Automated method for installing and configuring a test suite on a unit under test

• US 6,889,157 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Langdon, Christopher M., Paulsen, Dennis K., Mutchler, Shad L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Washburn, Douglas N
• Application Number:
  US10/105,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 702/117, 702/119, 702/120, 702/121, 702/123, 700/96, 700/107, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 707/1, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/200, 709/100, 709/200, 709/213, 709/220, 709/222, 709/224, 709/322, 709/323, 709/324, 709/325, 709/326, 709/327, 713/1, 714/46, 714/38, 717/120, 717/121, 717/124, 717/125, 717/126, 717/130, 717/131, 717/134, 717/135
• US Class Current: 702/119
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers

Abstract

A method of installing and configuring a test suite for a unit under test in an automated assembly process uses an identifier of the unit under test to retrieve the test files and other files for the installation and configuration. The identifier may be a serial number. The method uses the identifier to call up a Bill of Materials. From the Bill of Materials, test files and other files are generated.

Claims

1. A method of installing and configuring a test suite for a unit under test device, comprising:

receiving an identifier which uniquely identifies the unit under test device;

installing and configuring test flies for the unit under test device in which the test files are determined by the identifier;

retrieving a bill of materials for the unit under test;

generating test files and tables specific to the bill of materials;

copying the test files and other necessary files to the unit under test device;

loading and installing a library automatically configured into an operating system, and

sending a system installation completed prompt to a user wherein the prompt appears in a message box on a computer accessed by the user and the user removes the connection hardware.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier causes the retrieval of a bill of materials for the unit under test device.

3. A system for configuring a unit under test device using a network, comprising:

a first unit under test device;

a first server communicatively coupled to the first unit under test device; and

a test suite server on a first network which communicates with the first server and the first unit under test device, the first unit under test device and the first server not being on the first network, wherein a user inputs an identifier, the identifier being used to retrieve a Bill of Materials for the Unit Under Test device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the identifier is a serial number.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a second unit under test device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second unit under test device is on the first network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second unit under test devices and the first server and test suite server communicate through Ethernet.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

9. A system for configuring a unit under test device using a network, comprising:

a first unit under test device;

a second unit under test device;

a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server;

a first server communicatively coupled to the unit under test device; and

a test suite server on a first network which communicates with the first server and the first unit under test device, the first unit under test device and the first server not being on the first network, wherein the second unit under test device is on the first network.