US 5,933,776 AGranted

Method and apparatus for field testing cellular telephones

AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company

InventorGeorge Robert Kirkpatrick

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Abstract

An apparatus and method by which a terrestrial based or satellite based cellular telephone is tested in-service, preferably at a retailer location, to identify the source of a cellular telephone user's dissatisfaction and to aid the retailer in resolving the issue. Test equipment is embedded within the cellular telephone network to captures currently available but unrecognized information relating to cellular telephone operation from a known location, i.e. the retailer's location, having known performance parameters. In this way, network related problems, such as fading, are eliminated. This allows cellular telephone performance to be evaluated and further allows various cellular telephone functions to be simulated. The invention thus allows identification of the nature of cellular telephone user dissatisfaction.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method for field testing cellular telephones, comprising the steps of:

initiating a telephone call with a subject cellular telephone from a location that has been characterized for an ideal telephone by a test and measurement device that is embedded in an existing cellular telephone network;
using said existing cellular telephone network to maintain communications between said subject cellular telephone and said test and measurement device, said cellular telephone network receiving signals transmitted by said subject cellular telephone and transmitting signals thereto;
using said test and measurement device to capture information that is currently available within said cellular telephone network, but that is unrecognized information relating to operation of said subject cellular telephone;
controlling operation of said cellular telephone network to effect one or more tests of said subject cellular telephone;
evaluating the results of said one or more tests to identify defects in said subject cellular telephone;
identifying the type of defects, if defects are detected;
and
alerting a user of said subject cellular telephone of errors in operation if no defects are detected.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.