Patent ID: 7315851

Claim:
A method for creating a new control chart using a computer, the method comprising: providing a database including a plurality of statistical process control (SPC) control charts and a plurality of tables; determining that information stored in at least one of the plurality of tables has changed; determining whether the changed information is describable by at least one of the plurality of SPC control charts; updating the at least one of the plurality of SPC control Charts with the changed information using the computer, upon a determination that the changed information is describable by at least one of the plurality of SPC control charts; creating a new control chart that can describe the changed information, upon a determination that the changed information cannot be described by at least one of the plurality of SPC control charts; determining whether the new control chart is a new trend chart, which is a control chart that has not been previously used on tools of a type that is associated with the new control chart; calculating a plurality of control limit values, for the new control chart, when the new control chart is a new trend chart; determining whether the control limit values of the new control chart are the same as control limit values of at least one of the plurality of SPC control charts, when the new control chart is not a new trend chart; using on-line values for the control limit values of the new control chart, when the control limit values are the same; sending a command to the server for determining whether to create the new control chart, and what control limit values to set for the new control chart, when the control limit values are not the same; and applying the SPC control charts for monitoring production in manufacturing.