Multi-stage truck assignment system and method

• US 20030069680A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Alarie, Stephane, Cohen, Paul Joseph, Gamache, Michel
• Granted Patent: US 6,741,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A method is provided for providing dispatch assignments to a plurality of vehicles in an environment including a plurality of sources and a plurality of processing sites. Current information about the environment is obtained, as is information about optimal criteria. Based on the current environment and the optimal criteria information, a production plan is determined. Based on the production plan and consideration of a cooperative assignment and/or anticipated future environment conditions, a dispatch assignment is selected for each vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for providing dispatch assignments, the system comprising:

a plurality of vehicles;

a plurality of sources;

a plurality of processing sites; and

a base computer, wherein the base computer is configured to provide dispatch information to individual vehicles based upon a cooperative assignment of multiple vehicles within the plurality of vehicles.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the base computer includes:

a processor;

a process memory including instructions used by the processor;

a configuration database;

a pre-fetched assignment database; and

a mine image database,

wherein the configuration database, the pre-fetched assignment database, and the mine image database are each operably connected to the processor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the process memory is configured with instructions for performing at least one of the following procedures:

set the configuration database, retrieve information from the configuration database, determine default dispatch assignments, determine pre-fetch assignments, assign a particular vehicle, override the assignment of a vehicle, or update the mine image database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each vehicle further receives instructions to proceed to one of the plurality of sources or one of the plurality of processing sites based upon anticipated future system conditions.

5. A method for providing dispatch assignments to a plurality of vehicles in an environment including a plurality of sources and a plurality of processing sites, the method comprising:

obtaining current information about the environment;

obtaining information about optimal criteria;

determining, based on the current environment and optimal criteria information, a production plan;

determining a plurality of possible dispatch assignments for each vehicle based on the production plan;

determining costs associated with each possible dispatch assignment; and

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments, for each of the plurality of vehicles, a dispatch assignment based on a consideration of a cooperative assignment of multiple vehicles within the plurality of vehicles.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments includes:

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments based on anticipated future conditions of the environment.

7. The method of claim 5, further including the step of:

storing the selected dispatch assignments in a database.

8. The method of claim 7, further including the steps of:

receiving a request for an assignment associated with a particular vehicle;

providing to the vehicle, if available, a stored dispatch assignment for the particular vehicle from the database; and

providing a heuristically-determined dispatch assignment to the vehicle if a stored dispatch assignment is not available.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the information about the environment includes at least one of the following:

source location, processing site location, routes between sources and processing sites, types of materials available at each source, types of material available at each processing site, sources not in operation, or processing sites not in operation.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the information about the optimal criteria includes at least one of the following:

production requirements, blending requirements, or minimal idle time for vehicles.

11. The method of claim 5, further including:

determining a default assignment for each vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining a default assignment for each vehicle includes:

determining a route for each vehicle to get into the determined default assignment for that vehicle.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the optimal criteria information is provided by the mine operator.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the current information about the environment is obtained at regular intervals.

15. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method for providing dispatch assignments to a plurality of vehicles in an environment including a plurality of sources and a plurality of processing sites, the method comprising:

obtaining current information about the environment;

obtaining information about optimal criteria;

determining, based on the current environment and optimal criteria information, a production plan;

determining a plurality of possible dispatch assignments for each vehicle based on the production plan;

determining costs associated with each possible dispatch assignment; and

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments, for each of the plurality of vehicles, a dispatch assignment based on a consideration of a cooperative assignment of multiple vehicles within the plurality of vehicles.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the step of selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments includes:

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments based on anticipated future conditions of the environment.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further including the step of:

storing the selected dispatch assignments in a database.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further including the steps of:

receiving a request for an assignment associated with a particular vehicle;

providing to the vehicle, if available, a stored dispatch assignment for the particular vehicle from the database; and

providing a heuristically-determined dispatch assignment to the vehicle if a stored dispatch assignment is not available.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information about the environment includes at least one of the following:

source location, processing site location, routes between sources and processing sites, types of materials available at each source, types of material available at each processing site, sources not in operation, or processing sites not in operation.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the information about the optimal criteria includes at least one of the following:

production requirements, blending requirements, or minimal idle time for vehicles.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further including:

determining a default assignment for each vehicle.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the step of determining a default assignment for each vehicle includes:

determining a route for each vehicle to get into the determined default assignment for that vehicle.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the optimal criteria information is provided by the mine operator.

