Patent ID: 6691249
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: G01R,G06F

Abstract:
An engine for diagnosing a device having a plurality of components, the engine comprising:a specifier arranged to specify a number N of components of the plurality of components that are capable of be simultaneously bad, N being a positive integer equal to or greater than 1, and a computer arranged to compute: a likelihood that each set of components of the plurality of components having a size less than or equal to N comprise the bad components, based on a model of test coverage of tests on the plurality of components of the device and information as to probabilistic dependencies between the tests; a probability of a particular set of components being bad and all other components being good, wherein the plurality of components have probabilistically independent states; a probability of a particular set of shared functions being failed and another particular set of shared functions being passed given that a particular set of components is bad, wherein the states of shared functions, applicable to test the functionality of some of the plurality of components in the same way, are probabilistically independent given component states; a probability of a particular set of tests being failed and another particular set of shared functions being passed given that a particular set of components is bad and all remaining components of the plurality of components are good, and given that a particular set of shared functions has failed and all remaining shared functions have passed, wherein states of tests applicable on the device are probabilistically independent given component and shared function states; and test results of a set of tests on the device wherein at least one of the set of tests has failed.