Method and system for identifying critical faults in machines

A system for identifying a plurality of critical taults in a fleet of machines, the system comprising:

• a data-collecting module configured to collect from a predetermined plurality of the machines respective machine data indicative of each fault logged over a predetermined period of time;
• a processor for determining the relative ranking of the faults logged in the collected fleet machine data by:
• identifying in the collected machine data respective faults most frequently occurring relative to one another;
• identifying in the most frequently occurring faults, respective faults that, relative to one another, affect a higher number of machines;
• a classifier configured to classify the faults identified by the processor based on an expected level of machine degradation associated with the identified faults;
• and
• a database coupled to the classifier- to store any faults classified as likely to result in an imminent machine mission failure, the stored faults comprising the plurality of critical faults.

A method for identifying critical faults in a plurality of mobile assets, the method comprising:

• a) collecting from a group of the plurality of mobile assets respective mobile asset data indicative of each fault logged over a predetermined period of time;
• b) classifying respective faults in the collected mobile asset data based on the following criteria:
• 1) relative frequency of fault occurrence;
• 2) number of mobile assets affected in the group;
• and
• 3) expected level of mobile asset degradation;
• wherein any of the three criteria comprises a first basis of classification, and a second classification is based on the results of the first classification so that any faults found to be critical include properties in at least two of the classifications;
• and
• c) storing any faults found to be critical in a database of critical faults.

A system for identifying critical faults in mobile assets, the system comprising:

• memory configured to collect from a plurality of the mobile assets respective mobile asset data indicative of each fault logged over a predetermined period of time;
• a first classifier configured to classify in the collected mobile asset data respective faults most frequently occurring relative to one another;
• a second classifier configured to classify in the most frequently occurring faults from the first classifier, respective faults that, relative to one another, affect a higher number of assets;
• a third classifier configured to classify the faults from the second classifier based on an expected level of mobile asset degradation;
• and
• a database coupled to the third classifier to store any faults classified as likely to result in an imminent mobile asset mission failure, the stored faults comprising the plurality of critical faults.