LLM Service Workflow for Industrial Automation Troubleshooting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Service technicians face cumbersome and time-consuming processes when troubleshooting industrial automation systems, as they need to toggle between multiple sources of information to address problems, such as product manuals and troubleshooting guides.
Innovation Solution
An LLM-based service assistant generates a guided workflow for service technicians using supplemental data from industrial automation systems, including device characteristics and process information, to provide efficient problem-solving support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If service technicians manually search through multiple sources of information (product manuals, troubleshooting guides), then they can find relevant information, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system (service assistant with LLM) that mediates between the technician and multiple information sources. The LLM aggregates data from work orders, device telemetry, manuals, and troubleshooting guides, then presents synthesized guidance through a mobile interface, eliminating the need for technicians to manually search multiple sources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple information sources (product manuals, troubleshooting guides, device telemetry data, work order information) into a single integrated service assistant interface. The LLM merges these disparate data sources to generate comprehensive troubleshooting workflows, reducing the need to toggle between multiple sources
2Adaptability or versatility
If service technicians toggle between multiple sources of information, then they can access comprehensive data, but the operation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The service assistant performs multiple functions within a single interface: it retrieves work order data, accesses device telemetry, searches manuals and troubleshooting guides, generates step-by-step workflows, and provides interactive guidance. This multi-functional system eliminates the need to switch between separate tools and sources
Solution Approach 2:
The LLM-based service assistant acts as an intermediary that handles the complexity of accessing and synthesizing information from multiple sources, presenting a simplified unified interface to the technician that maintains adaptability while improving ease of operation
3Reliability
If traditional troubleshooting methods are used with multiple separate tools and sources, then comprehensive information can be gathered, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically gathering and synthesizing relevant information from multiple sources before the technician begins troubleshooting. The LLM pre-generates customized workflows based on work order data and device telemetry, so technicians receive ready-to-use guidance rather than starting from scratch
Solution Approach 2:
The service assistant intermediary automatically correlates data from work orders, device telemetry, and knowledge bases to generate accurate troubleshooting workflows, maintaining reliability while accelerating the process by eliminating manual information gathering and synthesis steps
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving a work order associated with a problem experienced by an industrial automation system configured to perform an industrial automation process, receiving, from an industrial automation device within the industrial automation system, supplemental data including one or more characteristics of the industrial automation device, the industrial automation system, the industrial automation process, or any combination thereof, generating, via processing circuitry, using one or more large language models (LLMs), service content based on the work order and the supplemental data, wherein the service content includes a guided workflow for addressing the problem associated with the work order, and providing the service content to a mobile computing device for display via a user interface.