Test apparatus and method for testing interoperability of wireless communication devices

• US 8,213,928 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rohaly, Christopher J., Kelly, Phillip W., Baumgarte, Joseph W., Elwood, Charles N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US12/276,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20100130195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 455423-425, 455/418, 455/419
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A test apparatus and method are provided for testing interoperability of a first device to communicate with a second device via wireless communication. The test apparatus includes a wireless interface configured to interface via wireless communication with devices. The test apparatus also includes a processor, memory and logic stored in memory and executed by the processor. The logic causes the test apparatus to sequence through a plurality of wireless communication actions to communicate with a first device, monitor behavior of the first device during the actions, and store characteristics of the monitored behavior in memory so that the test apparatus may be used to emulate the first device when wirelessly communicating with a second device.

Claims

1. A test apparatus for testing interoperability of a first device to communicate with a second device via wireless communication, said test apparatus comprising:

a wireless interface configured to interface via wireless communication with at least first and second devices;

a processor;

memory; and

logic stored in memory and executed by the processor, said logic causing the test apparatus to sequence through a plurality of wireless communication actions to communicate with a first device, monitoring behavior of the first device during the actions, and storing characteristics of the monitored behavior in memory so that the test apparatus may be used to emulate the first device when wirelessly communicating with a second device.

2. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the test apparatus further communicates with a second device and emulates the first device such that the interoperability of the first device wirelessly communicates with the second device so that the second device can be tested.

3. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitored behavior of the first device comprises message response, timing between event and response and message in data formats.

4. The test apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the emulation comprises a comparing the message response, timing variation and message and data formatting of the first device to the second device.

5. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the wireless communication comprises a Bluetooth®

communication.

6. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the monitored behavior are stored in an abstraction layer of the memory.

7. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a vehicle device.

8. The test apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the vehicle device comprises a vehicle entertainment system.

9. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the logic further performs a pairing operation to communicate the test apparatus with the first device and further performs a plurality of actions.

10. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a cell phone.

11. The test apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the test apparatus comprises a display, wherein the display provides an interface substantially similar to an interface on the first device so that a user may interface with the second device via the display to emulate the first device.

12. A method for testing interoperability of a first device to communicate with a second device via wireless communication, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a test apparatus having a wireless interface configured to interface via wireless transmission with at least first and second devices;

communicating the test apparatus with at least a first device;

causing the test apparatus to sequence through a plurality of wireless communication actions to communicate with the first device;

monitoring behavior of the first device during the actions;

storing characteristics of the monitored behavior in memory; and

emulating the first device with the test apparatus when wirelessly communicating with a second device.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 further comprising the step of emulating the first device with the test apparatus when communicating with the second device so that the interoperability of the first device wirelessly communicating with the second device can be tested.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the step of storing characteristics of the monitored behavior comprise storing message responses, timing between event response and message and data formats of the first device.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the step of emulating the first device comprises comparing the message responses, timing variation and message and data formats of the first device to the second device.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the step of storing characteristics of the monitored behavior comprises storing the characteristics in an abstraction layer of the memory.

17. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the second device comprises a vehicle device.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the vehicle device comprises a vehicle entertainment system.

19. The method as defined in claim 12 further comprising the steps of performing a pairing operation to communicate the test apparatus with the first device and further performing a sequence of actions.

20. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the first device comprises a cell phone.

21. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the test apparatus comprises a display, wherein the display provides an interface substantially similar to an interface on the first device so that a user may interface with the second device via the display to emulate the first device.