System and method for determining display subsystem compliance

• US 7,057,630 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Drone, Shanon I., Parent, Gershon, Anderson, Michael David, Norris, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K
• Application Number:
  US10/351,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20040145598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 345/154, 345/156, 345/604, 345/667, 345/698, 702/108, 382/112, 382/141, 382/145
• US Class Current: 345/698
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309

Abstract

A system and method for determining whether a target display subsystem is compliant with a reference display subsystem is provided. A target display subsystem is selected for outputting image data. Drawing instructions are generated and applied to the target display subsystem. Image data generated by the target display subsystem, responsive to the applied drawing instructions, is periodically captured and recorded. The reference subsystem is selected, and the same drawing instructions are applied to the reference display subsystem. Image data generated by the reference display subsystem is periodically captured and recorded from the reference display subsystem. Thereafter, the captured image data from the target display subsystem and the reference display subsystem are compared to determine whether the target display subsystem is compliant with the reference display subsystem.

Claims

1. A system for determining of a target display subsystem is compliant with a reference display subsystem, comprising:

(a) a reference display subsystem for receiving drawing instructions and generating image data suitable for display on a display device; and

(b) a compliance test subsystem for;

(i) generating drawing instructions;

(ii) applying said drawing instructions to either said reference display subsystem or a target display subsystem for receiving drawing instructions and generating image data suitable for display on a display device;

(iii) storing image data generated by said either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem resulting from the application of said drawing instructions to said one of said reference display subsystem and said target display subsystem;

(iv) applying said drawing instructions to the other of either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem;

(v) storing image data generated by the other of either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem resulting from the application of said image data to the other of either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem; and

(vi) comparing said stored image data generated by either said reference subsystem or said target display subsystem to determine if said target display subsystem is compliant with said reference display subsystem;

wherein said compliance test subsystem includes a compliance test module and a test application that is launched twice by said compliance test module, the launching of said test application by said compliance test module causing the generation of said drawing instructions;

wherein said compliance test subsystem also includes a display library for receiving said drawing instructions from said test application, selecting said reference display subsystem or a target display subsystem to receive said drawing instructions, and applying said drawing instructions to the selected reference display subsystem or target display subsystem;

wherein said display library also translates said drawing instructions into a format suitable for application to said selected reference display subsystem or target display subsystem;

wherein said display library periodically receives and stores said data generated by said selected reference display subsystem or target display subsystem;

wherein said period at which said display library periodically receives and stores sad generated data is according to predetermined interval data provided by said compliance test module; and

wherein said compliance test module writes said predetermined interval data into a file, and wherein said display library obtains said predetermined interval data from said file.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined interval data is randomly generated by said compliance test module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined interval data identifies a frequency value identifying a constant period between predetermined interval values.

4. A system for determining of a target display subsystem is compliant with a reference display subsystem, comprising;

(a) a reference display subsystem for receiving drawing instructions and generating image data suitable for display on a display device; and

(b) a compliance test subsystem for;

(i) generating drawing instructions;

(ii) applying said drawing instructions to either said reference display subsystem or a target display subsystem for receiving drawing instructions and generating image data suitable for display on a display device;

(iii) storing image data generated by said either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem resulting from the application of said drawing instructions to said one of said reference display subsystem and said target display subsystem;

(iv) applying said drawing instructions to the other of either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem;

(v) storing image data generated by the other of either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem resulting from the application of said image data to the other of either said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem; and

(vi) comparing said stored image data generated by either said reference subsystem or said target display subsystem to determine if said target display subsystem is compliant with said reference display subsystem;

wherein said compliance test subsystem includes a compliance test module and a test application that is launched twice by said compliance test module, the launching of said test application by said compliance test module causing the generation of said drawing instructions;

wherein said compliance test subsystem also includes a display library for receiving said drawing instructions from said test application, selecting said reference display subsystem or a target display subsystem to receive said drawing instructions, and applying said drawing instructions to the selected reference display subsystem or target display subsystem; and

wherein said display library selects said reference display subsystem or said target display subsystem to receive said drawing instructions according to selection data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said selection data is generated by said compliance test module.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said compliance test module writes said selection data into a file, and wherein said display library obtains said selection data from said file.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein when said compliance test module launches said test application a first time, said compliance test module generates said selection data indicating that said target display subsystem is to be selected to receive said drawing instructions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein when said compliance test module launches said test application a second time, said compliance test module generates said selection data indicating that said reference display subsystem is to be selected to receive said drawing instructions.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein said compliance test subsystem stores image data in a captured image data file.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein said image data is periodically obtained from said reference display subsystem and said target display subsystem.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said image data is a frame of image data.

