System and method for detecting combinations of perfomance indicators associated with a root cause

• US 7,814,369 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyusung, McCroskey, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNCAN, MARC M
• Application Number:
  US12/138,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 714/26, 714/47
• US Class Current: 714/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0739 in a data processing system embedded in automotive or aircraft systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36

Abstract

Methods and system are provided for detecting combinations of performance indicators that are associated with a root cause. The method comprises storing a plurality of error codes, each representative of at least one performance indicator, storing descriptive data associated with each of the plurality of error codes, storing a plurality of root causes, each associated with descriptive data that corresponds to the descriptive data of the plurality of error codes, identifying the error codes from the plurality of error codes that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes, and analyzing the error codes that correspond to at least one root cause to determine combinations of performance indicators that are associated with the root cause.

Claims

1. Method for detecting combinations of performance indicators that are associated with a root cause, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of error codes, each representative of at least one performance indicator;

storing descriptive data associated with each of the plurality of error codes, the descriptive data comprising a plurality of module identifiers where each module identifier of the plurality corresponds to a different one of the plurality of error codes;

storing a plurality of root causes, each associated with descriptive data that corresponds to the descriptive data of the plurality of error codes;

identifying error codes from the plurality of error codes that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes; and

analyzing error codes that correspond to at least one root cause of the plurality to determine combinations of performance indicators that are associated with the root cause.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the plurality of error codes further comprises:

receiving historical error code information comprising the error codes and corresponding descriptive data;

extracting each error code from the historical error code information; and

storing each error code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of storing descriptive data further comprises:

extracting the corresponding descriptive data for each error code from the historical error code information; and

storing the corresponding descriptive data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the plurality of root causes further comprises:

receiving historical repair data comprising a plurality of operational failures and corresponding descriptive data;

assigning each of the plurality of operational failures to a root cause; and

storing each root cause and its corresponding descriptive data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of storing the plurality of root causes further comprises;

storing a plurality of module identifiers, each module identifier of the plurality corresponding to a different one of the plurality of root causes; and

the step of identifying the error codes from the plurality of error codes that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes further comprises identifying error codes and root causes that have the same module identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of storing descriptive data further comprises storing a plurality of timestamps that each correspond to a different one of the plurality of error codes;

the step of storing the plurality of root causes further comprises;

storing a plurality of module identifiers and timestamps that correspond to the plurality of root causes

the step of identifying the error codes from the plurality of error codes that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes further comprises identifying error codes and root causes that have the same module identifiers and wherein the difference between the timestamp for an error code and the timestamp for a root cause does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing further comprises:

identifying the error codes that are associated with a first root cause;

analyzing each of the identified error codes to detect combinations of performance indicators that are associated with the first root cause; and

analyzing each of the remaining error codes to detect whether they include one of the detected combinations of performance indicators.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a first percentage representing how often each of the error codes that are associated with the first root cause include a first combination of performance indicators; and

determining a second percentage representing how often each of the remaining error codes include the first combination of performance indicators.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining the strength of the first combination of performance indicators as a predictor of the first root cause based on the first percentage and the second percentage.

10. A method for detecting combinations of Built-in-Test error codes generated by an electronic system in an aircraft and associated with a root cause, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of Built-in-Test error codes, each representative of at least one performance indicator;

storing descriptive data associated with each of the plurality of Built-in-Test error codes;

storing a plurality of root causes, each associated with descriptive data that corresponds to the descriptive data of the Built-in-Test error codes;

storing a plurality of module identifiers wherein each corresponds to a different one of the plurality of root causes;

identifying Built-in-Test error codes from the plurality of Built-in-Test error codes that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes; and

analyzing the Built-in-Test error codes that correspond to at least one root cause to determine combinations of performance indicators that are associated with a predetermined root cause.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the step of storing descriptive data further comprises storing a plurality of module identifiers that each correspond to a different one of the plurality of Built-in-Test error codes;

the step of identifying the Built-in-Test error codes from the plurality of Built-in-Test error codes that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes further comprises identifying Built-in-Test error codes and root causes that have the same module identifiers.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the step of storing descriptive data further comprises storing a plurality of module identifiers and timestamps that each correspond to a different one of the plurality of Built-in-Test error codes;

the step of storing the plurality of root causes further comprises

storing a plurality of timestamps that each correspond to a different one of the plurality of root causes

the step of identifying the Built-in-Test error codes from the plurality of Built-in-Test error codes that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes further comprises identifying Built-in-Test error codes and root causes that have the same module identifiers and wherein the difference between the timestamp for a Built-in-Test error code and the timestamp for a root cause does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing further comprises:

identifying the Built-in-Test error codes that are associated with a first root cause;

analyzing each of the identified Built-in-Test error codes to detect combinations of performance indicators that are associated with a root cause; and

analyzing each of the remaining Built-in-Test error codes to detect whether they contain one of the detected combinations of performance indicators.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a first percentage representing how often each of the Built-in-Test error codes associated with the first root cause include a first combination of performance indicators; and

determining a second percentage representing how often each of the remaining Built-in-Test error codes include the first combination of performance indicators.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the strength of the first combination of performance indicators as a predicator of the first root cause based on the first percentage and the second percentage.

16. A system for detecting patterns of combinations of performance indicators associated with a predetermined root cause, the system comprising:

an error code database comprising a plurality of error codes, each representative of at least one performance indicator, and descriptive data for each error code, wherein the descriptive data of the error code database and the root cause database further comprises a plurality of module identifiers;

a root cause database comprising a plurality of root causes, each associated with descriptive data that corresponds to the descriptive data of the plurality of error codes; and

a processor coupled to the error code database and the root cause database, the processor configured to;

identify error codes from the error code database that correspond to at least one of the plurality of root causes from the root cause database; and

analyze error codes that correspond to at least one root cause to determine combinations of performance indicators that are associated with the predetermined root cause.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the descriptive data of the error code database and the root cause database further comprises a plurality of timestamps; and

the processor is further configured to identify error codes from the error code database and root causes from the root cause database that have the same module identifier and wherein the difference between a timestamp for an error code and the timestamp for a root cause does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify error codes that correspond to a first root cause;

analyze each of the identified error codes to detect combinations of performance indicators associated with the first root cause; and

analyze the remaining error codes to detect whether they contain one of the detected combinations of performance indicators.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a first percentage representing how often each of the detected combinations of performance indicators is contained in the error codes for the first root cause; and

determine a second percentage representing how often each combination of performance indicators is contained in the error codes for the remaining root causes.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor if further configured to:

determine the strength of a combination of performance indicators as an indicator of a root cause based on the first percentage and the second percentage.