METHODS SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WHETHER BUILT-IN-TEST FAULT CODES ARE INDICATIVE OF AN ACTUAL FAULT CONDITION OR A FALSE ALARM
First Claim
1. A method for determining whether a built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequence generated by a built-in-test (BIT) of a particular module of a complex system is indicative of an actual fault condition, the method comprising:
- generating a regression function for the particular module based on stored built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequences generated by the BIT for the particular module and stored repair data for that module, wherein the regression function correlates some particular BITFC data sequences with a finding of an actual fault condition found (FF) result at the particular module, and correlates other particular BITFC data sequences with a finding of no fault condition found (NFF) result at the particular module;
executing the BIT at the particular module during operation of the particular module to generate a new BITFC data sequence; and
applying, at a processor, the regression function to the new BITFC data sequence to determine whether the new BITFC data sequence is indicative of an actual fault condition at the particular module or is indicative of a false fault condition at the particular module.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for determining whether a built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequence generated by a built-in-test (BIT) of a particular module of a complex system is indicative of an actual fault condition. A regression function is generated for the particular module based on stored BITFC data sequences generated by the BIT and stored repair data for that module from a fault history database. Later, during operation of the particular module, the BIT generates a new BITFC data sequence. A processor can then load the new BITFC data sequence and execute the regression function with respect to the new BITFC data sequence to determine whether the new BITFC data sequence is indicative of an actual fault condition at the particular module or is indicative of a false fault condition at the particular module.
20 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for determining whether a built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequence generated by a built-in-test (BIT) of a particular module of a complex system is indicative of an actual fault condition, the method comprising:
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generating a regression function for the particular module based on stored built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequences generated by the BIT for the particular module and stored repair data for that module, wherein the regression function correlates some particular BITFC data sequences with a finding of an actual fault condition found (FF) result at the particular module, and correlates other particular BITFC data sequences with a finding of no fault condition found (NFF) result at the particular module; executing the BIT at the particular module during operation of the particular module to generate a new BITFC data sequence; and applying, at a processor, the regression function to the new BITFC data sequence to determine whether the new BITFC data sequence is indicative of an actual fault condition at the particular module or is indicative of a false fault condition at the particular module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An analysis system for a complex system that includes a plurality of modules including a particular module that regularly executes a built-in-test (BIT) to determine whether that particular module is operating correctly, wherein the BIT generates a BIT fault code when the particular module is determined not to be is operating correctly, the analysis system comprising:
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memory that stores BIT fault code (BITFC) data sequences comprising a BIT fault codes generated by the BIT and repair data for that module corresponding to the BITFC data sequences, wherein the repair data comprises actual fault condition found (FF) result data and no fault condition found (NFF) result data corresponding to the stored BIT fault code data sequences for the particular module; a first processor that generates a regression function for the particular module based on the stored built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequences and the stored repair data for that module, wherein the regression function correlates some particular ones of the BITFC data sequences with a finding of an actual fault condition found (FF) result at the particular module, and correlates other particular ones of the BITFC data sequences with a finding of no fault condition found (NFF) result at the particular module; and a second processor designed to load the regression function, load a new BITFC data sequence generated by the BIT at the particular module, and execute the regression function with respect to the new BITFC data sequence to generate either;
a no-fault found (NFF) result that indicates that the new BITFC data sequence is not indicative of an actual fault condition at the particular module, or a fault found (FF) result that indicates that the new BITFC data sequence is indicative of an actual fault condition at the particular module. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon for determining whether a built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequence generated by a built-in-test (BIT) of a particular module of a complex system is indicative of an actual fault condition, wherein the program instructs a processor to perform the following steps:
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loading a regression function for the particular module at the processor, wherein the regression function was developed based on stored built-in-test fault code (BITFC) data sequences generated by the BIT for the particular module and stored repair data for that module, wherein the regression function correlates some particular ones of the BITFC data sequences with a finding of an actual fault condition found (FF) result at the particular module, and correlates other particular ones of the BITFC data sequences with a finding of no fault condition found (NFF) result at the particular module; and executing the regression function to a new BITFC data sequence generated by the BIT to determine whether the new BITFC data sequence is indicative of an actual fault condition at the particular module or is indicative of a false fault condition at the particular module.
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Specification