Method and system for remotely testing a wireless device

• US 20050192002A1
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Varanda, Marcelo
• Granted Patent: US 7,483,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A method and system for testing a wireless device, the system comprising: a remote user interface for interacting with the data device from a remote location; and a wireless network for communication with the wireless data device from a remote location, wherein a tester can send information to and receive information from the wireless device over said wireless network and can monitor said wireless device and send inputs to the wireless device over the remote user interface thereby forming a closed loop communications path.

Claims

1. A system for remotely testing a wireless device comprising:

a) a remote user interface for interacting with the data device from a remote location; and

b) a wireless network for communication with the wireless data device from a remote location,

wherein a tester can send information to and receive information from said wireless device over said wireless network and can monitor said wireless device and send inputs to said wireless device over said remote user interface thereby forming a closed loop communications path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote user interface includes:

a client machine;

a server machine;

a communications channel for providing data exchange between said client machine and said server machine; and

an interface for providing data exchange between said server machine and said wireless data device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said client machine is located remotely from said server machine.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said interface is one of a USB connection, an infrared connection and a Bluetooth interface.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said server machine converts data from said client machine based on said interface.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said remote user interface includes an audio box, said audio box having a telephone connection and being connected to a parallel port of said server machine and to a microphone input and a headset and speaker output of said wireless data device, wherein audio input and output to and from said wireless data device passes through said audio box and over said telephone line.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said server machine further comprises an audio modem, said audio modem being connected to said wireless data device at a microphone input for said wireless data device and at a headset or speaker output of said wireless data device, said modem further being connected to the telephone line,

whereby audio input and output to and from said wireless data device is transferred over said telephone line.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said input is a keystroke on said client machine.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein said input is a stylus event on said client machine.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said stylus event is one of a mouse click, a mouse release, and a cursor drag over a graphical representation of a display of said wireless device on said client machine.

11. A method of remotely testing a wireless device from a remote location comprising the steps of:

a) interacting with the wireless device through a remote user interface from the remote location; and

b) sending information to the wireless device and receiving information from the wireless device over a wireless network;

whereby said interacting step and sending and receiving step forms a closed loop communications path with the remote wireless device for testing the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is connected to a server machine through an interface and the server machine is connected to a client machine with a communications network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the interacting step includes:

transmitting from said wireless device a screen capture to said client machine; and

sending user inputs to said wireless device from said client machine.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein sending information and receiving information step involves a message selected from the group consisting of an email message, a text message, a short message service message, and a calendar event.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said wireless data device is further connected to an audio box, said audio box being connected to a first telephone, the interacting step including:

a) sending audio signals to and from said wireless device from the remote location through the audio box,

whereby a tester can use said first telephone to send an receive audio signals to and from said wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sending and receiving information step includes communicating between the wireless device and the tester using a second telephone, said communicating occurring over the wireless network, whereby the results of said communicating step can be monitored on said first telephone.