Wireless Channel Emulator for Multi-Interferer Signal Simulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing mobile wireless communication devices in a laboratory environment require bulky and costly equipment to emulate wireless interference from multiple base transceiver stations (BTS), as they typically need separate units to simulate transmissions from each BTS, which is inefficient and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that generate a transmit signal which frequency hops among carrier frequency channels, with a wireless channel emulator creating a receive signal and an interference signal that is delayed relative to the receive signal, allowing these signals to be combined to create a noisy receive signal for testing mobile wireless communication devices, thereby simulating multiple interferers with minimal equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate signal generators are used to simulate transmissions from each BTS in neighbor cells, then the accuracy of emulating multiple interferers is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple interference signals into a single signal generator by using a time delay element to create delayed copies of the same transmit signal. This allows one signal generator to emulate multiple BTS interferers that would traditionally require separate generators, reducing device complexity while maintaining emulation accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The single signal generator is designed to perform multiple functions by generating different interference signals through time delay and frequency shifting operations. The same generator can simulate transmissions from multiple different BTS units by varying the time delay parameters, making it a universal tool for testing multiple interference scenarios.
2Reliability
If separate signal generators are used for each BTS, then the interference simulation accuracy is improved, but the equipment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple expensive signal generators into a single unit by using time delay elements and frequency shifting circuits. This consolidation reduces the total equipment cost while maintaining the ability to accurately simulate interference from multiple BTS units through mathematical operations on the signal.
3Reliability
If multiple separate test equipment units are used to simulate neighbor cell transmissions, then the testing accuracy is improved, but the laboratory space requirements and setup complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple test equipment units into a single compact device that can simulate interference from multiple BTS units. By using time delay elements and frequency shifting operations within one unit, the system reduces the physical footprint and setup complexity in the laboratory while maintaining testing accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of generating a noisy receive signal for testing the performance of a mobile wireless communication device is described. A signal generator unit generates a transmit signal that frequency hops among a set of carrier frequency channels in a cyclic pattern having a time duration T. A wireless channel emulator unit generates a receive signal by modifying the transmit signal and also generates an interference signal by modifying the receive signal. The wireless channel emulator unit delays the interference signal relative to the receive signal by an integer multiple of the time duration T. The receive signal and the interference signal are combined by a combiner unit to generate the noisy receive signal.