Systems and methods for automatically determining and/or inferring component end of life (EOL)

• US 20050187744A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Clay, William Steven, Morrison, James R.
• Application Number:
  US10/889,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20050187744A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and methodology for facilitating managing product life cycle. A component that determines relevance of components to a product; an analyzing component that determines, infers or predicts obsolescence, level of risk to EOL of a subset of the components. A substitution component that identifies replacement components and suppliers for the subset of components. A cost analysis component that determines material/components cost savings, and redesign cost implementation and/or redesign cost avoidance.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates managing product life cycle, comprising:

a component that determines relevance of components to a product; and

an analyzing component that determines, infers or predicts obsolescence and/or Risk to end-of-life (EOL) of a subset of the components.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a substitution component that identifies replacement components for the subset of components.

3. The system of claim 2, the substitution component identifying suppliers of the replacement components.

4. The system of claim 3, the substitution component determining availability and/or Risk of use of the replacement components.

5. The system of claim 4, the substitution component determining supply of the replacement components.

6. The system of claim 2, the substitution component determining cost of the replacement components.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that performs a probabilistic based analysis of the obsolescence-related risk, and/or level of risk to EOL associated with the components.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that performs a statistical based analysis of the obsolescence-related risk, and/or level of risk to EOL associated with the components.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence (AI) component that performs a rule-based analysis of the obsolescence-related risk, and/or level of risk to EOL associated with the components.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a tracking component that dynamically monitors availability of the subset of components.

11. The system of claim 2, further comprising a tracking component that dynamically monitors availability of the replacement components.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cost analysis component that determines savings relative to redesign avoidance efforts not previously identified prior to initiating a Materials Risk Analysis.

13. The system of claim 2, the substitution component determining cost to implement the replacement components.

14. The system of claim 2, the substitution Component determining component cost savings from implementation of the replacement components.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising dynamically tracking the identified components.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising identifying suppliers of the replacement components.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising automatically ordering the replacement components.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising performing a probabilistic-based utility analysis in connection with determining suitable replacement components.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising performing a statistical-based utility analysis in connection with determining suitable replacement components.

21. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 12.

22. A computer readable medium having stored thereon the computer executable components of claim 1.

15. A computer implemented method to facilitate component management, comprising:

identifying the level of component risk to obsolete, EOL or unavailable;

determining risk associated with obsolescence, EOL or unavailability of a subset of the components; and

determining suitable replacement components for any of the subset of components having an undesirable level of risk.

23. A computer implemented system to facilitate component management, comprising:

means for identifying the level of component risk to obsolete, EOL or unavailable;

means for analyzing risk associated with obsolescence, level of risk to EOL or unavailability of a subset of the components; and

means for determining suitable replacement components and suppliers of replacement components for any of the subset of components having an undesirable level of risk.