Simulated play of interactive multimedia applications for error detection

• US 6,067,638 A
• Filed: 04/22/1998
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scientific Learning Corp. (Carnegie Learning, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific Learning Corp. (Carnegie Learning, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakama, Seiken, Benitz, Angela Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Revak, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US09/064,795
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 714/35, 714/37, 714/49, 714/50, 714/28, 714/38, 714/39, 714/29, 712/227, 395/500.44, 395/500.47
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3461 Trace driven simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3668 Software testing software testing in telephone exchanges H04M3/242, testing of hardware G06F11/22

Abstract

An interactive multimedia application executes in a debug mode in which previously recorded user events are retrieved from memory and emulated in sequence. Each user event is represented by a record which specifies a particular classification of user event. Accordingly, a user event satisfying the particular classification is emulated. The debug manager emulates a user event of the particular category by retrieving the classification criteria from the interactive module, forming an event message representing an event satisfying the criteria for the particular classification, and sending the event message to the interactive module. Accordingly, the interactive module receives an event message which could have come from either the debug manager or the user interface module. As such, the particular computer instructions executed by the interactive module in response to the event are the same regardless of whether the event is emulated. In the debug mode, the user can start and stop recording of user events and can start playback of previously recorded user events. Such is particularly useful in testing interactive multimedia applications. For example, very long streams of user events can be generated and allowed to control execution of an interactive multimedia application for extended periods of time.

Claims

1. A method for emulating use of an interactive module of an interactive multimedia application in which user events (i) are classified into one of two or more categories of events according to classification criteria within the interactive multimedia application and (ii) are received by the interactive module from a user interface module in the form of a user event message, the method comprising:

retrieving from a computer memory data representing two or more user event records, each of which identifies a selected one of the categories;

for each of the user event records,

forming an emulating user event message which represents an emulated user event which satisfies the classification criteria pertaining to the selected category; and

sending the emulating user event message to the interactive module in a manner in which the user interface module sends the user event message to the interactive module.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the two or more categories include correct emulated user events and incorrect emulated user events.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the classification criteria are specified in context with stimuli presented by execution of the interactive multimedia application.

4. A computer readable medium useful in association with a computer which includes a processor and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions which are configured to cause the computer to emulate use of an interactive module of an interactive multimedia application in which user events (i) are classified into one of two or more categories of events according to classification criteria within the interactive multimedia application and (ii) are received by the interactive module from a user interface module in the form of a user event message by:

retrieving from a computer memory data representing two or more user event records, each of which identifies a selected one of the categories;

for each of the user event records,

forming an emulating user event message which represents an emulated user event which satisfies the classification criteria pertaining to the selected category; and

sending the emulating user event message to the interactive module in a manner in which the user interface module sends the user event message to the interactive module.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4 wherein the two or more categories include correct emulated user events and incorrect emulated user events.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5 wherein the classification criteria are specified in context with stimuli presented by execution of the interactive multimedia application.

7. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and

an emulation module (i) which executes in the processor from the memory and (ii) which, when executed by the processor causes the computer to emulate use of an interactive module of an interactive multimedia application in which user events (a) are classified into one of two or more categories of events according to classification criteria within the interactive multimedia application and (b) are received by the interactive module from a user interface module in the form of a user event message by;

retrieving from a computer memory data representing two or more user event records, each of which identifies a selected one of the categories;

for each of the user event records,

forming an emulating user event message which represents an emulated user event which satisfies the classification criteria pertaining to the selected category; and

sending the emulating user event message to the interactive module in a manner in which the user interface module sends the user event message to the interactive module.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein the two or more categories include correct emulated user events and incorrect emulated user events.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein the classification criteria are specified in context with stimuli presented by execution of the interactive multimedia application.