Method and device for operating and managing network service using digital twin

Abstract

Disclosed are a method and device for operating and managing a network and a service using a digital twin. According to one aspect of the present disclosure, provided is a method implemented by a computing system including one or more computing devices for operating and managing a network service, the method comprising the steps of: collecting physical locations of the one or more devices disposed in a service target space, a network service state, and a use state of an application utilizing a network; and visualizing the locations of the one or more devices, the network service state, and the use state of the application in a virtual space simulating the service target space.

Description

Method and device for operating and managing network services using digital twins

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for network and service operation management using a digital twin.

[0002] The content described below merely provides background information related to the present embodiment and does not constitute prior art.

[0003] In network-based systems, it is crucial to intuitively understand and manage network status through real-time data collection and visualization across various network application devices (e.g., radio units, access points, terminal devices, etc.). Existing network monitoring systems have been limited to providing simple text-based data, failing to reflect real-time network status changes. In particular, existing systems lacked the ability to comprehensively manage location information, traffic usage, and service quality of network application devices. This made it difficult for operators to immediately identify the location and cause of network performance issues or quality degradation. Efficient decision-making for network equipment reinforcement or problem resolution was also hampered by the lack of clear visual feedback.

[0004] The present disclosure aims to provide an improved digital twin system that enables operators to monitor and manage network status in a more flexible and intuitive manner by visualizing in real time the location and service quality of network application devices within a space providing network services.

[0005] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented by a computing system including one or more computing devices for network service operation and management is provided, the method including the steps of collecting physical locations of one or more devices arranged in a service target space, network service status, and usage status of an application utilizing a network; and the steps of visualizing the locations of the one or more devices, network service status, and usage status of the application on a virtual space simulating the service target space.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computing system is provided, comprising: a memory for storing commands; and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor executes the commands to collect physical locations of one or more devices arranged in a service target space, network service status, and usage status of an application utilizing a network, and visualize the locations of the one or more devices, network service status, and usage status of the application on a virtual space simulating the service target space.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program stored on a computer-readable recording medium is provided to execute the processes included in the above-described method.

[0009] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the space providing network services can be visualized in two or three dimensions, displaying the location and operational status of network application devices, including terminals, in real time. This allows operators to efficiently perform control and monitoring functions for network operations on a single screen, intuitively grasp network status, and quickly respond to events resulting from service status changes. Furthermore, analysis of network service status is expected to facilitate efficient network management and optimization.

[0010] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an exemplary digital twin system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary operation of a digital twin system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of the layout of a user interface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram referenced to explain the location and status visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain the detailed information visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIGS. 6A to 6C are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain the operational information visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIGS. 7A to 7D are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain the operational task performance function for a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIGS. 8A to 8C are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain an event response function for a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain a network service quality visualization function according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIGS. 10A to 10C are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain a section-by-section history visualization function according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 11a and FIG. 11b are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain another network service operation status visualization function in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 12 is an exemplary diagram referenced to explain an application execution result visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a network and service operation management method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 14 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an exemplary computing device that can be used to implement the devices and methods described in the present disclosure.

[0025] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail using exemplary drawings. When designating components in each drawing, it should be noted that, where possible, identical components are given the same reference numerals, even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of related known structures or functions will be omitted if they are deemed to obscure the gist of the present disclosure.

[0026] In describing components of embodiments according to the present disclosure, symbols such as first, second, i), ii), a), b) may be used. These symbols are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the components are not limited by the symbols. When a part in the specification is said to "include" or "have" a component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but rather that other components may be included, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0027] The detailed description set forth below, together with the accompanying drawings, is intended to explain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an exemplary digital twin system to which the present disclosure can be applied.

[0029] The digital twin system (10) may include all or part of a digital twin management engine (100), one or more network application devices (120), a location monitoring server (140), a service quality measurement server (160), and an operator terminal (180). Not all blocks illustrated in FIG. 1 are essential components, and some blocks included in other embodiments may be added, changed, or deleted. Meanwhile, the components illustrated in FIG. 1 represent functionally distinct elements, and at least one of the components may be implemented in an integrated form in an actual physical environment.

[0030] The digital twin management engine (100) provides monitoring and control functions for one or more network application devices (120) deployed in a service target space. Here, the service target space may represent a space that provides a network service. The network application devices (120) may represent devices connected to a network. For example, the network application devices (120) may include all or part of network equipment (e.g., a radio unit (RU) or an access point (AP), etc.) that provides network connection to other devices, a network terminal (e.g., a 5G modem or a WLAN module, etc.) for connecting to a network, and a device (e.g., a mobile phone, a laptop, a drone, a robot, a CCTV, etc.) combined with the network terminal.

[0031] The digital twin management engine (100) may include a data collection module (102), a data processing module (103), a 3D space map (104), and a visualization module (106).

[0032] The data collection module (102) can collect the time-based location information of the network application devices (120) from the location monitoring server (140) and store it in the digital twin management system. To this end, the location monitoring server (140) can periodically collect the location information of the network application devices (120). For example, the location monitoring server (140) can identify the location of each network application device (120) by using a tag (e.g., a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) tag or a UWB (Ultra-Wideband) tag) attached to each network application device, but is not limited thereto.

[0033] The data collection module (102) can receive status information of individual network application devices from the network application devices (120). To this end, each of the network application devices (120) can periodically collect information such as its own connection status, reception signal status, and traffic usage, and transmit the information to the data collection module (102).

[0034] The data collection module (102) can receive service quality information for individual network application devices from network application devices (120). To this end, each of the network application devices (120) can periodically authorize traffic to the service quality measurement server (160) to measure service quality information such as delay time and packet loss rate through the network infrastructure, and transmit the information to the data collection module (102).

[0035] The data processing module (103) can combine various dynamic data collected by the data collection module (102) with pre-stored static data and perform processing functions such as feature extraction, comparison, and analysis of the data. The static data may include, for example, data on the properties of network application devices, networks, and / or users.

[0036] The visualization module (106) can visualize the location and service quality information of individual network application devices on a 3D space map (104) based on the status information, service quality information, and location information of the periodically collected network application devices (120). The 3D space map (104) may be 3D data representing a virtual space that simulates a service target space. The visualization result may be displayed through an operator terminal (180) used by a network service operator. The operator terminal (180) may be, for example, a personal computer (PC), but is not limited thereto. As another example, the operator terminal (180) may be another type of electronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet PC. That is, the visualization result may be provided through various platforms such as a mobile application as well as the web.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary operation of a digital twin system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] The location monitoring server (140) periodically collects location information of individual network application devices (120) from tags (122) located together with each network application device (120) (S200), and the digital twin management engine (100) can periodically request location information of all network application devices (120) from the location monitoring server (140) and receive the same (S210).

[0039] Each network application device (120) can periodically transmit a test packet to a service quality measurement server (160) and collect service quality information based on the response (S230).

[0040] The service quality measurement server (160) can periodically report the collected status information and service quality information to the digital twin management engine (100) (S240).

[0041] The digital twin management engine (100) can configure digital twin display information based on location information, status information, and service quality information of network application devices (120) and a 3D space map (104), and output visualization information to an operator terminal (180) connected to a platform (e.g., web or app).

[0042] The digital twin system (10) can provide a network status monitoring function as shown in Table 1, an event response to a change in the network service status, and / or a network service status analysis function.

