Scheduling system and method

• US 5,794,172 A
• Filed: 01/23/1997
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Julich, Paul M., Vu, Thu V., Wills, M. Scott, Thomae, Douglas A., Crone, Michael S., Matheson, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, TYRONE V
• Application Number:
  US08/787,168
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 364/436, 364/426.05, 364/578, 364/401, 364/402, 364/406, 246/2 R, 104/307, 395/920, 340/933, 340/935, 340/515
• US Class Current: 701/117
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/12 Preparing schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/14 Following schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/932 Mathematics, science, or engineering

Abstract

A scheduling system and method for moving plural objects through a multipath system described as a freight railway scheduling system. The achievable movement plan can be used to assist in the control of, or to automatically control, the movement of trains through the system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a freight railway, said railway having both periodic and non-periodic service and having a predetermined track layout over which said service is provided by plural freight trains, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a movement plan by which the trains move along the layout, said determining comprising an evaluation of the effects of track parameters on the movement of the trains;

(b) controlling said trains to move along the layout in accordance with said determined movement plan.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of controlling comprises the communication of fine grain train control signals to the trains.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining further comprises an evaluation of the effects of one or more of (train size, train load, train components, weather conditions, and track conditions) on the movement of the trains.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining further comprises an evaluation of the effects of train handling constraints on the movement of the trains.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlling is automatically performed by the train.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said determining further comprises an evaluation of the effects of train handling constraints on the movement of the trains.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said controlling uses moving block control.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining includes the scheduling of terminal equipment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining includes the scheduling of maintenance-of-way requirements.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said controlling comprises an evaluation of train handling constraints on train movement.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said movement plan is determined by the steps of:

(c) determining a schedule using statistical data relating top train movement; and

(d) refining the schedule using simulation of actual trains.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein optimization is implemented in the determining of said schedule and the refining thereon.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said movement plan is attainable to less than one percent of the planned time.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said movement plan is determined by the steps of:

(c) determining the time intervals associated with each activity necessary to train movement;

(d) grouping the time intervals into relatively large groups for optimizing train movement;

(e) regrouping the time intervals into relatively smaller groups for optimizing train movement if optimizing is unattainable using said large groups of time intervals.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said movement plan is determined by the combination of rule based and constraint based inference engines.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said rule based inference engine provides constraints to said constraint based inference engine.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said movement plan optimizes both operating and delivery costs.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said movement plan is determined by the use of different levels of abstraction of a physical model.

19. The method of claim 1 with coarse optimization by simulated annealing techniques and fine optimization by branch and bound techniques.

20. A system for precisely controlling the movement of plural trains along a network of track according to a predetermined movement plan comprising:

means for determining the position of each train along the track;

means for evaluating the adherence of each train to the predetermined movement plan;

means for determining the adjustments needed by any train not adhering to the predetermined movement plan, said means comprising means for determining the effects of the topology of the track on the adjustments; and

, means for communicating said adjustments to each train.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said means for determining comprise an evaluation of the adjustment needed to asymptotically approach the predetermined movement plan.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein said adjustments are automatically implemented by each train receiving said adjustments.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein said adjustments comprise fine grain train control signals.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein said means for evaluating comprises moving block control.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising means located on board said trains for displaying said fine grain control signals.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein said trains automatically perform the functions represented by said fine grain control signals.

27. The system of claim 20 wherein said adjustments comprise a planned trajectory.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said trains automatically generate fine grain control signals related to said planned trajectories.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said trains automatically perform the functions represented by said fine grain control signals.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising means remote from said trains for overriding the control of said trains.

31. The method of assisting a dispatcher in controlling the implementation of a movement plan for orders over a system comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a schedule of the orders to be implemented,

(b) identifying the location of resources necessary to implement each order,

(c) providing a detailed model of the system over which the schedule is to be implemented;

(d) simulating the schedule on the model to resolve any conflicts in the schedule.

32. A system for operating a freight railway, said railway having both periodic and non-periodic service and having a predetermined track layout over which said service is provided by plural freight trains, comprising:

(a) means for determining a movement plan by which the trains move along the layout, said determining means comprising means to evaluate the effects of track parameters on the movement of the trains; and

,

(b) means for controlling said trains to move along the layout in accordance with said determined movement plan.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein said determining means further comprises means to evaluate the effects of one or more of (train size, train load, train components, weather conditions, and track conditions) on the movement of the trains.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein said determining means further comprises means to evaluate the effects of train handling constraints on the movement of the trains.

35. The system of claim 32 wherein said means for determining a movement plan further comprises:

means for determining a schedule using statistical data relating top train movement; and

means for refining the schedule using simulation of actual trains.

36. The system of claim 35 said means for determining a schedule and said means for refining the schedule include means for optimization.

37. The system of claim 32 wherein said means for determining a movement plan further comprises:

means for determining the time intervals associated with each activity necessary to train movement;

means for grouping the time intervals into relatively large groups for optimizing train movement; and

,

means for regrouping the time intervals into relatively smaller groups for optimizing train movement if optimizing is unattainable using said large groups of time intervals.

38. The method of assisting a dispatcher in controlling the implementation of a schedule of orders over a system comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the schedule of orders to be implemented,

(b) identifying the location of resources necessary to implement each order,

(c) providing a detailed model of the system over which the schedule is to be implemented;

(d) simulating the schedule on the model until a conflict is detected; and

(e) indicating the conflict.

39. The method of claim 38 including the additional steps of:

(f) determining and identifying alternative resolutions of the conflict.

40. The method of claim 38 including the further steps of;

(g) resolving any conflicts; and

(h) reporting the resolution.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein resolution in by the use of branch and bound techniques.

42. The method of claim 38 including the further steps of:

(i) identifying delivery cost;

(j) identifying the operating cost of each of the resources as a function of time;

(k) optimizing conflict resolution as a function of costs.