User interface for reporting event-based production information in product manufacturing

• US 20030150908A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Markham, Charles Earl, Pokorny, Michael Roy, Reade, Walter Caswell, Nygaard, Kurt Sigurd, Lindsay, Jeffrey Dean, Barber, Douglas Gordon Barron, Mork, Jamie Scott, Stambuk, Jose Andres, Matheus, Jon Ray, Hoo, Winnie Shi Mei Shun
• Granted Patent: US 7,380,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 35/12 involving electrical means programme recording for copying purposes in a separate apparatus G05, G11
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0285 using neural networks and fuzzy logic
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

User interface for reporting event-based production information in product manufacturing. Some of the disclosed embodiments include a system, method, computer-readable medium, and display device for processing data stored in a database. The data include automatically collected event-based production information records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event. The embodiments are operable in an intelligent manufacturing system including a process for converting raw materials to a product, a process control system including one or more sensors capable of generating an alarm in response to an event that results in one of waste, machine delay, or decrease product quality, a data logger associated with the process control system for obtaining event parameters associated with the event, a database on a server for recording event parameters obtained by the data logger, and a reporting system cooperatively associated with the database for reporting productivity parameters regarding the process derived at least in part from the event parameters.

Claims

1. A method of processing data stored in a database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based waste and delay records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, the method comprising:

displaying a report user interface to a user, the user interface defining a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

receiving from the user a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types; and

retrieving report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to a user command.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the displayed user interface in response to the received selected time period and the received selected report type to indicate the selected time period and the selected report type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the retrieved report data as a graph or table or both.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the retrieved report data via at least one of a web page, a printed page, and a spreadsheet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial report types comprise waste opportunity cost, delay opportunity cost, and productivity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the time periods comprise at least one of a month-to-date time period, a week-to-date time period, a year-to-date time period, a last thirty days time period, a last seven days time period, and a user-specifiable time period.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the report user interface further defines at least one of a plant, a department, a machine, and a sector.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting, during a first process, event data relating to a material; and

storing the collected event data as a data record, wherein an identifier is associated with the data record, the data record being accessible via its associated identifier so that the collected event data is obtainable during a second process occurring subsequent to the first process, wherein the displaying, receiving, and retrieving occur during the second process.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining event-based production information pertaining to at least one of waste and delay from a documentation system in a manufacturing system;

storing the received production information as the data in the database; and

generating a financial report based on the stored production information in response to the retrieving.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

embedding an identification device in a material associated with a machine or product in a process, the identification device being adapted to generate a signal;

monitoring the generated signal from the identification device to identify the presence of a particular process condition; and

in response to an identified presence of a particular process condition, generating at least one record storing data related to the identified presence in the database.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification device generates a radio frequency signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the particular process condition is identified by detecting an absence of the signal generated by the identification device in the material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

14. A system comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components for processing data stored in a database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based waste and delay records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, the components comprising:

a view component for displaying a report user interface to a user, the user interface defining a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

an input component for receiving from the user a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types; and

an execution component for retrieving report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to a user command.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer-readable media further comprise a verification component for updating the displayed user interface in response to the selected time period and the selected report type received via the input component to indicate the selected time period and the selected report type.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a control module collecting the data during a first process, wherein the data relates to a material; and

a database module storing the data collected by the control module as the records, wherein an identifier within the database module is associated with each record, each record being accessible via its associated identifier so that the collected data in the database module is obtainable during a second process occurring subsequent to the first process as the report data, wherein the report data is used to modify an operating condition of the second process.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a control system for collecting event-based production information during manufacture of a product;

a database module for storing the collected production information as the data in the database for processing; and

a report module for creating a financial report by accessing the report data as retrieved by the execution component from the stored production information.

18. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method for processing data stored in a database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based waste and delay records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, the method comprising:

displaying a report user interface to a user on the display, the user interface defining a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

receiving from the user via the user interface selection device a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types;

receiving an execution signal from the user via the user interface selection device; and

retrieving report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to the received execution signal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising updating the displayed user interface in response to the received selected time period and the received selected report type to indicate the selected time period and the selected report type on the display.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

embedding a plurality of identification devices in a material;

monitoring the plurality of identification devices as the material passes through a component to obtain material position data indicating a position of the material with respect to the component;

storing the material position data as the data in the database; and

correlating the stored material position data with a quality control issue to identify corrective action, wherein a report includes the identified corrective action and the retrieved report data.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