12. A method for determining whether a target display subsystem is compliant with a reference display subsystem, comprising:

selecting a first display subsystem for generating image data suitable for display on a display device, the first display subsystem being either a target display subsystem or a reference display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a first time and applying the drawing instructions to the first display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the first display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions;

selecting a second display subsystem for generating image data for display on a display device, the second display subsystem being either the target display subsystem or the reference display subsystem that was not selected as the first display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a second time and applying the drawing instructions to the second display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the second display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions; and

comparing the captured and recorded image data generated by the first display subsystem with the captured and recorded image data generated by the second display subsystem to determine if the target display subsystem is compliant with the reference display subsystem;

wherein the image data is periodically captured and recorded as the drawing instructions are applied according to predetermined interval data that is randomly generated.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating drawing instructions comprises executing a software application that generates drawing instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the software application is a third party software application.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the software application executes in a deterministic manner.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the software applications executes in a deterministic manner according to information in a script file.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the software applications executes in a deterministic manner according to instructions encoded in the software application.

18. A method for determining whether a target display subsystem is compliant with a reference display subsystem, comprising:

selecting a first display subsystem for generating image data suitable for display on a display device, the first display subsystem being either a target display subsystem or a reference display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a first time and applying the drawing instructions to the first display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the first display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions;

selecting a second display subsystem for generating image data for display on a display device, the second display subsystem being either the target display subsystem or the reference display subsystem that was not selected as the first display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a second time and applying the drawing instructions to the second display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the second display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions; and

comparing the captured and recorded image data generated by the first display subsystem with the captured and recorded image data generated by the second display subsystem to determine if the target display subsystem is compliant with the reference display subsystem;

wherein the image data is periodically captured and recorded as the drawing instructions are applied according to predetermined interval data that is randomly generated.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined interval data identifies a frequency value identifying a constant period between predetermined interval values.

20. A method for determining whether a target display subsystem is compliant with a reference display subsystem, comprising;

selecting a first display subsystem for generating image data suitable for display on a display device, the first display subsystem being either a target display subsystem or a reference display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a first time and applying the drawing instructions to the first display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the first display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions;

selecting a second display subsystem for generating image data for display on a display device, the second display subsystem being either the target display subsystem or the reference display subsystem that was not selected as the first display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a second time and applying the drawing instructions to the second display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the second display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions;

comparing the captured and recorded image data generated by the first display subsystem with the captured and recorded image data generated by the second display subsystem to determine if the target display subsystem is compliant with the reference display subsystem; and

selecting the first and second display subsystems for generating image data for display on a display device according to selection information; and

wherein the selection information is obtained from a data file.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein capturing and recording image data generated by the first and second display subsystems further comprises recording image data in captured image data files.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising retrieving the image data generated by the first and second display subsystems from the captured image data files and comparing image data generated by the first display subsystem with the image data generated by the second display subsystem to determine whether the target display subsystem is compliant with the reference display subsystem.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the image data captured and recorded from the first and second display subsystems are frames of image data.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the frames of image data comprise frames of rasterized image data.

25. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for carrying out the method comprising:

selecting a first display subsystem for generating image data suitable for display on a display device, the first display subsystem being either a target display subsystem or a reference display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a first time and applying the drawing instructions to the first display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the first display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions;

selecting a second display subsystem for generating image data for display on a display device, the second display subsystem being either the target display subsystem or the reference display subsystem that was not selected as the first display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a second time and applying the drawing instructions to the second display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the second display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions; and

comparing the captured and recorded image data generated by the first display subsystem with the captured and recorded image data generated by the second display subsystem to determine if the target display subsystem is compliant with the reference display subsystem;

wherein the image data is periodically captured and recorded as the drawing instructions are applied according to a predetermined interval data, and wherein the predetermined interval data is randomly generated.

26. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions for carrying out the method comprising:

selecting a first display subsystem for generating image data suitable for display on a display device, the first display subsystem being either a target display subsystem or a reference display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a first time and applying the drawing instructions to the first display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the first display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions;

selecting a second display subsystem for generating image data for display on a display device, the second display subsystem being either the target display subsystem or the reference display subsystem that was not selected as the first display subsystem;

generating drawing instructions a second time and applying the drawing instructions to the second display subsystem;

capturing and recording image data generated by the second display subsystem in response to the applied drawing instructions; and

comparing the captured and recorded image data generated by the first display subsystem with the captured and recorded image data generated by the second display subsystem to determine if the target display subsystem is compliant with the reference display subsystem;

wherein the image data is periodically captured and recorded as the drawing instructions are applied according to a predetermined interval data, wherein the predetermined interval data identifies a frequency value identifying a constant period between predetermined interval values.