# US 2018/0322425 A1 · Time-based, demand-pull production > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0322425 A1 - Document ID: US20180322425A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/588,084 - Filed: 2017-05-05 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-05 - Assignees: Dehart Consulting, LLC - Applicants: DeHart Consulting, LLC - Inventors: Dale DeHart; Norm Cota - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180322425A1 ## CPC - G06Q 10/0633: Workflow analysis - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Work at each Work Center in a production system is authorized by a demand-pull system. The demand-pull system can be based on the time for the oldest unauthorized work order in upstream adjacent WCs to get to the next WC and whether that WC will be ready to receive it. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-30. (canceled) ### Claim 31 A method for managing time-based demand-pull production of work orders, the method comprising: identifying, by a processor at a server, a plurality of connections between the server and a plurality of electronic devices, each of the electronic devices respectively corresponding to a work center from among a plurality of work centers, each work center having a corresponding work order queue; and controlling, by the processor, authorizing new work orders at the work centers by: storing, by the processor, status information from the electronic devices regarding the state of each of the work centers and work orders, the status information comprising a remaining clear time for the work center to complete one or more operations in a sequence of operations of the work order and an amount of time to clear the corresponding work order queue of the work center; querying, by the processor, data from a database to determine a next work order to be authorized based on a priority-setting rule, the next work order being queued in an upstream work center and to be authorized for work within the upstream work center; calculating, by the processor, for each work center, an amount of time until the work center is available to start work on the next work order in accordance with the remaining clear time for the work center, the amount of time to clear the corresponding work order queue of the work center, and an amount of time to clear authorized work orders of work centers that are upstream-adjacent of the work center; comparing, by the processor, for each work center, an amount of time for the next work order to arrive at the work center with the amount of time until the work center is available to start work on the next work order; determining, by the processor, for each work center, in accordance with time-based demand pull authorization, whether the amount of time for the next work order to arrive is greater than the amount of time until the work center is available to start work on the next work order; transmitting, by the processor, an authorization signal to initiate the next work order at the upstream work center in response to determining that the amount of time for the next work order to arrive at a downstream work center is greater than or equal to the amount of time until the downstream work center is available to start work on the next work order; modifying, by the processor, the corresponding work order queue of the upstream work center in response to the authorization signal; and transmitting, by the processor, a signal for moving a work piece to the upstream work center in accordance with the modified corresponding work order queue of the upstream work center. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising storing, by the processor, transactional data, the transactional data comprising: start and finish times and quantities and defects for work orders; authorization times for work orders; hold status changes; work center capacities; and work center work schedules. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The method of claim 32, wherein work orders are pulled from the corresponding work order queue of the work centers based on the authorization times for the work orders. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising: receiving, by the processor, a query from one or more of the electronic devices; and in response to the query, transmitting, by the processor, a signal to the one or more of the electronic devices for displaying authorization and status information on a display associated with the one or more electronic devices. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the priority-setting rule is first-in first-out. ### Claim 36 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the priority-setting rule is based on due-date slack. ### Claim 37 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the priority-setting rule is based on expedite policies. ### Claim 38 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, wherein the priority-setting rule is based on a numerical priority setting. ### Claim 39 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising adjusting, by the processor, the remaining clear time based on defect data corresponding to the work center. ### Claim 40 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising adjusting, by the processor, incoming work based on throughput of the work center. ### Claim 41 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising adjusting the amount of time until the work center is available based on a splitting of a work order into multiple batches. ### Claim 42 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising setting a queue policy for each work center, the queue policy adjusting a maximum queue level for the corresponding work order queue of the work center. ### Claim 43 The method of 31, further comprising, after transmitting the authorization signal to initiate the next work order, assigning a pull tag for storing production data for the next work order at the work center. ### Claim 44 A system for managing time-based demand-pull production of work orders, the system comprising: a server comprising a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: identify a plurality of connections between the server and a plurality of electronic devices, each of the electronic devices respectively corresponding to a work center from among a plurality of work centers, each work center having a corresponding work order queue; and control authorizing new work orders at the work centers, such that the instructions further cause the processor to: store status information from the electronic devices regarding the state of each of the work centers and work orders, the status information comprising a remaining clear time for the work center to complete one or more operations in a sequence of operations of the work order and an amount of time to clear the corresponding work order queue of the work center; query data from a database to determine a next work order to be authorized based on a priority-setting rule, the next work order being queued in an upstream work center and to be authorized for work within the upstream work center; calculate for each work center, an amount of time until the work center is available to start work on the next work order in accordance with the remaining clear time for the work center, the amount of time to clear the corresponding work order queue of the work center, and an amount of time to clear authorized work orders of work centers that are upstream-adjacent of the work center; compare for each work center, an amount of time for the next work order to arrive at the work center with the amount of time until the work center is available to start work on the next work order; determine for each work center, in accordance with time-based demand pull authorization, whether the amount of time for the next work order to arrive is greater than the amount of time until the work center is available to start work on the next work order; transmit an authorization signal to initiate the next work order at the upstream work center in response to determining that the amount of time for the next work order to arrive at a downstream work center is greater than or equal to the amount of time until the downstream work center is available to start work on the next work order; modify the corresponding work order queue of the upstream work center in response to the authorization signal; and transmit a signal for moving a work piece to the upstream work center in accordance with the modified corresponding work order queue of the upstream work center. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to store transactional data, the transactional data comprising: start and finish times and quantities and defects for work orders; authorization times for work orders; hold status changes; work center capacities; and work center work schedules. ### Claim 46 (depends on 45) The system of claim 45, wherein work orders are pulled from the corresponding work order queue of the work centers based on the authorization times for the work orders. ### Claim 47 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: receive a query from one or more of the electronic devices; and in response to the query, transmit a signal to the one or more of the electronic devices for displaying authorization and status information on a display associated with the one or more electronic devices. ### Claim 48 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the priority-setting rule is first-in first-out. ### Claim 49 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the priority-setting rule is based on due-date slack. ### Claim 50 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the priority-setting rule is based on expedite policies. ### Claim 51 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the priority-setting rule is based on a numerical priority setting. ### Claim 52 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to adjust the remaining clear time based on defect data corresponding to the work center. ### Claim 53 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to adjust incoming work based on throughput of the work center. ### Claim 54 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to adjust the amount of time until the work center is available based on a splitting of a work order into multiple batches. ### Claim 55 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the instructions allow a queue policy to be set for each work center, the queue policy adjusting a maximum queue level for the corresponding work order queue of the work center. ### Claim 56 The system of 44, wherein, after transmitting the authorization signal to initiate the next work order, a pull tag is assigned for storing production data for the next work order at the work center. ### Claim 57 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31, further comprising continuously maintaining the database, by the processor, with the status information received from the electronic devices regarding the state of each of the work centers and the corresponding work order queues, wherein the controlling authorizing new work orders at the work centers is performed in accordance with the status information most recently obtained from the work centers. ### Claim 58 (depends on 44) The system of claim 44, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to continuously maintain the database with the status information received from the electronic devices regarding the state of each of the work centers and each of the corresponding work order queues, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to control the authorizing new work orders in accordance with the status information most recently obtained from the work centers.