Hierarchical distributed knowledge based machine inititated maintenance system

Claim 2

A distributed hierarchical maintenance apparatus for identifying failed field replaceable units in a plurality of customer systems, each of which customer systems includes a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising: a plurality of maintenance apparatus configured in a tiered hierarchy having a plurality of subsets of maintenance apparatus, a first subset including a plurality of said maintenance apparatus, each of which is connected to and colocated with one of said customer systems and also connected to an associated remotely located maintenance apparatus in a second subset of said maintenance apparatus which are hierarchically senior to said first subset of maintenance apparatus, each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset comprising: means for detecting the presence of a failure in a one said customer system; means for generating a failure report which contains failure data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements on all field replaceable units in said one customer system that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure; means for maintaining a failure analysis history of said one customer system containing data identifying a failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means for comparing said failure data with said failure analysis history; means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; and means responsive to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit in Said one customer system for establishing a communication connection with an associated remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset of maintenance apparatus.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset further include: means, responsive to said communication connection, for transmitting said collected data to said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset further include: means, responsive to said communication connection, for receiving revised failure analysis history data from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset for incorporating said received data into said failure analysis history.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2 wherein each of said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset further include: means to identify a pattern of failure across the population of said maintenance apparatus; means responsive to an identified pattern of failure to propagate said identified failure to said maintenance apparatus.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said second subset further include: means, responsive to said communication connection, for transmitting said collected data to said associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset.

Claim 7

The system of claim 5 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said second subset further include: means, responsive to said communication connection, for receiving revised failure analysis history data from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset for incorporating said received data into said failure analysis history.

Claim 8

The system of claim 1 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset further include: means, responsive to a request received from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset over said communication connection, for transmitting at least a portion of said stored data to said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset over said communication connection.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1 wherein each of said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset further includes: means for collecting data relevant to each said detected failure in one of said associated maintenance apparatus in said first subset; means for storing said collected data; means for maintaining a failure analysis history containing data identifying the failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means, responsive to a communication connection with an associated hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset of maintenance apparatus which is unable to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit, for receiving said collected data from said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset of maintenance apparatus; means for comparing said collected data with said failure analysis history; and means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit in said one associated maintenance apparatus in said first subset based on said comparison.

Claim 10

The system of claim 8 wherein each of said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset further include: means for transmitting data identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit to said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset of maintenance apparatus via said communication connection.

Claim 11

The system of claim 9 wherein said plurality of maintenance apparatus further includes: a third subset of maintenance apparatus, each of which is connected to at least one maintenance apparatus in said second subset, for identifying failed field replaceable units.

Claim 12

The system of claim 10 wherein each of said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset further include: means responsive to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit for establishing a communication connection with an associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset.

Claim 13

The system of claim 11 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said second subset further include: means, responsive to a request received from said associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset over said communication connection, for transmitting at least a portion of said stored data to said associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset over said communication connection.

Claim 14

The system of claim 11 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said third subset comprise: means for storing said collected data; means for maintaining a failure analysis history containing data identifying the failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means, responsive to a communication connection with an associated hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said second subset which is unable to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit, for receiving said collected data from said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said second subset; means for comparing said collected data with said failure analysis history; and means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison.

Claim 15

The system of claim 13 wherein each of said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset further include: means for transmitting data identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit to said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said second subset via said communication connection.

Claim 16

A distributed hierarchial maintenance apparatus for identifying failed field replaceable units in a plurality of customer systems, each of which customer systems includes a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising: a plurality of maintenance apparatus configured in a tiered hierarchy having a plurality of maintenance apparatus, a first subset including a plurality of said maintenance apparatus, each of which is connected to and colocated with one of said customer systems and also connected to an associated remotely located maintenance apparatus which is hierarchically senior to said first subset of maintenance apparatus, each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset comprising: means for detecting the presence of a failure in a one said customer system; means for generating a failure report which contains failure data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements on all field replaceable units in said one customer system that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure; means for maintaining a failure analysis history of said one customer system containing data identifying a failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means for comparing said failure data with failure analysis history; means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; and means responsive to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit in said one customer system for establishing a communication connection with an associated remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset of maintenance apparatus.

