Automatic test system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841737-B2
Application number	US-201514961535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

An automatic test system and method are provided. The automatic test system includes at least one formation apparatus and a test fixture. The formation apparatus receives a first control command from a network and executes a test procedure according to the first control command. The test procedure includes a charging mode and a discharging mode. The test fixture is selectively coupled to the formation apparatus. During the test procedure, when the test fixture is coupled to the formation apparatus, the test fixture generates a first measurement result. The test fixture transmits the first measurement result to the formation apparatus via a wireless communication interface of the test fixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic test system, comprising:
at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus, for receiving a first control command from a network and starting a test procedure according to the first control command; and
a test fixture comprising a wireless transmission interface and selectively coupled to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus, for providing a virtual battery and charging and discharging the virtual battery for measuring electric properties of the virtual battery to generate a first measurement result and send the first measurement result to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus via the wireless transmission interface when being coupled to the battery charge and discharge apparatus in the test procedure,
wherein the battery charge and discharge apparatus charges and discharges the virtual battery for measuring electric properties of the virtual battery to generate a second measurement result and compares the first measurement result with the second measurement result to obtain difference values between the first measurement result and the second measurement result.

2. The automatic test system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a robotic device, for receiving a second control command from the network and moving the test fixture according to the second control command, so as to couple the test fixture to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus.

3. The automatic test system according to claim 1 , wherein the test fixture comprises:
a connection-port module, comprising electrodes for forming the virtual battery electrically connected to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus when the test fixture is coupled to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus in the test procedure;
a control module coupled to the connection-port module, for charging and discharging the virtual battery; and
a measurement module coupled to the connection-port module, for measuring the one or more electric properties of the virtual battery to generate the first measurement result and sending the first measurement result to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus through the wireless transmission interface.

4. The automatic test system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus, after receiving the first measurement result, calibrates charging and discharging settings of the battery charge and discharge apparatus in relation to the first measurement result in the test procedure based on the first measurement result.

5. An automatic test system for at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus, comprising:
at least one computer, for receiving a first control command from a network and controlling the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus to start a test procedure according to the first control command; and
a test fixture comprising a wireless transmission interface and selectively coupled to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus, for providing virtual battery and charging and discharging the virtual battery for measuring one or more electric properties of the virtual battery to generate a first measurement result and send the first measurement result to the at least one computer through the wireless transmission interface when coupled to the battery charge and discharge apparatus in the test procedure,
wherein the battery charge and discharge apparatus coupled to the test fixture in the test procedure charges and discharges the virtual battery for measuring one or more electric properties of the virtual battery to generate a second measurement result, and compares the first measurement result with the second measurement result to obtain difference values between the first measurement result and the second measurement result.

6. The automatic test system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one computer calibrates charging and discharging settings of the battery charge and discharge apparatus in relation to the first measurement result based on the first measurement result after receiving the first measurement result.

7. The automatic test system according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a robotic device, for receiving a second control command from the network and moving the test fixture according to the second control command, so as to couple the test fixture to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus.

8. The automatic test system according to claim 5 , wherein the test fixture comprises:
a connection-port module, comprising electrodes for forming the virtual battery electrically connected to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus when the test fixture is coupled to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus in the test procedure;
a control module coupled to the connection-port module, for charging and discharging the virtual battery through the connection-port module; and
a measurement module, coupled to the connection-port module, for measuring the one or more electric properties of the virtual battery to generate the first measurement result and sending the first measurement result to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus through the wireless transmission interface.

9. An automatic test method applied to an automatic test system that comprises at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus and a test fixture, and comprising steps of:
generating a first control command;
selectively coupling the test fixture to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus;
by the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus, receiving the first control command from a network and according to the first control command, starting a test procedure, in which the battery charge and discharge apparatus coupled to the test fixture charges and discharges a virtual battery for measuring one or more electric properties of the virtual battery to generate a second measurement result, and compares a first measurement result with the second measurement result to obtain difference values between the first measurement result and the second measurement result; and
by the test fixture, providing the virtual battery, and charging and discharging the virtual battery for measuring one or more electric properties of the virtual battery to generate the first measurement result and send the first measurement result to the battery charge and discharge apparatus when the test fixture is coupled to the battery charge and discharge apparatus in the test procedure.

10. The automatic test method according to claim 9 , wherein the automatic test system further comprises a robotic device, and the step of selectively coupling the test fixture to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus comprises:
receiving a second control command from the network and moving the test fixture according to the second control command by the robotic device, so as to couple the test fixture to the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus.

11. The automatic test method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
calibrating charging and discharging settings of the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus in relation to the first measurement result based on the first measurement result by the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus after the at least one battery charge and discharge apparatus receives the first measurement result.

Assignees

• Chroma Ate Inc

Inventors

• Lu Chih-Cherng
• Ting Chia-Ching
• Lin Chuan-Tse

Classifications

• G01R31/3641

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01R31/2834

  Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers (G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736) · CPC title

• G01R35/005

  Calibrating; Standards or reference devices, e.g. voltage or resistance standards, "golden" references (G01R33/0035, G01R35/002 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R35/00

  Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• G05B11/01 Primary

  electric · CPC title