Case-based help desk system with diagrammatic interface

We propose a new method of case retrieval in a case-based help desk system for large-scale industrial plants by using hierarchical 2D/3D diagrams as a keyword-input method, in order to help system operators search for trouble cases with less effort than conventional keyword-based retrieval methods. The target users are Level 1 analysts who directly answer customer calls. The users can select devices and their functions on the diagrams, and the selected device/function names are entered into the corresponding columns of the keyword template, which is used to find the trouble cases having similar indices to the keywords. Using the diagrammatic keyword input method, we can reuse various kinds of design plans which were produced when a plant was designed. The users can easily find relevant devices around the target device at a glance of the diagram, which helps the users diagnose the trouble