# US 11,079,749 B2 · Method and apparatus for automated hazard detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,749 B2 - Document ID: US11079749B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/622,578 - Filed: 2017-06-14 - Published: 2017-12-21 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-21 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Marc Zeller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079749B2 ## CPC - G05B 23/0205: {by means of a monitoring system capable of detecting and responding to faults} - G05B 23/0248: {Causal models, e.g. fault tree; digraphs; qualitative physics} - G05B 23/0278: {Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA} - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A computer-based method for automated hazard detection for a technical system, the method includes the step of selecting an output failure mode of a component of a component fault tree of the technical system as a top level hazard. The computer-based method includes the step of generating a hazard information tree by means of a subtree of the component fault tree, wherein the subtree is selected by means of the top level hazard, wherein the subtree is modified by removing predefined nodes from the subtree and by enhancing output failure modes of the subtree with information from which component the output failure modes originate, wherein the modified subtree is saved in a memory unit as hazard information tree. The computer-based method includes the step of evaluating the hazard information tree, and providing a control signal comprising a result of the evaluation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-based method for automated hazard detection for a technical system, comprising: mapping failure modes to hazards by at least one of providing a mapping table defining which failure modes cause which hazards and defining output failure modes of respective component fault tree elements in a form of hazards; selecting an output failure mode of a component of a component fault tree of the technical system as a top level hazard; generating a hazard information tree by means of a subtree of the component fault tree, wherein: the subtree is selected by means of the top level hazard, and the subtree is modified by removing predefined nodes from the subtree and by enhancing output failure modes of the subtree with information from which component the output failure modes originate, wherein the removing further includes removing the component fault tree elements resulting in a simplified failure propagation logic with the previously defined top level hazard as the top event of a partial fault tree; the modified subtree is saved in a memory unit as hazard information tree; evaluating the hazard information tree; providing a control signal comprising a result of the evaluation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of nodes of the hazard information tree is optimized prior to the evaluation of the hazard information tree. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein for optimizing the hazard information tree gates without child nodes are removed from the hazard information tree. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein for optimizing the hazard information tree gates with one child node are removed from the hazard information tree. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein for optimizing the hazard information tree interconnected gates of the same type are merged. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises information about a probability of failure on demand and/or an unavailability and/or safety integrity level of the technical system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein by means of the hazard information tree a test-environment is configured to perform a hazard assessment of the technical system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal controls a/the test environment for testing the technical system. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for automated hazard detection for a technical system, comprising: a mapping module for mapping failure modes to hazards by at least one of providing a mapping table defining which failure modes cause which hazards and defining output failure modes of respective component fault tree elements in a form of hazards; a selection module for selecting an output failure mode of a component of a component fault tree of the technical system as a top level hazard; a generation module for generating a hazard information tree by means of a subtree of the component fault tree, wherein: the subtree is selected by means of the top level hazard, and the subtree is modified by removing predefined nodes from the subtree and by enhancing output failure modes of the subtree with information from which component the output failure modes originate, wherein the removing further includes removing the component fault tree elements resulting in a simplified failure propagation logic with the previously defined top level hazard as the top event of a partial fault tree; the modified subtree is saved in a memory unit as hazard information tree; an evaluation module for evaluating the hazard information tree; a providing module for providing a control signal comprising a result of the evaluation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises an optimization module to optimize a number of nodes of the hazard information tree. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the optimization module removes tree gates without child nodes from the hazard information tree. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus according claim 9, wherein the optimization module removes tree gates with one child node from the hazard information tree, and wherein the optimization module merges gates with one child node from the hazard information tree interconnected gates of the same type. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A system comprising the apparatus according to claim 9, configured to perform automated hazard detection for a technical system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A non-transitory computer program product storing executable instructions adapted to configure a manufacturing device to manufacture the system according to claim 13. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A computer program product storing executable instructions adapted to perform the method according to claim 1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A providing device for the non-transitory computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the providing device provides and/or saves the non-transitory computer program product.