Method for message suppression in rule based expert system

Abstract

One exemplary method for message suppression comprises: providing first and second rules, each having one or more preconditions and a conclusion, wherein the first rule also has a suppressed-by attribute and at least one of the second preconditions is suppressing; evaluating the one or more first and second preconditions; identifying the first rule as true or false; displaying the message of the second rule if all of the second preconditions are met; identifying the first rule as suppressed if the second rule is named in the suppressed-by attribute; and inhibiting the message display of the suppressed rule or routing the message to second display. The system can comprise: a database containing knowledge of the production unit; a user interface, and at least one precondition, a suppressed by attribute, and one or more rules each having a conclusion and at least one suppressing precondition; an inference engine; and a display.

1 . A method for message suppression, comprising:
 providing a first rule having one or more preconditions, a suppressed-by attribute, and a message;   providing a second rule having one or more preconditions and a message, wherein at least one of the one or more preconditions is a suppressing precondition;   evaluating the one or more preconditions of the first rule and the second rule;   identifying the first rule as true or false; and   displaying the message of the second rule if all of the one or more preconditions of the second rule are met.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying the second rule in the suppressed by attribute of the first rule. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first rule is a suppressed rule. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second rule is a non-suppressed rule. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first rule message is not displayed or is routed to a second display. 
   
   
       6 . A method for message suppression, comprising:
 providing a first rule having one or more preconditions, a suppressed-by attribute, and a message;   providing a second rule having one or more preconditions and a message, wherein at least one of the one or more preconditions is a suppressing precondition;   evaluating the one or more preconditions of the first rule and the second rule;   identifying the first rule as true or false; and   displaying the message of the second rule on a first display if all of the one or more preconditions of the first rule are met and if all of the one or more preconditions of the second rule are met.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more preconditions of the second rule are conditioned on the one or more preconditions of the first rule. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising identifying the second rule in the suppressed by attribute of the first rule. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first rule is a suppressed rule. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second rule is a non-suppressed rule. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first rule message is not displayed or is routed to a second display. 
   
   
       12 . A method for message suppression, comprising:
 providing at least one suppressed rule having one or more preconditions, a suppressed by attribute, and a message;   providing at least one non-suppressed rule having one or more preconditions and a message;   evaluating the one or more preconditions of the rules to determine a status of the rules as true or false; and   displaying the message of the non-suppressed rule, if determined true, on a first display without changing the status of the suppressed rule.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more preconditions of the non-suppressed rule are conditioned on the one or more preconditions of the suppressed rule. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising directing the message of the suppressed rule to a second display or record log. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first display has higher priority than a priority of the second display. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising displaying the message of the suppressed rule, if the suppressed rule is determined true and the non-suppressed rule is determined false. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising displaying an identification of the non-suppressed rule in the suppressed by attribute of the suppressed rule. 
   
   
       18 . A system for operating a production unit, comprising:
 a database containing knowledge of the production unit;   a user interface to provide one or more rules each having at least one precondition, a suppressed-by attribute, and a message, and one or more rules each having at least one suppressing precondition and a message;   an inference engine to evaluate the one or more preconditions of the rules; and   a display to show the suppressing rule and the suppressed-by attribute of the suppressed rule.   
   
   
       19 . A method for message suppression, comprising:
 providing a first rule having one or more preconditions, and a message having a suppressed-by attribute;   providing a second rule having one or more preconditions and a message, wherein at least one of the one or more preconditions is a suppressing precondition;   evaluating the one or more preconditions of the first rule and the second rule;   identifying the first rule as true or false; and   displaying the message of the second rule if all of the one or more preconditions of the second rule are met.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying the second rule in the suppressed by attribute of the message of the first rule. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message of the first rule is a suppressed message. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second rule is a non-suppressed rule. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the suppressed message of the first rule is not displayed or is routed to a second display. 
   
   
       24 . A method for message suppression, comprising:
 providing a first rule having one or more preconditions, and a message having a suppressed-by attribute;   providing a second rule having one or more preconditions and a message, wherein at least one of the one or more preconditions is a suppressing precondition;   evaluating the one or more preconditions of the first rule and the second rule;   identifying the first rule as true or false; and   displaying the message of the second rule on a first display if all of the one or more preconditions of the first rule are met and if all of the one or more preconditions of the second rule are met.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more preconditions of the second rule are conditioned on the message of the first rule. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising identifying the second rule in the suppressed by attribute of the message of the first rule. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the message of the first rule is a suppressed message. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second rule is a non-suppressed rule. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the suppressed message is not displayed or is routed to a second display. 
   
   
       30 . A method for message suppression, comprising:
 providing at least one suppressed rule having one or more preconditions, and a message having a suppressed by attribute;   providing at least one non-suppressed rule having one or more preconditions and a message;   evaluating the one or more preconditions of the rules to determine a status of the rules as true or false; and   displaying the message of the non-suppressed rule, if determined true, on a first display without changing the status of a suppressed conclusion.   
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more preconditions of the non-suppressed rule are conditioned on the suppressed conclusion. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the suppressed conclusion is not displayed or is routed to a second display. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the first display has higher priority than a priority of the second display. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising displaying the suppressed conclusion, if the suppressed conclusion is determined true and the non-suppressed rule is determined false. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising displaying an identification of the non-suppressed rule in the suppressed by attribute of the suppressed conclusion. 
   
   
       36 . A system for operating a production unit, comprising:
 a database containing knowledge of the production unit;   a user interface to provide one or more rules each having at least one precondition, a suppressed-by attribute, and a conclusion, and one or more rules each having at least one suppressing precondition and a conclusion;   an inference engine to evaluate the one or more preconditions of the rules; and   a display to show the suppressing rule and the suppressed-by attribute of a suppressed conclusion.