JP2009302937A - Handover testing device and handover testing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a handover testing device carrying out a handover test under various communication conditions. <P>SOLUTION: A handover testing device includes: condition change unit 131, 133 for changing the communication condition of a test transmission line 19 connecting a mobile terminal 11 with base station devices 21, 23; a condition control unit 152 for designating a communication condition of the test transmission line 19 to the condition change units 131, 133; and a processing result acquiring unit 153 for acquiring the result of handover processing that the mobile terminal 11 has carried out in accordance with the communication condition from the mobile terminal 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a handover test apparatus and a handover test method.

  A mobile terminal in a mobile communication network system has a feature that it can communicate while moving. The area of the service area of the base station apparatus with which the mobile terminal communicates is limited, and the mobile terminal cannot communicate within the range beyond the service area. Therefore, in order to use a mobile terminal while moving in a wide area, a service area that can be covered by providing a plurality of base station devices is expanded, and when the mobile terminal moves to a service area covered by a different base station device, A technique for switching the communication destination of the mobile terminal from the source base station apparatus to the destination base station apparatus is required. This technique is called handover.

  The principle of handover is that the mobile terminal switches to a base station with better communication quality while moving. Here, the mechanism of the handover will be described with reference to FIG. The mobile terminal 11 is communicating while moving in the service area 51 of the base station device 21. During the communication, the mobile terminal 11 measures the communication quality received from the base station device 21, for example, the electric field level of the communication signal, and continues to measure the electric field level of the communication signal received from other base station devices in the vicinity. . When the mobile terminal 11 approaches the service area 53 of the base station apparatus 23, the mobile terminal 11 indicates that the electric field level of the communication signal received from the base station apparatus 23 exceeds the electric field level of the communication signal received from the base station apparatus 21. Is detected. After the detection, the mobile terminal 11 notifies the base station control device 30 via the base station device 21. Based on this notification, the base station control device 30 switches the communication destination of the mobile terminal 11 from the base station device 21 to the base station device 23.

  When performing the handover operation test, the handover is executed in a situation where the mobile terminal and the base station apparatus are communicating, and it is confirmed whether or not an abnormality has occurred. Therefore, it is necessary to variously combine the occurrence timing of handover with the occurrence timing of communication processing. Further, when an abnormal process occurs during the handover operation, it is necessary to clarify the conditions for reproducing the abnormal process.

  As a technique of this kind, Patent Document 1 discloses a multiplexing apparatus that combines power of modulated signals. In the multiplexing apparatus, attenuation means is inserted into each system of multiplexed signals, and the control means for controlling the attenuation means randomly selects a part of the attenuation means. A technique is disclosed in which the attenuation amount of the selected attenuation means is changed with a random number value, and the attenuation amounts of the remaining attenuation means are set to zero.

Further, Patent Document 2 includes a handover confirmation means in a traveling test radio wave propagation automatic analysis system that receives radio wave propagation information from a base station and detects its own cell information and other cell information, from its own cell to another cell. A technique for confirming handover by performing a switching test is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-274734 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-064808

  However, the above technique has room for improvement in the following points. Since the handover test is performed under normal communication conditions, a failure that occurs when a handover is performed under special communication conditions may not be detected.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a handover test apparatus capable of performing a handover test under various communication conditions.

  According to the present invention, a handover test apparatus that performs a handover test for a mobile terminal that performs a handover process from one base station apparatus to another base station apparatus among a plurality of base station apparatuses, A condition changing unit for changing a communication condition of a test transmission line connecting between a mobile terminal and each of the base station devices; and a condition control unit for designating the communication condition of the test transmission line to the condition changing unit; There is provided a handover test apparatus comprising: a processing result acquisition unit that acquires a result of the handover process executed by the mobile terminal according to the communication condition from the mobile terminal.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a handover test method for performing a handover test on a mobile terminal that performs a handover process from one base station apparatus to another base station apparatus among a plurality of base station apparatuses. A condition changing procedure for changing a communication condition of a test transmission line connecting between the mobile terminal and each of the base station devices, a condition specifying procedure for specifying the communication condition of the test transmission line, and the communication condition Accordingly, there is provided a handover test method comprising: a processing result acquisition procedure for acquiring from the mobile terminal a result of the handover process executed by the mobile terminal.

  According to the present invention, since the handover test apparatus can designate various communication conditions, handover can be performed under various communication conditions.

