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:
May. 09, 2006
Filed:
May. 23, 2002
Larry D. Barto, Austin, TX (US);
Steven C. Nettles, Johnson City, TX (US);
Yiwei LI, Austin, TX (US);
Larry D. Barto, Austin, TX (US);
Steven C. Nettles, Johnson City, TX (US);
Yiwei Li, Austin, TX (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
An automated system is provided in a facility that manufactures m products, where m>0. The system comprises a software object that provides for calculation of one or more bottleneck delta virtual work in process time ('VWIP') values. Each of the bottleneck delta VWIP values represents the amount of time until one of n bottleneck workstations begins to risk starvation, where n>0. VWIP is the amount of time a bottleneck will stay busy processing WIP that will reach the bottleneck in less time than new lot starts will reach the same bottleneck. In at least one embodiment, each of the bottleneck delta VWIP values is calculated as a mathematical function of virtual WIP time for the corresponding bottleneck workstation and a lower control limit for the corresponding bottleneck workstation. In at least one other embodiment, n>2 and the software object provides for calculation of a plurality of bottleneck delta VWIP values. The software object contains program code that provides for the foregoing functionality either directly or by invoking one or more other objects.