Methods for controlling mobile phones and instruments and systems using the same

• US 10,621,076 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Xu, Haibo
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberly, Eric T
• Application Number:
  US15/183,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20170019514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2221 to test input/output devices or peripheral units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention propose a method for mobile phone and instrument control a system using the method. The method for mobile phone and instrument control is performed by a processing unit and comprises the following steps: reading one script; determining what a destination is according to the script; if the destination is a mobile phone, transmitting a first control command to the mobile phone according to the script; and if the destination is one of a plurality of instruments, transmitting a second control command to the instrument according to the script.

Claims

1. A method for mobile phone and instrument control performed by a processing unit of a standalone controller, the method comprising:

reading, via the standalone controller, a set of scripts contained within a script text;

determining, via the standalone controller, for each script from among the set of scripts, (i) script content associated with a control command transmission, and (ii) a destination of the control command transmission according to the respective script, the destination being one of (i) a mobile phone, or (ii) one of a plurality of instruments, the mobile phone and the one of the plurality of instruments being simultaneously connected to the controller via a first connection and a second connection, respectively, as the set of scripts are read;

when the destination of the control command transmission is the mobile phone, transmitting the control command directly to the mobile phone via the first connection according to the respective script via a first bus controller associated with the standalone controller; and

when the destination is one of the plurality of instruments, transmitting the control command directly to the one of the plurality of instruments via the second connection according to the respective script via a second bus controller associated with the standalone controller,

wherein the first bus controller and the second bus controller are associated with different communication standards,

wherein additional scripts are read upon completion of the transmission of the control command to one of the mobile phone or the one of the plurality of instruments until each script from among the set of scripts is read,

wherein the one of the plurality of instruments is one of (i) an integrated tester, connected to the mobile phone, and configured to detect digital or analog signals output by the mobile phone, (ii) a power supplier configured to power the mobile phone on and off, or (iii) a signal emitter configured to transmit radio-frequency signals to the mobile phone, and

wherein the one of the plurality of instruments uses the transmitted control command received via the second connection to test the mobile device.

2. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 1,

wherein the first bus controller is a universal serial bus controller, and

wherein the second bus controller is a general-purpose instrumentation bus controller.

3. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 1, further comprising:

recording a first transmission log associated with transmitting the control command to the mobile phone; and

after receiving a first reply message from the mobile phone, recording a first reception log associated with receiving the first reply message.

4. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 3, further comprising:

storing or displaying the first transmission log and the first reception log.

5. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 3, further comprising:

recording a second transmission log associated with transmitting the control command to one of the plurality of instruments; and

after receiving a second reply message from the one of the plurality of instruments, recording a second reception log associated with receiving the second reply message.

6. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 5, further comprising:

storing or displaying the second transmission log and the second reception log.

13. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 1, further comprising:

when, a script from among the set of scripts is not associated with a control command transmission, performing a corresponding operation according to the respective script.

14. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 13, wherein the operation according to the respective script includes waiting for a period of time as indicated by the respective script.

15. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 1, wherein the control command instructs a device associated with the destination of the control command transmission to perform at least one of powering off, performing an initialization action, or inquiring an identity code.

16. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 1, wherein each script from among the set of scripts indicates a bus controller to be used for the mobile phone or the one of the plurality of instruments.

17. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 1, wherein the act of reading the set of scripts occurs sequentially.

19. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of instruments further includes a spectrum analyzer configured to detect radio-frequency signals transmitted from the mobile phone.

20. The method for mobile phone and instrument control of claim 19, wherein the plurality of instruments includes each of the integrated tester, the spectrum analyzer, the power supplier, and the signal emitter.

7. A mobile phone and instrument control device including a standalone controller, the mobile phone and instrument control device comprising:

a storage device configured to store, via the standalone controller, a script text including a set of scripts; and

a processing unit coupled to the storage device, the processing unit configured to, via the standalone controller;

read each script from among the set of scripts included in the script text;

determine, for each script from among the set of scripts associated with a control command transmission, (i) script content associated with a control command transmission, and (ii) a destination of the control command transmission according to the respective script, the destination being one of (i) a mobile phone, or (ii) one of a plurality of instruments, the mobile phone and the one of the plurality of instruments being simultaneously connected to the standalone controller via a first connection and a second connection, respectively, as the set of scripts are read;

when the destination of the control command transmission is the mobile phone, transmitting the control command directly to the mobile phone via the first connection according to the respective script via a first bus controller associated with the standalone controller; and

when the destination is one of the multiple instruments, transmitting the control command directly to the one of the multiple instruments via the second connection according to the respective script via a second bus controller associated with the standalone controller,

wherein the first bus controller and the second bus controller are associated with different communication standards,

wherein additional scripts are read upon completion of the transmission of the control command to one of the mobile phone or the one of the plurality of instruments until each script from among the set of scripts is read,

wherein the one of the plurality of instruments is one of (i) an integrated tester, connected to the mobile phone, and configured to detect digital or analog signals output by the mobile phone, (ii) a spectrum analyzer configured to detect radio-frequency signals transmitted from the mobile phone, (iii) a power supplier configured to power the mobile phone on and off, or (iv) a signal emitter configured to transmit radio-frequency signals to the mobile phone, and

wherein the one of the plurality of instruments uses the transmitted control command received via the second connection to test the mobile device.

8. The mobile phone and instrument control device of claim 7,

wherein the first bus controller is a universal serial bus controller, and

wherein the second bus controller is a general-purpose instrumentation bus controller.

9. The mobile phone and instrument control device of claim 8, wherein the processing unit records a first transmission log associated with transmitting the first control command to the mobile phone and, after receiving a first reply message from the mobile phone, records a first reception log associated with receiving the first reply message.

10. The mobile phone and instrument control device of claim 9, wherein the processing unit stores or displays the first transmission log and the first reception log.

11. The mobile phone and instrument control device of claim 9, wherein the processing unit records a second transmission log associated with transmitting the second control command to the one of the plurality of instruments and, after receiving a second reply message from the one of the plurality of instruments, records a second reception log associated with receiving the second reply message.

12. The mobile phone and instrument control device of claim 11, wherein the processing unit stores and displays the second transmission log and the second reception log.

18. The mobile phone and instrument control device of claim 7, wherein the standalone controller is configured to operate in a standalone mode of operation that does not require communication with devices other than the mobile phone and the one of the plurality of instruments that are simultaneously connected to the standalone controller as the set of scripts are read.