Mobile terminal testing device, mobile terminal testing system, and testing method of NSA

Abstract

There is provided mobile terminal testing device and system capable of reducing a processing load, when testing mobile terminals that support NSA. Included are a first mobile terminal testing device operating as a base station of LTE and a second mobile terminal testing device operating as a base station of 5G NR of NSA, when testing a mobile terminal which supports NSA, the second mobile terminal testing device generates a control signal of 5G NR, transmits the generated control signal of 5G NR to the first mobile terminal testing device, and the first mobile terminal testing device 1 transmits the received control signal of 5G NR to the mobile terminal according to the LTE.

Claims

1. A mobile testing system for testing a mobile terminal supporting non-standalone (NSA) according to a test scenario, comprising: a second mobile terminal testing device simulating a second base station operating in a succeeding communication standard that succeeds a preceding communication standard, the second mobile terminal testing device comprising: a second pseudo base station unit configured to simulate the second base station operating in the succeeding communication standard that succeeds the preceding communication standard, in communication with a first mobile terminal testing device simulating a first base station operating in the preceding communication standard through a cable, a second display configured to display contents of parameters set in the second pseudo base station unit, and a state of a direct communication between the second mobile terminal testing device and the mobile terminal under test, the state outputted from the second pseudo base station unit, and a second controller configured to: create the test scenario in which parameters and signal sequences are set, at a timing to transmit a control signaling message of the succeeding communication standard according to the test scenario, generate the control signaling message generated with the parameters and sequences according to the test scenario for the succeeding communication standard, and transmit the generated control signaling message to the first mobile terminal testing device; and the first mobile terminal testing device simulating the first base station operating in the preceding communication standard, the first mobile terminal testing device comprising: a first pseudo base station unit configured to simulate the first base station operating in the preceding communication standard, in communication with the second mobile terminal testing device simulating the second base station operating in the succeeding communication standard through the cable, a first controller configured to: receive, from the second mobile terminal testing device, the control signaling message generated with parameters and sequences for the succeeding communication standard; and transmit the control signaling message generated by the second controller with parameters and sequences according to the test scenario for the succeeding communication standard to the mobile terminal on a plane of the preceding communication standard, the plane being established directly between the first mobile terminal testing device and the mobile terminal.

2. The mobile testing system according to claim 1, wherein the succeeding communication standard supported by the second mobile terminal testing device is a successor standard to the preceding communication standard supported by the first mobile terminal testing device.

3. The mobile testing system according to claim 1, wherein the succeeding communication standard supported by the second mobile terminal testing device is 5G New Radio (NR), and the preceding communication standard supported by the first mobile terminal testing device is Long Term Evolution (LTE).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating the procedure of 5G NR signaling message transmission processing of the mobile terminal testing system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(3) Hereinafter, a mobile terminal testing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(4) In FIG. 1, a mobile terminal testing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first mobile terminal testing device 1, and a second mobile terminal testing device 2.

(5) The first mobile terminal testing device 1 and the second mobile terminal testing device 2 are communication testing devices of different standards. For example, the first mobile terminal testing device 1 is configured exclusively for the LTE standard, and the second mobile terminal testing device 2 is configured exclusively for the 5G NR standard.

(6) The mobile terminal testing system 100 according to the present embodiment tests a mobile terminal 3 configured to perform communication of a plurality of standards such as 5G NR and LTE.

(7) In the present embodiment, the first mobile terminal testing device 1 and the second mobile terminal testing device 2 transmit and receive signals to and from the mobile terminal 3 wirelessly through the antennas 14, 24.

(8) The first mobile terminal testing device 1 is a computer unit including a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk device, an input port, and an output port.

(9) In this computer unit, the CPU executes an operating system (OS) stored in the hard disk device, so the CPU can control devices connected to the input port and the output port.

(10) The first mobile terminal testing device 1 includes a display unit 11, an operation unit 12, a pseudo base station unit 13, an antenna 14, and a control unit 15.

(11) The display unit 11 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays an image for inputting necessary information and an image showing a state under test.

(12) The operation unit 12 is input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel, and outputs operation-input information to the control unit 15.

(13) The pseudo base station unit 13 transmits and receives wireless signals to and from the mobile terminal 3 through the antenna 14, under the control of the control unit 15. The pseudo base station unit 13 controls the communication with the mobile terminal 3, based on the command input from the control unit 15. The pseudo base station unit 13 outputs the state of communication with the mobile terminal 3 to the control unit 15.

(14) The pseudo base station unit 13 can perform LTE communication with the mobile terminal 3 according to the LTE standard.

(15) The control unit 15 is configured by a program stored in the hard disk device of the first mobile terminal testing device 1. The control unit 15 operates on the OS of the first mobile terminal testing device 1, and controls the display unit 11, the operation unit 12, and the pseudo base station unit 13 through the OS to make the computer unit operate as the first mobile terminal testing device 1.

(16) The control unit 15 controls the operation as a pseudo base station by outputting a command to the pseudo base station unit 13, based on the information input to the operation unit 12. The control unit 15 displays an input guide to the operation unit 12, the contents of parameters set in the pseudo base station unit 13, and a state of communication with the mobile terminal 3 output from the pseudo base station unit 13, on the display unit 11.

