Interface for controlling transactions in a manufacturing execution system

In a computer system comprising a database for modeling manufacturing in a factory, a display, and a user input device, wherein manufacturing in said factory is modeled using transactions in said database, a method for displaying an interface for controlling said transactions in said database comprising displaying a common display interface on said display, said common display interface representing a series of transactions for a single manufacturing process, and further comprising:

• a. displaying a plurality of subdisplays within said common display interface each separately accessible through said common display interface and displayed upon said computer system display, each of said plurality of subdisplays related to subprocesses within said single manufacturing process and accessible using selections of said user input device;
• b. displaying a first set of icons for accessing a first group of said plurality of subdisplays in a sequential order, a first subdisplay in each of said first group being displayed first, and said transactions associated with said first subdisplay being performed prior to displaying subsequent subdisplays in said first group of said plurality of subdisplays, and performing transactions for said subsequent subdisplays;
• and
• c. displaying a second set of icons for accessing a second group of said plurality of subdisplays at arbitrary time intervals, and the performance of transactions associated with said second group of said plurality of subdisplays at said arbitrary time intervals.

In a computer system comprising a database for modeling manufacturing in a factory, a display, and a user input device, wherein manufacturing in said factory is modeled using transactions in said database, an apparatus for displaying an interface for controlling said transactions in said database comprising a means for displaying a common display interface on said computer system display, said common display interface representing a series of transactions for a single manufacturing process, and further comprising:

• a. means for displaying a plurality of subdisplays each separately accessible through said common display interface and displayed within said common display interface, each of said plurality of subdisplays related to subprocesses within said single manufacturing process and accessible using selections said using input device;
• b. means for accessing a first group of said plurality of subdisplays in a sequential order, a first subdisplay in each of said first group being displayed first, and said transactions associated with said first subdisplay being performed prior to the display of subsequent subdisplays, and performance of transactions for said subsequent subdisplays;
• and
• c. means for accessing a second group of said plurality of subdisplays at arbitrary time intervals, and the performance of transactions associated with said second group of said plurality of subdisplays at said arbitrary time intervals.

In a system for modeling manufacturing in a factory, said system comprising a database, a display, and a user selection device, wherein manufacturing in said factory is modeled by executing transactions in said database, a method for controlling said execution of said transactions in said database comprising:

• a. displaying a common display interface on said display, said common display interface representing a series of transactions for a single manufacturing process;
• b. displaying a plurality of icons on said common display interface for accessing a plurality of subdisplays, each of said plurality of subdisplays separately accessible through said common display interface by selecting each of said icons using said user selection device, each of said plurality of subdisplays related to subprocesses within said single manufacturing process, a first group of said icons capable of selection in a sequential order for accessing a first group of said plurality of subdisplays in said sequential order, a second group of said icons capable of selection at arbitrary time intervals for accessing a second group of said plurality of subdisplays in said arbitrary order;
• c. detecting selections of each of said first group of said icons on said common display interface in said sequential order,
• d. displaying each of said first group of said plurality of subdisplays on said common display interface in said sequential order upon each of said selections of said first group of icons;
• and
• e. performing transactions associated with each of said first group of said plurality of subdisplays in said sequential order.

In a system for modeling manufacturing in a factory, said system comprising a database, a display, and a user selection device, wherein manufacturing in said factory is modeled by executing transactions in said database, a method for controlling said execution of said transactions in said database comprising:

• a. displaying a common display interface on said display, said common display interface representing a series of transactions for a single manufacturing process;
• b. displaying a plurality of icons on said common display interface for accessing a plurality of subdisplays, each of said plurality of subdisplays separately accessible through said common display interface by selection of each of said icons using user selection device, each of said plurality of subdisplays related to subprocesses within said single manufacturing process, a first group of said icons capable of selection in a sequential order for accessing a first group of said plurality of subdisplays in said sequential order, a second group of said icons capable of selection at arbitrary time intervals for accessing said second group of said plurality of subdisplays in said arbitrary order wherein said common display interface and each of said plurality of subdisplays is displayed as a representation of pages in a notebook, and each of said plurality of icons is displayed as a representation of tabs in said notebook;
• c. detecting selections of each of said first group of said icons on said common display interface in said sequential order,
• d. displaying each of said first group of said plurality of subdisplays within said common display interface in said sequential order upon each of said selections:
• and
• e. performing transactions associated with each of said first group of said plurality of subdisplays in said sequential order.

In a system for modeling manufacturing in a factory, said system comprising a database, a display, and a user selection device, wherein manufacturing in said factory is modeled by executing transactions in said database, an interface for controlling said execution of said transactions in said database comprising a common display interface displayed on said display, said common display interface representing a series of transactions for a single manufacturing process and a plurality of icons displayed on said common display interface for accessing a plurality of subdisplays, each of said plurality of subdisplays separately accessible through said common display interface by selecting each of said icons using user selection device, each of said plurality of subdisplays related to subprocesses within said single manufacturing process, a first group of said icons capable of selection in a sequential order for accessing a first group of said plurality of subdisplays in said sequential order, a second group of said icons capable of selection at arbitrary time intervals for accessing said second group of said plurality of subdisplays in said arbitrary order wherein said common display interface and each of said plurality of subdisplays is displayed as a representation of pages in a notebook, and each of said plurality of icons is displayed as a representation of tabs in said notebook.

A system for modeling manufacturing in a factory, said system comprising a database, a display, and a selection device, wherein manufacturing in said factory is modeled by executing transactions in said database, said system further comprising an interface for controlling said execution of said transactions in said database comprising:

• a. a common display interface displayed on said display, said common display interface representing a series of transactions for a single manufacturing process:
• b. a plurality of icons displayed on said common display interface, a first group of said icons capable of selection only in a sequential order, and a second group of said icons capable of selection at arbitrary time intervals using said user selection device;
• and
• a plurality of subdisplays, each of said plurality of subdisplays separately accessible through said common display interface by selecting each of said icons using selection device, each of said plurality of subdisplays displayed upon selection of said icons within said common display interface and controlling transactions for a subprocess within said single manufacturing process, a first group of said plurality of subdisplays accessible by selecting each of said first group of icons in said common display interface and performing said transactions for each said subprocess for each of said first group of subdisplays in said sequential order, a second group of said plurality of subdisplays accessible by selecting each of a second group of said icons at arbitrary time intervals.