Method and system for the interactive testing of assembled wireless communication devices

• US 7,117,112 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2004
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Mok, Winston
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Carol S. W.
• Application Number:
  US10/945,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/117
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method for testing wireless communication devices in stages in a production line for the assembly of said devices, comprises assembling each respective wireless communication device such that each device includes an interactive test component for interactively testing the device; and testing each device using the interactive test component at an interactive test stage of the production line. The testing maybe performed at the interactive test stage without an external test system. A test result may be stored to the device for storing to an external testing database at a subsequent testing stage and for controlling the performing of subsequent testing.

Claims

1. A method for testing wireless communication devices in stages in a production line for the assembly of the devices, comprising the steps of:

assembling the wireless communication devices such that each device includes an interactive test component for interactively testing the device;

testing each device using the interactive test component at an interactive test stage of the production line;

storing a respective result of interactive testing to each device; and

accessing the respective result from each device at a non-interactive test stage of the production line for non-interactive, testing of the devices, the non-interactive testing comprising non-mechanical testing without physical actuation or mechanical dynamics being performed on the devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive testing is performed at the interactive test stage without an external test system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the respective result from each device at a the non-interactive test stage for storing to an external testing database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling each device to an external testing system for performing at least one of storing and non-interactive testing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the coupling includes coupling each device to a test fixture for coupling to the external testing system, the fixture comprising no mechanical dynamics for actuating the wireless communication devices.

6. A method of testing assembled wireless communications devices in a production line comprising:

receiving an assembled wireless communications device in the production line for testing in accordance with a plurality of tests comprising a) one or more interactive tests each requiring a physical actuation or mechanical dynamics to perform the interactive test and b) one or more non-interactive tests comprising non-mechanical tests without physical actuation or mechanical dynamics to be performed on the devices;

at an interactive test stage,

performing each of the interactive tests using an interactive test component assembled into device;

storing a result of the interactive tests to the device; and

accessing the result stored to the device for at least one of storing to an external testing database and controlling the non-interactive tests.

at a non-interactive test stage, performing the non-interactive tests.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising coupling the device to an external testing system for performing the non-interactive tests.

8. The method of 7, further comprising storing a result of the interactive test to an external testing database.

9. A production line testing system for testing wireless communication devices during assembly, comprising:

an interactive test stage in a production line for interactively testing assembled wireless communication devices, said devices assembled to have an interactive testing component operable to interactively test said devices without an external testing system; and

a non-interactive, test stage in the production line for non-interactively testing assembled wireless communication devices without physical actuation or mechanical dynamics being performed on the devices.

10. The production line testing system of claim 9, wherein the non-interactive test stage comprises an external testing system for performing the non-interactive tests.

11. The production line testing system of claim 10, wherein the external testing system is responsive to a test result of the interactive test stage.

12. A wireless communication device comprising an interactive test component for interactively testing the device, wherein the interactive test component stores a result of the interactive testing for at least one of subsequent storing to an external testing database and controlling subsequent non-interactive testing of the device, the non-interactive testing comprising non-mechanical tests without physical actuation or mechanical dynamics being performed on the device.