Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-04
2001-08-21
Amsbury, Wayne (Department: 2771)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279009
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention involves the creation of procedural descriptions of real world processes, for example manufacturing processes, from declarative descriptions of the environment in which the processes are performed.
BACKGROUND
Within manufacturing environments, the questions of deciding what products to produce (assuming the environment is capable of producing more than a single product), when to produce them, how to produce each and whether even to accept new orders for different products must all be weighed against the realities of the various constraints imposed upon and within the environment. Workflow systems may and have been used to specify how products should be produced. In general, workflows represent procedural steps to accomplish a process (e.g., a product production process). In traditional workflow systems, different workflows are individually defined in advance, and a particular one of these predefined workflows is selected and run, according to the product being produced. Thus, in such systems one must decide whether to create only a few, inflexible workflows, or a number of different workflows. For the first scenario, although having only a few workflows may make the maintenance thereof relatively less burdensome (e.g., as compared to situations where a large number of workflows must be maintained), it also means that one will be forced to make due with workflows that are not necessarily optimized for all environmental conditions. In the second scenario, although have more workflows may allow for an optimum one to be selected, it does make the selection process more difficult and also increases the maintenance burden. The problem inherent in these approaches may be further exacerbated where the manufacturing environment undergoes not infrequent changes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Presented herein is a solution to the dilemma posed above. Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, workflows can be generated from a declarative model of a real world environment. Indeed, one advantage of the present scheme is that multiple workflows can be generated from a single model, e.g., whenever environmental conditions are changed. In one particular embodiment, the declarative model may include a first number of state nodes and a second number of task nodes interconnected with the state nodes. In such cases, generating a workflow may be accomplished by choosing one of a number of paths through the model, each of the paths comprising an alternating series of one or more of the state nodes and one or more of the task nodes with any predecessor state node in one of the paths representing a precondition for a subsequent task node along the one of the paths and any following state node of the subsequent task node along the one of the paths representing a result of applying one or more actions that correspond to that task node.
In general though, any of a number of model representations may be used. Thus, generating a workflow may be accomplished by choosing any one of a plurality of feasible routes for completion of the process defined by the model; by choosing an optimal one of a plurality of routes for completion of the process defined by the model; or by choosing one of a plurality of routes defined by the model according to one or more user-defined criteria for route selection. The routes so chosen may define bills of resources for the real world environment defined by the model. New workflows may be generated in response to an update to the model and/or in response to a new job request.
In a further embodiment, a workflow is provided. The workflow may include a final product of the manufacturing process as represented by a first state node of a directed graph. Further, the workflow may include one or more manufacturing processes required in the production of the final product and the corresponding preconditions thereto and results produced thereby. The manufacturing processes may be represented by task nodes, and the preconditions thereto and the results produced thereby represented by state nodes. The task nodes and state nodes may be arranged within the directed graph such that inputs to each of the task nodes represent required states therefor and outputs of each of the task nodes represent alternative states produced thereby. In such an arrangement, the first state node may therefor represent the output of one or more of the manufacturing processes represented by one or more of the task nodes.
In some cases, at least one of the task nodes may represent the consumption of reusable or non-reusable resources for a manufacturing environment. The state nodes may represent reusable resources and/or consumable resources for the manufacturing environment. The state nodes of the workflow may be arranged in a hierarchy defined by the directed graph so as to comprise a bill of materials for a manufacturing environment.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a computer assisted scheduling system. The system includes a model of a real-world manufacturing environment and a scheduler configured to optimize selection of one of a number of paths through the model to provide as a workflow in response to an order for a product produced by the manufacturing environment. Within the system, the model may be configured to receive updates reflecting changes in the real-world manufacturing environment. Such changes may represent completed tasks, and/or a change in the availability of one or more resources represented in the model.
Further details of these and other embodiments will be discussed below, however, it should be remembered that these are merely examples of implementations of the present invention.
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Goodrow Cristos J.
Nelson Phillip C.
Smirnov Yuri V.
Soung Yuh-Wen
Winner Jeffrey B.
Amsbury Wayne
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Impresse Corporation
Pardo Thuy
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