# US 2022/0035359 A1 · System and method for determining manufacturing plant topology and fault propagation information > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0035359 A1 - Document ID: US20220035359A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/061,248 - Filed: 2020-10-01 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-07-31 - Assignees: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Applicants: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated - Inventors: Hong Yu; Ajay Raghavan; Deokwoo Jung; Saman Mostafavi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220035359A1 ## CPC - G05B 23/0259: {characterized by the response to fault detection} - G05B 23/0272: {Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user} - G06F 16/2465: {Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases} - G05B 2219/31376: MFL material flow - G05B 2219/31472: Graphical display of process - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A system is provided for determining a manufacturing network topology and fault propagation information. During operation, the system stores data associated with a processing system which includes machines and associated processes, wherein the data includes timestamp information, machine status information, and product-batch information. The system determines, based on the data, a network topology which corresponds to the processing system, wherein the network topology indicates flows of outputs between the machines as part of the processes. The system determines utilization information of a plurality of the machines of the processing system. The system displays one or more of the flows of outputs based on the utilization information, thereby facilitating diagnosis of the processing system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, comprising: storing data associated with a processing system which includes machines and associated processes, wherein the data includes timestamp information, machine status information, and product-batch information; determining, based on the data, a network topology which corresponds to the processing system, wherein the network topology indicates flows of outputs between the machines as part of the processes; determining utilization information of a plurality of the machines of the processing system; and displaying one or more of the flows of outputs based on the utilization information, thereby facilitating diagnosis of the processing system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the one or more flows of outputs comprises: displaying a graph of the network topology, wherein a respective node in the graph indicates, for a respective output, a first machine which processes the respective output and a first process associated with the first machine, and wherein a respective edge in the graph indicates, for the respective output, a flow from an originating node to a destination node. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein a size of the respective node in the displayed graph corresponds to a number of parts which are processed by the first machine, and wherein a weight of the respective edge in the displayed graph indicates the utilization information, including a utilization rate, associated with the originating node and the destination node. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the respective output is held for a period of time in a physical buffer between machines indicated by the originating node and the destination node. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the product-batch information comprises a lot number which corresponds to a plurality of physical objects of the processing system, wherein the physical objects share at least one common characteristic, and wherein the machine status information comprises one or more of a stopcode and a fault type. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the outputs comprise materials and include physical objects upon which the machines of the processing system perform the processes, and wherein a respective physical object is associated with a lot number and a production line of the processing system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, based on the network topology, a plurality of fault propagation paths; assigning a weight to each of the fault propagation paths; and displaying the fault propagation paths with their assigned weight. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the fault propagation paths comprises: displaying a graph of the fault propagation paths, wherein a respective node in the graph indicates, for a respective output, a first machine which processes the respective output, a first process associated with the first machine, and a stopcode associated with the first machine and the first process in processing the respective output, and wherein a respective edge in the graph indicates, for the respective output, a logical flow from an originating node to a destination node. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein a size of the respective node in the displayed graph corresponds to a number of stopcodes associated with nodes prior to the first machine in the displayed graph, wherein a weight of the respective edge in the displayed graph indicates a frequency of occurrence in the data of stopcodes associated with the originating node and the destination node, and wherein assigning the weight to the fault propagation paths is based on the weight of the respective edge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the processing system comprises one or more of: a manufacturing system, wherein the network topology further indicates flows of materials between the machines as part of the processes; a cloud or cluster computing system, wherein the network topology further indicates flows of distributed or parallel computations or simulations associated with outputs between the machines as part of the processes of the cloud or cluster computing system; and a supply chain system, wherein the network topology further indicates flows of materials associated with delivery and distribution outputs between the machines as part of the processes of the supply chain system. ### Claim 11 A computer system, the system comprising: a processor; and a storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising: storing data associated with a processing system which includes machines and associated processes, wherein the data includes timestamp information, machine status information, and product-batch information; determining, based on the data, a network topology which corresponds to the processing system, wherein the network topology indicates flows of outputs between the machines as part of the processes; determining utilization information of a plurality of the machines of the processing system; and displaying one or more of the flows of outputs based on the utilization information, thereby facilitating diagnosis of the processing system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein displaying the one or more flows of outputs comprises: displaying a graph of the network topology, wherein a respective node in the graph indicates, for a respective output, a first machine which processes the respective output, and a first process associated with the first machine, and wherein a respective edge in the graph indicates, for the respective output, a flow from an originating node to a destination node. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer system of claim 12, wherein a size of the respective node in the displayed graph corresponds to a number of parts which are processed by the first machine, and wherein a weight of the respective edge in the displayed graph indicates the utilization information, including a utilization rate, associated with the originating node and the destination node. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computer system of claim 12, wherein the respective output is held for a period of time in a physical buffer between machines indicated by the originating node and the destination node. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the product-batch information comprises a lot number which corresponds to a plurality of physical objects of the processing system, wherein the physical objects share at least one common characteristic, wherein the machine status information comprises one or more of a stopcode and a fault type, wherein the outputs comprise materials and include physical objects upon which the machines of the processing system perform the processes, and wherein a respective physical object is associated with a lot number and a production line of the processing system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, where the method further comprises: determining, based on the network topology, a plurality of fault propagation paths; assigning a weight to each of the fault propagation paths; and displaying the fault propagation paths with their assigned weight. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer system of claim 16, wherein displaying the fault propagation paths comprises: displaying a graph of the fault propagation paths, wherein a respective node in the graph indicates, for a respective output, a first machine which processes the respective output, a first process associated with the first machine, and a stopcode associated with the first machine and the first process in processing the respective output, and wherein a respective edge in the graph indicates, for the respective output, a logical flow from an originating node to a destination node. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17, wherein a size of the respective node in the displayed graph corresponds to a number of stopcodes associated with nodes prior to the first machine in the displayed graph, wherein a weight of the respective edge in the displayed graph indicates a frequency of occurrence in the data of stopcodes associated with the originating node and the destination node, and wherein assigning the weight to the fault propagation paths is based on the weight of the respective edge. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer system of claim 11, wherein the processing system comprises one or more of: a manufacturing system, wherein the network topology further indicates flows of materials between the machines as part of the processes; a cloud or cluster computing system, wherein the network topology further indicates flows of distributed or parallel computations or simulations associated with outputs between the machines as part of the processes of the cloud or cluster computing system; and a supply chain system, wherein the network topology further indicates flows of materials associated with delivery and distribution outputs between the machines as part of the processes of the supply chain system. ### Claim 20 An apparatus, comprising: a data-storing module configured to store data associated with a processing system which includes machines and associated processes, wherein the data includes timestamp information, machine status information, and product-batch information; a topology-determining module configured to determine, based on the data, a network topology which corresponds to the processing system, wherein the network topology indicates flows of outputs between the machines as part of the processes; wherein the topology-determining module is further configured to determine utilization information of a plurality of the machines of the processing system; a topology-displaying module configured to display one or more of the flows of outputs based on the utilization information, thereby facilitating diagnosis of the processing system, by displaying a graph of the network topology; a fault propagation path-determining module configured to determine, based on the network topology, a plurality of fault propagation paths; wherein the fault propagation path-determining module is further configured to assign a weight to each of the fault propagation paths; and a path-displaying module configured to display the fault propagation paths with their assigned weight, by displaying a graph of the fault propagation paths.