Patent ID: 6856848

Claim:
A method of controlling, in a production line in which a plurality of products are progressed successively by using a plurality of apparatus, progress of processing for the plurality of products, the plurality of products including a first product, a second product, a first group of related products which is at least one product related to the first product such that the first group of related products are processed after evaluating a result of processing for the first product, and a second group of related products which is at least one product related to the second product such that the second group of related products are processed after evaluating a result of processing for the second product, the method comprising the steps of: controlling states of processing for the plurality of products in the plurality of apparatus to specify the first group of related products and the second group of related products, based on the states of processing for the plurality of products; and changing a processing priority for the first product or the second product based on numbers of products composing the first group of related products and numbers of products composing the second group of related products.