during testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30. The external interface (I / F) unit 60d performs an interface function for connecting the TE / DUT PC 6B's simulated base station unit 10 and the corresponding functional units of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 via the network 65.

[0053] Next, the test operation of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0054] In existing test systems of this type, it is common practice to simulate a base station and test a mobile communication terminal by transmitting and receiving signal data based on a predetermined communication standard (e.g., LTE or NR) via an RF unit between a simulated base station and a mobile communication terminal.

[0055] In this regard, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment has a configuration that allows testing to be performed without going through the RF section and via layers higher than the PHY layer, and the test scenario is also designed so that testing can be performed without going through the PHY layer or the RF section.

[0056] As a method for testing mobile communication terminals without using the RF unit, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment transmits and receives signal data between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 in the form of a MAC layer signal, for example, when testing the mobile communication terminal unit 30, and effectively avoids transmitting and receiving signal data at layers lower than the MAC layer.

[0057] [g interface] In the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the communication interface for transmitting and receiving signal data between the simulated base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 during testing will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows an example of the communication interface between the simulated base station unit (e.g., TE) 10 and the DUT (Device Under Test) mobile communication terminal unit 30 of the mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] In the mobile communication system 1 according to this embodiment, the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 (corresponding to "DUT" in Figures 2 and 3) are configured based on the protocol layer of the 3GPP® (Third Generation Partnership Project) communication standard, including multi-RAT. As an example of the protocol layer, Figure 5 illustrates a configuration in which the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 each have a PDCP processing unit 22, an RLC processing unit 23, a MAC processing unit 24, and a PHY processing unit 25, and a PDCP processing unit 42, an RLC processing unit 43, a MAC processing unit 44, and a PHY processing unit 45, respectively.

[0059] As shown in Figure 5, between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30, MAC PDU (Packet Data Unit) and DCI (Data Center Interconnection) information generated at the MAC layer are converted into packets according to the scenario settings and transmitted and received via TCP Socket (the transport layer of TCP / IP).

[0060] Furthermore, in the mobile communication system 1 according to this embodiment, in response to changes in the scenario settings, PHY PDU and DCI information generated at the PHY layer below the MAC layer can be converted into packets and transmitted and received via TCP Socket. The codec processing that converts MAC PDU and PHY SDU (Service Data Unit) into packets is included in the protocol processing.

[0061] [g sequence] To realize the communication interface shown in Figure 5, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment executes the communication sequences for testing shown in Figures 6 and 7. In Figure 6, (a) shows the communication sequence in which a synchronization start packet is sent at the start of communication, and (b) shows the communication sequence in which a synchronization end packet is sent at the end of communication.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6(a), when starting communication for testing, the simulated base station unit 10 is activated and communication for testing begins. After that, the mobile communication terminal unit 30 can be activated and communication started at any time. Here, after the TCP connection is established between the simulated base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30, the simulated base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 send and receive synchronization start packets (Sync Start / Sync Start Cnf) and perform the handshake process.

[0063] Furthermore, when the simulation is stopped, for example, as shown in Figure 6(b), the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 send and receive synchronization termination packets (Sync End / Syn End Cnf) and perform the process of terminating communication.

[0064] [Synchronized communication] Figure 7 shows the control sequence during DUT testing performed between the start and end of communication between the simulated base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 of the mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. From the start of communication according to the communication start sequence shown in Figure 6(a) until the end of communication according to the communication end sequence shown in Figure 6(b), synchronous communication is performed between the simulated base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 according to the control sequence shown in Figure 7.

[0065] In the control sequence shown in Figure 7, DL (Download) Packets and UL (Upload) Packets are transmitted alternately between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30.

[0066] According to the control sequence shown in Figure 7, DL Packets (hereinafter referred to as DL packets) and UL Packets (hereinafter referred to as UL packets) are transmitted and received between the codec processing unit 13 of the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the opposing codec processing unit 33 of the mobile communication terminal unit 30, for example, according to the procedure shown in Figure 8.

