Automatic test system and method for hotel guest control module

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic testing system and method for a hotel guest control module, and relates to the technical field of module testing. The system comprises a main control unit which is used for obtaining a plurality of test control modes and generating multipath trigger signals of each test control mode; the relay analog output circuit is used for being connected with dry contact input terminals of the guest control modules and electrically transmitting multi-path control signals of each control mode to the dry contact input terminals corresponding to the plurality of hotel guest control modules respectively; the dry contact signal detection circuit is used for being connected with relay output terminals of the passenger control module and detecting and obtaining digital level signals of multiple relay output terminals of the passenger control module. The wired communication interface is used for querying the module state of the guest control module and receiving response data returned by the guest control module; and the main control unit judges to obtain a test result of each guest control module. According to the invention, the test efficiency is improved, and the test accuracy and consistency are also improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of module testing technology, and in particular relates to an automated testing system and method for hotel guest room control modules. Background Technology

[0002] The hotel guest room control module is the core control unit of the smart guest room, integrating multiple relay outputs (for controlling loads such as lights and curtains) and multiple dry contact inputs (for receiving signals from switch panels, door magnets, etc.). During production and maintenance, comprehensive testing of all functions of the guest room control module is required.

[0003] Currently, common testing methods rely on manual operation and simple testing tools. Testers need to manually trigger each input and observe the output status of each relay. This is not only inefficient, but also lacks reliability due to manual operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automated testing system and method for hotel guest room control modules. The system generates multiple trigger signals for each test control mode through a main control unit and can simultaneously input targeted signals to the dry contact input terminals of multiple guest room control modules, and then automatically acquire test results. This not only improves testing efficiency but also enhances test accuracy and consistency.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: This invention provides an automated testing method for hotel guest room control modules, comprising: The button actions of various switch panels in the hotel are combined to obtain multiple test control modes, and multi-channel trigger signals are generated for each test control mode. Each control mode's multi-channel control signal is electrically input to the dry contact input terminals corresponding to multiple hotel guest control modules; Acquire the digital level signals from the multi-channel relay output terminals of the passenger control module; Query the module status of the passenger control module and receive the response data returned by the passenger control module; Based on the digital level signals of the multi-channel relay output terminals of the passenger control module, as well as the module status and returned response data of the passenger control module, it is determined whether the passenger control module responds correctly to the trigger signal of each input test control mode, and the test result of each passenger control module is obtained.

[0006] This invention also discloses an automated testing system for hotel guest room control modules, comprising: The main control unit is used to combine the button actions of various switch panels in the hotel to obtain multiple test control modes and generate multiple trigger signals for each test control mode. The relay analog output circuit includes multiple relay output channels for connecting to the dry contact input terminals of the guest control module. It electrically outputs the multiple control signals of each control mode to the corresponding dry contact input terminals of multiple hotel guest control modules. The dry contact signal detection circuit includes multiple isolated dry contact input channels for connecting to the relay output terminals of the passenger control module, and for detecting and acquiring the digital level signals of the multiple relay output terminals of the passenger control module. The wired communication interface is used to query the module status of the passenger control module and receive the response data returned by the passenger control module. The main control unit is also used to determine whether the passenger control module responds correctly to the trigger signal of each input test control mode based on the digital level signal of the multi-channel relay output terminal of the passenger control module, as well as the module status and returned response data of the passenger control module, and to obtain the test result of each passenger control module.

[0007] This invention tests and combines the button actions of various switch panels in a hotel using a main control unit, deriving multi-channel trigger signals for each test control mode. These signals are then used to perform parallel input tests on multiple guest room control modules via a relay analog output circuit. During testing, a dry contact signal detection circuit detects the digital level signals of the multi-channel relay output terminals of the guest room control modules, and a wired communication interface queries and receives the module status and response data of the guest room control modules to determine the test results for each module. This fully automated testing process improves the efficiency of guest room control module testing, enhances standardization, and increases accuracy and consistency.

