Virtual Reality Software Repair for CPE Technicians
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service technicians lack the necessary skill set to troubleshoot and diagnose software implementation issues in Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) due to the increasing softwareization of traditionally hardware-based systems, requiring expertise beyond traditional training.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that uses virtual reality to create a physical representation of software components and their interactions, allowing technicians trained in physical component replacement to diagnose and repair software issues by manipulating virtual representations, which are then translated into software actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If technicians are trained to troubleshoot and diagnose software implementation issues, then the ability to repair software components is improved, but the training time and complexity required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical device environment where software components are represented as tangible, manipulatable objects. Technicians can interact with these virtual representations using their existing physical troubleshooting skills, eliminating the need for extensive software-specific training while maintaining diagnostic effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual environment acts as an intermediary layer between the technician's physical troubleshooting instincts and the actual software system. This mediator translates physical manipulation actions into software diagnostic operations, allowing technicians to leverage their hardware expertise without requiring deep software knowledge.
2Productivity
If traditional service technicians replace physical components, then hardware repair efficiency is maintained, but they lack the expertise to troubleshoot software implementation issues
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual environment provides a universal interface that accommodates both hardware and software troubleshooting within a single platform. Technicians can continue their physical component replacement skills while simultaneously gaining software diagnostic capabilities through the same virtual interface, making the system adaptable to multiple repair types without requiring separate skill sets.
Solution Approach 2:
By creating virtual representations of both physical components and software components in the same environment, the system allows technicians to apply their physical troubleshooting expertise to software issues. The virtual copy maintains the spatial and operational relationships of the original system, enabling intuitive diagnosis across hardware-software boundaries.
3Adaptability or versatility
If software components replace hardware devices, then system functionality is improved, but the complexity of troubleshooting and diagnosis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a virtual dimension to the troubleshooting process, projecting software components into a three-dimensional space that technicians can physically interact with. This dimensional transformation converts abstract software debugging into concrete spatial manipulation, reducing troubleshooting complexity while preserving system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual environment creates a simplified copy of the software system's operational structure, presenting it in a form that mirrors physical hardware relationships. This copy maintains functional accuracy while reducing diagnostic complexity by making software components visually and physically accessible like hardware components.
Data Source
AI summary
Computer-implemented methods for repairing a software of a computing system are provided. Aspects include receiving a request to diagnose the software, the software including a plurality of software components configured to communicate with each other via application programing interfaces and creating a representation of the software in a virtual reality environment. Aspects also include identifying an error in the software based on error logs generated by the software and identifying one or more of the plurality of software components and the application programing interfaces that correspond to the error. Aspects further include displaying a visual indication of the error in the virtual reality environment, wherein the visual indication is determined based on a type of the error, receiving, via the virtual reality environment, a corrective action from a user, and performing a task in the software based on the corrective action, wherein the task is configured to address the error.