Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Generic control system – apparatus or process – Optimization or adaptive control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-11
2001-02-27
Gordon, Paul P. (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Generic control system, apparatus or process
Optimization or adaptive control
C700S097000, C700S099000, C700S100000, C700S102000, C700S109000, C700S108000, C705S002000, C705S029000, C709S241000, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195590
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention is directed to a control system for the manufacture of a product. The control system of this invention has the capability of rapid information processing and decision-making, minimizing production cycle time, efficiently allocating resources, and minimizing excess costs.
In the production of products, the work effort is a sequence of operations. The proper control of these operations is as important to the efficient transformation of the product from its initial state into its finished state as the individual operations themselves. Just as an improvement in each operation can improve the production rate, an improvement in the control of the production process can produce a similar reduction in total cost and the elapsed time of production. In the production of any product, the costs of idle waiting time, penalties of late deliveries, unjustified expediting costs, and the costs of excess inventories must be minimized. One system that has addressed this problem is the Critical Path Method(CPM), in which a network of activities is created that represents the sequence of operations and the interdependencies of the operations in the particular production process. A variation on this basic method is Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) which uses multiple estimates of time durations to provide a probabilistic estimate. These systems are available as computer software. To use these systems, the networks are analyzed to find the critical path, i.e., the path that is, in effect, the longest duration, and which determines the final completion date.
A major problem of these systems is that new information must be evaluated by serial searching; each new bit of information must be entered and the program run to determine the effect on the completion date. The is a considerable expense in time and money on a large project. Also, near critical items are not identified. Further, all the information must be entered into one large computer program thereby requiring centralized processing and decision making. Although valuable, these systems do not provide an easy and timely visibility into the critical items and their degree of impact. Also, these systems do not offer a means to balance resources in order to minimize the time and cost of a project. These systems do not support Enterprise-Wide Project Management(EWPM) because the centralized decision making makes them intractable and they offer no methodology for optimization.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,648,023 and 5,291,397 describe a new method of centralized analysis and control using a central computer. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,648,023 and 5,291,397 are incorporated by reference. This method described in these patents does not incorporate the advantage of decentralizing the analysis and decision-making to the local level to empower the local manager. Since the local manger is the expert in utilizing his resources, it would be advantageous to provide him with the tools and information to optimize the use of these resources.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
One object of this invention is to provide a computer-network-based control system for manufacturing a product that provides a means for minimizing communication to a few easily understood descriptors and decentralizing the analysis and decision making to the local level. Another object is to allow searching the manufacturing process in parallel for critical items. Another object is to provide information for real time responses to inquires about the impact of changes in the availability of an item at the local level. Another object is to provide a means to monitor the progress of a manufacturing sequence of operations. Another object is to provide a control system that provides the basis for optimal distribution of resources within projects and across projects at the local level. Another object is to identify conflicts in the resource usage at the local level. Further objects and advantages will by apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The control system is composed of a primary computer of the project manager and a number of secondary computers linked in a computer network. This project manager on his primary computer establishes a network of manufacturing activities, assigns time durations estimates to each activity, and establishes baseline schedule dates for the beginning and end of each activity. This baseline schedule date data set is used as a constant reference against which all supporting external components availabilities and actual and predicted internal progress is measured. This information is transferred to the secondary computers via the computer network. The principal control variable is a measure of the projected or actual deviation from the baseline schedule data set and is called the delta or delta value. The delta value for each element and activity is calculated by the secondary computers and transmitted to the primary computer via the computer network. The delta value is used to determine the predicted final completion date, allocate resources, and optimally organize work in a queue. The use of delta values allows the parallel processing of information.
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Gordon Paul P.
Patel Ramesh
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