[0043] Distinctive FunctionsNetwork Status Monitoring - Check the status of network application device location movement and network connection status of each individual network application device - Select a specific network application device to check the operation information of the network application device - Perform operational tasks such as service opening, user change, and service quality policy change of the network application deviceEvent Response according to network status change - Function to set threshold for network service quality by network application device - Visualize to quickly detect when an event exceeding the set threshold occurs - After recognizing the event situation, take measures such as changing the service policy by network application device to resolve the problemNetwork Service Status Analysis - Function to visualize network device connection status information by network application device - Provides a heat map for service quality analysis by detailed space based on location information by network application device - Provides various information in widget form for operation status analysis, and allows configuration of necessary widgets according to work purpose

[0044] Below, we describe detailed implementation methods for each function and examples of user interfaces for them.

[0045] FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of the layout of a user interface according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 3, a user interface (UI: User Interface, 30) for network and service operation management may include all or part of a virtual space viewer (300), a space information container (310), an asset summary container (320), and one or more UI controls (330 to 350).

[0047] The virtual space viewer (300) can visually represent a digital twin of the service target space, a physical space providing network services, and the network application devices deployed in that space. Operators or users can monitor and manage the status of network application devices and networks within a virtual environment replicating the service target space through the virtual space viewer (300).

[0048] The virtual space expressed in the virtual space viewer (300) is preferably visualized on a three-dimensional coordinate system and includes a 3D model replicating the service target space. For example, if the service target space is an indoor space of a specific building, the virtual space may include a 3D model replicating the structure of the building. Additionally, the virtual space may further include 3D models of one or more physical elements (e.g., furniture, etc.) actually placed in the service target space in addition to the structure of the building. In another example, the virtual space may be visualized on a two-dimensional coordinate system. The virtual space viewer (300) may provide a camera viewpoint control function so that an operator can efficiently monitor network application devices at various locations within the virtual space. The camera viewpoint within the virtual space may be manipulated through rotation, zooming (zoom in / out), and panning, etc., as needed by the operator.

[0049] To support the operation and management functions of network services, various UI elements may be integrated and displayed within the virtual space. These UI elements display the status of network application devices, the connection relationships between network application devices, etc. in real time within the virtual space, and an operator (or user) may interact with these UI elements to control and monitor the network application devices. Examples of UI elements that may be integrated within the virtual space are described below with reference to FIGS. 4, 5a, 8b-8c, 9a-9b, 10a-10c, and / or 12.

[0050] The spatial information container (310) is an element that displays metadata about a physical space (i.e., a service target space) corresponding to a virtual space, and may provide identification information such as a space name and address. The spatial information container (310) may additionally provide data collection points regarding the location, status, and / or network service quality of a network application device. This allows the operator to recognize when information displayed on the UI (30) has been updated. The spatial information container (310) may include UI elements (e.g., text or labels) for displaying each information element.

[0051] The asset summary container (320) provides statistical information about network application devices displayed in the virtual space. For example, the asset summary container (320) can aggregate and display the number of nodes by connection status of network application devices and / or the number of nodes where a specific event (e.g., network quality degradation) has occurred. This allows the operator to grasp at a glance the number of nodes with poor connectivity or the number of nodes where a specific event has occurred. Examples of information elements provided by the asset summary container (320) are described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0052] One or more UI controls (330-350) provide interactive functionality for controlling UI elements integrated within a virtual space or UI elements displayed outside the virtual space. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the UI controls (330-350) may include one or more toggle switches (330) and one or more buttons (340-350), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In other examples, the UI controls (330-350) may include sliders, dropdown menus, checkboxes, radio buttons, tabs, and the like.

[0053] The operator can dynamically control UI elements within the virtual space and / or UI elements outside the virtual space through interaction with the UI controls (330-350). For example, the operator can perform tasks such as checking detailed information about a specific network application device or the entire service, or changing the status of a specific network application device, through the UI elements visualized by the UI controls (330-350). Additionally or alternatively, the operator can activate a predetermined control function and / or monitoring function through at least one UI control (330-350).

[0054] Examples of UI elements and / or functions that can be controlled by UI controls (330-350) are described below with reference to FIGS. 5a-5b, 7b-7c, 8a, 9a-9b, 10b-10c, 11a-11b, and / or 12.

[0055] Hereinafter, various functions for network control and monitoring will be described based on the layout of FIG. 3. In the UIs described below, at least some of the UI elements (300 to 350) illustrated in FIG. 3 may be omitted for ease of identification, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, it will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that all or some of the UI elements (300 to 350) illustrated in FIG. 3 may be combined in the UIs described below. Meanwhile, the drawings referenced in the present disclosure illustrate examples in which external UI elements are floated (or overlaid) on a virtual space viewer (300), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is, in another embodiment, at least one external UI element may be placed in a separate location (e.g., a header or a sidebar) distinct from an area in which the virtual space viewer (300) is placed.

[0056] FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram referenced to explain the location and status visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure 4 shows a UI (40) for visualizing the location and status of network application devices within a service target space.

[0058] The virtual space (400) may include a 3D model (420) that simulates the service target space and one or more node markers (M1 to M4) corresponding to network application devices within the service target space. The virtual space (400) may visually provide the current location, device type, and / or network connection status of individual network application devices through the node markers (M1 to M4).

[0059] Each node marker (M1 to M4) may include a pointer object (OBJ1) representing the location of a network application device, an icon object (OBJ2) representing the type and / or network status of the network application device, and a linear object (OBJ3) connecting them.

[0060] The coordinates of the pointer object (OBJ1) on the two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual coordinate system in which the virtual space (400) is expressed can be used as representative coordinates of the node markers (M1 to M4). The coordinates of the pointer object (OBJ1) can be determined based on the physical location of the corresponding network application device. That is, the coordinates of the pointer object (OBJ1) can be dynamically determined based on the location collected in real time for the network application device. For this purpose, the mapping relationship between the real-world coordinate system and the virtual coordinate system can be determined in advance. The linear object (OBJ3) can have a predetermined length, and the coordinates of the icon object (OBJ2) can be determined based on the coordinates of the pointer object (OBJ1) and / or the length of the linear object (OBJ3).

[0061] The icon object (OBJ2) may include an icon representing the device type of the network application device. At least a portion of the icon object (OBJ2) may have a color that is dynamically determined according to the network connection status of the network application device. For example, the network connection status of each network application device may be classified as one of "not connected," "no traffic," and "traffic in use," and may be assigned the colors black, blue, and green in that order, but is not limited thereto.

[0062] The asset summary container (320) can visually provide statistics on the status of network application devices displayed in the virtual space. The asset summary container (320) can include a plurality of UI elements (e.g., blocks or cards) respectively corresponding to a plurality of pre-specified analysis types, and each UI element can display the number of network application devices belonging to the corresponding analysis type. The analysis types can include types according to the aforementioned network connection status. That is, the number of network application devices according to the network connection status can be aggregated and displayed on the asset summary container (320). In addition, nodes on which a specific event has occurred among the network application devices can be aggregated separately and additionally classified into an “alert occurrence” analysis type.

[0063] Through this UI (40), the operator can easily determine the current location, device type, and connection status of the network application device, and based on this, can efficiently perform tasks such as opening a service or determining the service unavailability status of the terminal.