[0008] Of course, any product implementing this invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the functional units and information flow of an automated testing system for a hotel guest room control module according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of an embodiment of the automated testing system for a hotel guest room control module according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating step S1 of the present invention in one embodiment; Figure 4 This is a circuit diagram of the main control chip of the main control unit described in this invention in one embodiment; Figure 5 This is a circuit diagram of the main control chip of the dry contact signal detection circuit described in this invention in one embodiment; Figure 6 This is a circuit diagram of the main control chip in one embodiment of the relay analog output circuit described in this invention; Figure 7 This is a circuit diagram of the main control chip of the wired communication interface described in this invention in one embodiment; Figure 8 This is a circuit diagram of the main control chip of the wireless communication unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figures 9 to 13 This is an operation interface diagram of an embodiment of the internal software process of the present invention; The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows: 1-Main control unit, 2-Relay analog output circuit, 3-Dry contact signal detection circuit, 4-Wired communication interface, 5-Wireless communication unit. Detailed Implementation

[0011] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0013] The testing of the hotel guest room control module is currently in the traditional manual verification stage. The dry contact circuit uses tweezers to short-circuit the input and ground signal to simulate a low-level voltage input. The RS485 circuit is connected to the guest room control module using a USB-RS485 converter and DuPont wires. Commands are sent using tools such as XCOMV2.3 and cutecom, and the data transmission error rate and response time are monitored. The RS485 circuit is also tested by observing the return packets from the RCU guest room control module. The relay circuit is tested by connecting an external RCU hotel guest room control module light box and observing whether the light box lights up.

[0014] To overcome the above problems, please refer to Figures 1 to 13As shown, this invention provides an automated testing system for a hotel guest room control module. Functionally, it includes a main control unit 1, a relay analog output circuit 2, a dry contact signal detection circuit 3, a wired communication interface 4, and a wireless communication unit 5. The main control unit 1 is responsible for system operation control; the relay analog output circuit 2 outputs data to the guest room control module; the dry contact signal detection circuit 3 detects the guest room control module; the wired communication interface 4 reads internal data from the guest room control module; and the wireless communication unit 5 uploads test results to a remote server or backend management system.

[0015] This solution also discloses an automated testing method for hotel guest room control modules. The automated testing system for hotel guest room control modules in this solution operates according to steps S1 to S5 of the automated testing method for hotel guest room control modules. The specific operating steps of each functional unit are described below.

[0016] Main control unit 1 uses a microcontroller based on the ARM Cortex-M core (such as STM32F405RGT6) as the core processing unit, responsible for the logic control, signal acquisition, data processing, and scheduling of the entire test process. It is used to execute step S1 to combine the button actions of various hotel switch panels, deriving multiple test control modes and generating multi-channel trigger signals for each test control mode. During the test run, step S11 is first executed to simulate the button actions of various hotel switch panels, generating trigger signals corresponding to each button action of each switch panel. Next, step S12 is executed to obtain the button usage records of various hotel switch panels, deriving the combined usage state of each button on each switch panel. Next, step S13 is executed to treat each combined usage state as a test control mode. Finally, step S14 is executed to combine the trigger signals corresponding to each button action of each switch panel in each test control mode, obtaining multi-channel trigger signals for each test control mode.

[0017] The relay analog output circuit 2 in this scheme contains 40 relay output channels, which are used to connect to the dry contact input terminals of the guest control module. Next, step S2 can be executed to electrically input the multi-channel control signals of each control mode to the corresponding dry contact input terminals of multiple hotel guest control modules.

[0018] The dry contact signal detection circuit 3 in this solution includes 16 isolated dry contact input channels, which are used to connect the relay output terminals of the to-be-tested guest control module. This circuit is used to detect whether the relay of the guest control module is normally pulled in or disconnected, and convert the status signal into a digital level signal for the main control unit to read; it includes multiple mutually isolated dry contact input channels, which are used to connect the relay output terminals of the guest control module, and detect that the next step can be to execute step S3 to obtain the digital level signals of the multiple relay output terminals of the guest control module; detect whether the relay of the guest control module is normally pulled in or disconnected, and convert the status signal into a digital level signal for the main control unit to read.

