System for control and resource allocation for the manufacture of a product

• US 6,195,590 B1
• Filed: 02/11/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Roger A. Powell
• Original Assignee: Roger A. Powell
• Inventors: Powell, Roger A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US09/022,251
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 700/36, 700/97, 700/99, 700/100, 700/101, 700/102, 700/104, 700/108, 708/8, 708/29, 709/106, 709/102
• US Class Current: 700/36
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31407 Machining, work, process finish time estimation, calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A control system for the manufacture of a product. A network of activities is created in a primary computer and a baseline schedule is determined. The baseline schedule dates are transmitted to a plurality of secondary computers. The secondary computers monitor external elements used in the activities and predict constraints using delta values. Delta values are a direct estimate of the impact on the final completion date. This allows potential effects to be evaluated in parallel. Resources are redistributed based on the delta values to minimize time and cost.

Claims

1. A system for the control of the production of a product, comprising:

a primary computer, said primary computer accepting the following inputs;

a list of activities in said production, interdependencies of the time sequence of said activities, time duration estimates of said activities, and a desired completion date of said production, said primary computer calculating a baseline schedule date for the start of each said activity, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being calculated by subtracting the duration of said activity from the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity, said desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date, said primary computer storing said baseline schedule dates, said primary computer communicating a baseline schedule date to a secondary computer,

said secondary computer accepting the following inputs;

designations of external elements required to start an activity and an availability date for each of said external elements, said secondary computer calculating a delta value for each of said external elements, said delta value being equal to the amount of lateness of said availability date with respect to said baseline schedule date for said activity, and said secondary computer identifying the external element having the largest delta value for said activity, said secondary computer communicating the largest external element delta value for said activity to said primary computer,

connecting means for communicating between said primary computer and said secondary computer.

2. A system for the control of the production of a product as recited in claim 1, further comprising allocation means for redistributing resources to said external element having the greatest delta value thereby representing the greatest amount of lateness.

3. A system for the control of the production of a product as recited in claim 1, further comprising said production of a product, said production process applying resources to transform an article from an initial state into a different state.

4. A system for the control of the production of a product as recited in claim 1, wherein said primary computer determines a largest delta value for all said activities and and displays said largest delta value for all said activities.

5. A system for the control of the production of a product as recited in claim 1, wherein said secondary computer compares updated revisions of delta values of said external elements for said activity to a project activity target value received from said primary computer, and said secondary computer displays updated revisions of delta values that exceed said project activity target value.

6. A system for the control of the production of a product as recited in claim 1, wherein said secondary computer accepts as input an actual date of completion of an activity, said secondary computer calculates a delta value for said actual completion, said delta value being equal to the degree of lateness of said actual completion date with respect to said baseline schedule date for said completion of said activity, said secondary computer communicating said delta value to said primary computer using connecting means for communicating.

16. A method for the operation of a secondary computer as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

receiving from a project control primary computer a project activity target value for all activities,

storing in said secondary computer said project activity target value for all activities received from said primary computer,

identifying and displaying said external elements having delta values more late than said project activity target value.

7. A system for the control of the production of a product, comprising:

a primary computer, said primary computer accepting the following inputs;

a list of activities in said production, interdependencies of the time sequence of said activities, time duration estimates of said activities, and a desired completion date of said process, said primary computer calculating a baseline schedule date for the start of each said activity, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being calculated by subtracting the duration of said activity from the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity, said desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date, said primary computer transmitting said baseline schedule dates to a computer network server for storage,

a secondary computer, said secondary computer accepting the following inputs;

designations of external elements required to start an activity and an availability date for each of said external elements, said secondary computer retrieving the baseline schedule date for said activity from said computer network server, said secondary computer calculating a delta value for each of said external elements, said delta value being equal to the amount of lateness of said availability date with respect to said baseline schedule date for said activity, and said secondary computer identifying the external element having the largest delta value for said activity said secondary computer communicating the largest external element delta value for said activity to said computer network server,

said computer network server receiving data from said primary computer and from said secondary computer, and providing storage locations for said data

means for interconnecting said primary computer, said secondary computer, and said computer network server, said means for interconnecting being capable of communicating computer-readable data signals.

