Autonomous biologically based learning tool

• US 9,275,335 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kaushal, Sanjeev, Patel, Sukesh Janubhai, Sugishima, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Lut
• Application Number:
  US13/457,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

An autonomous biologically based learning tool system and a method that the tool system employs for learning and analysis are provided. The autonomous biologically based learning tool system includes (a) one or more tool systems that perform a set of specific tasks or processes and generate assets and data related to the assets that characterize the various processes and associated tool performance; (b) an interaction manager that receives and formats the data, and (c) an autonomous learning system based on biological principles of learning. The autonomous learning system comprises a memory platform and a processing platform that communicate through a network. Both the memory platform and the processing platform include functional components and memories that can be defined recursively. Knowledge generated and accumulated in the autonomous learning system(s) can be cast into semantic networks that can be employed for learning and driving tool goals based on context.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by system including a processor, a goal for an autonomous biologically based learning tool associated with a tool system;

receiving, by the system, data associated with the goal;

generating, by the system, knowledge from the received data, wherein the knowledge comprises a set of concepts and each concept comprises a suitability metric that indicates a suitability of the concept to the goal and an inertia metric that indicates a complexity to employ the concept to the goal;

storing, by the system, the knowledge;

utilizing, by the system, the knowledge to determine at least one of the goal is accomplished or the goal is to be changed; and

in response to determining that the goal is to be changed, changing, by the system, the goal according to a context extracted from the knowledge.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the knowledge from the received data further comprising:

determining a state of a component that pursues the goal;

determining the set of concepts which can be applied to the state of the component; and

adjusting a situation score for each concept in the set of concepts.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the situation score for each concept is based on a function of the suitability metric and the inertia metric.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating, by the system, the set of concepts to a set of data types;

determining, by the system, a semantic network for the set of concepts according to respective priorities determined for the concepts in the set of concepts; and

propagating, by the system, the priorities over the semantic network to make an inference.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the semantic network comprises a set of priority-based sub-networks, wherein a sub-network is associated with concepts assigned to a particular class.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the class is based on functional relationships of the concepts.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability metric is a function of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the inertia metric is a function of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the goal comprises a process that is performed by a tool system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the utilizing the knowledge further comprises optimizing the goal to be accomplished.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the utilizing the knowledge further comprises:

devising, by the system, a plan for maintaining the tool system associated with the goal; and

executing, by the system, the devised plan.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the devising the plan comprises conducting a root cause analysis.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the executing the devised plan comprises performing at least one of a scheduled or an unscheduled preventive maintenance on the tool system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the scheduled or the unscheduled preventive maintenance is conducted at least in one of a periodic interval or an ad hoc instance.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the data associated with the goal is at least one of a training data set or a production data set.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises intrinsic data, the intrinsic data is generated while pursuing the goal.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises extrinsic data generated or received while conducting a process ancillary to pursuing the goal.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a system including a processor to perform operations comprising:

establishing a goal for an autonomous biologically based learning tool associated with a tool system;

receiving data associated with the goal;

generating knowledge from the received data, wherein the knowledge comprises a set of concepts and each concept comprises a suitability metric that indicates a suitability of the concept to the goal and an inertia metric that indicates a complexity to employ the concept to the goal;

storing the knowledge; and

utilizing the knowledge to determine at least one of the goal is accomplished or the goal is to be changed;

in response to determining that the goal is to be changed, changing the goal according to a context extracted from the knowledge.

19. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising;

an autonomous biologically based learning tool configured to;

establish a goal for associated with a tool system;

receive data associated with the goal;

generating knowledge from the received data, wherein the knowledge comprises a set of concepts and each concept comprises a suitability metric that indicates a suitability of the concept to the goal and an inertia metric that indicates a complexity to employ the concept to the goal;

storing the knowledge;

utilizing the knowledge to determine at least one of the goal is accomplished or the goal is to be changed; and

in response to a determination that the goal is to be changed, change the goal according to a context extracted from the knowledge.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the autonomous biologically based learning tool is further configured to:

determining a state of a component that pursues the goal;

determining the set of concepts which can be applied to the state of the component; and

adjusting a situation score based on a function of the suitability metric and the inertia metric for each concept in the set of concepts.