[0019] The wired communication interface 4 in this solution queries the module status of the guest control module through the RS485 communication circuit included therein and receives the response data returned by the guest control module in the next step of executing step S4; during the process of querying the module status of the guest control module, read the internal status register in the guest control module to obtain the module status of the guest control module. Compare the module status of the guest control module with the digital level signals of the corresponding multiple relay output terminals in the guest control module for consistency to judge whether the output control of each relay output terminal by the guest control module is correct, and list it in the test result.

[0020] The main control unit 1 in this solution then executes step S5 to judge whether the guest control module correctly responds to the trigger signals of each input test control mode based on the digital level signals of the multiple relay output terminals of the guest control module, as well as the module status and the returned response data of the guest control module, and obtain the test results of each guest control module.

[0021] This system is also provided with a wireless communication unit 5, which uses a Wi-Fi module (ESP32-WROOM-32) to upload local test data and test results (including pass / fail information, fault channel numbers, test timestamps, etc.) to a remote server or a background management system in real time. At the same time, it can also receive test instructions or firmware upgrade packages from the background. Upload the trigger signals of each test control mode and the test results of each guest control module to a remote server or a background management system. It can also receive test instructions and firmware upgrade packages from the background management system.

[0022] This system builds a simulation platform (such as a hotel guest control module light box test system) that is highly consistent with the actual hotel environment, simulates the linkage of devices such as lights, curtains, and air conditioners in the guest room, and realizes "zero-difference" environment verification. It makes the testing of hotel guest control modules a systematic and multi-dimensional verification system, covering hardware functions, communication protocols, performance pressure, and scenario compatibility. The core goal is to solve pain points such as response latency, high-concurrency crashes, and protocol compatibility.

[0023] Traditional testing methods are "open-loop." The operator provides an input to the customer control module (e.g., pressing a button), observes the output (e.g., whether a relay indicator light illuminates), and manually records the result. The stimulus and verification are separate, relying on human observation and recording. In contrast, the main control unit 1 establishes a complete "automated closed-loop testing" system. The main control unit 1 sends a "close the 5th relay" command to the customer control module via RS485, and then immediately and automatically reads the status of that relay through its own 16-channel dry contact detection circuit, performing internal logical comparisons to determine "pass" or "fail." The entire process requires no manual intervention, achieving full automation of the "stimulus-acquisition-judgment" process, representing a significant improvement in testing methods.

[0024] Traditional testing is sequential. Operators need to test 16 outputs and 40 inputs sequentially, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and difficult to simulate complex scenarios where multiple channels trigger simultaneously. This system, however, supports multi-channel parallel testing. It can be programmatically controlled to quickly and continuously test all channels. More importantly, it can easily simulate the complex timing and scenarios of "multiple switches operating simultaneously" in a real hotel, a task almost impossible to accomplish manually, greatly improving test coverage and efficiency.

[0025] Traditional test results rely on operators ticking boxes on paper forms or manually entering data into Excel. This results in isolated data, easy loss, and difficulty in traceability. This system introduces a "data-driven" approach. Test results (including detailed status of each channel, test time, serial number, etc.) are automatically generated by the system and uploaded to the backend server in real time via the ESP32 wireless module. This establishes traceability for every customer control module leaving the factory, facilitating quality traceability and big data analysis.

[0026] Traditional testing primarily relies on observing indicator lights or listening to relay sounds, only verifying whether a function has occurred, but not its internal state. However, this new testing system, using an RS485 communication interface, not only controls the guest control module but also reads its internal status register. When this system simulates an input, it can not only test the physical circuitry but also query the guest control module via RS485 to determine its perceived state of that input port. This achieves dual verification at both the physical and logical layers, significantly enhancing the depth and reliability of the testing.

[0027] In terms of testing efficiency and capacity, the system has excellent parallel processing capabilities, capable of simultaneously driving up to 40 analog outputs and detecting the status of 16 inputs. It achieves full coverage and high-speed testing of the input, output and communication functions of the passenger control module, reducing the single test time from minutes to seconds, and greatly improving the test throughput and overall capacity of the production line.

[0028] In terms of testing quality and reliability, the system achieves full automation of the testing process and unique judgment criteria through precise circuit design and programmed logic. This completely eliminates misjudgments, omissions, and individual differences that may be caused by human operation, ensuring that each customer control module can be verified under a completely consistent benchmark, thereby ensuring a high degree of consistency and reliability in product quality before delivery.

[0029] In terms of data management and process traceability, the system integrates automatic recording and wireless reporting functions, which can generate electronic test reports in real time containing detailed pass / fail information, fault channel number and timestamp, and upload them to the back-end management system through wireless communication module, establishing a complete digital test archive for the product and realizing seamless traceability and efficient analysis of quality data.

[0030] In terms of system functionality and scalability, this system innovatively adopts a closed-loop testing mechanism, combining RS485 communication with physical signal detection to achieve a complete verification loop of "command sending - action execution - result verification," significantly enhancing testing depth and reliability. Furthermore, based on its modular and software-defined architecture, the system can flexibly add test cases and adjust test parameters through software upgrades, easily adapting to the testing needs of future new products, demonstrating excellent scalability and forward-looking capabilities.

[0031] Ultimately, in terms of operational optimization, this system significantly reduces the professional skills required of operators, freeing engineers from repetitive tasks so they can focus on higher-value research and development and process improvement. This optimizes human resource allocation, reduces long-term operating costs, and promotes the intelligent upgrading of production processes.

[0032] In terms of software system collaboration, the wireless communication unit 5 uses a Wi-Fi module board with an ESP32-S3 main control chip, each with a unique device ID and a corresponding unique MQTT identifier. It can connect to devices via Bluetooth and send data (WiFi SSID and password). The device connects to WiFi and communicates with the backend via MQTT, also establishing the data format for the guest control module (RS485 / Relay / Input / Output quantities) for subsequent testing and data collection and analysis. To avoid timestamp errors, the main control unit 1 verifies the time during initialization and then synchronizes the time every 8 hours.

[0033] Please see Figures 4 to 8As shown, the main control module 1 uses an STM32-F405 as the main control chip and communicates with the wireless communication unit 5 and the customer control module. Based on the data type, communication commands are constructed and sent to the customer control module for testing. During RS485 testing via the wired communication interface 4, commands are sent to the customer control module according to different RS485 ports, and corresponding data is returned. During relay testing, a test command is sent to the customer control module via P1 (485 port), the customer control module opens the relay, and the corresponding IN node on this system receives current, changing from 0 to 1. During output testing, a test command is sent to the customer control module via P1 (485 port), the customer control module opens the output, and the corresponding IN node on this system receives current, changing from 0 to 1. During input testing, the relay is first opened, and then a test command is sent to the customer control module via P1 (485 port), the IN node on the customer control module receives current that becomes 1, and data is returned via RS485.

[0034] Internally, the system works as follows: First, the device uploads its heartbeat online. Then, the backend sends a connection command via MQTT. The device then returns a success / failure response, and the backend sends a test command after the connection is established. The device receives the command and forwards it to the corresponding instruction in the guest control module. Finally, the device uploads the result back to the backend.

[0035] Please see Figures 9 to 13 As shown in the software testing workflow, the test device type is added to the system, and the online status of the device is checked first. Then, the device is connected for testing. The one-click test includes: RS485 -> Relay relay -> Output dry contact output -> Input dry contact input -> Expansion board relay. During single-point testing, each node is tested according to its corresponding dry contact.