[0067] IP packets 7, such as DL packets and UL packets, each contain System Frame information (System Frame Number, Subframe Number, Slot Number) 70, as shown in Figure 9, for example, and UL / DL information (UL information or DL ​​information) 71 equivalent to 1 TTI is transmitted in one or more separate transmissions. Note that TTI (Transmission Time Interval) represents the minimum transmission period in the system. For example, NR uses 1 / 8 subframe, while LTE uses 1 subframe.

[0068] In this way, during testing, DL packets and UL packets are transmitted alternately every 1TTI, thereby enabling non-real-time communication between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30, where System Frame information 70 is used as virtual time information (see Figure 9).

[0069] [Communication data] Next, the communication data will be described. The format of the IP packets 7 exchanged between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 is defined to match the codec processing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30. The packets contain System Frame information 70 and UL / DL information 71 related to upload (UL) and download (DL) (see Figure 9).

[0070] In the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the way in which the MAC PDU and PHY SDU are transmitted can be switched according to the test content. In addition to the MAC PDU, the PHY SDU includes information such as virtual DUT received power, virtual DUT received frequency, DCI information, etc.

[0071] (Control of transmission mode switching) In order to enable the transmission of DL packets by switching the MAC PDU and PHY SDU according to the test content, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment has a layer processing unit 12 that has a transmission mode that transmits DL information including the MAC PDU via the MAC processing unit 24, and a transmission mode that transmits DL information including the PHY SDU, which includes virtual DUT received power, DUT received frequency, DCI information, etc., via the PHY processing unit 25 and the virtual DUT-PHY processing unit 26.

[0072] On the other hand, the codec processing unit 13 has a configuration that allows it to change the IP packet format to be transmitted and received in accordance with the opposing codec unit 33 on the mobile communication terminal unit 30. In addition, the scenario processing unit 11 has a control function that selects the transmission mode of the layer processing unit 12 according to the test scenario and selects the IP packet format to be transmitted and received by the codec processing unit 13 to carry out the test.

[0073] As a result, in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, when setting a scenario in the setting control unit 51, the test control unit 50 has pre-set codec selection information to select either the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode and the codec corresponding to that transmission mode. This allows the scenario processing unit 11, layer processing unit 12, and codec processing unit 13 to cooperate under the control of the pseudo-communication control unit 52, enabling testing with the mobile communication terminal unit 30 without going through the PHY layer and RF unit.

[0074] The control sequence for the test operation of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment having the above configuration will be explained with reference to Figure 10.

[0075] In the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, when testing the mobile communication terminal unit 30, it is necessary to set up a scenario that enables protocol testing without going through the PHY layer and RF unit. In this case, the scenario must include, for example, a transmission mode defined by a layer that allows protocol testing without going through the PHY layer and RF unit, and codec selection information for selecting a codec corresponding to that transmission mode.

[0076] In the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the transmission mode can be set to, for example, a first transmission mode in which IP packets 7 are exchanged between the MAC layers of the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 (see Figure 13(a)), or a second transmission mode in which IP packets 7 are exchanged using the PHY layer and virtual DUT-PHY layer provided in the layer processing unit 12 of the pseudo-base station unit 10 (see Figure 13(b)).

[0077] With a scenario that satisfies the above requirements set, the mobile communication test system 1 executes test operation control according to the control sequence shown in Figure 10. At that time, the test control unit 50 (corresponding to the "test control unit" shown in Figure 10) first notifies the pseudo-base station unit 10 (corresponding to the "pseudo-base station unit" shown in Figures 10 and 11) of the pre-configured codec selection information (step S20).

