US 12,265,931 B2
Optimized coordination and scheduling of use of equipment and resources within work environment
Michael Pfleger, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Theo Schwemer, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/764,924
Filed by AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Santa Clara, CA (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/062619
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 29, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/118823, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 17, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/945,381, filed on Dec. 9, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0374816 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/00 (2023.01); G06Q 10/0631 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 10/063114 (2013.01) [G06Q 10/06316 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
receiving, with a computing system and from a first user, a first request to use first equipment that is disposed in a work environment, the first request comprising information regarding a first task to be performed using the first equipment;
determining, with the computing system, a core processing time during which the requested first equipment performs core processes involved with performing the first task;
determining, with the computing system, a pre-processing time involved with performance of the first task using the first equipment;
determining, with the computing system, a post-processing time involved with performance of the first task using the first equipment;
determining, with the computing system, an estimated total processing time to complete the first task using the first equipment, based on the determined core processing time, the determined pre-processing time, and the determined post-processing time;
displaying, with the computing system and to the first user on a display device, the estimated total processing time to complete the first task using the first equipment, wherein the first equipment is among a plurality of equipment capable of performing the first task;
determining, with the computing system, an estimated time at which each of the plurality of equipment will be available for the first user to use to perform the first task, based on determined estimated total processing times to complete identified tasks to be performed by other users using each of the plurality of equipment;
coordinating and scheduling, using the computing system, use of the first equipment that is disposed in the work environment; and
controlling, using the computing system, the first equipment and preparation of resources, based on the coordination and scheduling, wherein the controlling includes at least one of sending a signal to the first equipment to turn on the first equipment for a specified warm-up time, or sending a signal to the first equipment to adjust a sample preparation time to condition a sample.