Reliability assessment method, apparatus and system for quality control

• US 6,738,931 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2000
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Stanard, Christopher Leon, Handkins, David Mark, Hershey, John Erik, Osborn, Brock Estel
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNCAN, MARC M
• Application Number:
  US09/705,294
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 714/37, 714/25, 714/27, 714/47, 709/214, 701/35, 701/29
• US Class Current: 714/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis

Abstract

A reliability assessment analysis system. Included as part of system are a plurality of analysis stations, at least one of the analysis stations being located at a remote geographic location from others, and each of the analysis stations being capable of performing reliability assessment analysis processes on components or systems of components. Further provided is a plurality of database sites, where at least one of the database sites is located at a remote geographic location from the others. Each database site includes a database of data, at least some of the data being usable by at least one of the analysis stations. A communications infrastructure provides a communication path between and among the plurality of analysis stations and the plurality of database sites. The analysis stations and database sites are configured to provide a user of at least one of the analysis stations with access to more than a single one of the database sites. The analysis stations and the database sites are further configured to update data stored on the database sites when newly updated data is entered into the system.

Claims

1. A reliability assessment analysis system for use within an organization to perform analysis on at least one of components and systems of components, the system comprising:

a plurality of analysis stations, at least one analysis station being at a remote location from other ones of the analysis stations, each one of the analysis stations being capable of performing reliability assessment analysis processes on components or systems of components;

a plurality of database sites, at least one of the database sites located at a remote location from other ones of the database sites, each database site including a database of data, at least some of the data useable by at least one of the analysis stations; and

a communications infrastructure providing a communication path between and among the plurality of analysis stations and the plurality of database sites,

wherein the analysis stations and database sites are configured to provide a user of at least one of the analysis stations with access to more than a single one of the database sites, and wherein the analysis stations and database sites are further configured to update data stored on the database sites when new data is obtained; and

wherein each of the database sites include,

a communications module configured as a bi-directional interface to send and receive functions between the communications infrastructure;

a database, sized to store data used by the system, and a database language to operate the database; and

a journal agent module configured as an intelligent interface between the communications module and the database, wherein the journal agent module is configured to check for and ensure consistency and continuity of database entries and updates, and to respond to messages to other database sites in order to promote consistency and concurrence between all the database sites.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein each of the analysis stations include,

a communications module configured as a bi-directional interface to send and receive functions between the communications infrastructure;

a processor configured to control operation of the reliability assessment analysis processes;

a memory configured to store data regarding at least one of components and systems of components being analyzed;

a non-volatile input/output device connected to provide an interface between the analysis stations and users of the system; and

a volatile display output device configured to output results of the reliability assessment analysis.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the communications infrastructure is at least one of a private data network, a public telephone network, a satellite network and the internet.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the system is active and is updated and refined by experiential data.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the experiential data is generated within the organization.

6. A reliability assessment method comprising the steps of:

determining a component or system of components to be investigated;

selecting a reliability assessment process to perform on the selected component or system of components;

determining data needed to perform the selected reliability assessment process;

searching to find which of a plurality of databases within an organization contain the data needed to perform the reliability assessment process;

requesting the needed data from at least one of the databases containing the needed data;

obtaining the needed data by an analysis station by which the reliability assessment analysis is to be performed;

performing the reliability assessment analysis on the component or system of components using the obtained data;

generating an output representing the results of the reliability assessment analysis, wherein the output representing the results of the reliability assessment analysis comprises graphical representations updating the database from which the needed data was obtained; and

updating all other databases in the organization which also contain the needed data.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the step of updating the database from which the needed data was obtained includes, sending the new data to the database, archiving the new data, and updating the database in accordance with the archived data.

8. The method according to claim 7 further including, by at least one of the database sites the step of:

creating and automatically issuing messages to other database sites in the organization through a communications infrastructure to promote consistency and concurrency between all database sites within the organization.

9. The method according to claim 8 further including, by at least one of the database sites, the step of:

creating and automatically issuing messages to the analysis stations for service for at least itself and for other database sites perceived as being needed to carry out consistency and concurrency tasks.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the consistency and concurrency tasks include performing data replication processes.

11. The method according to claim 6 wherein data within an organization are un-partitioned and made available to a user of an analysis station.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein the needed data for operation of the reliability assessment analysis is found at more than a single database site.

13. A reliability assessment analysis system for use within an organization to perform analysis on at least one of components and systems of components, the system comprising:

a plurality of analysis stations, each station including,

a communications module configured as a bidirectional interface to send and receive functions between the communications infrastructure,

a processor configured to control operation of the reliability assessment analysis processes,

a memory configured to store data regarding at least one of components and systems of components being analyzed,

a non-volatile input/output device connected to provide an interface between the analysis stations and users of the system, and

a volatile display output device configured to output results of the reliability assessment analysis, wherein the output results of the reliability assessment analysis comprise graphical representations,

at least one analysis station, being at a remote location from other ones of the analysis stations, each one of the analysis stations being capable of performing reliability assessment analysis processes on components or systems of components;

a plurality of database sites, each site including,

a communications module configured as a bidirectional interface to send and receive functions between the communications infrastructure,

a database using software to control operation of the database, and

a journal agent module configured as an intelligent interface between the communications module and the database,

at least one of the database sites located at a remote location from other ones of the database sites, each database site including a database of data, at least some of the data useable by at least one of the analysis stations; and

a communications infrastructure providing a communication path between and among the plurality of analysis stations and the plurality of database sites,

wherein the analysis stations, and database sites are configured to provide a user of at least one of the analysis stations with access to more than a single one of the database sites, and wherein the analysis stations and database sites are further configured to update data stored on the database sites when new data is obtained.

14. A method of performing a hierarchical reliability assessment analysis on data off a system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a system of components to be investigated;

selecting a reliability assessment analysis to perform on the selected system of components;

determining data needed to perform the selected reliability assessment analysis;

searching to find which of a plurality of databases within an organization contain the data needed to perform the reliability assessment analysis;

requesting the needed data from at least one of the databases containing the needed data;

obtaining the needed data by an analysis station by which the reliability assessment analysis is to be performed;

displaying on a display screen a graphical representation of the system and of first subsystems of the system;

selecting at least one of the first subsystems;

initiating reliability assessment analysis of data for the selected first subsystems;

displaying results of the reliability assessment analysis;

updating the database from which the needed data was obtained; and

updating all other databases in the organization which also contain the needed data.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the reliability assessment analysis uses a Weibull distribution analysis.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein the step of displaying the results of the reliability assessment analysis include,

displaying a contour plot including a plurality of contours, each contour having a center point representing a Maximum Likelihood estimate of level of confidence in the center point estimate.

17. An apparatus of performing a hierarchical reliability assessment analysis on data off a system, comprising:

a determining means for determining a system of components to be investigated;

a selecting means for selecting a reliability assessment analysis to perform on the selected system of components;

a data determining means for determining data needed to perform the selected reliability assessment analysis;

a searching means for searching to find which of a plurality of databases within an organization contain the data needed to perform the reliability assessment analysis;

a requesting means for requesting the needed data from at least one of the databases containing the needed data;

an obtaining means for obtaining the needed data by an analysis station by which the reliability assessment analysis is to be performed;

a displaying means for displaying on a display screen a graphical representation of the system and of first subsystems of the system;

a selecting means for selecting at least some of the first subsystems;

an initiating means for initiating reliability assessment analysis of data for the selected first subsystems;

a display means for displaying results of the reliability assessment analysis;

an updating means for updating the database from which the needed data was obtained; and

an updating means for updating all other databases in the organization which also contain the needed data.