Wireless module simulator
Allowing a wireless network application to execute, as during development and testing, as if connected to a wireless network using wireless modems without requiring physical access to or presence of a wireless network or devices for accessing the same, by simulating a wireless modem or device. The simulation of commands for a type of wireless communication device with a predefined attention command set may entail receiving, at a wireless communication device simulator, attention commands of the attention command set. For received attention commands, responses may be automatically determined or selected in response to receiving the command without using a wireless communication device to determine the appropriate response. And, the determined attention command responses may be provided from the wireless communication device simulator.
1. A method of simulating commands for a type of wireless communication device with a predefined attention command set, the method comprising:
receiving at a wireless communication device simulator attention commands of the attention command set;
for received attention commands, automatically selecting or determining an appropriate response to a command without using a wireless communication device to determine or select the appropriate response;
providing the determined attention command responses from the wireless communication device simulator; and
issuing from a network manager or network application the attention commands received by the wireless communication device simulator and the network manager or network application receiving the attention command responses issued by the wireless communication device simulator, further comprising dynamically controlling and changing a simulated state for the device simulator such that a response for a given command is determined or selected from among possible responses for the given command according to a current state of the simulated state.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the current state of the simulated state is determined randomly, pseudo-randomly, be default, or sequentially.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the current state is determined using a database storing responses for commands and the responses or state parameters thereof can be changed during a simulation.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein potential responses for a command are given precedence relative to each other.
5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling a timing or delay for the providing of some or all of the attention command responses.
6. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage storing information for a computer to perform a method according to claim 1 .
7. A method of simulating commands for a type of wireless communication device with a predefined attention command set, the method comprising:
receiving at a wireless communication device simulator attention commands of the attention command set;
for received attention commands, automatically selecting or determining an appropriate response to a command without using a wireless communication device to determine or select the appropriate response;
providing the determined attention command responses from the wireless communication device simulator; and
issuing from a network manager or network application the attention commands received by the wireless communication device simulator and the network manager or network application receiving the attention command responses issued by the wireless communication device simulator, wherein the network manager or network application couples with and communicates with the wireless communication device simulator in a same manner that the network manager or network application couples with and communicates with a wireless communication device being simulated by the wireless simulator, whereby the simulator fills the role of the wireless communication device transparently to the network manager or network application.
8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the wireless communication device being simulated comprises a wireless modem and wherein the predetermined attention command set comprises attention commands for operating and controlling the simulated wireless modem.
9. A volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage storing information for a computer to perform a method according to claim 7 .
10. A method according to claim 7 , wherein the wireless communication device being simulated comprises a wireless modem and the wireless network networkable therewith comprises a cell network, and wherein the predetermined attention command set comprises attention commands for operating and controlling the simulated wireless modem.
11. An apparatus for simulating commands for a type of wireless communication device networkable with a wireless network and having a predefined attention command set, the apparatus comprising:
a network device with a wireless network application configured to access and use the wireless network by issuing attention commands of the attention command set;
a simulator program in communication with the wireless network application, receiving attention commands of the attention command set from the wireless network application, and automatically selecting or determining appropriate responses for the attention commands without using a wireless communication device to select or determine the appropriate responses; and
the wireless network application receiving the selected or determined attention command responses from the simulator program, wherein the wireless communication device being simulated comprises a wireless modem, wherein the wireless network networkable with the wireless modem comprises a cell network, and wherein the attention command set comprises attention commands for operating and controlling the simulated wireless modem, further comprising dynamically controlling and changing a simulated state for the device simulator such that a response for a given command is determined or selected from among possible responses for the given command according to a current state of the simulated state.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the current state of the simulated state is determined randomly or pseudo-randomly.
13. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the current state is determined using a database storing responses for commands and the responses or parameters thereof can be changed during a simulation.
14. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein responses for a command are given precedence relative to each other and are selected or determined accordingly.
15. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the networking testing device couples with and communicates with the simulator program in a same manner that the networking testing device couples with and communicates with a wireless communication device being simulated by the simulator program.
16. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a timing or delay for the providing of some or all of the attention command responses is controllably variable.