Patent · US Expired

Realtime decision making system for reduction of time delays in an automated material handling system

US6308107A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
15References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 1999
Grant dateOct 23, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S414/14
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for pre-positioning routed material in a computer controlled manufacturing arrangement having alternate locations for predetermined ones of a plurality of manufacturing process steps and predetermined types of materials to be routed into alternate locations. The method includes establishing a distribution of events indicative of the alternate locations at which material is processed for a manufacturing process step with respect to the materials to be routed and documenting the distribution of events in a database with respect to the type of materials to be routed and the alternate locations in terms of routing times, therein establishing a historical routing time for the type of material to be routed. In addition, there is established the actual mix of materials to be routed to the alternate locations and their historical routing time and actual routing time for the type of routed material are compared. Further, one of a plurality of substates is selected that include: pre-position routed material when historical and actual times are substantially the same, hold routed material when the times are different and re-route material when time comparison is not available. Finall…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.