Means for structuring technical information in establishing a knowledge base and troubleshooting in technical equipment

• US 5,548,714 A
• Filed: 04/02/1993
• Issued: 08/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Televerket
• Original Assignee: Televerket
• Inventors: Becker, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TU, CHRISTINE TRINH LE
• Application Number:
  US08/030,068
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 395/575, 395/10, 395/12, 395/51, 395/52, 395/911, 395/912, 395/916, 395/183.01, 395/183.02
• US Class Current: 714/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/911 Nonmedical diagnostics

Abstract

A system and a method for structuring technical information in establishing a knowledge base and trouble shooting in technical equipment. An intelligent, electronical document is created in the quickiest and most efficient way for guidance training and troubleshooting of complex technical equipment. The required concepts are defined which are capable of describing states in a knowledge base, node types are defined indicating what type of information or instruction a node is to contain, views are read containing pictures or graphic descriptions of the equipment, nodes are inserted into the views to provide access points to various parts of the equipment, at least one of the nodes being a rule node containing at least one rule. The rule contains a condition part and a conclusion part, the condition part consisting of conditions on the equipment and the conclusion part containing measures to be taken if the conditions are fulfilled. The method and system are primarily used by developers and troubleshooters. The developers contribute with knowledge about technical equipment and with practical knowledge, such as rules of thumb. The troubleshooters can use the system without specific previous knowledge to perform troubleshooting, being systematically guided by the system to the source of failure.

Claims

1. A system for structuring technical and other information in a knowledge base in order to troubleshoot computer equipment and provide directions and training with technical equipment, comprising:

means for storing a knowledge base;

means for defining required concepts describing states in the knowledge base using definition functions, each definition function including node types indicating at least one of a type of information and an instruction that a node is to contain;

reading means for reading into the knowledge base views containing pictures or graphic descriptions of technical equipment;

input means for inputting plural nodes into the views to create points where at least one of additional information about various parts of the technical equipment and tests for various parts of the technical equipment are available, the input means inputting at least one node of said plural nodes as a rule node containing at least one rule having a condition part and a conclusion part, the condition part consisting of conditions for the technical equipment and the conclusion part containing measures to be taken if the conditions are fulfilled, and the means for storing the knowledge base comprising means to divide the knowledge base into a base block and other blocks, the base block containing information common to all the blocks and information about linking the blocks; and

initiating means for choosing the base block as a current block arranged to display a starting view, the initiating means being arranged to select a new block, whereupon at least one of a new starting view is shown, a new view is selected within the current block, and a node is selected in a current view, the initiating means selecting at least one of a text node, a picture node and a rule node, wherein selected rule nodes obtain at least one of measurements and information from a user and wherein the selected rule nodes provide instructions about what measures are to be taken, further measurements and information being obtained and further instructions being provided by means of the initiating means until a conclusion can be drawn.