COMMUNICATING METHOD AND COMMUNICATING SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for communicating with an under-test object and a communicating system are provided. The method includes the following steps. A command signal is provided from a processing unit of the communicating system to the under-test object, and the processing unit waits for receiving a response signal from the under-test object. If the response signal from the under-test object 5 has not been received by the processing unit for a predetermined waiting time period, the command signal is provided to the under-test object again and the predetermined waiting time period is adjusted. There is an exponential relation between the predetermined waiting time period and the number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object.

Claims

1. A communicating method, comprising steps of: providing a command signal to an under-test object, and waiting for receiving a response signal from the under-test object after the command signal is received by the under-test object; and if the response signal from the under-test object has not received for a predetermined waiting time period, providing the command signal to the under-test object again and adjusting the predetermined waiting time period, wherein there is an exponential relation between the predetermined waiting time period and a number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object.

2. The communicating method according to claim 1, wherein the exponential relation is expressed by a mathematic formula:
T.sub.n=A.sup.n-1×T.sub.1, wherein A is a base, and n is the number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object, T.sub.1 is the predetermined waiting time period after the command signal is provided to the under-test object 5 at the first time, and T.sub.n is the predetermined waiting time period after the command signal is provided to the under-test object at the n-th time.

3. The communicating method according to claim 2, wherein the base A in the mathematic formula is 2.

4. The communicating method according to claim 1, wherein if the number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object reaches a predetermined number and the response signal from the under-test object has not been received by the processing unit for the predetermined waiting time period, a communication of the under-test object fails.

5. The communicating method according to claim 1, wherein the communicating method is performed to acquire an information of the under-test object or test whether the under-test object complies with a quality standard.

6. A communicating system comprising a processing unit, the processing unit providing a command signal to an under-test object and waiting for receiving a response signal from the under-test object after the command signal is received by the processing unit, wherein if the response signal from the under-test object has not received by the processing unit for a predetermined waiting time period, the processing unit provides the command signal to the under-test object again and adjusts the predetermined waiting time period, wherein there is an exponential relation between the predetermined waiting time period and a number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object.

7. The communicating system according to claim 6, wherein the exponential relation is expressed by a mathematic formula:
T.sub.n=A.sup.n-1×T.sub.1, wherein A is a base, and n is the number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object, T.sub.1 is the predetermined waiting time period after the command signal is provided to the under-test object 5 at the first time, and T.sub.n is the predetermined waiting time period after the command signal is provided to the under-test object at the n-th time.

8. The communicating system according to claim 7, wherein the base A in the mathematic formula is 2.

9. The communicating system according to claim 6, wherein if the number of times the command signal is provided from the processing unit to the under-test object reaches a predetermined number and the response signal from the under-test object has not been received by the processing unit for the predetermined waiting time period, the processing unit judges that a communication of the under-test object fails.

10. The communicating system according to claim 6, wherein the communicating system is configured to acquire an information of the under-test object or test whether the under-test object complies with a quality standard.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating a conventional testing system in the production line;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating a communicating system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0014] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communicating method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic functional block diagram illustrating a communicating system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communicating system 4 is electrically connected with an under-test object 5. The communicating system 4 comprises a processing unit 41. The processing unit 41 has computing capability. The processing unit 41 provides a command signal S3 to the under-test object 5. After the command signal S3 is received by the under-test object 5, the under-test object 5 outputs a response signal S4. In an embodiment, the communicating system 4 is applied to a production line of an electronic manufacturing industry or an electronic assembling industry. According to the response signal S4, the communicating system 4 acquire the associated information of the under-test object 5 or judges whether the under-test object 5 complies with a quality standard. The above application of the communicating system 4 is presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a communicating method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Firstly, in a step P1, a command signal S3 is provided to the under-test object 5 and the processing unit 41 waits for receiving a response signal S4 from the under-test object 5. In a step P2, if the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 has not been received for a predetermined waiting time period, the command signal S3 is provided to the under-test object 5 again and the predetermined waiting time period is adjusted. In accordance with a feature of the present invention, there is an exponential relation between the predetermined waiting time period and the number of times the command signal S3 is provided to the under-test object 5.