(17) The first mobile terminal testing device 1 is a computer unit including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, a hard disk device, an input port, and an output port.

(18) In this computer unit, the CPU executes an operating system (OS) stored in the hard disk device, so the CPU can control devices connected to the input port and the output port.

(19) The second mobile terminal testing device 2 includes a display unit 21, an operation unit 22, a pseudo base station unit 23, an antenna 24, and a control unit 25.

(20) The display unit 21 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display, and displays an image for inputting necessary information and an image showing a state under test.

(21) The operation unit 22 is input devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel, and outputs operation-input information to the control unit 25.

(22) The pseudo base station unit 23 transmits and receives wireless signals to and from the mobile terminal 3 through the antenna 24, under the control of the control unit 25. The pseudo base station unit 23 controls the communication with the mobile terminal 3, based on the command input from the control unit 25. The pseudo base station unit 23 outputs the state of communication with the mobile terminal 3 to the control unit 25.

(23) The pseudo base station unit 23 can perform 5G NR communication with the mobile terminal 3 according to the 5G NR standard.

(24) The control unit 25 is configured by a program stored in the hard disk device of the second mobile terminal testing device 2. The control unit 25 operates on the OS of the second mobile terminal testing device 2, and controls the display unit 21, the operation unit 22, and the pseudo base station unit 23 through the OS to make the computer unit operate as the second mobile terminal testing device 2.

(25) Based on the information input to the operation unit 22, the control unit 25 outputs a command to the pseudo base station unit 23 and controls the operation as a pseudo base station. The control unit 25 displays an input guide to the operation unit 22, the contents of parameters set in the pseudo base station unit 23, and a state of communication with the mobile terminal 3 output from the pseudo base station unit 23, on the display unit 21.

(26) The control unit 15 of the first mobile terminal testing device 1 and the control unit 25 of the second mobile terminal testing device 2 are connected with a cable and can communicate with each other.

(27) In the mobile terminal testing system 100 having such a configuration, when testing the mobile terminal 3 that supports NSA, the first mobile terminal testing device 1 is made to create a test scenario in which parameters and signal sequences according to test items as an LTE pseudo base station are set.

(28) In addition, the second mobile terminal testing device 2 is made to create a test scenario in which parameters and signal sequences according to the test items as a 5G NR pseudo base station are set. At this time, a control signal of 5G NR (hereinafter also referred to as a signaling message) transmitted on the LTE C-Plane is also set in the test scenario of the second mobile terminal testing device 2.

(29) The test scenarios thus created are executed by the first mobile terminal testing device 1 and the second mobile terminal testing device 2.

(30) When it is time for the second mobile terminal testing device 2 to transmit a control signal of 5G NR during execution of the test scenario, the control unit 25 of the second mobile terminal testing device 2 generates a signaling message based on the information set in the test scenario.

(31) The control unit 25 notifies the control unit 15 of the first mobile terminal testing device 1 of the generated signaling message.

(32) When the control unit 15 of the first mobile terminal testing device 1 receives the 5G NR signaling message from the control unit 25 of the second mobile terminal testing device 2, the control unit 15 transmits the received signaling message to the mobile terminal 3 on the LTE C-Plane according to the LTE standard.

(33) In this way, in testing of the mobile terminal 3 that supports the NSA, when a 5G NR signaling message is to be transmitted, the second mobile terminal testing device 2 that supports the 5G NR standard creates a signaling message and notifies the first mobile terminal testing device 1 that supports the LTE standard of the signaling message, and the first mobile terminal testing device 1 transmits (transfers) the received signaling message as it is.

(34) Therefore, it is not necessary for the first mobile terminal testing device 1 to generate a 5G NR signaling message, and the processing load can be reduced.

(35) In addition, since the first mobile terminal testing device 1 only transmits the received 5G NR signaling message to the mobile terminal 3 as it is, even when there is a change in the 5G NR standard, it is not necessary for the first mobile terminal testing device 1 to make a change.

(36) A 5G NR signaling message transmission process by the mobile terminal testing system 100 according to the present embodiment configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

(37) When it is time to transmit a control signal of 5G NR, the control unit 25 of the second mobile terminal testing device 2 generates a signaling message based on the information set in the test scenario, in step S1.

(38) In step S2, the control unit 25 notifies the control unit 15 of the first mobile terminal testing device 1 of the generated signaling message.

(39) In step S3, the control unit 15 of the first mobile terminal testing device 1 transmits the received signaling message to the mobile terminal 3 using the LTE C-Plane.

(40) In the present embodiment, the case where the first mobile terminal testing device 1 and the second mobile terminal testing device 2 each operate only with the device main body has been described. However, control may be performed from a personal computer device.

(41) Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS AND SIGNS

(42) 1 first mobile terminal testing device

(43) 2 second mobile terminal testing device

(44) 3 mobile terminal

(45) 15 control unit

(46) 25 control unit

(47) 100 mobile terminal testing system