System and method to visualize activities through the use of avatars

• US 9,075,901 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Christopher J., Osias, Michael J., Sledge, Brian W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, William
• Application Number:
  US12/334,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,395 Days
• Field of Search: 715/757, 715/772, 715/706, 715/736, 715748-749, 715769-770
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 implemented in hardware comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable hardware storage device;

program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device which, when executed by the processor, perform operations comprising;

displaying a virtual representation of at least one automated activity occurring in a first environment, wherein the at least one automated activity involves a system in the first environment, and wherein the first environment is a real-world environment, and

displaying and rendering a representation of the at least one automated activity in a second environment using a computer-controlled avatar that interacts with a representation of the system in the second environment, wherein the second environment is a virtual universe (VU), which is an interactive simulated environment accessed by users through an online interface, and the users inhabit and interact in the VU via user avatars which are representations of the users,

receiving, by the computer-controlled avatar, the at least one automated activity from a user via a user avatar that represents the user;

monitoring information generated in the first environment in association with a progress of the at least one automated activity occurring in the first environment;

altering at least one of an appearance and a movement of the computer-controlled avatar in the VU to represent the progress of the at least one automated activity based on the information generated in the first environment;

wherein the rendering the representation of the at least one automated activity in the second environment using the computer-controlled avatar comprises displaying a name of the at least one automated activity given to the computer-controlled avatar by the user avatar;

altering the appearance of the computer-controlled avatar comprising;

displaying a percentage complete for the at least one automated activity; and

changing a color of the computer-controlled avatar based on the percentage completed of the at least one automated activity, wherein;

the changing the color and the altering the appearance of the computer-controlled avatar occurs periodically;

the system is a datacenter;

components of the system rendered in the VU are a software package and a system object;

the virtual representation of the at least one automated activity occurring in the first environment represents installing the software package on the system object by the computer-controlled avatar; and

the user avatar represents an administrator of the datacenter;

identifying a number of errors incurred by the at least one automated activity; and

changing at least one of the color and the appearance of the computer-controlled avatar based on the number of errors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one automated activity is a biological activity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the altering at least one of the appearance and the movement of the computer-controlled avatar comprises updating at least one of the appearance and the movement of the computer-controlled avatar on a synchronous basis or on an event driven basis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiving the at least one automated activity comprises displaying the user avatar and the computer-controlled avatar interacting by:

shaking hands, hugging, handing the computer-controlled avatar a virtual representation of the at least one automated activity, or issuing a command to the computer-controlled avatar.

5. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising displaying one or more interactions between the computer-controlled avatar and another avatar associated with another automated activity occurring in the first environment, the one or more interactions comprising a gesture to visually represent an end of the at least one automated activity and a beginning of the another automated activity, wherein the at least one automated activity involves a plurality of components in the first environment affected by the at least one automated activity, and a display engine is further configured to render a representation of each of the plurality of components affected by the at least one automated activity.

6. The system of claim 5, the operations further comprising:

changing the color of the computer-controlled avatar and a speed at which the computer-controlled avatar is moving to indicate a speed at which the at least one automated activity is being executed; and

changing the color of the computer-controlled avatar based on an importance and a criticality of the at least one automated activity.

7. The system of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

rendering the computer-controlled avatar using an avatar representing an importance of the at least one automated activity received by from the user.

8. The system of claim 7, the operations further comprising:

receiving, by a second computer-controlled avatar, a second automated activity from the user via the user avatar;

rendering the second computer-controlled avatar using an avatar representing an importance of the second automated activity received from the user; and

simultaneously displaying, to the user, a view of the at least one automated activity and the second automated activity being executed on components of the system by the computer-controlled avatar and the second computer-controlled avatar in the virtual environment, wherein;

the receiving the at least one automated activity comprises receiving, by a first one of a plurality of inactive avatars, the at least one automated activity from the user avatar; and

the importance of the at least one automated activity received by from the user is represented by a species of the computer-controlled avatar;

the receiving the second automated activity comprises receiving, by a second one of the plurality of inactive avatars, the second automated activity from the user avatar; and

the importance of the second automated activity received by from the user is represented by a species and/or size of the second computer-controlled avatar.

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

receiving, by at least one computer-controlled avatar in a virtual environment, one or more automated activities occurring in a real-world environment, wherein;

the at least one computer-controlled avatar receives the one or more automated activities from a user via an interaction in the virtual environment with a user-controlled avatar that represents the user, and

the one or more automated activities involve a system in the real-world environment;

installing a monitoring agent in the one or more automated activities occurring in the real world environment;

rendering the at least one computer-controlled avatar using an avatar representing an importance of the one or more automated activities received from the user;

representing the one or more automated activities occurring in the real-world environment via the at least one computer-controlled avatar in the virtual environment, wherein the at least one computer-controlled avatar implements the one or more automated activities by interacting with a representation of the system;

monitoring the at least one computer-controlled avatar;

altering the at least one computer-controlled avatar to reflect a change in the one or more automated activities occurring in the real-world environment, the altering including changing a color of the at least one computer-controlled avatar and a speed at which the at least one computer-controlled avatar is moving to indicate a speed at which the one or more automated activities are being executed in the real-world environment;

identifying a number of errors incurred by the one or more automated activities;

changing at least one of the color and an appearance of the at least one computer-controlled avatar based on the number of errors;

wherein the rendering the at least one computer-controlled avatar comprises displaying a name of the one or more automated activities given to the at least one computer-controlled avatar by the user-controlled avatar;

altering the appearance of the at least one computer-controlled avatar comprising;

displaying a percentage complete for the one or more automated activities; and

changing the color of the at least one computer-controlled avatar based on the percentage completed of the one or more automated activities; and

wherein;

the changing the color and altering the appearance of the at least one computer-controlled avatar occurs periodically;

the system is a datacenter;

components of the system rendered in the VU are a software package and a system object;

a virtual representation of the one or more automated activities occurring in a real-world environment represents installing the software package on the system object by the at least one computer-controlled avatar; and

the user-controlled avatar represents an administrator of the datacenter.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the altering the at least one computer-controlled avatar includes changing a size of the at least one computer-controlled avatar.