Claim 17

A distributed hierarchial maintenance apparatus for identifying failed field replaceable units in a plurality of customer systems, each of which customer systems includes a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising: a plurality of maintenance apparatus configured in a tiered hierarchy having a plurality of maintenance apparatus, a first subset including a plurality of said maintenance apparatus, each of which is connected to and colocated with one of said customer systems and also connected to an associated remotely located maintenance apparatus which is hierarchically senior to said first subset of maintenance apparatus, each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset comprising: means for detecting the presence of a failure in a one said customer system; means for generating a failure report which contains failure data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements on all field replaceable units in said one customer system that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure; means for maintaining a failure analysis history of said one customer system containing data identifying a failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means for comparing said failure data with failure analysis history; means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; and means responsive to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit in said one customer system for establishing a communication connection with an associated remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset of maintenance apparatus.

Claim 18

The system of claim 15 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset further include: means, responsive to said communication connection, for transmitting said collected data to said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus.

Claim 19

The system of claim 16 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset further include: means, responsive to said communication connection, for receiving revised failure analysis history data from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus for incorporating said received data into said failure analysis history.

Claim 20

The system of claim 15 wherein each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset further include: means, responsive to a request received from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus over said communication connection, for transmitting at least a portion of said stored data to said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus over said communication connection.

Claim 21

The system of claim 15 wherein said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus further includes: means for collecting data relevant to each said detected failure in one of said associated maintenance apparatus in said first subset; means for storing said collected data; means for maintaining a failure analysis history containing data identifying the failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means, responsive to a communication connection with an associated hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset which is unable to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit, for receiving said collected data from said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset; means for comparing said collected data with said failure analysis history; and means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison.

Claim 22

The system of claim 19 wherein said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus further includes: means for transmitting data identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit to said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset via said communication connection.

Claim 23

In a distributed hierarchial maintenance apparatus a method of identifying failed field replaceable units in a plurality of customer systems, each of which customer systems includes a plurality of field replaceable units, said hierarchical maintenance apparatus comprises a plurality of maintenance apparatus configured in a tiered hierarchy having a plurality of subsets of maintenance apparatus, with a first subset including a plurality of said maintenance apparatus each of which is connected to and colocated with one of said customer systems and also connected to an associated remotely located maintenance apparatus in a second subset of said maintenance apparatus which are hierarchically senior to said first subset of maintenance apparatus, the method comprising the steps in each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset of: detecting the presence of a failure in a one said customer system; generating a failure report which contains failure data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements on all field replaceable units in said one customer system that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure; maintaining a failure analysis history of said one customer System containing data identifying a failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; comparing said failure data with failure analysis history; identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; and establishing, in response to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit in said one customer system, a communication connection with an associated remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset of maintenance apparatus.

Claim 24

In a distributed hierarchial maintenance apparatus a method of identifying failed field replaceable units in a plurality of customer systems, each of which customer systems includes a plurality of field replaceable units, said hierarchical maintenance apparatus comprises a plurality of maintenance apparatus configured in a tiered hierarchy having a plurality of subsets of maintenance apparatus, with a first subset including a plurality of said maintenance apparatus each of which is connected to and colocated with one of said customer systems and also connected to an associated remotely located maintenance apparatus in a second subset of said maintenance apparatus which are hierarchically senior to said first subset of maintenance apparatus, the method comprising the steps in each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset of: detecting the presence of a failure in a one said customer system; generating a failure report which contains failure data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements on all field replaceable units in said one customer system that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure; maintaining a failure analysis history of said one customer System containing data identifying a failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; comparing said failure data with failure analysis history; identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; and establishing, in response to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit in said one customer system, a communication connection with an associated remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset of maintenance apparatus.

Claim 25

The method of claim 21 further including the step of: transmitting said collected data from said maintenance apparatus in said first subset to said associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset.

Claim 26

The method of claim 22 further including the steps of: receiving in said maintenance apparatus in said first subset revised failure analysis history data from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus; incorporating said received data into said failure analysis history in said maintenance apparatus in said first subset.

Claim 27

The method of claim 21 further including the step of: transmitting, in response to a request received from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus over said communication connection, at least a portion of said stored data to said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus over said communication connection.

Claim 28

The method of claim 21 further including the steps of: collecting, in said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset, data relevant to each said detected failure in one of said associated maintenance apparatus in said first subset; storing said collected data in said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset; maintaining a failure analysis history containing data identifying the failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data in said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset; receiving, in response to a communication connection with an associated hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset which is unable to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit, said collected data from said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset; comparing, in said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset, said collected data with said failure analysis history; identifying, in said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset, a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison.

Claim 29

The method of claim 25 further including the step of: transmitting data identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset to said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset via said communication connection.

