METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ROUTING MOBILE VEHICLES

• US 20080133304A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CAE Flight Services USA Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sabre Incorporated (Sabre Corp.)
• Inventors: Clarke, Michael D.D., Smith, Barry C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,908 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 10/063116 Schedule adjustment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06312 Adjustment or analysis of established resource schedule, e.g. resource or task levelling, or dynamic rescheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0043 Traffic management of multiple aircrafts from the ground G08G5/003 takes precedence; data processing specially designed for resource management, e.g. scheduling or allocating time, human or machine resources G06Q10/06

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for routing mobile vehicles under maintenance and operational constraints. In the case of aircraft, the methods and systems may generate an aircraft routing proposal based on information describing a possible flight of an aircraft, determine a proposed flight assignment for the aircraft based on the generated aircraft routing proposal and complying with the information describing the possible flight of the aircraft, and determine whether the proposed flight assignment meets a decision criterion describing requirements for aircraft routing. If the decision criterion is unmet, the methods and systems may optimize the proposed flight assignment such that the proposed flight assignment meets the decision criterion. The methods and systems may also generate a flight assignment plan using the proposed flight assignment that meets the decision criterion.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A mobile vehicle routing method comprising:

generating a vehicle routing proposal based on information describing a possible arc of a vehicle;

determining a proposed pre-arc assignment for the vehicle based on the generated vehicle routing proposal and complying with the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle and a plurality of operational and maintenance constraints;

determining whether the proposed arc assignment meets a decision criterion describing requirements for vehicle routing;

if the decision criterion is unmet, optimizing the proposed arc assignment to meet the decision criterion; and

generating an arc assignment plan using the proposed arc assignment that meets the decision criterion.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein optimizing the proposed arc assignment comprises:

generating refinement information;

generating an additional arc routing proposal based on the refinement information;

determining a revised arc assignment for the vehicle based on the generated arc routing proposal and complying with the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle; and

determining whether the revised arc assignment meets the decision criterion.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the proposed arc assignment is generated using a revised simplex algorithm and wherein the refinement information is generated from dual variables found in the revised simplex algorithm.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the decision criterion is met when no more additional vehicle routing proposals can be determined based on the generated refinement information and complying with the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle includes at least one of arc information, vehicle information, and maintenance information.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the arc information includes at least one of origin, destination, start time, end time, block time, booked passenger loads, passenger revenue/fare, assigned vehicle family type, assigned crew rating, and minimum equipment list restriction.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of vehicle identification, hourly operating cost, current location, ready time, remaining arc time, passenger capacity, family type, crew rating, and minimum equipment list capability.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the maintenance information includes at least one of vehicle identification, type of check, scheduled location, start time, and end time.

50. The method of claim 42, wherein the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle is organized into an arc network for the vehicle and the vehicle routing proposal is generated using the arc network.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the vehicle routing proposal is generated using a shortest path algorithm.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the shortest path algorithm is a generalized permanent labeling algorithm.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the shortest path algorithm is at least one of a generalized permanent labeling algorithm, a LP-based shortest path algorithm, a K-shortest path algorithm, and a Dijkstra algorithm.

54. The method of claim 42, wherein the proposed arc assignment is generated using a revised simplex algorithm.

55. The method of claim 42, wherein the arc assignment plan is generated using a branch and bound method.

56. An arc flight assignment system to be used in a computer system comprising:

a processor configured for;

generating a vehicle routing proposal based on information describing a possible arc of a vehicle;

determining a proposed pre-arc assignment for the vehicle based on the generated vehicle routing proposal and complying with the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle and a plurality of operational and maintenance constraints;

determining whether the proposed arc assignment meets a decision criterion describing requirements for vehicle routing;

if the decision criterion is unmet, optimizing the proposed arc assignment to meet the decision criterion; and

generating an arc assignment plan using the proposed arc assignment that meets the decision criterion.

57. The system of claim 56, wherein the processor is further configured for:

generating refinement information;

generating an additional arc routing proposal based on the refinement information;

determining a revised arc assignment for the vehicle based on the generated arc routing proposal and complying with the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle; and

determining whether the revised arc assignment meets the decision criterion.

58. The system of claim 57 wherein the decision criterion is met when no more additional vehicle routing proposals can be determined based on the generated refinement information and complying with the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle.

59. The system of claim 56, wherein the information describing the possible arc of the vehicle is organized into an arc network for the vehicle and the vehicle routing proposal is generated using the arc network.