METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THE CREATION AND USE OF REUSABLE FAULT MODEL COMPONENTS

• US 20150025866A1
• Filed: 07/22/2013
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: vanderZweep, Jeff, Felke, Tim, Kolandavelu, Raghupathy
• Application Number:
  US13/947,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025866A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0248 Causal models, e.g. fault tree; digraphs; qualitative physics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A method for creating and using a fault model comprising one or more fault model components is provided. The method comprises creating a reusable fault model component and incorporating the reusable fault model component into the fault model.

Claims

1. A method for creating and using a fault model comprising one or more fault model components, the method comprising:

creating a reusable fault model component; and

incorporating the reusable fault model component into the fault model.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a database comprising a plurality of reusable fault model components; and

performing a lookup to determine whether the reusable fault model component exists in the database, wherein the creating is performed when the reusable fault model component does not exist in the database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of performing a lookup further comprises:

determining a designation associated with the reusable fault model component;

comparing the designation with a plurality of designations associated with the database to locate a match; and

when there is not a match, determining that the reusable fault model component does not exist.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing a fault model assembly using predefined component failure criteria; and

identifying the reusable fault model component based on the predefined component failure criteria.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the reusable fault model component further comprises:

creating a reusable fault model component shell; and

incorporating one or more additional features to the reusable fault model component shell to create the reusable fault model component.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising retrieving the one or more additional features from a memory storage location.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the one or more additional features from user input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the reusable fault model component comprises a plurality of subcomponents; and

at least one of the plurality of subcomponents comprises a second reusable fault model component.

9. A method for creating reusable sub-assemblies for use in a fault model, the method comprising:

importing design data for an assembly of the fault model, the assembly comprising a plurality of sub-assemblies, wherein each of the plurality of sub-assemblies is associated with a sub-assembly type;

analyzing the design data to identify one of the plurality of sub-assemblies based on pre-determined criteria;

identifying a sub-assembly type associated with the one of the plurality of sub-assemblies;

comparing the identified sub-assembly type to a plurality of types, wherein the plurality of types is associated with a plurality of complete reusable sub-assemblies; and

when the identified sub-assembly type does not match one of the plurality of types,

creating a complete reusable sub-assembly; and

incorporating the complete reusable sub-assembly into the assembly of the fault model.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the complete reusable assembly for use in one or more additional fault models.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein creating a complete reusable sub-assembly further comprises:

creating an incomplete reusable sub-assembly;

receiving completion information from a user; and

completing the incomplete reusable sub-assembly to create a complete reusable sub assembly, based on the completion information.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein creating a complete reusable sub-assembly further comprises:

creating an incomplete reusable sub-assembly;

retrieving stored completion information from memory; and

completing the incomplete reusable sub-assembly to create a complete reusable sub assembly, based on the completion information.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

when a match has been located,

retrieving a complete reusable sub-assembly associated with the match; and

incorporating the complete reusable sub-assembly into the assembly of the fault model.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a part classification associated with the one of the plurality of sub-assemblies; and

comparing the identified part classification to a plurality of part classifications associated with complete reusable sub-assemblies to locate a match.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a specific product structure associated with the one of the plurality of sub-assemblies; and

comparing the identified specific product structure to a plurality of specific product structures associated with complete reusable sub-assemblies to locate a match.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having one or more instructions thereon for creating and using a fault model, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to:

import design data for an assembly, the assembly comprising a plurality of sub-assemblies, wherein each of the plurality of sub-assemblies is associated with a sub-assembly type;

analyze the design data to identify one of the plurality of sub-assemblies based on pre-determined criteria;

identify a sub-assembly type associated with the one of the plurality of sub-assemblies;

compare the identified sub-assembly type to a plurality of types associated with complete reusable sub-assemblies; and

when the identified sub-assembly type does not match one of the plurality of types,

create a complete reusable sub-assembly; and

place the complete reusable sub-assembly into an appropriate slot in the fault model.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the one or more instructions further causing the processor to:

analyze the design data to identify one of the plurality of sub-assemblies having one or more parts associated with a pre-defined rate of failure.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the pre-determined criteria comprises one or more electrical connections.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the pre-determined criteria comprises one or more hydraulic connections.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of sub-assemblies further comprise one or more sub-sub-assemblies.