Automated manufacturing system
AssigneeShutterfly, Inc.
InventorsXin Wen, Russ Ennio Muzzolini, Jeff D. Boone
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated manufacturing system comprises a computer processing system and a plurality of consolidation systems. The computer processing system receives information on product subbatches and product packages and consolidation status information to produce consolidation assignment information, each product package comprising one or more product subbatches. The consolidation systems receive the product subbatches in accordance to the consolidation assignment information and consolidate the product subbatches into product packages, wherein the status of the consolidation systems are tracked and the consolidation status information is sent to the computer processing system.
Claims20
An automated manufacturing system, comprising
- a computer processing system configured to define a product package comprising two or more product subbatches and to assign a priority level to a product subbatch in the product package, wherein the computer processing system sets the product subbatch to a first priority level if none of companion product subbatches associated with the product subbatch in the product package has been produced and sets the product subbatch to a second priority level higher than the first priority level if at least one companion product subbatch associated with the product subbatch in the product package has been produced;
- and
- a scheduling system configured to schedule the product subbatch in accordance to the priority level of the product subbatch.
A method for automated manufacturing, comprising:
- defining a plurality of product packages each comprising two or more product subbatches;
- assigning a priority level to a product subbatch in a product package, wherein the step of assigning comprises:
- setting the product subbatch to a first priority level if none of companion product subbatches associated with the product subbatch in the product package has been produced;
- and
- setting the product subbatch to a second priority level higher than the first priority level if at least one companion product subbatch associated with the product subbatch in the product package has been produced;
- and
- scheduling the product subbatch in accordance to the priority level of the product subbatch.
A method of automated manufacturing, comprising:
- defining a plurality of product packages each comprising two or more product subbatches;
- assigning a first product subbatch in a product package to a first priority level;
- scheduling the first product subbatch in accordance to the first priority level;
- producing the first product subbatch;
- assigning a second priority level to a second product subbatch in the product package, wherein the second priority level is higher than the first priority level;
- and
- producing the second product subbatch in accordance to the second priority level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.