Information processing system, information processing method and program for synthesizing and displaying an image

• US 8,760,471 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NS Solutions Corporation (Nippon Steel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NS Solutions Corporation (Nippon Steel Corporation)
• Inventors: Ihara, Noboru, Sasao, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cobb, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/497,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 345/632, 345/633, 715707-713
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

A failure analysis apparatus obtains information associated with an operational status of a data center, determines information regarding fault repair work for the data center, based on the information associated with the operational status, and transmits the information regarding the fault repair work to a head mounted display (HMD). The HMD synthesizes and presents computer graphics image data for providing guidance for a method of the fault repair work, with an image of real space, based on the information regarding the fault repair work. After the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the HMD, if the information associated with the operational status of the data center is newly obtained, the failure analysis apparatus newly determines the information regarding the fault repair work for the data center based on the information associated with the operational status, and transmits the information to the HMD.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising a sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus that is able to synthesize and display an image of real space and computer graphics image data, and a failure analysis apparatus that is able to analyze a fault having occurred in a computer system, wherein the failure analysis apparatus comprises:

obtaining means that obtains information associated with an operational status of the computer system;

determination means that determines information regarding fault repair work for the computer system based on the information associated with the operational status obtained by the obtaining means, a required ability level for taking charge of the fault repair work, and rule data comprising priority weighting of each of a plurality of check items determined for the fault repair work; and

transmission means that transmits the information regarding the fault repair work determined by the determination means, to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus,

the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus comprises;

presentation means that synthesizes and presents computer graphics image data for providing guidance for a method of the fault repair work, with the image of the real space, based on the information regarding the fault repair work, and

in the failure analysis apparatus;

after performing the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, and in response to the information associated with the operational status of the computer system being newly obtained by the obtaining means, the information regarding the fault repair work for the computer system is newly determined by the determination means based on the information associated with the operational status, a determined proficiency level of a worker who has performed the fault repair work, and security information associated with the worker, and the newly determined information regarding the fault repair work is transmitted to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus by the transmission means.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein

in the failure analysis apparatus, information regarding pieces of fault repair work to be individually executed for the computer system by a plurality of workers is determined by the determination means based on the information associated with the operational status of the computer system, and a method of each piece of the fault repair work is transmitted to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus of each corresponding worker by the transmission means.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein in the failure analysis apparatus, guidance information for providing guidance for a route from a current location of the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus to a location of the fault repair work is transmitted to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus by the transmission means, and

in the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, computer graphics image data for providing the guidance for the route from the current location of the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus to the location of the fault repair work is synthesized and presented with the image of the real space by the presentation means based on the guidance information.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein based on a result of executing the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, the determination means determines the proficiency level of the worker who has performed the fault repair work, and

in the failure analysis apparatus,

after performing the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, and in response to the information regarding the fault repair work for the computer system being newly determined, information representing an explanation of work content depending on the proficiency level, with respect to the newly determined information regarding the fault repair work, is transmitted to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus.

5. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein based on a result of executing the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, the determination means determines the proficiency level of the worker who has performed the fault repair work, and

in the failure analysis apparatus,

when the information regarding the pieces of the fault repair work to be individually executed for the computer system by the plurality of workers is determined by the determination means based on the information associated with the operational status of the computer system, the piece of the fault repair work that the worker takes charge of is decided depending on the proficiency level.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the failure analysis apparatus further comprises position specification means that specifies a position of a network cable laid on a free access floor,

the transmission means transmits position information representing the position of the network cable specified by the position specification means to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, as a part of the information regarding the fault repair work determined by the determination means, and in the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus,

the presentation means synthesizes and presents the network cable, as the computer graphics image data for providing the guidance for the method of the fault repair work, with the image of the real space, based on the position information included in the information regarding the fault repair work.

7. An information processing method executed by a sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus that is able to synthesize and display an image of real space and computer graphics image data and comprises presentation means, and a failure analysis apparatus that is able to analyze a fault having occurred in a computer system and comprises obtaining means, determination means and transmission means, the method comprising:

an obtaining step of obtaining information associated with an operational status of the computer system by the obtaining means;

a determination step of determining information regarding fault repair work for the computer system based on the information associated with the operational status obtained by the obtaining step, a required ability level for taking charge of the fault repair work, and rule data comprising priority weighting of each of a plurality of check items determined for the fault repair work;

a transmission step of transmitting the information regarding the fault repair work determined by the determination step, to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, by the transmission means; and

a presentation step of synthesizing and presenting computer graphics image data for providing guidance for a method of the fault repair work, with the image of the real space, based on the information regarding the fault repair work, by the presentation means, wherein

after performing the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, and in response to the information associated with the operational status of the computer system being newly obtained by the obtaining means, the information regarding the fault repair work for the computer system is newly determined by the determination means based on the information associated with the operational status, a determined proficiency level of a worker who has performed the fault repair work, and security information associated with the worker, and the newly determined information regarding the fault repair work is transmitted to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus by the transmission means.

8. A program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for causing a first computer to function as a sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus that is able to synthesize and display an image of real space and computer graphics image data, and comprises presentation means, and for causing a second computer to function as a failure analysis apparatus that is able to analyze a fault having occurred in a computer system and comprises obtaining means, determination means and transmission means, the program causing the second computer to execute:

an obtaining step of obtaining information associated with an operational status of the computer system by the obtaining means;

a determination step of determining information regarding fault repair work for the computer system based on the information associated with the operational status obtained by the obtaining step, a required ability level for taking charge of the fault repair work, and rule data comprising priority weighting of each of a plurality of check items determined for the fault repair work; and

a transmission step of transmitting the information regarding the fault repair work determined by the determination step, to the first computer, by the transmission means, the program causing the first computer to execute;

a presentation step of synthesizing and presenting computer graphics image data for providing guidance for a method of the fault repair work, with the image of the real space, based on the information regarding the fault repair work, by the presentation means, and

the program causing the second computer to execute;

a step in which, after performing the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the first computer, and in response to the information associated with the operational status of the computer system being newly obtained by the obtaining step, the information regarding the fault repair work for the computer system is newly determined by the determination step based on the information associated with the operational status, a determined proficiency level of a worker who has performed the fault repair work, and security information associated with the worker, and the newly determined information regarding the fault repair work is transmitted to the first computer by the transmission step.

9. An information processing system comprising a sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus that is able to synthesize and display an image of real space and computer graphics image data, and a failure analysis apparatus that is able to analyze a fault having occurred in a repair target object, wherein the failure analysis apparatus comprises:

obtaining means that obtains information associated with an operational status of the repair target object;

determination means that determines information regarding fault repair work for the repair target object based on the information associated with the operational status obtained by the obtaining means, a required ability level for taking charge of the fault repair work, and rule data comprising priority weighting of each of a plurality of check items determined for the fault repair work; and

transmission means that transmits information indicating the information regarding the fault repair work determined by the determination means, to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus,

the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus comprises;

presentation means that synthesizes and presents computer graphics image data for providing guidance for a method of the fault repair work, with the image of the real space, based on the information regarding the fault repair work, and

in the failure analysis apparatus;

after performing the fault repair work according to the guidance presented by the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus, and in response to the information associated with the operational status of the repair target object being newly obtained by the obtaining means, the information regarding the fault repair work for the repair target object is newly determined by the determination means based on the information associated with the operational status, a determined proficiency level of a worker who has performed the fault repair work, and security information associated with the worker, and the newly determined information regarding the fault repair work is transmitted to the sense of augmented reality presentation apparatus by the transmission means.