US Patent 7363202 State exploration using multiple state groupings

Exploration algorithms are relevant to the industrial practice of generating test cases from an abstract state machine whose runs define the predicted behavior of the software system under test. Here, a new exploration algorithm allows multiple state groupings to simultaneously guide the search for states that are interesting or relevant for testing. In some cases, the algorithm allows exploration to be optimized from exponential to linear complexity. An extended example is included that illustrates the use of the algorithm.