Telecommunications – Transmitter and receiver at separate stations – Having measuring – testing – or monitoring of system or part
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-11
2004-11-09
Milord, Marceau (Department: 2682)
Telecommunications
Transmitter and receiver at separate stations
Having measuring, testing, or monitoring of system or part
C455S067140, C455S423000, C455S424000, C455S115100, C455S115200, C455S226100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816708
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a measurement apparatus which shares a plurality of signal terminals in a plurality of operation modes, particularly to measurement apparatuses such as a signal generator having a plurality of signal processing units corresponding to respective operation modes, a waveform analysis apparatus and a signal analysis apparatus, which share a plurality of signal terminals in respective operation modes.
BACKGROUND ART
FIG. 8
is an appearance view of a conventional signal generator (hereinafter referred to as a measurement apparatus as one example) for measuring performances of various apparatuses incorporated in a data communication system and a mobile communication system or a performance of a signal transmitted in a network.
That is, in this measurement apparatus, a power switch
2
, an operation panel
3
in which a large number of operation buttons, operation knobs, ten keys, function keys and the like are arranged, a display
4
having a rectangular display screen
4
a
, a large number of signal terminals
5
, and the like are attached to a front surface
1
a
of a housing
1
substantially having a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
Moreover, in a test apparatus regarding data transmission, a large number of measurement functions for measuring a large number of test items with one measurement apparatus shown in
FIG. 8
are incorporated in the measurement apparatus.
In general, respective measurement items (functions) in the measurement apparatus are performed by individual signal processing units for the respective measurement items (functions) incorporated in the housing
1
.
An operator selects/sets an operation mode for each measurement item (function) of the measurement apparatus.
For example, for the measurement apparatus for measuring the performances of various apparatuses incorporated in the mobile communication system, the respective operation modes for sending a TDMA test signal and CDMA test signal for a TDMA system, CDMA system and other communication systems employed by the mobile communication system as a measurement object are prepared in the measurement apparatus.
Moreover, in the aforementioned measurement apparatus, there is also an operation mode for measuring output signals of various apparatuses incorporated in the mobile communication system.
Additionally, types or signal numbers of the signals inputted/outputted to the outside of the measurement apparatus differ with the respective measurement items (functions) so as to perform the respective measurement items (functions) in this type of measurement apparatus.
Therefore, essentially, in this type of measurement apparatus, for each measurement item (function), it is necessary to dispose a large number of signal terminals for exclusive use in a signal processing unit for the corresponding measurement item (function) on the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
.
However, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the operation panel
3
having a predetermined occupation area is disposed on the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
.
The aforementioned large number of operation buttons, operation knobs, ten keys, and function keys disposed on the operation panel
3
are essential for setting test conditions in detail.
Therefore, the occupation area of the operation panel
3
in the front surface
1
a
cannot be reduced any more.
Consequently, in this type of measurement apparatus, for each measurement item (function), it is difficult to arrange a plurality of signal terminals for exclusive use in the corresponding measurement item (function) on the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
.
To solve such disadvantage, in a conventional art, a plurality of signal terminals
5
a
attached to the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
as shown in
FIG. 9A
are defined as the signal terminals
5
a
shared for the respective measurement items (functions).
Moreover, the shared signal terminal
5
a
is switched and connected to the signal processing unit for performing the measurement item (function) designated in the operation mode.
However, since the type of the signal inputted/outputted to each shared signal terminal
5
a
attached to the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
differs with each measurement item (function), a signal name cannot be put down in the vicinity of each shared signal terminal
5
a
attached to the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
.
Additionally, as shown in
FIGS. 9A and 9B
, individual signal name sheets
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . are prepared for the respective measurement items (functions).
Moreover, in each of the signal name sheets
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . , a through hole
7
for passing the signal terminal
5
a
is formed in a position corresponding to the shared signal terminal
5
a
, and a signal name
8
is put down in a position adjacent to each through hole
7
.
Furthermore, every time the operator changes the measurement item (function) in the operation mode, the operator uses, for example, a screw, and the like to attach the signal name sheet
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . for the measurement item (function) designated in the operation mode to the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
so that each shared signal terminal
5
a
is passed through the through hole
7
.
The operator can use the signal name sheets
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . corresponding to the respective operation modes to immediately grasp the signal name of the signal to be inputted/outputted to each shared signal terminal
5
a.
However, even in the measurement apparatus in which the signal name sheets
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . shown in
FIGS. 9A and 9B
are used to grasp the signal names of the signals to be inputted/outputted to the respective shared signal terminals
5
a
, the following problems yet remain to be solved.
That is, every time the operator of the measurement apparatus changes the operation mode to start measuring a new measurement item (function), the operator needs to replace the signal name sheet
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . attached to the front surface
1
a
of the housing
1
with another signal name sheet
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . corresponding to the changed measurement item (function).
A replacing operation of the signal name sheet
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . is laborious. Therefore, when the measurement item (function) is frequently changed, an operation burden of the operator (measuring person) increases.
Moreover, when the number of measurement items (functions) is large, the number of signal name sheets
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . also increases. Therefore, management of the signal name sheets
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . becomes intricate.
Furthermore, every time the measurement item (function) is added, it is necessary to prepare the signal name sheet
6
a
,
6
b
, . . . for the added measurement item (function).
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A measurement apparatus of the present invention is applied to a measurement apparatus in which a plurality of signal processing units for a plurality of respective operation modes concerning a signal processing are contained in a housing, and an operation panel, a display, and a plurality of signal terminals positioned in the vicinity of the display and shared by the respective signal processing units are arranged on a housing front surface.
Moreover, an object of the present invention is to provide a measurement apparatus. In the measurement apparatus, when an operator selects an operation mode, a signal name of a signal to be inputted/outputted to the shared signal terminal is automatically displayed, and operability can largely be enhanced. Even when a measurement item (function) is added, the signal name corresponding to the added measurement item (function) can easily be displayed, and the operability can further be enhanced.
To achieve the aforementioned object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a measurement apparatus comprising:
a plurality of signal processing units (
16
a
,
16
b
,
16
c
) contained in a housing (
1
) and corresponding to a plurality of operation modes concerning a signal processing, respectively;
an operation panel (
3
),
Kinase Jun
Kono Hidekazu
Sugita Shunichi
Yamada Yasunori
Anritsu Corporation
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Milord Marceau
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