[0064] In some examples, the visualization function may be proactively processed by the digital twin management engine (100). That is, the main operations for configuring the UI (40) may be processed by the digital twin management engine (100), and the operator terminal (180) may simply perform the role of visually displaying the operation results. For example, the digital twin management engine (100) may periodically collect the location, device type, and network connection status of network application devices, and based on this, dynamically determine the coordinates of the pointer object (OBJ1) of the node markers (M1 to M4) in the virtual space (400) and the color of the icon object (OBJ2). In addition, the digital twin management engine (100) may select an icon based on pre-registered attribute data for each network application device. The digital twin management engine (100) may calculate the number of nodes and the number of event-occurring nodes according to the connection status, and determine the information elements to be included in the asset summary container (320). In this way, the coordinates, colors, icons, and / or information elements determined by the digital twin management engine (100) can be transmitted to the operator terminal (180) and reflected in the UI (40). Alternatively, the digital twin management engine (100) can directly render the visual elements of the virtual space (400) and provide them to the operator terminal (180) in a streaming manner. When a user interaction occurs, the digital twin management engine (100) can receive interaction detection data from the operator terminal (180) and update the rendering result.

[0065] In other examples, the visualization function may be proactively processed by the operator terminal (180). That is, the main operations for configuring the UI (40) may be processed by the operator terminal (180), and the digital twin management engine (100) may play a role in providing data required for the corresponding operations. For example, the operator terminal (180) may receive raw data such as the location, device type, and network connection status of the network application device from the digital twin management engine (100), and based on this, may dynamically determine the coordinates of the pointer object (OBJ1) of the node markers (M1 to M4) in the virtual space (400) and the color of the icon object (OBJ2). In addition, the operator terminal (180) may select an icon based on attribute data pre-registered for each network application device. The operator terminal (180) may calculate the number of nodes and the number of event-occurring nodes according to the connection status of the network application device, and determine the information elements to be included in the asset summary container (320). In this way, coordinates, colors, icons, and / or information elements determined by the operator terminal (180) can be immediately reflected in the UI (40).

[0066] In other examples, the visualization function may be processed through collaboration between the digital twin management engine (100) and the operator terminal (180). For example, the digital twin management engine (100) may be responsible for complex operations such as coordinate calculations, while the operator terminal (180) may be responsible for simple conditional processing such as determining icon colors based on network connection status, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0067] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain the detailed information visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Fig. 5a shows a UI (50) for visualizing detailed information about network application devices within a service target space, and Fig. 5b shows a UI (52) for setting items to be displayed as detailed information. In these examples, the term "detailed information" may also be referred to as "object information."

[0069] Referring to FIG. 5A, the virtual space (500) may include one or more object tags (T1 to T2) representing detailed information of an individual network application device. The detailed information may include, for example, one or more of identification information of the network application device (e.g., phone number, USIM, IMEI, etc.), user identification information (e.g., name), information about a network slice to which the network application device belongs, a QoS (Quality of Service) policy applied to the network application device, and an application usage policy applied to the network application device.

[0070] The coordinates at which the object tags (T1 to T2) are arranged can be determined based on the coordinates of the node markers (M1 to M2). For example, the object tags (T1 to T2) can be arranged at a position spaced apart from the icon object of the corresponding node marker (M1 to M2) by a preset distance in the height direction. Meanwhile, in FIG. 5A, among the node markers (M1 to M3) included in the virtual space (500), only the node markers (M1 to M2) corresponding to terminals or access points (APs) are illustrated as having object tags (T1 to T2), but the present disclosure is not limited to this example. In another example, the virtual space (500) may further include an object tag arranged on the top of the node marker (M3) corresponding to a radio unit (RU).

[0071] Object tags (T1 to T2) can be selectively visualized based on user interaction with the toggle switch (330a). For example, when a predetermined interaction (e.g., click or touch) is detected with the toggle switch (330a), the operator terminal (180) can retrieve detailed information of the network application device from the database within the digital twin management engine (100) or a separately provided database, and dynamically generate object tags (T1 to T2) based on the detailed information. As another example, the operator terminal (180) can pre-generate object tags (T1 to T2) at the time of visualization of the node markers (M1 to M3), and dynamically change the visualization properties of the object tags (T1 to T2) based on detection of the user interaction. As another example, the operator terminal (180) can also request the digital twin management engine (100) to change the visualization properties of the object tags (T1 to T2) based on detection of the user interaction. The digital twin management engine (100) can render visual elements of a virtual space (500) based on changed visualization properties and provide them to the operator terminal (180) in a streaming manner.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 5b, the operator can set the items of detailed information to be included in the object tags (T1 to T2) through the monitoring setting panel (520). The monitoring setting panel (520) is a UI element provided to enable the operator to select information to be included in the object tags, and can be called up through the setting button (340a). The monitoring setting panel (520) can include check boxes for selecting each detailed information item, through which the operator can select or exclude various information items such as service users, USIM, NW slices, QoS policies, and application usage policies.

[0073] These UIs (50 and 52) allow operators to easily view detailed information about individual network application devices. Furthermore, operators can flexibly control the visibility of object tags (T1-T2), allowing them to tailor the network monitoring environment to specific situations. For example, during routine network monitoring, object tags (T1-T2) can be hidden to focus on checking the location and connection status of network application devices. However, when additional information about individual nodes is needed, object tags (T1-T2) can be made visible.

[0074] FIGS. 6A to 6C are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain the operational information visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] Figure 6a shows a UI (60) for visualizing the operation information of network application devices within a service target space.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 6A, the UI (60) may include a detailed information window (600) that supports checking operational information regarding a specific network application device. The detailed information window (600) may include all or part of a profile area (620) where detailed information (or object information) of the network application device is displayed, and an operational information area (640) where operational information of the network application device is displayed.

[0077] The detailed information window (600) can be selectively visualized based on user interaction with the node markers (M1 to M3). For example, if a predetermined interaction (e.g., click or touch) is detected with a specific node marker (M1) among a plurality of node markers (M1 to M3) displayed on the UI (60), the detailed information window (600) can be visualized. At this time, a visual effect can be applied to the node marker (M1) for which the interaction is detected so that information about a network application device is clearly recognized in the detailed information window (600). For example, a predetermined symbol or badge can be added near the icon object of the node marker (M1), but is not limited thereto.

[0078] An example of content that can be displayed in the profile area (620) of the detailed information window (600) of FIG. 6b is shown. As shown in FIG. 6b, the profile area (620) may display detailed information of a network application device, such as identification information (e.g., phone number, USIM, IMEI, etc.) and user identification information (e.g., name).

[0079] Fig. 6c illustrates content that can be displayed in the operation information area (640) of the detailed information window (600). As shown in Fig. 6c, the operation information area (640) may display operation information of the network application device, such as network information of the network application device, connected service resource information, applied QoS policy, application access policy, and notification occurrence history. The network information may include current network service quality, network slice in use, and / or network service quality trends for a preset period of time. The service resource information may include information about the USIM in use and the service user, etc.

[0080] Through this UI (60), the operator can easily specify the network application device for which he or she wants to check detailed information, and can collectively check information related to the network in a single window. If this UI (60) is not provided, information for each network application device is separated into multiple tables, requiring multiple steps to search for information on a specific network application device, which may cause difficulties for inexperienced users. On the other hand, the proposed UI (60) provides all information related to the network in an integrated manner, thereby greatly improving work efficiency and enabling anyone to easily manage network information.

[0081] FIGS. 7A to 7D are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain the operational task performance function for a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0082] Figures 7a to 7c show various UIs (70 to 74) for supporting control of network application devices within a service target space.

