Appeal No. 2000-2161
Application No. 08/933,319
Appellants' invention relates to a method of achieving
high utilization and high flexibility on an assembly line for
manufacturing electronic assemblies. Independent claim 11 is
representative of the subject matter on appeal and reads as
follows:
11. A method of achieving high utilization and high
flexibility on an assembly line for manufacturing electronic
assemblies, the assembly line containing at least first and
second placement workcells, a transport means for transporting
the electronic assembly through the assembly line, and a host
computer for the workcells and the transport means, comprising
the following steps:
performing a first activity on a first electronic
assembly in the first placement workcell;
transferring information relating to the state of the
second placement workcell from the second placement workcell
to the host computer;
dynamically reconfiguring the first placement workcell at
least partially concurrent with the step of performing a first
activity and in response to the information transferred to the
host computer from the second placement workcell;
transporting the first electronic assembly from the first
placement workcell to the second placement workcell via the
transport means;
transporting a second electronic assembly into the first
placement workcell via the transport means;
performing a second activity on the first electronic
assembly in the second placement workcell;
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