Remote Mobile App Testing Platform for Network-Device Interaction Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for testing mobile applications are limited in understanding interactions between the application, device, and network across all layers, failing to effectively analyze the root cause of failures or abnormal behaviors and the impact of applications on network and device performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing remote management of end-to-end automated mobile application tests that can be executed on mobile devices connected to network emulators or live networks, capturing user actions, application behaviors, device states, and IP and radio layer messaging for centralized analysis, along with features like presence detection, peer-to-peer communication, and macro editing to replicate real network and device conditions for comprehensive testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional mobile application tests are conducted at higher levels to understand application behavior, then application functional behavior can be gathered, but the interactions between application, device and network across all layers cannot be analyzed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the testing system into multiple components: a test execution platform that runs on mobile devices, a centralized analysis server, and various data collection modules. Each component handles specific aspects of testing (application layer, device layer, network layer), allowing comprehensive multi-layer analysis while maintaining functional test capabilities at the application level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary test execution platform that sits between the application under test and the network/device infrastructure. This platform captures messages and data at multiple layers (application, device, network) and forwards them to the centralized analysis server, enabling comprehensive interaction analysis without disrupting normal application functionality.
2Loss of time
If remote management of end to end automated tests is implemented, then root cause identification is accelerated, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The test execution platform incorporates self-service capabilities by automatically executing tests, collecting data from multiple layers, and performing initial analysis locally before sending results to the centralized server. This automation reduces manual intervention and accelerates root cause identification while the modular architecture manages complexity through clear separation of concerns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where test results and analyzed data are automatically fed back to the centralized analysis server, which then provides insights and recommendations. This closed-loop feedback system accelerates troubleshooting by continuously learning from test results and providing actionable information, while the automated feedback processes manage system complexity through structured information flow.
3Loss of information
If detailed radio and packet level messaging information is captured for analysis, then application impact on network can be understood, but data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential messaging information and test results from the detailed radio and packet level data before sending them to the centralized analysis server. The test execution platform performs preliminary filtering and extraction of relevant metrics (application behavior, device state, network conditions), reducing the volume of data that needs to be processed and transmitted while preserving the information needed to understand application impact on the network.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention describes remote management of end to end automated mobile application tests to be executed on the mobile devices that may be connected to network emulators or on live (real time) networks. Further, this invention relates to mobile data applications that need to connect to the packet data network over the radio network, and associated automated test systems and methods. Discloses is a method of having an end to end extraction of user actions, application behaviors, device state, and IP and radio layer messaging that can be centrally analyzed to understand the application impact on the network and device, as well as the application behavior for different network conditions.