NON-LINEAR SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DESTINATION SELECTION

• US 20180349412A1
• Filed: 05/24/2018
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals LP (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Original Assignee: Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals LP (Astrazeneca PLC)
• Inventors: Waldeck, Christopher, Stavish, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 10,789,558 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for machine-based planning. The apparatus may cluster a plurality of geographically different resources into a plurality of clusters of proximate resources. The apparatus may calculate a cost of transporting each resource to each of a plurality of destinations. The apparatus may map each cluster to one of the destinations to determine a sum of costs of transporting all of the resources to the destinations. The apparatus may assign to each of the plurality of destinations only resources: that are mapped to the destination; for which the destination has sufficient capacity to accommodate the resources; and whose assignment to the destination does not exclude from the destination, by filling the capacity, a different resource that is: mapped to the destination; and has a net cost that is higher than a net cost of the resource of the assignment.

Claims

1. A method for machine-based planning, the method comprising:

clustering a plurality of geographically different resources into a plurality of clusters of proximate resources;

calculating a cost of transporting each resource to each of a plurality of destinations; and

mapping each cluster to one of the destinations to determine a sum of costs of transporting all of the resources to the destinations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sum is a least sum of costs of transporting all of the resources to the destinations

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mapping is constrained to identify a set of destinations, each destination having a capacity, the set having an aggregate capacity sufficient to hold all of the resources.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning each resource to one of the destinations based on:

the mapping; and

a net cost of remapping the resource to a next-more-costly destination.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning to each of the plurality of destinations only resources:

that are mapped to the destination;

for which the destination has sufficient capacity to accommodate the resources; and

whose assignment to the destination does not exclude from the destination, by filling the capacity, a different resource that is;

mapped to the destination; and

has a net cost that is higher than a net cost of the resource of the assignment.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing;

for a first of the resources a first resource record including, for each of the destinations, a first net cost of remapping the first resource to a next more-costly destination; and

,

for a second of the resources a second resource record including, for each of the destinations, a second net cost of remapping the second resource to a next more-costly destination;

identifying a destination, of the plurality of destinations, for which the first and second net costs are equal; and

changing the second record so that the second net cost is less than the first net cost.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating for each cluster a sum of costs of transporting each resource in the cluster to the one of the destinations to which the cluster is mapped.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the clustering is not constrained to a predetermined number of clusters.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the clustering is not constrained by a user to a predetermined number of clusters.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the clustering is without evaluating a metric for each of

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the metric is a distance.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the metric is a cost.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a destination to which both a first of the clusters and a second of the clusters have been mapped.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising, when the destination is a first of the destinations, remapping the second of the clusters from the first of the destinations to a second of the destinations only if the first of the destinations has a capacity that is insufficient for both the first of the clusters and the second of the clusters;

wherein the second of the destinations is different from the first of the destinations.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the remapping includes:

evaluating for each resource in the second cluster a net cost of remapping the resource to each destination in the plurality of destinations;

summing, for each destination, the net costs; and

selecting as the second destination that destination having the lowest net cost.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising, after the selecting, calculating for each cluster a sum of costs of transporting each resource in the cluster to the one of the destinations to which the cluster is mapped.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising repeating the identifying and the remapping until an aggregate capacity of a set of destinations is sufficient to accommodate all of the resources.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising evaluating for each resource a net cost, for each of the destinations to which the resource is not mapped, of remapping the resource from that destination to which the resource is mapped to that destination to which the resource is not mapped.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising assigning to each of the plurality of destinations only resources:

that are mapped to the destination;

for which the destination has capacity; and

whose assignment to the destination does not exclude from the destination, by filling the destination, a different resource that is;

mapped to the destination; and

has a net cost of remapping that is higher than the resource of the assignment.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising, before the assigning:

identifying;

a first resource record in which there is a first net cost; and

a second resource record in which there is a second net cost, the first and second net costs being equal; and

changing the second record so that the second net cost is less than the first net cost.

33. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for identifying a destination to which both a first of the clusters and a second of the clusters have been mapped.

34. The system of claim 33 further comprising means for remapping, when the destination is a first of the destinations, the second of the clusters from the first of the destinations to a second of the destinations if the first of the destinations has a capacity that is insufficient for both the first of the clusters and the second of the clusters;

wherein the second of the destinations is different from the first of the destinations.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the remapping includes:

evaluating for each resource in the second cluster a net cost of remapping the resource to each destination in the plurality of destinations;

summing, for each destination, the net costs; and

selecting as the second destination that destination having the lowest net cost.

36. The system of claim 35 further comprising means for calculating, after the selecting, for each cluster, a sum of costs of transporting each resource in the cluster to the one of the destinations to which the cluster is mapped.

37. The system of claim 34 further comprising means for repeating the identifying and the remapping until an aggregate capacity of a set of destinations is sufficient to accommodate all of the resources.

38. The system of claim 37 further comprising means for evaluating for each resource a net cost, for each of the destinations to which the resource is not mapped, of remapping the resource from that destination to which the resource is mapped to that destination to which the resource is not mapped.

39. The system of claim 38 further comprising means for assigning to each of the plurality of destinations only resources:

that are mapped to the destination;

for which the destination has capacity; and

whose assignment to the destination does not exclude from the destination, by filling the destination, a different resource that is;

mapped to the destination; and

has a net cost of remapping that is higher than the resource of the assignment.

40. The system of claim 39 further comprising:

means for identifying, before the assigning;

a first resource record in which there is a first net cost; and

a second resource record in which there is a second net cost, the first and second net costs being equal; and

means for changing the second record so that the second net cost is less than the first net cost.

21. A system for machine-based planning, the system comprising:

means for clustering a plurality of geographically different resources into a plurality of clusters of proximate resources;

means for calculating a cost of transporting each resource to each of a plurality of destinations; and

means for mapping each cluster to one of the destinations to determine a sum of costs of transporting all of the resources to the destinations.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the sum is a least sum of costs of transporting all of the resources to the destinations.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the mapping is constrained to identify a set of destinations, each destination having a capacity, the set having an aggregate capacity sufficient to hold all of the resources.

24. The system of claim 21 further comprising means for assigning each resource to one of the destinations based on:

the mapping; and

a net cost of remapping the resource to a next-more-costly destination.

25. The system of claim 21 further comprising means for assigning to each of the plurality of destinations only resources:

that are mapped to the destination;

for which the destination has sufficient capacity to accommodate the resources; and

whose assignment to the destination does not exclude from the destination, by filling the capacity, a different resource that is;

mapped to the destination; and

has a net cost that is higher than a net cost of the resource of the assignment.

26. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

means for providing;

for a first of the resources, a first resource record including, for each of the destinations, a first net cost of remapping the first resource to a next more-costly destination; and

,

for a second of the resources, a second resource record including, for each of the destinations, a second net cost of remapping the second resource to a next more-costly destination;

means for identifying a destination, of the plurality of destinations, for which the first and second net costs are equal; and

means for changing the second record so that the second net cost is less than the first net cost.

27. The system of claim 21 further comprising means for calculating for each cluster a sum of costs of transporting each resource in the cluster to the one of the destinations to which the cluster is mapped.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the clustering is not constrained to a predetermined number of clusters.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the clustering is not constrained by a user to a predetermined number of clusters.

30. The system of claim 21 wherein the clustering is without evaluating a metric for each of

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the metric is a distance.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the metric is a cost.