Method and apparatus for predicting failure in a system

Abstract

The invention regards a system reliability or failure predicting apparatus and method that incorporates known information about system component failure into a system model and uses the model with or without other acquired system data to predict the probability of system failure. An embodiment of the method includes using probabilistic methods to create a system failure model from the failure models of individual system components, predicting the failure of the system based on the component models and system data, ranking the sensitivity of the system to the system variables, and communicating a failure prediction.

1 . A computer implemented method for predicting failure in a system, comprising: 
 measuring data associated with a system;    creating a prediction of a failure of said system using a probabilistic model and said data; and    communicating said prediction.    
     
     
         2 - 24 . (canceled)  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for predicting failure of a system, said apparatus comprising: 
 sensors for acquiring data from a system;    a first computer comprising: 
 a processor;  
 a memory containing: 
 instructions for measuring said data;  
 instructions for creating a prediction of a failure of said system using a probabilistic model and said data; and  
 instructions for communicating said prediction; and  
 
   a communication device for communicating said prediction.    
     
     
         26 - 47 . (canceled)  
     
     
         48 . A computer program product for predicting failure of a system for use in conjunction with a computer system, said computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, 
 instructions for measuring data;    instructions for storing said data;    instructions for creating a prediction of failure of said system using a probabilistic model and said data; and    instructions for communicating said prediction.    
     
     
         49 - 67 . (canceled)