Multi-component and mixed-reality simulation environments

• US 9,639,443 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Greenspan, Steven L., Danielson, Debra J., Reno, James D., Kane, John P., Parikh, Prashant
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehne, Charles
• Application Number:
  US14/636,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• 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 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

Systems and methods may include receiving real-time data from real components operating in a real-world environment. The systems and methods may further include generating a virtual representation of the real components based on the real-time data received from the real components and historical data associated with the real components. In addition, the systems and methods may include determining whether the real-time data from a component of the real components indicates an anomaly. The systems and methods also may include, in response to determining that the real-time data from the component indicates the anomaly, determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the real components. Moreover, the systems and methods may include, in response to determining that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the real components, determining that the component is a malfunctioning component.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving real-time data from a plurality of real components operating in a real-world environment;

generating a virtual representation of the plurality of real components based on the real-time data received from the plurality of real components and historical data associated with the plurality of real components;

determining whether the real-time data from a component of the plurality of real components indicates an anomaly;

in response to determining that the real-time data from the component indicates the anomaly, determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components; and

in response to determining that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components, determining that the component is a malfunctioning component;

in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component;

activating a virtual component to replace the malfunctioning component, the virtual component using the virtual representation of the plurality of real components to generate real-time virtual data; and

controlling the virtual component to transmit the real-time virtual data to other components of the plurality of real components in place of the real-time data from the malfunctioning component.

2. The method of claim 1,

in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component:

activating a remote component to replace the malfunctioning component; and

controlling the remote component to perform a function previously performed by the malfunctioning component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components comprises:

determining whether a difference between values of the real-time data and corresponding values of the data generated by the virtual representation of the plurality of real time components exceeds a threshold level.

4. The method of claim 1,

in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component:

generating substitute real-time data to replace the real-time data from the malfunctioning component based on the real-time data received from other components of the plurality of real components, the other components being different from the malfunctioning component; and

using the substitute real-time data in place of the real-time data from the malfunctioning component when subsequently generating the virtual representation of the plurality of real components.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the virtual representation of the plurality of real components includes a predicted range of data values for the component,

wherein the predicted range of data values for the component are generated in real-time based on the real-time data received from other components of the plurality of real components and the historical data associated with the plurality of real components, and

wherein determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components comprises:

determining that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is within the predicted range of data values for the component; and

determining that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is not within the predicted range of data values for the component.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein generating the virtual representation of the plurality of real components comprises generating real-time statistical information describing aggregate data from similar components of the plurality of real components in aggregate, the aggregate data including real-time data received from both a first group of components of the plurality of real components and a second group of components of the plurality of real components, the first group of components being operated by a first entity, and the second group of components being operated by a second entity, and

wherein the method further comprises:

controlling access to the real-time data received from the second group of components, such that the first entity is prohibited from accessing the real-time data received from the second group of components;

controlling access to the real-time data received from the first group of components, such that the second entity is prohibited from accessing the real-time data received from the first group of components; and

controlling access to the real-time statistical information describing the aggregate data, such that both the first entity and the second entity are provided with access to the real-time statistical information describing the aggregate data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components comprises:

determining whether a difference between values of the real-time data and corresponding values of the data generated by the virtual representation of the plurality of real time components exceeds a threshold level.

8. A system comprising:

a processing system configured to;

receive real-time data from a plurality of real components operating in a real-world environment;

generate a virtual representation of the plurality of real components based on the real-time data received from the plurality of real components and historical data associated with the plurality of real components;

determine whether the real-time data from a component of the plurality of real components indicates an anomaly;

in response to determining that the real-time data from the component indicates the anomaly, determine whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components; and

in response to determining that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components, determine that the component is a malfunctioning component,

wherein, when determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components, the processing system is configured to;

determine whether a difference between values of the real-time data and corresponding values of the data generated by the virtual representation of the plurality of real time components exceeds a threshold level.

9. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the processing system is further configured to, in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component:

activate a virtual component to replace the malfunctioning component, the virtual component using the virtual representation of the plurality of real components to generate real-time virtual data; and

control the virtual component to transmit the real-time virtual data to other components of the plurality of real components in place of the real-time data from the malfunctioning component.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the virtual representation of the plurality of real components includes a predicted range of data values for the component,

wherein the processing system is further configured to generate the predicted range of data values for the component in real-time based on the real-time data received from other components of the plurality of real components and the historical data associated with the plurality of real components, and

wherein, when determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components, the processing system is configured to:

determine that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is within the predicted range of data values for the component; and

determine that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is not within the predicted range of data values for the component.

11. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the processing system is further configured to, in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component:

activate a remote component to replace the malfunctioning component; and

control the remote component to perform a function previously performed by the malfunctioning component.

12. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the processing system is further configured to, in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component:

generate substitute real-time data to replace the real-time data from the malfunctioning component based on the real-time data received from other components of the plurality of real components, the other components being different from the malfunctioning component; and

use the substitute real-time data in place of the real-time data from the malfunctioning component when subsequently generating the virtual representation of the plurality of real components.

13. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the virtual representation of the plurality of real components includes a predicted range of data values for the component,

wherein the processing system is further configured to generate the predicted range of data values for the component in real-time based on the real-time data received from other components of the plurality of real components and the historical data associated with the plurality of real components, and

wherein, when determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components, the processing system is configured to:

determine that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is within the predicted range of data values for the component; and

determine that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is not within the predicted range of data values for the component.

14. The system according to claim 8,

wherein, when generating the virtual representation of the plurality of real components, the processing system is configured to generate real-time statistical information describing aggregate data from similar components of the plurality of real components in aggregate, the aggregate data including real-time data received from both a first group of components of the plurality of real components and a second group of components of the plurality of real components, the first group of components being operated by a first entity, and the second group of components being operated by a second entity, and

wherein the processing system is further configured to:

control access to the real-time data received from the second group of components, such that the first entity is prohibited from accessing the real-time data received from the second group of components;

control access to the real-time data received from the first group of components, such that the second entity is prohibited from accessing the real-time data received from the first group of components; and

control access to the real-time statistical information describing the aggregate data, such that both the first entity and the second entity are provided with access to the real-time statistical information describing the aggregate data.

15. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive real-time data from a plurality of real components operating in a real-world environment;

computer readable program code configured to generate a virtual representation of the plurality of real components based on the real-time data received from the plurality of real components and historical data associated with the plurality of real components;

computer readable program code configured to determine whether the real-time data from a component of the plurality of real components indicates an anomaly;

computer readable program code configured to, in response to determining that the real-time data from the component indicates the anomaly, determine whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components; and

computer readable program code configured to, in response to determining that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components, determine that the component is a malfunctioning component,

computer readable program code configured to, in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component;

activate a remote component to replace the malfunctioning component; and

control the remote component to perform a function previously performed by the malfunctioning component.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to, in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component;

activate a virtual component to replace the malfunctioning component, the virtual component using the virtual representation of the plurality of real components to generate real-time virtual data; and

control the virtual component to transmit the real-time virtual data to other components of the plurality of real components in place of the real-time data from the malfunctioning component.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to, in response to determining that the component is the malfunctioning component;

generate substitute real-time data to replace the real-time data from the malfunctioning component based on the real-time data received from other components of the plurality of real components, the other components being different from the malfunctioning component; and

use the substitute real-time data in place of the real-time data from the malfunctioning component when subsequently generating the virtual representation of the plurality of real components.

18. The computer program product of claim 15,

wherein the virtual representation of the plurality of real components includes a predicted range of data values for the component,

wherein the computer program product further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to generate the predicted range of data values for the component in real-time based on the real-time data received from other components of the plurality of real components and the historical data associated with the plurality of real components, and

wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components comprises;

computer readable program code configured to determine that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is within the predicted range of data values for the component; and

computer readable program code configured to determine that the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is not consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components if the real-time data from the component is not within the predicted range of data values for the component.

19. The computer program product of claim 15,

wherein the computer readable program code configured to generate the virtual representation of the plurality of real components comprises:

computer readable program code configured to generate real-time statistical information describing aggregate data from similar components of the plurality of real components in aggregate, the aggregate data including real-time data received from both a first group of components of the plurality of real components and a second group of components of the plurality of real components, the first group of components being operated by a first entity, and the second group of components being operated by a second entity, and

wherein the computer program product further comprises;

computer readable program code configured to control access to the real-time data received from the second group of components, such that the first entity is prohibited from accessing the real-time data received from the second group of components;

computer readable program code configured to control access to the real-time data received from the first group of components, such that the second entity is prohibited from accessing the real-time data received from the first group of components; and

computer readable program code configured to control access to the real-time statistical information describing the aggregate data, such that both the first entity and the second entity are provided with access to the real-time statistical information describing the aggregate data.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determining whether the anomaly indicated by the real-time data from the component is consistent with the virtual representation of the plurality of real components comprises:

determining whether a difference between values of the real-time data and corresponding values of the data generated by the virtual representation of the plurality of real time components exceeds a threshold level.