System for problem statement reformulation

• US 7,454,391 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Iwint Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Iwint International Holdings Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Guoming
• Primary Examiner(s): Vincent; David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Mai T
• Application Number:
  US10/872,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45, 706/12
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

A method and systems that allows building cause effect tree related to initial problem statement. Each event of cause effect tree can be added with additional axes: hierarchy and operation. Wizards and templates provide simplify adding of undesirable effects. System automatically generates alternative problem statements and queries for search in knowledge bases.

Claims

1. A system for obtaining solution suggestions for a problem related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, manufacturing, or maintenance comprising:

a computing device formulating a problem statement of the problem on a computer graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the problem is related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, mechanical hardware manufacturing, or mechanical hardware maintenance and generating a computer displayable graphical representation of a first plurality of graphical polygons representing a cause-and-effect chain on a cause-and-effect axis based on said problem statement,

said problem statement being displayed on said GUI for user interactive access,

said computing device including a computer-based wizard providing a resource formulation for the problem statement,

wherein said computer-based wizard provides a computer displayable graphical representation of a second plurality of graphical polygons representing at least one of an additional axis or a template, said at least one of an additional axis or template comprising at least one of a hierarchy axis or an operation axis, said hierarchy axis describing resources of at least one of a super-system or a subsystem, said additional axis or template being used to generate an alternative problem statement, said alternative problem statement also being displayed on said GUI for user interactive access,

wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources of at least one of the super-system or the subsystem, said resources including at least one of an object, an element, a substance or an energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain,

wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources in at least one of a previous operation or a next operation, said resources including at least one of a component, process, substance or energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain,

said computing device generating a computer formulated query based on said cause-and-effect chain and said alternative problem statement to obtain said solution suggestions.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said additional axis comprises said operation axis that describes resources of at least one of a previous operation or a next operation.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said template describes at least one of an initial problem situation or a necessary and sufficient event causing said initial problem situation.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said template describes at least one of an initial problem situation or several necessary and sufficient events causing said initial problem situation.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said template describes at least one of an initial problem situation or several sufficient events causing said initial problem situation.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cause-and-effect chain performs automatic problem statement generation.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said cause-and-effect chain performs automatic query generation.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a database that receives said query and identifies a search result based on said query relating to said problem statement.

9. A method of obtaining solution suggestions for a problem related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, manufacturing, or maintenance comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a computer displayable graphical representation of a first plurality of graphical polygons indicating a problem situation wherein the problem situation is related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, mechanical hardware manufacturing, or mechanical hardware maintenance;

applying a template to the problem situation to generate a computer displayable graphical representation of an initial problem statement;

providing a computer displayable graphical representation of said first plurality of graphical polygons of a cause formulation on a cause-and-effect axis to generate a first problem statement based on said initial problem statement;

providing a computer-based wizard that adds a second plurality of graphical icons representing an additional axis to generate an alternative problem statement based on said initial problem statement, said additional axis comprising at least one of a hierarchy axis or an operation axis, said hierarchy axis describing resources of at least one of a super-system or a subsystem, wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources of at least one of the super-system or the subsystem, said resources including at least one of an object, an element, a substance or an energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain,

wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources in at least one of a previous operation or a next operation, said resources including at least one of a component, process, substance or energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain;

providing a computer displayable graphical representation of said second plurality of graphical polygons, for an additional problem formulation based on said additional axis, said alternative problem statement displayed for user interactive access on a computer-based graphical user interface (GUI); and

providing a computer formulated query based on said cause formulation and said additional problem formulation to obtain said solution suggestions.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, wherein said operation axis comprises at least one of a next operation or a previous operation.

11. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

adding at least one of a next operation;

or a previous operation for the problem statement.

12. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising:

adding at least one of said super-system or said subsystem for the problem statement.

13. A machine readable medium that provides instructions for obtaining solution suggestions for a problem related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, manufacturing, or maintenance, which when executed by a computing platform, cause said computing platform to perform operations comprising a method of obtaining solution suggestions for said problem comprising:

providing a computer displayable graphical representation of a first plurality of graphical polygons representing a cause formulation of a problem statement, wherein the problem statement is related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, mechanical hardware manufacturing, or mechanical hardware maintenance, on a cause-and-effect axis;

providing a computer displayable graphical representation of a second plurality of graphical polygons representing an additional problem formulation of the problem statement based on an additional axis, wherein said additional axis comprises at least one of a hierarchy axis or an operational axis, said hierarchy axis describing resources of at least one of a super-system or a subsystem;

providing user interactive access to said problem statement by displaying said problem statement on a graphical user interface (GUI);

providing a computer-based wizard for providing a resource formulation for the problem statement wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources of at least one of the super-system or the subsystem, said resources including at least one of an object, an element, a substance or an energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain,

wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources in at least one of a previous operation or a next operation, said resources including at least one of a component, process, substance or energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain; and

providing a computer formulated query based on said cause formulation and said additional problem formulation to obtain said solution suggestions for said problem.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, the method further comprising:

adding at least one of a next operation;

or

a previous operation for the problem statement.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, the method further comprising:

adding at least one of said super-system, or said subsystem for the problem statement.

16. A method for obtaining solution suggestions for a problem related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, manufacturing, or maintenance, comprising:

generating a computer displayable graphical representation of a computer formulated problem statement based on a problem situation wherein the problem situation is related to at least one of mechanical hardware design, mechanical hardware manufacturing, or mechanical hardware maintenance;

generating a computer displayable graphical representation of a problem statement on a cause-and-effect axis based on said problem statement, comprising a first plurality of graphical polygons;

generating a computer viewable graphical representation, via a computer-based wizard, of an alternative problem statement on a second axis based on said problem statement, comprising a second plurality of graphical polygons, wherein said second axis comprises at least one of a hierarchy axis or an operation axis, said hierarchy axis describing resources of at least one of a super-system or a subsystem,

wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources of at least one of the super-system or the subsystem, said resources including at least one of an object, an element, a substance or an energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain,

wherein said computer-based wizard finds said resources in at least one of a previous operation or a next operation, said resources including at least one of a component, process, substance or energy, wherein said resources are used to prevent a cause in said cause-and-effect chain;

generating a computer formulated query based on said problem statement and said alternative problem statement;

transmitting said computer formulated query to a database; and

receiving a search result from said database based on said query relating to the problem situation.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said search result is a concept.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of generating a computer displayable graphical representation of a computer formulated problem statement further comprises:

receiving a characteristic;

storing said characteristic in a template; and

applying said template to said problem situation to generate said problem statement.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

formulating a parameter and an object or process name based on said characteristic.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of generating a computer viewable graphical representation of a second alternative problem statement further comprises:

receiving a selection of one or more of said operation axis or said hierarchy axis.

21. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

generating an ontology query based on said query; and

searching said database based on said ontology query.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein said problem statement identifies an event.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said cause-and-effect axis describes a causal relationship between one or more necessary or sufficient events causing said event.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein said operation axis describes a relationship between one or more operations that take place before or after said event.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein said hierarchy axis describes a relationship between a hierarchy of one or more subsystems or super-systems that relate to a cause of said event.