FR2812164A1 - Mobile telephone network test tool having interface terminal with user driving test information and user supply channel type with user setting forced cell resolution. - Google Patents

Abstract

The mobile telephone test tool has an interface terminal with the user driving test information and passing the information to the mobile telephone. Cells are forced during digital word transfer in packet modes (1) and the user supplies digital words adapted to identify the control channel (2). The type of channel is identified and the relevant cell reselection is set as a function of the cell resolution.

Description

The present invention relates to test tools for network of

  cellular radio packet transmission.

  More particularly, the invention relates to a test tool for

  GPRS or UMTS radio telephone network.

  Telecommunication operators conventionally use to functionally test GSM networks and to implement network coverage and quality of service measures for systems known as test tools, comprising, as illustrated in FIG. 1: - at least one terminal test mobile M, - a TI terminal which is an interface instrument from which the user pilots the test and has access to the trace information sent back to him by the mobile terminal, this TI terminal being connected to the mobile terminal of test M by a serial link S. Generally, the test tools integrate functionalities which allow a user of the tool to modify the behavior of the test mobile M, from the keyboard of said mobile M or from the TI interface terminal , of

  so as to test the network in a desired configuration.

  An object of the invention is to further improve the known test tools

nowadays.

  We know that in a cellular telephone network, the mobile terminal selects a cell - which is the one in which it is located or a neighboring cell - the communications established with said terminal.

  passing through the tags of the cell thus selected.

  When a user moves and changes cell, the mobile is led to change the cell on which he is camped when the waiter cell is no longer suitable or a neighboring cell becomes better

than the waitress.

  It then performs a so-called reselection operation.

  However, the test tools known to date do not allow to force a cell reselection during a data transfer in packet mode. This obliges operators to use several test mobiles, if they

  wish to test the management of mobility in the network.

  The invention in turn provides a particularly simple solution allowing the forcing of cell reselection during a transfer of

data in packet mode.

  To this end, the invention provides a test method for radio-

  cellular telephony by means of a test tool comprising at least one mobile test terminal, as well as an interface terminal from which the user pilots the test and / or has access to the trace information which is returned to him by the mobile terminal, characterized in that, to force the reselection of the cells during a data transfer in packet mode, the user is asked to supply data capable of identifying the control channel associated with the new cell to which the mobile must be forced, we identify the type of channel in question, and we implement, depending on the

  type of this channel, a cell reselection procedure.

  Such a method is advantageously supplemented by the following different characteristics taken alone or in all their possible combinations: - once the reselection has been carried out, any possibility of automatic reselection is eliminated; - before implementing the reselection procedure, it is checked whether or not the new cell is in the list of the six best neighboring cells and the user is asked to supply data relating to the

  synchronization of the new cell if this is not the case.

  - this procedure is implemented in the case of a GPRS or UMTS network. The invention also relates to a test tool for a cellular radio network comprising at least one mobile test terminal, as well as an interface terminal from which the user pilots the test and has access to the trace information which is provided to him. returned by the mobile terminal, connecting means connecting the mobile terminal and the interface instrument, characterized in that the mobile terminal comprises means

  to implement the above method.

  It also relates to a mobile terminal for cellular radio network test tool, characterized in that the terminal

  mobile includes means for implementing the above method.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge

  again from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and not

  limitative and must be read with reference to the appended figures in which: - Figure 1, already analyzed, is a schematic representation of a test tool; - Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the different stages of processing implemented by a test tool according to a mode of

  possible realization of the invention during a reselection forcing.

  These various stages will now be described.

  In a first step (step 1), the user controls, from the keyboard of his mobile M or the TI interface terminal, the start of the forcing operations, while the mobile M is initially camped on a

  waitress cell, called A throughout the text.

  In a second step (step 2), the user enters data identifying the control channel of the cell to which the mobile M must

  be forced (cell called cell B throughout the text).

  After validation of this cell choice by the user (step 2a), the mobile M checks whether the indications provided by the user to enable him

  to identify this cell are consistent (step 3).

  If this is not the case, the mobile M considers that the processing of

forcing is complete (step 4).

  On the other hand, if the information provided by the user is indeed consistent, the mobile M checks in a test step 5 whether the selected cell corresponds to one of the six best neighboring cells

  for which the mobile M already has synchronization information.

  Information allowing synchronization of the mobile M with the six best cells around the cell in which the said mobile is located

  are in fact transmitted to the latter by the network.

  If the selected cell actually corresponds to one of these six best neighboring cells, the mobile implements the procedure

  classic cell reselection.

  To this end, it determines beforehand (step 6) what is the type of control channel used by the mobile M, the resources used by the mobile being notably different depending on whether the mobile is using a

BCCH or PBCCH type.

  Once the type of channel has been determined, the mobile implements the following different reselection steps: - stopping the packet transfer (step 7) - closing the traffic channel allocated to communications via cell A (step 8 ) - change of waiter cell (step 9) - opening of a new traffic channel corresponding to cell B (step 10)

  - continuation of the packet transfer (step 11).

  Once the forced reselection thus carried out, we remove for the mobile the possibility of automatically reselect another cell

(step 12).

  It is only when the user enters on the keyboard of the mobile M or on the interface terminal TI an end of forcing order (step 13) that, after validation of this order (step 14), the mobile authorizes a potential

  reselection (step 15). Forcing is then finished.

  If, on the other hand, the test in step 5 indicates to the mobile M that the channel B does not correspond to one of the six cells for which it already has synchronization information, the mobile M asks the user

  to introduce the missing information.

  When the user has entered this synchronization information associated with cell B (step 16), then validated this information (step 17), the mobile M adds the new channel among the best six cells

  neighbors (step 18) and resumes processing from step 6.

  It is understood that a tool of the type which has just been described has the advantage of allowing a reselection forcing on the mobile of a test tool, even during a data transfer in packets. It is thus possible to test all possible cases of mobility of cellular networks.

Claims (6)

  1. Test method for cellular radio telephony by means of a test tool comprising at least one mobile test terminal, as well as an interface terminal from which the user pilots the test and / or has access to the trace information sent back to it by the mobile terminal, characterized in that, to force the reselection of the cells during a data transfer in packet mode, the user is asked to supply data capable of identifying the channel control associated with the new cell to which the mobile must be forced, we identify the type of channel in question, and we implement, depending on the type of this channel, a   cell reselection procedure.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that once the reselection has been carried out, any possibility of automatic reselection is eliminated.   3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that, before implementing the reselection procedure, it is checked whether or not the new cell is in the list of the six best neighboring cells and in that the user is asked to supply data   relating to the synchronization of the new cell if this is not the case.   4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized   in that it is implemented in the case of a GPRS or UMTS network.   5. Test tool for cellular radio network comprising at least one mobile test terminal, as well as an interface terminal from which the user pilots the test and has access to the trace information sent back to him by the mobile terminal, connection means connecting the mobile terminal and the interface instrument, characterized in that the mobile terminal comprises means for putting   implementing the method according to one of the preceding claims.   6. Mobile terminal for cellular radio network test tool, characterized in that the mobile terminal includes means   for implementing the method according to one of claims 1 to 4.