Patent ID: 8775137
Filing Date: 2014-07-08
Classification: B07C,G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method to model material flow between components of a package distribution system, comprising: modeling each component of the package distribution system, each component having an input behavior, an output behavior, and a functional behavior, the input behavior being described by a plurality of parameterizable input ports and a plurality of parameterizable internal input queuing areas and modeled by linking the input ports to the input queuing areas according to an input behavior mapping rule, the output behavior being described by a plurality of parameterizable internal output queuing areas and a plurality of parameterizable output ports and modeled by linking the output queuing areas to the output ports according to an output behavior mapping rule; and associating the output behavior of a preceding component with the input behavior of a succeeding component when the preceding and succeeding components are connected with an output-input relationship, wherein a general communication model employing communication types is used to model material flow between associated components, and according to the general communication model, the communication types are switchable for each component, for each component connection or for each change in material characteristics as the material is being transferred.