SYSTEM AND METHOD TO VISUALIZE ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE USE OF AVATARS

• US 20100153869A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sledge, Brian W., Osias, Michael J., Dawson, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/323 Visualisation of programs or trace data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and method to visualize activities through the use of avatars. The system includes a display engine configured to display at least one automated activity as an avatar. The system also includes a management system configured to monitor the progress of the at least one automated activity and alter at least one of an appearance and a movement of the avatar in relation to the progress of the at least one automated activity.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a display engine configured to display at least one automated activity as an avatar; and

a management system configured to monitor a progress of the at least one automated activity and alter at least one of an appearance and a movement of the avatar in relation to the progress of the at least one automated activity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated activity is one of:

a computer program;

an automated script;

an automated mechanical interaction; and

a biological activity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display engine updates at least one of the appearance and the movement of the avatar on a synchronous basis or on an event driven basis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the display engine is further configured to display one or more interactions between a plurality of the avatars.

5. A computer implemented method for visualizing one or more automated activities, comprising:

installing a monitoring agent in the one or more automated activities;

representing the one or more automated activities via at least one avatar;

monitoring the at least one avatar; and

altering the at least one avatar to reflect a change in the one or more automated activities.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the altering includes changing at least one of a color of the at least one avatar and changing a speed at which the at least one avatar is moving.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the altering includes changing a size of the at least one avatar.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising identifying a number of errors incurred by the one or more automated activities.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising identifying a percentage complete for the one or more automated activities.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the at least one avatar is visible while performing the one or more automated activities.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the computer implemented method is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the computer implemented method is offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

giving the one or more automated activities to the at least one avatar;

monitoring a progress of the one or more automated activities; and

changing at least one of a color, a speed, and a size of the at least one avatar.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

depict one or more automated activities via at least one avatar;

monitor a progress of the one or more automated activities through the at least one avatar; and

change one or more features of the at least one avatar to reflect the progress of the one or more automated activities.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the one or more features include at least one of a size, a color, and a movement.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the one or more automated activity is one of:

a computer program;

an automated script;

an automated mechanical interaction; and

a biological activity.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein a plurality of the one or more features are depicted by a single avatar.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program product is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program product is offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising at least one component operable to:

give the one or more automated activities to the at least one avatar; and

install a monitoring agent in the one or more automated activities,

and wherein the change is at least one of a color, a speed, and a size of the at least one avatar

21. A method for deploying an application for visualizing one or more automated activities, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

associate one or more automated activities with at least one avatar;

monitor a status of the one or more automated activities through a monitoring agent; and

display the status of the one or more automated activities via the at least one avatar.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to alter at least one of a size, a color, and a movement of the at least one avatar based on the status of the one or more automated activities.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the altering is performed on a synchronous basis or on an event driven basis.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more automated activity is one of:

a computer program;

an automated script;

an automated mechanical interaction; and

a biological activity.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the computer infrastructure is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.