Claim 30

The method of claim 21 wherein said plurality of maintenance apparatus further includes a third subset of maintenance apparatus, each of which is connected to at least one maintenance apparatus in said second subset, for identifying failed field replaceable units, said method further includes the steps of: establishing a communication connection from a maintenance apparatus in said second subset with an associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset in response to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit in said maintenance apparatus in said second subset; transmitting said collected data from said maintenance apparatus in said second subset to said associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset.

Claim 31

The method of claim 27 further including the step of: incorporating revised failure analysis history data, received from said hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset, into said failure analysis history.

Claim 32

The method of claim 28 further including the step of: transmitting, in response to a request received from said associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset over said communication connection, at least a portion of said stored data to said associated hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said third subset over said communication connection.

Claim 33

The method of claim 28 further comprising the steps of: storing said collected data in said maintenance apparatus in said third subset; maintaining a failure analysis history containing data identifying the failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data in said maintenance apparatus in said third subset; receiving, in response to a communication connection with an associated hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said second subset which is unable to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit, in said maintenance apparatus in said third subset said collected data from said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said second subset; comparing in said maintenance apparatus in said third subset said collected data with said failure analysis history; and identifying in said maintenance apparatus in said third subset a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison.

Claim 34

The method of claim 30 further including the step of: transmitting data identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit from said maintenance apparatus in said third subset to said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said second subset via said communication connection.

Claim 35

A distributed hierarchial maintenance apparatus for identifying failed field replaceable units in a plurality of customer systems, each of which customer systems includes a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising: a plurality of maintenance apparatus configured in a tiered hierarchy having a plurality of subsets of maintenance apparatus, a first subset having a plurality of maintenance apparatus, each of which is connected to and colocated with one of said customer systems and also connected to an associated remotely located maintenance apparatus in a second subset of said maintenance apparatus which are hierarchically senior to said first subset of maintenance apparatus, each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset comprising: means for detecting the presence of a failure in a one said customer system; means for generating a failure report which contains failure data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements on all field replaceable units in said one customer system that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure; means for maintaining a failure analysis history of said one customer system containing data identifying a failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means for comparing said failure data with failure analysis history; means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; means responsive to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit for establishing a communication connection with an associated remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset; means, responsive to said communication connection, for transmitting said collected data to said remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus; means, responsive to said communication connection, for receiving revised failure analysis history data from said remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus for incorporating said received data into said failure analysis history; wherein each of said remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus further include: means for collecting data relevant to each said detected failure in one of said associated maintenance apparatus in said first subset; means for storing said collected failure data; means for maintaining a failure analysis history containing data identifying the failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means, responsive to a communication connection with an associated hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset which is unable to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit, for receiving said collected failure data from said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset; means for comparing said collected failure data with said failure analysis history; means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; and means for transmitting data identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit to said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset via said communication connection.

Claim 36

A distributed hierarchial maintenance apparatus for identifying failed field replaceable units in a plurality of customer systems, each of which customer systems includes a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising: a plurality of maintenance apparatus configured in a tiered hierarchy having a plurality of subsets of maintenance apparatus, a first subset having a plurality of maintenance apparatus, each of which is connected to and colocated with one of said customer systems and also connected to an associated remotely located maintenance apparatus in a second subset of said maintenance apparatus which are hierarchically senior to said first subset of maintenance apparatus, each of said maintenance apparatus in said first subset comprising: means for detecting the presence of a failure in a one said customer system; means for generating a failure report which contains failure data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements on all field replaceable units in said one customer system that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure; means for maintaining a failure analysis history of said one customer system containing data identifying a failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means for comparing said failure data with failure analysis history; means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; means responsive to an inability to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit for establishing a communication connection with an associated remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus in said second subset; means, responsive to said communication connection, for transmitting said collected data to said remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus; means, responsive to said communication connection, for receiving revised failure analysis history data from said remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus for incorporating said received data into said failure analysis history; wherein each of said remotely located hierarchically senior maintenance apparatus further include: means for collecting data relevant to each said detected failure in one of said associated maintenance apparatus in said first subset; means for storing said collected failure data; means for maintaining a failure analysis history containing data identifying the failed field replaceable unit and associated failure data; means, responsive to a communication connection with an associated hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset which is unable to identify a likely failed field replaceable unit, for receiving said collected failure data from said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset; means for comparing said collected failure data with said failure analysis history; means for identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit based on said comparison; and means for transmitting data identifying a likely failed field replaceable unit to said hierarchically junior maintenance apparatus in said first subset via said communication connection.