Method and system for processing repair data and fault log data to facilitate diagnostics

• US 6,415,395 B1
• Filed: 04/02/1999
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Varma, Anil, Roddy, Nicholas Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoleil, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHU, GABRIEL L
• Application Number:
  US09/285,612
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 706/62, 714/100, 714/2, 714/25, 714/26, 714/29, 714/37, 714/40, 714/45, 714/47, 714/48, 714/57
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/04 Arrangement or disposition of driving cabins, footplates or engine rooms; Ventilation thereof driving cabins and accessories B61D
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/12 Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2268 Logging of test results

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system and method for processing repair data and fault log data from one or more machines to facilitate analysis of a malfunctioning machine. The system includes a repair data storage unit comprising a plurality of repairs and a fault log data storage unit comprising a plurality of faults. A processor generates a plurality of cases from the repair data and the fault log data. Each case comprises a repair and a plurality of distinct faults. The processor further generates, for each of the plurality of cases, at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination, and assigns, to each of the repair and distinct fault cluster combinations, a weight, whereby weighted repair and distinct fault cluster combinations facilitate prediction of at least one repair for the malfunctioning machine.

Claims

1. A method for processing repair data comprising a plurality of repairs and fault log data comprising a plurality of faults from one or more machines to facilitate analysis of a malfunctioning machine, comprising:

generating a plurality of cases from the repair data and the fault log data, each case comprising a repair and a plurality of distinct faults;

generating, for each of the plurality of cases, at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination; and

assigning, to each of the repair and distinct fault cluster combinations, a weight, whereby weighted repair and distinct fault cluster combinations facilitate prediction of at least one repair for the malfunctioning machine.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination comprises a repair and at least one of a single distinct fault and a plurality of distinct faults.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination comprises a repair and a plurality of distinct faults.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating the plurality of cases comprises selecting a repair from the repair data and selecting a plurality of distinct faults from the fault log data over a period of time prior to the repair.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the generating the plurality of cases comprises determining the number of times each of the plurality of distinct faults occurs over the period of time.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the assigning weights comprises determining, for each repair and distinct fault cluster combination, a number of times the combination occurs in cases comprising related repairs, and a number of times the combination occurs in the plurality of cases.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the assigning a weight, for each repair and distinct fault cluster combination, comprises dividing is the number of times the combination occurs in cases comprising related repairs by the number of times the combination occurs in the plurality of cases.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising;

generating a new case from repair data and fault log data, the case comprising a repair and a plurality of distinct faults;

generating, for the new case, a plurality of fault clusters for the plurality of distinct faults; and

redetermining a weight for each of the plurality of repair and fault clusters combinations to include the new case.

9. A system for processing repair data comprising a plurality of repairs and fault log data comprising a plurality of faults from one or more machines to facilitate analysis of a malfunctioning machine, comprising:

means for generating a plurality of cases from the repair data and the fault log data, each case comprising a repair and a plurality of distinct faults;

means for generating, for each of the plurality of cases, at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination; and

means for assigning, to each of the repair and distinct fault cluster combinations, a weight, whereby weighted repair and distinct fault cluster combinations facilitate prediction of at least one repair for the malfunctioning machine.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination comprises a repair and at least one of a single distinct fault and a plurality of distinct faults.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination comprises a repair and a plurality of distinct faults.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for generating the plurality of cases comprises means for selecting a repair from the repair data and selecting a plurality of distinct faults from the fault log data over a period of time prior to the repair.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the means for generating the plurality of cases comprises means for determining the number of times each of the plurality of distinct faults occurs over the period of time.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for assigning weights comprises means for determining, for each repair and distinct fault cluster combination, a number of times the combination occurs in cases comprising related repairs, and a number of times the combination occurs in the plurality of cases.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the means for assigning a weight, for each repair and distinct fault cluster combination, comprises means for dividing the number of times the combination occurs in cases comprising related repairs by the number of times the combination occurs in the plurality of cases.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising;

means for generating a new case from repair data and fault log data, the case comprising a repair and a plurality of distinct faults;

means for generating, for the new case, a plurality of fault clusters for the plurality of distinct faults; and

means for redetermining a weight or each of the plurality of repair and fault cluster combinations to include the new case.

17. A system for processing repair data comprising a plurality of repairs and fault log data comprising a plurality of faults from one or more machines to facilitate analysis of a malfunctioning machine, comprising:

a repair log data storage unit adapted to store a plurality of repairs;

a fault log data storage unit adapted to store a plurality of faults;

a processor adapted to generate a plurality of cases from the repair data and the fault log data, each case comprising a repair and a plurality of distinct faults;

the processor adapted to generate, for each of the plurality of cases, at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination; and

the processor adapted to assign, to each of the repair and distinct fault cluster combinations, a weight determined by dividing a number of times the combination occurs in cases comprising related repairs by a number of times the combination occurs in the plurality of cases, whereby weighted repair and distinct fault cluster combinations facilitate prediction of at least one repair for the malfunctioning machine.

18. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer program product comprising computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the processing of repair data comprising a plurality of repairs and fault log data comprising a plurality of faults from one or more machines to facilitate analysis of a malfunctioning machine, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate a plurality of cases from the repair data and the fault log data, each case comprising a repair and a plurality of distinct faults;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to generate, for each of the plurality of cases, at least one repair and distinct fault cluster combination; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to assign, to each of the repair and distinct fault cluster combinations, a weight determined by dividing a number of times the combination occurs in cases comprising related repairs by a number of times the combination occurs in the plurality of cases, whereby weighted repair and distinct fault cluster combinations facilitate prediction of at least one repair for the malfunctioning machine.