Generating and tuning an allocation of transportation resources
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a seed schedule for a network of transportation resources, the method comprising:
- defining a plurality of constraints for generating a seed schedule, the seed schedule corresponding to a plurality of segments to be served by a plurality of transportation resources, each segment representing a path to be traversed by a transportation resource and corresponding to a departure from a first market in a market pair and an arrival at a second market in the market pair;
assigning at least one of a possible departure window or a possible arrival window to each market pair in the seed schedule using the computer, with each departure window defining a plurality of possible departure times and each arrival window defining a plurality of possible arrival times;
using the computer to eliminate particular departure times or arrival times within the possible departure windows or possible arrival windows using constraint programming and based on a degree to which remaining departure times of the possible departure windows or remaining arrival times of the possible arrival windows satisfy the plurality of constraints;
identifying a plurality of routes in the seed schedule based on the plurality of constraints using the computer, each route in the plurality of routes including a plurality of sequentially connected segments, each segment having associated remaining departure or arrival times; and
generating the seed schedule from the identified plurality of routes using the computer.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for refining a schedule involve identifying schedule alternatives to an original schedule and generating one or more substitute schedules using one or more of the schedule alternatives. An objective function is used to perform an analysis of the original schedule and the one or more substitute schedules, and a refined schedule is selected based on the analysis.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a seed schedule for a network of transportation resources, the method comprising:
-
defining a plurality of constraints for generating a seed schedule, the seed schedule corresponding to a plurality of segments to be served by a plurality of transportation resources, each segment representing a path to be traversed by a transportation resource and corresponding to a departure from a first market in a market pair and an arrival at a second market in the market pair; assigning at least one of a possible departure window or a possible arrival window to each market pair in the seed schedule using the computer, with each departure window defining a plurality of possible departure times and each arrival window defining a plurality of possible arrival times; using the computer to eliminate particular departure times or arrival times within the possible departure windows or possible arrival windows using constraint programming and based on a degree to which remaining departure times of the possible departure windows or remaining arrival times of the possible arrival windows satisfy the plurality of constraints; identifying a plurality of routes in the seed schedule based on the plurality of constraints using the computer, each route in the plurality of routes including a plurality of sequentially connected segments, each segment having associated remaining departure or arrival times; and generating the seed schedule from the identified plurality of routes using the computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An article comprising a non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions for generating a seed schedule for a network of transportation resources, the instructions causing data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
-
defining a plurality of constraints for generating a seed schedule, the seed schedule corresponding to a plurality of segments to be served by a plurality of transportation resources, each segment representing a path to be traversed by a transportation resource and corresponding to a departure from a first market in a market pair and an arrival at a second market in the market pair; assigning at least one of a possible departure window or a possible arrival window to each market pair in the seed schedule, with each departure window defining a plurality of possible departure times and each arrival window defining a plurality of possible arrival times; eliminating particular departure times or arrival times within the possible departure windows or possible arrival windows using constraint programming and based on a degree to which remaining departure times of the possible departure windows or remaining arrival times of the possible arrival windows satisfy the plurality of constraints; identifying a plurality of routes in the seed schedule based on the plurality of constraints, each route in the plurality of routes including a plurality of sequentially connected segments, each segment having associated remaining departure or arrival times; and generating the seed schedule from the identified plurality of routes. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A system for generating a seed schedule for a network of transportation resources, the system comprising:
-
memory operable to store a plurality of constraints associated with generating a seed schedule, the seed schedule corresponding to a plurality of segments to be served by a plurality of transportation resources, each segment representing a path to be traversed by a transportation resource and corresponding to a departure from a first market in a market pair and an arrival at a second market in the market pair; and one or more processors operable to; assign at least one of a possible departure window or a possible arrival window to each market pair in the seed schedule, with each departure window defining a plurality of possible departure times and each arrival window defining a plurality of possible arrival times; eliminate particular departure times or arrival times within the possible departure windows or possible arrival windows using constraint programming and based on a degree to which remaining departure times of the possible departure windows or remaining arrival times of the possible arrival windows satisfy the plurality of constraints; identify a plurality of routes in the seed schedule based on the plurality of constraints, each route in the plurality of routes including a plurality of sequentially connected segments, each segment having associated remaining departure or arrival times; and generate the seed schedule from the identified plurality of routes. - View Dependent Claims (19)
-
Specification