Patent ID: 7572169

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a workpiece, the method comprising: providing a manufacturing predictive control information for a finishing operation previously used by an at least one processor for an at least one predictive control and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information is at least in part derived from an operative network including an at least one finishing apparatus, an at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus, and an at least one piece of metrology equipment, and wherein the manufacturing predictive control information includes information members comprising: (i) an in-process cost of manufacture information related to the finishing operation, (ii) an information at least in part derived from the at least one piece of workpiece fabrication machinery other than the at least one finishing apparatus, (iii) an information at least in part derived from the at least one piece of metrology equipment, (iv) an in situ finishing information, (v) an at least one manufacturing control parameter related to the finishing operation, and (vi) an at least one process model; supplying the manufacturing predictive control information to an at least one computer; using the at least one computer to determine a change to an at least one information member in the manufacturing predictive control information; changing the at least one information member in the manufacturing predictive control information forming a changed manufacturing predictive control information; and supplying the changed manufacturing predictive control information for a changed predictive control for use in an at least one operative controller for controlling manufacturing related to the finishing operation.