[0083] The UIs (70 to 74) may include an object control window (700) that supports performing batch control on one or more network application devices. The object control window (700) may include all or part of a control command list (720) that displays control commands applicable to network application devices and an object list (740) that displays target devices to which the control commands are applied.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 7A, whether the object control window (700) is visible and / or target devices can be determined based on user interaction with respect to node markers (M1 to M3). Here, the user interaction may include not only direct interaction such as directly touching or clicking the node markers (M1 to M3), but also indirect interaction such as dragging over an area (760) including the coordinates of the node markers (M1 to M3). For example, when a drag interaction is detected for an area including specific node markers (M1 and M2) among a plurality of node markers (M1 to M3) displayed on the UI (70), the corresponding node markers (M1 and M2) are determined as target devices, and the object control window (700) for them can be made visible.

[0085] Additionally or alternatively, as illustrated in FIGS. 7b and 7c, the UI (72 or 74) may include a separate selection panel (770 or 780) that supports selecting target devices based on pre-defined groups.

[0086] Referring to Figure 7b, groups can be organized by device type of network application devices. For example, the selection panel (770) may include buttons for selecting one or more device types from among all device types, laptops, mobile devices, access points, CCTVs, robots, and other devices, thereby allowing the operator to select or exclude network application devices corresponding to specific device types as target devices.

[0087] Referring to Figure 7c, groups may be organized by user type of network application devices. For example, the selection panel (780) may include buttons for selecting one or more user types from among All Users, Employees, Administrators, Visitors, Business Partners, Partners, and Unassigned. This allows the operator to select or exclude network application devices registered as target devices for specific types of users.

[0088] At this time, in order for the operator to clearly recognize which network application devices have been determined as target devices, visual effects may be applied to the node markers (M1 and M2) corresponding to the target devices. For example, a predetermined symbol or badge may be added near the icon object of the node markers (M1 and M2), but the present invention is not limited thereto. As another example, when a target device is selected through the selection panel (780), the visualization properties may be changed so that only the node markers (M1 and M2) corresponding to the target device are displayed.

[0089] FIG. 7d illustrates content that can be displayed in the control command list (720) and object list (740) of the object control window (700).

[0090] The control command list (720) may list control commands required for the operation of network services. The control commands may include, but are not limited to, changing QoS policies, releasing QoS policies, changing network slices, blocking traffic, disabling numbers (lines), replacing service users, and / or assigning application usage policy groups, for example. Meanwhile, the operator may specify preferences for each control command. For example, frequently used control commands may be registered as favorites through the favorites button (722) displayed together with the control command list (720), and the corresponding control commands may be displayed at the top of the control command list (720). The object list (740) may display information about target devices. For example, the number of target devices, device identification information of each target device, and / or user identification information of each target device may be displayed.

[0091] When an operator selects a specific control command in the control command list (720), the control command can be applied collectively to target devices listed in the object list (740). For example, the operator terminal (180) can transmit a control request including information about the selected target devices and the selected control command to the digital twin management engine (100), and the digital twin management engine (100) can repeatedly execute the control command for each target device based on the received control request.

[0092] These UIs (70 to 74) allow operators to easily designate one or more target networks to which control commands will be applied, and apply the control commands to the designated target devices in bulk with a simple selection. If these UIs (70 to 74) are not provided, to apply a control command, the operator must first select the control command from the menu, then individually find the target networks to which the command will be applied, and repeat the process of applying the command. This complicates and takes a lot of time for the operator, and can be particularly difficult when trying to apply commands to multiple network application devices in bulk due to the complicated procedure. On the other hand, the proposed UIs (70 to 74) allow operators to intuitively designate target devices and easily handle task settings, thereby significantly improving work efficiency.

[0093] FIGS. 8A to 8C are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain an event response function for a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0094] Fig. 8a shows a UI (80) for setting a threshold for event detection.

[0095] Referring to Fig. 8a, an operator can input configuration information for event detection through a monitoring configuration panel (800). The monitoring configuration panel (800) is a UI element provided to enable the operator to input whether or not to detect an event and / or event detection criteria, and can be called up through a configuration button (340a). The monitoring configuration panel (800) may be, for example, the same as the monitoring configuration panel (520) of Fig. 5b, but is not limited thereto, and separate monitoring configuration panels for event detection configuration and screen configuration may be provided, respectively.

[0096] A threshold may be specified for each network service quality item. Network service quality items may include, but are not limited to, signal strength, latency, latency jitter, packet loss, total traffic usage, downlink traffic usage, uplink traffic usage, downlink throughput, uplink throughput, access point reception volume, and / or access point transmission volume. The monitoring setting panel (800) may include, for each item, a UI element (e.g., a toggle switch or a check box) that allows selection of whether to detect an event, a UI element (e.g., a text field) that allows input of a threshold, a UI element (e.g., a selection box) that allows selection of a unit for the threshold, and / or a UI element (e.g., a selection box) that allows selection of a comparison criterion with the threshold. Through this, whether to detect an event and / or the event detection criterion may be differently set and managed for each network service quality item.

[0097] Meanwhile, although not illustrated in FIG. 8A, the monitoring settings panel (520) may support setting event detection and / or event detection criteria differently for each network application device type. Furthermore, it may support setting event detection and / or event detection criteria differently for each individual network application device (or a specific network application device designated by the operator).

[0098] The digital twin management engine (100) can periodically collect the service quality of each network application device and detect the occurrence of an event based on event detection configuration information. For example, if the network service quality for a specific network application device exceeds or falls below a threshold, an event trigger can be transmitted to the operator terminal (180) notifying that an event has occurred in the network application device. The event trigger can include, for example, the identifier of the network application device where the event occurred and detailed information about the event. The detailed information about the event can be, for example, information indicating which item caused the event to occur. Alternatively, the event detection function can be performed in the operator terminal (180). For example, the operator terminal (180) can periodically collect the network service quality from the digital twin management engine (100), compare it with a threshold, and directly generate an event.

[0099] Fig. 8b shows a UI (82) for providing notification according to event detection.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 8B, when an event occurs, the operator terminal (180) can display a UI (82) that visualizes the fact that the event occurred and which network application device the event occurred on. At this time, in order for the operator to intuitively recognize the occurrence of the event, a visual effect may be applied to the node marker (M1) corresponding to the target device where the event occurred. For example, a graphic object with a wave-shaped animation that spreads outward from the icon object of the node marker (M1) may be applied, but is not limited thereto. As another example, at least one visual effect of sparkling, blinking, transparency adjustment, brightness adjustment, size adjustment, or highlighting may be applied to the node marker (M1). These visual effects can be changed in real time in conjunction with the location and status information of the node marker (M1), and can be immediately reflected when an event occurs to attract the operator's attention. Furthermore, the number of network application devices where the event occurred may be aggregated and reflected in the asset summary container (320). This allows operators to quickly and easily detect any degradation in quality across network application devices.

[0101] Figure 8c shows a UI (84) for supporting follow-up actions according to event detection.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 8c, the UI (84) may include all or part of command buttons (800 to 830) that support executing specific control commands for a target device where an event has been detected, and a detailed information window (840) that supports checking operational information regarding the target network. The command buttons (800 to 830) may be implemented as UI elements that are integrated into a virtual space. For example, the coordinates at which the command buttons (800 to 830) are displayed within a three-dimensional virtual coordinate system may be determined based on the coordinates of the node marker (M1) corresponding to the target device. Meanwhile, the detailed information window (840) may be identical to or corresponding to the detailed information window (600) described in FIGS. 6a to 6c, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] The command buttons (800-830) can each correspond to one or more control commands that can be taken as actions in response to an event detection. For example, in the case of a network application device generating excessive traffic exceeding a set service threshold or experiencing a degradation in service quality, the operator can select at least one of the following actions to resolve the situation: canceling service, suspending service, changing network slices, or changing groups.

