Device profile-driven automation for cell-based test systems

1. A method of testing user equipment at a cell-based test system, the method comprising:

determining a type of user equipment to be tested at the cell-based test system, wherein the cell-based test system comprises a portable test unit and a computer system coupled to the portable test unit, wherein the portable test unit comprises a shielded box configured to contain the user equipment to be tested, and wherein the computer system is operable for executing software that automatically performs testing on the user equipment;

accessing a device profile for the type of the user equipment to be tested, wherein the device profile comprises a test script operable for controlling the user equipment during the testing, and wherein the device profile is operable for changing from a first automation mode comprising a command used by a first operating system to a second automation mode comprising a command used by a second, different operating system;

measuring a characteristic of the cell-based test system using reference user equipment;

sending, to a server over a network, information comprising a result of said measuring, wherein the information comprising the result is stored at the server;

receiving the information comprising the result from the server over the network;

using the information comprising the result received from the server to calibrate the cell-based test system; and

performing a test of the user equipment using the portable test unit, wherein during the test the user equipment is controlled according to the device profile in response to the software executing on the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after said determining and before said accessing, sending profile information identifying the type of the user equipment to a server over a network; and

receiving, from the server over the network, the device profile selected according to the profile information.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving an input comprising a modification to the device profile; and

sending the modification to the server over the network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device profile is stored in and accessed from a memory of the computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a test case from a server over a network, wherein the test case is selected according to the type of the user equipment, wherein the test performed on the user equipment is performed according to the test case.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising sending, to the server over the network, results from performing the test case on the user equipment.

7. A system comprising a cell-based test system, the system comprising:

a portable test unit comprising a shielded box configured to contain the user equipment to be tested; and

a computer system coupled to the portable test unit and operable for communicating with a server over a network, wherein the computer system is further operable for performing operations comprising:

determining a type of user equipment to be tested at the cell-based test system, wherein the cell-based test system comprises a portable test unit and a computer system coupled to the portable test unit, and wherein the computer system is operable for executing software that automatically performs testing on the user equipment;

accessing a device profile for the type of the user equipment to be tested, wherein the device profile comprises an application program interface operable for controlling the user equipment during the testing by adapting the software to the type of the user equipment, and wherein the device profile is operable for changing from a first automation mode comprising a command used by a first operating system to a second automation mode comprising a command used by a second, different operating system;

measuring a characteristic of the cell-based test system using reference user equipment;

sending, to the server over the network, information comprising a result of said measuring, wherein the information comprising the result is stored at the server;

receiving the information comprising the result from the server over the network;

using the information comprising the result received from the server to calibrate the cell-based test system; and

performing a test of the user equipment using the portable test unit, wherein during the test the user equipment is controlled according to the device profile in response to the software executing on the computer system.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computer system is further operable for performing operations comprising:

after said determining and before said accessing, sending profile information identifying the type of the user equipment to the server over the network; and

receiving, from the server over the network, the device profile selected according to the profile information.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer system is further operable for performing operations comprising:

receiving an input comprising a modification to the device profile; and

sending the modification to the server over the network.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the device profile is stored in and accessed from a memory of the computer system.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computer system is further operable for performing operations comprising receiving a test case from a server over a network, wherein the test case is selected according to the type of the user equipment, wherein the test on the user equipment is performed according to the test case.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computer system is further operable for performing operations comprising sending, to the server over the network, results from performing the test case on the user equipment.

13. A system comprising a server in a network, the server comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface coupled to the processor and operable for communicating with a plurality of cell-based test systems over the network; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory has stored therein a plurality of modules that, when executed, perform operations for managing the plurality of cell-based test systems, the modules comprising:

a device profile library comprising a plurality of device profiles for different types of user equipment, wherein a device profile is selected and accessed from the device profile library according to profile information about a type of user equipment to be tested at a cell-based test system of the plurality of cell-based test systems and sent to the cell-based test system over the network, and wherein the device profile is operable for changing from a first automation mode comprising a command used by a first operating system to a second automation mode comprising a command used by a second, different operating system, wherein the cell-based test system comprises a portable test unit and a computer system coupled to the portable test unit, wherein the portable test unit comprises a shielded box configured to contain the user equipment to be tested, and wherein the cell-based test system is operable for automatically performing a test on the user equipment, wherein during the test the user equipment is controlled according to the device profile in response to the software executing on the computer system; and

prior to performing the test,

measuring a characteristic of the cell-based test system using reference user equipment;

sending, to the server over the network, information comprising a result of said measuring, wherein the information comprising the result is stored at the server;

receiving the information comprising the result from the server over the network; and

using the information comprising the result received from the server to calibrate the cell-based test system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the server receives the profile information about the type of user equipment from the cell-based test system over the network.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the server receives an input comprising a modification to the device profile, wherein a modified version of the device profile incorporating the modification is added to the device profile library in response to validation of the modification.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the device profile is operable for changing from a first automation mode comprising a command used by a first operating system to a second automation mode comprising a command used by a second, different operating system.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference user equipment has known communication characteristics and is configured to simulate at least a portion of the user equipment's functionality.

18. The system of claim 7 , wherein the reference user equipment has known communication characteristics and is configured to simulate at least a portion of the user equipment's functionality.