System for testing wireless interaction between a system for reproducing audio signals and a mobile phone, and corresponding method and computer program product

• US 9,813,536 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
• Inventors: Abramo, Felice
• Primary Examiner(s): TRANDAI, CINDY HUYEN
• Application Number:
  US14/555,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

Described herein is a system for testing wireless interaction of a system for reproduction of audio signals, in particular a user-interface device of a motor vehicle configured for reproducing audio signals, with a mobile phone, said reproduction system and said mobile phone being configured for communicating over a wireless communication channel for short-range communications.

According to the invention, the above system comprises a module for simulation of a mobile phone, comprising processing means configured for simulating operation of a mobile phone, said module for simulation of a mobile phone being associated in a signal-exchange relationship to a short-range wireless transceiver module configured for communicating via said wireless communication channel with the system for reproduction of audio signals.

Claims

1. A system for testing wireless interaction between a user-interface device of a motor vehicle configured for reproducing audio signals, and a mobile phone, said user-interface device of a motor vehicle configured for reproducing audio signals and said mobile phone being configured for communicating one with the other over a radio wireless communication channel for short-range communications, said system including:

a module for simulation of a mobile phone, including a computer that acts to simulate the operation of a mobile phone,

said module for simulation of a mobile phone being associated in a signal-exchange relationship to a short-range wireless transceiver module configured for communicating via said wireless communication channel with the user-interface device of a motor vehicle acting to reproduce audio signals,

said computer further acting to simulate a portion of mobile phone between audio inputs and outputs and a transceiver module, integrating in a software module a communication protocol including a protocol stack of the wireless communication channel, wherein said protocol stack includes a hands-free profile which enables the user to send and receive telephone calls, said protocol stack also including a SCO link connected for carrying audio signal both in incoming/outgoing calls and in internal sample loops to and from a baseband module through a HCI (Host Controller Interface).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said simulation module comprises an audio signal output and/or an audio signal input.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a system for audio analysis set connected to said audio signal output and/or audio signal input.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless communication channel uses the Bluetooth™

protocol.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said protocol stack of the wireless communication channel is the BlueZ stack.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said simulation module acts to generate internally audio signals to be supplied to said transceiver module.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said system for reproduction of audio signals is a user-interface device of a motor vehicle that reproduces audio signals, which comprises a wireless communication channel that employs the Bluetooth™

protocol.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the module for simulation of a mobile phone carries out simulation of an Audio Gateway according to the Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile, in particular the Audio Gateway represented by a mobile phone.

9. A method for testing interaction between a user-interface device of a motor vehicle configured for reproducing audio signals, and a mobile phone, said user-interface device and said mobile phone being configured for communicating one with the other over a radio wireless communication channel for short-range communications, said method including the steps of:

providing a module having a computer that acts to simulate the operation of a mobile phone, said module being associated in a single-exchange relationship to a short range wireless transceiver module that acts to communicate via said wireless communication channel with the user-interface device; and

simulating a portion of mobile phone between audio inputs and outputs and a transceiver module, including a communication protocol including a protocol stack of the wireless communication channel, wherein said protocol stack includes a hands-free profile which enables the user to send and receive telephone calls, said simulating the protocol stack also including simulating the operation of a SCO link connected for carrying audio signal both in incoming and outgoing calls and in internal sample loops to and from a baseband module through a HCI (Host Controller Interface).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said operation of simulating operation of a mobile phone performed by the computer further includes the steps of simulating operation of a mobile phone with respect to incoming and outgoing telephone communications to and from said mobile phone and supplying the results of the simulation to the transceiver module configured for communicating via said wireless communication channel with the system for reproduction of audio signals.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said operation of simulating operation of a mobile phone further includes the steps of simulating functions of data-transfer capacity.

12. The method according to claim 9, further including one of the following steps of:

seeking a system for reproduction of audio signals to which to connect;

carrying out pairing with said system;

simulating the functions of hands-free telephone call;

managing a phonebook and transferring it onto the system;

or

performing audio streaming of high-fidelity music files.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said operation of simulating the functions of hands-free telephone call further includes the steps of carrying out simulation of an Audio Gateway according to the Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile, in particular the Audio Gateway represented by a mobile phone.

14. The method according to claim 12, further including the step of carrying out operations of measurement of the performance of the device, in particular through analysis of the audio signal.