Mobile communication terminal test device and mobile communication terminal test method

1. A mobile communication terminal test device that communicates with a mobile communication terminal to perform a test operation, comprising:

a display unit;

a test engine unit that determines, during performance of a test operation, a test procedure to be executed as part of the test operation and communicates said test procedure to a test execution unit;

a test execution unit that executes said test procedure and returns an outcome of said test procedure execution to the test engine unit, whereby the outcome is used by the test engine unit in determining a subsequent test procedure to be executed;

and a display control unit that produces a hierarchical trace of executed test procedures arranged by nested execution level, whereby a child test procedure determined by the test engine unit to be executed as part of executing a parent test procedure is indicated by the display control unit at a lower nested execution level than the parent test procedure,

wherein the display control unit displays a screen indicating the hierarchical trace of executed test procedures and their outcomes on the display unit,

wherein the display control unit displays only executed and executing test procedures in the hierarchical trace.

2. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 1 , wherein the test engine unit stores a test log, each entry in the test log corresponding to either a test procedure determined to be executed or an outcome of a test procedure execution received from the test execution unit, the test engine unit storing a timestamp with each entry in the test log, the display control unit creating the hierarchical trace from entries in the test log.

3. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 2 , wherein the display control unit determines the nested execution level of each test procedure based on the timestamps of test log entries.

4. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 2 , wherein the display control unit requests the nested execution level of each test procedure from the test engine unit.

5. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 1 , wherein each test procedure definition may include a breakpoint, the test engine unit arranged to ignore each breakpoint such that execution of test procedures in each test operation continues irrespective of breakpoints, the display control unit arranged to respond to breakpoints by pausing the hierarchical trace on the display unit until a resume input is received from a user.

6. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 1 , wherein the display control unit displays outcomes of executed and executing test procedures in the hierarchical trace, and further displays branch indicators connecting a determined outcome of each executed test procedure to the subsequently executed test procedure.

7. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 2 , wherein the display control unit displays executed and executing test procedures in the execution trace arranged according to each test procedure's execution timestamp.

8. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 2 , wherein the test engine unit further stores protocol messages received from the test execution unit in the test log, the display control unit displaying on the hierarchical trace each message sent or received during execution of a test procedure selected by a user.

9. A method for testing a mobile communication terminal by performing a test operation, comprising the steps of:

determining, during performance of the test operation, a test procedure to be executed as part of a test operation;

executing said test procedure and returning an outcome of said test procedure execution, whereby the outcome is used in determining a subsequent test procedure to be executed;

producing a hierarchical trace of executed test procedures arranged by nested execution level, whereby a child test procedure determined to be executed as part of executing a parent test procedure is displayed at a lower nested execution level than the parent test procedure; and

displaying a screen indicating the hierarchical trace of executed test procedures and their outcomes;

wherein the step of displaying a screen comprises displaying only executed and executing test procedures in the hierarchical trace.

10. The method for testing a mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises the steps of storing entries in a test log, each entry in the test log corresponding to either a test procedure determined to be executed or an outcome of a test procedure execution, and storing a timestamp with each entry in the test log, wherein the step of displaying a screen indicating a hierarchical trace of executed test procedures further comprises retrieving entries from the test log and displaying the screen based on the retrieved entries.

11. The method for testing a mobile communication terminal of claim 10 , further comprising the step of determining the nested execution level of each test procedure based on the retrieved test log entries.

12. The method for testing a mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , each test procedure definition may include a breakpoint, the method further comprising the steps of continuing execution of test procedures irrespective of break points and pausing displaying a screen upon encountering a breakpoint until a resume input from a user is received.

13. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 1 , further comprising a test procedure library storing a procedure definition for each test operation and test procedure, each procedure definition including a unique identifier, one or more parameters and test outcomes, a list of any child test procedures to be executed, and branch information defining a test flow, wherein the test engine unit determines a subsequent test procedure to be executed according to the procedure definition of the test operation being performed.

14. The mobile communication terminal test device of claim 13 , wherein each test procedure definition may include a breakpoint, the test engine unit arranged to ignore each breakpoint such that execution of test procedures in each test operation continues irrespective of breakpoints, the display control unit arranged to respond to breakpoints by pausing the hierarchical trace on the display unit until a resume input is received from a user.

15. The method for testing a mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , further comprising the step of storing a procedure definition for each test operation and test procedure, each procedure definition including a unique identifier, one or more parameters and test outcomes, a list of any child test procedures to be executed, and branch information defining a test flow, wherein the procedure definition of the test operation being performed is used in a step of determining a subsequent test procedure to be executed.

16. The method for testing a mobile communication terminal of claim 15 , wherein each test procedure definition may include a breakpoint, the method further comprising the steps of continuing execution of test procedures irrespective of breakpoints and pausing displaying a screen upon encountering the breakpoint until a resume input is received from a user.