Systems and methods for testing a peripheral interfacing with a processor

• US 9,453,876 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn, Yao, Wei, Al-Dahle, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Trung
• Application Number:
  US13/657,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20130110447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: 324/760.02, 324/537, 324/770, 324/160.02, 324/500, 345 87-104, 345/204, 345/690
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2733 Test interface between tester and unit under test
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309

Abstract

Systems and methods for testing a peripheral in accordance with a MIPI protocol are provided. A test system can test a peripheral by providing user-5 specified control over a test processor (which is substantially the same processor the peripheral will interface with when installed) to test, calibrate, or both test and calibrate the peripheral. The test processor can communicate with the peripheral according 10 to the MIPI protocol, thereby effectively providing an actual “in-device” environment for testing and/or calibrating the peripheral.

Claims

1. A test system for calibrating a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), the test system comprising:

a test module comprising;

a test processor electrically coupled to a test computer interface and a peripheral interface, the test processor operative to communicate with the LCD via the peripheral interface according to a high-speed serial interface (HSSI) protocol, and the test processor operative to respond to commands provided by a test computer via the test computer interface via a dock that is electrically coupled to the test processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable apparatus having a storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the test processor;

interface the LCD to the test system; and

calibrate the LCD through an adjustment of at least one parameter setting.

2. The test system of claim 1, further comprising the test computer, the test computer comprising a control application operative to perform at least one test on the LCD using the test processor.

3. The test system of claim 1, further comprising the test computer, the test computer comprising a control application operative to adjust the at least one parameter setting on the LCD using the test processor.

4. The test system of claim 1, further comprising a camera, the camera operative to monitor the LCD.

5. The test system of claim 4, wherein the at least one computer program is further configured to, when executed on the test processor, receive data from the camera, the data associated with the at least one parameter setting.

6. The test system of claim 1, wherein the LCD comprises a memory that is operative to store calibration information.

7. A method for calibrating a liquid crystal display (LCD), the LCD comprising a memory and at least one parameter setting, the method comprising:

interfacing the LCD to a test system;

using the test system to communicate with the LCD according to a high-speed serial interface (HSSI) protocol; and

calibrating the LCD with the test system, wherein the calibrating the LCD comprises;

adjusting the at least one parameter setting;

determining an optimal parameter setting for each parameter setting; and

storing the optimal parameter setting in the memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the using the test system comprises:

controlling a test processor with a test computer, wherein the test computer communicates with the LCD according to the high-speed serial interface protocol.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the calibrating the LCD comprises performing at least one test on the LCD using the test system.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the calibrating the LCD comprises adjusting the at least one parameter setting of the LCD using the test system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one parameter setting comprises a flicker parameter.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one parameter setting comprises a gamma parameter.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the HSSI protocol comprises a Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) protocol.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the HSSI protocol allows substantially direct communication with a driver of the LCD.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the test system comprises a camera; and

the calibrating the LCD comprises feeding back imaging data associated with the at least one parameter settings, using at least the camera, to make adjustments to the at least one parameter settings on the LCD.

16. A test module, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions being configured to, when executed by a processor on the test module:

interface a liquid crystal display (LCD) to a test system, the LCD comprising a memory and one or more parameters;

use the test system to communicate with the LCD according to a high-speed serial interface (HSSI) protocol; and

calibrate the LCD with the test system, wherein the calibration of the LCD comprises;

adjustment of the one or more parameters;

determination of an optimal parameter setting for each of the one or more parameters; and

storage of the optimal parameter in the memory.

17. The test module of claim 16, wherein the test system comprises a camera, the camera being configured to monitor the LCD.

18. The test module of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processor, receive data from the camera, the data being associated with one or more parameters.

19. The test module of claim 16, wherein the calibration of the LCD with the test system further comprises performance of at least one test on the LCD by the test system.

20. The test module of claim 16, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

a flicker parameter and a gamma parameter.