Patent Application
20070088994
The present invention relates to electronic device testing systems, and particularly to a testing system, a testing method, and a control device utilized in the testing system.
Interactive electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants have major components that include motherboards, display modules, and keyboards. Newly manufactured interactive electronic devices must be inspected and tested for quality before leaving the factory. Usually, interactive electronic devices are inspected and tested by a testing device such as a computer. The testing device sends instructions via a console port to the interactive electronic devices under test. The interactive electronic devices decode the received instructions, act accordingly, and send corresponding data to the testing device. The testing device determines whether the interactive electronic devices can operate normally according to the data.
Because the interactive electronic devices need to decode the received instructions, the interactive electronic devices need to have decoding software pre-installed therein. However, the decoding software is not required for normal operation of the interactive electronic devices by end users. Therefore, software loadings and the costs of the interactive electronic devices are increased.
In addition, each interactive electronic device has a display module, whose displaying capability must also be inspected and tested. That is, the testing device needs to capture image data from the display module. If an interactive electronic device under test crashes, the testing device cannot capture image data from the display module.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a testing system. The testing system is used for testing an electronic device, and includes a testing device and a control device. The electronic device includes a transmitting element and a keyboard. The testing device is used for generating and sending instructions. The control device is connected to the testing device, and is used for receiving the instructions sent by the testing device, decoding the instructions, acting according to the decoded instructions. The control device is also for connecting to the transmitting element to retrieve data from the transmitting element, and for connecting to the keyboard to control the keyboard.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a control device for utilization in a testing system. The testing system is used for testing an electronic device having a transmitting element and a keyboard, and includes a testing device for generating and sending instructions. The control device includes a controller, a buffer, and a relay circuit. The controller is connected to the testing device, and is used for receiving the instructions sent by the testing device, decoding the instructions, acting according to decoded instructions. The controller is also for connecting to the transmitting element of the electronic device to retrieve data from the transmitting element. The buffer is connected to the controller, and is used for temporarily storing the retrieved data. The relay circuit is connected to the controller, and is for connecting to the keyboard of the electronic device. The relay circuit is operated according to the decoded instructions of the controller, thereby controlling the keyboard.
A further exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for testing an electronic device. The testing method includes: generating instructions by a testing device, and sending the instructions to a control device; decoding the instructions after the control device receives the instructions; reading the decoded instructions and acting according to the decoded instructions by the control device; and retrieving data, and sending the data to the testing device.
Because the control device can decode instructions, there is no need for the electronic device to have decoding software pre-installed therein. Thus, the software loading and the cost of the electronic device are reduced. In addition, if the electronic device crashes, data of the electronic device can still be collected.
Furthermore, because the control device is connected to the transmitting element of the electronic device, when the testing device captures image data, the electronic device simultaneously sends the image data to the display module and the control device. The control device then sends the image data to the testing device. Therefore, the electronic device and the testing device show images almost simultaneously. Thus, the testing time is shortened, and the testing efficiency is improved.
Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The control device 200 includes a relay circuit 210, a controller 220, and a buffer 230. The controller 220 is connected to the testing device 100, and is for connecting to the transmitting element 320 of the electronic device 300 under test. The controller 220 is used for receiving the instructions sent by the testing device 100, decoding the received instructions, acting according to the decoded instructions, and retrieving the data sent by the motherboard 310 from the transmitting element 320.
The relay circuit 210 is connected to the controller 220, and is for connecting to the keyboard 340. The relay circuit 210 is operated corresponding to the decoded instructions of the controller 220, and thereby controls the keyboard 340. The relay circuit 210 includes multiple relays respectively for connecting to keys of the keyboard 340. The relays are used for automatically actuating corresponding keys of the keyboard 340 according to the decoded instructions of the controller 220. In the exemplary embodiment, the relay circuit 210 includes thirty-two relays.
The buffer 230 is connected to the controller 220, and is used for temporarily storing data retrieved by the controller 220 from the transmitting element 320. In the exemplary embodiment, the buffer 230 is a first-in first-out buffer. The controller 220 is also used for retrieving data from the buffer 230, and sending the data retrieved from the buffer 230 to the testing device 100.
