Scheduling with layovers and layover charge computation in transportation planning

• US 20060265264A1
• 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, Sanchez, Javier Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,827,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods

Abstract

A computer, for planning moves of freight automatically adds one or more layover(s) to a mission. Next, the computer determines one or more charge(s) for the layovers, using carriers'"'"' rules. Thereafter, the computer uses the charge(s) in deciding whether to include the mission in a transportation plan to be executed. In some embodiments, the computer automatically maintains, for the given mission, counts of attributes on which limits are imposed by a government or by carriers, such as driving time, on-duty time, and driving distance, and when any count exceeds a corresponding limit in the midst of a driving activity, the computer automatically divides up the current driving activity into a truncated driving activity and a remainder driving activity, separated by a layover activity. The computer also determines an estimated time of arrival, including the impact of required layovers, to reach destination(s), and whether layover(s) is/are required at the destination(s), e.g. due to consignee'"'"'s receiving hours or due to congestion at consignee'"'"'s dock.

Claims

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

automatically inserting a layover into a proposed mission, if a predetermined condition is met;

automatically determining a charge for the layover, depending at least partially on a predetermined plurality of rules on chargeability of layovers; and

deciding whether to perform the proposed mission, based at least partially on the layover charge.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition comprises any one of (hours on duty, hours of driving, and driving distance) exceeding a corresponding limit set by one of (a government and a carrier).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a first counter accumulates hours on duty within a period of 24 hours, a second counter accumulates hours of driving within said period of 24 hours and a third counter accumulates driving distance within said period of 24 hours, the method further comprising:

checking whether any of the first counter, the second counter and the third counter will exceed a corresponding limit thereon when a driving activity in the mission is performed within said period of 24 hours;

incrementing each counter by a corresponding amount as indicated by the driving activity, at least if a result of checking is false; and

dividing up the driving activity into truncated driving activity and a remainder driving activity, if the result of checking is true;

wherein the truncated driving activity is sufficient for only one of said counters to just reach its limit.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

said automatically creating inserts the layover activity into the mission immediately after the truncated driving activity.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition is on an estimated time of arrival at a destination in the mission.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition comprises any of:

the estimated time of arrival, follows arrival of another mission, by a duration insufficient to unload freight in both missions before close of business at the destination; and

the estimated time of arrival is prior to the close of business of the destination but precedes the close of business by a duration insufficient to unload freight carried in the mission; and

the estimated time of arrival is after the close of business of the carrier.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition comprises:

hours of driving exceeding a limit set by one of (a government and a carrier).

8. The method of claim 7 using a counter to accumulate total hours of driving to be performed within a 24-hour period, the method further comprising:

checking whether hours of a driving activity, when added to said counter, will cause said counter to exceed said limit, wherein said driving activity is to be performed between an origin and a destination in said mission;

if a result of checking is false, then incrementing the counter by the hours of driving activity; and

if the result of checking is true, dividing up the driving activity into a truncated driving activity and a remainder driving activity;

wherein the truncated driving activity is for a number of hours sufficient for said counter to just reach said limit set by government.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

moving the 24-hour period by decrementing the counter, by hours to be spent in an earlier activity already used in incrementing the counter; and

returning to said checking, with the remainder driving activity.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

enqueuing at the rear of a queue, the-driving activity when hours thereof are used to increment the counter; and

dequeuing from the front of said queue, the earlier activity when hours thereof are used to decrement the counter.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:

said queue identifies a plurality of activities to be performed in the mission;

a 24-hour window is aligned with a front end of said queue; and

said counter represents a sum of hours of all activities related to driving, in said window.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

automatically retrieving from a database, all activities in a mission, by using a database management system; and

automatically storing the layover activity in said database.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition comprises:

hours of being on duty exceeding a limit set by one of (a government and a carrier).

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined condition comprises:

distance being driven exceeding a limit set by one of (a government and a carrier).

15. A carrier wave encoded with information about the mission, including the layover activity generated by performing the acts of claim 1.

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

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

18. 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:

add a layover activity to a mission, if a predetermined condition is met;

determine a charge for the layover, depending at least partially on a predetermined plurality of rules on chargeability of layovers; and

use the charge in deciding whether or not to include the mission, in a transportation plan to be executed, for movement of freight.

19. The computer of claim 18 wherein the memory is encoded with further instructions to:

increment a counter by a number of hours to be spent in a current activity in said mission, unless hours for the current activity will cause the counter to exceed a limit;

divide up the current activity into a truncated activity and a remainder activity, at least if the current activity is driving;

add hours to be spent in the truncated activity, to the counter, thereby to increase the counter up to the limit;

decrement the counter, by hours to be spent by an earlier activity that has been already used in incrementing the counter; and

return to said incrementing the counter, with the remainder activity as the current activity in said mission.

20. An apparatus for preparing missions in a transportation plan, the apparatus comprising:

means for adding a layover activity to a mission, if a predetermined condition is met;

means for determining a charge for the layover, depending at least partially on a predetermined plurality of rules on chargeability of layovers; and

means for using the charge in deciding whether or not to include the mission, in a transportation plan to be executed, for movement of freight.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 further comprising:

means for incrementing a counter by a number of hours to be spent in a current activity in said mission, unless hours for the current activity will cause the counter to exceed a limit;

means for dividing up the current activity into a truncated activity and a remainder activity, at least if the current activity is driving;

means for adding hours to be spent in the truncated activity, to the counter, thereby to increase the counter up to the limit; and

means for decrementing the counter, by hours to be spent by an earlier activity that has been already used in incrementing the counter;

wherein the means for dividing is coupled to the means for incrementing to provide thereto the remainder activity as the current activity in said mission.