Method and apparatus for designing a health monitor system for a vehicle

• US 7,796,018 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Khuzadi, Mbuyi
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/757,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/506, 340/425.5, 340/825.36, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0248 Causal models, e.g. fault tree; digraphs; qualitative physics
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0278 Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for designing a health monitor system for a vehicle. A functional model of the vehicle is created. A hazardous condition is identified that can occur during operation of the vehicle using the functional model. A model of causes is created for the hazardous condition and hazard cause controls are identified to avoid the hazardous condition using the model of causes, wherein the controls prevent causes of the hazardous condition from occurring. A set of monitors is identified to monitor the controls.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for designing a health monitor system for a vehicle, the computer implemented method comprising:

creating a functional model of the vehicle;

identifying a hazardous condition that can occur during operation of the vehicle using the functional model;

creating a model of causes for the hazardous condition;

identifying hazard cause controls to avoid the hazardous condition using the model of causes, wherein the controls prevent causes for the hazardous condition from occurring; and

identifying a set of monitors to monitor the hazard cause controls.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the model of causes for the hazardous conditions comprises:

creating a cause tree containing the causes for the hazardous condition, wherein a root node represents the hazardous condition and nodes below the root node represent the causes that can result in the hazardous condition.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the step of identifying the controls comprises:

identifying a cause control span in the cause tree.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of identifying the set of monitors comprises:

identifying a monitor span in the cause tree, wherein the monitor span is located on a level of the cause control span in a hierarchy of the cause tree.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of identifying the hazard cause controls to avoid the hazardous condition using the model of causes comprises:

identifying the hazard cause controls to prevent causes found in the cause control span from occurring.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the step of identifying the cause control span in the cause tree as nodes comprises:

identifying selected nodes for the cause control span as ones having a lowest level in the hierarchy of the cause tree.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the set of monitors to monitor the hazard cause controls comprises:

determining whether a hazard cause control in the set of hazard cause controls can be monitored in using assets present in the functional model of the vehicle; and

modifying the functional model of the vehicle to provide a monitor for the unattended hazard cause control.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the functional model of the vehicle comprises:

creating the functional model for one of an aircraft, a ship, an automobile, a space craft, a launch vehicle, or a submarine.

9. A computer implemented method for designing a system, the computer implemented method comprising:

identifying a set of hazardous conditions for the system;

creating a model for the set of hazardous conditions by creating a cause tree containing the set of hazardous conditions and a plurality of causes for the set of hazardous conditions;

identifying a set of hazard cause controls for the causes to prevent the set of hazardous conditions from occurring; and

designing a monitoring system to monitor the set of hazard cause controls for the system.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the cause tree contains the causes for the hazardous condition, and wherein a root node represents the hazardous condition and nodes below the root node represent the causes that can result in the hazardous condition.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the step of identifying the set of hazard cause controls further comprises:

designing multiple hazard cause controls to prevent a cause in the plurality of causes.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the step of identifying the set of hazardous conditions for the system comprises:

identifying the set of hazardous conditions for one of a building, a dam, a power plant, an aircraft, a ship, an automobile, a space craft, a launch vehicle, or a submarine.

13. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for designing a health monitor system for a vehicle, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for creating a functional model of the vehicle;

computer usable program code for identifying a hazardous condition that can occur during operation of the vehicle using the functional model;

computer usable program code for creating a model of causes for the hazardous condition;

computer usable program code for identifying hazard cause controls to avoid the hazardous condition using the model of causes, wherein the hazard cause controls prevent causes for the hazardous condition from occurring; and

computer usable program code for identifying a set of monitors to monitor the controls.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable program code for creating the model of causes for the hazardous condition comprises:

computer usable program code for creating a cause tree containing the causes for the hazardous condition, wherein a root node represents the hazardous condition and nodes below the root node represent the causes that can result in the hazardous condition.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the hazard cause controls comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying a cause control span in the cause tree.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the set of monitors comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying a monitor span in the cause tree, wherein the monitor span is located on a level of the cause control span in a hierarchy of the cause tree.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the controls to avoid the hazardous condition using the model of causes comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying the controls to prevent causes found in the cause control span from occurring.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the cause control span in the cause tree as nodes comprises:

computer usable program code for identifying selected nodes for the cause control span as ones having a lowest level in the hierarchy of the cause tree.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable program code for identifying the set of monitors to monitor the controls comprises:

computer usable program code for determining whether a control in the controls can be monitored in using assets present in the functional model of the vehicle; and

computer usable program code for modifying the functional model of the vehicle to provide a monitor for the control.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer usable program code for creating the functional model of the vehicle comprises:

computer usable program code for creating the functional model for one of an aircraft, a ship, an automobile, a space craft, a launch vehicle, or a submarine.