[0078] When the pseudo-base station unit 10 receives notification of codec selection information, it performs a process to switch the format of the IP packets 7 (DL packets and UL packets) that will be sent and received with the mobile communication terminal unit 30 (corresponding to the "mobile communication terminal unit" shown in Figures 10 and 11) in the subsequent test sequence (see step S25) (step S21). The format that is switched at this time enables layer processing according to the configured transmission mode (first transmission mode or second transmission mode). Although this description describes a method of switching the format of IP packets 7 in advance before executing the test sequence, the timing of the switch is not limited to this, and for example, the switch may be performed when the test sequence is executed.

[0079] Next, the test control unit 50 controls the mobile communication terminal unit 30 to a powered-on state (step S22).

[0080] The test control unit 50 then performs a test start notification process to inform the pseudo-base station unit 10 that the test is to begin (step S23).

[0081] Upon receiving the test start notification, the pseudo-base station unit 10 establishes a TCP connection with the mobile communication terminal unit 30 and sends a Sync Start Packet to the mobile communication terminal unit 30 (step S24).

[0082] Subsequently, the simulated base station unit 10 comprehensively controls each unit and executes the test sequence (step S25). The test sequence will be explained in detail with reference to Figure 11.

[0083] When the test sequence in step S25 is completed, the pseudo-base station unit 10 sends a Sync End Packet to the mobile communication terminal unit 30 (step S26), and terminates the series of control sequences related to the test of the mobile communication terminal unit 30.

[0084] Figure 11 shows an example of a test sequence (see step S25) to be performed in the control sequence shown in Figure 10. In particular, Figure 11 shows an example of a RACH (Random Access Channel) procedure in which the mobile communication terminal unit 30 randomly accesses the pseudo-base station unit 10 to perform uplink (UL direction) communication.

[0085] In the RACH procedure shown in Figure 11, the mobile communication terminal unit 30 randomly accesses the pseudo-base station unit 10 and exchanges procedure signals Mgs1 (Random Access Preamble), Mgs2 (Random Access Response), Mgs3 (Scheduled Transmission), and Mgs4 (Contention Resolution) (steps S30, S31, S32, S33) to send and receive control information and user data using IP packets 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d. IP packets 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d contain System Frame information 70, virtual power (DUT received power) information, message packet data, etc. The packet data contains RACH information, DCI information and RAR information, RRC Message information, DCI information and Message information, etc.

[0086] In the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, in the test sequence shown in Figure 10 (see step S25), for example, when a scenario is set in which the second transmission mode described above is specified, the RACH procedure shown in Figure 11 can be performed to test the received power of the mobile communication terminal 30 via the PHY processing unit 25 and the virtual DUT-PHY processing unit 26 provided in the layer processing unit 12 of the pseudo base station unit 10 (i.e., without going through the PHY layer and RF unit).

[0087] In contrast, in the test sequence shown in Figure 10, where the first transmission mode is specified, a communication procedure is performed to access the mobile communication terminal unit 30 from the pseudo-base station unit 10. This allows testing of the MAC layer of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 to be performed between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 via MAC layer-to-MAC layer (without going through the PHY and RF units).

[0088] Based on the configuration described above, which allows testing of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 without going through the PHY and RF units, the test operation control of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment will now be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 12.

[0089] In the mobile communication test system 1, in order to perform a test of the mobile communication terminal unit 30, first a scenario for the test is set (step S1). This process can be carried out by inputting setting data from the operation unit 61, and the setting control unit 51 of the test control unit 50 taking in that setting data to generate and register scenario data.

[0090] The scenario contains instructions to perform protocol testing without going through the PHY and RF sections, and includes, for example, codec selection information to select the transmission mode defined by the layer that enables the protocol testing (the layer to be verified in the protocol testing) and the codec corresponding to that transmission mode.

[0091] In step S1, the setting control unit 51 sets a scenario that includes either a first transmission mode in which the MAC processing units 24 and 44 exchange IP packets 7 with each other (see Figure 13(a)) or a second transmission mode in which the PHY processing unit 25 and virtual DUT-PHY processing unit 26 provided in the layer processing unit 12 of the pseudo-base station unit 10 exchange IP packets 7 (see Figure 13(b)).

