Patent ID: 7653451

Claim:
A method of controlling a manufacturing system, said method comprising: monitoring, by a computer system, current levels of partially completed products within lots waiting to be processed by at least one tool in said manufacturing system; determining, by said computer system, whether said current levels exceed a predetermined limit, and automatically adjusting, by said computer system, scheduling criteria for said lots, depending upon whether said current levels exceed said predetermined limit, wherein said automatically adjusting of said scheduling criteria comprises: when said current levels exceed said predetermined limit, performing an optimization process for determining a schedule for processing said lots at said at least one tool, wherein said optimization process applies an optimization model that optimizes throughput and relieves congestion, depending on specific details of said at least one tool; and when said current levels do not exceed said predetermined limit, performing a dispatching process that continues processing said lots at said at least one tool, according to predetermined dispatching rules.