[0036] It should also be noted that each block in the block diagram and / or flowchart, as well as combinations of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart, can be implemented using hardware that performs the corresponding function or action, such as circuits or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), or using a combination of hardware and software, such as firmware.

[0037] Although the invention has been described herein in conjunction with various embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand and implement other variations of the disclosed embodiments by reviewing the accompanying drawings, disclosure, and appended claims in carrying out the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other components or steps, and "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can implement several functions listed in the claims. While different dependent claims may recite certain measures, this does not mean that these measures cannot be combined to produce good results.

[0038] The various embodiments of this application have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or improvement of the technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An automated testing method for a hotel guest control module, the method comprising: Comprising, The key action of various switch panels in the hotel is combined to obtain multiple test control modes, and multiple trigger signals of each test control mode are generated; The multiple control signals of each control mode are respectively input to the dry contact input terminals corresponding to the multiple hotel guest control modules; The digital level signals of the multiple relay output terminals of the guest control module are obtained; The module state of the guest control module is queried, and the response data returned by the guest control module is received; According to the digital level signals of the multiple relay output terminals of the guest control module, and the module state and the returned response data of the guest control module, it is judged whether the guest control module correctly responds to the trigger signals of each test control mode input, and the test result of each guest control module is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, In the process of combining the key actions of various switch panels in the hotel to obtain multiple test control modes, and generating multiple trigger signals of each test control mode, comprising, The key actions of various switch panels in the hotel are simulated to generate trigger signals corresponding to each key action of each switch panel; Obtain the key usage record of various switch panels in the hotel to obtain the combined usage state of each key of various switch panels; Each combined usage state is used as a test control mode; The trigger signals corresponding to each key action of each switch panel of each test control mode are combined to obtain multiple trigger signals of each test control mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The trigger signals of each test control mode and the test results of each guest control module are also uploaded to a remote server or a background management system; And / or receive test instructions and firmware upgrade packages from the background management system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, In the process of querying the module state of the guest control module, the internal state register in the guest control module is read to obtain the module state of the guest control module.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The module state of the guest control module is compared with the digital level signals of the corresponding multiple relay output terminals in the guest control module for consistency, to judge whether the output control of each relay output terminal of the guest control module is correct, and to be included in the test result.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The test result of the guest control module includes pass / fail information, fault dry contact input terminal corresponding channel number and / or test timestamp.

7. An automated testing system for a hotel guest control module, the system comprising: Comprising, The main control unit is used for combining the key actions of various switch panels in the hotel to obtain multiple test control modes, and generating multiple trigger signals of each test control mode; The relay simulation output circuit includes multiple relay output channels, which are used to connect the dry contact input terminals of the guest control module, and to input the multiple control signals of each control mode to the dry contact input terminals corresponding to the multiple hotel guest control modules respectively; The dry contact signal detection circuit includes multiple mutually isolated dry contact input channels, which are used to connect the relay output terminals of the guest control module, and to detect and obtain the digital level signals of the multiple relay output terminals of the guest control module; The wired communication interface is used for querying the module state of the guest control module, and receiving the response data returned by the guest control module; The master control unit is further configured to determine whether the guest control module correctly responds to the trigger signal of each test control mode according to the digital level signal of the multi-channel relay output terminal of the guest control module, the module state of the guest control module and the returned response data, and obtain the test result of each guest control module.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein, The dry contact signal detection circuit detects whether the relay of the guest control module is normally attracted or opened in the process of detecting the digital level signal of the multi-channel relay output terminal of the guest control module, and converts the state signal into a digital level signal for the master control unit to read.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein, The wired communication interface reads the internal state register in the guest control module through the RS485 communication circuit contained therein, and obtains the module state of the guest control module.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein, The wireless communication unit is further configured to upload the trigger signal of each test control mode and the test result of each guest control module to a remote server or a background management system. And / or receive test instructions and firmware upgrade packages from the background management system.

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