Planning and scheduling reconfigurable systems around off-line resources

• US 20040088207A1
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Fromherz, Markus P.J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system is provided to allow for planning and scheduling the work flow for reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules, which may have alternative capabilities. The system includes a system controller, at least one planning function for planning the production of work units without utilizing off-line modules, and at least one scheduling function for scheduling the production of work units without utilizing off-line modules.

Claims

1. A computer controlled system for planning and scheduling the work flow for reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules with a plurality of alternative capabilities, the system comprising:

a system controller;

at least one planning function for planning the production of work units without utilizing off-line modules; and

at least one scheduling function for scheduling the production of work units without utilizing off-line modules.

2. The system for planning and scheduling the work flow for reconfigurable production systems according to claim 1, wherein said planning function comprises;

means for selecting at least one work unit to be planned;

means for determining capabilities to produce said work unit, such that off-line modules are not utilized;

means for determining whether said capabilities to produce said work unit are available without utilizing said off-line modules;

means for removing said work unit from consideration if said capabilities to produce said work unit are not available without utilizing off-line modules;

means for modifying constraints using selection variables;

means for posting constraints on selection variables and common modules to memory;

means for posting timing and precedence constraints to memory; and

means for reserving a selected resource if only part of a job is being scheduled.

3. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein selecting a work unit to be planned is based on an input job description.

4. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein determining capabilities to produce said diagnostic work unit further comprises specifying a desired exit port and itinerary.

5. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein determining capabilities to produce said diagnostic work unit further comprises reducing said capabilities to a segment desired for said diagnostic work unit.

6. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 4, further comprising selecting alternative capabilities from the reconfigurable production system modules.

7. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein said selection variables are created automatically for each capability.

8. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein said selection variables comprise Boolean variables.

9. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein said modified constraints comprise timing constraints.

10. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein said modified constraints comprise the reservation of resources during intervals in which reconfigurable production system modules are occupied.

11. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, wherein posting timing and precedence constraints comprises connecting variables of all alternative capabilities to a single time variable.

12. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 1, wherein said scheduling function comprises:

means for selecting capabilities to be scheduled;

means for reserving exit resources for planned capabilities; and

means for solving for timing and selection variables.

13. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 2, further comprising means for acquiring at least one capability model from at least one machine module.

14. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 1, wherein said machine module comprises a print engine module.

15. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 1, wherein said machine module comprises an analysis module.

16. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 1, wherein said machine module comprises a manufacturing line module.

17. The system for planning and scheduling reconfigurable production systems according to claim 1, wherein said machine module comprises a packaging line module.

18. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules with a plurality of alternative capabilities, comprising:

planning the work flow for at least one reconfigurable production system, without utilizing off-line modules; and

scheduling the work flow for the plurality of modules in the reconfigurable production system, without utilizing off-line modules.

19. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 18, wherein planning said work flow comprises:

acquiring a description of work units to be produced;

selecting at least one of said work units to be planned;

determining the capabilities needed to produce said work unit without utilizing off-line modules;

determining whether the capabilities needed to produce said work unit without utilizing off-line modules are available;

modifying constraints using selection variables;

posting constraints on selection variables and common modules to memory; and

posting timing and precedence constraints to memory.

20. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules according to claim 19, further comprising removing said work unit from consideration if said capabilities to produce said work unit are not available without utilizing off-line resources.

21. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems having a plurality of modules according to claim 19, wherein determining the capabilities needed to produce said work unit comprises selecting alternative capabilities from the reconfigurable production system modules capabilities.

22. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said modified constraints comprise timing constraints.

23. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said modified constraints comprise the reservation of resources during the intervals in which reconfigurable production system modules are occupied.

24. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said selection variables are created automatically for each capability.

25. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said selection variables comprise Boolean variables.

26. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said precedence constraints comprise connecting the output variables of all alternative capabilities to a single time variable.

27. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, further comprising reserving a selected resource if only part of a job is being scheduled.

28. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 18, wherein scheduling the work flow for the plurality of modules in the reconfigurable production system comprises:

selecting capabilities to be scheduled;

reserving exit resources for planned capabilities within the same jobs; and

solving for timing and selection variables of planned capabilities.

29. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 28, wherein said selected capabilities include a subset of capabilities needed to produce said work unit.

30. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 28, wherein said selected capabilities include all of the capabilities needed to produce said work unit.

31. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said capabilities comprise capability models for at least one machine module.

32. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said capabilities comprise feature constraints.

33. A method for planning and scheduling the work flow for computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 19, wherein said capabilities comprise timing constraints.

34. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium which, when said program code is executed by said computer causes said computer to perform method steps for planning and scheduling computer controlled reconfigurable production systems, said method comprising:

planning the work flow for at least one reconfigurable production system without utilizing off-line modules; and

scheduling the work flow for the plurality of modules in the reconfigurable production system without utilizing off-line modules.

35. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium which, when said program code is executed by said computer causes said computer to perform method steps for planning and scheduling computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 34, wherein planning said work flow comprises:

acquiring a description of work units to be produced;

selecting at least one of said work units to be planned;

determining the capabilities needed to produce said work unit without utilizing off-line modules;

determining whether the capabilities needed to produce said work unit without utilizing off-line modules are available;

modifying constraints using selection variables;

posting constraints on selection variables and common modules to memory; and

posting timing and precedence constraints to memory.

36. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium which, when said program code is executed by said computer causes said computer to perform method steps for planning and scheduling computer controlled reconfigurable production systems according to claim 34, wherein scheduling said work flow comprises:

selecting capabilities to be scheduled;

reserving exit resources for planned capabilities within the same jobs; and

solving for timing and selection variables of planned capabilities.