Patent ID: 6418352
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: G03F,G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
A system for processing articles, which system includes a plurality of machine tools for processing articles, a pod for carrying the articles to be processed by said machine tools from one machine tool to another, a host processing controller associated with said machine tools for controlling the operation thereof, each said machine tool having a robot for receiving said pod, opening said pod and for transporting the articles from within said pod into position on said machine tool for processing, and an identification reader carried by said pod for identifying a particular pod and the articles carried therein, said system including a module comprising:a module controller; a first communication connection between said host processing controller and said module controller; a second communication connection between said module controller and said robot; and a third communication connection coupled to said module controller and adapted to communicate with said identification reader; wherein said module controller routes messages between said host processing controller and said robot over said first and second communication connection; and wherein said module controller is further adapted to read a material identification by communicating with said identification reader over said third communication connection when said module controller intercepts a material identification message from said host processing controller over said first communication connection.