[0092] After the scenario is set, the pseudo-communication control unit 52 of the test control unit 50 accepts the test start operation and starts the test operation of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 according to the above scenario (step S2).

[0093] When the test operation begins, the pseudo-communication control unit 52 controls the layer processing unit 12 to sequentially process the signal data to be transmitted in the lower layer direction in accordance with the operation of the pseudo-base station unit 10 that simulates a predetermined base station based on the scenario (step S3).

[0094] Furthermore, coinciding with the start of the test, the simulated communication control unit 52 selects a transmission mode and codec selection information based on the scenario settings (step S4), and controls the scenario processing unit 11, layer processing unit 12, and codec processing unit 13 to encode the signal data after layer processing at the layer corresponding to the transmission mode in the layer processing unit 12 using the codec selected based on the codec selection information (the codec corresponding to the transmission mode in the codec processing unit 13). This control generates an IP packet 7 (DL packet) whose format has been changed to match the selected transmission mode (first transmission mode or second transmission mode) (step S5).

[0095] Furthermore, the pseudo-communication control unit 52 controls the transmission of the format-changed IP packet 7 (DL packet) generated by the codec processing unit 13 to the opposing codec processing unit 33 of the mobile communication terminal unit 30, which is the DUT side (step S6).

[0096] Meanwhile, the mobile communication terminal unit 30 decodes the received IP packet 7 (DL packet) with the opposing codec processing unit 33, and the signal data obtained is layer-processed in the direction of the upper layers with the opposing layer processing unit 32 to obtain test data from the pseudo base station unit 10. Then, the response signal for that test data is layer-processed in the reverse order, encoded with the opposing codec processing unit 33, and sent as an IP packet 7 (UlP packet) to the codec processing unit 13 of the pseudo base station unit 10.

[0097] After sending the IP packet 7 (DL packet) to the DUT in step S5, the pseudo-communication control unit 52 receives the IP packet 7 (UL packet) sent in response from the DUT (opposite codec processing unit 33) to the IP packet 7 (DL packet) (step S7), and then controls the codec processing unit 13 to perform a decoding process to generate signal data from the received IP packet 7 (UL packet) (step S8).

[0098] The pseudo-communication control unit 52 then controls the layer processing unit 12 to process the decoded signal data sequentially in the layer direction up to the highest layer (step S9).

[0099] Log data of the transmission and reception operations between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 related to the series of processes from steps S3 to S9 described above is stored as test result information by the test information management unit 53, for example (step S10).

[0100] The series of processes described in steps S3 to S10 above are performed once or multiple times per 1 TTL, depending on the settings.

[0101] In the test operation control of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 shown in Figure 12, if, for example, a first transmission mode is set in the scenario, the process in step S5 above involves the generation of an IP packet 7 (DL packet) containing a MAC PDU (see the description of "MAC PDU" in Figure 9), and a test of transmission and reception between the pseudo base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 is performed. According to this test, as shown in Figure 13(a), MAC layer-to-MAC layer communication is performed between the two, making it possible to verify whether the MAC layer of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 is abnormal or normal without going through the PHY layer or RF unit.

[0102] In contrast, if, for example, a second transmission mode is set in the scenario, the process in step S5 above involves the generation of an IP packet 7 (DL packet) containing the PHY SDU (see the "PHY SDU" description in Figure 9), and a test is performed in which it is transmitted and received between the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30. According to this test, for example as shown in Figure 13(b), communication is performed between the MAC layer on the mobile communication terminal unit 30 side and the PHY layer and DUT-PHY layer virtually provided on the pseudo-base station unit 10 side, and it is possible to determine whether the operation of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 (DUT) is correct.

[0103] By structuring the IP packet 7 (DL packet) at this time to include information such as virtual DUT received power, DUT received frequency, and DCI information after the frame information, it becomes possible to verify whether detailed items such as received power and received frequency of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 under test are normal or abnormal.