[0104] The command buttons (800-830) and the detailed information window (840) can be selectively visualized based on user interaction with the node marker (M1). For example, when a certain interaction (e.g., a click or touch) is detected with the node marker (M1) of the target network, the command buttons (800-830) and the detailed information window (600) can be visualized together. Through the detailed information window (600), the operator can determine the reason for the occurrence of the event and select an action to resolve the event from among the command buttons (800-830).

[0105] These UIs (80 to 84) allow operators to easily recognize event occurrences and quickly identify network application devices requiring action through alert notifications or visual effects. Furthermore, operators can select the network application devices with simple operations and execute the necessary control commands efficiently and quickly, minimizing troubleshooting time and quickly restoring service stability.

[0106] FIG. 9a and FIG. 9b are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain a network service quality visualization function according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0107] Fig. 9a shows a UI (90) for visualizing the network service quality of a radio unit (RU).

[0108] Referring to FIG. 9a, the virtual space (900) of the UI (90) displays the locations of radio units and individual terminal devices, and the network connection quality between them can be visually expressed. To this end, the digital twin management engine (100) can periodically collect and store quality information about individual network devices, and the digital twin management engine (100) and / or the operator terminal (180) can visualize the collected information and reflect it in the UI (90).

[0109] For example, when the service quality visualization function is executed, linear objects (910 and 920) can be created that connect a node marker (M3) corresponding to a radio unit and node markers (M1 and M4) corresponding to terminal devices receiving a network from the radio unit. The connection quality between network application devices can be intuitively visualized through the color, thickness, or animation effects of the linear objects (910 and 920).

[0110] For example, as the connection quality between network application devices improves, the thickness of the linear objects (910 and 920) may be expressed thicker, and the internal color of the linear objects (910 and 920) may be expressed darker. As another example, a plurality of sub-elements (922 to 924) moving from the radio unit side to the terminal device side may be displayed inside the linear objects (910 and 920), and the moving speed of the sub-elements (922 to 924) may vary depending on the traffic usage of the terminal device. When the operator clicks on the node markers (M1 and M4) corresponding to the terminal device and / or the linear objects (910 and 920) connected to a specific node marker, a UI element showing detailed item values ​​for the network connection quality of the corresponding terminal device may be visualized.

[0111] Additionally, the UI (90) may include a selection panel (930) that supports selecting a network quality item to be expressed through the virtual space (900). For example, an operator may select and visualize any one of maximum delay, minimum delay, average delay, average delay jitter, packet loss, downlink traffic usage, and uplink traffic usage through the selection panel (930).

[0112] Through this UI (90), the operator can easily recognize which RU each terminal device is connected to and what the network quality is in use, and can also easily check the detailed network quality by clicking the linear objects (910 and 920).

[0113] Fig. 9b shows a UI (92) for visualizing the network service quality of an access point (e.g., WiFi AP).

[0114] Referring to FIG. 9b, the location of an access point is displayed in the virtual space (902) of the UI (92), and its service quality can be visually expressed. To this end, the digital twin management engine (100) can periodically collect and store service quality information of the access point, and the digital twin management engine (100) and / or the operator terminal (180) can visualize the collected information and reflect it in the UI (92).

[0115] For example, when the service quality visualization function is executed, the node markers except for the node marker (M5) corresponding to the access point may be made invisible, and a plurality of circular objects (940) representing the service quality of the access point may be generated. The plurality of circular objects (940) may be expressed in a concentric shape centered on the pointer object of the node marker (M5). The service quality of the access point may be intuitively visualized through an animation effect in which the color, thickness, and / or spacing of the circular objects (940) dynamically change. For example, a wave-shaped animation that spreads outward centered on the pointer object of the node marker (M5) may be applied to the plurality of circular objects (940). When the operator clicks the node marker (M5) and / or the circular objects (940) corresponding to the access point, a UI element showing detailed quality, such as the traffic usage by SSID being used by the corresponding access point, may be made visible.

[0116] Additionally, the UI (92) may include a selection panel (960) that supports selecting a network quality item to be expressed through the virtual space (902). For example, the operator may select and visualize any one of the access point's total usage, transmission volume, and reception volume through the selection panel (960).

[0117] Through this UI (92), the operator can intuitively recognize the service quality of the access point and easily check the detailed network quality, such as the traffic usage by SSID of the access point, by clicking the circular objects (940).

[0118] FIGS. 10A to 10C are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain a section-by-section history visualization function according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0119] Figure 10a is an example diagram illustrating a heat map for visualizing history by section.

[0120] Referring to FIG. 10a, the digital twin management engine (100) and / or the operator terminal (180) can visualize the history of the physical location of network application devices, the history of network quality, or the history of traffic usage for a certain past period through a heat map. For example, when a plane corresponding to the floor of a virtual space is called an XY plane, the intensity (i.e., Z value) of the heat map at any coordinate (m, n) on the XY plane can represent the average residence time of network application devices at the corresponding coordinate, the average traffic usage at the corresponding coordinate, or the average network quality at the corresponding coordinate.

[0121] FIG. 10b shows a UI (1000) for visualizing the movement history of a network application device, and FIG. 10c shows a UI (1010) for visualizing the traffic usage history by location of a network application device.

[0122] The UIs (1000 or 1010) for the section-by-section history visualization function may include a selection panel (1020) that supports selecting a history item to be expressed through a virtual space (1002 or 1012). For example, the operator may select and visualize any one of the following: location-by-location residence time (e.g., object location item), location-by-location traffic usage history (e.g., traffic usage item), and location-by-location network service quality history (e.g., network quality item) through the selection panel (1020).

[0123] For example, when the location-specific residence time option is selected, as illustrated in FIG. 10b, a heat map (1003 to 1005) visualizing the average residence time by location can be applied to the virtual space (1002). Through this, the operator can check the locations where network application devices are mainly using the network service. At this time, the intensity of the heat map (1003 to 1005) by coordinate (i.e., the average residence time) can be expressed in different colors so that the operator can intuitively recognize the intensity. For example, when a rainbow color map is applied, a color closer to red can be applied as the average residence time increases. Meanwhile, a heat map setting panel (1030) that supports specifying attribute values ​​for heat map generation can be displayed together in the UI (1000). The operator can specify the period for calculating the average residence time by location through the heat map setting panel (1030).

[0124] As another example, if the location-specific traffic usage history option is selected, a heat map (1013) visualizing the average traffic usage by location can be applied to the virtual space (1012), as illustrated in FIG. 10c. This allows the operator to determine which network application devices are primarily consuming a large amount of traffic, and based on this, determine which locations are most efficient for reinforcing network facilities, thereby enhancing network efficiency. To allow the operator to intuitively recognize the intensity of the coordinate-specific heat map (1013) (i.e., average traffic usage), the intensity can be expressed in different colors. For example, if a rainbow color map is applied, a color closer to red can be applied as the average traffic usage increases. Meanwhile, a heat map setting panel (1040) that supports specifying attribute values ​​for heat map generation can be displayed together with the UI (1010). The operator can specify the period and traffic type (e.g., total, download, or upload) for which the average traffic usage by location is to be calculated through the heatmap settings panel (1040).

[0125] As another example, if the location-specific network quality history option is selected, a heatmap visualizing the average network quality by location can be applied to a virtual space (not shown). This allows operators to check the network service quality characteristics for each location.

