• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.40-48
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• 2022

An automated material handling system (AMHS) has been emerging as an important factor in the semiconductor wafer manufacturing industry. In general, an automated guided vehicle (AGV) in the Fab's AMHS travels hundreds of miles on guided paths to transport a lot through hundreds of operations. The AMHS aims to transfer wafers while ensuring a short delivery time and high operational reliability. Many linear and analytic approaches have evaluated and improved the performance of the AMHS under a deterministic environment. However, the analytic approaches cannot consider a non-linear, non-convex, and black-box performance measurement of the AMHS owing to the AMHS's complexity and uncertainty. Unexpected vehicle congestion increases the delivery time and deteriorates the Fab's production efficiency. In this study, we propose a Q-Learning based dynamic routing algorithm considering vehicle congestion to reduce the delivery time. The proposed algorithm captures time-variant vehicle traffic and decreases vehicle congestion. Through simulation experiments, we confirm that the proposed algorithm finds an efficient path for the vehicles compared to benchmark algorithms with a reduced mean and decreased standard deviation of the delivery time in the Fab's AMHS.

• KIPS Transactions on Computer and Communication Systems
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.205-214
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• 2021

For smart manufacturing, most semiconductor sites utilize automated material handling systems(AMHS). As one of the AMHSs, the OHT control system(OCS) manages overhead hoist transports(OHT) that move along rails installed on the ceiling. This paper proposes a real-time scheduling system to efficiently allocate and control the OHTs in semiconductor logistics processes. The proposed system, as an independent subsystem within the OCS, is interconnected with the main subsystem of the OCS, so that it can be easily modified without the effect of other systems. To develop the system, we first identify the functional requirements of the semiconductor logistics process and classify several types of control scenarios of the OHTs. Next, based on SEMI(Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standard, we design sequence diagrams and interface messages between the subsystems. The developed system is interoperated with the OCS main subsystem and the database in real time and performs two major roles: 1) OHT dispatching and 2) pathfinding. Six integrated tests were carried out to verify the functions of the developed system. The system was normally operated on six basic scenarios and two exception scenarios and we proved that it is suitable for the mission planning of the OHTs.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.25-43
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• 2005

In modern automated container terminals, automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems are considered a viable option for the horizontal tansportation of containers between the stacking yard and the quayside cranes. AGVs in a container terminal move rather freely and do not follow fixed guide paths. For an efficient operation of such AGVs, however, a sophisticated traffic management system is required. Although the flexible routing scheme allows us to find the shortest possible routes for each of the AGVs, it may incur many coincidental encounters and path intersections of the AGVs, leading to collisions or deadlocks. However, the computational cost of perfect prediction and avoidance of deadlocks is prohibitively expensive for a real time application. In this paper, we propose a traffic control method that predicts and avoids some simple, but at the same time the most frequently occurring, cases of deadlocks between two AGVs. More complicated deadlock situations are not predicted ahead of time but detected and resolved after they occur. Our method is computationally cheap and readily applicable to real time applications. The efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed methods have been validated by simulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2020.11a
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• pp.161-162
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• 2020

Major advanced ports around the world are preparing for environmental regulations such as increased efficiency of ports and low emission of pollutants in ports by utilizing fourth industrial technologies and ICT technologies such as AI, big data, self-driving cars and connected cars. It is also investing in developing fully unmanned terminals to solve the problem of workforce reduction caused by avoidance of 3D industries. However, the introduction of advanced technology is being delayed in domestic ports, which has led to a drop in port efficiency. In addition, port safety accidents have also occurred frequently, seriously affecting port marketing. Thus, the characteristics and types of each container terminal in Korea were analyzed and the factors for introducing autonomous cooperative driving were classified into five section factors and 15 division factors. Hierarchically classified factors will be surveyed on workers working in shipping lines, port construction, container terminals and related ministries.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

As the information age comes out, the aspect of future war brings about the many changes in terms of war-fighting environment. Accordingly, information superiority and intelligence-centric warfare have been important and new war-fighting concept such as NCW(network centric warfare) have been turned up. This paper proposed all-weather core-strategy communications systems guaranteeing not only the real-time transmission of the information collected in a battlefield and expansion, automation, and rapidity of a battlefield but also broadband, mobility, survivability, and flexibility. The proposed military satellite communications system is classified into wideband mass capacity link, survivability, and the system supporting OTM(on the move) communication for the real-time transmission of battlefield information. This paper analyzed the essential operation concepts and core schemes of the U.S. Army's next generation system, TSAT(Transformational Satellite Communication System). Base on the analysis results, this paper proposed that the architecture of next generation military satellite communications systems for NCW have to provide the data rate, anti-jamming capability, network control and management capability which are optimally adaptable for the wireless channel environments such as jamming and interference and to support the variety of platforms like high-speed mobile vehicles, micromini devices, super-high speed unmanned aerial vehicles. Finally, this paper also proposed that next generation military satellite communications systems need the technologies such as the adaptable multi-antenna, laser link, and next-generation anti-jamming waveform.