System and method for forecasting the composition of an outbound train in a switchyard
First Claim
1. A method for building departure trains in a switchyard having a switch, said method comprising:
- a. providing a data processing entity including a CPU and a machine readable storage encoded with software for execution by the CPU, the data processing entity;
i. computing for railcars yet to be switched by the switch and having respective destinations outside the switch yard, respective approximate times indicating when the railcars are expected to be available for pickup by a departure train;
ii. associating the railcars to respective departure trains, the departure trains being characterized by respective estimated departure times (EDTs) and destinations, the associating including;
1. comparing the respective approximate times with the EDTs of the departure trains;
2. selecting for each railcar a departure train on the basis of the comparing and that also has a destination that corresponds with the destination of the railcar;
3. generating for at least one of the departure trains a departure train build plan identifying railcars associated to the at least one departure train;
b. building a departure train at least in part on the basis of the departure train build plan.
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Abstract
A system for forecasting the outbound workload in a switchyard. The system has a processing entity for which receives information on railcar traffic for handling by the switchyard, wherein the railcar traffic includes railcars that are yet to be switched into classification tracks of the switchyard. For every departure train of two or more departure trains, the processing entity applies logic rules to the information to compute a forecast of railcar traffic that will be available to the departure train for transport out of the switchyard. An output releases data derived from the forecast of railcar traffic, describing the traffic available for each train of the two or more departure trains.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A method for building departure trains in a switchyard having a switch, said method comprising:
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a. providing a data processing entity including a CPU and a machine readable storage encoded with software for execution by the CPU, the data processing entity; i. computing for railcars yet to be switched by the switch and having respective destinations outside the switch yard, respective approximate times indicating when the railcars are expected to be available for pickup by a departure train; ii. associating the railcars to respective departure trains, the departure trains being characterized by respective estimated departure times (EDTs) and destinations, the associating including; 1. comparing the respective approximate times with the EDTs of the departure trains; 2. selecting for each railcar a departure train on the basis of the comparing and that also has a destination that corresponds with the destination of the railcar; 3. generating for at least one of the departure trains a departure train build plan identifying railcars associated to the at least one departure train; b. building a departure train at least in part on the basis of the departure train build plan. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for building departure trains in a switchyard including a switch and classification tracks, said method comprising:
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a. providing a data processing entity including a CPU and a machine readable storage encoded with software for execution by the CPU, for; i. processing with the software input data identifying railcars that have not yet been switched into classification tracks for assigning the railcars to respective departure trains; ii. computing with the software a forecast of railcar traffic that will be available to individual ones of the departure trains for transport out of the switchyard at least in part on the basis of said assigning, the forecast of railcar traffic in connection with a particular one of the departure trains including an identification of one or more of the railcars assigned to the particular one of the departure trains; b. building one or more departure trains on the basis of the forecast. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for forecasting the outbound workload in a switchyard including a switch and classification tracks, said method comprising:
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a. providing a data processing entity including a CPU, a machine readable storage encoded with software for execution by the CPU and an output, for; i. matching with the software railcars yet to be switched in the switchyard to departure trains, said matching including forecasting for a railcar the departure train that will be available to transport the railcar out of the switchyard when a processing of the railcar by the switchyard will be completed; ii. computing with the software a forecast of railcar traffic that will be available to individual ones of the departure trains for transport out of the switchyard at least in part on the basis of said matching, the forecast of railcar traffic in connection with a particular one of the departure trains including an identification of railcars assigned to the particular departure train; b. releasing from the output data describing the computed forecast of railcar traffic available for at least one of the departure trains.
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Specification