Testing mobile wireless devices during device production

• US 7,987,397 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Yang, Lianghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabone, Jr.; John J
• Application Number:
  US12/944,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20110060953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 714/724, 714/741, 455/423
• US Class Current: 714/724
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• 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 system and method of testing a wireless communication device during device production comprises designating as a data log buffer when the device is being produced, at least part of random access memory (RAM) of the device that is allocated for virtual machine and/or application usage when the device is operational; and testing the device and storing test log data in the buffer. After testing, the data can be obtained from the buffer and processed using a debugging and log analysis tool.

Claims

1. A method of testing a wireless communication device, comprising:

designating as a data log buffer at least part of a memory of the device that is allocated for usage in an operational mode;

testing the device; and

storing test log data in the data log buffer.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising transmitting the test log data from the data log buffer to a test station.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising processing the transmitted test log data using a bug display tool.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least part of a memory allocated for virtual machine or application usage is designated as the data log buffer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the data log buffer is at least large enough to store test log results from the device testing and from a device calibration procedure.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the memory is a random access memory (RAM).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the memory is a flash memory.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein testing the device includes at least one test selected from the group consisting of a board level test and an assembled level test.

9. A system for testing a wireless communication device, comprising:

a testing station communicative with the device and for testing the device; and

a computer readable memory communicative with the device and having recorded thereon statements and instructions to designate as a data log buffer at least part of a memory of the device that is allocated for usage in an operational mode; and

to store test log data obtained from testing the device in the data log buffer.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a bug display tool stored on the test station for processing the test log data obtained from the data log buffer.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least part of a memory allocated for virtual machine or application usage is designated as the data log buffer.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the data log buffer is at least large enough to store test log data results from the device testing and from a device calibration procedure.

13. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the memory is a random access memory (RAM).

14. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the memory is a flash memory.

15. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein testing the device includes at least one test selected from the group consisting of a board level test and an assembled level test.

16. The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

17. A computer program product for testing a wireless communication device, the product comprising:

a memory having computer readable code embodied therein, the code including statements and instructions to;

designate as a data log buffer at least part of a memory of the device that is allocated for usage in an operational mode; and

store test log data obtained from testing of the device in the data log buffer.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein the code further includes statements and instructions to transmit the test log data from the data log buffer to a test station.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein at least part of a memory allocated for virtual machine or application usage is designated as the data log buffer.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19 wherein the data log buffer is at least large enough to store test log data results from the device testing and from a device calibration procedure.

21. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein the memory is a random access memory (RAM).

22. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein the memory is a flash memory.

23. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17 wherein testing the device includes at least one test selected from the group consisting of a board level test and an assembled level test.

24. A method of assembling a wireless communication device comprising:

assembling components of the device into the wireless communication device;

designating as a data log buffer at least part of a memory of the device that is allocated for usage in an operational mode; and

testing the device and storing test log data in the data log buffer.

25. The method of assembling a wireless communication device as claimed in claim 24 further comprising transmitting the test log data from the data log buffer to a test station.

26. The method of assembling a wireless device as claimed in claim 25 further comprising processing the transmitted test log data using a bug display tool.