Having Schedule Adjustment Patents (Class 700/149)
  • Patent number: 10195895
    Abstract: An optimized system and method for application of liquid for moistening adhesive on envelope flaps as part of an automated mail production process. Envelopes with open envelope flaps are transported beneath a moistening brush so that an interior side of the flaps, having adhesive thereon, come into contact with a lower end of the moistening brush. A flow of liquid is provided from a liquid supply coupled to the moistening brush to keep the moistening brush wet as moisture is transferred to the envelope flaps. The rate at which liquid is regulated such that moisture is maintained on the brush and a selected quantity of liquid (a dose) is provided for each envelope flap that it moistened. The dose is automatically determined as a function of physical dimensions of the envelope flap, and to optimize sealing of the envelope without excess dripping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: DMT Solutions Global Corporation
    Inventor: Craig D. Richard
  • Patent number: 10124381
    Abstract: An instantaneous value of a learning coefficient is calculated based on a gap between a result value and a result recalculation value, and an update value of the learning coefficient is calculated from the instantaneous value. The calculated update value is recorded in a cell corresponding to present rolling conditions. A predetermined number of neighboring cells having small spatial distances from a target cell corresponding to next rolling conditions in a space having rolling conditions as coordinate axes are selected from cells in which respective evaluation results of recency, saturation, and stability of the learning coefficient satisfy criteria. An estimation value of the learning coefficient in the target cell is then calculated by polynomial interpolation. The most recent update value of the learning coefficient is then corrected with the estimation value, and used as a use value of the learning coefficient in the next rolling conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naohiro Kubo
  • Patent number: 10095199
    Abstract: The present invention includes (1) inputting, into a model expression that defines relation between various operating values of a facility operating on a material to be rolled and energy consumption of the facility, various actual operating values as the various operating values, to calculate an actual calculation value of the energy consumption; (2) dividing the actual value of the energy consumption by the actual calculation value to calculate a reference learning value of the energy consumption; (3) inputting the set operating value defined by the setting calculation unit only in one operating value, among various operating values of the model expression, while inputting the actual operating values collected by the actual value unit in other operating values to calculate a pseudo-actual calculation value of the energy consumption; (4) dividing the actual calculation value by the pseudo-actual calculation value to calculate a correction learning value; and (5) inputting the various set operating values as t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Kitagoh
  • Patent number: 9798765
    Abstract: A deferred mechanism of rolling attribute changes to objects at transaction commit time is described. To support rolling updates, attributes are categorized into three types—increment, decrement or replace. Since transactions are committed in order, the update process uses a notification list of dependent transactions to propagate attribute changes as a function of attribute category or type. Shadow based file-systems (with or without object versioning) realize efficiency gains by employing the deferred mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: William Edward Snaman, Jr., Saikrishnan Krishnamurthy, Mitchell Condylis
  • Patent number: 8483861
    Abstract: A scheduler system obtains a basic model of a manufacturing process for the production of one or more products. The basic model is based on a first set of data collected at a point in time from a plurality of tools used to manufacture the one or more products. The system incorporates a second set of data, which is collected from the plurality of tools after the first set of data, into the basic model to generate a comprehensive model of the manufacturing process. The second set of data reflects a current state of a factory. The system evaluates a plurality of scheduling policies using the comprehensive model and selects an optimal scheduling policy from the plurality of scheduling policies based on the comprehensive process model evaluation to achieve a manufacturing objective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander T. Schwarm
  • Patent number: 8412368
    Abstract: A method includes generating a reticle transport job using a computing device. The reticle job identifies a selected reticle. A reticle pod available for transporting the reticle is autonomously identified using the computing device. The reticle transport job is updated suing the computing device with an identifier of the reticle pod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Diwaskar Adhikari, Raymond G. Goss
  • Patent number: 8347681
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling cold rolling of a sheet metal strip involving continuously passing the strip in at least two successive rolling stands, each stand including at least two driven rolls between which the strip moves and is plated. The method includes estimating the slippage variation in output of one rolling stand; and correcting the rotation speed of the rolls of at least one corrected rolling stand based on the estimated slippage variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Converteam Technology Ltd.
