Patent ID: 7477958
Filing Date: 2009-01-13
Classification: G05B,G06Q,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for scheduling lots of product through operations in a manufacturing line, comprising: selecting a sequential subset of a set of sequential operations required to manufacture said lots; partitioning said lots of product into designated lots and non-designated lots, said designated lots having a property of decreasing process yield with increasing cycle time through said sequential subset of said set of operations, said non-designated lots having a property of process yield not changing significantly as a function of cycle time through said sequential subset of said set of operations; generating a release schedule for each of said non-designated lots into one or more operations of said sequential subset of said set of sequential operations; generating a release schedule for each of said designated lots into each operation of said sequential subset of said set of sequential operations such that for each designated lot a total amount of time measured from completion of a first operation of said sequential subset of said set of sequential operations through start of a last operation of sequential subset of said set of sequential operations does not exceed a target amount of time for said designated lots, said target amount of time being an amount of time selected to minimize process yield degradation of said designated lots; and said generating said release schedule for each of said designated lots including, for each lot of said designated lots: