VISUALIZATION OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS USING BUILDINGS

• US 20100031229A1
• Filed: 07/30/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dillenberger, Donna N Eng, Johnson, Sandra K., Ward, David, Mitchell, Joan L., Mishra, Sharad, Stoor, Benjamin J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The present invention relates to the visualization of a complex system such as a software offering using a set of buildings. A method for generating a visualization of a complex system using a set of buildings in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: representing each of a plurality of complex systems using a respective set of buildings in a virtual city environment. The set of buildings in the virtual city environment is displayed.

Claims

1. A method for generating a visualization of a complex system using a set of buildings, comprising:

representing each of a plurality of complex systems using a respective set of buildings in a virtual city environment; and

displaying the set of buildings in the virtual city environment.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a plurality of floors in each of the set of buildings, wherein each of the plurality of floors represents a component of each of the plurality of complex systems.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying an interconnection between at least two of the plurality of floors, wherein each interconnection represents a communication between the components of each of the plurality of complex systems.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a plurality of furniture items within a room of each of the set of buildings, wherein each of the plurality of furniture items represents a stage of each of the plurality of complex systems.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the room has one or more characteristics, the method further comprising adjusting a characteristic within the room based on a satisfaction level for the components of each of the plurality of complex systems.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual city environment has one or more weather characteristics representing customer satisfaction, the method further comprising adjusting a weather characteristic surrounding each of the set of buildings based on a satisfaction level for each of the plurality of the complex systems.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying one or more interconnections between at least two of the set of buildings, wherein each interconnection reflects a level of interconnectivity between each of the plurality of complex systems of the interconnected buildings.

8. A computer system for generating a visualization of a complex system using a set of buildings comprising:

at least one processing unit;

memory operably associated with the at least one processing unit; and

a visualization tool storable in memory and executable by the at least one processing unit, the visualization tool comprising;

an offering component configured to represent each of a plurality of complex systems using a respective set of buildings in a virtual city environment; and

a display component configured to display the set of buildings in the virtual city environment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the set of buildings includes a plurality of floors, and wherein each of the plurality of floors represents a component of each of the plurality of complex systems.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a linking component configured to:

interconnect at least two of the plurality of floors, wherein each interconnection represents a communication between the components of each of the plurality of complex systems; and

interconnect at least two of the set of buildings, wherein each interconnection reflects a level of interconnectivity between each of the plurality of complex systems of the interconnected buildings.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising a staging component configured to provide a plurality of furniture items within a room of each of the set of buildings, wherein each of the plurality of furniture items represents a stage of each of the plurality complex systems.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a satisfaction component configured to:

adjust a characteristic within the room based on a satisfaction level for the component of each of the complex systems; and

adjust a weather characteristic surrounding each of the set of buildings based on a satisfaction level for each of plurality of complex systems.

13. A computer-readable medium storing computer instructions, which when executed, generates a visualization of a complex system using a set of buildings, the computer instructions comprising:

representing each of a plurality of complex systems using a respective set of buildings in a virtual city environment; and

displaying the set of buildings in the virtual city environment.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for displaying a plurality of floors in each of the set of buildings, wherein each of the plurality of floors represents a component of each of the plurality of complex systems.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising instructions for displaying an interconnection between at least two of the plurality of floors, wherein each interconnection represents a communication between the components of each of the plurality of complex systems.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for displaying a plurality of furniture items within a room of each of the set of buildings, wherein each of the plurality of furniture items represents a stage of each of the plurality of complex systems.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the room has one or more characteristics, the computer readable medium further comprising instructions for adjusting a characteristic within the room based on a satisfaction level for the components of each of the plurality of complex systems.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the virtual city environment has one or more weather characteristics representing customer satisfaction, the computer readable medium further comprising instructions for adjusting a weather characteristic surrounding each of the set of buildings based on a satisfaction level for each of the plurality of the complex systems.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising instructions for displaying one or more interconnections between at least two of the set of buildings, wherein each interconnection reflects a level of interconnectivity between each of the plurality of complex systems of the interconnected buildings.

20. A method for deploying an application for generating a visualization of a complex system using a set of buildings, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

represent each of a plurality of complex systems using a respective

set of buildings in a virtual city environment; and

display the set of buildings in the virtual city environment.