Diagnostic system

• US 8,275,735 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloud BYTE LLC
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Fujimaki, Ryohei, Tsukahara, Hidenori, Satou, Akinori
• Primary Examiner(s): FERNANDEZ RIVAS, OMAR F
• Application Number:
  US12/593,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0297 Reconfiguration of monitoring system, e.g. use of virtual sensors; change monitoring method as a response to monitoring results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems

Abstract

The present invention provides a diagnostic system that diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule to data measured on the diagnostic object wherein an object of the present invention is to allow the diagnostic rule to be updated based on a variety of diagnostic case data. Each of multiple diagnostic devices 101 makes a diagnosis by applying a diagnostic rule to diagnostic object data measured on a diagnostic object 104 and sends diagnostic case data, which includes diagnostic object data and its diagnostic result, to a diagnostic rule generation device 102 via a network 103. The diagnostic rule generation device 102 generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from the multiple diagnostic devices 101 and sends the generated diagnostic rule to the diagnostic devices 101 via the network 103. The diagnostic devices 101 update a diagnostic rule in their devices with the diagnostic rule received from the diagnostic rule generation device 102.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system that diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule to diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object, wherein

a plurality of diagnostic devices, each of which diagnoses a diagnostic object, and a diagnostic rule generation device, which generates a diagnostic rule used for a diagnosis, are communicably connected;

diagnostic case data, which includes diagnostic object data measured on a diagnostic object and a diagnostic result thereof, is collected from a plurality of diagnostic objects and, based on the collected diagnostic case data, a new diagnostic rule for updating the diagnostic rule is generated;

said diagnostic system comprising;

a first diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data that includes the diagnostic object data and the diagnostic result; and

first diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said first diagnostic rule generation unit, to a diagnostic rule generation device, wherein

said diagnostic rule generation device comprises a second diagnostic rule generation unit that generates an integrated diagnostic rule from a plurality of diagnostic rules received from said plurality of diagnostic devices; and

second diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said second diagnostic rule generation unit, to said diagnostic devices.

2. The diagnostic system as defined by claim 1, wherein

said diagnostic device comprises:

a diagnostic rule storage unit that stores a diagnostic rule;

a diagnostic unit that diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying the diagnostic rule to diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object and outputs a diagnostic result thereof from an output device;

a diagnostic case data sending unit that sends diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data and the diagnostic result, to said diagnostic rule generation device; and

a diagnostic rule update unit that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with a diagnostic rule received from said diagnostic rule generation device; and

said diagnostic rule generation device comprises;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from said plurality of diagnostic devices; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation unit, to said diagnostic devices.

3. The diagnostic system as defined by claim 2, wherein

said diagnostic device further comprises:

an abnormal-time estimation unit that detects if the diagnostic object data is data at a time series change point or an outlier of a data distribution wherein said diagnostic case data sending unit sends the diagnostic case data in a fixed period, which includes a point in time at which a time series change point or an outlier of a data distribution was detected by said abnormal-time estimation unit, to said diagnostic rule generation device.

4. The diagnostic system as defined by claim 1, wherein

a plurality of first diagnostic devices each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object, a second diagnostic device that diagnoses more in detail a state of the diagnostic object in which an abnormal condition was detected by said first diagnostic device, and a diagnostic rule generation device that generates a diagnostic rule used for a diagnosis are communicably connected;

said first diagnostic device comprises a first diagnostic unit that senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object based on diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object; and

a detailed diagnosis request unit that sends diagnostic request data, which includes diagnostic object data in a fixed period including a point in time at which an abnormal condition was sensed by said first diagnostic unit, to said second diagnostic device, receives a diagnostic result thereof, and outputs the diagnostic result from the output device;

said second diagnostic device comprises;

a diagnostic rule storage unit that stores a diagnostic rule;

a second diagnostic unit that diagnoses the diagnostic object by applying the diagnostic rule to the diagnostic request data received from said first diagnostic device;

a diagnostic result response unit that sends a diagnostic result of the diagnostic request data to said first diagnostic device that is a diagnosis requesting device;

a diagnostic case data sending unit that sends diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data in the diagnostic request data and a diagnostic result thereof, to said diagnostic rule generation device; and

a diagnostic rule update unit that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with the diagnostic rule received from said diagnostic rule generation device; and

said diagnostic rule generation device comprises;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from said second diagnostic device; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation unit, to said second diagnostic device.

5. The diagnostic system as defined by claim 1, wherein

a plurality of first diagnostic devices, each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object, are communicably connected to a second diagnostic device that diagnoses more in detail a state of the diagnostic object in which an abnormal condition was detected by said first diagnostic device and, at the same time, generates a diagnostic rule used for a diagnosis,

said first diagnostic device comprises:

a first diagnostic unit that senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object based on diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object; and

a detailed diagnosis request unit that sends diagnostic request data, which includes diagnostic object data in a fixed period including a point in time at which an abnormal condition was sensed by said first diagnostic unit, to said second diagnostic device, receives a diagnostic result thereof, and outputs the diagnostic result from an output device,

said second diagnostic device comprises;

a diagnostic rule storage unit that stores a diagnostic rule;

a second diagnostic unit that diagnoses the diagnostic object by applying the diagnostic rule to the diagnostic request data received from said first diagnostic device;

a diagnostic result response unit that sends a diagnostic result of the diagnostic request data to said first diagnostic device that is a diagnosis requesting device;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on diagnostic case data which includes the diagnostic object data in the diagnostic request data and a diagnostic result thereof; and

a diagnostic rule update unit that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with the diagnostic rule generated by said diagnostic rule generation device.

6. A diagnostic method for use in a diagnostic system in which a plurality of diagnostic devices, each of which diagnoses a diagnostic object, and a diagnostic rule generation device, which generates a diagnostic rule used for a diagnosis, are communicably connected, said diagnostic method comprising:

a diagnostic step, performed by diagnostic unit of said diagnostic device, that diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule, stored in a diagnostic rule storage unit, to diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object, and outputs a diagnostic result thereof from an output device;

a diagnostic case data sending step, performed by diagnostic case data sending means of said diagnostic device, that sends diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data and the diagnostic result, to said diagnostic rule generation device;

a diagnostic rule update step, performed by diagnostic rule update means of said diagnostic device, that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with a diagnostic rule received from said diagnostic rule generation device;

a diagnostic case data reception step, performed by diagnostic case data reception means of said diagnostic rule generation device, that stores the diagnostic case data, received from said plurality of diagnostic devices, in diagnostic case data storage means;

a diagnostic rule generation step, performed by diagnostic rule generation means of said diagnostic rule generation device, that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data stored in said diagnostic case data storage means;

by diagnostic rule sending means of said diagnostic rule generation device, a first diagnostic rule generation step that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data and a first diagnostic rule sending step that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said first diagnostic rule generation step, to said diagnostic rule generation device; and

by said diagnostic rule generation device, a second diagnostic rule generation step that generates an integrated diagnostic rule from a plurality of diagnostic rules received from said plurality of diagnostic devices and a second diagnostic rule sending step that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said second diagnostic rule generation step, to said diagnostic devices.

7. The diagnostic method as defined by claim 6, further comprising:

an abnormal-time estimation step, performed by abnormal-time estimation means of said diagnostic device, that detects if the diagnostic object data is data at a time series change point or an outlier of a data distribution; and

a diagnostic case data sending step, performed by diagnostic case data sending means of said diagnostic device, that sends the diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data in a fixed period including a point in time at which a time series change point or an outlier of a data distribution was detected by said abnormal-time estimation means and a diagnostic result thereof, to said diagnostic rule generation device.

8. The diagnostic method as defined by claim 6, further comprising:

a diagnostic step, performed by diagnostic means of said diagnostic device, that diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule, stored in first diagnostic rule storage means, to diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object, and outputs a diagnostic result thereof from the output device;

a diagnostic rule generation step, performed by diagnostic rule generation means of said diagnostic device, that generates a diagnostic rule based on diagnostic case data which includes the diagnostic object data and the diagnostic result;

a diagnostic rule sending step, performed by diagnostic rule sending means of said diagnostic device, that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation means, to said diagnostic rule generation device;

a diagnostic rule reception step, performed by diagnostic rule reception means of said diagnostic rule generation device, that stores the diagnostic rule, received from said plurality of diagnostic devices, in second diagnostic rule storage means; and

a diagnostic rule generation step, performed by diagnostic rule generation means of said diagnostic rule generation device, that generates an integrated diagnostic rule from the plurality of diagnostic rules stored in said second diagnostic rule storage means.

