Title: "AUTOMATED METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AND TESTING PRODUCTS".

The present invention refers to an automated method for controlling and testing products through senses such as image, audio, temperature and humidity control, among others. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The reliability of a product or system corresponds to the probability that it will work adequately for a certain period of time and under pre-established conditions. In the wider sense, the concept of reliability is associated to the successful functioning of a product or system, in the absence of breakdown or failures. Normally, companies that manufacture or assemble products and systems carry out tests on material samples to determine and accompany their functioning.

For example, tests on television decoders are carried out with products connected in warm-up mode for a long period of time, typically 168 hours (7 days) or 500 hours (21 days). The purpose of these tests is to identify failures caused by "infant mortality" in electronic components.

North American document US 6,815,966 B1 , filed on November

9, 2004, and North American document US 7,063,544 B2, filed on June 20, 2006, describe systems to carry out tests on electronic devices in which a current is provided individually to each of the electronic devices. This test is called burn-in test and refers to the functioning of an integrated circuit at a certain temperature or temperature profile in an oven. The systems further include various connectors, cables, and other arrangements that allow the current to have high magnitudes to be supplied to the electronic devices.

Various methods are available for controlling product testing. Most of these tests are carried out with temperature control, said temperature being maintained within specific values for the test.

The methods available for controlling and testing products do not normally control humidity, being restricted to temperature control.

Additionally, since the tests are carried out for long periods of time, the test laboratories encounter difficulty in controlling them during

intervals that are outside the laboratory working hours.

Another problem faced by the methods available for controlling and testing is the exposure of the employees who monitor the products to high temperatures. Some methods of controlling and testing products, such as

DVDs, video cassettes and decoders, operate with the help of television sets. The products are kept connected to television sets and the failures are normally detected at the point of entry or exit of the products, since the employee in charge of testing carries out a functional test on the first day (entry of products) and on the last day (exit of products), considering that it is practically impossible to have someone monitoring all the products for 24 hours per day.

In the event of failures, when the product is totally inoperative, it is analyzed by a specialized sector that also performs the functional test. The functional test checks whether a given product is in accordance with its respective specification.

In this case, due to the use of a large number of television sets (one per product being tested), the laboratory requires a large physical space. Additionally, the television sets often cause problems for the tests of the products because they frequently present defects due to wear since they are working 24 hours per day. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

It is the objective of the invention to provide an automated method for controlling and testing products that provides a solution capable of comparing audio and video signals and controlling the temperature and the humidity during testing.

Another objective of the method of the present invention is to avoid accidents at the test site by monitoring the temperature and humidity and with the assistance of smoke detectors, interrupting the supply of electric power in the event of the presence of smoke.

It is a further objective of the invention to provide an automated method for controlling product testing that uses a small physical space and

also having greater reliability because it provides a solution with a lower error rate due to problems with the equipments used for monitoring.

Another objective of the present method is to reduce human exposure to high temperatures. It is also an objective of the method of the present invention to present the results of the test, including the variables to which the product was submitted, so as to allow an evaluation of failures on field and to improve the product/process ratio.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method that controls the test time, easing the programming for the entry of new products and that of embarkation for distribution as of the release date of the products. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an automated method for controlling and testing products at a test site, using senses such as image, audio, temperature and humidity control, among others. Said method is also capable of classifying the products in terms of approval or rejection, as well as supervising the test site and carrying out specific tasks in accordance with the result of supervision of the test site. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method presented herein can be better understood from the following detailed description of its steps. Therefore, the method for controlling and testing products in automated fashion, comprises the steps of recording the product to be tested, recording the location of the product to be tested at the test site, sending an audio and video signal for the products to be tested, selecting the product that will be monitored through a defeat device, comparing the audio and video signal received from the product being monitored with a specific standard signal, classifying the products tested, supervising the test site and carrying out specific tasks in accordance with the result of supervision of the test site.

The step of recording the product to be tested is carried out at the point of entry of the product at the test site. Recording the product

comprises the reading and recording thereof with a scanner collector. In a preferred embodiment, the step of recording the product to be tested reads a bar code, which informs the serial number and the model of the product. This information of the product model is important when more than one product model is being tested at the same site. This step can further comprise the step of connecting the output of the product to be tested on a panel. This panel consequently has various positions and each position can be connected to the output of a product being tested.

The products being tested are disposed at a test site in positions referred to herein as "test posts". These test posts are beehives numbered 1 to "n". In a preferred embodiment, the test post also receives a number in the form of a bar code, as well as the serial numbers of the products.