embedding an identification device in a material associated with a machine or product in a process, the identification device being adapted to generate a signal;

monitoring the generated signal from the identification device to identify the presence of a particular process condition; and

in response to an identified presence of a particular process condition, generating at least one record storing data related to the identified presence in the database.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the identification device generates a radio frequency signal.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the particular process condition is identified by detecting an absence of the signal generated by the identification device in the material.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

collecting event-based production information during manufacture of a product, the production information comprising event data pertaining to at least one of waste and delay;

storing the collected production information as the data in the database; and

providing access to the stored production information to a financial system and/or a purchasing system to perform the retrieving.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying the retrieved report data as a graph or table or both.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the displaying comprises displaying the retrieved report data via at least one of a web page, a printed page, and a spreadsheet.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving from the user via the user interface selection device a request to drill down into the retrieved report data to retrieve additional report data.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 18.

29. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure for processing data stored in a database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based waste and delay records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, the data structure comprising:

a view field storing a report user interface for display to a user, the user interface defining a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

an input field storing a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types, the selected time period and the selected report type being received from the user; and

an execution field storing report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to a user command.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising a verification field storing updates to the report user interface stored in the view field, the updates being displayed in the report user interface in response to the received selected time period and the received selected report type stored in the input field, the updates being displayed in the user interface to indicate the selected time period and the selected report type.

31. A display device having rendered thereon a report user interface for processing data stored in a database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based waste and delay records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, the report user interface comprising:

a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types; and

a user command for retrieving report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to a user command.

32. The display device of claim 31, further comprising updates to the report user interface, the updates being displayed in the report user interface to indicate the selected time period and the selected report type.

33. The display device of claim 31, wherein the financial report types comprise waste opportunity cost, delay opportunity cost, and productivity.

34. The display device of claim 31, wherein the time periods comprise at least one of a month-to-date time period, a week-to-date time period, a year-to-date time period, a last thirty days time period, a last seven days time period, and a user-specifiable time period.

35. A method of processing data stored in a database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based production information records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, the method comprising:

displaying a report user interface to a user, the user interface defining a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

receiving from the user a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types; and

retrieving report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to a user command.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the production information comprises raw material usage information.

37. A system comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components for processing data stored in a database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based production information records in a manufacturing system wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, the components comprising:

a view component for displaying a report user interface to a user, the user interface defining a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

an input component for receiving from the user a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types; and

an execution component for retrieving report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to a user command.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the production information comprises raw material usage information.

39. A method of processing data stored in an event database, the data comprising automatically collected event-based waste and delay records in a manufacturing system for manufacturing a product, wherein each record represents an event and includes a timestamp, an event code, and a measure of cost or production loss associated with the event, each record being associated with raw materials information pertaining to one or more raw materials used in manufacture of the product, the method comprising:

displaying a report user interface to a user, the user interface defining a plurality of time periods and a plurality of financial report types;

receiving from the user a selected time period corresponding to one or more of the time periods and a selected report type corresponding to one or more of the report types; and

retrieving report data associated with the selected report type for the selected time period from the data in the database in response to a user command, wherein the report data comprises information derived from the raw materials information associated with the event records.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the raw materials information is in a raw materials database cooperatively associated with the event database.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein each event record contains a raw materials code for identifying the location of the raw materials information in the raw materials database.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the raw materials information is included in the event records of the event database.

43. The method of claim 39, further comprising receiving from the user a selected attribute of at least one of the one or more of the raw materials used in manufacturing the product and a selected attribute of the product or of the manufacturing process for the product, calculating a correlation between the selected attribute of the at least one of the one or more raw materials and the selected attribute of the product or of the manufacturing process, and displaying one or more results from calculating the correlation.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the raw materials information comprises event-based information from the production of at least one of the one or more raw materials.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein a raw material selected from the one or more raw materials has a length and the raw materials information pertaining to the raw material describes at least one attribute of the raw material as a function of position along the length of the raw material.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the report data includes information about the correlation between a raw material variable and a measure of at least one of product quality, a material property of the product, manufacturing waste, manufacturing delay, or manufacturing cost.

47. The method of claim 39, wherein a raw material selected from the one or more raw materials was taken from a specific location from a raw materials source, and wherein the specific location is included in the raw materials information for the raw material, the report data further comprising information relating the specific location of the raw material to at least one attribute of the product or of the manufacturing process.