Robotic testing device and method for more closely emulating human movements during robotic testing of mobile devices

• US 9,283,672 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apkudo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apkudo, LLC
• Inventors: Matthews, Josh, Shah, Ronak, Teitelbaum, David, King, Kevin, Joyce, Daniel, Perenic, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Saul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hageman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/567,437
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0096 co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 99/008 by doing functionality tests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/06 Communication with another machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/30 End effector
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A robotic testing device is provided for more closely emulating human movements during robotic testing of mobile devices by using multiple robotic implements to interact with a mobile device, and by facilitating movement of the mobile device during testing. The robotic testing device may facilitate use of multiple robotic implements configured to interact with a mobile device during testing of the mobile device. One or more of the multiple robotic implements may be configured to move simultaneously, in succession, separately, and/or otherwise interact with a mobile device during performance of a test command on the mobile device. Further, a holder of the mobile device may be configured to move during performance of a test command on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of robotic testing of a mobile device via a robotic testing device that includes a holder, a motor, a first robotic implement, a second robotic implement, and a camera, the method comprising:

securing, by the holder, the mobile device to the robotic testing device;

determining one or more test commands for validating the mobile device;

causing, by the first robotic implement, based on the one or more test commands, a first interaction with the mobile device at a first time;

causing, by the second robotic implement, based on the one or more test commands, a second interaction with the mobile device at the first time;

rotating, by the motor, based on the one or more test commands, the holder of the mobile device at the first time so as to rotate the mobile device;

recording, via the camera, the response of the mobile device to the first interaction and the second interaction;

determining contextual data of the mobile device that is related to the response of the mobile device to the first interaction and the second interaction;

sending the contextual data to a remote instrumentation platform;

receiving a next test command for validating the mobile device from the remote instrumentation platform, wherein the next test command is based on the contextual data; and

causing, by at least one of the first robotic implement or the second robotic implement, based on the next test command, a third interaction with the mobile device at a second time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for validation of the mobile device, wherein the request comprises a type of validation to be performed,

wherein the one or more test commands are determined based on the type of validation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the holder comprises tilting, based on the one or more test commands, the holder of the mobile device at the first time to emulate human movement of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

re-tilting the holder of the mobile device via movement by the motor to emulate human movement of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual data of the mobile device is determined based on the response of the mobile device to the first interaction and the second interaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for validation of the mobile device, wherein the request comprises a type of validation to be performed; and

determining a test script associated with the type of validation,

wherein the one or more test commands are determined based on the test script.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

securing, by the holder, a second mobile device to the robotic testing device;

causing, by the first robotic implement, a fourth interaction with the second mobile device at a third time;

causing, by the second robotic implement, a fifth interaction with the second mobile device at the third time; and

recording, via the camera, the response of the second mobile device to the fourth interaction and the fifth interaction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a first request for validation of the mobile device, wherein the first request comprises a first type of validation to be performed, wherein the one or more test commands are determined based on the first type of validation;

receiving a second request for validation of the second mobile device, wherein the second request comprises a second type of validation different from the first type of validation; and

determining one or more second test commands to perform on the second mobile device based on the second type of validation, wherein the one or more second test commands are different from the one or more test commands.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request for validation of a set of mobile devices, wherein the request comprises a type of validation to be performed, and the set of mobile devices comprises the mobile device and the second mobile devices, and wherein the one or more test commands are determined based on the type of validation;

performing the one or more test commands on the mobile device and the second mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a quantitative value that represents the response of the mobile device to the first interaction and the second interaction;

obtaining a predetermined value or range of values that represents an acceptable response of the mobile device to the first interaction and the second interaction; and

generating a validation report comprising information that indicates whether the response of the mobile device is acceptable based on the quantitative value and the predetermined value, wherein the validation report is used to determine whether to issue a test certification for the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the recording of the response of the mobile device to the first interaction and the second interaction;

wherein the contextual data is determined based on the analysis of the recording of the response of the mobile device to the first interaction and the second interaction.

12. A method of robotic testing of a mobile device via a robotic testing device that includes a holder, a motor, a first robotic implement, and a camera, the method comprising:

securing, by the holder, the mobile device to the robotic testing device;

rotating, by the motor, at a first time, the holder of the mobile device so as to emulate human movement;

causing, by the first robotic implement, a first interaction with the mobile device at the first time; and

recording, by a camera of the robotic testing device, the response of the mobile device to the movement of the holder and the first interaction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the robotic testing device further includes a second robotic implement, the method further comprising:

causing, by the second robotic implement, a second interaction with the mobile device at the first time.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request for validation of the mobile device, wherein the request comprises a type of validation to be performed; and

