Automated error checking system for a software application and method therefor

• US 9,940,225 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Frederick Charles, Aguilar, Gabriel Anthony, Bryant, Gregory Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Hanh T
• Application Number:
  US15/134,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/368 for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A test system for providing automatic testing of an application on a plurality of devices, the system including an input/output device for communicating with the plurality of devices, a processor and a memory that stores instructions which cause the processor to install an application on a device, monitor the device as it performs a series of steps, and record the results of the series of steps in a log.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

fetching an application from an application source, wherein the application is in a debugging phase;

installing the application on a portable device;

providing a first datastream including a first command to the portable device;

monitoring execution of the first command by the application on the portable device;

generating a test record associated with the portable device, wherein the portable device experiences a first error during the execution of the first command, and wherein the test record includes a first error message;

uninstalling the application from the portable device;

reinstalling the application on the portable device;

providing a second datastream including a second command to the portable device, wherein the first datastream is identical to the second datastream and the second command is identical to the first command; and

monitoring execution of the second command by the application on the portable device;

wherein generating the test record includes recording a make and model of the portable device and operating system information;

updating the test record to include a second error message, wherein the portable device experiences a second error identical to the first error; and

updating the test record to include an indication of a repeatable error.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the error is a first error and the error message is a first error message, the method further comprising:

updating the test record to include a second error message, wherein the portable device experiences a second error, identical to the first error; and

updating the test record to include an indication of a repeatable error.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein uninstalling the application from the portable device comprises uninstalling the application from the portable device a first time, wherein reinstalling the application on the portable device comprises reinstalling the application on the portable device a first time, wherein the portable device does not experience an error during the execution of the second command, and wherein the method further comprises:

uninstalling the application from the portable device a second time;

reinstalling the application on the portable device a second time;

providing a third command to the portable device, wherein the third command is identical to the first command and the second command; and

monitoring execution of the third command by the application on the portable device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable device is a first portable device, and wherein the first portable device experiences an error during the execution of the second command, the method further comprising:

installing the application on a second portable device, wherein the second portable device is of an identical make and model to the first portable device;

providing a third command to the second portable device, wherein the third command is identical to the first command and the second command; and

monitoring execution of the third command by the application on the second portable device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising erasing all previously installed applications on the portable device, prior to installing the application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the application at the application source via a web-interface.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

retrieving an application from an application source for error testing;

installing the application on a first portable device, wherein the first portable device includes a first operating system;

providing a first datastream including a first command to the first portable device, wherein the first datastream is randomly generated;

monitoring execution of the first command by the application on the first portable device;

generating a test record associated with the first portable device, wherein the first portable device experiences an error during the execution of the first command, and wherein the test record includes an error message;

installing the application on a second portable device, wherein the second portable device includes a second operating system, different than the first operating system;

providing a second datastream including a second command to the second portable device, wherein the first datastream is identical to the second datastream and the second command is identical to the first command; and

monitoring execution of the second command by the application on the second portable device, wherein the second portable device experiences an error

during the execution of the second command; and

updating the test record to indicate the error as repeatable.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising clearing the memory of the second portable device prior to installing the application on the second portable device.

9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

retrieving an application from an application source, wherein the application was added to the application source for error testing;

installing the application on a first portable device and on a second portable device;

providing a datastream including a command to the first portable device and to the second portable device, wherein providing the datastream includes randomly generating the datastream;

monitoring execution of the command by the application on the first portable device and by the application on the second portable device; and

generating a test record in response to monitoring the execution, wherein the test record includes

a first error message associated with the first portable device and a second error message associated with the second portable device; and

differences between the first error message and the second error message.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising clearing a memory of the first portable device and clearing a memory of the second portable device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein generating a test record includes recording operating system information for the first portable device and the second portable device.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein generating a test record includes recording a make and model of the first portable device and a make and model of the second portable device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting the first portable device and the second portable device from a plurality of portable devices.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

uninstalling the application from the first portable device and the second portable device;

reinstalling the application on the first portable device and the second portable device;

re-providing the command to the first portable device and to the second portable device; and

monitoring execution of the command by the application on the first portable device and by the application on the second portable device.