Testing apparatus

Claim 2

A test apparatus having a data processing means for processing test data received from a system to be tested, comprising: an organization trade-off means for determining the organization of said system in response to interactive requests and in accordance with a specification of said system and for preparing a functional block diagram of said system; a failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means responsive to said origanization trade-off means for performing a failure mode and effect analysis on said functional block diagram prepared by said organization trade-off means and for preparing a failure mode and effect analysis list in accordance with the results of said failure mode and effect analysis; a design review means coupled to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means, comprising a learning means for acquiring and learning design knowledge from the results of said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means, a knowledge base means coupled to said learning means for accumulating the knowledge and design knowledge generated by said learning means, and an inference means coupled to said knowledge base means and said learning means for performing inferences using the knowledge accumulated in said knowledge base means; a diagnosis rule preparation means responsive to said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means for preparing a diagnosis rule for determining test data diagnosis from said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means; and a diagnosis means responsive to said diagnosis rule preparation means and said data processing means comprising a knowledge data base for registering said diagnosis rule for determining test data diagnosis prepard by said diagnosis rule preparation means and for constructing a data base as an aggregate of diagnosis rules, and an inference function means coupled to said knowledge data base for inferring a result of diagnosis of said test data received from said data processing means by using said aggregate of diagnosis rule in said knowledge data base.

Claim 3

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system comprises a plurality of components, each of said components further comprises a plurality of parts, and wherein said organization trade-off means comprises: a component data base for storing data and evaluation parameters for each of said plurality of components; a part data base for storing data and evaluation parameters for each of said plurality of parts; an interactive processing means coupled to said component data base and said part data base for determining the organization of a system in reponse to interactive request by selecting component data from said component data base, and for determining the organization of the components in response to interactive requests by selecting part data from said part data base; a functional block diagram preparation means coupled to said interactive processing means for preparing and displaying said functional block diagram in the form of a design drawing based on the organization of said parts, said components and said system as determined by said interactive processing means.

Claim 4

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said interactive processing means determines the organization of said system by selecting component data and associated evaluation parameters.

Claim 5

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 3, including means for displaying both the component data and associated evaluation parameters.

Claim 6

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said system comprises a subsystem.

Claim 7

A test apparatus having a data processing means for processing test data received from a system to be tested, comprising: an organization trade-off means for determining the organization of said system in response to interactive requests and in accordance with a specification of said system and for perparing a functional description of said system; a failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means responsive to said organization trade-off means for performing a failure mode and effect analysis on said functional description prepared by said organization trade-off means and for preparing a failure mode and effect analysis list in accordance with the results of said failure mode and effect analysis; a design review means coupled to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means for reviewing the result of said trade-off procedure and the results of the failure mode and effect analysis; a data diagnosis rule preparation means responsive to said failure mode and effect analysis sheet preparation means for preparing a diagnosis rule for determining test data diagnosis from said failure mode and effect analysis list prepared by said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means; and a diagnosis means responsive to said diagnosis rule preparation means and said data processing means for diagnosing test data in accordance the diagnosis rules prepared by said diagnosis rule preparation means.

Claim 8

A test apparatus having a data processing means for processing test data received from a system to be tested, comprising: an organization trade-off means for determining the organization of said system in response to interactive requests and in accordance with a specification of said system and for perparing a functional description of said system; a failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means responsive to said organization trade-off means for performing a failure mode and effect analysis on said functional description prepared by said organization trade-off means and for preparing a failure mode and effect analysis list in accordance with the results of said failure mode and effect analysis; a design review means coupled to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means for reviewing the result of said trade-off procedure and the results of the failure mode and effect analysis; a data diagnosis rule preparation means responsive to said failure mode and effect analysis sheet preparation means for preparing a diagnosis rule for determining test data diagnosis from said failure mode and effect analysis list prepared by said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means; and a diagnosis means responsive to said diagnosis rule preparation means and said data processing means for diagnosing test data in accordance the diagnosis rules prepared by said diagnosis rule preparation means.

Claim 9

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said design review means further comprises: learning means responsive to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means for acquiring and learning design knowledge in response to interactive requests and from the results of said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means, knowledge base means coupled to said learning means for accumulating the knowledge and design knowledge generated by said learning means, and inference means coupled to said knowledge base means and said learning means for performing inferences using the knowledge accumulated in said knowledge base means.