[0126] To achieve this history visualization function, the digital twin management engine (100) periodically collects location, traffic usage, and network quality information of individual network application devices, and stores the collected information by classifying it by network application device, time, and / or location. Then, when the history visualization function is executed, only information for a period specified by the operator can be extracted. Thereafter, the digital twin management engine (100) and / or the operator terminal (180) can generate a heat map based on the location, traffic usage, and / or network quality information for each time, and can apply this to a virtual space.

[0127] Through these UIs (1000 or 1010), operators can directly specify the section for which they wish to view history, intuitively viewing movement history, traffic usage history, service quality history, and more during that period in the form of a heatmap. Based on this, operators can determine which network facilities to reinforce in which locations, thereby enhancing network efficiency.

[0128] FIG. 11a and FIG. 11b are exemplary diagrams referenced to explain another network service operation status visualization function in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0129] Fig. 11a shows a UI (1100) for visually providing the operational status of a network service by utilizing various widgets, and Fig. 11b shows a UI (1120) for setting widgets to be displayed in the operational status.

[0130] Referring to Fig. 11a, the operator can check the current operating status of the network service through the operating status panel (1140). The operating status panel (1140) is a UI element that provides various operating status information customized to the operator and can be called up through a separate menu button (340b). Within the operating status panel (1140), each piece of operating status information is provided in the form of widgets (1142 and 1144), and the operator can configure the operating status panel (1140) by selecting a desired widget and / or adjusting the size of each widget. For example, referring to Fig. 11b, when the operator clicks the widget edit button (1122), a list (1124) of widgets that can be added to the operating status panel (1140) is displayed, and the operator can add the desired widget to the operating status panel (1140) by clicking the add button (1126) corresponding to the desired widget. Widgets that can be added to the operation status panel (1140) may include, but are not limited to, SIM card registration status, asset registration status, number (or line) registration status, number (or line) registration status by group, service user asset usage status, resource registration status, resource allocation status, and / or object status by asset type.

[0131] Through these UIs (1100 or 1120), operators can configure widget windows based on frequently checked information and easily check the overall operational status through the operational status panel (1140) whenever necessary. Furthermore, operators can configure the operational status panel (1140) in a desired form by adding or deleting various widgets as needed or adjusting its size, allowing operators to intuitively check information optimized for them.

[0132] FIG. 12 is an exemplary diagram referenced to explain an application execution result visualization function of a network application device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0133] Figure 12 illustrates a UI (1200) for visualizing application execution results of network application devices within a service target space. In these examples, the term "application execution results" may also be referred to as "business results."

[0134] Referring to FIG. 12, a virtual space (1210) may include one or more gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) that express the application execution results of one or more network application devices. The virtual space (1210) may display gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) for network application devices that are pre-registered as executing a specific application among the network application devices. The gauge object is a UI element that intuitively visualizes a data value, and may be, for example, a half-circular gauge in the form of a dashboard, but is not limited thereto.

[0135] An application may represent a task utilizing a network service, and the application execution result may include a success rate and / or a progress rate compared to a plan for execution during a given period (e.g., today or the current month). For example, the maximum value of the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) may correspond to the number of application executions of each network application device, and the current data value may correspond to the number of successful executions. In another example, the maximum value of the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) may correspond to the target number of application executions of each network application device, and the current data value may correspond to the number of previous executions. At this time, the data values ​​in percentage format may be displayed together inside or around the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) so ​​that the data values ​​can be intuitively recognized. In addition, different colors may be applied to the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) depending on the data values.

[0136] Meanwhile, the type of results to be displayed, the period for which the results will be derived, and / or the thresholds for determining the color can be preset by the operator through the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4). For example, the operator can set application execution result output options through the monitoring settings panel (520) described above in FIG. 5b, but is not limited thereto.

[0137] The coordinates at which the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) are placed can be determined based on the coordinates of the corresponding node markers (M1, M2, and M4). For example, the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) can be placed in a manner that surrounds the icon objects of the corresponding node markers (M1 to M2).

[0138] Gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) can be selectively visualized based on user interaction with the toggle switch (330b). For example, when a predetermined interaction (e.g., click or touch) is detected on the toggle switch (330b), the operator terminal (180) can query the application execution results for a specified period of time from a database within the digital twin management engine (100) or a separately provided database, and dynamically create gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) based on the results. To this end, the digital twin management engine (100) can collect the application target execution count, execution count, and / or success / failure count for each network application device and / or device type of network application devices and store them in an internal or external database. As another example, the operator terminal (180) may pre-generate gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) at the time of visualization of node markers (M1 to M4), and dynamically change the visualization properties of the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) based on detection of user interaction. As another example, the operator terminal (180) may also request the digital twin management engine (100) to change the visualization properties of the gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4) based on detection of user interaction. The digital twin management engine (100) may render visual elements of the virtual space (1210) based on the changed visualization properties and provide them to the operator terminal (180) in a streaming manner.

[0139] Through this UI (1200), the operator can easily check business results such as the actual number of uses, usage rate, and execution success rate after the customer company introduced the application.

[0140] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a network and service operation management method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0141] The method illustrated in FIG. 13 can be implemented by executing the functions of the aforementioned digital twin system (10) by a computing system including one or more computing devices. The following description is given from the perspective of the computing system's operation.

[0142] The computing system collects the physical location of one or more devices deployed in a service target space, a network service status, and / or the usage status of an application utilizing the network (S1300). The one or more devices may be devices connected to a network (e.g., network application devices (120) of FIG. 1 or 2). The network service status may include, but is not limited to, a network connection status (e.g., “not connected,” “no traffic,” “traffic used,” etc.), and / or network service quality (e.g., signal strength at a specific location, latency, latency jitter, packet loss, total traffic usage, downlink traffic usage, uplink traffic usage, downlink throughput, uplink throughput, access point reception volume, and / or access point transmission volume).

[0143] The computing system visualizes the location, network service status, and / or application usage status of one or more devices on a virtual space that mimics a service target space (S1320). For example, the user interface on which the virtual space is displayed may include a first UI element (e.g., asset summary container (320)) that represents the result of processing data on the network service status of one or more devices. Here, the network service status of one or more devices may be classified into a plurality of types, and the result of processing the data may include the number of devices belonging to each type. Additionally or alternatively, the virtual space may include one or more second UI elements (e.g., node markers (M1 to M5)) that represent the location and network service status of each of one or more devices. The coordinates of each second UI element on a two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinate system on which the virtual space is expressed may be determined based on the physical location of the device corresponding to each second UI element. The second UI elements may have different symbols and colors depending on the device type and network service status of the corresponding device.

[0144] Optionally, when a user interaction for a given UI element is detected, the computing system can execute a function corresponding to the user interaction (S1340 and S1360).

[0145] In some examples, a detailed information visualization function of a device may be executed based on a user interaction with a fourth UI element (e.g., a toggle switch (330a)) positioned in at least one area of ​​the user interface. As the detailed information visualization function is executed, the virtual space may further include a third UI element (e.g., object tags (T1 to T2)) that represents detailed information of each device and has coordinates determined based on the coordinates of the second UI element. That is, the third UI element may be selectively visualized based on a user interaction (e.g., a touch or a click) with the fourth UI element. The detailed information of each device may include one or more of identification information of each device, user identification information of each device, information about a network slice to which each device belongs, a Quality of Service (QoS) policy applied to each device, and an application usage policy applied to each device. The detailed information of each device may be retrieved from a database based on a detected user interaction with the fourth UI element.

