Motorola Corporation

DiAnn Fox

William Chapman

Gwo-Jer Chang

Christopher Handorf

Shoarong Zhu

A memory structure and related method for collecting and maintaining data descriptive of a multiplicity of interrelated process flows is disclosed. A complex memory structure includes job entities, operation entities, and process entities. Operation entities are subordinate to job entities, and process entities are subordinate to operation entities. These entities are represented by tables which are linked together to indicate their position in the hierarchy and their sequencing within a process flow. The process entities describe specific activities accomplished by an organization in achieving organizational goals. Typically, resources are either consumed or released, or both, during a process. Bill-of-resource tables are subordinate to process entities and populated with data which identify resources consumed by corresponding processes in the process flow. Attribute tables are subordinate to the resources listed in the bill-of-resources tables and populated with data which identify attribute limitations, durations for which resources are used, and quantities of resources consumed. Branch and condition entities are positioned between operation entities or process entities to initiate alternate process flows to be taken when specified conditions are met. In addition, condition entities may specify conditions to be met before including particular bill-of-resource and attribute tables within a process flow.

Process flow information management system

An apparatus which efficiently coordinates the association of resource and lot data in a manufacturing environment is disclosed. The apparatus includes a memory structure which associates resource and lot data only with other resource and lot data from a common dependency. A dependency is a characteristic of lots which share common resources and of resources which are shared by common lots. The memory includes nodes which describe the dependencies. The dependency nodes link to resource lists and to lot lists. The resource and lot nodes are part of resource and lot lists, respectively. Usage nodes are included to describe every use each lot makes of each resource. The usage nodes are linked to both resource nodes and lot nodes. The usage nodes are also linked together to define the order in which each lot uses its resources and the order in which each resource is used by its lots. A processor couples to the memory and receives externally-originated messages commanding various operations on the memory structure. In one operation a single dependency may be broken into several dependencies. In another operation multiple dependencies may be combined into a single dependency. The accurate maintenance of the maximum number of dependencies in resource-lot association data allows manufacturing environment simulation and other automation to respond to a manufacturing event by processing only information related to a portion of the environment. Thus, processing time decreases, and simulations may take place in real time.

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Gilbert, AZ, United States of America

DiAnn Fox