[0104] (Scope of application of the MAC-MAC / PHY-Virtual DUT PHY trial) The mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment performs the MAC-MAC test (see Figure 13(a)) and the PHY-virtual DUT PHY test (see Figure 13(b)) of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 described above. (i)NR SA (Standalone) (ii) LTE SA (iii) LTE / NR Inter-RAT Mobility (iv) NR NSA (Non-Standalone) It can be applied to each network.

[0105] In the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, for MAC-MAC testing or PHY-virtual DUT PHY testing based on mobile communication standards including multi-RAT, it is basically necessary to use the same communication format as described above (see Figures 5 to 13), regardless of the work case (each network). In this case, in cases (iii) and (iv), it is necessary to perform the test using a combination of cases (i) and (ii). Below, embodiments of MAC-MAC testing and PHY-virtual DUT PHY testing in cases (iii) and (iv) will be described with reference to Figures 14 to 17.

[0106] (Socket connection) In the MAC-MAC test and PHY-virtual DUT PHY test in the cases (iii) and (iv) above in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the pseudo-base station unit 10 has the function of simulating an NR base station and an LTE base station. Thus, Figure 14 shows an example of the socket connection of the control device (TE PC) 6C in the test of the DUT 68 when an NR pseudo-base station (NR TE (NR)) 66 and an LTE pseudo-base station (LTE TE (LTE)) 67 are mixed.

[0107] As shown in Figure 14, in this example, the socket connection uses different ports (e.g., ports 3037 and 3047) for the LTE TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) socket than for the NR TCP socket. The DUT is configured to open the NR / LTE server ports separately. This configuration makes it easier to identify NR / LTE packets.

[0108] (LTE / NR packet transmission timing) Figure 15 shows the transmission timing of NR packets and LTE packets during testing of the DUT 68 when an NR pseudo-base station 66 and an LTE pseudo-base station 67 are mixed in a mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 15, in the mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the NR pseudo-base station 66 transmits NR packets every 1 / 8 subframe (#0, #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7), while the LTE pseudo-base station 67 transmits LTE packets every 1 subframe (#0, #1, ...).

[0109] (LTE / NR packet timing synchronization) Figure 16 shows the packet timing synchronization pattern of NR packets and LTE packets during DUT testing when an NR pseudo-base station 66 and an LTE pseudo-base station 67 are mixed in a mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 16, in the mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, the timing of NR packets sent by the NR pseudo-base station 66 and LTE packets sent by the LTE pseudo-base station 67 are adjusted to synchronize at the start of each subframe. In this case, for example, if an NR packet is still being sent after one subframe of a PTE packet has finished, as shown in Figure 16, the system may wait for the NR packet to finish sending and then adjust the timing so that the NR packet and PTE packet are sent at synchronized timing. Once synchronization is complete, the NR / LTE processes run in parallel until the next subframe starts.

[0110] (Packet communication sequence) Figure 17 shows the packet communication sequence during DUT testing when NR pseudo-base station 66 and LTE pseudo-base station 67 are mixed in a mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 17, Control PC, NR TE, LTE TE, and DET correspond to TE PC6C, NR pseudo-base station 66, LTE pseudo-base station 67, and DUT68 in Figure 14, respectively.

[0111] As shown in Figure 17, in this packet communication sequence, the Control PC notifies the NR pseudo-base station 66 and the LTE pseudo-base station 67 to start the simulation, and controls the DUT to the power-on state. Subsequently, packet synchronization communication of NR packets and LTE packets is performed between the NR pseudo-base station 66 and the DUT, and between the LTE pseudo-base station 67 and the DUT, respectively, following the simulation start procedure (see Figure 6(a) and S24 in Figure 10).

[0112] In this packet communication sequence, NR packets and LTE packets are transmitted in a random order. Regarding the format of LTE packets, the packet payload uses an LTE-specific format. NR / LTE interfaces are defined in separate files.

[0113] At the end of the packet communication sequence, the test termination procedure (see Figure 6(b) and S26 in Figure 10) is performed to terminate packet synchronization communication for NR packets and LTE packets.

