1. A method for function testing of a base station system for a wireless communication system, where the base station system comprises at least two antennas and at least two transceivers, and the antennas are intended to cover the same coverage area, said method comprising:
selecting a first transceiver in the base station system to send broadcasting messages during at least a first time period,
selecting at least a second transceiver in the base station system to send broadcasting messages during at least a second time period,
and measuring performance of the base station system at each time period to determine if there is at least one unacceptable malfunction in the base station system.
2. A method according to claim 1 where the measuring the performance includes measuring performance of a first antenna, connected to a first transceiver, during the first time period,
measuring a performance of at least a second antenna, connected to at least a second transceiver, during at least the second time period,
and comparing the antenna performance of said first antenna and at least second antenna to determine if there is at least one unacceptable malfunction in the base station system.
3. A method according to claim 1 where the measuring the performance includes measuring performance of each antenna connected to a first transceiver combined with at least a second transceiver, during said time periods, to determining if there is at least one malfunctioning transceiver andor feeder in the base station system.
4. A method according to claim 1 where the measuring the performance of the base station system at each period to determine if there is at least one unacceptable malfunction in the base station system includes one or more of:
comparing a measurement result with stored results and a relating difference threshold value;
performing Statistics and Traffic Measurement Subsystem (STS) analysis; or comparing each measured performance result to at least a predetermined least acceptable performance value.
5. A method according to claim 1 where the method further comprises taking action when determining that there exists at least one malfunctioning part of the base station system.
6. A method according to claim 5 where the taking action includes one or more of:
automatically turning off a transceiver or an antenna;
tilting an antenna vertically;
rotating an antenna horizontally;
sending alarm signals to an operator; or
informing a network administrator and suggesting an action to be taken.
7. A method according to claim 1 where the measuring the performance relates to one or more of measuring:
A Bit-Error-Rate (BER);
A Frame Erasure Rate (FER);
Signal strength;
Drop rates;
Rate of handoff failures;
Rate of call set-up failures;
An absolute number of slow associated control channel (SACCH) or transmission Channel (TCH) drops; or
Call set-up times.
8. A method according to claim 1 where the measuring of performance includes measuring the performance in time periods which are same times on different days andor different times during a single day.
9. A method according to claim 1 where the selecting the first transceiver and the at least a second transceiver are performed to decrease wear and tear of transceivers, feeders andor antennas in a base station system, andor increase protection against corrosion of parts in a base station system.
10. An apparatus in a wireless communication network used for functional testing of a base station system (BSS), where the base station system comprises one or more base station controllers (BSCs) and one or more base station transceivers (BTSs), said each BTS comprising at least two antennas intended to cover a planned coverage area and at least two transceivers connected to one or more of the antennas for transmitting and receiving signal information and traffic, the apparatus comprising Additional Control Means (ACM) used for functional testing of parts in a base station system performed by:
selecting a first transceiver in the base station system to send broadcasting messages during a first time period,
selecting at least a second transceiver in the base station system to send broadcasting messages during at least a second time period,
and measuring performance of the base station system at each time period to determine if there is at least one unacceptable malfunction in the base station system.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10 where the Additional Control Means measure a performance of a first antenna, connected by a first transceiver, during the first time period,
measure a performance of at least a second antenna, connected by at least a second transceiver, during at least the second time period, and forward measured information to an analyzing mean for determining if there are unacceptable malfunctions of parts in the base station system.
12. An apparatus according to claim 10 where the Additional Control Means measure a performance of an antenna in a base station system connected to a first transceiver and at least a second transceiver combined together by aid of a combiner, during a first and at least a second time period, for determining if there are unacceptable malfunctions of parts in the base station system.
13. An apparatus according to claim 10 where, when measuring performance of the base station system at each time period to determine if there is at least one unacceptable malfunction in the base station system the Additional control means performs one or more of:
comparing a measurement result with stored results and a relating difference threshold value;
performing Statistics and Traffic Measurement Subsystem (STS) analysis; or
comparing each measured performance result to at least a predetermined least acceptable performance value.
14. An apparatus according to claim 10 where the apparatus further comprises means for taking action when determining that there exists at least one malfunctioning part in the base station system.
15. An apparatus according to claim 10 where the means for taking action includes one or more of:
means for automatically turning off a transceiver or an antenna;
means for tilting an antenna vertically;
means for rotating an antenna horizontally;
means for sending alarm signal to an operator; or
means for informing a network administrator and suggesting an action to be taken.
16. An apparatus according to claim 10 where the measured performance relates to one or more of measuring:
A Bit-Error-Rate (BER);
A Frame Erasure Rate (FER);
Signal strength;
Drop rates;
Rate of handoff failures;
Rate of call set-up failures;
An absolute number of slow associated control channel (SACCH) or transmission channel (TCH) drops; or
Call set-up times.
