Mobile application tool and graphical user interface

• US 9,501,375 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2013
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MTS Systems Corporation (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MTS Systems Corporation (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Frenz, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDUL-ALI, OMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/762,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20130212512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 715/734, 715/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/321 Display for diagnostics, e.g. diagnostic result display, self-test user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3668 Software testing software testing in telephone exchanges H04M3/242, testing of hardware G06F11/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A mobile application tool is disclosed to provide remote access to data, and in particular test data. In embodiments disclosed, the mobile application tool includes a mobile test interface component configured to receive an access input associated with one or more testing devices and invoke an interface to a remote test platform to retrieve one or more testing device selections for the one or more testing devices associated with the access input. The tool includes a display function configured to receive the one or more testing device selections and invoke a graphical user interface to display the one or more test device selections and data associated with the one or more test device selections.

Claims

1. A mobile application tool including instructions stored on a computer storage medium and operable through one or more hardware components of a computing device:

a mobile test interface component configured to receive an access input associated with one or more testing devices and invoke an interface to a remote test platform to retrieve one or more testing device selections for the one or more testing devices associated with the access input;

a display component configured to receive the one or more testing device selections and invoke a graphical user interface to display the one or more test device selections, the graphical user interface including;

a test facility template including a test facility display area, the test facility template representing a physical location at a test facility having one or more testing devices; and

a menu of one or more testing device selections representative of the one or more testing devices, the one or more testing device selections selectively locatable within the test facility display area via a positioning function through an input device operable with the graphical user interface; and

an alert function configured to provide notification of a completion of a test cycle or run and a link to retrieve test data from the remote test platform for the one or more testing devices.

2. The mobile application tool of claim 1 wherein the access input is one of a username, password or an input code associated with the one or more testing devices.

3. The mobile application tool of claim 2 wherein access input is an input code and the mobile test interface component is configured to invoke to an image code reader to scan an input image code or label on the one or more testing devices and invoke the interface to the remote test platform to retrieve the one or more testing device selections associated with the input image code.

4. The mobile application tool of claim 3 wherein the image code reader is a QR code reader configured to scan a QR code on the one or more testing devices and the mobile test interface component invokes the interface to the remote test platform to retrieve the one or more testing device selections corresponding to the input QR code.

5. The mobile application tool of claim 1 wherein the one or more testing device selections comprise an icon including a pictorial representation of a model of the testing device associated with the one or more testing device selections.

6. The mobile application tool of claim 1 wherein the one or more testing device selections includes a plurality of testing device icons populated from the interface to a data store of the remote test platform.

7. The mobile application tool of claim 1 wherein the remote test platform is implemented through a cloud computing platform.

8. The mobile application tool of claim 1 wherein selection of one of the one or more testing device selections invokes an interface to the remote test platform to retrieve test data for the test device associated with the selected testing device selection.

9. The mobile application tool of claim 1 wherein the tool includes an alert function which when activated invokes an interface with the remote test platform to receive alert notifications for the one or more testing devices.

10. A graphical user interface platform including instructions stored on a data store media and executable through one or more hardware components comprising:

a graphical user interface including;

a test facility template including a test facility display area, the test facility template representing a physical location at a test facility having one or more testing devices; and

a menu of one or more testing device selections representative of the one or more testing devices for the test facility and one or more non-testing device selections for the test facility, the one or more testing device selections and the one or more non-testing device selections selectively locatable within the test facility display area via a positioning function through an input device operable with the graphical user interface.

11. The graphical user interface platform of claim 10 and comprising:

a menu population component configured to invoke an interface to a remote test platform to retrieve one or more test device selections associated with an identification code corresponding to a laboratory or testing facility to populate the menu of the GUI with the one or more testing device selections.

12. The graphical user interface platform of claim 10 wherein the one or more testing device selections include pictorial icons representing the one or more testing devices.

13. The graphical user interface platform of claim 10 wherein the platform uses an input code decoded from an optical image reader to retrieve the one or more testing device selections to populate the menu.

14. The graphical user interface platform of claim 10 wherein the graphical user interface renders messages transmitted from the remote test platform.

15. The graphical user interface platform of claim 14 wherein the graphical user interface platform invokes an interface to the remote test platform to retrieve test data or information responsive to selection of the one or more test device selections.

16. The graphical user interface platform of claim 15 wherein test data or information includes one or more of a run state, interlock state, a test run/hold/stop status, cycle count, running time, and commanded/output force or displacement, and station logs.

17. The graphical user interface platform of claim 10 wherein the graphical user interface platform includes a lab view display including a plurality of test device icons and a facility summary display for one or more test devices in table form.

18. A method comprising:

transmitting a data request to a remote test platform operable with one or more testing devices at a test facility;

receiving one or more test device selections, the test device selections being representative of the one or more testing devices;

receiving an input selection from a menu of the one or more test device selections and an input position on a facility or lab display template representative of the one or more testing devices at the test facility;

invoking an instance of the selected test device selections and displaying the instance of the selected test device selection at the input position on the facility or lab display template;

interfacing with the remote test platform to receive test data in response to selection of the one or more test device selections;

receiving an input selection of one or more non-testing device selections and an associated input position on the facility or lab display template; and

invoking an instance of the selected non-testing device selections and displaying the instance of the non-testing device selections at the associated input position on the facility or lab display template.

19. The method of claim 18 and comprising

receiving an input image code corresponding to a test machine or test laboratory;

decoding the input image code to provide a decoded identification code; and

using the decoded identification code to retrieve the one or more test device selections.