8. A method for the control of a project, comprising:

entering into a primary computer the following inputs;

a list of activities in said project, interdependencies of the time sequence of said activities, time duration estimates of said activities, and a desired completion date,

calculating in said primary computer a baseline schedule date for the start of each said activity, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being equal to the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity minus said estimated time duration of said activity, said desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date in said network,

communicating said baseline schedule date to a secondary computer,

entering into said secondary computer the following inputs;

designations of external elements required to start an activity and the availability date for each of said external elements,

calculating, in said secondary computer, a delta value for each of said external elements, said delta value being equal to the amount of lateness of said availability date with respect to said baseline schedule date for said activity,

determining in said secondary computer the most late delta value,

communicating said most late delta value from said secondary computer to said primary computer,

storing in said primary computer said most late delta value received from said secondary computer.

9. A method for the control of a project as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

redistributing resources to said external elements having the most late delta values,

producing a product by applying resources to transform an article from an initial state to a different state.

10. A method for the control of a project as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

determining by said primary computer a most late delta value for all activities,

communicating a project activity target value for all activities from said primary computer to said secondary computer.

11. A method for the control of a project as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

comparing by said secondary computer of updated revisions of delta values of said external elements for said activity to said project activity target value for all said activities received from said primary computer,

displaying by said secondary computer all updated revisions to delta values that are more late than said project activity target value for all said activities.

12. A method for the operation of a project control primary computer, comprising:

entering into said project control primary computer the following inputs;

a list of activities in said project, interdependencies of the time sequence of said activities, time duration estimates of said activities, and a desired completion date,

calculating in said project control primary computer a baseline schedule date for the start of each said activity, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being equal to the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity minus said estimated time duration of said activity, said desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date in said project,

storing said baseline schedule dates,

transmitting said baseline schedule date to a plurality of secondary computers,

receiving from said secondary computers a most late delta value for each activity,

storing in said project control primary computer said most late delta values for each activity received from said secondary computers,

determining the latest delta value from amongst all most late delta values received from said secondary computers and displaying said latest delta value.

13. A method for the operation of a project control primary computer as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a project activity target value for all activities to said secondary computers.

14. A method for the operation of a secondary computer, comprising:

entering into and storing in said secondary computer the following inputs;

designations of external elements required to start an activity, the availability date for each of said external elements, and a baseline schedule date for the start of said activity,

calculating, in said secondary computer, a delta value for each of said external elements, said delta value being equal to the amount of lateness of said availability date with respect to said baseline schedule date for said activity,

determining and storing in said secondary computer the most late delta value for said activity,

displaying said most late delta value for said activity.

15. A method for the operation of a secondary computer as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting said most late delta value for said activity from said secondary computer to a project control primary computer.

17. A secondary computer, comprising:

means for entering into and storing in said secondary computer the following inputs;

designations of external elements required to start an activity, the availability date for each of said external elements, and a baseline schedule date for the start of said activity,

means for calculating, in said secondary computer, a delta value for each of said external elements, said delta value being equal to the amount of lateness of said availability date with respect to said baseline schedule date for said activity,

means for determining and storing in said secondary computer the most late delta value,

means for displaying said most late delta value.

18. A secondary computer, comprising:

means for receiving a computer readable data signal containing a baseline schedule date for the start of an activity in a network of activities, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being equal to the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity minus an estimated time duration of said activity, a desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date in said network,

means for storing said baseline schedule date,

means for entering a selection of said activity into said secondary computer,

means for displaying said baseline schedule date in response to said selection.

19. A secondary computer as recited in claim 18, wherein computer readable data signal is a broadcast signal.

20. A secondary computer as recited in claim 18, wherein said means for receiving also receives a computer readable data signal containing a project activity target value for all activities, and said means for displaying also displays said project activity target value.

