Federated Knowledgebase Troubleshooting System
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Solution Overview
Problem
In complex systems like aircraft, troubleshooting is challenging due to dispersed knowledge bases among different manufacturers, leading to difficulties in finding the best available guidance for technicians and potential loss of customer feedback when directing users to suppliers for troubleshooting.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for troubleshooting problems in complex equipment using multiple knowledgebases, which involves a federation manager and session passport to transfer case-based reasoning sessions between knowledgebases, allowing seamless interaction and solution sharing while maintaining control over sensitive information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manufacturers direct customers to suppliers for troubleshooting guidance, then manufacturers can avoid maintaining supplier's troubleshooting guidance, but manufacturers lose feedback from their valued customers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple knowledgebases (aircraft manufacturer and engine manufacturer) into a federated troubleshooting system where both knowledgebases work together. The federation manager merges the functionality of separate troubleshooting systems, allowing the aircraft manufacturer's knowledgebase to access and utilize the engine manufacturer's knowledgebase without needing to maintain it separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The federation manager acts as an intermediary between the aircraft manufacturer's knowledgebase and the engine manufacturer's knowledgebase. It manages the transfer of case-based reasoning sessions between knowledgebases, enabling communication and collaboration without direct integration, thus maintaining independence while sharing troubleshooting capabilities.
2Reliability
If technicians access multiple manufacturer knowledgebases separately, then they can find comprehensive troubleshooting guidance, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The federation manager provides universal access to multiple knowledgebases through a single interface. It enables the aircraft manufacturer's knowledgebase to function as both a standalone system and as part of a federated system, allowing technicians to access comprehensive troubleshooting guidance without needing to manually navigate multiple separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The federation manager serves as an intermediary that simplifies access to multiple knowledgebases. It handles the complexity of inter-knowledgebase communication, session transfer, and information integration, presenting a unified interface to technicians while managing the underlying complexity of multiple distributed knowledgebases.
3Productivity
If manufacturers copy and convert supplier's troubleshooting guidance, then they can provide immediate support, but they incur ongoing costs for copying, converting, and updating
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service troubleshooting where the aircraft manufacturer's knowledgebase automatically accesses and utilizes the engine manufacturer's knowledgebase when needed. The federation manager handles the automatic transfer of case-based reasoning sessions, eliminating the need for manual copying, converting, and updating of troubleshooting guidance while maintaining immediate support capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The federated knowledgebase system provides multi-functionality by allowing the aircraft manufacturer's system to both maintain its own troubleshooting capabilities and access external knowledgebases. This eliminates the need to choose between maintaining copies of supplier guidance or directing customers externally, as the system can do both simultaneously through the federation manager.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for troubleshooting problems in complex systems using multiple knowledgebases comprises a first knowledgebase that has a case-based reasoning engine and knowledge from which a first set of possible solutions can be determined, and a second knowledgebase that has a case-based reasoning engine and knowledge from which a second set of possible solutions can be determined. The first knowledgebase pertains to a first equipment, and the second knowledgebase pertains to a second equipment. The second equipment is a component of the first equipment. A Federation Manager associated with the first knowledgebase transfers a case-based reasoning session between the first and second knowledgebases.