Electronic device environmental effect prediction

• US 20050137824A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Malone, Christopher Gregory, Simon, Glenn Cochran, Augustin, Thom
• Granted Patent: US 7,222,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/132
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2862 Chambers or ovens; Tanks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2874 related to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2881 related to environmental aspects other than temperature, e.g. humidity or vibrations

Abstract

An apparatus in one example comprises one or more control components that regulate one or more thermal test components to adjust one or more emulated operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices. The thermal test components are coupled with one or more rack-mount frames. The thermal test components create the emulated operational characteristics for the one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects. The one or more control components obtain one or more measurements of one or more of the one or more emulated operational characteristics and the one or more emulated environmental effects. The one or more control components make a prediction of one or more of one or more actual operational characteristics and one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more control components that regulate one or more thermal test components, coupled with one or more rack-mount frames, to adjust one or more emulated operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices, wherein the one or more thermal test components create the emulated operational characteristics for the one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects;

wherein the one or more control components obtain one or more measurements of one or more of the one or more emulated operational characteristics and the one or more emulated environmental effects;

wherein the one or more control components make a prediction of one or more of one or more actual operational characteristics and one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more control components make a prediction of correct operation of the one or more electronic devices in one or more test environments through employment of the prediction of the one or more of the one or more actual operational characteristics and the one or more environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein one or more of the one or more control components alter one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects through employment of one or more environmental control components, wherein the one or more environmental control components one or more of:

regulate air temperature in the one or more test environments;

regulate airflow in the one or more test environments;

regulate vibrational effects in the one or more test environment.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein one or more of the one or more control components emulate the one or more test environments through employment of the one or more environmental control components.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the one or more control components emulate one or more operational failures of one or more of the one or more environmental control components.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more environmental control components comprise one or more heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system components.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 in combination with the rack-mount frame, wherein the rack-mount frame alters one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more control components validate the one or more electronic devices in the one or more test environments through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more actual environmental effects comprise one or more of:

one or more thermal effects;

one or more vibrational effects; and

one or more airflow effects;

wherein the one or more control components make a prediction of one or more of the one or more thermal effects, the one or more vibrational effects, and the one or more airflow effects of the one or more thermal tests components.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more control components that regulate one or more thermal test components that emulate one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects;

wherein the one or more control components make a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the one or more control components obtain one or more measurements of one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects;

wherein the one or more control components make the prediction of the one or more actual environmental effects through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more control components regulate the one or more thermal test components based on one or more of the one or more measurements.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more control components make a prediction of correct operation of the one or more electronic devices in one or more test environments against one or more pre-determined standards through employment of the one or more measurements.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more control components validate the one or more electronic components in the one or more test environments through employment of the one or more measurements.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 in combination with the one or more electronic devices, wherein the one or more electronic devices comprise one or more first electronic devices, the apparatus further comprising:

one or more second electronic devices;

wherein the one or more control components make a prediction of correct operation of the one or more first electronic devices and the one or more second electronic devices in one or more test environments.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more control components validate the one or more first electronic components and the one or more second electronic components in the one or more test environments.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more operational characteristics comprise one or more first operational characteristics for the one or more first electronic devices, wherein the one or more second electronic devices comprise one or more second operational characteristics;

wherein one or more of the one or more first operational characteristics and one or more of the one or more second operational characteristics comprise one or more same operational characteristics;

wherein the one or more first operational characteristics and the one or more second operational characteristics comprise a plurality of operational characteristics of a plurality of second electronic devices;

wherein the one or more control components make a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the plurality of second electronic devices through employment of only the one or more second electronic devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more control components validate the plurality of second electronic devices in the one or more test environments.

19. A method, comprising the steps of:

regulating one or more thermal test components that emulate one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects;

making a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of the one or more emulated environmental effects.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of making the prediction of the one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices comprises the step of:

validating the one or more electronic devices in one or more test environments.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of making a prediction of the one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices comprises the step of:

obtaining one or more measurements of one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects;

the method further comprising the step of;

making a prediction of correct operation of the one or more electronic devices in one or more test environments through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of making the prediction of the correct operation of the one or more electronic devices in the one or more test environments through employment of the one or more of the one or more measurements comprises the step of:

validating the one or more electronic devices in the one or more test environments through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more electronic devices comprise one or more first electronic devices, wherein the step of making the prediction of the one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more first electronic devices comprises the step of:

making a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more first electronic devices and one or more second electronic devices in a test environment.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

means for emulating one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects; and

means for measuring one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the means for measuring the one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects comprises:

means for obtaining one or more measurements of one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects;

means for regulating the emulation of the one or more operational characteristics for the one or more electronic devices through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising:

means for making a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for making the prediction of the one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices comprises:

means for validating the one or more electronic devices in one or more test environments.

28. An article, comprising:

one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media;

means in the one or more media for regulating one or more thermal test components that emulate one or more operational characteristics for one or more electronic devices to generate one or more emulated environmental effects; and

means in the one or more media for making a prediction of one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of the one or more emulated environmental effects.

29. The article of claim 28, wherein the means in the one or more media for making the prediction of the one or more actual environmental effects of the one or more electronic devices through employment of the one or more emulated environmental effects comprises:

means in the one or more media for obtaining one or more measurements of one or more of the one or more emulated environmental effects;

the apparatus further comprising;

means in the one or more media for making a prediction of correct operation of the one or more electronic devices in one or more test environments through employment of one or more of the one or more measurements.