The step of recording the location of the product to be tested at the test site is carried out by using a scanner collector, which reads and records the number of the location of the product at the test site. In a preferred embodiment, this step reads a bar code, which informs the position of the product. The information collected is subsequently sent by the reader to a computer, which stores them.

The step of sending an input signal consists of sending an audio and video signal that can be, for example, an RF or RCA signal, to all the products at the test site. The signal is sent during the entire test time since the products being tested are constantly switched on, connected to the electric power network.

The following step consists of selecting the product which will be monitored with the assistance of a defeat device. The defeat device is programmed to select the products in a pre-established order, based on three-dimensional coordinates on the "x", "y" and "z" axes, where the test schedule preferably follows the order of the test post.

The premise of the step of selecting the product that will be monitored is to use a defeat device that is connected to the output of the product selected and that is available on the panel, connecting the output of the product being tested to a computer through a cable.

The defeat device used to select the products is preferably shaped like a robotic manipulator, where a robotic arm is used to select product by product, but is not restricted thereto.

The use of a defeat device and of a scanner collector of data for reading the number of the post and of the product avoids the exposure of people to the high temperatures of the test site considering that the persons in charge of the test site only need to be present on site at the moment of entry and exit of the products from the test site.

The monitoring schedule performed by the manipulator is programmed by the computer. However, this schedule can be remotely altered by a person in charge who identifies the need to monitor a specific product or alter the order of monitoring.

The step of comparing comprises comparing the audio and video output signal of the product being monitored with an audio and video reference signal. As the test site may comprise more than one product model, there are as many audio and video reference signals as models of products to be tested. These audio and video reference signals are determined through an electronic multiplex circuit, which selects the correct and appropriate model for the model of the product being tested. The step of comparing is performed with the help of a monitor display, being divided into frames. The same screen displays, side by side, a frame with the reference video signal, a frame with the video output signal of the product being monitored and a third frame presenting the result of the comparison between the output signal of the product being tested and the reference signal. Color marking is performed in the third frame with the aim of displaying the result of the comparison, with the color red in the regions where differences occur between the images and the color white in the regions where no differences occur.

The step of comparing further comprises monitoring the audio output of the product being monitored, presenting on the display comparative graphs between the reference signal and the output signal of the product being tested.

The aim of the following step is to classify the products as rejected or approved in accordance with the results obtained in the prior step. The monitor display also shows general information on the progress of the tests, including: the serial number of the product being tested, the position of the product or test post and the product model. The display may also present test statistics, such as percentage of rejected products, percentage of monitored products, among others. Additionally, the display presents an overview of the test site, attributing colors for the test posts, where for example the color red indicates that the products do not conform to standards (rejected) and the color green indicates that the products conform to standards (approved). Besides the display connected to the computer, this monitoring information can be visualized on other computers, provided they are in the network.

In a preferred embodiment, the total average test time for a product is carried out during the period of 6 seconds and is repeated at least once every hour for a sampling of 512 products. When fewer products are being tested, this time is reduced to under 1 hour.

The method further comprises the step of supervision that consists of analyzing the data received from the test site and, if any irregularity is detected, it informs the person in charge. This step of supervising allows the person in charge of the tests to become acquainted with and to accompany any problems occurring at any time, and this includes the nighttime periods, such as, for example, if a product presents any irregularity. The step of supervising also controls the test environment, which includes controlling the temperature and the humidity and also detecting the presence of smoke. This control is done by receiving the temperature and humidity values of at least a measuring device and a smoke detecting device, both installed at the test sites. The step of supervising further comprises periodical recordings of the average temperature and average humidity readings collected.

The step of carrying out specific tasks in accordance with the result of supervising the test site further comprises the dispatch of a warning

to the persons in charge of the laboratory if any problem occurs at the test site. In a preferred embodiment, this, warning can be in the form of a notification window.

The step of carrying out specific tasks in accordance with the result of supervising the test site comprises altering the test environment based on the data measured, such as, for example, driving an exhaust device at the test site when detecting a high temperature (above a limit temperature) or cutting the supply of electric power for the test site in the event that smoke is detected. The method may further comprise the step of generating a data base, allowing an analysis of the test records. The data base, in a preferred embodiment, is fed by the computer, connected to the panel and to the persons in charge of the test sites. This data base allows searches to be carried out, which can preferably use the serial number of the product as a parameter. The data base also supports backup and rapid recovery.

This step of generating the data base further comprises compiling reports and further enables tracking of any product through its data, such as the serial number.

Therefore, it should be understood that the objective of the present invention and its steps described are part of some of the preferred embodiments and examples of situations that could occur, the real scope of the object of the invention being defined in the claims.