Finding a Shortest Waste Credit Path for a Manufacturing Process
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- creating a directed graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of directed edges that connect the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes represent components and processes, and wherein the plurality of directed edges represent a time order of the components and processes in a plurality of manufacturing processes;
calculating a plurality of amounts of waste credits for a plurality of respective tail nodes in the directed graph;
storing the plurality of amounts of waste credits as weights of entering directed edges of the respective tail nodes; and
finding a shortest path from a begin node of the directed graph to a final node of the directed graph.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In an embodiment, a directed graph is created that includes nodes and directed edges that connect the nodes. The nodes represent components and processes, and the directed edges represent a time order of the components and processes in manufacturing processes. Amounts of waste credits for tail nodes in the directed graph are calculated and stored as weights of entering directed edges of the respective tail nodes. The waste credits represent tradable permits for the components and processes to emit waste as part of the manufacturing processes. A shortest path from a begin node to a final node is found, where the shortest path has a lowest sum of its weights, as compared to the sum of the weights for all other paths that exist in the directed graph from the begin node to the final node.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method comprising:
-
creating a directed graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of directed edges that connect the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes represent components and processes, and wherein the plurality of directed edges represent a time order of the components and processes in a plurality of manufacturing processes; calculating a plurality of amounts of waste credits for a plurality of respective tail nodes in the directed graph; storing the plurality of amounts of waste credits as weights of entering directed edges of the respective tail nodes; and finding a shortest path from a begin node of the directed graph to a final node of the directed graph. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A storage medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:
-
creating a directed graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of directed edges that connect the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes represent components and processes, and wherein the plurality of directed edges represent a time order of the components and processes in a plurality of manufacturing processes; calculating a plurality of amounts of waste credits for a plurality of respective tail nodes in the directed graph; storing the plurality of amounts of waste credits as weights of entering directed edges of the respective tail nodes; and finding a shortest path from a begin node of the directed graph to a final node of the directed graph. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A computer system comprising:
-
a processor; and memory connected to the processor, wherein the memory encodes instructions that when executed by the processor comprise; creating a directed graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of directed edges that connect the plurality of nodes, wherein the plurality of nodes represent components and processes, and wherein the plurality of directed edges represent a time order of the components and processes in a plurality of manufacturing processes, calculating a plurality of amounts of waste credits for a plurality of respective tail nodes in the directed graph, storing the plurality of amounts of waste credits as weights of entering directed edges of the respective tail nodes, and finding a shortest path from a begin node of the directed graph to a final node of the directed graph. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification