Patent ID: 7233405
Filing Date: 2007-06-19
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer controlled system for planning and scheduling the work flow for reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules with a plurality of alternative capabilities, the system comprising: a system controller for enabling continued use of all available system modules by scheduling around at least one off-line module while interleaving at least one diagnostic work unit, wherein said controller receives descriptions of at least one work unit with its desired attributes, capability models from each of the plurality of modules, and the current state of the system, including operations currently being performed by the modules and capabilities previously planned and scheduled, wherein said capability models include timing constraints, feature constraints, and commands, wherein said timing constraints include the duration of execution of a capability, the time during which a module is occupied, or the reservation of a module, wherein said feature constraints include limits on the size of the work units being processed and transformation of the work units, and wherein said commands include the names or identifications of the operations corresponding to the capabilities, together with timing information; at least one planning function for planning the concurrent production of regular and diagnostic work units, wherein said diagnostic work units comprise non-standard work units an operator wants the system to perform during servicing of said at least one off-line module, wherein said planning function uses said capability models to determine how to produce the said desired attributes of said regular and diagnostic work units; and at least one scheduling function for scheduling the concurrent production of regular and diagnostic work units, wherein said diagnostic work units are scheduled to be performed on said off-line module, wherein said scheduling function schedules selected capabilities and provides a set of scheduled capabilities in the form of commands to the plurality of modules and a separate set of commands to said off-line module.