  The various components of the present invention do not necessarily have to be independent of each other. A plurality of components are formed as a single member, and a single component is formed of a plurality of members. It may be that a certain component is a part of another configuration, a part of a certain component overlaps a part of another component, and the like.

  Moreover, although the several procedure is described in the handover test method of this invention, the order of the description does not limit the order which performs a several procedure. For this reason, when implementing the control method of this invention, the order of the several procedure can be changed in the range which does not interfere in content.

  According to the present invention, a handover test apparatus capable of executing a handover test under various communication conditions is provided.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.
(First embodiment)

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a handover test in which the handover test apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used. In FIG. 1, two base station apparatuses and two condition changing units are shown, but three or more may be used. However, it is assumed that the base station apparatuses and the condition changing units are the same number and are connected one to one.

  A handover test apparatus that performs a handover test on a mobile terminal 11 that performs a handover process from one base station apparatus 21 to another base station apparatus 23 among a plurality of base station apparatuses 21 and 23. Condition changing units 131 and 133 for changing the communication conditions of the test transmission line 19 connecting the terminal 11 and the base station devices 21 and 23, and the communication conditions of the test transmission line 19 for the condition changing units 131 and 133 And a processing result acquisition unit 153 that acquires from the mobile terminal 11 the result of the handover process executed by the mobile terminal 11 in accordance with the communication conditions.

  When the communication quality of the test transmission path 19 that connects the mobile terminal 11 and the base station apparatus 23 exceeds the communication quality of the test transmission path 19 that connects the mobile terminal 11 and the base station apparatus 21, The terminal 11 switches its communication destination from the base station apparatus 21 to the base station apparatus 23, that is, executes a handover process. In other words, in the present embodiment, the condition changing units 131 and 133 can change the communication condition to execute the handover process. In addition, by providing the condition changing units 131 and 133 in each test transmission line 19, it is possible to perform a handover test by specifying various communication conditions. For example, the handover confirmation test can be carried out by designating the communication quality of the test transmission path 19 as the lower limit between the mobile terminal 11 and the base station apparatuses 21 and 23.

  Moreover, as a method for the processing result acquisition unit 153 to acquire the result of the handover processing from the mobile terminal 11, for example, a base included in a communication signal exchanged between the mobile terminal 11 and the base station apparatuses 21 and 23 is used. When the station device ID is extracted and the base station device ID changes, the processing result acquisition unit 153 may determine that the handover process has been executed, but other methods may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the test transmission line 19 is wired, and may include a mixing / distributing unit 17 that mixes or distributes communication signals transmitted via the test transmission line 19. As a result, the wireless communication can be simulated despite the wired connection. Since the transmission path of the communication signal is limited by configuring with a wire, the condition changing units 131 and 133 can use simple devices. Further, it becomes easy to protect the communication signal from external noise. Furthermore, the space required for the handover test can be further reduced.

  Here, the mixing and distributing unit 17 distributes the communication signal in the direction in which the communication signal is transmitted from the mobile terminal 11 to the base station apparatuses 21 and 23, and transmits the communication signal from the base station apparatus 21 and 23 to the mobile terminal 11. The communication signal is mixed in the transmission direction.

  In the present embodiment, the communication condition may include an electric field level of a communication signal exchanged via the test transmission path 19. In this case, the condition changing units 131 and 133 need to have at least one of a function of amplifying or attenuating the electric field level of the communication signal. Furthermore, the change of the communication condition described above may include applying noise. In this case, the condition changing units 131 and 133 need to have a noise application function.

  The handover test apparatus 10 may include a mobile terminal control unit 151 that instructs the mobile terminal 11 to perform communication processing. As a result, it is possible to perform a handover test by instructing the mobile terminal 11 to perform communication processing while designating communication conditions.

  The communication process described above may include any of a calling process, an incoming call process, a dial process, or a call termination process. As a result, it is possible to instruct the mobile terminal to perform calling processing, incoming call processing, dial processing, and call termination processing. When handover processing is executed during a series of processing (call processing) related to these calls, there is a high possibility that an abnormality will occur, and it is necessary to pay particular attention to the test.

  The call destination or call source of the mobile terminal 11 is the external terminal 40. The external terminal 40 only needs to be able to communicate with the mobile terminal 11 via any one of the base station devices 21 and 23, and may be a fixed terminal. Further, the mobile terminal control unit 151 may be configured to request communication processing from the external terminal 40.

