Fading Simulator Multi-Antenna Signal Quality

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fading simulators for mobile communications terminals face challenges in maintaining signal quality due to noise and low performance of RF reception modules, leading to larger structures and reduced quality of fading signals, especially when conducting tests on multi-antenna devices.

Innovation Solution

A fading simulator with multiple reception modules that convert RF signals to baseband signals, perform reproduction processing, and apply fading arithmetic to produce high-quality fading signals, including demodulation, decoding, error correction, and modulation steps, while evaluating signal quality to ensure accurate testing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the performance of the RF reception module is improved to maintain baseband signal quality, then the quality of the fading signal is improved, but the structure of the RF reception module becomes larger

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebaseband signal qualityVSAvoidRF reception module structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the signal processing function into separate modules: a simple RF reception module for receiving signals and a separate reproduction processing module for restoring baseband signal quality. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently, avoiding the need for a single complex high-performance RF reception module.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reproduction processing module acts as an intermediary between the RF reception module and the fading arithmetic module. It receives the baseband signal from the RF reception module, performs error correction and quality restoration, then outputs a clean baseband signal for fading simulation, thus mediating the quality degradation introduced by the simple RF reception module.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple RF reception modules are provided for multi-antenna fading tests, then the capability to test multi-antenna terminals is improved, but the overall size of the fading simulator becomes larger

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-antenna test capabilityVSAvoidfading simulator size

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The reproduction processing module is designed as a universal function that can be shared across multiple antenna channels. Instead of requiring separate dedicated processing units for each antenna, a single reproduction processing module can serve multiple RF reception modules through time-division or signal-division multiplexing, reducing the overall system footprint.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple RF reception modules can be combined with a single reproduction processing module and fading arithmetic module, consolidating the signal processing functions. This merging approach allows the system to handle multi-antenna tests without proportionally increasing the number of processing units, thereby controlling the overall simulator size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If simple RF reception module is used to reduce structure size, then the device complexity is reduced, but the quality of the baseband signal is lowered

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveRF reception module structureVSAvoidbaseband signal quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the signal processing function into separate modules: a simple RF reception module for receiving signals and a separate reproduction processing module for restoring baseband signal quality. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently, avoiding the need for a single complex high-performance RF reception module.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reproduction processing module acts as an intermediary between the RF reception module and the fading arithmetic module. It receives the baseband signal from the RF reception module, performs error correction and quality restoration, then outputs a clean baseband signal for fading simulation, thus mediating the quality degradation introduced by the simple RF reception module.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9590750B2Fading simulator and method of producing fading signal

Publication Date: 2017.03.07 ANRITSU CORP

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a fading simulator which conducts a fading test on a mobile communications terminal configured to receive radio signals containing respective baseband signals, includes reception modules which receive the radio signals, convert frequencies of the radio signals, and extract the baseband signals from the radio signals, respectively, reproduction processing modules which perform reproduction processing on the baseband signals extracted by the reception modules, respectively, to produce new baseband signals, a fading arithmetic module which perform fading processing on the new baseband signals produced by the reproduction processing modules individually to produce fading signals, and transmission modules which convert the fading signals produced by the fading arithmetic module into radio signals, respectively, and output the radio signals as test signals to the mobile communications terminal.