APIs to test a device

• US 8,806,280 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stephenson, Alan W., Tu, Xiao, Sheehan, Scott S., Mickle, Robert K., Lee, Changsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Yolanda L
• Application Number:
  US13/405,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 714/1, 714/2, 714/25, 714/27, 714/38.1, 345/174, 717/124, 717/125, 715/702
• US Class Current: 714/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2221 to test input/output devices or peripheral units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

APIs to test a device are described. In one or more implementations, a device includes a housing, one or more sensors supported by the housing, and one or more modules disposed within the housing that are implemented at least partially in hardware. The one or more modules are configured to process inputs detected using the one or more sensors and expose one or more application programming interfaces to a robot to cause the robot to perform one or more operations that are detectable by the one or more sensors, the one or more operations usable to test detection performed by the one or more sensors and the processing of the inputs performed by the one or more modules.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a housing;

one or more sensors supported by the housing; and

one or more modules disposed within the housing that are implemented at least partially in hardware, the one or more modules configured to test the one or more sensors by;

processing inputs detected using the one or more sensors under test; and

exposing one or more application programming interfaces to a robot to cause the robot to perform one or more operations that are detectable by the one or more sensors under test, the one or more operations usable to test detection performed by the one or more sensors and the processing of the inputs performed by the one or more modules under test.

2. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more application programming interfaces are configured to specify movement of a contact that is to be performed by the robot, the movement detectable by the one or more sensors.

3. A device as described in claim 2, wherein the movement is configured to imitate a gesture that is recognizable by the one or more modules through the processing of the inputs, recognition of the gesture configured to initiate a function that is performable by the one or more modules.

4. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are part of a touchscreen device and the device is configured as a computing device.

5. A device as described in claim 4, wherein the computing device is configured as a mobile phone or a tablet computer.

6. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the testing is configured to measure location accuracy of the one or more operations performed by the robot.

7. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the testing is configured to measure latency of the device in recognizing movement or contact of the one or more operations performed by the robot.

8. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the testing is configured to measure hardware latency of the device in recognizing the one or more operations performed by the robot.

9. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the testing is configured to measure end-to-end latency of the device in recognizing the one or more operations performed by the robot.

10. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more modules are configured to perform the test.

11. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the device are configured to detect the one or more operations as involving a contact of the robot as disposed as at least proximal to the one or more sensors.

12. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are configured as a touch sensor, infrared sensor, optical imaging sensor, dispersive signal sensor, sensor in pixel, resistive sensor, or acoustic pulse recognition sensor.

13. A method comprising:

expose one or more application programming interfaces by a device under test to a robot to cause the robot to perform one or more operations;

detecting the one or more operations performed by the robot using one or more sensors of the device under test; and

testing an ability of the device under test to process inputs received from the one or more sensors of the device under test.

14. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the one or more operations are configured to imitate one or more gestures that are recognizable by the device under test to initiate one or more functions performable by the device under test.

15. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the testing is configured to measure latency.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the latency involves detection of contact or movement by the one or more sensors.

17. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors are configured as part of a touchscreen of the device under test.

18. A system comprising:

a robot configured to perform one or more operations; and

a device under test having a touchscreen and one or more modules that are implemented at least partially in hardware to;

expose one or more application programming interfaces to the robot to cause the robot to perform one or more operations that are detectable by the device under test using the touchscreen; and

test an ability of the one or more modules to process inputs received from the touchscreen to recognize a gesture that is usable to initiate a function of the device under test.

19. A system as described in claim 18, wherein test performed by the one or more modules of the device under test involves measuring latency of the device under test to recognize the gesture.

20. A system as described in claim 18, wherein test performed by the one or more modules of the device under test involves measuring accuracy of the touchscreen of the device under test.