The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 07, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 24, 1998
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A computer controlled manufacturing arrangement and method for selecting between multiple paths for transporting cassettes between processing locations. The manufacturing arrangement includes a plurality of stockers interconnected with tracks on which cassettes are carried on vehicles. A first and second stocker are interconnected by at least a first path and a second path formed by the tracks, and a cassette can be transported from the first to the second stocker via either of the two paths. A plurality of robotic arrangements are configured to transfer cassettes between the stockers and the vehicles. A data processing system is coupled to the robotic arrangements and configured and arranged to maintain an historical record of codes indicative of periods of time expended in transporting cassettes from the first stocker to the second stocker via the first path and second path, respectively. When a cassette is to be transported from the first stocker to the second stocker, the data processing system determines, as a function of the historical record of codes associated with the paths, which of the first or second paths is more likely to result in a lesser period of time in transporting the cassette, and selects one of the first or second paths according to which path is more likely to result in a lesser period of time in transporting the cassette. The robotic arrangement is then instructed to load the cassette on the vehicle of the selected path.