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

• US 9,469,037 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• 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): McCullough, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAGEMAN, MARK C
• Application Number:
  US15/018,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20160167238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 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 user device via a robotic testing device that comprises a holder, a motor, and a robotic implement, the method comprising:

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

causing, by the robotic implement, an interaction with the user device at a first time;

rotating, by the motor, the holder at the first time so as to rotate the user device at least about a horizontal axis; and

recording a response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement and the rotation of the holder.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, by a second robotic implement of the robotic testing device, an interaction with the user device at the first time,

wherein recording the response comprises recording of the response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement, the interaction of the second robotic implement, and the rotation of the holder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rotating the holder comprises tilting the holder of the user device at the first time so as to emulate human movement of the user device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

re-tilting, by the motor, the holder of the user device so as to emulate human movement of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

causing, by a second robotic implement of the robotic testing device, an interaction with the second user device; and

recording a response of the second user device to the interaction of the second robotic implement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining one or more test commands for validating the user device,

wherein the interaction of the robotic implement with the user device at the first time is caused based on at least one of the one or more test commands, and

wherein the holder is rotated at the first time based on at least one of the one or more test commands.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

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

wherein the one or more test commands are determining 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.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement and the rotation of the holder is recorded via a camera of the robotic testing device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

analyzing the camera recording of the response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement and the rotation of the holder;

determining contextual data of the user device based on the analysis of the camera recording of the response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement and the rotation of the holder;

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

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

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotation of the holder causes the robotic implement to be rotated at least about the horizontal axis.

11. A system for robotic testing of a user device through a robotic testing device, comprising:

a holder configured to secure the user device to the robotic testing device;

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

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

a physical processor programmed with computer readable instructions to execute computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the physical processor to;

cause the robotic implement to interact with the user device at a first time; and

rotate, via the motor, the holder at the first time so as to rotate the user device at least about a horizontal axis; and

record a response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement and the rotation of the holder.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a second robotic implement configured to move along a horizontal, a vertical, and/or a transverse axis to interact with the user device, wherein the physical processor is further caused to:

cause the second robotic implement to interact with the user device at the first time,

wherein recording the response comprises recording of the response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement, the interaction of the second robotic implement, and the rotation of the holder.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein rotating the holder comprises tilting the holder of the user device at the first time so as to emulate human movement of the user device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the physical processor is further caused to:

re-tilt, via the motor, the holder of the user device so as to emulate human movement of the user device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the physical processor is further caused to:

determine one or more test commands for validating the user device,

wherein the interaction of the robotic implement with the user device at the first time is caused based on at least one of the one or more test commands, and

wherein the holder is rotated at the first time based on at least one of the one or more test commands.

16. The system of claim 11, 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 user device to robotic testing, and wherein the response of the user device to the interaction of the robotic implement and the rotation of the holder is recorded via the camera.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

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

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the robotic implement is removably coupled to the robotic testing device by a set of hardware ports, such that the robotic implement is removable from the robotic testing device and replaceable with another robotic implement configured to interact with the user device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the robotic implement is physically connected to the holder such that the rotation of the holder causes the robotic implement to be rotated at least about the horizontal axis.