Quality of communication in a mobile radio network depends on the quality of the network infrastructure comprising base stations and other fixed components of the mobile network as well as on the quality of the used mobile communication devices. A mobile communication such as a mobile telephone comprises an antenna to communicate with the base station of the mobile network via a wireless link. Mobile handheld devices can differ greatly in their features, screen sizes, resolution and hardware capabilities. Mobile devices such as mobile phones can use a wide variety of mobile operating systems. Further, mobile services are provided by different network operators using different technologies such as CDMA or GSM. Each network operator can utilize a different kind of network infrastructure influencing the wireless link. Network performance has a strong impact on the user experience in particular when performing mobile browsing. As mobile devices grow thinner and become more powerful with each generation, common effects come more relevant. Thermal throttling is used to reduce temperature and to protect a processor of the mobile device from overheating. Thermal throttling is used to make sure that a rising temperature cannot damage the hardware of the mobile device in particular its processor. To avoid thermal effects on the performance of a mobile communication device during testing it is necessary to maintain the ambient temperature of the mobile communication device constant. For testing the wireless communication of a mobile communication device it is necessary to move the mobile communication device in the field to measure different parameters of the wireless connection or link, for instance the signal level of the received signal and/or its signal to noise ratio SNR. The signal quality of a mobile radio network operated by a network operator can vary significantly depending on where the mobile communication device is currently positioned.
In a conventional test equipment the antenna elements of mobile communication devices to be tested are connected to a measurement apparatus located within a mobile vehicle. This measurement apparatus performs measurements of mobile communication devices transported by the vehicle at room temperature within the measurement vehicle. However, this conventional test equipment has several disadvantages. In the conventional test equipment the antenna elements have to be tapped and the antenna signals are transported via a signal line to the test apparatus located within the vehicle. A tapping of the antenna elements is very cumbersome and time consuming and prone to errors. Furthermore, the antenna signals have to be transported through signal lines which may influence the tapped antenna signal, i.e. both the received as well as the transmitted antenna signals. Further, the mobile communication devices within the vehicle are measured at room temperature within a room of the measuring vehicle. Since it is difficult to maintain the room temperature in a specific temperature range influences of temperature changes on the behavior of the mobile communication devices to be tested cannot completely be avoided. Moreover, this conventional test environment does not allow to change the ambient temperature of the mobile communication devices under test deliberately so that impacts of such temperature changes on the mobile communication devices cannot be tested or monitored. Using a conventional test equipment for measuring a wireless communication of a mobile communication device is still influenced by environmental changes such as temperature changes reducing the preciseness of the test results. Further, a conventional test equipment is difficult to handle and requires tapping of the antenna elements of the measured mobile communication devices under test thus reducing the reliability of the test results. Moreover, the conventional test equipment does not allow to control the ambient temperature of the mobile communication devices to test also the influence of temperature fluctuations on the wireless communication.
Accordingly there is a need to provide an apparatus and a method to increase the reliability and/or preciseness of test results when measuring a wireless communication of a mobile communication device.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds