Mission-specific vehicle capacity constraints in transportation planning

• US 20060265234A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Yang, Mei, Budaraju, Hema, Peterkofsky, Roy I., Sun, Rongming
• Granted Patent: US 8,626,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods

Abstract

A computer, for planning moves of freight using vehicles, determines one or more attributes of a mission, based on a group of shipments being consolidated into the mission, computes a total amount of freight to be moved, and decides on feasibility of performing the mission, using a vehicle of a given type based at least on each of (A) the amount of freight, (B) one or more attributes of the mission, and (C) multiple effective capacities of freight moveable by the type of vehicle being selected, which depend on the mission attribute(s). Multiple effective capacities for each vehicle type, and corresponding values of mission attribute(s) at which they are to be applied are stored in the computer ahead of time, based on industry experience. Examples of mission attribute(s) include (1) number of stops, (2) type of stops (whether pooling or not), and (3) a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method of planning movement of freight using vehicles, the method comprising:

automatically determining a measure of complexity of a mission based on stops to be made in executing a plurality of orders for movement of freight to be delivered by performing the mission;

automatically computing an amount of freight to be moved in at least one portion of the mission;

automatically deciding on feasibility of performing the mission using a vehicle of a given type, based on at least each of;

(A) the amount of freight obtained from automatically computing;

(B) the measure of complexity obtained from automatically determining; and

(C) a plurality of effective capacities of freight moveable by said vehicle, wherein the effective capacities differ depending on the measure of complexity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the measure of complexity is determined from the number of stops in the mission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the measure of complexity is determined from the type of stops in the mission.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the measure of complexity is determined from the number of stops in the mission; and

an additional measure of complexity is determined from the type of stops in the mission, and the additional measure is also used during the automatic deciding of feasibility.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

during the automatic deciding of feasibility, a lookup of a two dimensional array is performed, using as inputs the two measures of complexity derived from the type of stops and the number of stops.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically identifying one effective capacity, from among the plurality of effective capacities of said vehicle, using at least said measure of complexity.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

a hard constraint is applied during the automatic deciding of feasibility, by comparing the amount of freight and said one capacity.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:

a soft constraint is applied during the automatic deciding of feasibility, by computing a penalty cost that depends on a difference between the amount of freight and said one capacity.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

automatically picking from among all orders for freight movement, said plurality of orders to be consolidated into said mission, if the orders being picked have at least a partial overlap with one another in respective paths.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

automatically retrieving from a database, all orders for freight movement including the plurality of orders, by using a database management system; and

automatically storing the mission in said database.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a carrier wave encoded with information about the mission, for transmission over a communication network.

12. A carrier wave encoded with instructions to perform the acts of claim 1.

13. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions to perform the acts of claim 1, the storage medium being further encoded with said mission.

14. A computer comprising a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory being encoded with instructions to prepare missions for movement of freight using vehicles, wherein said instructions are at least to:

create a mission by grouping orders whose paths overlap at least partially with one another, from among a plurality of orders for movement of freight;

determine at least one attribute of the mission, based on orders grouped during creation of the mission;

compute an amount of freight to be moved, in the mission obtained from the instruction to create, in at least one portion of one path among the group of paths in the mission; and

p1 deciding on feasibility of performing the mission, using a vehicle of a given type based at least on each of;

(A) the amount of freight from the instruction to compute;

(B) the attribute of the mission from the instruction to determine; and

(C) a plurality of capacities of freight moveable by said at least one vehicle, wherein the capacities differ depending on the attribute.

15. An apparatus for preparing missions for movement of freight using vehicles, the apparatus comprising:

means for creating a mission by grouping orders whose paths overlap at least partially with one another, from among a plurality of orders for movement of freight;

means for determining at least one attribute of the mission, based orders grouped during creation of the mission;

wherein the means for determining is coupled to the means for creating to receive therefrom information on orders grouped into the mission;

means for computing an amount of freight to be moved in the mission in at least one portion of one path among the group of paths in the mission;

wherein the means for computing is coupled to the means for trouping to receive therefrom information on orders grouped into the mission; and

means for deciding on feasibility of performing the mission, using a vehicle of a given type based at least on each of;

(A) the amount of freight from the means for computing;

(B) the attribute of the mission from the means for determining; and

(C) a plurality of capacities of freight moveable by said at least one vehicle, wherein the capacities differ depending on the attribute.