[0018] In an embodiment, the exponential relation as described in the step P2 is expressed by the following mathematic formula:

T.sub.n=A.sup.n-1×T.sub.1.

[0019] In the above mathematic formula, A is the base, and n is the number of times the command signal S3 is provided to the under-test object 5, T.sub.1 is the predetermined waiting time period after the command signal S3 is provided to the under-test object 5 at the first time, and T.sub.n is the predetermined waiting time period after the command signal S3 is provided to the under-test object 5 at the n-th time. It is noted that the exponential relation of the step P2 is presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only.

[0020] When the number of times the command signal S3 is provided from the processing unit 41 to the under-test object 5 reaches a predetermined number and the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 has not been received by the processing unit 41 for the predetermined waiting time period, the processing unit 41 judges that the communication of the under-test object 5 fails.

[0021] Please refer to the communicating method of FIG. 3 and the communicating system of FIG. 2. For testing whether the under-test object 5 complies with the quality standard or acquiring the information of the under-test object 5 (e.g., the firmware version of the under-test object 5, the production date or any other appropriate information), the communicating system 4 starts to communicate with the under-test object 5. After the communicating system 4 communicates with the under-test object 5, the processing unit 41 of the communicating system 4 issues the command signal S3 to the under-test object 5 at the first time and waits for receiving the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 in response to the command signal S3.

[0022] If the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 is received by the processing unit 41 within the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.1, the processing unit 41 judges whether the under-test object 5 complies with the quality standard or acquires the information of the under-test object 5 according to the received response signal S4. If the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 has not been received by the processing unit 41 for the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.1, the above testing procedure is repeatedly done. That is, the processing unit 41 issues the command signal S3 to the under-test object 5 again (i.e., at the second time, n=2) and waits for receiving the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5. In addition, the predetermined waiting time period is adjusted from T.sub.1 to T.sub.2. In the above mathematic formula, the base A is 2. That is, the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.2 is 2.sup.1 times (two times) of the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.1.

[0023] If the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 is received by the processing unit 41 within the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.2, the processing unit 41 judges whether the under-test object 5 complies with the quality standard or acquires the information of the under-test object 5 according to the received response signal S4. If the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 has not been received by the processing unit 41 for the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.2, the above testing procedure is repeatedly done. That is, the processing unit 41 issues the command signal S3 to the under-test object 5 again (i.e., at the third time, n=3) and waits for receiving the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5. In addition, the predetermined waiting time period is adjusted from T.sub.2 to T.sub.3. In the above mathematic formula, the base A is 2. That is, the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.3 is 2.sup.2 times (four times) of the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.1, i.e., two times of the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.2.

[0024] The rest may be deduced by analogy. Then, the processing unit 41 issues the command signal S3 to the under-test object 5 at the (n−1)-th time. If the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 is received by the processing unit 41 within the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.n-1, the processing unit 41 judges whether the under-test object 5 complies with the quality standard or acquires the information of the under-test object 5 according to the received response signal S4. If the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5 has not been received by the processing unit 41 for the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.n-1, the above testing procedure is repeatedly done. That is, the processing unit 41 issues the command signal S3 to the under-test object 5 again (i.e., at the n-th time) and waits for receiving the response signal S4 from the under-test object 5. In addition, the predetermined waiting time period is adjusted from T.sub.n-1 to T.sub.n. In the above mathematic formula, the base A is 2. That is, the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.n is 2.sup.n-1 times of the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.1, i.e., two times of the predetermined waiting time period T.sub.n-1.

[0025] From the above descriptions, the present invention provides a communicating method and a communicating system. The predetermined waiting time periods corresponding to different number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object are different. As the number of times the command signal is provided to the under-test object increases, the predetermined waiting time period increases exponentially. In accordance with the conventional technology, the time period of waiting for receiving the response signal from the under-test object is constant and too short. Consequently, the overall communication process is very long and results in erroneous judgement. Consequently, the re-communicating possibility and the failure rate are decreased, and the communicating time period is shortened. That is, the technology of the present invention is industrially valuable.

[0026] While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications and similar structures.