  The handover test apparatus 10 includes an alarm acquisition unit that acquires alarm information issued by the base station control apparatus 30 when the base station control apparatus 30 that controls the plurality of base station apparatuses 21 and 23 abnormally performs handover control. 154 may be provided. Here, the handover control is that the base station control device 30 controls the plurality of base station devices 21 and 23 in accordance with the handover process executed by the mobile terminal 11. As a result, even when the test is performed in an environment where the handover test apparatus 10 and the base station control apparatus 30 are separated from each other, the handover control has been abnormally processed on the handover test apparatus 10 side. Can be confirmed. Note that even if the base station control device 30 main body does not have a function of issuing alarm information, if the test alarm terminal is connected to the base station control device 30 and functions equivalently, an alarm is sent from the test alarm terminal. It is good also as a structure which acquires information.

  The handover test apparatus 10 may include a storage unit 155 that stores at least one of communication conditions, communication processes, handover process results, or alarm information. Based on the stored information, the handover test can be analyzed. In addition, the handover test under the same conditions can be repeated.

  Further, the handover test apparatus 10 includes a condition control time t1 when the condition control unit 152 specifies a communication condition, a mobile terminal control time t2 when the mobile terminal control unit 151 instructs a communication process, and a processing result acquisition unit 153 that performs a handover process. A time determination unit 156 that determines at least one of the processing result acquisition time t3 when the result is acquired or the alarm acquisition time t4 when the alarm acquisition unit 154 acquires the alarm information may be provided. Further, the storage unit 155 described above may store at least one of the condition control time t1, the mobile terminal control time t2, the processing result acquisition time t3, or the alarm acquisition time t4. Thus, the handover test including these times determined can be analyzed in detail.

  The handover test apparatus 10 may include a condition input unit 157 that inputs communication conditions to the condition control unit 152. In addition, the condition input unit 157 may input a communication process to the mobile terminal control unit 151. As a configuration of the condition input unit 157 for inputting time, a system that can be arbitrarily input by a person such as a touch panel or an input terminal may be used. Further, a method of reading from the storage unit 155 storing input data, an external storage device, a storage medium, or the like may be used.

  In addition, the condition input unit 157 inputs the condition control time t1 and the mobile terminal control time t2, and the condition control unit 152 specifies communication conditions for the condition changing units 131 and 133 according to the input condition control time t1, The mobile terminal control unit 151 may instruct the mobile terminal 11 to perform communication processing according to the input mobile terminal control time t2. As a result, the following tests are possible.

  The time t5 from when the condition control unit 152 specifies the communication condition based on the difference between the condition control time t1 to the processing result acquisition time t3 or the alarm acquisition time t4 until the mobile terminal 11 performs the handover process, or the base station control device 30 calculates a time t6 until the handover control is abnormally processed. From the next time the handover test is performed with the same test configuration and communication conditions, the handover process is performed by inputting the condition control time t1 and the mobile terminal control time t2 from the condition input unit so that t2-t1 = t5 or t6. Alternatively, a predetermined communication process can be executed when an abnormal process occurs. In order to perform communication processing processed in a short time, for example, incoming call processing and handover processing at the same time, after the mobile terminal control unit 151 instructs the mobile terminal 11 to perform communication processing, the condition control unit When 152 designates the communication condition to the condition changing units 131 and 133, it is not in time. Since the timing of delay varies depending on the test configuration and communication conditions, it is necessary to calculate from the actually measured information and time.

In FIG. 1, the storage unit 155 is illustrated as being connected to the handover test control device 15 for convenience, but the mobile terminal control unit 151, the condition control unit 152, and the processing result acquisition unit 153 included in the handover test control device 15. The alarm acquisition unit 154, the time determination unit 156, and the condition input unit 157 are directly or indirectly connected.
(Second Embodiment)

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a handover test in which the handover test apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used. In FIG. 2, two base station apparatuses, two condition changing units, and two mobile terminals are shown, but three or more may be used. However, it is assumed that the base station apparatuses and the condition changing units are the same number and are connected one to one.