    Inventor: Lionel Broussard
  • Patent number: 8335581
    Abstract: Preparation of a wafer processing or measuring tool for a job can be initiated prior to assigning a wafer carrier to deliver wafers to the tool. The automated process may include transfer of wafers from a container, such as a bare wafer stocker, or between two tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Globalfoundries Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond G. Goss, Diwas Adhikari
  • Patent number: 8108064
    Abstract: A system for on-line property prediction for hot rolled coils in a hot strip mill of a steel plant, including a unit for capturing the chemistry from the steel making stage and providing the data on rolling schedule. Field devices are provided at the instrumentation level for measuring process parameters during hot rolling. A programmable logic controller is used for acquiring data of measured parameters from the field devices and feeding the data to a processor. Means is provided for conversion of the measured data from time domain to space domain using segment tracking. A computation module processes the converted space domain data for predicting mechanical properties along the length and through the thickness of the strip being rolled. A display unit displays the predicted properties. The data obtained can be stored in a data warehouse for future use. A unit provided in the system can collect the predicted properties and feed the same to the scheduling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Tata Steel Limited
    Inventor: Ananya Mukhopadhyay
  • Patent number: 8091394
    Abstract: There is provided a foreign pipe or tube determining method capable of accurately determining a foreign pipe or tube. The foreign pipe or tube determining method in accordance with the present invention includes a step for determining the presence of a foreign pipe or tube by comparing the length of each pipe or tube in a size measuring step with the length of each pipe or tube measured in an actual weighing and length measuring step, which is associated with each pipe or tube in the size measuring step, a step for determining the presence of a foreign pipe or tube by comparing the weight of each pipe or tube calculated in a weight calculating step with the weight of each pipe or tube measured in the actual weighing and length measuring step, which is associated with each pipe or tube in a weight calculating step, and a step for determining the presence of a foreign pipe or tube based on the material of each pipe or tube determined in a material determining step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Osako, Takeshi Maekawa
  • Patent number: 8068922
    Abstract: In a method for operating a field device working according to the block model for a distributed automation system, which exchanges data via a fieldbus, a first function block application serving for process control is provided, which makes available to other system participants process data via a first virtual field device object. In addition, a second function block application is provided, which serves for plant monitoring and which makes available to other system participants plant monitoring data via a second virtual field device object, wherein the first and second function block applications are executed according to different schedules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Process Solutions AG
    Inventor: Eugenio Ferreira Da Silva Neto
  • Patent number: 7890205
    Abstract: A system for determining a processing sequence of steel plates includes a constraint storage unit for storing positional constraints that define ranges of positions into which each type of steel plate is to be inserted when the steel plates are arranged in the processing sequence; a selecting unit for preferentially selecting, as a position into which a new steel plate is to be inserted in an array of steel plates already arranged in the processing sequence, a position having a larger expectation value of the number of steel plates that can be further inserted into the array of steel plates after the insertion of the new steel plate while satisfying the positional constraints; and an inserting unit for inserting the new steel plate into the selected position and for outputting data indicating the array of steel plates after the insertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hama, Takayuki Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 7574281
    Abstract: A method and system for determining an array sequence of processing operations to maximize the efficiency of steel plate processing. Between two processing operations, a first sequence constraint based on a first attribute of each processing operation and a second sequence constraint based on a second attribute of each processing operation are defined. A system selects, as a cluster, at least one of processing operations having a common attribute value of the first attribute, and arranged in a sequence satisfying the second sequence constraint. The system regards the first sequence constraint as a sequence constraint between a plurality of clusters, and arranges the plurality of clusters in a sequence maximizing the efficiency of processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hama, Hiroyuki Okano, Takayuki Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 7567852
    Abstract: A method and system for determining an array sequence of processing operations to maximize the efficiency of steel plate processing. Between two processing operations, a first sequence constraint based on a first attribute of each processing operation and a second sequence constraint based on a second attribute of each processing operation are defined. A system selects, as a cluster, at least one of processing operations having a common attribute value of the first attribute, and arranged in a sequence satisfying the second sequence constraint. The system regards the first sequence constraint as a sequence constraint between a plurality of clusters, and arranges the plurality of clusters in a sequence maximizing the efficiency of processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hama, Hiroyuki Okano, Takayuki Yoshizumi
  • Publication number: 20080255699
    Abstract: A system for determining a processing sequence of steel plates includes a constraint storage unit for storing positional constraints that define ranges of positions into which each type of steel plate is to be inserted when the steel plates are arranged in the processing sequence; a selecting unit for preferentially selecting, as a position into which a new steel plate is to be inserted in an array of steel plates already arranged in the processing sequence, a position having a larger expectation value of the number of steel plates that can be further inserted into the array of steel plates after the insertion of the new steel plate while satisfying the positional constraints; and an inserting unit for inserting the new steel plate into the selected position and for outputting data indicating the array of steel plates after the insertion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hama, Takayuki Yoshizumi