When the testing device 100 sends instructions to the control device 200, the controller 220 of the control device 200 decodes the received instructions, and reads the decoded instructions. Thereby, the controller 220 determines whether the instructions are image collecting commands or key commands. When the instructions are key commands, the controller 220 controls action of the relay circuit 210, thereby controlling the keyboard 340 to automatically actuate the motherboard 310 to send data to the display module 330 via the transmitting element 320. Simultaneously, the controller 220 retrieves the data sent by the motherboard 310 from the transmitting element 320, and stores the data in the buffer 230. In the exemplary embodiment, the data retrieved by the controller 220 from the transmitting element 320 includes image data.
When the instructions are image collecting commands, the controller 220 retrieves data in the buffer 230, and sends the data retrieved from the buffer 230 to the testing device 100.
When a current data storage of the buffer 230 reaches a certain threshold level, the controller 220 notifies the testing device 100 to retrieve all data in the buffer 230. The threshold level is predetermined based on two criteria: no loss of data should occur up to and including the threshold level, and no delay should occur in displaying the data up to and including the threshold level. In the exemplary embodiment, the threshold level is that the current data storage is half of the entire capacity of the buffer 230.
When the testing device 100 has not received data sent by the controller 220 for a predetermined period of time, the testing device 100 generates an image collecting command, and sends the image collecting command to the controller 220. After receiving the image collecting command, the controller 220 decodes the command, and determines that the command is an image collecting command. Then the controller 220 retrieves data in the buffer 230 according to the image collecting command, and sends the retrieved data to the testing device 100. The predetermined period is based on the criterion that no delay should occur between displaying of image data on the monitor 110 of the testing device 100 and displaying of the image data on the display module 330 of the electronic device 300 under test. In the exemplary embodiment, the predetermined period is 25 milliseconds.
If the controller 220 determines that the instructions are key commands, in step S406, the controller 220 controls corresponding action of the relay circuit 210. In step S408, the relay circuit 210 controls the keyboard 340 of the electronic device 300 under test to act automatically, thereby actuating the motherboard 310 to send data to the display module 330 via the transmitting element 320. In step S410, the controller 220 retrieves the data sent by the motherboard 310 from the transmitting element 320, and stores the retrieved data in the buffer 230.
In step S412, the controller 220 retrieves data from the buffer 230, and sends the retrieved data to the testing device 100. In the exemplary embodiment, when a current data storage of the buffer 230 reaches a certain threshold level, the controller 220 notifies the testing device 100 to retrieve all data in the buffer 230. The threshold level is predetermined based on two criteria: no loss of data should occur up to and including the threshold level, and no delay should occur in displaying the data up to and including the threshold level. In the exemplary embodiment, the threshold level is that the current data storage is half of the entire capacity of the buffer 230.
In step S414, the testing device 100 receives and displays data sent by the controller 220. In the exemplary embodiment, the testing device 100 firstly decodes the data, and then displays the decoded data on the monitor 110.
If in step S404 the controller 220 determines that the instructions are image collecting commands, the process advances directly to step S412 described above. That is, the controller 220 retrieves data from the buffer 230, and sends the retrieved data to the testing device 100. The process then advances to step S414 described above.
Because the control device 200 can decode instructions, there is no need for the electronic device 300 under test to have decoding software pre-installed therein. Thus, the software loading and the cost of the electronic device 300 under test are reduced. In addition, if the electronic device 300 under test crashes, data of the electronic device 300 under test can still be collected.
Furthermore, because the control device 200 is connected to the transmitting element 320 of the electronic device 300 under test, when the testing device 100 captures image data, the electronic device 300 under test simultaneously sends the image data to the display module 330 and the control device 200. The control device 200 then sends the image data to the testing device 100. Therefore, the electronic device 300 under test and the testing device 100 show images almost at the same time. Thus, the testing time is shortened, and the testing efficiency is improved.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 94134302 | Sep 2005 | TW | national |
