Accessory validation system

• US 8,407,671 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ananny, John, Dorogusker, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Christopher B
• Application Number:
  US12/238,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 717124-126, 717724-725, 710/104
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2221 to test input/output devices or peripheral units

Abstract

Circuits, methods, and apparatus for testing media player accessories. One example includes an accessory validation system including hardware, firmware, and software. This example provides two test modes, referred to a sniff mode and an emulation mode. In the sniff mode, a test box may be inserted between an accessory and a media player. Traffic between the accessory and media player may be monitored and the presence of errors may be determined. In the emulation mode, the accessory validation system hardware emulates a media player. The emulator provides various types of responses to the accessory that would otherwise occur infrequently with an actual media player. The tests to be completed in these modes are compiled based on the category of functions that an accessory maker wishes to claim for the accessory. These category claims are then converted into a number of rules. From these rules, specific tests are generated.

Claims

1. A method of testing an electronic accessory comprising:

providing a plurality of possible functional capabilities that can be performed by one or more types of electronic accessories;

receiving an identification of at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities for a particular electronic accessory;

using the identified at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities to generate a plurality of rules that identify requirements for the particular electronic accessory; and

using the plurality of rules to generate-a plurality of tests for testing the particular electronic accessory.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the requirements identify functionality provided by the particular electronic accessory.

2. A method of testing an accessory comprising:

providing a plurality of possible functional capabilities;

receiving an identification of at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities;

using the identified at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities to generate a plurality of rules, where the plurality of rules comprises a plurality of requirements for the accessory; and

using the plurality of rules to generate a plurality of tests for testing the accessory;

selecting a first test from the plurality of tests;

providing configuration information to a test unit for the first test; and

providing a prompt for an action to be performed on the accessory for the first test.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving first information regarding one or more packets transmitted by the accessory.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

storing and displaying second information regarding the one or more packets transmitted by the accessory.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising receiving second information regarding one or more packets transmitted by a media player.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

generating one or more packets to be provided to the accessory.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the prompt is provided using a user interface.

8. An electronic testing system comprising:

an electronic testing unit comprising;

a first connector to connect to an accessory;

a second connector to connect to a computer;

first electronic circuitry to detect electronic signals received at the first connector; and

second electronic circuitry to provide information regarding the detected electronic signals to the second connector; and

a computer program residing on a computer and comprising;

code for providing a plurality of possible functional capabilities;

code for receiving an identification of at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities;

code for using the identified at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities to generate a plurality of rules, where the plurality of rules comprises a plurality of requirements for the accessory; and

code for using the plurality of rules to generate a plurality of tests for testing the accessory.

9. The electronic testing system of claim 8 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for selecting a first test from the plurality of tests;

code for providing configuration information to the electronic testing unit for the first test; and

code for providing a prompt for an action to be performed on the accessory for the first test.

10. The electronic testing system of claim 9 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for receiving first information regarding one or more packets transmitted by the accessory.

11. The electronic testing system of claim 10 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for storing second information regarding the one or more packets transmitted by the accessory; and

code for displaying the second information regarding the one or more packets transmitted by the accessory.

12. The electronic testing system of claim 10 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for receiving second information regarding one or more packets transmitted by a media player.

13. The electronic testing system of claim 10 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for generating one or more packets to be provided to the accessory.

14. The electronic testing system of claim 8 wherein the electronic testing unit further comprises:

third electronic circuitry to interpret at least some of the electronic signals received at the first connector as commands.

15. The electronic testing system of claim 9 wherein the second electronic circuitry provides information regarding the interpreted commands to the third connector.

16. The electronic testing system of claim 8 wherein the electronic testing unit further comprises:

third electronic circuitry to receive information regarding electronic signals to be provided at the first connector.

17. The electronic testing system of claim 8 wherein the electronic testing unit further comprises:

third electronic circuitry to provide electronic signals at the first connector.

18. The electronic testing system of claim 8 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for determining whether one or more electrical characteristics of signals detected at the first connector meet one or more test limits for one or more tests.

19. The electronic testing system of claim 18 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for determining whether one or more signal characteristics of signals detected at the first connector meet one or more test limits for one or more tests.

20. The electronic testing system of claim 19 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for determining whether the signals detected at the first connector form one or more packets that comply with one or more tests.

21. The electronic testing system of claim 20 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for determining whether one or more packets are detected at the first connector in a sequence that complies with one or more tests.

22. The electronic testing system of claim 21 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for determining whether the accessory meets all tests for the identified functional capabilities.

23. An electronic testing unit comprising:

a first connector to connect to an accessory;

a second connector to connect to a media player;

a third connector to connect to a computer; and

electronic circuitry that enables the testing unit to operate in first and second test modes where in the first test mode the electronic circuitry monitors electronic signals received at and sent to the first connector, and in the second test mode the electronic circuitry mimics the operation of an electronic accessory, the electronic circuitry further including circuitry to provide information regarding results of the first and second test modes to the third connector.

24. The electronic testing unit of claim 23

wherein the electronic circuitry to interprets at least some of the electronic signals received at the first connector as commands.

25. The electronic testing unit of claim 24 wherein the electronic circuitry provides information regarding the interpreted commands to the third connector.

26. The electronic testing unit of claim 23

wherein the electronic circuitry to receives information regarding electronic signals to be provided at the first connector.

27. The electronic testing unit of claim 23

wherein the electronic circuitry to provides electronic signals at the first connector.

28. The electronic testing unit of claim 23 wherein the first, second, and third connectors are wireless connectors.

39. The electronic testing unit of claim 23 wherein the information comprises testing information.

29. A computer system for testing electronic accessories, the computer system comprising a computer program on a computer readable media, the computer program comprising:

code for providing a plurality of possible functional capabilities that can be performed by one or more types of electronic accessories;

code for receiving an identification of at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities for a particular electronic accessory;

code for using the identified at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities to generate a plurality of rules that identify requirements for the particular electronic accessory; and

code for generating a plurality of tests for testing the particular electronic accessory based on the plurality of rules.

35. The computer system of claim 29 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for displaying the plurality of possible functional capabilities to a user.

36. The computer system of claim 29 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for displaying to a user an identified at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities.

37. The computer system of claim 29 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for graphically displaying to a user whether the accessory meets all tests for the identified functional capabilities.

40. The computer system of claim 29 wherein the requirements identify functionality provided by the particular electronic accessory.

30. A computer system for testing accessories, the computer system comprising a computer program on a computer readable media, the computer program comprising:

code for providing a plurality of possible functional capabilities;

code for receiving an identification of at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities;

code for using the identified at least one of the plurality of possible functional capabilities to generate a plurality of rules, where the plurality of rules comprises a plurality of requirements for the accessory; and

code for using the plurality of rules to generate a plurality of tests for testing the accessory;

code for selecting a first test from the plurality of tests;

code for providing configuration information to an electronic testing unit for the first test; and

code for providing a prompt for an action to be performed on the accessory for the first test.

31. The computer system of claim 30 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for receiving first information regarding one or more packets transmitted by the accessory.

32. The computer system of claim 31 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for storing second information regarding the one or more packets transmitted by the accessory; and

code for displaying the second information regarding the one or more packets transmitted by the accessory.

33. The computer system of claim 30 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for receiving second information regarding one or more packets transmitted by a media player.

34. The computer system of claim 30 wherein the computer program further comprises:

code for generating one or more packets to be provided to the accessory.