Device manufacturing using the device's embedded wireless technology

• US 20070072599A1
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soliman, Samir, Burke, Joseph, Jha, Sanjay, Romine, Christopher, Feenaghty, Dennis
• Application Number:
  US11/237,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072599A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25062 Detect physical location of field device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Embodiments describe manufacturing, programming, testing, and servicing of wireless computing devices utilizing the embedded wireless technology in the device. According to an aspect is a method for efficient batch processing of a plurality of devices. The method includes sending data to a plurality of wireless devices though a wireless communication. The data included in the wireless communication is received at the plurality of wireless devices and the plurality of wireless devices are programmed or tested with the data included in the wireless communication. The plurality of wireless devices can be programmed and/or tested in batch and/or in parallel.

Claims

1. A method of programming wireless devices in a manufacturing environment, comprising:

sending program data to at least one wireless device though a wireless communication during a manufacturing or testing process; and

programming the at least one wireless device with the program data during the manufacturing process or testing.

2. The method of claim 1, the wireless communication is one of Bluetooth, WiFi, Wireless USB, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), wide-band CDMA (WCDMA), Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM), enhanced data GSM environment (EDGE), WiMAX or IEEE 802.16 standard, and Global Positioning System (GPS) format.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

concurrently receiving the program data at a plurality of other wireless devices at a substantially similar time as the at least one wireless device; and

concurrently programming the plurality of other wireless devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

distinguishing among the plurality of other wireless devices based at least in part on a unique identifier; and

configuring the sent program data based at least in part on the unique identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, before the act of sending program data to at least one wireless device though a wireless communication, further comprising:

determining a first location of the at least one wireless device; and

configuring the program data based at least in part on the first location.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a second location of the at least one wireless device;

extracting data from the at least one wireless device; and

comparing the extracted data with the program data configured at the first location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

returning the at least one wireless device to the first location if the extracted data does not match the program data configured at the first location.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

processing the at least one wireless device at the second location if the extracted data matches the program data configured at the first location.

9. A method of testing a plurality of wireless computing devices, comprising:

locating a plurality of wireless computing devices in a manufacturing process;

sending a wireless test signal to the plurality of wireless computing devices; and

processing the wireless test signal at each of the plurality of wireless computing devices at substantially the same time.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

testing the plurality of wireless devices as a batch of devices.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

assigning a unique identifier to each of the plurality of wireless devices; and

distinguishing among the plurality of wireless devices based at least in part on the unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 9, the act of locating a plurality of wireless computing devices in a manufacturing process further comprising:

determining where each of the plurality of wireless devices is located based upon a manufacturing process; and

grouping a subset of the plurality of wireless devices based at least in part on the determined manufacturing process.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

beginning a data communication automatically when each device of the plurality of wireless devices enters a signal range; and

ending a data communication automatically when each device of the plurality of wireless devices exits a signal range.

14. The method of claim 13, the data communication is one of a test procedure and a data transfer.

15. The method of claim 9, the wireless signal is one of Bluetooth, WiFi, Wireless USB, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), wide-band CDMA (WCDMA), Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM), enhanced data GSM environment (EDGE), WiMAX or IEEE 802.16 standard, and Global Positioning System (GPS) format.

16. A method for facilitating wireless testing and programming of wireless devices;

comprising;

establishing communication between at least one control unit and at least one wireless device;

receiving information at the at least one wireless device from the at least one control unit; and

transmitting response information to the at least one control unit from the at least one wireless device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

updating a processor of the wireless device with the received information; and

storing the received information in a memory of the wireless device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a location of the at least one wireless device;

performing a wireless test of the at least one wireless device; and

receiving a signal from the at least one wireless device that contains test result information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

sending a wireless test signal to a plurality of wireless devices at a substantially similar time; and

processing the wireless test signal at the plurality of wireless devices in parallel; and

receiving respective test result signals from each of the plurality of wireless devices.

20. The method of claim 19, the plurality of wireless devices are in different manufacturing areas.

21. A manufacturing system, comprising:

at least one control unit configured to interface wirelessly with a plurality of wireless devices during at least one manufacturing process.

22. The system of claim 21, the plurality of wireless devices and the at least one control unit communicate in a format supported by an embedded wireless technology of the plurality of wireless devices.

23. The system of claim 21, the at least one control unit and the plurality of wireless devices communicate wirelessly utilizing one of Bluetooth, WiFi, Wireless USB, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), wide-band CDMA (WCDMA), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), enhanced data GSM environment (EDGE), WiMAX or IEEE 802.16 standard, and Global Positioning System (GPS) format.

24. The system of claim 21, the at least one manufacturing process is one of a flash, RF calibration, call test, MMI test, audio test, antenna test and provisioning and customization.

25. The system of claim 21, the wireless interface is one of a data transfer, a test procedure, and a customization file.

26. The system of claim 21, the plurality of wireless devices are assigned a unique identifier that identifies a particular wireless device.

27. A wireless device, comprising:

a component that receives program data wirelessly during a manufacturing, testing, or servicing process;

a memory that stores the program data; and

a processor memory that is programmed with the program data.

28. The wireless device of claim 27, further comprising:

a unique identifier that facilitates identification of the device offline for customization or identification.

29. The wireless device of claim 27 is configured to receive the program data utilizing one of Bluetooth, WiFi, Wireless USB, Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), wide-band CDMA (WCDMA), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), enhanced data GSM environment (EDGE), WiMAX or IEEE 802.16 standard, and Global Positioning System (GPS) format.

30. A system that concurrently programs a plurality of wireless devices during manufacturing or testing, comprising:

means for determining location information for a plurality of wireless devices;

means for configuring program data based at least in part on the determined location;

means for wirelessly transmitting the program data to the plurality of wireless devices; and

means for facilitating concurrent programming of the plurality of wireless devices with the program data.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for concurrently associating each of the plurality of wireless devices with an identifier; and

means for distinguishing the plurality of wireless devices based at least in part on the identifier.

32. The system of claim 30, further comprising:

means for communicating a test program wirelessly to the plurality of wireless devices; and

means for concurrently testing the plurality of wireless devices with the communicated test program.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for receiving a test result from each of the plurality of wireless devices, the test result includes identification information.

34. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for:

receiving program data during a manufacturing or testing process; and

programming at least one wireless device using the received program data.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a test sequence;

performing the test sequence; and

outputting a wireless signal that includes a test result.

36. A processor that executes instructions for wireless testing and programming during a manufacturing process, the instructions comprising

receiving program data through a wireless communication;

storing the program data in a cache; and

programming a processor with the program data.