Abstract: A system for managing lot transactions among business units is provided. The system comprises an interface, storage device, and a processor. The interface provides an access to a lot transaction service for the business units. The storage device stores a preset business rule and manufacturing information corresponding to a lot, comprising lot ID, part ID, WIP quality, process flow, and validity of each of the business units. The processor, linking to the storage device and the interface, performs the lot transaction service for the business units, receives the lot sent and/or received notice, checks the sent/received notice according to a preset business rule, and updates the manufacturing information accordingly.

Abstract: A backup control system within a fabrication system is provided. The fabrication system contains a plurality of separately located fabrication facilities, each of which contains a computer assisted production control system and a plurality of processing tools. The backup control system, coupled with the computer assisted production control systems, provides control of backup operations between the fabrication facilities, and relays manufacturing constraints of the backup-operated articles before and after the backup operation.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling a customer to monitor and modify an order in a semiconductor manufacturing system are provided. In one example, the method provides the customer with current information on the order, including a position of the order within the manufacturing process. The customer may request that the order be modified and the system may then determine when to implement the requested modification.

Abstract: A backup control system within a fabrication system is provided. The fabrication system contains a plurality of separately located fabrication facilities, each of which contains a computer assisted production control system and a plurality of processing tools. The backup control system, coupled with the computer assisted production control systems, provides control of backup operations between the fabrication facilities, and relays manufacturing constraints of the backup-operated articles before and after the backup operation.

Abstract: A mask matching approach to detect shot changes in MPEG coded video uses reference ratio variances of macroblocks between MPEG coded frames. A function is designed to quantize the results into shot change probability values. Moreover, a conversion function modifies this probability computation to minimize misdetection and loss of detection under unusual image pattern situations. A shot change probability threshold is defined for the video to be examined. When a frame's modified shot change probability exceeds this threshold, the frame is considered to contain a shot change. With this approach, processing time is reduced by evaluating MPEG coded data directly, rather than the raw video.

Abstract: A video indexing and query execution system includes a processor which indexes video clips by: (a) identifying each symbol of one or more graphical icons in each frame of each video clip, (b) determining the horizontal, vertical and temporal coordinates of each symbol of the identified graphical icons, and (c) constructing a database for each identified symbol of the graphical icons. The processor converts a video query from graphical form to string form by: (a) receiving a video query specifying the vertical, horizontal and temporal coordinates of a graphical icon to be matched in at least one frame to be retrieved, and (b) constructing a normal 3-D string from the video query indicating the distance between each symbol of each icon in the video query in each direction.