  In the present embodiment, the mixing / distributing unit 171 mixes the signals in the direction in which the signals are transmitted from the mobile terminal 11 to the base station apparatuses 21 and 23, and the signals are transmitted from the base station apparatuses 21 and 23 to the mobile terminal 11. The signal is distributed in the direction in which the signal is transmitted. The mixing / distributing unit 173 distributes the signal in the direction in which the signal is transmitted from the mobile terminal 11 to the base station apparatuses 21 and 23, and in the direction in which the signal is transmitted from the base station apparatus 21, 23 to the mobile terminal 11. Mix the signal.

  The mobile terminal control unit 151 may command different communication processes to the plurality of mobile terminals 111 and 113, respectively. In addition, the mobile terminal control unit 151 may instruct the mobile terminals 111 and 113 to perform communication processing according to a mobile terminal control time t2 that varies depending on each mobile terminal. Thereby, various communication states of the mobile terminals 111 and 113 can be set. For example, communication can be performed between the mobile terminal 111 and the mobile terminal 113, and handover processing of the receiving side mobile terminal and the transmitting side mobile terminal can be performed simultaneously.

  The external terminal 40 only needs to be able to communicate with the mobile terminals 111 and 113 via any one of the base station devices 21 and 23, and may be a fixed terminal as in FIG. The mobile terminal control unit 151 may be configured to instruct communication processing to the external terminal 40 as in FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the handover test according to the implementation of the present invention. A handover test method for performing a handover test on mobile terminals 111 and 113 that perform a handover process from one base station apparatus 21 to another base station apparatus 23 among a plurality of base station apparatuses 21 and 23. , A condition changing procedure (step S103) for changing the communication conditions of the test transmission path 19 connecting the mobile terminals 111 and 113 and the base station apparatuses 21 and 23, and the condition specification for specifying the communication conditions of the test transmission path A procedure (step S102) and a processing result acquisition procedure (step S104) for acquiring the result of the handover process performed by the mobile terminal according to the communication condition from the mobile terminal can be provided.

  Moreover, the mobile terminal command procedure (step S101) which commands communication processing with respect to the mobile terminals 111 and 113 can be provided. As described above, since the mobile terminal command procedure (step S101) can be processed according to the mobile terminal control time t2 input by the condition input unit 157, it does not have to be in the order described in this flowchart.

  Further, an alarm acquisition procedure (step S105) for acquiring alarm information issued by the base station control device 30 when the base station control device 30 controlling the plurality of base station devices 21 and 23 abnormally performs handover control. Can be provided. The alarm acquisition procedure (step S105) may be a procedure independent of other procedures. For example, it may be a procedure independent of other procedures, such as confirming and acquiring whether or not there is a history that the base station control device 30 has issued alarm information in a certain time cycle.

  When the test is not completed at the time of the above procedure end (NO in step S106) and the result of the handover process is acquired, the mobile terminal 111 (or mobile terminal 113) and the base station apparatus 21 (or base station apparatus 23) If the communication between them is not disconnected (NO in step S107), the process may be repeatedly executed from the condition specifying procedure (step S102). Thereby, the number of times of executing the handover process can be increased to the maximum. Increasing the number of times the handover process is executed during the communication process is effective for revealing design deficiencies in the communication process. However, when the communication between the mobile terminal 111 (or the mobile terminal 113) and the base station device 21 (or the base station device 23) is disconnected (YES in step S107), the handover process cannot be performed. End.

  Conversely, if the test is to be terminated at the end of the procedure (YES in step S106), the process may not be repeated. Examples of the test termination include starting a new communication process for the mobile terminal and stopping the handover test apparatus 10. Furthermore, when the condition changing procedure (step S103) is executed a predetermined number of times, the test may be ended. The predetermined number of times may be input from the condition input unit 157 or may be predetermined as a specification of the handover test apparatus 10.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, these are the illustrations of this invention, Various structures other than the above are also employable.

  For example, in FIG. 2, the external terminal 40 is illustrated alone, but may be plural. The plurality of external terminals 40 can communicate with each of the base station devices 21 and 23. In addition, as described above, since communication processing (call processing) can be performed between one mobile terminal 111 and another mobile terminal 113, a handover test can be performed even if the external terminal 40 is not included in the configuration. Is possible.

