Method and system for optimizing vehicle diagnostic trees using similar templates

• US 7,373,225 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Snap-On Incorporated
• Inventors: Grier, Jeff, Reddy, Sunil, Krzystofczyk, Carl, Lewis, Brad
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude; Gertrude A.
• Application Number:
  US11/188,308
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 701 29- 30, 701/32, 701/33, 701 34- 36, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/439
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0248 Causal models, e.g. fault tree; digraphs; qualitative physics
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

A method and system for optimizing vehicle diagnostic trees using similar templates is provided. Diagnostic trees may be modified to include diagnostic code tips or further suggestions or instructions indicating what tool to use or how to use the tool. The diagnostic tree cab be modified or customized by comparing the diagnostic tree to previously modified diagnostic trees corresponding to similar vehicles, and suggestions within the previously modified tree that are referenced within a library can be linked to the diagnostic trees.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first diagnostic tree including a first set of procedures for diagnosing causes of faults which can be experienced by a first apparatus under diagnosis and suggestions for performing the first set of procedures on the first apparatus, wherein each procedure in the first set of procedures may include a corresponding suggestion, and wherein each procedure in the first set of procedures includes an identifier;

receiving a second diagnostic tree including a second set of procedures for diagnosing causes of faults which can be experienced by a second apparatus under diagnosis, wherein each procedure in the second set of procedures includes an identifier;

identifying matching identifiers within the first set of procedures and the second set of procedures so as to identify similar procedures;

for each similar procedure, identifying a corresponding suggestion for performing the procedure on the first apparatus; and

modifying the second set of procedures within the second diagnostic tree so as to associate suggestions for performing a procedure on the first apparatus to similar procedures within the second set of procedures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the second set of procedures within the second diagnostic tree comprises copying suggestions from the first set of procedures to the second set of procedures.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying matching identifiers within the first set of procedures and the second set of procedures so as to identify similar procedures comprises matching information relating to faults which can be experienced by the first apparatus and the second apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a vehicle identifier, and wherein identifying matching identifiers within the first set of procedures and the second set of procedures so as to identify similar procedures comprises matching vehicle identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a vehicle identifier, and wherein identifying matching identifiers within the first set of procedures and the second set of procedures so as to identify similar procedures comprises determining whether identifiers within the second set of procedures belong to the same class of vehicles as do identifiers within the first set of procedures.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising for each non-similar procedure, flagging the non-similar procedure in the second set of procedures for manual review.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the modified second set of procedures in a library.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein procedures in the second set of procedure include use of a specific tool, and the method further comprising modifying the procedures in the second set of procedures to include use of a generic tool.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a first diagnostic tree having nodes, each node including a procedure to diagnose a fault that can be experienced by a first apparatus, and wherein the nodes further include tips for performing the procedure;

receiving a second diagnostic tree having nodes, each node including a procedure to diagnose a fault that can be experienced by a second apparatus;

identifying matching procedures within the first diagnostic tree and the second diagnostic tree;

for matching procedures, identifying within nodes of the first diagnostic tree tips to which the matching procedures correspond; and

modifying the second diagnostic tree to include the tips from the nodes of the first diagnostic tree within nodes of the second diagnostic tree to which the matching procedures correspond.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying matching procedures within the first diagnostic tree and the second diagnostic tree comprises identifying matching nodes within the first diagnostic tree and the second diagnostic tree.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the second diagnostic tree to include the tips within nodes to which the matching procedures correspond comprises adding the tips to nodes within the second diagnostic tree to which the matching procedures correspond.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying matching procedures within the first diagnostic tree and the second diagnostic tree comprises comparing nodes within the first diagnostic tree to nodes within the second diagnostic tree.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein comparing nodes within the first diagnostic tree to nodes within the second diagnostic tree comprises comparing nodes at a beginning of the first diagnostic tree to nodes at a beginning of the second diagnostic tree.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein each node includes an identifier, and wherein each tip includes an identifier linking the tip to a corresponding node, the method further comprising:

for matching procedures, identifying tips within nodes to which the matching procedures correspond; and

copying the identified tips into nodes of the second diagnostic tree to which the matching procedures correspond.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the tips are stored in a library, and wherein identifying tips within nodes to which the matching procedures correspond comprises accessing the library using the identifier of a node and the identifier of the tip that is linked to the node.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the second diagnostic tree to include the tips within nodes of the second diagnostic tree to which the matching procedures correspond comprises substituting a node from the first diagnostic tree that includes a tip to which the matching procedure corresponds for a node within the second diagnostic tree that includes the matching procedure.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying a node within the second diagnostic tree corresponding to an unknown fault; and

marking the node for manual review.

18. A system for modifying diagnostic trees comprising:

a first diagnostic tree having nodes, each node including a procedure to diagnose a fault that can be experienced by a first apparatus, and wherein the nodes further include tips for performing the procedure;

a second diagnostic tree having nodes, each node including a procedure to diagnose a fault that can be experienced by a second apparatus;

a comparison engine for comparing procedures within the first diagnostic tree and the second diagnostic tree, and wherein for matching procedures, the comparison engine identifies within nodes of the first diagnostic tree tips to which the matching procedures correspond; and

a diagnostic tree editor for modifying the second diagnostic tree to include the tips from the nodes of the first diagnostic tree within nodes of the second diagnostic tree to which the matching procedures correspond.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a library for storing the tips of the nodes in the first diagnostic tree, and wherein the diagnostic tree editor accesses the library to copy the tips from the nodes of the first diagnostic tree within nodes of the second diagnostic tree to which the matching procedures correspond.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the diagnostic tree editor modifies the second diagnostic tree by substituting nodes of the first diagnostic tree for nodes of the second diagnostic tree.