Systems and methods for performing simulations at a base station router

Abstract

The present disclosure pertains to a base station (BS) apparatus configured to provide communication for one or more user equipment (UEs). Some embodiments of this apparatus may include: a BS networking device configured to access actual wireless data pertaining to actual UEs and to access simulated wireless data pertaining to simulated UEs; an interface controller communicably interposed between the BS networking device and the UEs, the interface controller being configured to control the access to the actual wireless data and the simulated wireless data; and a bridging device configured to convert between a wireless protocol used by the UEs and a wired protocol used by the BS networking device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing communication for one or more user equipment (UEs), the method comprising:
 accessing, via a base station networking device, a conversion of (i) actual wireless data pertaining to actual radio frequency (RF) energy of an environment including actual UEs and (ii) simulated wireless data pertaining to simulated RF energy of an environment including simulated UEs;   controlling, via an interface controller communicably coupled to the base station networking device, the access;   generating, via a processor, the simulated wireless data to perform a simulation of network traffic in a closed network;   the converting, via a device, from a wireless protocol to a wired protocol, wherein the accesses are of protocol data units (PDUs) that comprise the converted data; and   testing the base station networking device for resolution of an intermittent problem by automatically varying base station networking device parameter settings.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the actual wireless data is received and transmitted by one or more antennas using the wireless protocol, and
 wherein the converted simulated wireless data is received using the wired protocol.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the wireless protocol is one or more of 2G cellular, 3G cellular, 4G cellular, 4G long term evolution (LTE) cellular, 5G cellular, Wi-Fi, RF identification (RFID), Bluetooth, and Zigbee, and
 wherein the wired protocol is one or more of Ethernet, universal serial bus (USB), synchronous optical networking (SONET), synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), point-to-point protocol (PPP), high-level data link control (HDLC), digital subscriber line (DSL), integrated services digital network (ISDN), fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), and advanced data communication control procedures (ADCCP).   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conversions are performed from the wireless protocol to the wired protocol without adjusting a format of the wireless data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base station networking device is further configured to provide communication for the base station networking device and one or more other base station networking devices of one or more other base station networking devices, via the wired protocol. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interface controller and the provided device are integrated into an existing cellular system, and
 wherein the base station networking device is a hub, switch, repeater, bridge, or router.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a processor that generates simulated global positioning system (GPS) data such that the base station networking device emulates being in different locations; and   communicably interposing another interface controller between the base station networking device, an actual GPS device, and the provided processor.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interface controller is configured to simultaneously receive the actual and simulated wireless data. 
     
     
         9 . A method for providing communication for one or more UEs, the method comprising:
 accessing, via a base station networking device, a conversion of (i) actual wireless data pertaining to actual RF energy of an environment including actual UEs and (ii) simulated wireless data pertaining to simulated RF energy of an environment including simulated UEs;   controlling, via an interface controller communicably coupled to the base station networking device, the access;   generating, via a processor, the simulated wireless data to perform a simulation of network traffic in a closed network;   the converting, via a device, from a wireless protocol to a wired protocol, wherein the accesses are of PDUs that comprise the converted data; and   testing the base station networking device for resolution of an intermittent problem by automatically varying a simulation of wireless interference.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 storing the actual data, wherein the actual data exemplifies a behavior or pattern.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the simulated UEs, other simulated data that comprises the stored data such that a response of a networking node to the behavior or pattern is tested.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining required capacity of the node for a future scenario different from one that exemplifies the behavior or pattern.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the actual UEs are remote from a node that performs the accessing of the actual data, and
 wherein the simulated UEs are local to the node.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the actual and simulated data are cellular traffic. 
     
     
         15 . A method for providing communication for one or more UEs, the method comprising:
 accessing, via a base station networking device, a conversion of (i) actual wireless data pertaining to actual RF energy of an environment including actual UEs and (ii) simulated wireless data pertaining to simulated RF energy of an environment including simulated UEs;   controlling, via an interface controller communicably coupled to the base station networking device, the access;   generating, via a processor, the simulated wireless data to perform a simulation of network traffic in a closed network;   the converting, via a device, from a wireless protocol to a wired protocol, wherein the accesses are of PDUs that comprise the converted data; and   testing the base station networking device for resolution of an intermittent problem by automatically varying a number of the simulated UEs that are generating traffic to a level that satisfies a congestion criterion.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the actual wireless data is received and transmitted by one or more antennas using the wireless protocol. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the converted simulated wireless data is received using the wired protocol. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the interface controller is controlled by one or more processors. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the simulated wireless data is generated by the one or more processors. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the wireless protocol is one or more of 2G cellular, 3G cellular, 4G cellular, 4G LTE cellular, 5G cellular, Wi-Fi, RFID, Bluetooth, or Zigbee, and
 wherein the wired protocol is one or more of Ethernet, USB, SONET, SDH, PPP, HDLC, DSL, ISDN, FDDI, or ADCCP.