24. A system for providing dispatch assignments within an environment, the system comprising:

a plurality of vehicles;

a plurality of sources;

a plurality of processing sites; and

a base computer, wherein the base computer is configured to provide dispatch information to the plurality of vehicles based upon anticipated future environment conditions.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the base computer includes:

a processor;

a process memory including instructions used by the processor;

a configuration database;

a pre-fetched assignment database; and

a mine image database,

wherein the configuration database, the pre-fetched assignment database, and the mine image database are each operably connected to the processor.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the process memory is configured with instructions for performing at least one of the following methods:

set the configuration database, retrieve information from the configuration database, determine default dispatch assignments, determine pre-fetch assignments, assign a particular vehicle, override the assignment of a vehicle, or update the mine image database.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein each vehicle further receives dispatch instructions based upon a consideration of a cooperative assignment of the plurality of vehicles.

28. A method for providing dispatch assignments to a plurality of vehicles in an environment including a plurality of sources and a plurality of processing sites, the method comprising:

obtaining current information about the environment;

obtaining anticipated future information about the environment;

obtaining information about optimal criteria;

determining, based on the current environment and optimal criteria information, a production plan;

determining a plurality of possible dispatch assignments for each vehicle based on the production plan;

determining costs associated with each possible dispatch assignment; and

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments, for each of the plurality of vehicles, a dispatch assignment based on the production plan and anticipated future environment conditions.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments includes:

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments based on a consideration of a cooperative assignment of multiple vehicles within the plurality of vehicles.

30. The method of claim 28, further including the step of:

storing the selected dispatch assignments in a database.

31. The method of claim 30, further including the steps of:

receiving a request for an assignment associated with a particular vehicle;

providing to the vehicle, if available, a stored dispatch assignment for the particular vehicle from the database; and

providing a heuristically-determined dispatch assignment to the vehicle if a stored dispatch assignment is not available.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the information about the environment includes at least one of the following:

source location, processing site location, routes between sources and processing sites, types of materials available at each source, types of material available at each processing site, sources not in operation, or processing sites not in operation.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the information about the optimal criteria includes at least one of the following:

production requirements, blending requirements, or minimal idle time for vehicles.

34. The method of claim 28, further including:

determining a default assignment for each vehicle.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of determining a default assignment for each vehicle includes:

determining a route for each vehicle to get into the determined default assignment for that vehicle.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the optimal criteria information is provided by the mine operator.

37. The method of claim 28, wherein the current information about the environment is obtained at regular intervals.

38. A computer-readable medium including instructions for performing a method for providing dispatch assignments to a plurality of vehicles in an environment including a plurality of sources and a plurality of processing sites, the method comprising:

obtaining current information about the environment;

obtaining anticipated future information about the environment;

obtaining information about optimal criteria;

determining, based on the current environment and optimal criteria information, a production plan;

determining a plurality of possible dispatch assignments for each vehicle based on the production plan;

determining costs associated with each possible dispatch assignment; and

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments, for each of the plurality of vehicles, a dispatch assignment based on the production plan and anticipated future environment conditions.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the step of selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments includes:

selecting from among the possible dispatch assignments based on consideration of a cooperative assignment of multiple vehicles within the plurality of vehicles.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 38, further including the step of:

storing the selected dispatch assignments in a database.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, further including the steps of:

receiving a request for an assignment associated with a particular vehicle;

providing to the vehicle, if available, a stored dispatch assignment for the particular vehicle from the database; and

providing a heuristically-determined dispatch assignment to the vehicle if a stored dispatch assignment is not available.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the information about the environment includes at least one of the following:

source location, processing site location, routes between sources and processing sites, types of materials available at each source, types of material available at each processing site, sources not in operation, or processing sites not in operation.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the information about the optimal criteria includes at least one of the following:

production requirements, blending requirements, or minimal idle time for vehicles.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 38, further including:

determining a default assignment for each vehicle.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44, wherein the step of determining a default assignment for each vehicle includes:

determining a route for each vehicle to get into the determined default assignment for that vehicle.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 38, wherein the optimal criteria information is provided by the mine operator.