Automated Error Checking System for Software Applications
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high costs associated with staffing and testing software applications for multiple phone models and operating systems, due to the complexity of error and bug checking, are not efficiently addressed by existing manual testing methods, which can lead to costly errors in application releases.
Innovation Solution
An automated error testing system that remotely installs and tests software applications on a variety of devices, logs errors, and reproduces them to confirm repeatability across different devices and operating systems, reducing the need for extensive manual testing and staffing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual error testing is performed by hiring programmers to apply test protocols, then error detection capability is improved, but testing costs increase due to hourly rates and staffing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automated error testing without requiring human programmers to execute test protocols. The automated system installs applications, executes test cases, logs errors, and reproduces bugs independently, eliminating the need for manual testing staff while maintaining comprehensive error detection capabilities across multiple device types
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical human-testing process with an automated computer-based system. Instead of programmers manually applying test protocols and logging errors, the system uses software agents to automatically install applications, execute test cases, capture error logs, and reproduce bugs across multiple devices, transforming a labor-intensive process into an automated computational one
2Reliability
If sufficient programmers are staffed to provide adequate error checking, then application quality is improved, but staffing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated testing system performs quality assurance functions without requiring human programmers. The system independently installs applications on multiple devices, executes comprehensive test protocols, logs errors, and reproduces bugs, thereby maintaining high application quality standards while eliminating the need for large testing teams
Solution Approach 2:
The automated testing system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it tests applications across numerous device types and operating systems, executes diverse test protocols, captures and logs errors, reproduces bugs for verification, and generates comprehensive test reports. This multi-functionality replaces what would otherwise require multiple specialized programmers working in parallel
3Adaptability or versatility
If a variety of phone models are purchased for testing, then compatibility coverage is improved, but device acquisition costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automated testing system is designed to work across multiple device types and operating systems using a single infrastructure. The system can install and test applications on various phone models, tablets, and other portable devices without requiring separate testing systems for each device type, thereby achieving broad compatibility coverage without proportionally increasing device acquisition costs
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses virtualization and emulation technologies to create virtual copies of different device environments. Instead of purchasing and maintaining a physical inventory of numerous expensive devices, the system replicates multiple device types software-wise, allowing comprehensive compatibility testing across platforms without the capital expenditure of acquiring actual hardware for each test scenario
4Reliability
If extensive manual testing is performed to ensure error-free code, then release reliability is improved, but testing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated testing system operates continuously without interruption, installing applications, executing test cases, logging errors, and reproducing bugs in an unbroken sequence. Multiple test processes run in parallel across different devices simultaneously, eliminating the idle time and sequential bottlenecks inherent in manual testing, thereby achieving comprehensive testing coverage in significantly reduced time while maintaining high release reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces time-consuming manual testing operations with automated computational processes. The automated agents instantly execute test protocols, capture errors, and reproduce bugs without the breaks, fatigue, and coordination overhead associated with human testers, dramatically reducing total testing duration while ensuring thorough error detection for reliable releases
Data Source
AI summary
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.