[0114] (MAC-MAC / PHY-Virtual DUT PHY Trial) In the mobile communication test system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, when NR pseudo-base station 66 and LTE pseudo-base station 67 are mixed, the DUT 68 can be tested by basically sending and receiving NR / LTE packets between NR pseudo-base station 66 and DUT 68, and between LTE pseudo-base station 67 and DUT 68, in the manner shown in Figures 15 and 16, using the configuration shown in Figure 14 and the packet communication sequence shown in Figure 17. In this case as well, by applying a control sequence that includes packet format switching processing based on codec selection information between the pseudo-base station unit 10 (TE) and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 (DUT), as shown in Figure 10, between NR pseudo-base station 66 and DUT 68, and between LTE pseudo-base station 67 and DUT 68, it becomes possible to perform MAC-MAC testing or MAC-virtual DUT PHY testing, respectively.

[0115] In the above embodiments, the examples mainly illustrate operational configurations in which 5GNR and LTE are independent or mixed (see cases (i) to (iv) above), but the present invention is also applicable to operational configurations in which LTE and earlier technologies (third generation, second generation), or in the future, 5GNR and the next communication standard are used.

[0116] Furthermore, while the above embodiments mention MAC-MAC testing and MAC-Virtual DUT PHY testing as tests performed without the RF unit, the present invention allows for quick and efficient testing without the RF unit, and the layer set as the transmission mode is not limited to the MAC-MAC layer, but may be any other layer. This makes it possible, for example, to perform tests by transmitting and receiving IP packets 7 at layers higher than the MAC layer, which in turn makes it possible to further promote the shift-left in the development process of mobile communication terminals from 5G to 6G.

[0117] As described above, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment comprises: a pseudo-base station unit 10 comprising: a layer processing unit 12 that performs hierarchical processing based on a mobile communication standard including multi-RAT; a codec processing unit 13 that encodes or decodes DL information and UL information to send and receive IP packets 7; and a scenario processing unit 11 that controls the layer processing unit 12 and the codec processing unit 13; a mobile communication terminal unit 30 comprising: a counter layer processing unit 32 that performs hierarchical processing based on the same communication standard as the layer processing unit 12; a counter codec processing unit 33 that interacts with the codec processing unit 13 to exchange DL information and UL information; and a terminal processing unit 31 that controls the counter layer processing unit 32; and a test control unit 50 that controls the pseudo-base station unit 10 and the mobile communication terminal unit 30 according to a test scenario, with the counter layer processing unit 3 The system performs protocol testing on a mobile communication terminal unit 30 targeting unit 2, and the test control unit 50 includes a setting control unit 51 that sets a test scenario including a transmission mode defined in a layer that allows protocol testing to be performed without going through the PHY layer and RF unit, and codec selection information corresponding to the transmission mode, and a pseudo-communication control unit 52 that, when executing protocol testing according to the scenario, selects the set transmission mode and codec selection information, generates an IP packet 7 with a modified format using the codec selected based on the codec selection information according to the transmission mode, and controls the pseudo-base station unit 10 to send and receive the modified IP packet 7 between the codec processing unit 13 and the opposing codec processing unit 33, and has a configuration that performs protocol testing without going through the PHY layer and RF unit.

[0118] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment can perform tests on upper layers such as the MAC of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 without implementing lower layers such as the RF unit and PHY layer. Compared to performing tests via the RF unit and PHY layer, this promotes a shift-left in the development process of new mobile communication terminals, shortens the development period for upper layers, and reduces development costs.

[0119] Furthermore, in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the codec processing unit 13 and the opposing codec processing unit 33 alternately transmit IP packets 7 containing System Frame information 70 and DL / UL information 71 for 1 TTI, and have a configuration that performs non-real-time communication with System Frame information 70 as a virtual system time.