  • Patent number: 7233907
    Abstract: A delivery scheduling system that is configured for scheduling the delivery of an item or service from a sender to an intended recipient. After receiving a signal indicating that, for example, a particular package is to be delivered to an intended recipient, the system attempts to establish interactive contact with the recipient either by direct contact with the recipient, or by leaving the recipient a message to establish direct contact with the system at a convenient time. Upon establishing contact with the recipient, the system allows the intended recipient to schedule delivery of the package. More particularly, the recipient may schedule the package to be delivered: (1) within a particular time window; (2) before or after a particular time of day; or (3) on a particular day.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2007
    Assignee: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey E. Young
  • Patent number: 6782304
    Abstract: A learning control apparatus in a reversing rolling mill is disclosed. The learning control apparatus adds a learning calculation means that performs learning calculations based on actual values in the previous pass so as to be able to cope with the pass schedule composition peculiar to the reversing rolling mills. Furthermore, by storing learning calculation values of model errors that depend on materials and product dimensions in tables prepared group division by group division that can assimilate intrinsic model errors, the learning control apparatus of the present invention makes possible stable operation and improves accuracy of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masashi Tsugeno, Mitsuhiko Sano, Naoki Yamaguchi, Masaki Hioka
  • Patent number: 6708077
    Abstract: A method and system for furnace pacing in a mill are disclosed herein. Billets are extracted from a furnace and provided in an alternating fashion to two or more strands of a multistrand stand. The timing of the extraction of each of the billets from the furnace, i.e., the furnace time, is based at least in part on a prediction of the rolling times of a previously extracted billets at the strands of the multistrand stand and a desired gap between the billets. Likewise, the actual rolling time of each billet is measured and compared with the predicted rolling time of the billet to generate a correction factor associated with the billet. The furnace time of a subsequent billet intended for a same strand as a previously extracted billet is adjusted by the correction factor associated with the previously extracted billet to regulate the gaps between billets at each strand of the multistrand stand, thereby increasing the productivity of the mill while reducing the potential for collisions between billets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mervin W. Brower, Alan H. Deger
  • Publication number: 20040034442
    Abstract: A method and system for furnace pacing in a mill are disclosed herein. Billets are extracted from a furnace and provided in an alternating fashion to two or more strands of a multistrand stand. The timing of the extraction of each of the billets from the furnace, i.e., the furnace time, is based at least in part on a prediction of the rolling times of a previously extracted billets at the strands of the multistrand stand and a desired gap between the billets. Likewise, the actual rolling time of each billet is measured and compared with the predicted rolling time of the billet to generate a correction factor associated with the billet. The furnace time of a subsequent billet intended for a same strand as a previously extracted billet is adjusted by the correction factor associated with the previously extracted billet to regulate the gaps between billets at each strand of the multistrand stand, thereby increasing the productivity of the mill while reducing the potential for collisions between billets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2002
    Publication date: February 19, 2004
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mervin W. Brower, Alan H. Deger
  • Patent number: 6691540
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for presetting process variables in at least one actuating element of a rolling train for rolling metal strips, in which guarantee values are predefined. The guarantee values specified, which cover the intended stipulations and the associated tolerance bands for the quality features of the metal strip, are, for example, strip flatness and/or strip contour and/or strip profile. The tolerance bands of the intended stipulations over a predefinable number of metal strips are taken into account in such a way that an optimum set point calculation of at least one process variable is carried out over the predefined number of metal strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joachim Höhne, Friedemann Schmid
  • Patent number: 6430461
    Abstract: Process to monitor and control the quality of rolled products from hot-rolled processes which produce products such as sheets, rods, etc., from input stock such as slabs, billets, etc. The process estimates in advance the expected material properties of the end product at each step of the hot-rolling production process. The process further provides that conditions, such as temperature, reduction depth, etc., are detected on-line throughout the entire rolling process and from the values obtained, via interrelated physical—metallurgical and/or statistical models describing the whole rolling process, the mechanical/technical material properties to be expected, particularly the yield point, the tensile strength and the breaking elongation point of the rolled product, are calculated. On-line detection of the actual and momentary production conditions is necessary to allow the material properties to always be estimated in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2002
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Andorfer, Dietmar Auzinger, Rudolf Pichler
  • Patent number: 6164103
    Abstract: A method for improving the contour of rolled material over at least one segment of a rolling schedule including a plurality of rolling processes. The method includes associating at least one quality criterion with at least one rolling stand of at least one of the plurality of rolling processes, optimizing the at least one quality criterion using a mathematical formula, predetermining at least one work roll shift for the plurality of rolling processes over the at least one segment of the rolling schedule based on an optimization of the at least one quality criterion, and axially shifting at least one work roll of the at least one rolling stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Rudolf Pichler, Sonja Tichy, Franz Holy, Alois Seilinger