System and method for self-testing of mobile wireless devices

• US 7,627,312 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Satyam Computer Services Limited (Tech Mahindra Limited)
• Original Assignee: Satyam Computer Services Limited (Tech Mahindra Limited)
• Inventors: Gangadharpalli, Sridhar, Golwelkar, Uday, Varadarajan, Sridhar, Rao, Korrapati Kalyana
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karikari; Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US11/049,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/420, 455/67.11, 714/38
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

The use of mobile wireless devices is on the increase. Mobile manufactures design, develop, and release new devices to the market at regular intervals. In order to keep the market leadership, such companies need to have techniques, processes, and tools to quickly design and test their products. One of the important requirements of a communicating device is its reliability and traditionally, testing has been playing a major role in assessing and improving the reliability of the devices. However, testing in general and testing of mobile wireless devices in particular, requires complementary testing in realistic environments. A system for automating much of the testing of mobile, wireless devices in a realistic environment involves (a) identifying test cases that need to be tested in outdoor environments; (b) identifying environment conditions that should prevail during the execution of test cases; (c) planning and scheduling of test cases; (d) identifying the occurrence, in real-time, of environmental conditions; (e) automatically executing the appropriate test cases and generation of test results; and (f) group testing to efficiently test as much as possible whenever environment is test conducive.

Claims

1. A self-testing system for automatic testing of a plurality of mobile wireless devices in a realistic environment using a plurality of test cases with respect to a plurality of applications, based on a database, a test manager, a plurality of agents, and a plurality of human agents, said system comprising:

a test scheduling element for scheduling said plurality of test cases;

an application agent element for managing an application of said plurality of applications; and

a coordinating agent element for managing inter-system and intra-system interactions, wherein;

said test scheduling element further comprising;

ordering of said applications based on scheduled end date and number of remaining test cases;

determination of a plurality of target systems based on said plurality of mobile wireless devices;

selection of a selected target system from said plurality of target systems;

selection of a plurality of scheduled applications from said plurality of applications based on a plurality of environment conditions, a plurality of clusters associated with each of said plurality of applications, and configuration and capability of said selected target system, wherein a cluster of said plurality of clusters is based on a plurality of environment expressions;

identification of a plurality of selected clusters from said plurality of clusters associated with each of said plurality of scheduled applications;

determining of a plurality of selected test cases from each of said plurality of selected clusters;

determining of a plurality of environment variables based on said plurality of selected test cases;

determining of a plurality of locations based on said plurality of environment variables;

determining of a route based on said plurality of locations;

configuration of a plurality of specific agents with respect to each of said plurality of scheduled applications and said selected target system, wherein each of said plurality of specific agents is a part of said plurality of agents;

downloading of said plurality of selected test cases to said selected target system;

selection of a human agent from said plurality of human agents; and

providing of said route to said human agent,

said application agent element comprises means for processing of a plurality of information elements related to said application with respect to said database comprising;

updating of said database with said plurality of test cases;

determination of status of said plurality of test cases;

obtaining of a plurality of local environment information elements associated with said application;

marking of one or more of said plurality of test cases based on said plurality of local environment information elements;

obtaining of a plurality of distributed environment information elements associated with said application;

marking of one or more of said plurality of test cases based on said plurality of distributed environment information elements;

providing of location information based on said plurality of distributed environment information elements to said human agent;

obtaining of a remote environment expression;

identification of a plurality of remote test cases based on said remote environment expression and said plurality of test cases; and

removal from said remote test cases from said database, and

said coordinating agent element comprises means for processing a plurality of data elements with respect to said database comprising;

obtaining of a plurality of information elements related to an application of said plurality of applications from said plurality of data elements;

creation of an application agent related to said application;

binding of said application agent with said plurality of information elements;

creation of a distributed environment sensing agent;

creation of a test scheduler agent;

creation of a test execution monitoring agent;

creation of a test results agent;

obtaining of a plurality of environment variables from said plurality of information elements;

binding of said distributed environment sensing agent with said plurality of environment variables;

obtaining of a plurality of test cases from said plurality of information elements;

communicating of said plurality of test cases to said application agent;

obtaining of a plurality of test result elements from said plurality of information elements;

communicating of said plurality of test result elements to said test manager;

obtaining of a plurality of environment information elements from said plurality of data elements;

communicating of said plurality of environment information to said distributed environment sensing agent;

cleaning up of said database;

deletion of said application agent;

deletion of said distributed environment sensing agent;

deletion of test scheduler agent;

deletion of said test execution monitoring agent; and

deletion of said test results agent, and updating of said database.

