Electronic device, failure prediction method, and computer product

• US 20050193284A1
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yasuo, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/24 Marginal checking or other specified testing methods not covered by G06F11/26, e.g. race tests

Abstract

An electronic device that includes a part prone to aged deterioration includes an environmental load applying unit that applies a higher environmental load on the part than an environmental load in a normal operation, an error detecting unit that detects an error in the part with the higher environmental load applied, and a failure predicting unit that predicts a failure of the part based on the error detected.

Claims

1. An electronic device that includes a part prone to aged deterioration, comprising:

an environmental load applying unit that applies a higher environmental load on the part than an environmental load in a normal operation;

an error detecting unit that detects an error in the part with the higher environmental load applied; and

a failure predicting unit that predicts a failure of the part based on the error detected.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental load applying unit applies a first environmental load of a boundary secure operation value between a secure operation environment and non-secure operation environment of the electronic device or a second environmental load of a value that is close to the boundary secure operation value within a range of a secure operation of the electronic device to the part.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the failure predicting unit predicts the failure if an error rate of the error detected is greater than a predetermined value.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental load applying unit applies an environmental load of a non-secure operation value that exceeds the boundary secure operation value to the part.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the failure predicting unit predicts the failure based on a value of the environmental load with which an error rate of the error becomes a failure threshold value.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein

the failure predicting unit includes a threshold value history storing unit that stores a last value of the environmental load with which an error rate became the failure threshold value when the environmental load of a non-secure operation value was applied as a previous measured threshold value, and

the failure predicting unit predicts the failure if a first absolute value of a difference between the previous measured threshold value and a current measured threshold value that is a current value of the environmental load with which an error rate became the failure threshold value when the environmental load of a non-secure operation value was applied is greater than a second absolute value of a difference between the current measured threshold value and a secure operation value.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental load applying unit applies a temperature load to the part as the environmental load.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the environmental load applying unit further includes a temperature setting unit that applies the temperature load on the part;

and

a temperature controller that controls a temperature of the part using the temperature setting unit.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the

environmental load applying unit further includes a cooling unit that cools down the part;

and

a temperature controller that controls a temperature of the part using the cooling unit.

10. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein

the part is a communication processing part that processes communication data, and

the environmental load applying unit applies the environmental load on the communication processing part by adding other data to the communication data.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the environmental load applying unit applies the environmental load by varying an applied voltage to the part.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the part is a fan, and the error detecting unit detects the error by monitoring a rotation count of the fan.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the part is a hard disk, and the environmental load applying unit applies the environmental load on the disk by increasing an access frequency of the hard disk.

14. A method of predicting a failure of a part prone to aged deterioration, comprising:

applying a higher environmental load on the part than an environmental load in a normal operation;

detecting an error in the part with the higher environmental load applied; and

predicting the failure of the part based on the error detected.

15. A computer program for predicting a failure of a part prone to aged deterioration, making a computer execute:

applying a higher environmental load on the part than an environmental load in a normal operation;

detecting an error in the part with the higher environmental load applied; and

predicting the failure of the part based on the error detected.

16. A computer readable recording medium for storing a computer program that makes a computer execute:

applying unit a higher environmental load on the part than an environmental load in a normal operation;

detecting an error in the part with the higher environmental load applied; and

predicting the failure of the part based on the error detected.