[0120] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment can simulate synchronization of IP packets with DL information and IP packets with UL information by referring to a virtual system time, and can obtain good test results equivalent to those of tests performed in true real time, even though the timing is not real time.

[0121] Furthermore, in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the layer processing unit 12 has a first transmission mode in which DL information including MAC PDU is transmitted via MAC processing unit 24, and a second transmission mode in which DL information including PHY SDU including virtual DUT received power, DUT received frequency, DCI information, etc. is transmitted via PHY processing unit 25 and virtual DUT-PHY processing unit 26. The codec processing unit 13 can change the format of the IP packets 7 transmitted and received in accordance with the opposite codec processing unit 33. The scenario processing unit 11 is configured to select either the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode of the layer processing unit 12 according to the scenario, and to select the format of the IP packets 7 transmitted and received by the codec processing unit 13 to perform protocol testing.

[0122] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment can select a first transmission mode and perform tests on upper layers such as the MAC layer without implementing lower layers such as the PHY layer and RF section. It can also select a second transmission mode and verify virtual DUT received power, DUT received frequency, DCI information, etc., without implementing lower layers, thereby promoting a shift-left approach to the development process of new mobile communication terminals.

[0123] Furthermore, in the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, the simulated base station unit 10 has a configuration that allows it to simulate the communication operations of base stations constituting each of the following networks as a multi-RAT: NR standalone, LTE standalone, LTE / NR Inter-RAT Mobility, and NR non-standalone.

[0124] With this configuration, the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment can perform tests on the MAC layer and other upper layers of the opposing layer processing unit 32 of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 that conforms to the communication standards of base stations constituting each of the NR standalone, LTE standalone, LTE / NR Inter-RAT Mobility, and NR non-standalone networks, without implementing lower layers such as the PHY layer and RF unit, thereby promoting a shift-left approach to the development process of new mobile communication terminals.

[0125] The mobile communication test method according to this embodiment performs a protocol test on the opposing layer processing unit 32 of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 using the mobile communication test system 1 according to this embodiment, and includes a setting step (S1) of setting a test scenario that includes a transmission mode defined in a layer that can perform protocol testing without going through the PHY layer and RF unit, and codec selection information corresponding to the transmission mode, a step (S4) of selecting the set transmission mode and codec selection information when executing the protocol test according to the scenario, a step (S5) of generating an IP packet with a modified format using a codec selected based on the codec selection information according to the transmission mode, and control steps (S6, S7) of controlling the pseudo base station unit 10 to send and receive the modified IP packet 7 between the codec processing unit 13 and the opposing codec processing unit 33, and is configured to perform protocol testing without going through the PHY layer and RF unit.

[0126] This configuration allows the mobile communication testing method according to this embodiment to perform testing of upper layers such as the MAC of the mobile communication terminal unit 30 without implementing lower layers such as the RF unit and PHY layer. Compared to the case where testing is performed via the RF unit and PHY layer, this promotes a shift-left in the development process of new mobile communication terminals, shortens the development period of upper layers, and reduces development costs. [Industrial applicability]

[0127] As described above, the mobile communication test system and mobile communication test method according to the present invention have the effect of promoting the shift-left approach to the development process of new mobile communication terminals, shortening the development period of higher layers, and suppressing development costs. They are useful for mobile communication test systems and mobile communication test methods in general that perform MAC-to-MAC and other tests of mobile communication terminals based on mobile communication standards including multi-RAT. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0128] 1. Mobile communication test system 5, 6C control unit 5A, 5B control PC 6A TE PC 6B TE / DUT PC 7, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d IP packets 10 Pseudo base station section 11 Scenario Processing Unit 12 Layer Processing Unit 13. Codec Processing Unit 21 RRC Processing Unit 22 PDCP processing 23 RLC Processing Unit 24 MAC Processing Units 25 PHY Processing Unit 26 Virtual DUT-PHY Processing Unit 30 Mobile communication terminal section 31 Terminal Processing Unit 32 Opposite Layer Processing Unit 33 Opposite codec processing unit 41 RRC Processing Unit 42 PDCP Processing Unit 43 RLC Processing Unit 44 MAC Processing Unit 50 Test Control Unit 51 Setting control unit (setting control means) 52 Pseudo-communication control unit (pseudo-communication control means) 53 Examination Information Management Department 54 Display Control Unit 60 Control Unit 60a CPU 60b Storage section 60c Virtual destination 60d External Interface (I / F) Section 61 Operation section 62 Display section 66 NR pseudo base station (NR TE) 67 LTE pseudo base station (LTE TE) 68 DUT 70 System Frame Information 71 UL / DL information

