Testing system with electrically coupled and wirelessly coupled probes

• US 8,742,997 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Nickel, Joshua G., McPeak, James L., Shen, Jr-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mikels, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US13/111,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 343/703, 324/76, 455/67
• US Class Current: 343/703
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/28 Measuring attenuation, gain, phase shift or derived characteristics of electric four pole networks, i.e. two-port networks; Measuring transient response in line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2822 of microwave or radiofrequency circuits of attenuation, gain, e.g. using network analyzers G01R27/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/104 of other parameters, e.g. DC offset, delay or propagation times

Abstract

Conductive electronic device structures such as a conductive housing member that forms part of an antenna may be tested during manufacturing. A test system may be provided that has a pair of pins or other contacts. Test equipment such as a network analyzer may provide radio-frequency test signals in a range of frequencies. The radio-frequency test signals may be applied to the conductive housing member or other conductive structures under test using the test probe contacts. An antenna may be used to gather corresponding wireless radio-frequency signal data. Forward transfer coefficient data may be computed from the transmitted and received radio-frequency signals. The forward transfer coefficient data or other test data may be compared to reference data to determine whether the conductive electronic device structures contain a fault.

Claims

1. A method for testing conductive electronic device housing structures using test equipment that includes an associated test probe with test probe contacts and that includes an associated antenna, comprising:

placing the test probe contacts into contact with the conductive electronic device housing structures;

while the test probe contacts are in contact with the conductive electronic device housing structures, conveying radio-frequency test signals through the test probe contacts to test the conductive electronic device housing structures; and

with the antenna, wirelessly receiving corresponding wireless test signals while the radio-frequency test signals are being conveyed through the test probe contacts.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the conductive electronic device housing structures comprise a peripheral conductive housing member having a gap and wherein conveying the radio-frequency test signals comprises transmitting radio-frequency test signals to the peripheral conductive housing member through the test probe contacts.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the conductive electronic device housing structures comprise at least part of an electronic device antenna structure and wherein conveying the radio-frequency test signals comprises transmitting radio-frequency test signals through the part of the electronic antenna structure using the test probe contacts.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein conveying the radio-frequency test signals comprises:

transmitting the radio-frequency test signals from the test equipment to the conductive electronic device housing structures through the test probe contacts; and

receiving the radio-frequency test signals at the test equipment from the conductive electronic device housing structures through the antenna.

5. The method defined in claim 4 further comprising:

with the test equipment, computing a forward transfer coefficient from the transmitted and received radio-frequency test signals.

6. The method defined in claim 5 wherein computing the forward transfer coefficient comprises computing a forward transfer coefficient over a frequency range that includes at least some frequencies in the range of 3.5 to 5 GHz.

7. The method defined in claim 2, wherein the test probe contacts comprise first and second contacts, wherein placing the test probe contacts into contact with the conductive electronic device housing structures comprises connecting the first and second contacts to respective portions of the peripheral conductive housing member on opposing sides of the gap.

8. The method defined in claim 5 further comprising:

with the test equipment, comparing the forward transfer coefficient to reference forward transfer coefficient data to determine whether the conductive electronic device housing structures contain a fault.

9. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

with network analyzer equipment in the test equipment that is coupled to the antenna, receiving the wireless test signals corresponding to the conveyed radio-frequency test signals from the antenna.

10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein conveying the radio-frequency test signals comprises using the network analyzer to transmit the radio-frequency test signals.

11. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

with the test equipment, using at least the received wireless test signals to determine whether the conductive electronic device housing structures contain a fault.