Bidirectional Production Scheduling to Balance Completion Time and Utilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in simultaneously optimizing processing completion time and device operation rate in scheduling plans for processing multiple objects across stages.

Innovation Solution

A planning program and method that employs a four-stage process: forward arrangement by type of processing, backward arrangement based on completion order, aligning processing start times, and adjusting the arrangement to optimize device operation rate while adhering to predetermined conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If forward arrangement is used to plan scheduling from a predetermined time point, then processing completion time can be optimized, but device operation rate deteriorates due to increased standby times

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing completion timeVSAvoiddevice operation rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies backward arrangement as an inverse approach to forward arrangement. Instead of planning from the start time forward, the system plans from the end time backward through each stage, allowing optimization of device operation rates while still meeting completion deadlines. This inversion enables better utilization of device capacities by working backward from constraints.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a temporal dimension reversal by implementing bidirectional arrangement (both forward and backward planning). This allows the system to view scheduling problems from multiple temporal perspectives, enabling optimization of both completion time (forward view) and operation rate (backward view) simultaneously through iterative adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If scheduling is optimized for processing completion time, then work completion time is reduced, but device utilization deteriorates with increased standby periods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvework completion timeVSAvoiddevice utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements iterative feedback between forward and backward arrangement results. The system calculates forward arrangement to determine completion times, then uses backward arrangement to optimize device utilization, and repeatedly adjusts both arrangements based on feedback from capacity constraints and objective function evaluations until convergence is achieved.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The scheduling plan is made dynamic through iterative adjustment between forward and backward arrangements. Rather than using a static single-direction arrangement, the system continuously refines the schedule by alternating forward and backward planning passes, adapting the arrangement to balance completion time and device utilization requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If backward arrangement is used to plan from end time, then device operation rate is improved, but processing completion time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice operation rateVSAvoidprocessing completion time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges forward arrangement and backward arrangement into a unified bidirectional scheduling system. Both arrangement methods are combined and iteratively applied, with forward arrangement optimizing completion time and backward arrangement optimizing device operation rate, and the results are merged through repeated adjustment until both objectives are satisfied simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250069008A1Computer-readable recording medium storing planning program, planning method, and information processing device

Publication Date: 2025.02.27 FUJITSU LTD

AI summary

A recording medium stores a program for causing a computer to execute processing including: a first stage of arranging objects in processing entities of types of processing by forward arrangement in which arrangement is planned with a predetermined time point as a starting point according to a predetermined order for the objects; a second stage of arranging the objects by backward arrangement in which arrangement is planned in a direction opposite to a time axis with a predetermined time point as a starting point according to a processing completion order of each object of final processing in the arrangement obtained in the first stage; a third stage of aligning processing start times of each object from a front in each processing in the arrangement obtained in the second stage; and a fourth stage of moving forward the arrangement obtained in the third stage to a predetermined time point.