1. A test apparatus, the test apparatus comprising:
an emulation module which is configured to emulate the functionality of a first user equipment and to establish a D2D link between the emulated first user equipment and an externally arranged second user equipment which forms a user equipment under test;
a test module which is configured to test at least one second user equipment after being connected to the emulated first user equipment of the emulation module via the established D2D link.
2. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emulation module is further configured to establish a wireless D2D link.
3. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emulation module is configured to emulate the functionality of a base station for a wired communication between the emulated base station and the second user equipment when the second user equipment is connected to the emulation module via a wired link.
4. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emulation module is configured to establish at least one of:
a D2D direct communication link;
a D2D direct discovery link.
5. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the first user equipment in an out-of-coverage mode.
6. The test apparatus of claim 5, wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the first user equipment such that a communication to a second user equipment is based only on the D2D link.
7. The test apparatus of claim 5, wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the functionality of a radio transceiver base station and to establish a radio link between the radio transceiver base station and a second user equipment and wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the first user equipment and the radio transceiver base station such that a communication between the emulated first user equipment and a second user equipment is based on the established D2D link and a communication between the emulated radio transceiver base station and the second user equipment is based on the radio link.
8. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the functionality of a radio transceiver base station and to establish a radio link between the radio transceiver base station and a second user equipment.
9. The test apparatus of claim 8, wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the first user equipment in an in-coverage mode in which the emulated first user equipment is connected to the emulated transceiver base station internally via an internal link wherein the internal link serves to coordinate or synchronize communication between a second user equipment and the radio transceiver base station.
10. The test apparatus of claim 9, wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the first user equipment and the transceiver base station such that a direct communication to the second user equipment is based only on the D2D link.
11. The test apparatus of claim 9, wherein the emulation module is further configured to emulate the first user equipment and the radio transceiver base station such that a direct communication to the second user equipment is based on the D2D link and the radio link.
12. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test module comprises an RF measurement and evaluation unit which is designed to test the RF properties of the second user equipment under test if the second user equipment is wired or wireless connected to the test module.
13. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test module comprises a measurement unit that is designed to measure at least one of following items of information of the second user equipment under test:
power consumption of the second user equipment under test;
data volume produced by the second user equipment under test via the D2D communication link;
data volume produced by the second user equipment under test via a radio link;
frequency or spectrum information of the transferred data from the second user equipment under test via the D2D communication link;
frequency or spectrum information of the transferred data from the second user equipment under test via a radio link;
signalling behaviour;
synchronization behaviour.
14. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test module is designed to test the behaviour of a second user equipment at least under one of the following conditions:
during D2D communication via the D2D link;
during communication via a radio link;
during an in-coverage mode;
during an out-of-coverage mode;
during a partial coverage mode.
15. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test module comprises an analysis or an evaluation unit which is designed to evaluate on the basis of specified parameters, signal sequences captured in a data transfer between the second user equipment under test and the first user equipment and radio transceiver base station.
16. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the emulation module is configured to emulate the functionality of the first user equipment and at least one further user equipment, wherein the at least one further user equipment is designed to be used during test mode as a synchronizing source for the second user equipment.
17. The test apparatus of claim 1, wherein the test module is configured to further test a radio transceiver base station which is connected to the second user equipment in an inter cell coverage mode via a radio link.
18. A radio communication test apparatus for testing user equipment, the test apparatus comprising:
an emulation module which is configured to emulate the functionality of a first user equipment and to establish a wireless D2D link between the emulated first user equipment and an externally arranged second user equipment which forms a user equipment under test;
a test module which is configured to test at least one second user equipment after being connected to the emulated first user equipment of the emulation module via the established D2D link.
19. A method for testing user equipment by employing a test apparatus, the method comprising:
emulating the functionality of a first user equipment;
providing a second user equipment under test;
establishing a wireless or wired D2D link between the emulated first user equipment and the second user equipment;
after establishing the D2D link, testing the second user equipment.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising an out-of-coverage mode in which the emulated first user equipment is disconnected to an emulated base station.
21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
communicating with the second user equipment only via the D2D link.
22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
emulating the functionality of a radio transceiver base station;
establishing a radio link between the emulated radio transceiver base station and the second user equipment; and
communicating with the second user equipment via the wireless D2D link and the radio link.
23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
emulating the functionality of a radio transceiver base station;
establishing a radio link between the emulated radio transceiver base station and the second user equipment.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising an in-coverage mode in which the emulated first user equipment is connected to the emulated transceiver base station via an internal link wherein the internal link serves to coordinate communication between the second user equipment and the radio transceiver base station.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
emulating the first user equipment and the transceiver base station such that a direct communication to the second user equipment is based only on the wireless D2D link.
26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
emulating the first user equipment and the radio transceiver base station such that a direct communication to the second user equipment is based on the wireless D2D link and the radio link.
27. A computer program product comprising instructions to perform testing a user equipment under test by emulating the functionality of a first user equipment, establishing a wireless or wired D2D link between the emulated first user equipment and a provided second user equipment under test and, after establishing the D2D link, testing the second user equipment.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. An optical modulator, comprising:
a dielectric waveguide for receiving an optical beam and coupling energy of said optical beam into said waveguide, said optical beam being at a first frequency;
at least one Stark material disposed in said waveguide, said Stark material having at least one absorption frequency that is electrostatically tunable within a range of frequencies, said range of frequencies including said first frequency;
a bias circuit for generation of a bias electrical field across said Stark material to shift at least one of said absorption frequencies towards said first frequency, and
a circuit for producing a time varying electrical field across said Stark material, said time varying field being adapted to shift at least one said absorption frequencies towards said first frequency and away from said first frequency.
