The present invention provides a multi-level model-based intelligent agent diagnosis
system and method for computer-controlled machinery operative to reduce the complexity
typically associated with conventional model based diagnostic systems. The system
utilizes a plurality of intelligent agents arranged in a plurality of physically
hierarchical layers such that the tasks associated with accomplishing model based
diagnosis are distributed amongst the intelligent agents if each layer wherein
information gathered from a first lower level intelligent agents is processed by
at least one other higher level to realize system fault diagnosis. The system provides
increased processing speed of modeling and/or model identification such that faster
and more accurate failure isolation and identification is accomplished.