[0146] Additionally or alternatively, an operational information visualization function for the target device may be executed based on a user interaction with a second UI element representing a specific target device. As the detailed information visualization function is executed, the user interface may include a fifth UI element (e.g., a detailed information window (600)) representing operational information of the target device, which is one of the one or more devices. That is, the fifth UI element may be selectively visualized based on a user interaction (e.g., a touch or a click, etc.) with the second UI element representing the target device. The operational information may include one or more of a current network service quality of the target device, a network service quality trend for a preset period of time for the target device, and a notification occurrence history of the target device.

[0147] Additionally or alternatively, a batch control support function for devices may be executed based on a user interaction with a second UI element corresponding to one or more target devices and / or a UI element disposed in at least one area of ​​the user interface (e.g., a selection panel (770 or 780)). As the batch control support function is executed, the user interface may include a sixth UI element (e.g., an object control window (700)) that includes a list of one or more control commands that can be collectively applied to one or more target devices selected from among the one or more devices and supports selecting or inputting the control commands. For example, the one or more devices may be classified into a plurality of groups based on the device type of each device, the type of user of each device, or a combination thereof, and the one or more target devices may include all devices belonging to a group selected by the user from among the plurality of groups. As another example, the one or more target devices may be selected based on a user interaction (e.g., a touch, a click, or a drag) with a corresponding second UI element of each target device. The computing system can apply a control command selected from a list of control commands to one or more target devices simultaneously or sequentially based on a user interaction with the sixth UI element.

[0148] Additionally or alternatively, an event response function may be executed based on a user interaction with a second target UI element corresponding to a target device where an event is detected. To this end, the computing system may identify, among one or more devices, a target device in which a quality degradation event has occurred, indicating that the network service quality has deteriorated below a preset threshold service quality. The computing system may add a visual effect corresponding to the quality degradation event to the second target UI element representing the target device. As the event response function is executed, the virtual space may further include one or more seventh UI elements (e.g., command buttons (800-830)) corresponding to each of one or more control commands that may be applied as a measure for the quality degradation event. That is, one or more of the seventh UI elements may be selectively made visible based on the user interaction with the second target UI element. Here, one or more control commands may be selectively applied to the target device based on whether or not the user interacts with one or more of the seventh UI elements.

[0149] Additionally or alternatively, a service quality visualization function may be executed based on a user interaction with a predetermined button arranged in at least one area of ​​the user interface. As the service quality visualization function is executed, the virtual space may further include an eighth UI element (e.g., linear objects (910 and 920) or circular objects (940)) to which different visual effects are applied depending on the service quality of the network. Here, one or more devices may include a terminal connected to a network and network equipment that provides a connection to the terminal to the network. The terminal may represent a network terminal (e.g., a 5G modem or a WLAN module, etc.) and / or a device combined with the network terminal (e.g., a mobile phone, a laptop, a drone, a robot, a CCTV, etc.). The eighth UI element may have coordinates determined based on the coordinates of a second UI element corresponding to the network equipment, the coordinates of a second UI element corresponding to the terminal, or a combination thereof. As an example, the eighth UI element may include a linear object connecting the second UI element corresponding to the network equipment and the second UI element corresponding to the terminal. The linear object may dynamically change color, thickness, or a combination thereof depending on the network service quality. The movement speed of at least some elements of the linear object may also dynamically change depending on the terminal's traffic usage. As another example, the eighth UI element may include a plurality of circular objects that share a central point of a second UI element corresponding to a network device. The plurality of circular objects may dynamically change color, thickness, spacing, or a combination thereof depending on the network service quality.

[0150] Additionally or alternatively, a segmented history display function may be executed based on a user interaction with a predetermined button positioned in at least one area of ​​the user interface. As the segmented history display function is executed, a heat map representing the history of the physical location, network quality, or traffic usage of one or more devices over a predetermined past period may be applied to the virtual space. The heat map may represent, for each coordinate corresponding to the floor of the virtual space, the residence time of one or more devices at each coordinate, the network quality at each coordinate, or the traffic usage at each coordinate with a different color.

[0151] Additionally or alternatively, an operation status display function may be executed based on a user's interaction with a button (e.g., a menu button (340b)) arranged in at least one area of ​​the user interface. As the operation status display function is executed, the user interface may further include a dashboard (e.g., an operation status panel (1140)) that displays the operation status of a network service for a service target space. The dashboard may include one or more target widgets pre-selected by the user from among widgets corresponding to each of one or more operation status items. The layout of the one or more target widgets may vary depending on the user's settings.

[0152] Additionally or alternatively, an application execution result visualization function may be executed based on a user interaction with an eleventh UI element (e.g., a toggle switch (330b)) arranged in at least one area of ​​the user interface. As the application execution result visualization function is executed, the virtual space may further include a tenth UI element (e.g., gauge objects (G1, G2, and G4)) indicating a usage status of the application for each of one or more target devices configured to execute an application utilizing a network among one or more devices. The tenth UI element may visualize the usage status of the application based on an indicator defined by the user. For example, the tenth UI element may visually express a success rate compared to execution over a predetermined period of time or a progress rate compared to a plan over a predetermined period of time.

[0153] FIG. 14 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an exemplary computing device that can be used to implement the devices and methods described in the present disclosure.

[0154] The computing device (14) may include some or all of a memory (1400), a processor (1420), storage (1440), an input / output interface (1460), and a communication interface (1480). The computing device (14) may structurally and / or functionally include at least a portion of the digital twin system (10). The computing device (14) may be a stationary computing device, such as a desktop computer or a server, as well as a mobile computing device, such as a laptop computer or a smart phone. The computing device (14) may also be implemented with any specialized hardware accelerator capable of processing specific operations in an efficient manner. For example, the computing device (14) may include a graphic processing unit (GPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a neural processing unit (NPU).

[0155] The memory (1400) may store a program that causes the processor (1420) to perform a method or operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the program may include a plurality of instructions executable by the processor (1420), and the above-described method or operation may be performed by executing the plurality of instructions by the processor (1420). The memory (1400) may be a single memory or a plurality of memories. In this case, information required to perform the method or operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be stored in a single memory or may be divided and stored in the plurality of memories. When the memory (1400) is composed of a plurality of memories, the plurality of memories may be physically separated. The memory (1400) may include at least one of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The volatile memory includes a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and the non-volatile memory includes a flash memory.

[0156] The processor (1420) may include at least one core capable of executing at least one instruction. The processor (1420) may execute instructions stored in the memory (1400). The processor (1420) may be a single processor or multiple processors.

[0157] Storage (1440) maintains stored data even when power supplied to the computing device (14) is cut off. For example, storage (1440) may include non-volatile memory, or may include storage media such as magnetic tape, optical disk, or magnetic disk. A program stored in storage (1440) may be loaded into memory (1400) before being executed by processor (1420). Storage (1440) may store a file written in a programming language, and a program generated from the file by a compiler or the like may be loaded into memory (1400). Storage (1440) may store data to be processed by processor (1420) and / or data processed by processor (1420).

[0158] The input / output interface (1460) may provide an interface with an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, etc. and / or an output device such as a display device, printer, etc. A user may trigger execution of a program by the processor (1420) through an input device and / or check the processing result of the processor (1420) through an output device.

[0159] The communication interface (1480) may provide access to an external network. The computing device (14) may communicate with other devices via the communication interface (1480).

[0160] As used herein, the term "engine" is broadly used to refer to a software-based system, subsystem, or process programmed to perform one or more specific functions. An engine may be implemented as one or more software modules or components installed on one or more computing devices at one or more locations. In some instances, one or more computing devices may be dedicated to a particular engine, or in other instances, multiple engines may run on the same computing device (or devices).