Claims

1. A pseudo-base station unit (10) comprises: a layer processing unit (12) that performs hierarchical processing based on a mobile communication standard including multi-RAT; a codec processing unit (13) that encodes or decodes DL information and UL information to send and receive IP packets (7); and a scenario processing unit (11) that controls the layer processing unit and the codec processing unit. A mobile communication terminal unit (30) comprises: a counter layer processing unit (32) that performs hierarchical processing based on the same communication standard as the layer processing unit; a counter codec processing unit (33) that interacts with the codec processing unit to exchange DL information and UL information; and a terminal processing unit (31) that controls the counter layer processing unit. A mobile communication test system comprising a test control unit (50) that controls the pseudo-base station unit and the mobile communication terminal unit according to a test scenario, wherein the system performs protocol testing of the mobile communication terminal unit targeting the opposing layer processing unit, The test control unit, A setting control means (51) for setting a test scenario that includes a transmission mode defined in a layer that allows the protocol test to be performed without going through the PHY layer and RF section, and codec selection information corresponding to the transmission mode, When executing the protocol test according to the above scenario, the pseudo-communication control means (52) selects the set transmission mode and codec selection information, generates an IP packet with a modified format using the codec selected based on the codec selection information according to the transmission mode, and controls the pseudo-base station unit to send and receive the IP packet with the modified format between the codec processing unit and the opposing codec processing unit. A mobile communication test system that includes and performs the protocol test without going through the PHY layer and RF section.

2. The mobile communication test system according to claim 1, characterized in that the codec processing unit and the opposing codec processing unit alternately transmit IP packets having System Frame information (70) and DL information or UL information (71) for 1 TTI, and perform non-real-time communication with the System Frame information as a virtual system time.

3. The layer processing unit has a first transmission mode that transmits DL information including MAC PDU via the MAC layer, and a second transmission mode that transmits DL information including PHY SDU, which includes virtual DUT received power, DUT received frequency, DCI information, etc., via the PHY layer and the virtual DUT-PHY layer. The codec processing unit can change the format of the IP packets it sends and receives to match the opposing codec processing unit. The mobile communication test system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the scenario processing unit selects the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode of the layer processing unit according to the test scenario, and the codec processing unit selects the format of the IP packets to be sent and received and performs the protocol test.

4. The mobile communication test method according to claim 1, characterized in that the simulated base station unit can simulate the communication operation of base stations constituting each of the following networks as the multi-RAT: NR standalone, LTE standalone, LTE / NR Inter-RAT Mobility, and NR non-standalone.

5. A mobile communication testing method for performing a protocol test on the opposing layer processing unit of a mobile communication terminal using the mobile communication testing system described in claim 1, A setting step (S1) to set a test scenario that includes a transmission mode defined in a layer that allows the protocol test to be performed without going through the PHY layer and RF section, and codec selection information corresponding to the transmission mode, When performing the protocol test according to the above scenario, the steps include selecting the set transmission mode and codec selection information (S4), Step (S5) of generating an IP packet with a modified format using the codec selected based on the codec selection information in accordance with the transmission mode, Control steps (S6, S7) to control the pseudo-base station unit so that the IP packets with the changed format are sent and received between the codec processing unit and the opposing codec processing unit, A mobile communication testing method characterized by including and performing the protocol test without going through the PHY layer and RF section.

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