# US 2017/0290200 A1 · Assistance apparatus, assistance method, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0290200 A1 - Document ID: US20170290200A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/469,815 - Filed: 2017-03-27 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31 - Assignees: Azbil Corporation - Applicants: Azbil Corporation - Inventors: Kei KOGA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170290200A1 ## CPC - H05K 7/20745: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device} - H05K 7/20836: {Thermal management, e.g. server temperature control} - H05K 7/20536: {for racks or cabinets of standardised dimensions, e.g. electronic racks for aircraft or telecommunication equipment} - H05K 7/2059: {within rooms for removing heat from cabinets, e.g. by air conditioning device} - H05K 7/207: {Thermal management, e.g. cabinet temperature control} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract An assistance apparatus according to the disclosure generates monitor area data on the basis of dimension data of rack rows that are each constituted by a plurality of racks and that are arranged in a first direction in a three-dimensional space, the dimension data including the length of each rack row in the first direction and the height thereof in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, interval data that includes an interval, in a third direction, between the rack rows adjacent to each other in the third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first and second directions, field-of-view angle data that includes the field-of-view angle of each temperature sensor, and temperature sensor position data that indicates certain temperature sensor positions; and includes a display control unit that displays monitor coverage information on a display device on the basis of the monitor area data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An assistance apparatus for assisting placement of non-contact-type temperature sensors in a temperature monitoring system for monitoring surface temperatures of racks that store ICT devices by using the temperature sensors, the assistance apparatus comprising: processing circuitry configured to generate monitor area data of the temperature sensors in a three-dimensional space in which the racks are arranged, on the basis of dimension data of rack rows that are each constituted by a plurality of racks among the racks and that are arranged in a first direction in the three-dimensional space, the dimension data including a length of each of the rack rows in the first direction and a height of each of the rack rows in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the three-dimensional space, interval data that includes an interval, in a third direction, between the rack rows that are adjacent to each other in the third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction in the three-dimensional space, field-of-view angle data that includes a field-of-view angle of each of the temperature sensors, and temperature sensor position data that indicates certain temperature sensor positions; and display monitor coverage information on a display device on the basis of the monitor area data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an operation input unit that is used to externally input an operation; and an interval data generation unit that generates the interval data, wherein the display control unit displays rack row images that represent the rack rows on the display device in accordance with the operation input via the operation input unit, and the interval data generation unit generates the interval data on the basis of a distance between the rack row images that are displayed on the display device and that are adjacent to each other in the third direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a temperature sensor position data generation unit that generates, on the basis of the dimension data, the interval data, and the monitor area data, recommended temperature sensor position data that indicates a temperature sensor placement position with which a monitor-target rack row among the rack rows is included in a monitor area, wherein the display control unit displays a temperature sensor image that represents the temperature sensor placement position on the display device as monitor coverage information together with the rack row images. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The assistance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the monitor area data generation unit updates, in a case where the interval data is changed, the monitor area data on the basis of the changed interval data, and the display control unit refreshes display of the monitor coverage information when the monitor area data is updated. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the monitor area data generation unit updates, in a case where the interval data is changed, the monitor area data on the basis of the changed interval data, and the display control unit refreshes display of the monitor coverage information when the monitor area data is updated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The assistance apparatus according to any one of claim 2, wherein the monitor area data generation unit updates, in a case where the dimension data is changed, the monitor area data on the basis of the changed dimension data, and the display control unit refreshes display of the monitor coverage information when the monitor area data is updated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The assistance apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor position data generation unit generates the temperature sensor position data by calculating a field-of-view width on the basis of the height of a monitor-target rack row among the rack rows, the interval, and the field-of-view angle, and by calculating the number of the temperature sensors that are necessary to monitor a surface temperature of the monitor-target rack row and calculating positions of the necessary temperature sensors in the first direction relative to the monitor-target rack row on the basis of the field-of-view width and the length of the monitor-target rack row. ### Claim 8 An assistance method for using a computer to assist placement of non-contact-type temperature sensors in a temperature monitoring system for monitoring surface temperatures of racks that store ICT devices by using the temperature sensors, the assistance method comprising the steps of: generating, by the computer, monitor area data of the temperature sensors in a three-dimensional space in which the racks are arranged, on the basis of dimension data of rack rows that are each constituted by a plurality of racks among the racks and that are arranged in a first direction in the three-dimensional space, the dimension data including a length of each of the rack rows in the first direction and a height of each of the rack rows in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the three-dimensional space, interval data that includes an interval, in a third direction, between the rack rows that are adjacent to each other in the third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction in the three-dimensional space, field-of-view angle data that includes a field-of-view angle of each of the temperature sensors, and temperature sensor position data that indicates certain temperature sensor positions; and displaying, by the computer, monitor coverage information on a display device on the basis of the generated monitor area data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A non-transitory recording medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform the steps in the method according to claim 7.