2. A self-testing system for automatic testing of a plurality of mobile wireless devices in a realistic environment using a plurality of test cases with respect to a plurality of applications, based on a database, a test manager, a plurality of agents, and a plurality of human agents, said system comprising:

a test scheduling element for scheduling said plurality of test cases;

an application agent element for managing an application of said plurality of applications;

a test scheduler agent element for scheduling a plurality of application specific test cases with respect to an application of said plurality of applications, wherein an application-specific test case of said plurality of application specific test cases is a part of said plurality of test cases;

a coordinating agent element for managing inter-system and intra-system interactions; and

a group testing subsystem for testing using said plurality of mobile wireless devices, wherein;

said test scheduling element further comprising;

ordering of said applications based on scheduled end date and number of remaining test cases;

determination of a plurality of target systems based on said plurality of mobile wireless devices;

selection of a selected target system from said plurality of target systems;

selection of a plurality of scheduled applications from said plurality of applications based on a plurality of environment conditions, a plurality of clusters associated with each of said plurality of applications, and configuration and capability of said selected target system, wherein a cluster of said plurality of clusters is based on a plurality of environment expressions;

identification of a plurality of selected clusters from said plurality of clusters associated with each of said plurality of scheduled applications;

determining of a plurality of selected test cases from each of said plurality of selected clusters;

determining of a plurality of environment variables based on said plurality of selected test cases;

determining of a plurality of locations based on said plurality of environment variables;

determining of a route based on said plurality of locations;

configuration of a plurality of specific agents with respect to each of said plurality of scheduled applications and said selected target system, wherein each of said plurality of specific agents is a part of said plurality of agents;

downloading of said plurality of selected test cases to said selected target system;

selection of a human agent from said plurality of human agents; and

providing of said route to said human agent,

said application agent element comprises means for processing of a plurality of information elements related to said application with respect to said database comprising;

updating of said database with said plurality of test cases;

determination of status of said plurality of test cases;

obtaining of a plurality of local environment information elements associated with said application;

marking of one or more of said plurality of test cases based on said plurality of local environment information elements;

obtaining of a plurality of distributed environment information elements associated with said application;

marking of one or more of said plurality of test cases based on said plurality of distributed environment information elements;

providing of location information based on said plurality of distributed environment information elements to said human agent;

obtaining of a remote environment expression;

identification of a plurality of remote test cases based on said remote environment expression and said plurality of test cases; and

removal from said remote test cases from said database,

said test scheduler agent element comprises means for proactive scheduling of said application based on a plurality of environment variables comprising;

packaging of a current consistent environment information based on said plurality of environment variables into a packeted environment information;

communicating of said packeted environment information to said test manager; and

obtaining of the most appropriate test cases based on said packeted environment information,

said coordinating agent element comprises means for processing a plurality of data elements with respect to said database comprising;

obtaining of a plurality of information elements related to an application of said plurality of applications from said plurality of data elements;

creation of an application agent related to said application;

binding of said application agent with said plurality of information elements;

creation of a distributed environment sensing agent;

creation of a test scheduler agent;

creation of a test execution monitoring agent;

creation of a test results agent;

obtaining of a plurality of environment variables from said plurality of information elements;

binding of said distributed environment sensing agent with said plurality of environment variables;

obtaining of a plurality of test cases from said plurality of information elements;

communicating of said plurality of test cases to said application agent;

obtaining of a plurality of test result elements from said plurality of information elements;

communicating of said plurality of test result elements to said test manager;

obtaining of a plurality of environment information elements from said plurality of data elements;

communicating of said plurality of environment information to said distributed environment sensing agent;

cleaning up of said database;

deletion of said application agent;

deletion of said distributed environment sensing agent;

deletion of test scheduler agent;

deletion of said test execution monitoring agent; and

deletion of said test results agent, and updating of said database, and

said group testing subsystem comprises means for group testing a plurality of target systems by said plurality of human agents comprising;

determination of said plurality of target systems based on said plurality of mobile wireless devices;

obtaining of said plurality of applications;

determination of a plurality of test cases associated with said plurality of applications;

determination of a group leader of said plurality of target systems;

obtaining of a plurality of environment conditions from a target system of said plurality of target systems;

distributing of said plurality of test cases to said target system by said group leader based on said plurality of environment conditions;

determination of a plurality of routes, wherein, each route of said plurality of routes is for a target system of said plurality of target systems; and

providing of each of said plurality of routes to a human agent of said plurality of human agents.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said test scheduling element comprises means for processing of a plurality of test cases with respect to an application of said plurality of applications comprising:

determining of an environment expression associated with each test case of said plurality of test cases;

clustering of said plurality of test cases into a plurality of clusters based on said environment expression of each of said plurality of test cases; and

validation of said plurality of clusters for ensuring that the number of test cases in each of said plurality of clusters is about the same.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said test scheduler agent element further comprises means for predictive scheduling of said application comprising:

determining of a plurality of environment variables related to said application;

prediction of each of said plurality of environment variables to yield a plurality of predicted environment variables;

identification of one or more of said predicted environment variables based on a predetermined prediction accuracy factors to yield a plurality of accurate environment variables;

packaging of environment information based on said plurality of accurate environment variables into a packeted environment information;

communicating of said packeted environment information to said test manager; and

obtaining of the most appropriate test cases based on said packeted environment information.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said group testing subsystem further comprises means for moving a plurality of test cases from a target system of said plurality of target systems comprising:

obtaining a plurality of environment conditions with respect to said target system;

determining a plurality of execution status of a plurality of distributed test cases with respect to said target system;

obtaining a plurality of environment conditions from said plurality of target systems;

identification of a plurality of movable test cases from said target system based on said plurality of execution status and said plurality of environment conditions;

identification of an appropriate target system of said plurality of target systems based on said plurality of movable test cases and said plurality of environment conditions; and

moving of said plurality of movable test cases from said target system to said appropriate target system.