Working-system for single path and control method thereof

• US 7,136,715 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shinwon Patent & Law Firm
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Young-il
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US10/843,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 700/28, 700/99, 700/100, 700/101
• US Class Current: 700/100
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32304 Minimize flow time, tact, shortest processing, machining time
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A working-system for a single path having a plurality of equipment set along the single path and a plurality of working-objects performing predetermined jobs on the plurality of the equipment while moving along the single path, including: a simulator estimating job completion times according to job orders by which the jobs are processed, and priority orders among the jobs, in response to there being an interference between the working-objects; and a job allocator allocating the jobs having an optimal job order and an optimal priority order to an optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

Claims

1. A working-system for a single path having a plurality of equipment set along the single path and a plurality of working-objects performing predetermined jobs on the plurality of the equipment while moving along the single path, comprising:

a simulator estimating job completion times, for the single path, according to job orders by which the jobs are processed, and priority orders among the jobs, in response to there being an interference between the working-objects; and

a job allocator allocating the jobs having an optimal job order and an optimal priority order to an optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times based on the estimated job completion times.

2. The working-system according to claim 1, wherein the simulator estimates the job completion times for all the job orders and all the priority orders that a new job may take as the new job is assigned;

and

wherein the job allocator allocates the new job having the optimal job order and the optimal priority order to the optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

3. The working-system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of equipment comprises a shelf receiving and supplying goods;

and

the plurality of working-objects comprise at least one conveying unit loading and unloading the goods to and from the shelf.

4. The working-system according to claim 1, further comprising a job canceler canceling cancelable jobs among the allocated jobs that the working-objects were holding when a new job is assigned, wherein the simulator estimates the job completion times for all the job orders and all the priority orders for which the cancelled jobs may be newly assigned;

and

wherein the job allocator allocates the cancelled jobs having the optimal job order and the optimal priority order to the optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

5. The working-system according to claim 2, further comprising a job canceler canceling cancelable jobs among the allocated jobs that the working-objects were holding when the new job is assigned, wherein the simulator estimates the job completion times for all the job orders and all the priority orders for which the cancelled jobs may be newly assigned;

and

wherein the job allocator allocates the cancelled jobs having the optimal job order and the optimal priority order to the optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

6. The working-system according to claim 4, wherein the cancelable jobs of the working-objects that are conveying units are limited to loading operations.

7. The working-system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of equipment comprises a shelf receiving and supplying goods;

and

the plurality of working-objects comprise at least one conveying unit loading and unloading the goods to and from the shelf.

8. The working-system according to claim 1, wherein the job allocator increases a priority order of a job that has not been performed within a predetermined time after the job is assigned.

9. The working-system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a host interface to transfer data and an execution command to and from a host computer;

a job command/working-object controller to receive data on new jobs from the host interface;

a job command executor to execute job commands received from the job command/working-object controller;

a working-object interface to receive position and command descriptions from the job command/working-object controller, and search for the working-objects and the equipment required for completion of the jobs; and

a job distributor which contains the simulator and the job allocator.

10. The working-system according to claim 9, wherein the job command executor is a conveying unit or a robot system.

11. The working-system according to claim 1, wherein the job order occurs in response to one of the working-objects completing an allocated job.

12. A control method of a working-system for a single path having a plurality of equipment set along the single path and a plurality of working-objects performing predetermined jobs on the plurality of the equipment while moving along the single path, comprising:

estimating job completion times, for the single path, of possible job orders and priority orders that all the jobs may take; and

allocating the jobs having an optimal job order and an optimal priority order to an optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

13. The control method according to claim 12, further comprising:

estimating the job completion times for all the job orders and all the priority orders that a new job may take as the new job is assigned; and

allocating the new job having the optimal job order and the optimal priority order to the optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

14. The control method according to claim 13, further comprising:

canceling cancelable jobs among the jobs that the working-objects were holding when a new job is assigned;

estimating the job completion times for all the job orders and all the priority orders for which the cancelled jobs may be newly assigned; and

allocating the canceled jobs having the optimal job order and the optimal priority order to the optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

15. The control method according to claim 12, further comprising:

canceling cancelable jobs among the jobs that the working-objects were holding when a new job is assigned;

estimating the job completion times for all the job orders and all the priority orders for which the cancelled jobs may be newly assigned; and

allocating the canceled jobs having the optimal job order and the optimal priority order to the optimal working-object to minimize the job completion times.

16. The control method according to claim 12, further comprising increasing a priority order of a job that has not been performed within a predetermined time after the job is assigned.

17. A working-system for a single path having a plurality of equipment set along the single path and a plurality of working-objects performing predetermined jobs on the plurality of the equipment while moving along the single path, comprising:

a job distributing unit to simulate job completion times, for the single path, of different possible job orders as assigned to different combinations of working-objects in response to there being an interference between the working-objects;

wherein the job distributing unit allocates the jobs having an optimal job order to an optimal combination of working-objects.

18. A working-system for a single path having a plurality of equipment set along the single path and a plurality of working-objects performing predetermined jobs on the plurality of the equipment while moving along the single path, comprising:

a job distributing unit to simulate job completion times, for the single path, of different possible priority orders among the jobs as assigned to different combinations of working-objects;

wherein the job distributing unit allocates the jobs having an optimal priority order to an optimal combination of working-objects.