Method and device for determining a full error description for at least on part of a technical system computer program element and computer-readable storage medium

• US 7,823,015 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Rothfelder, Martin, Lohner, Manfred, Liggesmeyer, Peter, Mäckel, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman; Scott T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, LOAN
• Application Number:
  US10/468,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,193 Days
• Field of Search: 714/28, 714/44, 714/25, 714/30
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis

Abstract

Disclosed is a full error description for a technical system which is described by a system description which can be processed by a computer and stored. The system description contains information on elements available in system and information on the links therebetween. An element error description is determined for each element taken into consideration, using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element. At least one part of the reference elements is grouped into a reference element group and a group error description is determined for the reference elements of a reference element group using a stored group error description which is respectively associated with a reference element group, enabling possible errors of the reference elements of the reference element group to be described. A full error description is determined from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions, taking into account information on element links.

Claims

1. A method for determining a full error description for at least one part of a technical system, by a computer, comprising:

describing the system by a stored system description which can be processed by the computer, the system description containing information on elements available in the system and on links between the elements;

determining an element error description for each element on which information is contained in the system description, the element error description being determined using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element, describing possible errors of the reference element with the element error description, and describing possible errors of a respective element with an error description of the reference element;

grouping at least a portion of the reference elements into a reference element group based on the stored system description;

determining a group error description for the elements of the reference element group using one of a plurality of stored group error descriptions, each of which is respectively associated with a specific reference element group, each stored group error description describing possible errors of the elements of the respective reference element group, the group error description specifying at least one error which has an effect on all elements of the reference group and specifying how the error affects the elements of the reference element group by taking into account the links between the elements from the stored system description; and

determining a full error description from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions taking into account the links between the elements,

where the full error description is determined as a full error tree, and

where the full error tree is changed by varying a framework condition.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, where the framework condition is varied by adding a supplementary error tree.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, where the framework condition describes electromagnetic compatibility.

4. A system to determine a full error description of at least one part of a technical system, comprising:

a processor to;

describe the system by a system description, the system description containing information on elements available in the system and on links between the elements;

determine an element error description for each element on which information is contained in the system description, the element error description being determined using a stored error description which is respectively associated with a reference element;

describe possible errors of the reference element with the element error descriptions;

describe possible errors of a respective element with an error description of the reference element;

group at least a portion of the reference elements into a reference element group based on the system description;

determine a group error description for the elements of the reference element group using one of a plurality of stored group error descriptions, each of which is respectively associated with a specific reference element group, each stored group error description describing possible errors of the elements of the respective reference element group, the group error description specifying at least one error which has an effect on all elements of the reference group and specifying how the error affects the elements of the reference element group by taking into account the links between the elements from the stored system description; and

determine a full error description from the element error descriptions and the group error descriptions, taking into account the links between the elements; and

at least one memory that holds information comprising;

the plurality of stored error descriptions, each stored error description describing possible errors of a respectively associated reference element; and

the plurality of stored group error descriptions, each of which is associated with a respective reference element group, each stored group error description describing possible errors of the elements of the respective reference element group, each group error description specifying at least one error which has an effect on all elements of the reference group and specifying how the error affects the elements of the reference element group by taking into account the links between the elements from the system description, the processor performing in such a manner that

the full error description is determined as a full error tree, and

the full error tree is changed in relation to predefinable framework conditions.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, where the processor performs in such a manner that the change is effected by the addition of a supplementary error tree.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, where the framework condition describes by conditions in relation to electromagnetic compatibility.

7. A method for determining cause of a failure of an electrical circuit, by a computer, comprising:

storing a description of the electrical circuit which can be processed by the computer, including information on circuit elements of the electrical circuit and on links between the circuit elements;

selecting element error descriptions corresponding to reference circuit elements corresponding to the circuit elements of the electrical circuit from a plurality of pre-stored error descriptions;

grouping at least some of the circuit elements into a reference element group when based on the description of the electrical circuit, the circuit elements correspond to the same reference element;

selecting a group error description for the circuit elements of the reference element group from a plurality of pre-stored group error descriptions associated with reference element groups, each group error description describing possible failures of the circuit elements of the reference element group and specifying how the failures affects the circuit elements of the reference element group, by taking into account the links between the circuit elements according to the description of the electrical circuit; and

determining a full error description from the element failure descriptions and the group error descriptions, as a full error tree, wherein the full error tree is used to identify the cause of the failure of the electrical circuit.