System and method for computer aided dispatching using a coordinating agent
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of controlling the movement of plural trains along a network of track, comprising:
- (a) dividing the network into plural planning areas, with each planning area of a pair of adjacent planning areas sharing at least one common boundary element on track common to the adjacent planning area;
(b) developing a local movement plan for each planning area independently of the movement plan for other planning areas to control the movement of trains into and out of the common boundary element associated with the planning area; and
(c) evaluating the local movement plans for adjacent planning areas to identify conflicts at the respective boundary element,wherein said dividing the network into planning areas includes dividing the network as a function of the amount of proposed traffic for the track of each planning area.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for controlling the movement of plural trains over a rail network, where the rail network is divided into a plurality of planning areas with a boundary element of common track between adjacent planning areas, using a local coordinating agent for controlling the movement of the trains through the boundary elements.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A method of controlling the movement of plural trains along a network of track, comprising:
-
(a) dividing the network into plural planning areas, with each planning area of a pair of adjacent planning areas sharing at least one common boundary element on track common to the adjacent planning area; (b) developing a local movement plan for each planning area independently of the movement plan for other planning areas to control the movement of trains into and out of the common boundary element associated with the planning area; and (c) evaluating the local movement plans for adjacent planning areas to identify conflicts at the respective boundary element, wherein said dividing the network into planning areas includes dividing the network as a function of the amount of proposed traffic for the track of each planning area.
-
-
2. A method of controlling the movement of plural trains along a network of track, comprising:
-
(a) dividing the network into plural planning areas, with each planning area of a pair of adjacent planning areas sharing at least one common boundary element on track common to said adjacent planning area; (b) developing a local movement plan for each planning area independently of the movement plan for other planning areas to control the movement of trains into and out of the common boundary element associated with the planning area; and (c) evaluating the local movement plans for adjacent planning areas to identify conflicts at the respective boundary element, wherein a planning time horizon of each local movement plan is approximately eight hours. - View Dependent Claims (3)
-
-
4. A method of scheduling the movement of plural trains along a network of track, comprising:
-
(a) dividing up the network into a plurality of planning areas separated by boundary elements, with each boundary elements comprising a portion of the network of track which is common to respective planning areas; (b) generating a movement plan for each planning area independently of other planning areas to control the movement of trains into and out of the boundary elements; and (c) evaluating each of the movement plans and identifying scheduling conflicts at respective boundary elements, wherein said evaluating each of the movement plans includes; (d) assigning a business objective function for each of the trains in the planning area; (e) evaluating the business objective functions for each of the trains; and (f) identifying a capacity of the boundary element, constraints on occupancy times and the planned usage of the specified boundary element from each of the planning areas. - View Dependent Claims (5)
-
-
6. A method of providing a detailed train movement plan for controlling the travel of plural trains of plural components along an interconnected network of tracks across a global planning area comprising:
-
(a) dividing the global planning area into plural local planning areas each including a portion of the network of tracks, the boundaries of adjacent local planning areas being crossed at points of network transition having common boundary elements; (b) providing a daily schedule for all trains transiting the network, the daily schedule providing waypoints and activity locations and time of arrival and departure at, each of the waypoint and activity locations; (c) providing a local movement plan (“
LMP”
) for each of the plural local movement areas revising the times of arrival and departure at the waypoints and activity locations to attempt to resolve all of the conflicts as to the usage of the portion of the network and train components within a local area independently of the resolution of any such conflicts in any other local area;(d) comparing the LMPs having common boundary elements and resolving any conflicts in the common boundary elements by revising the LMPs. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method of scheduling the movement of plural trains along a network of track, wherein the network is divided into a plurality of planning areas, comprising:
-
(a) selecting the size of each planning area as a function of the amount of track and amount of proposed train traffic along the track in the planning area; and (b) selecting the boundaries as a function of the portions of the network of track which is common to adjacent planning areas. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
Specification