Patent Document ID: 20050027480
Application ID: 10629035
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of utilizing model based intelligent agents for diagnosing and isolating malfunctions in a computer-controlled machinery comprising the steps of: disposing a plurality of intelligent agents in the computer controlled machinery wherein the plurality of agents are disposed in a plurality of hierarchical levels wherein each intelligent agent has diagnostic capability relative to the hierarchical level the intelligent agent is disposed in, and wherein said plurality of intelligent agents are in data communication with computer controllers of the machinery and with each other; collecting data from a plurality of computer controllers disposed within the computer controlled machinery via at least one of intelligent agent disposed in a first hierarchical level wherein said collected data is analyzed to obtain a first level of diagnostic information and wherein said first level of diagnostic information is communicated to at least one intelligent agent disposed in a second hierarchical level; employing said at least one intelligent agent disposed in said second hierarchical level to perform a second level of diagnostic tasks on the first level of diagnostic information to obtain a second level of diagnostic information and wherein said second level of diagnostic information is communicated to at least one intelligent agent disposed in a third hierarchical level; employing said at least one intelligent agent disposed in said third hierarchical level to perform a third level of diagnostic tasks using said second level of diagnostic information wherein said third level of diagnostic tasks includes analyzing said second level of diagnostic information relative to reference information to accomplish fault isolation within the computer controlled machinery.