Patent ID: 6532427
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of gathering statistical process control (SPC) information for a manufacturing process and presenting the SPC information to personnel responsible for the manufacturing process, comprising:(1) in an analysis information system, (A) automatically generating a text command file including (i) a text command for invoking a process data extraction program using the contents of a text script file as input, the process data extraction program storing raw data reflecting the performance of the manufacturing process with respect to predetermined process parameters, and (ii) a text command for copying an extracted data file generated by the process data extraction program to the analysis information system, (B) automatically generating the script file for use by the process data extraction program, the script file including a predetermined set of text responses to command-line queries automatically generated by the process data extraction program upon its invocation, and (C) automatically issuing a command to a process information system indicating that an extraction command routine is to be executed; (2) in the process information system, responding to the command from the analysis information system by automatically executing the extraction command routine, which routine includes (i) copying the command file from the analysis information system to the process information system, and (ii) executing the text commands appearing in the command file; and (3) in the analysis information system, (D) automatically performing statistical analysis on the extracted data file resulting from the execution of the extraction command routine, the statistical analysis resulting in data for a plurality of statistical parameters for the manufacturing process, (E) for each statistical parameter, automatically creating a corresponding graphical SPC chart file based on the associated data from the statistical analysis, (F) automatically creating hypertext summary information about the SPC chart files created for the manufacturing process, the hypertext summary including navigable links to the graphical SPC chart files, and (G) automatically posting the graphical SPC chart files and hypertext summary information in a network-accessible database so as to be available to the personnel responsible for the manufacturing process.