IP Library Granted Patent US 10,386,822
Granted Patent B2
US 10,386,822 · App. 15/237,978 · Granted Aug 20, 2019

System for rapid identification of sources of variation in complex manufacturing processes

Inventors: Thomas Hill (Tulsa, OK); Daniel W. Scott (Broken Arrow, OK); Vladimir S. Rastunkov (Tulsa, OK)
Assignee: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
G05B19/4183G05B19/41875G06F17/50G06Q10/0639G05B2219/32194Y02P90/10Y02P90/22Y02P90/265
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,386,822
App. No.
15/237,978
Filed
Aug 16, 2016
Granted
Aug 20, 2019
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2898
USPC
700/117
Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for identifying sources of variation in complex manufacturing processes via a variation identification operation. In certain embodiments, the variation identification operation is performed via a variation identification system. The variation identification operation addresses special class of analytic problems, namely the estimation of variance components and related statistics from very large (big data) hierarchically nested designs of random factors. These types of data structures occur frequently across various industries, and in particular in automated and batch manufacturing where the variability in product quality as measured in final product testing should be related to batches, lots, wafers, suppliers, etc. upstream of the process.

Claims (56)

1. A computer-implementable method for operating a statistical analysis tool for evaluating component variance of a complex manufacturing operation, comprising:

presenting a variation identification interface to a user, the variation identification interface enabling a user to select one or more variation components relating to the complex manufacturing operation;

providing manufacturing data relating to the manufacturing operation to a manufacturing data repository;

performing closed-form computation operations on the manufacturing data to rapidly identify variance components from the manufacturing data; and,

identifying sources of variation in complex manufacturing processes;

wherein the sources of variation identify root causes of variability in product quality.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

distributing the closed-form operations across a plurality of nodes of the storage system; and,

executing the closed form operations at each of the plurality of nodes of the storage system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the closed-form operations are incorporated into pre-arranged sets of analytic templates.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the variation identification operation leverages in-database computations in big data environments to compute aggregates on which the final estimation computations are based.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the manufacturing operation comprises automated and batch manufacturing.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

variability in product quality of the manufacturing operation is measured in final product testing upstream of the manufacturing operation.

7. A system for operating a statistical analysis tool for evaluating component variance of a complex manufacturing operation, the system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code interacting with a plurality of computer operations and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for:

presenting a variation identification interface to a user, the variation identification interface enabling a user to select one or more variation components relating to the complex manufacturing operation;

providing manufacturing data relating to the manufacturing operation to a manufacturing data repository;

performing closed-form computation operations on the manufacturing data to rapidly identify variance components from the manufacturing data;

and,

identifying sources of variation in complex manufacturing processes;

wherein the sources of variation identify root causes of variability in product quality.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the instructions are further configured for:

distributing the closed-form operations across a plurality of nodes of the storage system; and,

executing the closed form operations at each of the plurality of nodes of the storage system.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the closed-form operations are incorporated into pre-arranged sets of analytic templates.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the variation identification operation leverages in-database computations in big data environments to compute aggregates on which the final estimation computations are based.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the manufacturing operation comprises automated and batch manufacturing.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

variability in product quality of the manufacturing operation is measured in final product testing upstream of the manufacturing operation.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium embodying computer program code for operating a statistical analysis tool for evaluating component variance of a complex manufacturing operation, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

presenting a variation identification interface to a user, the variation identification interface enabling a user to select one or more variation components relating to the complex manufacturing operation;

providing manufacturing data complex relating to the manufacturing operation to a manufacturing data repository;

performing closed-form computation operations on the manufacturing data to rapidly identify variance components from the manufacturing data; and,

identifying sources of variation in complex manufacturing processes;

wherein the sources of variation identify root causes of variability in product quality.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein

the instructions are further configured for:

distributing the closed-form operations across a plurality of nodes of the storage system; and,

executing the closed form operations at each of the plurality of nodes of the storage system.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the closed-form operations are incorporated into pre-arranged sets of analytic templates.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the variation identification operation leverages in-database computations in big data environments to compute aggregates on which the final estimation computations are based.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein:

the manufacturing operation comprises automated and batch manufacturing.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein:

variability in product quality of the manufacturing operation is measured in final product testing upstream of the manufacturing operation.

Assignments (20)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 1, 2026
From: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC.
To: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 075874/0220 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 15, 2025
From: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072488/0172 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2024
From: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC. (F/K/A TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.); CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067662/0568 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 14, 2023
From: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC. (F/K/A TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.); CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063340/0164 →
RELEASE AND REASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT (REEL/FRAME 062113/0001) Recorded Apr 14, 2023
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.; CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC. (F/K/A TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.)
Reel/Frame 063339/0525 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 7, 2023
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
To: CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 062714/0634 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062113/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062113/0470 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 7, 2022
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.; CITRIX SYSTEMS, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062112/0262 →
RELEASE REEL 052115 / FRAME 0318 Recorded Oct 3, 2022
From: KKR LOAN ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LLC
To: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 061588/0511 →
RELEASE (REEL 050889 / FRAME 0727) Recorded Sep 30, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 061575/0860 →
RELEASE (REEL 054275 / FRAME 0975) Recorded May 7, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 056176/0398 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 2, 2020
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054275/0975 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 6, 2020
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
To: KKR LOAN ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052115/0318 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 1, 2019
From: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050889/0727 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2018
From: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.
To: TIBCO SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 045592/0967 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 9, 2018
From: DELL SOFTWARE INC.
To: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 045546/0372 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN CERTAIN PATENT COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 040581/0850 Recorded Jun 7, 2017
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 042731/0286 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN CERTAIN PATENT COLLATERAL AT REEL/FRAME NO. 040587/0624 Recorded Jun 7, 2017
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 042731/0327 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 16, 2016
From: HILL, THOMAS; SCOTT, DANIEL W.; RASTUNKOV, VLADIMIR S.
To: DELL SOFTWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 039454/0619 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180052450A1 · Feb 22, 2018