21. A secondary computer as recited in claim 18, wherein said secondary computer is sufficiently small so as to be held in one human hand and operated while held in said human hand.

22. A method for the operation of a computer network server, comprising:

receiving from a primary computer a baseline schedule date for the start of each activity in a network of activities, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being equal to the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity minus an estimated time duration for said activity, a desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date in said network,

storing said baseline schedule dates,

transmitting a baseline schedule date for an activity to a secondary computer,

receiving from said secondary computer a most late delta value for said activity,

storing most late delta value for said activity,

transmitting said most late delta value to said primary computer.

23. A method for the operation of a computer network server as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a project activity target value for all activities from said primary computer,

storing said project activity target value,

transmitting said project activity target value to said secondary computer.

24. A program storage device readable by a computer network server, embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer network server to perform method steps, comprising:

receiving from a primary computer a baseline schedule date for the start of each activity in a network of activities, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being equal to the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity minus an estimated time duration for said activity, a desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date in said network,

storing said baseline schedule dates,

transmitting a baseline schedule date for an activity to a secondary computer,

receiving from said secondary computer a most late delta value for said activity,

storing most late delta value for said activity,

transmitting said most late delta value to said primary computer.

25. A program storage device readable by a computer network server as recited in claim 24, embodying a program of instructions executable by said computer network server to perform method steps, further comprising:

receiving a project activity target value for all activities from said primary computer,

storing said project activity target value,

transmitting said project activity target value to said secondary computer.

26. A program storage device readable by a primary computer, embodying a program of instructions executable by said primary computer to perform method steps, comprising:

receiving into and storing in said primary computer the following inputs;

a list of activities in a network, interdependencies of the time sequence of said activities, time duration estimates of said activities, and a desired completion date,

calculating in said primary computer a baseline schedule date for the start of each said activity, said baseline schedule date for the start of each activity being equal to the baseline schedule date for the start of the following activity minus said estimated time duration of said activity, said desired completion date being the last baseline schedule date in said network,

storing in said primary computer said baseline schedule dates,

transmitting from said primary computer said baseline schedule dates to a plurality of secondary computers,

receiving from said secondary computers a most late delta value for an activity,

storing in said primary computer said most late delta values received from said secondary computers,

determining in said primary computer the latest delta value from amongst all most late delta values received from said secondary computers and displaying said latest delta value.

27. A program storage device readable by a primary computer as recited in claim 26, embodying a program of instructions executable by said primary computer to perform method steps, further comprising:

receiving into and storing in said primary computer a project activity target value for all activities,

transmitting from said primary computer said project activity target value to said secondary computers.

28. A program storage device readable by a secondary computer, embodying a program of instructions executable by said secondary computer to perform method steps, comprising:

entering into and storing in said secondary computer the following inputs;

designations of external elements required to start an activity, the availability date for each of said external elements, and a baseline schedule date for the start of said activity,

calculating, in said secondary computer, a delta value for each of said external elements, said delta value being equal to the amount of lateness of said availability date with respect to said baseline schedule date for said activity,

determining and storing in said secondary computer the most late delta value,

displaying said most late delta value.

29. A computer program product for use in a graphics display device, said graphics display device being a part of a secondary computer, said computer program product, comprising:

a computer useable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium,

computer readable program code means for displaying a tabular matrix of information on said graphical display device, said tabular matrix having four columns and a plurality of rows, a first column having designators of external elements, a second column having a baseline schedule date for the start of an activity requiring said external elements, a third column having the availability date for each of said external elements, and a fourth column having the amount of lateness of each of said availability dates with respect to said baseline schedule date,

computer readable program code means for accepting as input said designators of external elements, said baseline schedule date, and said availability dates,

computer readable program code means for calculating said amount of lateness of each said availability date with respect to said baseline schedule date.