Error pattern identification in an installed base of systems
First Claim
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1. A system for managing the servicing of a geographically separated installed base of equipment, the system comprising:
- an interface configured to receive, over a wide area network, one or more error reports from the geographically separated installed base of equipment;
a processor geographically remote from the geographically separated installed base of equipment, the processor configured to store the one or more error reports as a data base on a non-volatile medium; and
a data miner configured to process the data base containing the one or more error reports and to formulate an error pattern rule indicating a failure to be the subject of a service event, wherein formulation of the error pattern rule comprises a variant of pattern generation selected from the group consisting of a metric pattern variation and an error pattern variation;
wherein the geographically remote processor is configured to compare a currently received error report with the error pattern rule and output a notification of the service event when a match between the currently received error report and the error pattern rule occurs, andwherein the service event notification output includes a location of equipment of the geographically separated installed base of equipment to be serviced and a hardware module to be replaced, an adjustment to be performed, a diagnostic procedure to be performed at the location of the equipment to be serviced, or a combination thereof.
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Abstract
A system and method of servicing a group of similar types of equipment that maybe installed at geographically separated locations is described. The method makes use of error messages produced by the equipment and service requests received by a servicing center. Data mining techniques are used to establish error patterns associated with specific failure modes so that future error messages may be processed to determine if an identified failure mode has occurred. This will enable the efficient dispatch of spare parts and service personnel to the location where the failure has occurred.
48 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A system for managing the servicing of a geographically separated installed base of equipment, the system comprising:
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an interface configured to receive, over a wide area network, one or more error reports from the geographically separated installed base of equipment; a processor geographically remote from the geographically separated installed base of equipment, the processor configured to store the one or more error reports as a data base on a non-volatile medium; and a data miner configured to process the data base containing the one or more error reports and to formulate an error pattern rule indicating a failure to be the subject of a service event, wherein formulation of the error pattern rule comprises a variant of pattern generation selected from the group consisting of a metric pattern variation and an error pattern variation; wherein the geographically remote processor is configured to compare a currently received error report with the error pattern rule and output a notification of the service event when a match between the currently received error report and the error pattern rule occurs, and wherein the service event notification output includes a location of equipment of the geographically separated installed base of equipment to be serviced and a hardware module to be replaced, an adjustment to be performed, a diagnostic procedure to be performed at the location of the equipment to be serviced, or a combination thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of servicing geographically dispersed equipment, the method comprising:
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receiving an error report over a wide area network from the geographically dispersed equipment; storing the error report in a non-volatile data base; operating a computer configured to perform data mining of a plurality of error reports in the data base to produce error pattern rules indicative of a specific failure type, the plurality of error reports comprising the error report, the computer being geographically remote from the geographically dispersed equipment; comparing a subsequent error report received from equipment of the geographically dispersed equipment with the error pattern rules to determine when a match between the subsequent error report and a rule of the error pattern rules occurs; and outputting, with the geographically remote computer, a report when the match occurs, the report including specific equipment of the geographically dispersed equipment and a specific failure type associated with the matched rule; wherein the specific failure type is associated with an adjustment to be performed at a location of the specific equipment, a diagnostic test to be performed at the location of the specific equipment, or a combination thereof; and wherein formulation of the error pattern rules comprises a variant of pattern generation selected from the group consisting of a metric pattern variation and an error pattern variation. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer program product comprising:
instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the instructions operable to configure a computer to; receive error reports over a wide area network from geographically dispersed equipment, the computer being geographically remote from the geographically dispersed equipment; store the error reports in a non-volatile data base; perform data mining of the error reports to produce error pattern rules indicative of a specific failure type; compare a subsequently received error report with the error pattern rules to determine when a match between the error report and a rule of the error pattern rules occurs; and output a report when the match occurs, the report including specific equipment of the geographically dispersed equipment and the specific failure type associated with the matched rule; wherein the report includes an identification of a hardware module to be replaced, an adjustment to be made to the specific equipment, a diagnostic routine to be performed on the specific equipment, or a combination thereof; and wherein formulation of the error pattern rules comprises a variant of pattern generation selected from the group consisting of a metric pattern variation and an error pattern variation.
Specification