Scheduling tools with queue time constraints
First Claim
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1. A method for use in an automated manufacturing environment, comprising:
- autonomously scheduling a consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by a plurality of provider manufacturing domain entities in an automated process flow; and
constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow, including;
negotiating for appointments that will comply with maximum queue times; and
considering the risk of queue time violations when selecting bids.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for use in an automated manufacturing environment are disclosed. The method includes autonomously scheduling a consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by a plurality of provider manufacturing domain entities in an automated process flow; and constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow. The apparatus includes a program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, performs such a method; a computing apparatus programmed to perform such a method, and an automated process flow implementing such a method.
63 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for use in an automated manufacturing environment, comprising:
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autonomously scheduling a consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by a plurality of provider manufacturing domain entities in an automated process flow; and constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow, including; negotiating for appointments that will comply with maximum queue times; and considering the risk of queue time violations when selecting bids. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for use in an automated manufacturing environment, the apparatus comprising:
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means for autonomously scheduling a consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by a plurality of provider manufacturing domain entities in an automated process flow; and means for constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow, including; means for negotiating for appointments that will comply with maximum queue times; and means for considering the risk of queue time violations when selecting bids. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computing apparatus, comprising:
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a computing device; a bus system; a storage communicating with the computing device over the bus system; and a plurality of software-implemented agents residing on the storage that, when invoked by the computing device, performs a method for use in an automated manufacturing environment, the method comprising; autonomously scheduling a consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by a plurality of provider manufacturing domain entities in an automated process flow; and constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow, including; negotiating for appointments that will comply with maximum queue times; and considering the risk of queue time violations when selecting bids. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method for use in an automated manufacturing environment, the method comprising:
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autonomously scheduling a consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by a plurality of provider manufacturing domain entities in an automated process flow; and constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow, including; negotiating for appointments that will comply with maximum queue times; and considering the risk of queue time violations when selecting bids. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An automated processing environment, comprising:
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a plurality of manufacturing domain entities including at least one consumer manufacturing domain entity and a provider manufacturing domain entity; a plurality of software implemented agents representing the manufacturing domain entities for scheduling purposes and performing a method comprising; autonomously scheduling the consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by the provider manufacturing domain entity; and constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow, including; negotiating for appointments that will comply with maximum queue times; and considering the risk of queue time violations when selecting bids. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification