Collaborative batch aggregation and scheduling in a manufacturing environment
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for aggregating and scheduling product batches in a manufacturing environment, comprising:
- using a batch aggregation engine implementing a mathematical programming strategy, allocating one or more product demands to one or more product batches having suggested sizes and suggested starting times, the mathematical programming strategy comprising evaluating a plurality of time-based penalties relative to one another in allocating the demands to the batches, the time-based penalties being based on relationships between suggested starting times for batches and times of demands being considered for allocation to batches; and
communicating the suggested sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times from the batch aggregation engine to a scheduling engine to assist the scheduling engine in scheduling starting times for the batches.
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Abstract
In one aspect, a computer-implemented method is provided for aggregating and scheduling product batches in a manufacturing environment. Using a batch aggregation engine implementing a mathematical programming strategy, one or more product demands are allocated to one or more product batches having suggested sizes and suggested starting times. The mathematical programming strategy includes evaluating a number of time-based penalties relative to one another in allocating the demands to the batches, the time-based penalties being based on relationships between suggested starting times for batches and times of demands being considered for allocation to batches. The suggested sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times are communicated from the batch aggregation engine to a scheduling engine to assist the scheduling engine in scheduling starting times for the batches.
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Citations
84 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for aggregating and scheduling product batches in a manufacturing environment, comprising:
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using a batch aggregation engine implementing a mathematical programming strategy, allocating one or more product demands to one or more product batches having suggested sizes and suggested starting times, the mathematical programming strategy comprising evaluating a plurality of time-based penalties relative to one another in allocating the demands to the batches, the time-based penalties being based on relationships between suggested starting times for batches and times of demands being considered for allocation to batches; and
communicating the suggested sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times from the batch aggregation engine to a scheduling engine to assist the scheduling engine in scheduling starting times for the batches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer-based system for aggregating and scheduling product batches in a manufacturing environment, comprising a batch aggregation engine operable to:
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allocate one or more product demands to one or more product batches having suggested sizes and suggested starting times according to a mathematical programming strategy, the mathematical programming strategy comprising evaluating a plurality of time-based penalties relative to one another in allocating the demands to the batches, the time-based penalties being based on relationships between suggested starting times for batches and times of demands being considered for allocation to batches; and
communicate the suggested batch sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times from the batch aggregation engine to a scheduling engine to assist the scheduling engine in scheduling starting times for the batches. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. Computer software for aggregating and scheduling product batches in a manufacturing environment, the software embodied in one or more computer-readable media, the software comprising batch aggregation software operable when executed to:
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allocate one or more product demands to one or more product batches having suggested sizes and suggested starting times according to a mathematical programming strategy, the mathematical programming strategy comprising evaluating a plurality of time-based penalties relative to one another in allocating the demands to the batches, the time-based penalties being based on relationships between suggested starting times for batches and times of demands being considered for allocation to batches; and
communicate the suggested sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times from the batch aggregation software to scheduling software to assist the scheduling software in scheduling starting times for the batches. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. A system for aggregating and scheduling product batches in a manufacturing environment, comprising:
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batch aggregation means for allocating one or more product demands to one or more product batches having suggested sizes and suggested starting times according to a mathematical programming strategy, the mathematical programming strategy comprising evaluating a plurality of time-based penalties relative to one another in allocating the demands to the batches, the time-based penalties being based on relationships between suggested starting times for batches and times of demands being considered for allocation to batches; and
communication means for communicating the suggested sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times from the batch aggregation means to scheduling means for scheduling starting times for batches to assist the scheduling means in scheduling starting times for the batches.
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84. A method for aggregating and scheduling product batches in a manufacturing environment, comprising:
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using a batch aggregation engine implementing a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) strategy, allocating one or more product demands to one or more product batches having suggested sizes and suggested starting times, the MILP strategy comprising evaluating a plurality of time-based penalties relative to one another in allocating the demands to the batches, the time-based penalties being based on relationships between suggested starting times for batches and times of demands being considered for allocation to batches; and
communicating the suggested sizes, the suggested starting times, and feedback relating to the suggested sizes and suggested starting times from the batch aggregation engine to a scheduling engine to assist the scheduling engine in scheduling starting times for the batches, the feedback communicated from the batch aggregation engine to the scheduling engine comprising one or more penalties associated with deviating from at least one of the suggested sizes or at least one of the suggested starting times;
using the scheduling engine, scheduling starting times for the batches according to the suggested sizes, suggested starting times, and associated feedback received from the batch aggregation engine; and
communicating the scheduled starting times and feedback relating to the scheduled starting times from the scheduling engine to the batch aggregation engine to assist the batch aggregation engine, implementing the MILP strategy, in re-allocating one or more demands to one or more batches according to the scheduled starting times and associated feedback received from the scheduling engine, the feedback communicated from the scheduling engine to the batch aggregation engine comprising one or more time-based penalties associated with deviating from at least one of the scheduled starting times; and
repeating the above steps in an iterative cycle until the batch aggregation engine and the scheduling engine collaboratively reach a sufficiently optimal batch aggregation and scheduling solution or until a predetermined number of iterations has been reached.
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Specification