Computer implemented system for integrating active and simulated decisionmaking processes

• US 5,764,953 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Collins, John E., Sisley, Elizabeth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Treat, William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US08/469,760
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/500, 395/375, 395/800.43, 395/570
• US Class Current: 703/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system that integrates active and simulated decisionmaking processes generates decisions in response to events representing changes in a domain model, and updates the domain model according to the decisions. The system includes a real-time mode for generating recommendations in response to real-time events, and a simulation mode for generating recommendations in response to simulated events. The simulation mode is capable of running on either randomly generated domain events or real-time domain events captured during the real-time mode. In addition, the simulation mode does not require development of a separate domain model for simulation. Rather, the simulation mode may use the contents of a domain model established during the real-time mode. Integration of an active decisionmaking tool with a simulation tool thereby eliminates the cost of constructing a separate simulation model, and avoids invalidation of the contents of the simulation model over time.

Claims

1. A method for integrating real-time and simulated decision making processes in a computer-based system, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a representation of a domain model, the domain model representing decision making domain, and the decision making domain containing a plurality of diverse object sets and a relational set defining relationships between one or more of the objects in the diverse object sets;

selecting one of a real-time mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation;

receiving real-time events if real-time mode is selected, each of the real-time events representing an actual change to one of the diverse object sets;

receiving simulated events if simulation mode is selected, each of the simulated events representing a simulated change to one of the diverse object sets;

generating decisions in response to the real-time events and the simulated events, each of the decisions representing a change to the relational set; and

automatically updating the relational set of the domain model stored to include the changes represented by the decisions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating the simulated events.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the decision making domain represents a field service domain, the field service domain containing a set of service technicians, a set of service calls, and an assignment set defining assignments of one or more of the service calls among the service technicians, and wherein each of the changes to the diverse object sets represents a change to one of the set of service technicians and the set of service calls, and further wherein each of the decisions represents a change to the assignment set.

4. A computer-implemented system for integrating active and simulated decisionmaking processes, said system comprising:

a storage device storing a representation of a domain model, said domain model representing a decisionmaking domain, and said decisionmaking domain containing a plurality of diverse object sets and a relational set defining relationships between one or more of the objects in said diverse object sets;

a decisionmaking module for generating decisions in response to domain events, each of said domain events representing a change to one of said diverse object sets over a period of time, and each of said decisions representing a change to said relational set;

a system interface for receiving real-time events, each of said real-time events representing an actual change to one of said diverse object sets over a period of real time;

a simulated event generator module for generating simulated events, each of said simulated events representing a simulated change to one of said diverse object sets over a period of simulated time; and

an event processor module including;

means for receiving said real-time events from said system interface and said simulated events from said simulated event generator module,

means for selecting one of a real-time mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation,

means for passing one or more of said real-time events to said decisionmaking module as domain events when said real-time mode is selected,

means for generating, when said simulation mode is selected, additional simulated events in response to said simulated events received from said simulated event generator module,

means for interleaving said simulated events received from said simulated event generator module and one or more of said additional simulated events generated by said event processor module, and for passing the interleaved simulated events and additional simulated events to said decisionmaking module as domain events when said simulation mode is selected, and

means for updating said relational set of said domain model stored in said storage device to include said changes represented by said decisions generated by said decisionmaking module.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said simulated event generator module includes means for randomly generating domain events, and means for passing the randomly generated domain events to said event processor module, said event processor module passing one or more of said randomly generated domain events to said decisionmaking module as domain events when said simulation mode is selected.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein:

said event processor module includes means for storing said real-time events received from said system interface in a real-time event file, and

said simulated event generator module includes means for retrieving said stored real-time events from said real-time event file, and means for passing said stored real-time events to said event processor module, said event processor module passing one or more of said stored real-time events to said decisionmaking module as domain events when said simulation mode is selected.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said means for passing said simulated events and said additional simulated events to said decisionmaking module includes a first queue for receiving said simulated events from said simulated event generator module and a second queue for receiving said additional simulated events from said event processor module.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a simulation clock for generating simulated time; and

a simulation controller module for controlling advancement of said simulated time generated by said simulation clock based on time-stamps associated with said simulated events generated by said simulated event generator module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said simulation controller module includes means for dequeueing one or more of said additional events from said second queue to said event processor module based on said time-stamps associated with said simulated events generated by said simulated event generator module, thereby interleaving said one or more of said additional simulated events generated by said event processor module with said simulated events generated by said simulated event generator module.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein said simulation clock includes means for controlling a rate of advancement of said simulated time to enable participation of a system user during said simulation mode, wherein said system interface includes one or more interactive user interfaces for receiving user input events from said system user, said event processor module passing one or more of said user input events to said decisionmaking module when said simulation mode is selected.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

25. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a domain status file for storing one or more status records, each of said status records representing contents of said domain model stored in said storage device at a particular time during said real-time mode; and

means, responsive in said simulation mode, for retrieving one of said status records from said domain status file, and for loading the retrieved status record into said storage device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

28. The system of claim 4, further comprising a statistical analyzer module for comparing said decisions generated by said decisionmaking module during said real-time mode to said decisions generated by said decisionmaking module during said simulation mode based on said real-time events and said simulated events.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

31. The system of claim 4, wherein said system interface includes one or more interactive user interfaces, said system further comprising means for displaying a representation of said decisions generated by said decisionmaking module to a system user via said one or more interactive user input interfaces.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said plurality of diverse object sets includes a set of resource requests and a set of resource providers and said relational set is defined by assignments of one or more of said resource requests among said resource providers.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein each of said resource requests is a field service call, and each of said resource providers is a field service technician.

34. A computer-implemented system for integrating active and simulated field service call assignment processes, said system comprising:

a storage device storing a representation of a domain model, said domain model representing a field service domain, and said field service domain containing a set of service technicians, a set of service calls, and an assignment set defining assignments of one or more of said service calls among said service technicians;

an assignment module for generating recommendations in response to domain events, each of said domain events representing a change over a period of time to one of said set of service technicians and said set of service calls, and each of said recommendations representing a change to said assignment set;

a system interface for receiving real-time events, each of said real-time events representing an actual change over a period of real time to one of said set of service technicians and said set of service calls;

a simulated event generator module for generating simulated events, each of said simulated events representing a simulated change over a period of simulated time to one of said set of service technicians and said set of service calls; and

an event processor module including;

means for receiving said real-time events from said system interface and said simulated events from said simulated event generator module,

means for selecting one of a real-time mode of operation and a simulation mode of operation,

means for passing one or more of said real-time events to said assignment module as domain events when said real-time mode is selected,

means for generating, when said simulation mode is selected, additional simulated events in response to said simulated events received from said simulated event generator module,

means for interleaving said simulated events received from said simulated event generator module and one or more of said additional simulated events generated by said event processor module, and for passing the interleaved simulated events and additional simulated events to said decisionmaking module as domain events when said simulation mode is selected, and

means for updating said assignment set of said domain model stored in said storage device to include said changes represented by said recommendations generated by said assignment module.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said simulated event generator module includes means for randomly generating domain events, and means for passing the randomly generated domain events to said event processor module, said event processor module passing one or more of said randomly generated domain events to said assignment module as domain events when said simulation mode is selected.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein:

said event processor module includes means for storing said real-time events received from said system interface in a real-time event file, and

said simulated event generator module includes means for retrieving said stored real-time events from said real-time event file, and means for passing said stored real-time events to said event processor module, said event processor module passing one or more of said stored real-time events to said assignment module as domain events when said simulation mode is selected.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising:

a domain status file for storing one or more status records, each of said status records representing contents of said domain model stored in said storage device at a particular time during said real-time mode; and

means, responsive in said simulation mode, for retrieving one of said status records from said domain status file, and for loading the retrieved status record into said storage device.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein said means for passing said simulated events and said additional simulated events to said assignment module includes a first queue for receiving said simulated events from said simulated event generator module and a second queue for receiving said additional simulated events from said event processor module.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

a simulation clock for generating simulated time; and

a simulation controller module for controlling advancement of said simulated time generated by said simulation clock based on time-stamps associated with said simulated events generated by said simulated event generator module.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein said simulation controller module includes means for dequeueing one or more of said additional events from said second queue to said event processor module based on said time-stamps associated with said simulated events generated by said simulated event generator module, thereby interleaving said one or more of said additional simulated events generated by said event processor module with said simulated events generated by said simulated event generator module.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein said simulation clock includes means for controlling a rate of advancement of said simulated time to enable participation of a system user during said simulation mode, wherein said system interface includes one or more interactive user interfaces for receiving user input events from said system user, said event processor module passing one or more of said user input events to said decisionmaking module when said simulation mode is selected.

42. The system of claim 34, further comprising a statistical analyzer module for comparing said recommendations generated by said assignment module during said real-time mode to said recommendations generated by said assignment module during said simulation mode based on said real-time events and said simulated events.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein said system interface includes one or more interactive user interfaces, said system further comprising means for displaying a representation of said recommendations generated by said assignment module to a system user via said one or more interactive user input interfaces.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein said system interface includes a service management system interface for receiving said domain events from a service management database, and one or more user interfaces for receiving said domain events from one or more system users.

45. The system of claim 34, wherein said assignment set includes a schedule set, said schedule set including, for each of said service technicians, a schedule of the service calls assigned to the respective service technician, and wherein said assignment module includes a scheduler module for generating recommendations representing changes to said schedule set in response to said domain events.