Methods and systems for scheduling and buffer balancing
AssigneeOracle International Corporation
InventorGeorges-Henri Moll
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Abstract
A method of scheduling and making material time balancing decisions for a set of balanced tasks. The method includes steps of scheduling a first task from among the set of tasks, maintaining a reversible buffer over the interval, values of which over the time interval define a buffer profile. The buffer profile indicates the balance of items consumed by already scheduled tasks over the time interval. The next task to be scheduled is then selected from among all schedulable tasks of the set of tasks. A schedulable task is defined as a task that produces a quantity of items that is less than or equal to the balance of items consumed by the already scheduled tasks, as indicated by the buffer profile. The selected task may then be scheduled such that the end time of the selected task is latest.
Claims21
A method of scheduling and making material time balancing decisions for a plurality of tasks within a time interval defined by an origin and an horizon, each of the tasks having a duration, consuming and producing items and utilizing resources, the method comprising the steps of:
- scheduling a first task from among the plurality of tasks;
- maintaining a reversible buffer over the interval, values of the reversible buffer over the time interval defining a buffer profile, the buffer profile indicating a balance of items consumed by already scheduled tasks over the time interval;
- subsequently selecting a next task to be scheduled from among all remaining schedulable tasks of the plurality of tasks, a schedulable task being defined as a task that produces a quantity of items that is less than or equal to the balance of items consumed by the already scheduled tasks as indicated by the buffer profile, and
- scheduling the selected next task to be scheduled such that an end time of the selected task is latest.
A computer system for scheduling and making material time balancing decisions for a plurality of tasks within a time interval defined by an origin and an horizon, each of the tasks having a duration, consuming and producing items and utilizing resources, the method comprising the steps of, the computer system comprising:
- at least one processor;
- at least one data storage device;
- a plurality of processes spawned by said at least one processor, the processes including processing logic for:
- scheduling a first task from among the plurality of tasks;
- maintaining a reversible buffer over the interval, values of the reversible buffer over the time interval defining a buffer profile, the buffer profile indicating a balance of items consumed by already scheduled tasks over the time interval;
- subsequently selecting a next task to be scheduled from among all remaining schedulable tasks of the plurality of tasks, a schedulable task being defined as a task that produces a quantity of items that is less than or equal to the balance of items consumed by the already scheduled tasks as indicated by the buffer profile, and
- scheduling the selected next task to be scheduled such that an end time of the selected task is latest.
A machine readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions which, when executed by a computer system, causes said computer system to perform the steps of:
- scheduling a first task from among the plurality of tasks;
- maintaining a reversible buffer over the interval, values of the reversible buffer over the time interval defining a buffer profile, the buffer profile indicating a balance of items consumed by already scheduled tasks over the time interval;
- subsequently selecting a next task to be scheduled from among all remaining schedulable tasks of the plurality of tasks, a schedulable task being defined as a task that produces a quantity of items that is less than or equal to the balance of items consumed by the already scheduled tasks as indicated by the buffer profile, and
- scheduling the selected next task to be scheduled such that an end time of the selected task is latest.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.