Method of planning train movement using a three step optimization engine

• US 20080005050A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wills, Mitchell Scott, Daum, Wolfgang, Davenport, David, Hershey, John, Julich, Paul, Markley, Randall
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202

Abstract

A method of scheduling network resources in a first domain by transforming the problem to a second domain, solving the problem and transforming back to the first domain.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling the use of a plurality of resources in a rail network in a first-time space domain, comprising:

(a) transforming the network resources scheduling problem to a second domain;

(b) solving the transformed network resources problem in the second domain; and

(c) transforming the solved transformed network resources scheduling problem back to the first time-space domain.

2. The method of scheduling of claim 1, wherein the second domain is one of a cost domain and a time domain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of solving further comprises:

(i) measuring the historical performance of the scheduled network resources;

(ii) performing a sensitivity analysis of the measured historical performance to identify the relative importance of a variable affecting the performance; and

(iii) solving the scheduling problem as a function of the identified relative importance.

4. A method of scheduling the use of a plurality of resources in a rail network in a first domain, comprising:

(a) transforming the network resources scheduling problem to a plurality of domains;

(b) for each of the plurality of domains;

(i) measuring the historical performance of the scheduled network resources;

(ii) performing a sensitivity analysis of the measured historical performance to determine the relative importance of a variable affecting the performance;

(iii) identifying the most important variables using a predetermined criteria;

(c) selecting the domain having the fewest number of identified important variables;

(d) solving the transformed network resources problem in the selected domain; and

(e) transforming the solved transformed network resources scheduling problem back to the first domain.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of measuring the historical performance of network resources includes resources located within a rail yard.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of measuring the historical performance of network resources include resources located on industry lead tracks extending form a rail yard to an industry customer premise.