Block error ratio measurements
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPeter James Sutherland Goldsack, Gerard Fitzpatrick, Abijah M. Perkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Block error rate (BLER) measurements are made on a mobile telephone handset without imposing an undesirable processing burden on the handset. An information block flow is maintained by sending repeated message blocks from a test set which are defined at a selected layer in the protocol stack below the topmost layer. Ack/nack messages sent by the handset in response to the message blocks are monitored to determine whether the message blocks have been correctly transported, and thus derive the BLER. The message blocks sent by the test set can either be empty GMM_INFORMATION messages, or LLC frames with invalid frame check sequences.
Claims22
A method of making measurements of block error ratio in a layered protocol communications system, the block error ratio being a ratio of a number of blocks received with one or more errors to a total number of blocks received, the method comprising:
- sending at least one message block which is defined at a selected layer in a protocol stack below a topmost layer thereof to open an information block flow and sending additional such message blocks to maintain the information block flow;
- monitoring ack/nack messages sent in response to the message blocks to determine whether the message blocks have been correctly transported;
- and
- calculating said block error ratio measurements based at least in part on the monitored ack/nack messages.
A method of making measurements of block error ratio in a layered protocol communications system, the block error ratio being a ratio of a number of blocks received with one or more errors to a total number of blocks received, the method comprising:
- constructing message blocks to conform to a message structure defined at a selected layer below a topmost layer in a protocol stack of the layered protocol communications system;
- sending at least one of said message blocks through the system to open an information block flow and sending additional such message blocks through the system to maintain the information block flow;
- monitoring ack/nack messages sent in response to the message blocks to determine whether the message blocks have been correctly transported;
- and
- measuring block error ratio as a predetermined function of occurrence of monitored nack messages.
A method of making measurements of block error ratio in a general packet radio service (GPRS) layered protocol communications system, the block error ratio being a ratio of a number of blocks received with one or more errors to a total number of blocks received, the method comprising:
- constructing message blocks to conform to a message structure defined at a selected one of
- (i) a GPRS mobility management layer and
- (ii) a GPRS logical link control layer
- in a protocol stack of the GPRS layered protocol communications system, said message blocks being respectively one of
- (i) GMM_INFORMATION message blocks defined in the mobility management layer, wherein said GMM_INFORMATION message blocks are information message blocks associated with the general packet radio service (GPRS), and
- (ii) GRR_DATA_REQ message blocks defined in the logical link control layer, wherein said GRR_DATA_REQ message blocks are information associated with the general packet radio service (GPRS);
- sending at least one of said message blocks through the system to open an information block flow and sending additional such message blocks through the system to maintain the information block flow;
- monitoring ack/nack messages sent in response to the message blocks to determine whether the message blocks have been correctly transported;
- and
- measuring block error ratio as a predetermined function of occurrence of monitored nack messages.
Apparatus for making measurements of block error ratio in a layered protocol communications system, the block error ratio being a ratio of a number of blocks received with one or more errors to a total number of blocks received, the apparatus comprising:
- a message block transmitter for constructing message blocks to conform to a message structure defined at a selected layer below a topmost layer in a protocol stack of the layered protocol communications system, and for sending at least one of said message blocks through the system to open an information block flow and sending additional such message blocks through the system to maintain the information block flow;
- and
- a monitor for monitoring ack/nack messages sent in response to the message blocks to determine whether the message blocks have been correctly transported, and for measuring block error ratio as a predetermined function of occurrence of monitored nack messages.
Apparatus for making measurements of block error ratio in a general packet radio service (GPRS) layered protocol communications system, the block error ratio being a ratio of a number of blocks received with one or more errors to a total number of blocks received, the apparatus comprising:
- a message block transmitter for constructing message blocks to conform to a message structure defined at a selected one of
- (i) a GPRS mobility management layer and
- (ii) a GPRS logical link control layer
- in a protocol stack of the GPRS layered protocol communications system, said message blocks being respectively one of
- (i) GMM_INFORMATION message blocks defined in the mobility management layer, wherein said GMM_INFORMATION message blocks are information message blocks associated with the general packet radio service (GPRS), and
- (ii) GRR_DATA_REQ message blocks defined in the logical link control layer, wherein said GRR_DATA_REQ message blocks are information blocks provided with a three-octet header and a three-octet frame check sequence,
- and sending at least one of said message blocks through the system to open an information block flow and sending additional such message blocks through the system to maintain the information block flow;
- and
- a monitor for monitoring ack/nack messages sent in response to the message blocks to determine whether the message blocks have been correctly transported, and for measuring block error ratio as a predetermined function of occurrence of monitored nack messages.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.