Method, Device, Computer Program and Computer-Readable Storage Medium for Generating a Graph Database for Determining a Part to be Checked of a Mechatronic System

Abstract

A method for determining a part to be checked of a mechatronic system includes providing a graph database having at least one first sub-level with first nodes, a second sub-level with second nodes, a third sub-level with third nodes and a fourth sub-level with fourth nodes, wherein directly adjacent sub-levels are connected by directed edges. The method also includes determining at least one of the fourth nodes which is output as faulty during a check of the mechatronic system, and inverting the directed edges. The method further includes determining at least one first node to be checked of the first nodes which is representative of at least one of the group consisting of at least one component and at least one part of the mechatronic system, starting from the determined fourth node, depending on a range.

Claims

1.-9. (canceled)

10. A method for determining a part to be checked of a mechatronic system, comprising providing a graph database having at least one first sub-level with first nodes, a second sub-level with second nodes, a third sub-level with third nodes and a fourth sub-level with fourth nodes, wherein directly adjacent sub-levels are connected by directed edges, determining at least one of the fourth nodes which is output as faulty during a check of the mechatronic system, inverting the directed edges, determining at least one first node to be checked of the first nodes which is representative of at least one of the group consisting of at least one component and at least one part of the mechatronic system, starting from the determined fourth node, depending on a range.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the range is predefined as a function of the directed edges.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the directed edges comprises at least one attribute.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of the directed edges comprises at least one attribute.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein: each of the second nodes is representative of at least one function of at least one of the group consisting of a component associated with the function and a part associated with the function, in the graph database at least one of the first nodes is connected to at least one of the second nodes by a first directed edge of the directed edges, and the first directed edge is representative of an active relationship between the first node and the second node.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein: each of the third nodes is representative of at least one malfunction of a function associated with the malfunction, in the graph database at least one of the second nodes is connected to one of the third nodes by a second directed edge of the directed edges, and the second directed edge is representative of an active relationship between the second node and the third node.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein: each of the fourth nodes is representative of at least one measured variable of the mechatronic system of a malfunction associated with the measured variable of the mechatronic system, and in the graph database at least one of the third nodes is connected to one of the fourth nodes by a third directed edge of the directed edges.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the range is predefined as a function of the directed edges.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein each of the directed edges comprises at least one attribute.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of the directed edges comprises at least one attribute.

20. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the range is predefined as a function of the directed edges.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein each of the directed edges comprises at least one attribute.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the range is predefined as a function of the directed edges.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein each of the directed edges comprises at least one attribute.

24. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein: each of the third nodes is representative of at least one malfunction of a function associated with the malfunction, in the graph database at least one of the second nodes is connected to one of the third nodes by one of the directed edges, and the one of the directed edges is representative of an active relationship between the second node and the third node.

25. A device for generating a graph database for determining at least one faulty part of a mechatronic system, which is designed to carry out the method as claimed in claim 10.

26. A computer program comprising commands which, during the execution of the computer program by a computer, cause the latter to carry out the method as claimed in claim 10.

27. The computer program as claimed in claim 26, wherein the range is predefined as a function of the directed edges.

28. The computer program as claimed in claim 27, wherein each of the directed edges comprises at least one attribute.

29. A computer-readable storage medium on which the computer program as claimed in claim 26 is stored.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below by using the schematic drawings, in which:

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a flowchart of a method according to an exemplary embodiment,

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a device and a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment,

[0046] FIG. 3 shows an illustration of a graph database according to an exemplary embodiment, and

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a query of a graph database according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Elements of the same design or function are identified by the same designations over all the figures.

[0049] In the flowchart of the method according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, firstly a method step S1 is carried out, in which a graph database 1 having a first sub-level T1 with first nodes K1, a second sub-level T2 with second nodes K2, a third sub-level with third nodes K3 and a fourth sub-level with fourth nodes K4 is provided. Here, directly adjacent sub-levels T1, T2, T3, T4 are each connected to one another by first, second or third directed edges E1, E2, E3. A graph database 1 of this type is explained in more detail by way of example in conjunction with FIG. 3.

