System and method for fault diagnosis

• US 6,643,592 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2000
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Riffel, David Wayne, Ma, Kelvin, Loman, James Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Application Number:
  US09/617,970
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 702/35, 702/84, 702/81, 340/945, 340/267, 364/468, 112/121, 714/26, 700/110, 700/109, 700/171, 700/159, 709/203, 709/315
• US Class Current: 702/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/00 Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere measuring superconductive properties G01R33/1238; testing or measuring semiconductors or solid state devices during manufacture H01L22/00; testing line transmission systems H04B3/46
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32226 Computer assisted repair, maintenance of system components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and system for accessing a remote site by a field engineer faced with a machine fault. The remote site includes various expert systems and fault prediction tools to assist the field engineer. In the event the field engineer is unable to diagnose the fault and repair the machine the machine is returned to a repair center, accompanied by an automatically generated return code that identifies the various analysis conducted by the field engineer and the potential fault causes identified during that analysis process.

Claims

1. A method for use by a field engineer for analyzing a fault condition on a machine located at a machine site, comprising:

at the machine site, providing information to an analysis tool for the analyzing the fault, wherein the information is provided by the field engineer as queried by the analysis tool, and wherein a plurality of individual queries and field engineer responses constitute a search path;

if the analysis tool determines the probable cause of the fault, repairing the machine at the machine site based thereon;

if the analysis is tool unable to determine the probable cause of the fault, assigning a return code, transmitting the search path and the return code to a repair center, and moving at least a part of the machine to the repair center;

analyzing the search path; and

using the search path analysis to modify the analysis tool to improve the probability that future use of the analysis tool will converge to the correct fault solution.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the analysis tool attempts to determine a probable cause of the fault by using an expert system for receiving fault symptoms and for providing a fault root cause.

3. The method of claim 1 where the analysis tool attempts to determine a probable cause of the fault by using a fault free associating a plurality root causes with a probability measure that a root cause will resolve the fault.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising,

at the repair center:

performing a detailed analysis of the at least a part of the machine to identify the root cause using information available in the search path; and

repairing the at least a part of the machine.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the analysis tool is located at a site remote from the machine.

6. A method for use by a field engineer for analyzing a fault condition on a machine located at a machine site, comprising;

at the machine site, providing information to an analysis tool for analyzing the fault, wherein the information is provided by the field engineer as queried by the analysis tool, and wherein a plurality of individual queries and field engineer responses constitute a search path;

if the analysis tool determines the probable cause of the fault, repairing the machine at the machine site based thereon;

if the analysis tool is unable to determine the probable cause of the fault, assigning a return code, transmitting the search path and the return code to a repair center, and moving at least a part of the machine to repair center; and

computing statistical failure analysis data based on the fault.

7. A system for analyzing a fault condition on a machine, comprising:

an on-line center for receiving fault symptoms for a field engineer at a machine site, for analyzing the fault symptoms using an analysis tool, for returning probable fault cause information if obtainable, and for assigning a return code associated with the fault symptoms if fault cause information is not obtainable, wherein the on-line center is adapted to generate queries to receive the fault symptoms and where a plurality of queries and respective responses constitute a search path;

a repair center for, if fault cause information is not obtainable, receiving at least a part of the machine, the return code, and the search path and using the return code and the search path for further analysis;

wherein the analysis tool is adapted to analyze the search path and use the search path analysis to modify the analysis tool to improve the probability that future use of the analysis tool will converge to correct fault solution.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the on-line center includes an expert system for receiving fault symptoms and for providing probable fault cause information.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the on-line center includes a fault tree associating a plurality of fault root causes with a probability measure that a specified cause will resolve the fault.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the on-line center is augmented with information concerning the fault and a root cause thereof after the further fault analysis.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the on-line center is adapted to use an analysis of the search path to improve future query generations.

12. A system for analyzing a fault condition on a machine, comprising;

an on-line center for receiving fault symptoms from a field engineer at a machine site, for analyzing the fault symptoms using an analysis tool, for returning probable fault cause information if obtainable, and for assigning a return code associated with the fault symptoms if fault cause information is not obtainable, wherein the on-line center is adapted to generate queries to receive the fault symptoms and wherein a plurality of queries and respective responses constitute a search path;

a repair center for, if fault cause information is not obtainable, receiving at least a part of the machine, the return code, and the search path and using the return code and the search path for further fault analysis;

wherein the analysis tool is adapted to compute statistical failure analysis data based on the fault.

13. A system for use by a field engineer for analyzing a fault condition on a machine located at a machine site, comprising:

at the machine site, means for identifying fault symptoms at the machine site;

means for automatically providing a fault analysis of the fault analysis of the fault symptoms including a probable cause of the fault from the fault symptoms, wherein the fault providing analysis means are adapted to generate queries to receive the fault symptoms and wherein a plurality of queries and respective responses constitute a search path;

means for, when the fault analysis providing means are successful, automatically providing machine site repair instructions;

means for, when the fault analysis providing means are not successful assigning a return code and transmitting the search path and the return code to a repair center;

wherein the fault providing analysis means are further adapted to analyze the search path and use the search path analysis to modify the analysis tool to improve the probability that the future use of the analysis tool will converge to the correct fault solution.

14. The system of claim 13 where the fault analysis providing means a situated remotely from the machine sit.

15. The system of claim 13 where the fault analysis providing means is adapted to use an analysis of the search path to improve future query generations.

16. A system for use by a field engineer for analyzing a fault condition on a machine located at a machine site, comprising:

at the machine site, means for identifying fault symptoms at the machine site;

means for automatically providing a fault analysis of the fault symptoms including a probable cause of the fault from the fault symptoms, wherein the fault providing analysis means are adapted to generate queries to receive the fault symptoms and wherein a plurality of queries and respective responses constitute a search path;

means for, when the fault analysis providing means are successful, automatically providing machine site repair instructions;

means for, when the fault analysis providing means are not successful assigning a return code and transmitting the search path and the return code to a repair center;

wherein the fault providing analysis means are adapted to compute statistical failure analysis data based on the fault.