Equipment schedule control method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12481272-B2
Application number	US-202318326873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2023
Priority date	Jul 1, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is an equipment schedule control method and apparatus capable of operating equipment according to an optimal schedule in various environments by virtually simulating operation of the equipment, the method including (a) receiving parameter information related to operation of the equipment from an equipment terminal or an operator terminal, (b) generating primary simulation model information to which operation of current equipment is reflected, by using the parameter information, (c) reconstructing virtually operable secondary simulation model information by using the primary simulation model information, (d) calculating and comparing primary scheduling result information of the primary simulation model information and secondary scheduling result information of the secondary simulation model information, and (e) transmitting optimal equipment control information to the equipment terminal or the operator terminal to control the equipment to follow the secondary simulation model information, when the secondary scheduling result information is superior to the primary scheduling result information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An equipment schedule control method using a computer system comprising a server computer connected to at least one equipment terminal and at least one operator terminal through a network,
wherein the server computer comprises: a parameter information input program for receiving parameter information related to operation of equipment from the equipment terminal or the operator terminal; a primary simulation model generation program for generating primary simulation model information to which operation of current equipment is reflected, by using the parameter information; a secondary simulation model reconstruction program for reconstructing virtually operable secondary simulation model information by using the primary simulation model information; a simulation result comparison program for calculating and comparing primary scheduling result information of the primary simulation model information and secondary scheduling result information of the secondary simulation model information; an optimal equipment control program for transmitting optimal equipment control information to the equipment terminal or the operator terminal to control the equipment to follow the secondary simulation model information, when the secondary scheduling result information is superior to the primary scheduling result information; a parameter information database for storing the parameter information; a primary simulation model information database for storing the primary simulation model information; a secondary simulation model information database for storing the secondary simulation model information; a primary scheduling result information database for storing the primary scheduling result information; a secondary scheduling result information database for storing the secondary scheduling result information; and an optimal equipment control information database for storing the optimal equipment control information, and wherein the equipment schedule control method comprises: (a) by the parameter information input program, receiving the parameter information related to the operation of the equipment from the equipment terminal or the operator terminal; (b) by the primary simulation model generation program, generating the primary simulation model information to which the operation of the current equipment is reflected, by using the parameter information; (c) by the secondary simulation model reconstruction program, reconstructing the virtually operable secondary simulation model information by using the primary simulation model information; (d) by the simulation result comparison program, calculating and comparing the primary scheduling result information of the primary simulation model information and the secondary scheduling result information of the secondary simulation model information; and (e) by the optimal equipment control program, transmitting the optimal equipment control information to the equipment terminal or the operator terminal to control the equipment to follow the secondary simulation model information, when the secondary scheduling result information is superior to the primary scheduling result information.

2 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 1 , wherein the equipment comprises semiconductor equipment comprising at least one selected from among an equipment front end module, a loader module, an unloader module, an index module, a loadlock module, a transfer module, a process module, a loader robot, an unloader robot, a transfer robot, a gate valve, and combinations thereof.

3 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter information comprises at least one of module information, robot information, process information, operation information, action definition information, operation performability information, substrate location information, hardware operation time information, job operation time information, update information, change information, substrate information, current schedule information, environment information, sensing information, operator input information, operator command information, current action information, wafer location information, productivity information, and combinations thereof.

4 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 1 , wherein the primary simulation model information comprises at least one of loadlock module supply information, loadlock module return information, transfer module supply information, transfer module return information, process module supply information, process module return information, and combinations thereof, which represent a current operation sequence of the equipment.

5 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 4 , wherein the secondary simulation model information comprises at least one of loadlock module supply prediction information, loadlock module return prediction information, transfer module supply prediction information, transfer module return prediction information, process module supply prediction information, process module return prediction information, and combinations thereof, which represent available virtual operation sequences.

6 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 1 , wherein the primary scheduling result information comprises at least one of a substrate processing time of the current equipment, a substrate processing quantity of the current equipment, a substrate yield of the current equipment, productivity of the current equipment, production efficiency of the current equipment, and combinations thereof.

7 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 6 , wherein the secondary scheduling result information comprises at least one of a substrate processing time of reconstructed equipment, a substrate processing quantity of the reconstructed equipment, a substrate yield of the reconstructed equipment, productivity of the reconstructed equipment, production efficiency of the reconstructed equipment, and combinations thereof.

8 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 1 , wherein the optimal equipment control information comprises at least one of loadlock module supply command information, loadlock module return command information, transfer module supply command information, transfer module return command information, process module supply command information, process module return command information, and combinations thereof, which represent an optimal operation sequence to control the equipment to follow the secondary simulation model information.

9 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary simulation model reconstruction program comprises:
an operation sequence definition program for defining an operation sequence of the primary simulation model information; and an operation sequence change program for newly changing the operation sequence of the primary simulation model information, and wherein step (c) comprises: (c-1) by the operation sequence definition program, defining the operation sequence of the primary simulation model information; and (c-2) by the operation sequence change program, newly changing the operation sequence of the primary simulation model information.

10 . The equipment schedule control method of claim 9 , wherein the secondary simulation model reconstruction program further comprises an operability verification program for verifying operability by simulating the secondary simulation model information according to the newly changed operation sequence, and
wherein step (c) further comprises (c-3) by the operability verification program, verifying operability by simulating the secondary simulation model information according to the newly changed oper

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jongseok

Classifications

• B25J9/1602 Primary

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title

• B25J9/1605

  Simulation of manipulator lay-out, design, modelling of manipulator · CPC title

• G05B19/41885 Primary

  characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system · CPC title

• G05B19/41835

  characterised by program execution · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title