17. An apparatus according to claim 10 where the Additional Control means measure performance in time periods which are same times on different days andor different times during a single day.
18. An apparatus according to claim 10 where the Additional Control means selects the first transceiver and the at least a second transceiver to decrease wear and tear of parts in a base station system, andor increase protection against corrosion of parts in a base station system.
19. A Base Station Controller, BSC, in a bases station system for a wireless communication system, where the BSC comprises the apparatus according to claim 10.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A wireless telephone, wherein:
(a) the wireless telephone includes:
(1) a speaker; and
(2) a microphone; and
(b) the wireless telephone is characterized in that it includes:
(1) a micro-browser or micro-client software having an Internet, Intranet, or Extranet address;
(2) a voice CODEC manager software to the micro-browser or micro-client software;
(3) a real or virtual push-to-talk (PTT) button;
(4) means for sending:
(A) an outgoing streaming voice data message from the microphone through the voice CODEC manager software; and
(B) an indication that the PTT button has been depressed;
in response to a depression of the PTT button; and
(5) means for sending an incoming streaming voice data message through the voice CODEC manager software to the speaker, in response to a release of the PTT button.
2. An Internet, Intranet, or Extranet server, wherein:
(a) the Internet, Intranet, or Extranet server includes means for storing a plurality of Internet, or Intranet or Extranet, addresses; and
(b) the server is characterized in that it includes:
(1) means for receiving an indication that a push-to-talk (PTT) button has been depressed at a wireless telephone at each address;
(2) means for determining whether more than one wireless telephone has a depressed PTT button indication;
(3) means, responsive to more than one wireless telephone having a depressed PTT button indication, for arbitrating which wireless telephone is allowed to place a streaming voice data message on the server;
(4) means for placing a streaming voice data message on the server from the arbitrated wireless telephone or from a sole wireless telephone;
(5) means for sending the placed data to the wireless telephones at the other addresses; and
(6) means for dynamically grouping wireless telephones and networked computers into conferences.
3. A system, wherein:
(a) the system includes a first wireless telephone, a second wireless telephone or networked computer, a first base station, a second base station, and an Internet, Intranet, or Extranet server;
(b) each wireless telephone includes:
(1) a speaker; and
(2) a microphone;
(c) the first wireless telephone is in wireless communication with a first base station;
(d) the first base station is in communication, through the Internet, or an Intranet or Extranet, with the server;
(e) the second wireless telephone is in wireless communication with a second base station;
(f) the second base station or networked computer is in communication, through the Internet, or an Intranet or Extranet, with the server;
(g) the server includes means for storing a plurality of Internet, or Intranet or Extranet, addresses;
(h) each wireless telephone is characterized in that it includes:
(1) a micro-browser or micro-client software having an Internet, Intranet, or Extranet address;
(2) a voice CODEC manager software to the micro-browser or micro-client software;
(3) a real or virtual push-to-talk (PTT) button;
(4) means for sending:
(A) an outgoing streaming voice data message from the microphone through the voice CODEC manager software; and
(B) an indication that the PTT button has been depressed;
in response to a depression of the PTT button; and
(5) means for sending an incoming streaming voice data message through the voice CODEC manager software to the speaker, in response to a release of the PTT button; and
(i) the server is characterized in that it includes:
(1) means for receiving an indication that a push-to-talk (PTT) button has been depressed at a wireless telephone at each address;
(2) means for determining whether more than one wireless telephone has a depressed PTT button indication;
(3) means, responsive to more than one wireless telephone having a depressed PTT button indication, for arbitrating which wireless telephone is allowed to place a streaming voice data message on the server;
(4) means for placing a streaming voice data message on the server from the arbitrated wireless telephone or from a sole wireless telephone;
(5) means for sending the placed data to the wireless telephones at the other addresses; and
(6) means for dynamically grouping wireless telephones and networked computers into conferences.
4. The system of claim 3, further characterized in that the first base station is the same as the second base station.
5. The system of claim 3, further characterized in that the first base station is different from the second base station.
6. The system of claim 3, further characterized in that the server is configured to add or remove the address of a wireless telephone on request from that wireless telephone.
7. The system of claim 3, further characterized in that the server is configured to add or remove the address of a wireless telephone on request from a device other than that wireless telephone.
8. The system of claim 3, further characterized in that the server is configured, on request from a wireless telephone, to store one or more streaming voice data messages and to forward them to the wireless telephone on subsequent request.
