Applying relational database technology to process control in manufacturing processes

• US 6,466,935 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stuart, Anthony Franke
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mofiz, Apu M.
• Application Number:
  US09/327,372
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/104.1, 705/1, 705/10, 705/16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31485 Verify and update all related data in relational database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32015 Optimize, process management, optimize production line
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32252 Scheduling production, machining, job shop
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32283 Machine scheduling, several machines, several jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32304 Minimize flow time, tact, shortest processing, machining time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system, method, and program for controlling a manufacturing process is described. A highest priority work item having a ready status for a processing step is retrieved from one or more relational database tables. The processing step is performed by either a processing device or by a work flow management system having one or more work managers. Upon completion of the processing step, the status of the work item in the one or more relational database tables is updated to a completed status of the processing step. The completed status of the processing step represents a ready status for a new processing step. For one embodiment of the present invention, the manufacturing process is a production printing and mailing operation that performs a plurality of processing steps on a mail piece. As the mail piece is processed, it is transformed from a print file to printed media in an envelope ready for mailing.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a production process, comprising:

(a) creating at least one row for each work item to be processed and at least one column for each attribute associated with one or more of the work items in one or more relational database tables;

(b) determining a highest priority work item having a ready status for a processing step based on an ordering of the attributes;

(c) retrieving said highest priority work item from the one or more relational database tables;

(d) performing the processing step on the work item or designating one or more processing devices to perform the processing step on the work item; and

(e) upon completion of the processing step, updating the status of the work item to a completed status for the processing step, the completed status for the processing step representing a ready status for a next processing step.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating steps (a) through (e) until each of the work items is processed by the one or more processing steps.

3. The method of claim 1. wherein step (b) comprises determining the highest priority work item having the ready status for the processing step by querying the one or more relational database tables.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after step (c), updating the status of the work item to a processing status for the processing step.

5. A method of controlling a production process, comprising:

(a) creating at least one row for each work item to be processed and at least one column for each attribute associated with one or more of the work items in one or more relational database tables;

(b) retrieving a highest priority work item having a ready status for a processing step from the one or more relational database tables where priority is determined based on an ordering of the attributes;

(c) performing the processing step on the work item or designating a processing device to perform the processing step on the work item; and

(d) upon completion of the processing step, updating the status of the work item to a completed status for the processing step, the completed status for the processing step representing a ready status for a next processing step.

6. A method of controlling a production process, comprising:

(a) retrieving from a relational database table a highest priority work item having a ready status for a first processing step by querying the relational database table;

b) performing the first processing step on the work item or designating a first processing device to perform the first processing step on the work item;

(c) updating the status of the work item to a completed status for the first processing step, the completed status for the first processing step representing a ready status for a second processing step;

(d) retrieving from the relational database table the highest priority work item having a ready status for the second processing step by querying the relational database table;

(e) performing the second processing step on the work item or designating a second processing device to perform the second processing step on the work item; and

(f) updating the status of the work item to a completed status for the second processing step, the completed status for the second processing step representing a ready status for a next processing step.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

(g) creating at least one row for the work item and at least one column for each attribute associated with the work item in the relational database table.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, prior to step (a), determining the work item having the highest priority ready status for the first processing step based on a first ordering of the one or more attributes;

and

further comprising, prior to step (d), determining the work item having the highest priority ready status for the second processing step based on a second ordering of the one or more attributes.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising,

(g) repeating steps (d) through (f) until the work item is fully processed.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, after step (a), updating the status of the first work item to a processing status for the first processing step;

and

further comprising, after step (d), updating the status of the second work item to a processing status for the second processing step.

11. A method of controlling a production printing process, comprising:

(a) creating at least one row in a first set of relational database tables for each large print file to be processed by a plurality of processing steps;

(b) retrieving a highest priority large print file from the first set of relational database tables;

(c) subdividing the highest priority large print file into multiple small print files;

(d) creating at least one row in a second set of relational database tables to represent each of the small print files;

(e) retrieving a highest priority small print file having the ready status for print pre-processing from the second set of relational database tables;

(f) performing the print pre-preprocessing on the small print file or designating a second processing device for performing the print pre-processing on the small print file; and

(g) upon completion of print pre-processing, updating the status of the small print file to a ready status for printing

(h) retrieving a highest priority small print file having a ready status for printing from the second set of relational database tables;

(i) printing the small print file or designating a second processing device to print the small print file; and

(j) upon completion of printing, updating the status of the small print file to a ready status for print post-processing.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(k) retrieving a highest priority small print file having the ready status for print post-processing from the second set of relational database tables;

(l) performing the print post-processing on the small print file or designating a third processing device to perform print post-processing on the small print file; and

(m) upon completion of the print post-processing, updating the status of the small print file to a completed status for print post-processing.