determining one or more test commands for validating the mobile device based on the type of validation, wherein a given test command among the one or more test commands specifies and causes a given testing operation to be performed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a first test command of the one or more test commands specifies a movement of the holder of the mobile device so as to emulate human movement of the mobile device, and wherein rotating the holder comprises tilting, based on the first test command, the holder of the mobile device at the first time to emulate human movement.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a second test command of the one or more test commands specifies a second movement of the holder so as to emulate human movement of the mobile device, the method further comprises re-tilting, based on the second test command, the holder of the mobile device to emulate human movement of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

analyzing the recording of the response of the mobile device to the rotation of the holder and the first interaction;

determining contextual data of the mobile device based on the analysis of the recording of the response of the mobile device to the rotation of the holder and the first interaction;

sending the contextual data of the mobile device to a remote instrumentation platform; and

receiving a test command for validating the mobile device from the remote instrumentation platform responsive to sending the contextual data.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the holder is rotated by the motor based on one or more test commands for validating the mobile device, and the first interaction is caused by the first robotic implement based on the one or more test commands, and wherein receiving the test command comprises receiving a next test command for validating the mobile device from the remote instrumentation platform responsive to sending the contextual data.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request for validation of the mobile device, wherein the request comprises a type of validation to be performed; and

determining a test script associated with the type of validation, wherein the test script comprises (i) a plurality of test commands and (ii) an order in which to perform the plurality of test commands,

wherein the rotation of the holder and the first interaction are based on execution of one or more of the plurality of test commands in accordance with the order.

20. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising:

securing, by a second holder, a second mobile device to the robotic testing device;

moving the second holder of the second mobile device so as to emulate human movement; and

recording, via the camera, the response of the second mobile device to the movement of the second holder.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a quantitative value that represents the response of the mobile device to the rotation of the holder and the first interaction;

obtaining a predetermined value or range of values that represents an acceptable response of the mobile device to the rotation of the holder and the first interaction; and

generating a validation report comprising information that indicates whether the response of the mobile device is acceptable based on the quantitative value and the predetermined value, wherein the validation report is used to determine whether to issue a test certification for the mobile device.

22. A system for robotic testing of a mobile device through a robotic testing device, comprising:

a housing including a holder configured to secure the mobile device to the robotic testing device;

a motor coupled to the holder and configured to move the holder so as to emulate human movement;

one or more robotic implements coupled to the housing, the one or more robotic implements comprising;

a first robotic implement configured to move along a horizontal, a vertical and/or a transverse axis to interact with the mobile device; and

a physical processor programmed with computer readable instructions to execute a set of computer program modules, the set of computer program modules comprising;

a testing module configured to facilitate performance of a set of test commands via the robotic testing device,

wherein the testing module causes the first robotic implement to interact with the mobile device and causes the motor to rotate the holder so as to emulate human rotation such that the interaction of first robotic implement with the mobile device and the movement of the holder by the motor both occur at a first time.

23. A system for robotic testing of a mobile device through a robotic testing device, comprising:

a housing including a holder configured to secure the mobile device to the robotic testing device;

a motor coupled to the holder and configured to move the holder in at least a first direction and a second direction;

a set of robotic implements comprising;

a first robotic implement of a first type configured to interact with the mobile device; and

a second robotic implement of a second type different from the first type and configured to interact with the mobile device;

a physical processor programmed with computer readable instructions to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a testing module configured to facilitate performance of one or more test commands via the robotic testing device, wherein the testing module;

causes, based on the one or more test commands, the first robotic implement to interact with the mobile device at a first time;

causes, based on the one or more test commands, the second robotic implement to interact with the mobile device at the first time;

causes, based on the one or more test commands, the motor to rotate the holder at the first time so as to rotate the mobile device;

determines contextual data of the mobile device that is related to a response of the mobile device to the interaction of the first robotic implement with the mobile device and the interaction of the second robotic implement with the mobile device;

sends the contextual data to a remote instrumentation platform;

receives a next test command for validating the mobile device from the remote instrumentation platform, wherein the next test command is based on the contextual data; and

causes, based on the next test command, at least one of the first robotic implement or the second robotic implement to interact with the mobile device at a second time.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more robotic implements are removably coupled to the housing by a respective set of hardware ports, such that the first robotic implement may be removed from the housing and replaced by a third robotic implement configured to interact with the mobile device.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a camera operatively coupled to the physical processor, wherein the camera is positioned in the system so as to record one or more responses of the mobile device to the robotic testing.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

a non-transitory electronic storage device configured to store data captured from the camera.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a non-transitory electronic storage device configured to store the set of computer program modules,

wherein the physical processor is programmed by computer readable instructions to;

receive an instruction relating to a computer program module, the instruction comprising an identification of the computer program module and one or more of;

a delete command, an add command, or a replace command.