Non-intrusive testing system and method

• US 20040081346A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BSQUARE Corporation
• Original Assignee: TestQuest, Inc. (BSQUARE Corporation)
• Inventors: Weisz, Theron, Music, Benjamin, Lehman, Peter, Louden, Michael, Haggerty, David
• Application Number:
  US10/323,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20040081346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/277 with comparison between actual response and known fault-free response

Abstract

A computerized method and system for non-intrusive testing of an information processing system. This includes stimulating a system-under-test, capturing an image from the system-under-test visual output and one or more of the following: converting the captured image to a grey-scale bitmap, deriving pixel patterns from sub-portions of the captured image, normalizing the derived pixel patterns, scoring pixels in a pixel pattern according to color intensity, comparing pixel patterns with graphical object definitions, and finding and outputting matches taking into consideration tolerances for color, resolution, object spacing and overlap, and font kerning variation. The output is optionally a text string representing the recognized text within the captured image. The method and system also automatically learns new graphical object definitions when appropriately provided with graphical objects. A computer-readable media is provided that includes instructions coded thereon that when executed on a suitably programmed computer executes one or more of the above methods.

Claims

1. A computerized method for testing an information-processing system-under-test, the method comprising:

capturing an image that represents a visual output of the system-under-test, wherein the image includes a plurality of pixels;

deriving at least a first pixel pattern representing a first sub-portion of the image;

comparing the first derived pixel pattern with a prespecified graphical object; and

outputting data representing results of the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deriving further includes normalizing at least some of the pixels in the derived pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the deriving includes:

extracting a rectangular sub-portion of the image; and

performing text recognition on the extracted sub-portion.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

stimulating the information-processing system, wherein the capturing of the image and comparing are performed to test for an expected result of the stimulation.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein normalizing each image pixel includes deriving a score corresponding to color intensity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prespecified graphical object includes a character glyph used in a written language.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the output data includes a text string corresponding to text detected in the derived pixel pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the output data includes a set of coordinates representing a location within the captured image where the compared graphical object is located.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the computerized system to a database; and

storing a plurality of graphical object definitions in the database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the pixel comparing includes a non-zero tolerance of color variation;

the pixel comparing includes ignoring specified interior regions of graphical objects;

the pixel comparing includes tolerating font kerning variation;

the pixel comparing includes handling variable spacing and overlapping between graphical objects; and

the pixel comparing includes handling resolution variations in the visual output of the system.

11. A computer-readable media comprising instructions coded thereon that, when executed on a suitably programmed computer, executes the method of claim 1.

12. A computerized system for testing an information-processing system-under-test, the information-processing system-under-test having a visual display driver, the computerized system comprising:

a memory;

one or more graphical object definitions including a first graphical object definition stored in the memory;

an image-capture device coupled to the memory that captures an image of the visual display driver of the information processing system-under-test, wherein the captured image includes a plurality of pixels;

commands stored in the memory to derive at least a first pixel pattern representing at least a portion of the image from the image-capture device;

a comparator coupled to the memory that generates a result based on a comparison of the first derived pixel pattern with the first graphical object definition; and

an output device coupled to the memory that outputs data representing a result from the comparator.

13. The commands stored in memory to derive at least a first pixel pattern of claim 12, wherein the commands further comprise:

commands that normalize at least some of the pixels in the derived pattern.

14. The computerized system of claim 12, further comprising:

a stimulation output port that connects to inputs of the information-processing system-under-test; and

a plurality of stimulation commands stored in the memory that drive the output port to stimulate the information processing system-under-test, wherein the image-capture device and comparator are used to test for an expected result of at least one of the stimulation commands.

15. The computerized system of claim 14, further comprising:

an input port coupled to the image-capture device that receives video-output signals of the system-under-test.

16. The commands stored in the memory to normalize at least a first pixel pattern of a captured image of claim 13, wherein the commands further comprise:

commands stored in the memory to derive a score for each pixel corresponding to color intensity.

17. The output device of claim 12, wherein the device output includes a text string.

18. The output device of claim 12, wherein the device output includes data specifying a set of coordinates representing a location within a captured image where a prespecified graphical object is located.

19. The computerized system of claim 12, further comprising:

a database; and

a plurality of graphical object definitions stored in the database.

20. The computerized system of claim 12, further comprising:

software specifying pixel comparison including a non-zero tolerance of color variation, ignoring specified interior regions of graphical objects, tolerating font kerning variation variable spacing, and overlapping between graphical objects; and

software specifying handling resolution variations in the visual output of the system-under-test.

21. A computerized system of claim 12, further comprising:

software specifying defining, editing, and troubleshooting one or more character sets of a written language, the one or more character sets including fonts with and without kerning;

software specifying creating and modifying a non-zero tolerance of color variation used in the pixel comparing;

software specifying interior regions of graphical objects to ignored during the pixel comparison; and

software specifying how to handle resolution variations during the pixel comparison.

22. A computerized method for testing a function of an information-processing system-under-test, the method comprising:

executing a stimulation command;

capturing a video-output of the system-under-test;

performing text recognition on the captured video-output; and

outputting a result based on the text recognition.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing the captured video-output as a bitmap image, the bitmap image including a plurality of pixels; and

deriving at least a first pixel pattern representing at least a portion of the bitmap image.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

normalizing at least some of the pixels in the derived pattern.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

deriving a score for at least some of the normalized pixels in the derived pattern, the score corresponding to color intensity.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing a plurality of text definitions on a database coupled to a computerized system suitably configured to perform the method.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the performance of text recognition includes comparing at least a region of the captured video-output with a prespecified text definition.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the prespecified text definition includes a definition of a character glyph used in a written language.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the output result includes a text string corresponding to text extracted from the captured video-output and a set of coordinates representing a location within the captured video-output.

30. A computerized system comprising:

a memory;

a plurality of graphical object definitions stored in the memory;

an image capture device coupled to the memory;

means for extracting graphical object information from the captured image and for comparing the graphical object information to at least one of the prespecified graphical object definitions;

an output device coupled to the means for extracting and comparing that outputs data representing a result of the comparison.