Systems and Methods for Predictive Radio-Frequency Testing of Electronic Devices

• US 20140315495A1
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Song, Joseph, Brian C.
• Application Number:
  US13/868,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20140315495A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A test system may test the radio-frequency (RF) performance of wireless electronic devices under test (DUTs). The RF performance of the DUTs may be characterized by a set of performance metrics. The test system may obtain correlation information for each performance metric in the set of performance metrics. The correlation information may identify predictor performance metrics and associated dependent performance metrics in the set of performance metrics. The test system may gather measurement data from a selected DUT by measuring the predictor performance metrics on the selected DUT. The production test station may generate a conditional probability distribution for the dependent performance metric given the measurement data and the correlation information. The production test station may determine whether to omit testing of the dependent performance metric for the selected DUT by comparing an area under the conditional probability distribution for the dependent performance metric to a predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A method of using a test system to perform pass-fail tests on devices under test to determine whether the devices under test perform satisfactorily, the method comprising:

with the test system, evaluating device performance for the devices under test by measuring a plurality of performance metrics for the devices under test; and

with the test system, analyzing the plurality of performance metrics for the devices under test to predict which of the performance metrics are redundant for performing the pass-fail tests by determining which of the performance metrics exhibit probabilities of failure that are less than a predetermined threshold.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the devices under test comprise electronic devices under test having wireless communications circuitry, wherein the plurality of performance metrics comprise wireless performance metrics associated with radio-frequency performance of the wireless communications circuitry, and wherein measuring the plurality of performance metrics for the devices under test comprises:

measuring the plurality of wireless performance metrics for each of the electronic devices under test.

3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of performance metrics for the devices under test comprises:

identifying correlation information for each respective pair of performance metrics in the plurality of performance metrics.

4. The method defined in claim 3, wherein identifying the correlation information comprises:

identifying a respective covariance value for each pair of performance metrics in the plurality of performance metrics.

5. The method defined in claim 3, wherein analyzing the plurality of performance metrics for the devices under test further comprises:

generating a conditional distribution for a selected performance metric in the plurality of performance metrics based at least partly on the identified correlation information.

6. The method defined in claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of performance metrics for the devices under test comprises:

generating a respective probability distribution for each performance metric in the plurality of performance metrics.

7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein analyzing the plurality of performance metrics for the devices under test further comprises:

identifying respective mean values and variance values of the probability distributions for each performance metric in the plurality of performance metrics.

8. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

with the test system, evaluating device performance for the devices under test without measuring the redundant performance metrics.

9. A method of performing pass-fail testing on a plurality of wireless electronic devices under test using a test system having at least first and second test stations, the method comprising:

with the first test station, gathering performance metric data from the plurality of wireless electronic devices under test by measuring a plurality of radio-frequency performance metrics for each wireless electronic device under test in the plurality of wireless electronic devices under test;

with the second test station, gathering measurement data by measuring a subset of the plurality of radio-frequency performance metrics for a selected wireless electronic device under test; and

with the second test station, determining whether to omit testing of a dependent radio-frequency performance metric in the plurality of radio-frequency performance metrics for the selected wireless electronic device under test based on the gathered measurement data and the gathered performance metric data.

10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein the performance metric data comprises correlation information associated with each respective pair of radio-frequency performance metrics in the plurality of radio-frequency performance metrics and wherein determining whether to omit testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metrics comprises:

determining whether to omit testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric based on the gathered measurement data and the correlation information.

11. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether to omit testing on the wireless electronic device under test for an additional dependent radio-frequency performance metric of the plurality of radio-frequency performance metrics based on the gathered measurement data and the correlation information.

12. The method defined in claim 10, wherein determining whether to omit testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric comprises:

computing a probability that the selected wireless electronic device under test will fail testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric.

13. The method defined in claim 12, wherein computing the probability that the selected wireless electronic device under test will fail testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric comprises:

generating a conditional probability distribution for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric based on the gathered measurement data and the correlation information.

14. The method defined in claim 13, wherein determining whether to omit testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric further comprises:

comparing an area under the conditional probability distribution for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric to a predetermined threshold.

15. The method defined in claim 14, wherein determining whether to omit testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric further comprises:

in response to determining that the area under the conditional probability distribution for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric is less than the predetermined threshold, comparing the gathered measurement data to upper and lower outlier thresholds.

16. The method defined in claim 15, wherein determining whether to omit testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric further comprises:

in response to determining that the gathered measurement data is less than the upper outlier threshold and greater than the lower outlier threshold, omitting testing for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric.

17. The method defined in claim 13, wherein generating the conditional probability distribution for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric comprises:

generating a multivariate normal conditional distribution for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric based on the gathered measurement data and the correlation information.

18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the correlation information comprises a respective mean value, variance value, and covariance value associated with each radio-frequency performance metric in the subset of radio-frequency performance metrics and wherein generating the multivariate normal conditional distribution comprises:

generating the multivariate normal conditional distribution for the dependent radio-frequency performance metric based on the gathered measurement data, the respective mean value, variance value, and covariance value associated with each radio-frequency performance metric in the subset of radio-frequency performance metrics.

19. A method of using a test system having at least first and second test stations to perform radio-frequency testing on a group of electronic devices under test, the method comprising:

with the first test station, measuring a plurality of performance metrics on the group of electronic devices under test;

with the first test station, obtaining correlation information that identifies a predictor performance metric and a dependent performance metric in the plurality of performance metrics, wherein the dependent performance metric correlates with the predictor performance metric;

with the second test station, gathering measurement data from a selected electronic device under test for the identified predictor performance metric; and

with the second test station, determining whether to skip testing of the dependent performance metric for the selected electronic device under test based on the correlation information and the gathered measurement data.

20. The method defined in claim 19, wherein obtaining the correlation information comprises:

identifying a respective correlation coefficient between each respective pair of performance metrics in the plurality of performance metrics;

comparing each correlation coefficient to a predetermined threshold; and

in response to determining that the correlation coefficient for a particular pair of performance metrics in the plurality of performance metrics is greater than the predetermined threshold, identifying that pair of performance metrics as a well-correlated pair of performance metrics.

21. The method defined in claim 20, wherein the well-correlated pair of performance metrics includes first and second performance metrics and wherein identifying the correlation information further comprises:

identifying the first performance metric as the predictor performance metric and the second performance metric as the dependent performance metric.

22. The method defined in claim 19, wherein determining whether to skip testing for the dependent performance metric comprises:

generating a conditional probability distribution for the dependent performance metric based on the gathered measurement data and the correlation information; and

comparing an area under the conditional probability distribution to a predetermined area threshold.

23. The method defined in claim 22, wherein determining whether to skip testing for the dependent performance metric further comprises:

in response to determining that the area under the conditional probability distribution is greater than the predetermined area threshold, performing testing of the dependent performance metric for the selected electronic device under test.

24. The method defined in claim 22, wherein determining whether to skip testing for the dependent performance metric further comprises:

in response to determining that the area under the conditional probability distribution less than the predetermined area threshold, skipping testing of the dependent performance metric for the selected electronic device under test.