| Title: |
AUTOMATED MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM AND METHOD |
| Document Number: |
20100063620 |
| Publication Date: |
March 11, 2010 |
| Appl. No: |
12/497092 |
| Application Filed: |
July 02, 2009 |
| Abstract: |
An automated material handling system for combining over-head conveyer with a material control system is disclosed. First and second virtual stocker codes are respectively assigned to first and second virtual stocker of an over-head conveyer (OHC) using a material control system. A front opening unified pod (FOUP) is moved to and loaded in the first virtual stocker using a transport system controller. The FOUP is loaded in a track of the OHC and assigned a virtual vehicle code. The FOUP is moved, along the track, to the second virtual stocker and loaded in the second virtual stocker, while the virtual vehicle code is being removed, and is removed therefrom using the transport system controller. |
| Inventors: |
KUO, Chia-Cheng (Yilan County, TW); CHENG, Yuan-Chung (Hsinchu County, TW) |
| Claim: |
1. An automated material handling system for combining an over-head conveyer with a material control system, comprising: the material control system; a transport system controller; a front opening unified pod (FOUP); and the over-head conveyer, further comprising at least a first output/input (I/O) port and a second I/O port, wherein the material control system and the over-head conveyer respectively assign first and second virtual stocker codes to the first and second I/O ports, the transport system controller moves the FOUP to and loads the FOUP in the first I/O port based on the first virtual stocker code, the over-head conveyer loads the FOUP in a track thereof and assigns a virtual vehicle code to the FOUP, and moves the FOUP, along the track based on the virtual vehicle code, to the second I/O port and loads the FOUP in the second I/O port, while the virtual vehicle code is being removed, and the transport system controller takes the FOUP away according to the second virtual stocker code using the transport system controller. |
| Claim: |
2. The automated material handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second I/O ports respectively serve as stockers when the first and second virtual stocker codes are respectively assigned thereto. |
| Claim: |
3. The automated material handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the FOUP serves as a transport vehicle when the virtual vehicle code is assigned thereto. |
| Claim: |
4. The automated material handling system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the FOUP does not serve as the transport vehicle when the virtual vehicle code is removed therefrom. |
| Claim: |
5. The automated material handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or multiple I/O ports of the over-head conveyer are defined as a conveyer stocker controller. |
| Claim: |
6. The automated material handling system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transport system controller moves and loads the FOUP in one of the I/O ports and then directly takes the FOUP from the loaded I/O port. |
| Claim: |
7. The automated material handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transport system controller is controlled by the material control system or different material control systems. |
| Claim: |
8. The automated material handling system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the over-head conveyer moves the FOUP, along the track, to a physical stocker and loads the FOUP in the physical stocker. |
| Claim: |
9. An automated material handling method, comprising: respectively assigning first and second virtual stocker codes to first and second conveyer stocker controllers of an over-head conveyer using a material control system; moving a front opening unified pod (FOUP) to and loading the FOUP in the first conveyer stocker controller based on the first virtual stocker code using a transport system controller; loading the FOUP in a track of the over-head conveyer and assigning a virtual vehicle code to the FOUP using the over-head conveyer; moving the FOUP, along the track, to the second conveyer stocker controller and loading the FOUP in the second conveyer stocker controller; removing the virtual vehicle code; and taking away the FOUP therefrom according to the second virtual stocker code using the transport system controller. |
| Claim: |
10. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second conveyer stocker controllers respectively serve as stockers when the first and second virtual stocker codes are respectively assigned thereto. |
| Claim: |
11. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the FOUP serves as a transport vehicle when the virtual vehicle code is assigned thereto. |
| Claim: |
12. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the FOUP does not serve as the transport vehicle when the virtual vehicle code is removed therefrom. |
| Claim: |
13. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the transport system controller moves the FOUP to and loads the FOUP in the first or second conveyer stocker controllers and then directly takes the FOUP from the loaded conveyer stocker controller. |
| Claim: |
14. An automated material handling method, comprising: respectively assigning first and second virtual stocker codes to first and second conveyer stocker controllers, wherein the first conveyer stocker controller comprises an input/output (I/O) port and a first track and the first track provides plural storage locations; moving a front opening unified pod (FOUP) to and loading the FOUP in the first conveyer stocker controller based on the first virtual stocker code using a transport system controller; transmitting the FOUP from an input port of the first conveyer stocker controller to an output port thereof using a material control system; loading the FOUP from the output port of the first conveyer stocker controller in a second track of an over-head conveyer; assigning a virtual vehicle code to the FOUP when the FOUP is loaded in the second track; moving the FOUP, along the second track of the over-head conveyer, to the second conveyer stocker controller and loading the FOUP in the second conveyer stocker controller; removing the virtual vehicle code from the FOUP; and taking the FOUP away from the second conveyer stocker controller according to the second virtual stocker code using the transport system controller. |
| Claim: |
15. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the FOUP is transmitted from the input port of the first conveyer stocker controller to one of the storage locations of the first track using the material control system. |
| Claim: |
16. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the FOUP is moved from the storage location of the first track to the output port and loaded in the second track of the over-head conveyer. |
| Claim: |
17. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the FOUP is removed from the output port of the first conveyer stocker controller and moved to and loaded in a third conveyer stocker controller, wherein the third conveyer stocker controller comprises a third virtual stocker code and provides at least first and second I/O ports and a third track connecting the first I/O port to the second I/O port and the third track provides plural storage locations. |
| Claim: |
18. An automated material handling method, comprising: assigning a first virtual stocker code to a first conveyer stocker controller, wherein the first conveyer stocker controller comprises at least a first input/output (I/O) port and a second I/O port and a first track connecting the first I/O port to the second I/O port and providing plural storage locations; moving a front opening unified pod (FOUP) to and loading the FOUP in the first I/O port of the first conveyer stocker controller based on the first virtual stocker code using a transport system controller, wherein the first I/O port serves as an input port of the first conveyer stocker controller; transmitting the FOUP from the first I/O port of the first conveyer stocker controller to the second I/O port thereof using a material control system, wherein the second I/O port serves as an output port of the first conveyer stocker controller; and taking the FOUP away from the second I/O port of the second conveyer stocker controller using the transport system controller. |
| Claim: |
19. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the FOUP is transmitted from the first input port to one of the storage location of the first track using the material control system via the first conveyer stocker controller. |
| Claim: |
20. The automated material handling method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the FOUP is transmitted from the storage location of the first track to the second I/O port and is removed from the second I/O port using the transport system controller. |
| Claim: |
21. An automated material handling method, comprising: assigning a first virtual stocker code to a first conveyer stocker controller, wherein the first conveyer stocker controller comprises at least a first input/output (I/O) port and a second I/O port and a first track connecting the first I/O port to the second I/O port, provides plural storage locations; moving a front opening unified pod (FOUP) to and loading the FOUP in the first or second I/O port of the first conveyer stocker controller based on the first virtual stocker code using a transport system controller; and taking the FOUP away from the first or second I/O port of the first conveyer stocker controller using the transport system controller and moving the FOUP to and loading the FOUP in a second conveyer stocker controller, wherein the second conveyer stocker controller comprises a second virtual stocker code and provides at least a third I/O port and a second track connecting the third I/O port and the second track provides plural storage locations. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
700/214 |
| Current International Class: |
06 |
| Accession Number: |
edspap.20100063620 |
| Database: |
USPTO Patent Applications |
