Method and system for analyzing time series data

• US 7,962,804 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Handley, John C., Virdhagriswaran, Sankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehrmanesh; Elmira
• Application Number:
  US12/776,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 714/26, 714/47, 714/44, 702/183
• US Class Current: 714/814
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data are disclosed. First time series data, including a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry, may be received for a machine variable for a first printer. Second time series data, including a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry, may be received for the machine variable for each of a plurality of second printers. For each second printer, a similarity measurement may be determined for the first time series data for the first printer and the second time series data for the second printer. One or more closest matching second printers may be determined based on the similarity measurements. An association may be displayed between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.

Claims

1. A method of performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the method comprising:

receiving first time series data for a machine variable for a first printer, wherein the first time series data comprises a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry;

receiving second time series data for the machine variable for a plurality of second printers, wherein the second time series data comprises a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry;

for each second printer;

initializing one or more similarity values,

for each first time entry in the first time series data;

for each second time entry in the second time series data;

evaluating a cost function based on the first data value associated with the first time entry and the second data value associated with the second time entry to determine a cost value,

calculating a minimum similarity value from one or more previously calculated similarity values,

summing the minimum similarity value and the cost value to produce a similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry, and

storing the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry, and

setting the similarity measurement to the similarity value associated with the last first time entry and the last second time entry;

determining one or more closest matching second printers based on the similarity measurements; and

displaying an association between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.

2. A method of performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the method comprising:

receiving first time series data for a machine variable for a first printer, wherein the first time series data comprises a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry;

receiving second time series data for the machine variable for a plurality of second printers, wherein the second time series data comprises a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry;

for each second printer;

initializing one or more similarity values,

for each first time entry in the first time series data;

for each second time entry in the second time series data;

determining whether the data value for the first time entry equals the data value for the second time entry,

if so, setting the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry to the sum of one and the similarity value associated with the time entry preceding the first time entry and the time entry preceding the second time entry, and

if not, setting the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry to the maximum of the similarity value associated with the time entry preceding the first time entry and the second time entry and the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the time entry preceding the second time entry, and

setting the similarity measurement to the similarity value associated with the last first time entry and the last second time entry;

determining one or more closest matching second printers based on the similarity measurements; and

displaying an association between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.

3. A method of performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the method comprising:

receiving first time series data for a machine variable for a first printer, wherein the first time series data comprises a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry;

receiving second time series data for the machine variable for a plurality of second printers, wherein the second time series data comprises a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry;

for each second printer;

compressing the first time series data,

determining a first value, wherein the first value comprises a size of the compressed first time series data,

compressing the second time series data,

determining a second value, wherein the second value comprises a size of the compressed second time series data,

concatenating the first time series data and the second time series data to produce concatenated time series data,

compressing the concatenated time series data,

determining a third value, wherein the third value comprises a size of the compressed concatenated time series data, and

setting the similarity measurement to the third value divided by the sum of the first value and the second value;

determining one or more closest matching second printers based on the similarity measurements; and

displaying an association between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.

4. A system for performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the system comprising:

a processor;

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor; and

a communications interface in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the method comprising;

receiving first time series data for a machine variable for a first printer via the communications interface, wherein the first time series data comprises a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry,

receiving second time series data for the machine variable for a plurality of second printers via the communications interface, wherein the second time series data comprises a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry,

for each second printer;

initializing one or more similarity values;

for each first time entry in the first time series data;

for each second time entry in the second time series data;

 

evaluating a cost function based on the first data value associated with the first time entry and the second data value associated with the second time entry to determine a cost value,

 

calculating a minimum similarity value from one or more previously calculated similarity values,

 

summing the minimum similarity value and the cost value to produce a similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry, and

 

storing the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry; and

setting the similarity measurement to the similarity value associated with the last first time entry and the last second time entry,

determining one or more closest matching second printers based on the similarity measurements, and

displaying an association between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.

5. A system for performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the system comprising:

a processor;

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor; and

a communications interface in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the method comprising;

receiving first time series data for a machine variable for a first printer via the communications interface, wherein the first time series data comprises a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry,

receiving second time series data for the machine variable for a plurality of second printers via the communications interface, wherein the second time series data comprises a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry,

for each second printer;

initializing one or more similarity values;

for each first time entry in the first time series data;

for each second time entry in the second time series data;

 

determining whether the data value for the first time entry equals the data value for the second time entry,

 

if so, setting the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry to the sum of one and the similarity value associated with the time entry preceding the first time entry and the time entry preceding the second time entry, and

 

if not, setting the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the second time entry to the maximum of the similarity value associated with the time entry preceding the first time entry and the second time entry and the similarity value associated with the first time entry and the time entry preceding the second time entry; and

setting the similarity measurement to the similarity value associated with the last first time entry and the last second time entry,

determining one or more closest matching second printers based on the similarity measurements, and

displaying an association between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.

6. A system for performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the system comprising:

a processor;

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor; and

a communications interface in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for performing a method of performing fault analysis using numerically coded time series data from a plurality of printers, the method comprising;

receiving first time series data for a machine variable for a first printer via the communications interface, wherein the first time series data comprises a plurality of first time entries and an associated first data value for each first time entry,

receiving second time series data for the machine variable for a plurality of second printers via the communications interface, wherein the second time series data comprises a plurality of second time entries and an associated second data value for each second time entry,

for each second printer;

compressing the first time series data,

determining a first value, wherein the first value comprises a size of the compressed first time series data,

compressing the second time series data,

determining a second value, wherein the second value comprises a size of the compressed second time series data,

concatenating the first time series data and the second time series data to produce concatenated time series data,

compressing the concatenated time series data,

determining a third value, wherein the third value comprises a size of the compressed concatenated time series data, and

setting the similarity measurement to the third value divided by the sum of the first value and the second value,

determining one or more closest matching second printers based on the similarity measurements, and

displaying an association between the first printer and each closest matching second printer.