[0050] The first nodes K1 are each representative of at least one component 3 and/or at least one part 2 of a mechatronic system 4. The second nodes K2 are each representative of at least one function of a component 3 associated with the function and/or of a part 2 associated with the function. The third nodes K3 are each representative of at least one malfunction of a function associated with the malfunction, and the fourth nodes K4 are each representative of at least one measured variable of the mechatronic system of a malfunction associated with the measured variable of the mechatronic system.

[0051] Here, the measured variable of the mechatronic system is a fault memory entry, such as a DTC.

[0052] In a following method step S2, at least one of the fourth nodes K4 which is output as faulty during a check of the mechatronic system 4 is determined.

[0053] In the further method step S3, the directed edges E1, E2, E3 are then inverted. The inversion and an alignment of the edges E1, E2, E3 are explained in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 4.

[0054] Subsequently, in a method step S4, at least one first node K1 to be checked of the first nodes K1 which is representative of at least one component 3 and/or at least one part 2 of the mechatronic system 4 is determined. This first node K1 to be checked is determined as a function of a range, starting from the determined fourth node K4.

[0055] The vehicle 6 according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 comprises a device 5. The device 5 is designed to carry out the method described here. The device 5 can be part of the vehicle 6. Alternatively, it is possible that the device 5 is encompassed by an external device. Here, the external device is not part of the vehicle 6. In addition, it is possible that the device 5 is part of the vehicle 6 and part of the external device.

[0056] The vehicle 6 in this exemplary embodiment is a motor vehicle. The vehicle 6 further comprises the mechatronic system 4, which has at least one component 3 and at least one part 2.

[0057] The graph database 1 according to FIG. 3 comprises a first main level H1 and a second main level H2. The first main level H1 also comprises a first sub-level T1 and a second sub-level T2. The first nodes K1 are located in the first sub-level T1. Furthermore, the second nodes K2 are located in the second sub-level T2. The first nodes K1 and the second nodes K2 are connected by the first directed edges E1. At least one subset of the first directed edges E1 can be directed from the first sub-level T1 to the second sub-level T2, and the remaining subset of the first edges E1 can be directed from the second sub-level T2 to the first sub-level T1.

[0058] In addition, the second main level H2 comprises a third sub-level T3 and a fourth sub-level T4. The second main level H2 is the fault level of the graph database 1. The third nodes K3 are arranged in the third sub-level T3, and the fourth nodes K4 are arranged in the fourth sub-level T4. The directed second edges E2 are directed from the second sub-level T2 in the direction of the third sub-level T3. The third edges E3 are directed from the third sub-level T3 to the fourth sub-level T4.

[0059] According to FIG. 4, the subset of the first directed edges E1 which, before the inversion, are directed from the first sub-level T1 to the second sub-level T2, are directed from the second sub-level T2 to the first sub-level T1 after the inversion. The remaining subset of the first edges E1 is directed from the second sub-level T2 to the first sub-level TI after the inversion.

[0060] After the inversion, the directed second edges E2 are directed from the third sub-level T3 in the direction of the second sub-level T2. The third directed edges E3 are directed from the fourth sub-level T4 to the third sub-level T3.

[0061] If, for example, the fourth node K4.sub.1 is used as an entry point, then the method results in the determination of the first node K1.sub.1 to be checked of the first nodes.

[0062] If, for example, the fourth node K4.sub.1 and the fourth node K4.sub.3 are used as entry points, then the method results in the determination of the common intersection set of the first nodes to be checked, that is to say likewise the first node K1.sub.1.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0063] 1 Graph database [0064] 2 Part [0065] 3 Component [0066] 4 Mechatronic system [0067] 5 Device [0068] 6 Vehicle [0069] K1 First node [0070] K2 Second node [0071] K3 Third node [0072] K4 Fourth node [0073] E1 First edge [0074] E2 Second edge [0075] E3 Third edge [0076] E4 Further third edge [0077] H1 First main level [0078] H2 Second main level [0079] T1 First sub-level [0080] T2 Second sub-level [0081] T3 Third sub-level [0082] T4 Fourth sub-level