Manufacturing process analysis and optimization system
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- receiving into a computer-readable memory a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria;
receiving a selection of a predictor characteristic from the plurality of article characteristics;
determining a regression model between the predictor characteristic and a selected remaining article characteristics of the plurality of article characteristics;
associating points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets;
generating and displaying on a display device a diagram of the regression model and the points or regions corresponding to the process condition sets; and
displaying at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets.
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Abstract
Methods, apparatuses and systems that facilitate the design, production and/or measurement tasks associated with manufacturing and other processes. The present invention, in one implementation, provides methods, apparatuses and systems directed to facilitating the optimization or improvement of manufacturing processes relative to one or more criteria. In some implementations, the present invention facilitates the optimization of manufacturing processes relative to one or more attributes—such as cycle time, cost, and performance—while still optimizing process output relative to design specifications for a given article characteristic.
36 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving into a computer-readable memory a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria; receiving a selection of a predictor characteristic from the plurality of article characteristics; determining a regression model between the predictor characteristic and a selected remaining article characteristics of the plurality of article characteristics; associating points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets; generating and displaying on a display device a diagram of the regression model and the points or regions corresponding to the process condition sets; and displaying at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a memory; an application, physically stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the apparatus to; receive a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria; receive a selection of a predictor characteristic from the plurality of article characteristics; determine the regression model between the predictor characteristic and a selected remaining article characteristics of the plurality of article characteristics; associate points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets; generate and display on a display device a diagram of the regression model and the points or regions corresponding to the process condition sets; and display at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A computer program product, physically stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:
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receive a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria; receive a selection of a predictor characteristic from the plurality of article characteristics; determine the regression model between the predictor characteristic and a selected remaining article characteristics of the plurality of article characteristics; associate points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets; and generate and display on a display device a diagram of the regression model and the points or regions corresponding to the process condition sets; and display at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets.
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20. A method, the method comprising
receiving into a computer-readable memory a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria; -
determining a regression model between first and second article characteristics in the plurality of article characteristics; associating points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets; determining a target intersection between the first and second article characteristics; generating and displaying on a display device a diagram of the regression model and the points or regions corresponding to the process condition sets; and displaying at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a memory; an application, physically stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the processor and the apparatus to; receive a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria; determine the regression model between first and second article characteristics in the plurality of article characteristics; associate points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets; and determine a target intersection between the first and second article characteristics; generate and display on a display device a diagram of the regression model and the points or regions corresponding to the process condition sets; and display at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets.
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29. A computer program product, physically stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:
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receive a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria; determine the regression model between first and second article characteristics in the plurality of article characteristics; associate points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets; determine a target intersection between the first and second article characteristics; generate and display on a display device a diagram of the regression model and the points or regions corresponding to the process condition sets; and display at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets.
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30. A method, the method comprising
inputting into a computer-readable memory accessible to a process analysis system a plurality of article characteristic values associated with a set of articles having a range of variation as to a plurality of article characteristics resulting from iterations of a process, wherein each of the iterations corresponds to a process condition set of a plurality of process condition sets and wherein each process condition set of the plurality of process condition sets is associated with one or more process optimization criteria; -
selecting a predictor characteristic from the plurality of article characteristics; and
,causing the process analysis system to determine the regression model between the predictor characteristic and a selected remaining article characteristic of the plurality of article characteristics; causing the process analysis system to associate, and display, points or regions of the regression model with corresponding process condition sets of the plurality of process condition sets, and to determine, relative to the regression model, a target intersection between the predictor characteristic and the selected remaining article characteristic; causing the process analysis system to display at least one of the one or more process optimization criteria in association with identifiers corresponding to the process condition sets; selecting a process condition set from the plurality of process condition sets; and determining one or more changes to the process, or one or more design specifications associated with the process, to reduce a distance between the point or region on the regression model corresponding to the selected process condition set and the target intersection between the predictor characteristic and the selected remaining article characteristic.
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Specification