Over-The-Air Node Testing for Radio Base Stations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing Radio Base Stations (RBS) are inaccurate and impractical, especially for Active Antenna Systems with many transmitters, as they require physical monitor ports that add complexity, losses, and are not feasible for millimeter wave frequencies, making it difficult to conduct regulatory inspections without disrupting operation.
Innovation Solution
A method allowing testing of RBS components via Over The Air (OTA) signals, eliminating the need for physical monitor ports by determining the direction and transmitting/receiving test signals between nodes, enabling compliance verification without site access and reducing operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If physical monitor ports with connectors are used for testing, then testing can be conducted, but device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the testing function from the physical hardware domain (monitor ports and connectors) and relocates it to the wireless communication domain. The base station's transmitter is tested by having a user equipment receive and measure the transmitted signal over the air, eliminating the need for physical extraction points in the RF chain.
Solution Approach 2:
The user equipment acts as an intermediary between the base station transmitter and the testing system. Instead of directly connecting measurement equipment to the base station's RF components, the UE receives the signal wirelessly and performs measurements, serving as a mobile intermediary testing node.
2Measurement precision
If multiple monitor ports are added for systems with many transmitters, then each transmitter can be tested, but losses and reflections in the RF chain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The testing function is extracted from the RF chain entirely, removing monitor ports and their associated couplers. The base station transmitter continues to operate without any extraction points, eliminating the energy losses and reflections that would be introduced by multiple monitor ports in the RF path.
3Measurement precision
If monitor ports are added to base stations, then testing capability is improved, but production costs and logistical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The testing capability is extracted from the base station hardware itself and relocated to the user equipment. This eliminates the need to manufacture and install monitor ports, directional couplers, and associated components in the base station, significantly reducing production costs and simplifying the manufacturing process.
4Measurement precision
If connectors are used for monitoring ports at millimeter wave frequencies, then testing can be performed, but connector performance degrades and becomes infeasible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical connector system with a wireless electromagnetic transmission system. Instead of using physical connectors and cables to access the RF signal for testing, the system uses over-the-air wireless transmission, eliminating the mechanical components that become infeasible at millimeter wave frequencies.
Data Source
AI summary
The embodiments herein relate to a method performed by a first node (101) for enabling testing of at least a part (105, 108) of the first node (101) in a deployed network. The first node (101) determines that at least a part (105, 108) of the first node (101) should be tested, and determines a direction in which to transmit or receive a test signal (200) to or from a second node (103). The first node (101) transmits the test signal (200) OTA in the determined direction to the second node (103) if a transmitter of the first node (101) should be tested. The first node (101) receives the test signal (200) OTA in the determined direction from the second node (103) if a receiver of the first node (101) should be tested.