Claim 10

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said learning means of said design review means comprises: means, responsive to said inference means and said knowledge base means, for managing acquisition of design knowledge and intelligently processing such design knowledge through classification, systemization and structural organization.

Claim 11

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said learning means further comprises: means, responsive to said inference means and said knowledge base means, for making inductive inferences, deductive inferences and analogies, given an inference function and said knowledge accummulated in said knowledge base means.

Claim 12

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said inference means of said design review means comprises: means, responsive to said learning means and said knowledge base means, for deriving information from said knowledge in said knowledge base means, said derived information having a similar meaning but a different explicit expression.

Claim 13

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said knowledge base means of said design review means comprises: means, responsive to said learning means and said inference means, for classifying, reorganizing and editing said knowledge stored within said knowledge base means.

Claim 14

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said knowledge contained in said knowledge base means comprises past design information, newly acquired design information, information acquired by learning, and information on design models.

Claim 15

A test apparatus having a data processing means for processing test data received from a system to be tested, comprising: an organization trade-off means for determining the organization of said system in response to interactive requests and in accordance with a specification of said system and for perparing a functional block diagram of said system; a failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means responsive to said organization trade-off means for performing a failure mode and effect analysis in accordance with said functional block diagram and for preparing a failure mode and effect analysis list in accordance with said failure mode and effect analysis; a design review means coupled to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means comprising: knowledge acquisition and learning means coupled to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis sheet preparation means for extracting design knowledge from said system organization trade-off means and failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means and for rearranging and reorganizing said design knowledge, design evaluation means coupled to said knowledge acquisition and learning means for re-evaluating a system design using design knowledge, design consultation means coupled to said design evaluation means and said knowledge acquisition and learning means for intelligently retrieving said design knowledge in response to interactive requests; a diagnosis rule preparation means responsive to said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means for perparing a diagnosis rule determining a test data diagnosis from said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means; and a diagnosis means responsive to said diagnosis rule preparation means and said data processing means comprising a knowledge data base means for registering said diagnosis rule for determining a test data diagnosis prepared by said diagnosis rule preparation means and constructing a data base as an aggregate of diagnosis rules, and an inference function means coupled to said knowledge data base means for inferring a result of diagnosis of said test data from said data processing means by using said aggregate of diagnosis rules in said knowledge data base means.

Claim 16

A test apparatus having a data processing means for processing test data received from a system to be tested, comprising: an organization trade-off means for determining the organization of said system in response to interactive requests and in accordance with a specification of said system and for perparing a functional block diagram of said system; a failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means responsive to said organization trade-off means for performing a failure mode and effect analysis in accordance with said functional block diagram and for preparing a failure mode and effect analysis list in accordance with said failure mode and effect analysis; a design review means coupled to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means comprising: knowledge acquisition and learning means coupled to said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis sheet preparation means for extracting design knowledge from said system organization trade-off means and failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means and for rearranging and reorganizing said design knowledge, design evaluation means coupled to said knowledge acquisition and learning means for re-evaluating a system design using design knowledge, design consultation means coupled to said design evaluation means and said knowledge acquisition and learning means for intelligently retrieving said design knowledge in response to interactive requests; a diagnosis rule preparation means responsive to said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means for perparing a diagnosis rule determining a test data diagnosis from said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means; and a diagnosis means responsive to said diagnosis rule preparation means and said data processing means comprising a knowledge data base means for registering said diagnosis rule for determining a test data diagnosis prepared by said diagnosis rule preparation means and constructing a data base as an aggregate of diagnosis rules, and an inference function means coupled to said knowledge data base means for inferring a result of diagnosis of said test data from said data processing means by using said aggregate of diagnosis rules in said knowledge data base means.

Claim 17

A test apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said design review means further comprises: a learning means responsive to said organization trade-off means said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means for acquiring and learning design knowledge from said organization trade-off means and said failure mode and effect analysis list preparation means, a knowledge base means coupled to said learning means for accumlating the knowledge and design knowledge generated by said learning means, and an inference means coupled to said learing means and said knowledge base means for performing inferences using the knowledge accumulated in said knowledge base means.