9. The diagnostic method as defined by claim 6 and for use in a diagnostic system in which a plurality of first diagnostic devices each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object, a second diagnostic device that diagnoses more in detail a state of the diagnostic object in which an abnormal condition was detected by said first diagnostic device, and a diagnostic rule generation device that generates a diagnostic rule used for a diagnosis are communicably connected, said diagnostic method further comprising:

a diagnostic step, performed by diagnostic means of said first diagnostic device, that senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object based on diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object;

a detailed diagnosis request step, performed by detailed diagnosis request means of said first diagnostic device, that sends diagnostic request data, which includes diagnostic object data in a fixed period including a point in time at which an abnormal condition was sensed by said diagnostic means, to said second diagnostic device, receives a diagnostic result thereof, and outputs the diagnostic result from the output device;

a diagnostic step, performed by diagnostic means of said second diagnostic device, that diagnoses the diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule, stored in a diagnostic rule storage unit, to the diagnostic request data received from said first diagnostic device;

a diagnostic result response step, performed by a diagnostic result response unit of said second diagnostic device, that sends a diagnostic result of the diagnostic request data to said first diagnostic device that is a diagnosis requesting device;

a diagnostic case data sending step, performed by a diagnostic case data sending unit of said second diagnostic device, that sends diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic case data in the diagnostic request data and a diagnostic result thereof, to said diagnostic rule generation device;

a diagnostic rule update step, performed by a diagnostic rule update unit of said second diagnostic device, that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with the diagnostic rule received from said diagnostic rule generation device;

a diagnostic case data reception step, performed by a diagnostic case data reception unit of said diagnostic rule generation device, that stores the diagnostic case data, received from said second diagnostic device, in diagnostic case data storage unit;

a diagnostic rule generation step, performed by a diagnostic rule generation unit of said diagnostic rule generation device, that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data stored in said diagnostic case data storage unit; and

a diagnostic rule sending step, performed by diagnostic rule sending unit of said diagnostic rule generation device, that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation unit, to said second diagnostic device.

10. The diagnostic method as defined by claim 6 and for use in a diagnostic system in which a plurality of first diagnostic devices each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object is communicably connected to a second diagnostic device that diagnoses more in detail a state of the diagnostic object in which an abnormal condition was detected by said first diagnostic device and, at the same time, generates a diagnostic rule used for a diagnosis, said diagnostic method further comprising:

a diagnostic step, performed by a diagnostic unit of said first diagnostic device, that senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object based on diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object;

a detailed diagnosis request step, performed by a detailed diagnosis request unit of said first diagnostic device, that sends diagnostic request data, which includes diagnostic object data in a fixed period including a point in time at which an abnormal condition was sensed by said diagnostic unit, to said second diagnostic device, receives a diagnostic result thereof, and outputs the diagnostic result from the output device;

a diagnostic step, performed by a diagnostic unit of said second diagnostic device, that diagnoses the diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule, stored in diagnostic rule storage unit, to the diagnostic request data received from said first diagnostic device;

a diagnostic result response step, performed by a diagnostic result response unit of said second diagnostic device, that sends a diagnostic result of the diagnostic request data to said first diagnostic device that is a diagnosis requesting device;

a diagnostic rule generation step, performed by a diagnostic rule generation unit of said second diagnostic device, that generates a diagnostic rule based on diagnostic case data which includes the diagnostic object data in the diagnostic request data and a diagnostic result thereof; and

a diagnostic rule update step, performed by a diagnostic rule update unit of said second diagnostic device, that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with the diagnostic rule generated by said diagnostic rule generation device.

11. A diagnostic rule generation device that is communicably connected to a plurality of diagnostic devices each of which diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule to diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object,

said diagnostic rule generation device comprising:

a diagnostic case data reception unit that receives diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data and a diagnostic result thereof, from said plurality of diagnostic devices;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from said plurality of diagnostic devices; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation unit, to said diagnostic devices.

12. The diagnostic rule generation device as defined by claim 11 wherein said diagnostic rule generation device is communicably connected to a plurality of diagnostic devices each of which generates a diagnostic rule based on diagnostic case data that includes the diagnostic object data and a diagnostic result thereof, said diagnostic rule generation device further comprising:

a diagnostic rule reception unit that receives the generated diagnostic rules from said plurality of diagnostic devices;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates an integrated diagnostic rule from the plurality of diagnostic rules received from said plurality of diagnostic devices; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation unit, to said diagnostic devices.

