Touch screen testing platform having components for providing conductivity to a tip
AssigneeT-Mobile USA, Inc.
InventorDavid Ross Jenkinson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A touch screen testing platform may be used to perform repeatable testing of a touch screen enabled device using a robotic device tester and a controller. The platform may use various types of conductive tips that engage the touch screen, thereby simulating human behavior. The platform may perform multi-touch operations by employing multiple tips that can engage the touch screen simultaneously. The tips activate a touch screen from at least a trace of conductive coating located on nonconductive components of the robotic device tester.
Claims20
A robotic device comprising:
- a base;
- a motorized arm coupled to the base;
- a tip assembly coupled to the motorized arm, the tip assembly comprising:
- a mounting assembly coupled to the motorized arm;
- a tip arm coupled to the mounting assembly;
- and
- at least one conductive tip coupled to the tip arm,
- at least a trace of conductive coating configured to provide the conductive tip with a charge adequate for activating a touch screen,
- wherein the motorized arm is configured to position the at least one conductive tip over a user interface area of the touch screen, and
- wherein the conductive tip is configured to simulate human interaction with the touch screen when engaging the touch screen.
A system comprising:
- a robot to provide inputs to a touch screen of a touch screen device, the robot to move an arm configured with a conductive tip at a distal end of the arm, the tip configured to simulate human interaction with the touch screen of the touch screen device when engaging the touch screen and, through simulating user interaction, provide the inputs that are recognizable by the touch screen device;
- and
- a controller to identify and store a reference coordinate system of the touch screen and to control movement of the tip by the robot using the reference coordinate system in order to position the tip over a user interface area of the touch screen device,
- wherein at least a portion of the robot comprises a trace of conductive coating configured to provide the conductive tip with a charge adequate for activating a touch screen, and
- wherein the robot includes a load sensor to determine a force applied by the tip during engagement of the touch screen.
An apparatus to perform automated testing of a touch screen device, the apparatus comprising:
- a plate assembly including at least one arm protruding from the plate and having a conductive tip coupled to a distal end of the at least one arm, the tip to engage a user interface area of a touch screen of the touch screen device to simulate human interaction with the touch screen;
- a robotic arm coupled to the plate assembly to provide three directional movement to the plate assembly and rotational movement about a z-axis to rotate the plate assembly;
- and
- a trace of conductive coating applied to at least a portion of one of the plate assembly or the robotic arm,
- wherein the tip is a rubberized synthetic pad or a plastic synthetic pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.