13. A method of controlling a production printing process, comprising:

(a) creating at least one row for each print file to be processed and at least one column for each attribute associated with one or more of the print files in one or more relational database tables;

(b) determining a highest priority print file having a ready status for print pre-processing based on a first ordering of the attributes;

(c) retrieving said highest priority print file for print pre-processing from the one or more relational database tables;

(d) performing the print pre-processing on the print file or designating a first processing device to perform the print pre-processing on the print file;

(e) upon completion of the print pre-processing, updating the ready status of the print file to a ready status for printing;

(f) retrieving sold highest priority print file for printing from the one or more relational database tables;

(g) printing the print file or designating a second processing device to print the print file;

(h) upon completion of printing, updating the status of the print file to a ready status for print post-processing;

(i) determining a highest priority print file having a ready status for priority based on a second ordering of the attributes;

(j) retrieving said highest priority print file for print post-processing from the one or more relational database tables;

(k) performing print post-processing on the print file or designating a third processing device to perform print post-processing on the print file; and

(l) upon completion of print post-processing, updating the status of the print file to a completed status for print post-processing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising repeating steps (b) through (l) until each of the print files is processed by one or more processing steps.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein step (c) comprises retrieving the highest priority print file having the ready status for print pre-processing from the one or more relational database tables by querying the one or more relational database tables, and

wherein step (f) comprises retrieving the highest priority print file having the ready status for printing from the one or more relational database tables by querying the one or more relational database tables, and

wherein step (j) comprises retrieving the highest priority print file having the ready status for print post-processing from the one or more relational database tables by querying the one or more relational database tables.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising, after step (c), updating the status to a processing status for print pre-processing, and

further comprising, after step (f), updating the status to a processing status for printing, and

further comprising, after step (j), updating the status to a processing status for print post-processing.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the highest priority print file having the ready status for print pre-processing represents data, and wherein the highest priority print file having the ready status for printing represents data, and wherein the highest priority print file having the ready status for print post-processing represents printed media.

18. A method of manufacturing finished goods, comprising:

(a) creating at least one row for each work item to be processed and at least one column for each attribute associated with one or more of the work items in one or more relational database tables;

(b) determining the highest priority work item having the ready status for the processing step based on an ordering of the one or more attributes

(c) retrieving said highest priority work item from the one or more relational database tables;

(d) performing the processing step on the work item; and

(e) upon completion of the processing step, updating the status of the work item to a completed status for the processing step, the completed status for the processing step representing a ready status for a next processing step.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising repeating steps (b) through (e) until each of the work items is processed by the one or more processing steps required to manufacture the finished goods.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein step (c) comprises retrieving the highest priority work item having the ready status for the processing step by querying the one or more relational database tables.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising, after step (c), updating the status of the work item to a processing status for the processing step.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein step (d) comprises performing the processing step on the work item by a processing device.

23. A computer program having computer-readable program code means on a computer-usable medium, the computer program comprising:

(a) means for causing the creation of at least one row for each work item to be processed and at least one column for each attribute associated with one or more work items in one or more relational database tables;

(b) means for causing the determination of the highest priority work item having the ready status for the processing step based on an ordering of the one or more attributes;

(c) means for causing the retrieval of a highest priority work item having a ready status for a processing step from one or more relational database tables;

(d) means for causing the processing of the processing step on the work item; and

(e) means for causing the updating of the status of the work item to a completed status for the processing step upon completion of the processing step, the completed status for the processing step representing a ready status for a next processing step.

24. The computer program of claim 23, further comprising means for causing the querying of the one or more relational database tables.

25. The computer program of claim 23, further comprising means for causing the updating of the status of the work item to a processing status for the processing step.

26. A computer program having computer-readable program code means on a computer-usable medium, the computer program comprising:

(a) means for causing the creation of at least one row for each work item to be processed and at least one column for each attribute associated with one or more of the work items in one or more relational database tables;

(b) means for causing the retrieval of a highest priority work item having a ready status for a processing step from the one or more relational database tables where priority is determined based on an ordering of the attributes;

(c) means for causing the processing of the processing step on the work item or causing a processing device to perform the processing step on the work item; and

(d) means for causing the updating of the status of the work item to a completed status for the processing step upon completion of the processing step, the completed status for the processing step representing a ready status for a next processing step.