9. The system of claim 3, further characterized in that the system further includes at least one additional device, which is not a wireless telephone, but which has been constructed, and has been connected to the server, so as to emulate a wireless telephone.
10. The system of claim 9, further characterized in that the server is configured to add or remove the address of a wireless telephone or first device on request from a second device.
11. A method for operating a wireless telephone, wherein:
(a) the wireless telephone includes:
(1) a speaker; and
(2) a microphone;
(b) the wireless telephone is characterized in that it includes:
(1) a micro-browser or micro-client software having an Internet, Intranet, or Extranet address;
(2) a voice CODEC manager software to the micro-browser or micro-client software; and
(3) a real or virtual push-to-talk (PTT) button; and
(c) the method is characterized in that it includes:
(1) depressing the PTT button;
(2) sending:
(A) an outgoing streaming voice data message from the microphone through the voice CODEC manager software; and
(B) an indication that the PTT button has been depressed;
in response to a depression of the PTT button;
(3) releasing the PTT button; and
(4) sending an incoming streaming voice data message through the voice CODEC manager software to the speaker, in response to a release of the PTT button.
12. A method for operating an Internet, Intranet, or Extranet server, wherein:
(a) the method includes storing a plurality of Internet, Intranet, or Extranet addresses; and
(b) the method is characterized in that it further includes:
(1) receiving an indication that a push-to-talk (PTT) button has been depressed at a wireless telephone at each address;
(2) determining whether more than one wireless telephone has a depressed PTT button indication;
(3) if more than one wireless telephone has a depressed PTT button indication, arbitrating which wireless telephone is allowed to place a streaming voice data message on the server;
(4) placing a streaming voice data message on the server from the arbitrated wireless telephone or from a sole wireless telephone;
(5) sending the placed streaming voice data message to the wireless telephones at the other addresses; and
(6) dynamically grouping wireless telephones and networked computers into conferences.
13. A method for operating a system, wherein:
(a) the system includes a first wireless telephone, a second wireless telephone, a first base station, a second base station, and an Internet, Intranet, or Extranet server;
(b) each wireless telephone includes:
(1) a speaker; and
(2) a microphone;
(c) the first wireless telephone is in wireless communication with a first base station;
(d) the first base station is in communication, through the Internet, Intranet or Extranet, with the server;
(e) the second wireless telephone is in wireless communication with a second base station;
(f) the second base station is in communication, through the Internet, Intranet or Extranet, with the server;
(g) the server includes means for storing a plurality of Internet, or Intranet or Extranet, addresses;
(h) each wireless telephone is characterized in that it includes:
(1) a micro-browser or micro-client software having an Internet, Intranet, or Extranet address;
(2) a voice CODEC manager software to the micro-browser or micro-client software; and
(3) a real or virtual push-to-talk (PTT) button; and
(i) the method is characterized in that it includes:
(1) depressing the PTT button on the first wireless telephone;
(2) the first wireless telephone sending:
(A) an outgoing streaming voice data message from the microphone through the voice CODEC manager software; and
(B) an indication that the PTT button has been depressed;
in response to a depression of the PTT button, to the first base station;
(3) the first base station sending an indication to the server that the PTT button has been depressed at the first wireless telephone;
(4) the server arbitrating, if more than one wireless telephone has a depressed PTT button indication, which wireless telephone is allowed to place a streaming voice data message on the server;
(5) placing the streaming voice data message on the server from the arbitrated wireless telephone or from a sole wireless telephone;
(6) the server sending the placed streaming voice data message to the second wireless telephone through the second base station;
(7) the second wireless telephone sending the placed streaming voice data message through the voice CODEC manager software, in response to a release of the PTT button, to the speaker; and
(8) the server sending the placed streaming voice data message to the wireless telephones at the other addresses, if any.
14. The method of claim 13, further characterized in that the first base station is the same as the second base station.
15. The method of claim 13, further characterized in that the first base station is different from the second base station.
16. The method of claim 13, further characterized in that the method further includes adding or removing the address of a wireless telephone on request from that wireless telephone.
17. The method of claim 13, further characterized in that the method further includes adding or removing the address of a wireless telephone on request from a device other than that wireless telephone.
18. The method of claim 13, further characterized in that the method further includes, on request from a wireless telephone, the server storing one or more streaming voice data messages and forwarding them to the wireless telephone on subsequent request.
19. The method of claim 13, further characterized in that the system further includes at least one additional device, which is not a wireless telephone, but which has been constructed, and has been connected to the server, so as to emulate a wireless telephone.
20. The method of claim 19,further characterized in that:
(a) the server is configured to add or remove the address of a wireless telephone or first device on request from a second device; and
the method includes, at the second device, clicking on an avatar representing the wireless telephone or first device.