[0161] Each component of the device or method according to the present invention may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, the functions of each component may be implemented in software, with a microprocessor executing the software functions corresponding to each component.

[0162] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein may be implemented as digital electronic circuits, integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations may include implementations of one or more computer programs executable on a programmable system. The programmable system includes at least one programmable processor (which may be a special purpose processor or a general purpose processor) coupled to receive data and instructions from and transmit data and instructions to a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. Computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications, or code) include instructions for the programmable processor and are stored on a "computer-readable recording medium."

[0163] A computer-readable recording medium includes any type of recording device that stores data that can be read by a computer system. Such a computer-readable recording medium may be a non-volatile or non-transitory medium such as a ROM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, memory card, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, storage device, and may further include a transitory medium such as a data transmission medium. Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium may be distributed across network-connected computer systems, so that computer-readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0164] Although the flowchart / timing diagram of this specification describes each process as being executed sequentially, this is merely an illustrative description of the technical idea of ​​one embodiment of the present disclosure. In other words, a person of ordinary skill in the art to which one embodiment of the present disclosure belongs may modify and apply various modifications and variations by changing the order described in the flowchart / timing diagram without departing from the essential characteristics of one embodiment of the present disclosure, or by executing one or more of the processes in parallel. Therefore, the flowchart / timing diagram is not limited to a chronological order.

[0165] The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of ​​the present embodiment, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Therefore, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of ​​the present embodiment, but rather to explain it, and the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present embodiment should be interpreted by the claims below, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the present embodiment.

[0166]

[0167]

[0168] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0169] This patent application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0023325, filed in Korea on February 19, 2024, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2025-0020686, filed in Korea on February 18, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing system including one or more computing devices for operating and managing a network service, A process of collecting the physical location, network service status, and usage status of applications utilizing the network of one or more devices deployed in the service target space; and A process of visualizing the location of one or more devices, network service status, and usage status of the application on a virtual space that simulates the service target space. A method comprising:

2. In paragraph 1, The user interface in which the above virtual space is displayed includes a first UI element that indicates the result of processing data on the network service status of one or more devices. The network service status of one or more of the above devices is classified into multiple types, A method wherein the result of processing the above data includes the number of devices belonging to each type.

3. In paragraph 1, The virtual space includes one or more second UI elements indicating the location and network service status of each of one or more devices, A method in which the coordinates of each second UI element on a two-dimensional or three-dimensional coordinate system in which the virtual space is expressed are determined based on the physical location of the device corresponding to each second UI element.

4. In paragraph 3, The second UI element is: A method having different symbols and colors depending on the type of corresponding device and network service status.

5. In paragraph 3, The above virtual space further includes a third UI element that represents detailed information of each device and has coordinates determined based on the coordinates of the second UI element, A method in which the detailed information of each device includes at least one of identification information of each device, user identification information of each device, information about a network slice to which each device belongs, a QoS (Quality of Service) policy applied to each device, and an application usage policy applied to each device.

6. In paragraph 5, The third UI element is selectively visualized based on a user's interaction with a fourth UI element placed in at least one area of ​​the user interface where the virtual space is displayed, A method in which the details of each of the above devices are retrieved from a database based on the user's interaction detected for the fourth UI element.

7. In paragraph 3, The user interface in which the above virtual space is displayed includes a fifth UI element that indicates the operating information of a target device, which is one of the one or more devices. The fifth UI element is selectively visualized based on a user's interaction with the second UI element representing the target device, A method wherein the above operational information includes at least one of the current network service quality of the target device, the network service quality trend for a preset period of time for the target device, and the notification occurrence history of the target device.

8. In paragraph 1, The user interface on which the virtual space is displayed includes a list of one or more control commands that can be applied collectively to one or more target devices selected from among the one or more devices, and includes a sixth UI element that supports selecting or inputting the control commands. The one or more devices are classified into multiple groups based on the device type of each device, the type of user of each device, or a combination thereof, A method wherein the one or more target devices include all devices belonging to a group selected by the user among the plurality of groups.

9. In paragraph 3, The user interface in which the virtual space is displayed includes a sixth UI element including a list of one or more control commands that can be applied collectively to one or more target devices selected from among the one or more devices. A method wherein the one or more target devices are selected based on a user interaction with a second UI element corresponding to each target device.

10. In paragraph 8 or 9, A process of applying a control command selected from a list of control commands to one or more target devices simultaneously or sequentially based on a user's interaction with the sixth UI element. A method further comprising:

11. In paragraph 3, A process for identifying a target device among the one or more devices in which a quality degradation event has occurred indicating that the network service quality has deteriorated below a preset threshold service quality; and A process of adding a visual effect corresponding to the quality degradation event to a second target UI element representing the target device. A method further comprising:

12. In paragraph 11, The above virtual space further includes one or more seventh UI elements corresponding to each of one or more control commands that can be applied as a measure for the quality degradation event, wherein said one or more seventh UI elements are selectively visualized based on a user's interaction with said second target UI element; A method wherein the one or more control commands are selectively applied to the target device based on whether or not the user interacts with the one or more seventh UI elements.

13. In paragraph 3, The one or more devices include a terminal connected to the network and network equipment that provides the terminal with a connection to the network, The above virtual space further includes an 8th UI element to which different visual effects are applied according to the service quality of the network. A method wherein the eighth UI element has coordinates determined based on the coordinates of the second UI element corresponding to the network equipment, the coordinates of the second UI element corresponding to the terminal, or a combination thereof.

14. In paragraph 13, The above 8th UI element includes a linear object connecting a second UI element corresponding to the network equipment and a second UI element corresponding to the terminal, A method in which the linear object dynamically changes color, thickness, or a combination thereof according to the service quality of the network, and the moving speed of at least some elements of the linear object dynamically changes according to the traffic usage of the terminal.

15. In paragraph 13, The above 8th UI element includes a plurality of circular objects that share a point of focus of the second UI element corresponding to the network equipment, A method in which the plurality of circular objects dynamically change color, thickness, spacing, or a combination thereof according to the service quality of the network.

16. In paragraph 3, The above virtual space includes a heat map representing the history of the physical location of one or more devices, the history of network quality, or the history of traffic usage over a predetermined past period. The heat map is a method in which, for each coordinate corresponding to the floor surface of the virtual space, the residence time of one or more devices at each coordinate, the network quality at each coordinate, or the traffic usage at each coordinate are expressed in different colors.

17. In paragraph 1, The user interface in which the above virtual space is displayed further includes a dashboard that shows the operating status of the network service for the above service target space, The above dashboard includes one or more target widgets pre-selected by the user among widgets corresponding to each of one or more transportation status items, A method in which the layout of one or more target widgets is varied according to the user's settings.

18. In paragraph 3, The virtual space further includes a 10th UI element indicating the usage status of the application for each of one or more target devices set to execute an application utilizing the network among the one or more devices. A method in which the above 10th UI element visualizes the usage status of the application based on an indicator defined by the user.

19. In paragraph 18, A method in which the above 10th UI element visually represents the success rate of the application's execution over a predetermined period of time or the progress rate compared to the plan over a predetermined period of time.

20. A memory for storing instructions; and at least one processor, At least one processor executes the instructions, Collects the physical location of one or more devices deployed in the service target space, network service status, and usage status of applications utilizing the network. A computing system that visualizes the location of one or more devices, network service status, and usage status of the application on a virtual space that simulates the service target space.

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