Patents by Inventor Angela Colleen Weber-Hicks

Angela Colleen Weber-Hicks has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8140369
    Abstract: A method and system for optimizing the manufacturing workforce and reducing workforce boredom in an assembly plant is provided. A master database contains all the plant workers along with all of the assembly tasks required to be performed at the assembly plant for a predetermined period, a repetitive threshold value for each worker, and a burden value for each assembly task. Each worker is assigned to a particular assembly task based upon the attributes of the worker and the assembly task requirements. A first schedule is generated by matching assembly tasks to a worker. The first schedule is then used to generate a second schedule such that workers do not exceed a repetitive value threshold or a burden value threshold. Thus the method and system generates schedules such that workers are given a variety of assembly tasks and therefore are not bored by performing the same task repetitively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin Paul, Thomas Hicks, Dan Ryder, Angela Colleen Weber-Hicks, Gregory Evers