Collaborative multi-agent vehicle fault diagnostic system and associated methodology

A vehicle including a control unit, the control unit comprising:

• a processor configured to execute a first agent of a first subsystem of the vehicle, the first agent including a fault detection agent and a communication agent,
• the fault detection agent configured to monitor performance data of the first subsystem to identify a problem in the first subsystem, to store first candidate fault diagnosis processes corresponding to the first subsystem in a first memory, and to search for a fault diagnosis process which identifies a fault causing the problem in the first subsystem from among the first candidate fault diagnosis processes, and
• the communication agent configured to collaborate with a second agent when a search by the fault detection agent fails to find the fault diagnosis process which identifies the fault, the collaboration with the second agent including searching a second memory which stores second candidate fault diagnosis processes, sending the monitored performance data to the second agent, and exchanging search result data between the first and second agents, wherein
• the second agent is locally executed by the control unit or another control unit for the vehicle.

A computer-readable medium storing a program for diagnosing vehicle faults of a vehicle, that, when executed by a computer, performs a method for identifying a fault causing a problem in a vehicle subsystem of the vehicle, the method comprising:

• executing, by a control unit of the vehicle, a first agent of a first subsystem of the vehicle, the first agent including a fault detection agent and a communication agent;
• monitoring, by the fault detection agent, performance data of the first subsystem to identify a problem in the first subsystem;
• searching, by the fault detection agent, for a fault diagnosis process which identifies a fault causing the problem in the first subsystem from among first candidate fault diagnosis processes stored in a first memory corresponding to the first subsystem;
• and
• collaborating, by the communication agent, with a second agent when the searching by the fault detection agent fails to find the fault diagnosis process which identifies the fault, the collaborating including searching a second memory which stores second candidate fault diagnosis processes, sending the monitored performance data to the second agent, and exchanging search result data between the first and second agents, wherein
• the second agent is locally executed by the control unit or another control unit of the vehicle.

A method for identifying a fault causing a problem in a vehicle subsystem of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• executing, by a control unit of the vehicle, a first agent of a first subsystem of the vehicle, the first agent including a fault detection agent and a communication agent;
• monitoring, by the fault detection agent, performance data of the first subsystem to identify a problem in the first subsystem;
• searching, by the fault detection agent, for a fault diagnosis process which identifies a fault causing the problem in the first subsystem from among first candidate fault diagnosis processes stored in a first memory corresponding to the first subsystem;
• and
• collaborating, by the communication agent, with a second agent when the searching by the fault detection agent fails to find the fault diagnosis process which identifies the fault, the collaborating including searching a second memory which stores second candidate fault diagnosis processes, sending the monitored performance data to the second agent, and exchanging search result data between the first and second agents, wherein
• the second agent is locally executed by the control unit or another control unit of the vehicle.