Distributed maintenance system based on causal networks
First Claim
1. In an avionics system having a plurality of interrelated sub-systems, a diagnostic system for diagnosing a failing sub-system, said diagnostic system comprising:
- a communication network incorporating an object oriented communication paradigm for transmitting objects;
a data collector, coupled to said sub-systems and to said communication network, for deriving state variables representative of the operation of said sub-systems;
an evaluator, coupled to said communication network for receiving said state variables, having a set of query directed acyclic graph files associated therewith, said evaluator adapted to access said files to generate a diagnostic inference in response to erroneous operation of at least one of said sub-systems as represented by said state variables; and
a presenter, coupled said communication network, for combining said inference from said evaluator with a schematic representation of said avionic system to graphically identify at least one sub-system causing said erroneous operation.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a diagnostic system for complex systems such as avionics systems. The diagnostic system acquires a description of the system from a variety of design tools and creates a causal network model as an intermediate step. From the causal network model, the diagnostic system builds and compiles a Q-DAG model of the system, which is then embedded in the central maintenance computer of the aircraft. The present invention integrates two elements, a graphical user interface (GUI), which acts as a data capture tool and graphical display of the avionics system and an inference system, which acts as a diagnostic tool with a presenter. The presenter permits diagnosis of faulty sub-systems and a report may be relayed to remotely located maintenance crews to minimize repair time upon arrival of the aircraft.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. In an avionics system having a plurality of interrelated sub-systems, a diagnostic system for diagnosing a failing sub-system, said diagnostic system comprising:
-
a communication network incorporating an object oriented communication paradigm for transmitting objects;
a data collector, coupled to said sub-systems and to said communication network, for deriving state variables representative of the operation of said sub-systems;
an evaluator, coupled to said communication network for receiving said state variables, having a set of query directed acyclic graph files associated therewith, said evaluator adapted to access said files to generate a diagnostic inference in response to erroneous operation of at least one of said sub-systems as represented by said state variables; and
a presenter, coupled said communication network, for combining said inference from said evaluator with a schematic representation of said avionic system to graphically identify at least one sub-system causing said erroneous operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
means for building a schematic model of said avionics system;
a causal network generator for receiving said schematic model and for generating a causal network system model;
said causal network system model providing a ranked set of diagnoses for identifying failures of said avionics system;
a compiler for generating a compiled representation of said avionics system, said representation being an expression of possible diagnoses for said avionics system; and
a database coupled to said schematic model building means, said causal network generator, said compiler and said communication network;
said database having information describing said avionics system stored therein.
-
-
5. The causal network system model of claim 4 wherein said causal network system model is based on behavioral characteristics of said avionics system.
-
6. A diagnostic system for identifying faults in an electro-mechanical system comprising:
-
means for building a model-based description of said avionics system based on normal operating modes and potential failure modes of said avionics system;
a database for storing said model-based description;
means for acquiring state variables of said system and for determining an inference regarding the source of a fault in said system;
means for displaying a graphical representation of said system together with a fault indication;
communication network for coupling said building means, said acquiring means and said displaying means to said database, said communications network using the Internet Inter-ORB Protocol; and
a CORBA interface, associated with said model building means, said database, said acquiring means and said display means, for brokering and communicating objects over said communications network. - View Dependent Claims (7)
means for developing a schematic model of said system, said schematic developing means comprising a plurality of abstract model blocks and a Boolean rules set describing the behavior of said abstract model blocks;
each of said abstract model blocks having a monitor and generator block associated therewith;
means for developing a causal network model from said schematic model, said causal network model defining behavioral operation of said abstract model blocks in terms of said Boolean rules set;
means for applying causal inference to said causal network model to develop a query directed acyclic graph model representing said system; and
a compiler for compiling said query directed acyclic graph.
-
-
8. In an avionics system having a plurality of interrelated sub-systems, a method for diagnosing system faults comprising the steps of:
-
building a schematic model describing the interconnection of said sub-systems;
converting said schematic model to a causal network model describing normal functioning and faulty functioning of said avionics system;
converting said causal network model to a query directed acyclic graph (Q-DAG) representation of said causal network;
compiling said Q-DAG representation;
storing said compiled Q-DAG representation in a memory means associated with a computer, said computer electrically associated with said plurality of sub-systems;
monitoring observable variables of said avionics system in accordance with said compiled Q-DAG representation to correlate said observable variables with flight deck effects; and
graphically identifying at least one faulty sub-system and the cascade effect caused by said faulty sub-system on said avionics system.
-
-
9. in an electro-mechanical system, a method for diagnosing electro-mechanical system faults comprising the steps of:
-
generating a compiled a query directed acyclic graph (Q-DAG) representation of said electro-mechanical system using said Q-DAG representation, diagnosing faults occurring in said electro-mechanical system based on a plurality of state inputs received from said electro-mechanical system;
transporting, via a communications network, a diagnostic inference of failures of said electro-mechanical system to a viewer;
combining said diagnostic inference with a schematic representation of said electro-mechanical system;
generating a graphical display, on said viewer, of said combined diagnostic inference and said electro-mechanical system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. In an electrical system having a plurality of interrelated sub-systems, a diagnostic method comprising the steps of:
-
modeling said system;
generating a compiled representation of said system, said representation comprising a set of diagnostic inference algorithms based on causal networks;
generating diagnostic inferences, using said compiled representation of said system, in response to a detected state change;
transporting objects over a communications network using the Internet Inter-ORB Protocol, said objects comprising at least said diagnostic inference and said system model to a viewer; and
graphically displaying said diagnostic inference on said viewer. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
transmitting said diagnostic inference to a remote viewer; and
combining said diagnostic inference with a schematic representation of said electro-mechanical system.
-
-
23. The method of claim 22 further including the step of accessing said database to acquire said schematic representation of said electro-mechanical system prior to said combining step.
-
24. An electro-mechanical system diagnostic system comprising
a schematic capture and viewer system for developing a model of said electro-mechanical system; -
a database for capturing and storing system information;
a system model generator, coupled to said database, for generating a causal network model of said electro-mechanical system; and
a Q-DAG compiler, coupled to said database, for generating a set of table-loadable files representative of a Q-DAG model of said electro-mechanical system. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
means for acquiring state variables of said electro-mechanical system and for determining an inference regarding the source of a fault in said electro-mechanical system; and
means for displaying a graphical representation of said electro-mechanical system together with a fault indication.
-
-
29. The diagnostic system of claim 28 wherein said display means comprises a graphical viewer, coupled to said communication network, for developing hierarchical models and for providing a graphical interface between system models generated by said schematic capture and said inference means.
-
30. The inference means of claim 29 further comprising:
-
a data collector for monitoring bus activity of said electro-mechanical system and for generating state changes representative of the state of said electro-mechanical system;
an evaluator for evaluating said state variables and generating a diagnostic inference upon detection of an error in the operation of said electro-mechanical system; and
a presenter for graphically displaying a combined system level model of said electro-mechanical system.
-
Specification