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

12. The computer implemented method of claim 9, further comprising displaying, to the user, a view of the at least one computer-controlled avatar while performing the one or more automated activities.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the computer implemented method is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the computer implemented method is offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

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 computer-controlled avatar to represent the progress of the one or more automated activities, wherein;

the receiving one or more automated activities comprises receiving, by a first one of a plurality of inactive avatars, the one or more automated activities from the user-controlled avatar; and

the importance of the one or more automated activities received from the user-controlled avatar is represented by a species of the at least one computer-controlled avatar.

16. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable hardware storage device and program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device which, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:

receiving, by at least one computer-controlled avatar in a first environment, one or more automated activities occurring in a second environment given to the at least one computer-controlled avatar from a user via a user avatar that represents the user, wherein the one or more automated activities involves a real-world system;

rendering the at least one computer-controlled avatar using an avatar representing an importance of the one or more automated activities received from the user;

depicting the one or more automated activities via the at least one computer-controlled avatar in the first environment, wherein;

the depicting the one or more automated activities includes displaying the at least one computer-controlled avatar implementing the one or more automated activities by interacting with a representation of the real-world system, and

the first environment is a virtual universe (VU) which is an interactive simulated environment accessed by users through an online interface, the users inhabiting and interacting in the VU via user avatars which are representations of the users and wherein the second environment is a real-world environment;

monitoring a progress of the one or more automated activities occurring in the second environment through the at least one computer-controlled avatar;

changing one or more features of the at least one computer-controlled avatar to reflect the progress of the one or more automated activities occurring in the second environment,

identifying a number of errors incurred by the one or more automated activities;

changing at least one of a color and an appearance of the at least one computer-controlled avatar based on the number of errors;

altering the at least one computer-controlled avatar to reflect a change in the one or more automated activities;

wherein the rendering the at least one computer-controlled avatar comprises displaying a name of the one or more automated activities given to the at least one computer-controlled avatar by the user avatar;

altering the at least one computer-controlled avatar comprising;

displaying a percentage complete for the one or more automated activities; and

changing the color of the at least one computer-controlled avatar based on the percentage completed of the one or more automated activities; and

wherein;

the changing the color and the appearance of the at least one computer-controlled avatar occurs periodically;

the real-world system is a datacenter;

components of the real-world system rendered in the VU are a software package and a system object;

a virtual representation of the one or more automated activities occurring in the second environment represents installing the software package on the system object by the at least one computer-controlled avatar; and

the user avatar represents an administrator of the datacenter.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the one or more features include at least one of a size, a color, and a movement.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the one or more automated activities is a biological activity.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein a plurality of the one or more features are depicted by a single avatar.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer program product is at least one of supported, deployed, maintained, and created by a service provider.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer program product is offered by a service provider based on one of a fee and subscription basis.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

installing a monitoring agent in the one or more automated activities that monitors the 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 computer-controlled avatar to represent the progress of the one or more automated activities,

wherein;

the receiving one or more automated activities comprises receiving, by a first one of a plurality of inactive avatars, the one or more automated activities from the user; and

the importance of the one or more automated activities received from the user is represented by a species of the at least one computer-controlled avatar.

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

receiving, by at least one computer-controlled avatar in a first environment, one or more automated activities occurring in a second environment, wherein;

the at least one computer-controlled avatar receives the one or more automated activities from a user avatar that represents a user in the first environment,

the one or more automated activities involve a real-world system, and

the first environment is a virtual universe (VU), which is an interactive simulated environment accessed by users through an online interface, the users inhabiting and interacting in the VU via user avatars which are representations of the users and the second environment is a real-world environment;

associating the one or more automated activities occurring in the second environment with the at least one computer-controlled avatar in the first environment;

rendering the at least one computer-controlled avatar using an avatar representing an importance of the one or more automated activities received by from the user;

monitoring a status of the one or more automated activities occurring in the second environment through a monitoring agent;

altering the at least one computer-controlled avatar in relation to a progress of the automated activity occurring in the second environment;

displaying the status of the one or more automated activities occurring in the second environment via the at least one computer-controlled avatar, wherein the displaying includes controlling the at least one computer-controlled avatar to interact with a representation of the real-world system;

identifying a number of errors incurred by the one or more automated activities;

changing at least one of a color and an appearance of the at least one computer-controlled avatar based on the number of errors;

wherein the rendering the at least one computer-controlled avatar comprises displaying a name of the one or more automated activities given to the at least one computer-controlled avatar by the user avatar;

altering the at least one computer-controlled avatar comprising;

displaying a percentage complete for the one or more automated activities; and

changing the color of the at least one computer-controlled avatar based on the percentage completed of the one or more automated activities; and

wherein;

the changing the color and the appearance of the at least one computer-controlled avatar occurs periodically;

the real-world system is a datacenter;

components of the real-world system rendered in the VU are a software package and a system object;

a virtual representation of the one or more automated activities occurring in the second environment represents installing the software package on the system object by the at least one computer-controlled avatar; and

the user avatar represents an administrator of the datacenter.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising altering at least one of a size, a color, and a movement of the at least one computer-controlled avatar based on the status of the one or more automated activities.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the altering is performed on a synchronous basis or on an event driven basis.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more automated activities is a biological activity.