Patent ID: 6172966
Filing Date: 2001-01-09
Classification: G01R,G06F

Abstract:
A device for aiding the diagnosis of a network of components the device comprising:input memory storing variables, each variable representing a measurement of a physical quantity made at a known location of the network and stored in the form of n-tuples defining a time interval of the variable and an envelope of the variable over the time interval;computing means capable of computing functions on the n-tuples;base memory storing definitions of functional models relating to the network, each functional model including a list of components of the network and at least one particular function applicable to the n-tuples representing physical quantities and related to the components in the list of components;test means receiving at least one n-tuples, and providing an output relating to the satisfying of a standard expression by the at least one n-tuples; andprocessing means including:first receive routine to receive, repetitively, from the input memory at least one initial n-tuples,selection routine to select, repetitively, a designation of the definitions of the functional models stored in the base memory and corresponding to the at least one initial n-tuples,deploy routine to call, repetitively, the computing means utilizing the at least one initial n-tuples and a particular function related to the selected designation,second receive routine to receive, repetitively, from the computing means at least one result n-tuple,application routine to apply, repetitively, the at least one result n-tuples to the test means,associating routine to associate, repetitively, the output from the test means with the list of components of the selected designation, anddecision logic, capable of analyzing various outputs from the test means, to determine one or more defective components.