13. The diagnostic rule generation device as defined by claim 11, wherein said diagnostic rule generation device is communicably connected to a detailed diagnostic device that, based on a diagnostic request from the plurality of diagnostic devices each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object, diagnoses more in detail the diagnostic object data on the diagnostic object, in which an abnormal condition was detected by said diagnostic device, based on a diagnostic rule, said diagnostic rule generation device further comprising:

a diagnostic case data reception unit that receives diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data and a diagnostic result thereof, from said detailed diagnostic device;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from said detailed diagnostic device; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by the diagnostic rule generation unit, to said detailed diagnostic device.

14. A detailed diagnostic device that receives a diagnostic request from a plurality of diagnostic devices, each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object, and diagnoses more in detail diagnostic object data on the diagnostic object, in which an abnormal condition was sensed by said diagnostic device, based on a diagnostic rule, said detailed diagnostic device comprising:

a diagnostic rule storage unit that stores a diagnostic rule;

a diagnostic unit that diagnoses the diagnostic object by applying the diagnostic rule to the diagnostic object data in diagnostic request data received from said diagnostic device;

a diagnostic result response unit that sends a diagnostic result of the diagnostic request data to said diagnostic device that is a requesting diagnostic device;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on diagnostic case data which includes the diagnostic object data in the diagnostic request data and a diagnostic result thereof; and

a diagnostic rule update unit that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with the diagnostic rule generated by said diagnostic rule generation device.

15. A non-transitory medium storing a program causing a computer, which configures a diagnostic rule generation device communicably connected to a plurality of diagnostic devices each of which diagnoses a diagnostic object by applying a diagnostic rule to diagnostic object data measured on the diagnostic object, to function as:

a diagnostic case data reception unit that receives diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data and a diagnostic result thereof, from said plurality of diagnostic devices;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from said plurality of diagnostic devices; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation unit, to said diagnostic devices;

said program causing said computer to perform;

a first diagnostic rule generation step that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data, and a first diagnostic rule sending step that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said first diagnostic rule generation step, to said diagnostic rule generation device; and

by said diagnostic rule generation device, a second diagnostic rule generation step that generates an integrated diagnostic rule from a plurality of diagnostic rules received from said plurality of diagnostic devices, and a second diagnostic rule sending step that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said second diagnostic rule generation step, to said diagnostic devices.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined by claim 15, wherein the program further causes the computer, which configures the diagnostic rule generation device communicably connected to a plurality of diagnostic devices each of which generates a diagnostic rule based on diagnostic case data that includes the diagnostic object data and a diagnostic result thereof, to function as:

a diagnostic rule reception unit that receives the generated diagnostic rules from said plurality of diagnostic devices;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates an integrated diagnostic rule from the plurality of diagnostic rules received from said plurality of diagnostic devices; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by said diagnostic rule generation unit, to said diagnostic devices.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined by claim 15, wherein the program further causes the computer, which configures the diagnostic rule generation device communicably connected to a detailed diagnostic device that, based on a diagnostic request from the plurality of diagnostic devices each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object, diagnoses more in detail the diagnostic object data on the diagnostic object, in which an abnormal condition was detected by said diagnostic device, based on a diagnostic rule, to function as:

a diagnostic case data reception unit that receives diagnostic case data, which includes the diagnostic object data and a diagnostic result thereof, from said detailed diagnostic device;

diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on the diagnostic case data received from said detailed diagnostic device; and

a diagnostic rule sending unit that sends the diagnostic rule, generated by the diagnostic rule generation unit, to said detailed diagnostic device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as defined by claim 15, wherein the program further causes a computer, which configures a detailed diagnostic device that comprises a diagnostic rule storage unit which stores a diagnostic rule, receives a diagnostic request from a plurality of diagnostic devices each of which senses an abnormal condition of a diagnostic object, and diagnoses more in detail diagnostic object data on the diagnostic object, in which an abnormal condition was sensed by said diagnostic device, based on the diagnostic rule, to function as:

a diagnostic unit that diagnoses the diagnostic object by applying the diagnostic rule to the diagnostic object data in diagnostic request data received from said diagnostic device;

a diagnostic result response unit that sends a diagnostic result of the diagnostic request data to said diagnostic device that is a requesting diagnostic device;

a diagnostic rule generation unit that generates a diagnostic rule based on diagnostic case data which includes the diagnostic object data in the diagnostic request data and a diagnostic result thereof; and

a diagnostic rule update unit that updates said diagnostic rule storage unit with the diagnostic rule generated by said diagnostic rule generation device.