Method and computer program product that determine values of characteristic value combinations for use in the production of products

• US 7,636,670 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Woehler, Christian Farhad
• Primary Examiner(s): Boswell; Beth V
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATS, JUSTIN
• Application Number:
  US10/274,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,623 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for determining a quantity to be produced for each of two or more product types, where each product type is specified by one or more characteristics. An input specifying a desired distribution of the total quantity among the one or more characteristics is received. If the desired quantity to be produced of a product type is a non-integer value, the desired quantity is rounded to an integer to generate a final quantity to be produced for each product type. The final quantity preserves both a total quantity and the desired distribution of the total quantity among the one or more characteristics.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a total quantity value;

receiving a plurality of distribution rules for distributing the total quantity value to a plurality of product types, each distribution rule to govern a separate characteristic of the plurality of product types;

applying the plurality of distribution rules to the total quantity value to derive a desired quantity value for each of the plurality of product types;

rounding in a computer processor the desired quantity value for each of the plurality of product types to an integer when the desired quantity value is a non-integer, the rounding includes;

maintaining the sum of the desired quantity values as equal to the total quantity value;

approximating the plurality of distribution rules for each value of each separate characteristic as applied to the desired quantity values, taking into account, for the desired quantity value of a product type of the plurality of product types being rounded, rounding errors of desired quantity values rounded prior to the desired quantity value of the product type being rounded, wherein p characteristics of the plurality of product types span a p-dimensional space and each of the plurality of product types is defined as a point in the p-dimensional space, the point being determined by a combination of values for each of the p characteristics;

calculating a difference function for each dimension, the difference function using previously rounded quantities;

using the calculated difference functions when rounding the desired quantity value to an integer; and

using a bounded rounding function f[x, y]=b_r[x, y]=r[x+max[−

0.5, 0.5−

ε

;

y]], wherein x is the desired quantity value and y is the sum of the calculated difference functions and ε

is a small non-zero value depending on the precision of the number x, the maximum function max[x1, x2;

y] having the value of −

0.5 when y is smaller than −

0.5, the value y when y is between −

0.5 and +0.5, and the value +0.5 when y is larger than +0.5; and

applying the rounded desired quantity values to a production of products.

2. The method of claim 1, the total quantity value specifying a total quantity of products to be produced.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rounding comprises:

using a previously rounded quantity of a first product type for a desired quantity value of a second product type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of distribution rules are defined by a ratio, a percentage, or a specific value associated with the separate characteristic of the product type.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the separate characteristic is any one of a time, a color, a model, or a size.

6. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

receive a total quantity value;

receive a plurality of distribution rules for distributing the total quantity value to a plurality of product types, each distribution rule to govern a separate characteristic of the plurality of product types;

apply the plurality of distribution rules to the total quantity value to derive a desired quantity value for each of the plurality of product types; and

round the desired quantity value for each of the plurality of product types to an integer when the desired quantity value is a non-integer, the rounding includes;

maintaining the sum of the desired quantity values as equal to the total quantity value;

approximating the plurality of distribution rules for each value of each separate characteristic as applied to the desired quantity values, taking into account, for the desired quantity value of a product type of the plurality of product types being rounded, rounding errors of desired quantity values rounded prior to the desired quantity value of the product type being rounded, wherein p characteristics of the plurality of product types span a p-dimensional space and each of the plurality of product types is defined as a point in the p-dimensional space, the point being determined by a combination of values for each of the p characteristics;

calculating a difference function for each dimension, the difference function using previously rounded quantities;

using the calculated difference functions when rounding the desired quantity value to an integer; and

using a bounded rounding function f[x, y]=b_r[x, y]=r[x+max[−

0.5, 0.5−

ε

;

y]], wherein x is the desired quantity value and y is the sum of the calculated difference functions and ε

is a small non-zero value depending on the precision of the number x, the maximum function max[x1, x2;

y] having the value of −

0.5 when y is smaller than −

0.5, the value y when y is between −

0.5 and +0.5, and the value +0.5 when y is larger than +0.5; and

apply the rounded desired quantity values to a production of products.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, the total quantity value specifying a total quantity of products to be produced.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions to round comprise instructions to use a previously rounded quantity of a first product type for a desired quantity value of a second product type.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the plurality of distribution rules are defined by a ratio, a percentage, or a specific value associated with the separate characteristic of the product type.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the separate characteristic is any one of a time, a color, a model, or a size.