It is a block diagram of the handover test in which the handover test apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is used. It is a block diagram of the handover test in which the handover test apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used. It is a flowchart of the hand-over test which concerns on implementation of this invention. It is a figure which shows the mechanism of a hand-over.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Handover test apparatus 11 Mobile terminal 111 Mobile terminal 113 Mobile terminal 131 Condition change part 133 Condition change part 15 Handover test control apparatus 151 Mobile terminal control part 152 Condition control part 153 Processing result acquisition part 154 Alarm acquisition part 155 Storage part 156 Time determination unit 157 Condition input unit 17 Mixing / distributing unit 171 Mixing / distributing unit 173 Mixing / distributing unit 19 Test transmission line (wired)
21 base station apparatus 23 base station apparatus 30 base station control apparatus 40 external terminal 51 service area 53 service area

Claims (18)

A handover test apparatus that performs a handover test on a mobile terminal that performs a handover process from one base station apparatus to another base station apparatus among a plurality of base station apparatuses,
A condition changing unit for changing a communication condition of a test transmission path connecting between the mobile terminal and each of the base station devices;
A condition control unit for designating the communication condition of the test transmission path to the condition changing unit;
A handover test apparatus comprising: a processing result acquisition unit that acquires a result of the handover process executed by the mobile terminal according to the communication condition from the mobile terminal. The handover test apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The handover test apparatus characterized in that the communication condition includes an electric field level of a communication signal exchanged through the test transmission path. In the handover test apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A handover test apparatus comprising: a mobile terminal control unit that commands communication processing to the mobile terminal. In the handover test apparatus according to claim 3,
The handover test apparatus characterized in that the communication process includes any one of a call process, a call process, a dial process, and a call termination process. In the handover test apparatus according to claim 3 or 4,
The said mobile terminal control part requests | requires the said different communication process with respect to the said some mobile terminal, respectively, The handover test apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The handover test apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
A handover test comprising an alarm acquisition unit that acquires alarm information issued by the base station control device when a plurality of base station control devices that control the base station device abnormally perform handover control apparatus. The handover test apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
A handover test apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores at least one of the communication condition, the communication process, a result of the handover process, or the alarm information. The handover test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
Condition control time when the condition control unit specifies the communication condition, mobile terminal control time when the mobile terminal control unit instructs the communication process, and process result acquisition when the process result acquisition unit acquires the result of the handover process A handover test apparatus comprising a time determination unit that determines at least one of time or an alarm acquisition time at which the alarm acquisition unit has acquired the alarm information. The handover test apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
The said memory | storage part memorize | stores at least one of the said condition control time, the said mobile terminal control time, the said process result acquisition time, or the said alarm acquisition time, The handover test apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the handover test apparatus according to claim 8 or 9,
The handover test apparatus characterized in that the mobile terminal control unit commands the communication processing to each mobile terminal according to the mobile terminal control time which varies depending on each mobile terminal. The handover test apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
A handover test apparatus comprising: a condition input unit that inputs the communication condition to the condition control unit. The handover test apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
The handover test apparatus, wherein the condition input unit inputs the communication process to the mobile terminal control unit. The handover test apparatus according to claim 12, wherein
The condition input unit inputs the condition control time and the mobile terminal control time, the condition control unit specifies a communication condition for the condition change unit according to the input condition control time, and the mobile terminal control The unit instructs a communication process to the mobile terminal according to the input mobile terminal control time. A handover test method for performing a handover test on a mobile terminal that performs a handover process from one base station apparatus to another base station apparatus among a plurality of base station apparatuses,
A condition change procedure for changing communication conditions of a test transmission line connecting between the mobile terminal and each base station device;
A condition specifying procedure for specifying the communication condition of the test transmission path;
A handover test method comprising: a process result acquisition procedure for acquiring a result of the handover process executed by the mobile terminal according to the communication condition from the mobile terminal. The handover test method according to claim 14, wherein
A handover test method comprising a mobile terminal command procedure for commanding communication processing to the mobile terminal. The handover test method according to claim 14 or 15,
A handover test comprising an alarm acquisition procedure for acquiring alarm information issued by the base station control device when a plurality of base station control devices controlling the base station device abnormally perform handover control Method. The handover test method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein
When the result of the handover process is acquired, if the communication between the mobile terminal and the base station apparatus is not disconnected, the handover test method is repeatedly executed from the condition specifying procedure. The handover test method according to claim 17, wherein
A handover test method characterized in that the test is terminated when the condition changing procedure is executed a predetermined number of times.

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