2. The optical modulator of claim 1, further comprising conductive electrodes disposed outside of said waveguide, whereby said waveguide isolates said optical beam from said electrodes.
3. The optical modulator of claim 1, further comprising a CO2 laser for producing said optical beam, wherein said Stark material is ammonia.
4. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said ammonia comprises ammonia having an enhanced concentration of deuterated ammonia (NH2D).
5. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said waveguide has a bore size of less than 1.0 mm.
6. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein substantially all incident power of said optical beam is coupled into an EH11 mode in said waveguide.
7. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said optical beam is linearly polarized and oriented perpendicular with respect to said electrical fields.
8. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said bias field is an alternating field component.
9. The optical modulator of claim 8, wherein said alternating field component is generated by a square wave signal.
10. The optical modulator of claim 8, wherein said alternating field component has a frequency sufficient to switch polarity faster than the rate of charge build-up on walls of said waveguide.
11. The optical modulator of claim 8, wherein said waveguide is quartz and a frequency of said alternating field component is at least 100 Hz.
12. The optical modulator of claim 11, wherein substantially all of said bias field is an alternating field.
13. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said bias circuit comprises two amplifiers, said bias amplifiers configured to produce outputs having opposite polarities in response to a given input signal.
14. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said circuit for producing a time varying signal comprises two high frequency amplifiers, said high frequency amplifiers configured to produce outputs having opposite polarities in response to a given input signal.
15. The optical modulator of claim 8, further comprising a structure for synchronizing the polarity of said time varying electrical field with said alternating field component.
16. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said circuit for producing a time varying electrical field generates at least one analog data component.
17. The optical modulator of claim 16, wherein said analog data component is transmitted with said optical beam by variation of at least one optical beam parameter selected from the group consisting of amplitude, phase and frequency.
18. The optical modulator of claim 16, wherein said analog data component comprises a chirped signal, said chirped signal varying over a frequency range.
19. The optical modulator of claim 16, wherein said at least one analog data component comprises a plurality of sub-carriers, said plurality of sub-carriers multiplexed onto said optical beam, wherein each of said sub-carriers provide analog information.
20. The optical modulator of claim 1, wherein said circuit for producing a time varying electrical field generates at least one digital data component.
21. The optical modulator of claim 20, wherein said at least one digital data component comprises a plurality of sub-carriers, said plurality of sub-carriers multiplexed onto said optical beam, wherein each of said sub-carriers provide digital information.
22. A method for processing a modulated optical signal which comprises utilizing the apparatus of claim 1, wherein said utilizing includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a free-space optical link, laser radar, chemical detection, target illumination and active illumination for infrared imaging.
23. A method of modulating optical signals, comprising the steps of: providing a dielectric waveguide for receiving an optical beam and coupling energy of said optical beam into said waveguide, said waveguide having at least one Stark material disposed therein, said Stark material having at least one absorption frequency that is electrostatically tunable within a range of frequencies;
coupling said optical beam into said waveguide, said optical beam being at a first frequency, said first frequency within said frequency range; and
applying an electric field having including a time varying field portion across said Stark material, wherein said optical beam output by said waveguide is modulated by said time varying portion of said electrical field.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein said optical beam is provided by a CO2 laser and said Stark material is ammonia.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said ammonia comprises ammonia having an enhanced concentration of deuterated ammonia (NH2D).
26. The method of claim 23, wherein said coupling step comprises transferring substantially all incident power of said optical beam into an EH11 mode in said waveguide.
27. The method of claim 23, wherein said applying step comprises providing a bias electrical field across said Stark material, at least a portion of said bias field comprising an alternating field component.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein said alternating field component is generated by a square wave signal.
29. The method of claim 27, wherein said alternating field component has a frequency sufficient to switch polarity faster than the rate of charge build-up on walls of said waveguide.
30. The method of claim 27, wherein said waveguide is quartz and a frequency of said alternating field component is at least 100 Hz.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein substantially all of said bias field is an alternating field.
32. The method of claim 27, wherein said bias field is generated by a differential signal, components of said differential signal having opposite polarities.
33. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of synchronizing the polarity of said time varying electrical field with said alternating field component.
34. The method of claim 23, wherein said time varying electrical field portion is generated by at least one analog data signal.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein said analog data signal is transmitted with said optical beam using variation of at least one optical beam parameter selected from the group consisting of amplitude, phase and frequency.
36. The method of claim 34, wherein said at least one analog data signal comprises a plurality of sub-carriers, said method further comprising the step of multiplexing said plurality of sub-carriers onto said optical beam, wherein each of said sub-carriers provide analog information.
37. The method of claim 23, wherein said time varying portion is generated by at least one digital data signal.
38. The method of claim 37, wherein said at least one digital data signal comprises a plurality of sub-carriers, further comprising the step of multiplexing said plurality of sub-carriers onto said optical beam, wherein each of said sub-carriers provide digital information.