Transit schedule generating method and system

• US 4,926,343 A
• Filed: 10/11/1988
• Issued: 05/15/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuruta, Setsuo, Miyamoto, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/255,253
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 364/131, 364/132, 364/436, 364/513, 364/514, 364/521, 364/900, 368/82
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/12 Preparing schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/18 Crew rosters; Itineraries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/905 Vehicle or aerospace

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of and a system for generating and correcting or regulating a transit schedule of a transportation medium, such as a train. Schedule tables for transportation media having numerical values for departure and arrival time, place of departure, transportation media and trainmen to be allotted and connection transportation media are correspondingly shown. Diagrams of plans are edited differently from the schedule tables, and diagrams of all or individual operations to be carried out by trainmen and other workers are all stored in a memory, and these diagrams are displayed in a display unit. Whenever variations occur in the schedules and actual transit condition is checked. Problems are eliminated automatically in a predetermined range of the diagrams, or picture and guidance displayed at once.

Claims

1. A transit schedule generating method in a computer system having a plurality of objects, comprising:

a first step of generating by a first logic acting unit a first schedule, through setting at least one of time and route for transportation, on the basis of a first active knowledge modeled for said first logic acting unit and having at least a train dispatching rule for specifying allowable ranges of a train starting time at a station;

a second step of deciding an information, related to said setting and a relevant logic acting unit, by an object watching said schedule on the basis of a first passive knowledge related to said first schedule and including a name of a datum to be monitored, said name of datum including a name including said train starting time;

a third step of transferring the generated first schedule from said first logic acting unit to said relevant logic unit by a second logic acting unit by way of message passing, so that said second logic acting unit generates a resource schedule on the basis of a second active knowledge, said second active knowledge having rules for available resources and for resource dispatching and said second active knowledge can be locally accessed by said second logic acting unit for revising said first schedule; and

a fourth step of generating by said second logic acting unit, a resource schedule for allocating transportation resources needed for making said first schedule practicable, on the basis of said generated first schedule and said second active knowledge.

2. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein said method further includes:

a fifth step of transferring, by said second logic acting unit, to said first logic acting unit by way of message passing suggestive information for a problem related to said resource schedule, when said second logic acting unit cannot generate resource schedules needed for said first schedule without problem; and

a sixth step of altering said first schedule by said first logic acting unit in accordance with said suggestive information and said first active knowledge.

3. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 2, wherein said method further comprises:

a step of iterating said first to sixth step until a transit schedule comprising an altered first schedule and a needed resource schedule is made or until a specified condition or a maximum of iteration steps of satisfied.

4. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 3, wherein

said step of iterating is controlled by a third logic acting unit, whether said specified condition or said maximum number of iteration steps is satisfied.

5. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 4, wherein said third logic acting unit determines the priority order of said logic acting units for displaying the information held thereby on a display unit.

6. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 4, wherein when changes occur in said transit schedule, the influence thereof is checked by said third logic acting unit and said transit schedule is automatically modified within a prespecified range if there are problems, and information giving guidance for eliminating said problems is displayed at once as necessary, in a multi-window arrangement.

7. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein said first active knowledge is modeled for said first logic acting unit to generate schedules and information to send for arguing or controlling arguing with other logic acting units.

8. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 7, wherein said information for arguing has at least one of suggestions, requests and problems about schedules.

9. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein each of said logic acting units has a corresponding display window in which information managed by itself is indicated on a display unit.

10. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 9, wherein each window of schedule tables for each of a multiplicity of transportation vehicles, each window of schedule diagrams which allocates a transportation vehicle, places of train departure and arrival, and working schedule diagrams of trainm,eans and other workers, appears on a screen of a display unit at any indicated time in a multi-window arrangement.

11. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein each of said logic acting units performs the steps of:

detecting problems concerning the information managed by itself, informing said problems to said relevant logic acting unit and discussing with said relevant logic acting unit to decide whether said relevant logic acting unit can solve said problems by changing only said information managed by itself.

12. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 11, wherein said relevant logic acting units displays the relevant information managed by itself in respective windows of a multi-window display on a display unit.

13. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein said first logic acting unit is a train dispatcher logic acting unit, said second logic unit is a trainman dispatcher logic acting unit, and said method further has a passenger service logic acting unit and a chief dispatcher logic acting unit.

14. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 13, wherein said method further comprises:

a vehicle dispatcher logic acting unit and a station manager logic acting unit.

15. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein an element in any one of said diagrams to be displayed on a display unit at once in a multi-window-like arrangement is designated by a pointing means and moved with its sizes changed, whereby the generation and edition of a transit schedule are carried out, on the basis of said designation.

16. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein said diagrams and tables having a high degree of mutual relativity and compared with another very frequently are simultaneously displayed on a display unit.

17. A transit schedule method according to claim 1, wherein, said resource schedule is a schedule for allocating transportation media.

18. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 17, wherein said method further comprises a step of:

generating resource schedule for allocating all transportation personnel by a fifth logic acting unit.

19. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, wherein said resource schedule is a schedule for allocating all transportation personnel.

20. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a step of generating a manual modification request for modifying said generated first schedule;

a step of modifying said generated first schedule in accordance with said modification request; and

a step of notifying said modification to the relevant logic acting unit.

21. A transit schedule generating system having a computer system and at least objects therein and comprising:

a first logic acting unit having means for generating a first schedule through setting at least one of time and route, for transportation on the basis of a first active knowledge modeled for said first logic acting unit, said first active knowledge having at least a train dispatching rule specifying allowable ranges of a train starting time at a station;

means for deciding an information related to said setting and a relevant logic acting unit, by an object watching said schedule on the basis of a first passive knowledge related to said first schedule and including a name of a datum to be monitored, said name of datum including a name including said train starting time;

means for transferring the generated first schedule from said first logic acting unit to said relevant logic acting unit including a second logic acting unit by way of message passing, so that said second logic acting unit generates a resource schedule on the basis of a second active knowledge, said second active knowledge having rules for available resources and for resource dispatching and can be locally accessed by said second logic acting unit for revising said first schedule; and

means in said second logic acting unit for generating a resource schedule for allocating transportation resources needed for making said first schedule practicable, on the basis of said generated first schedule and said second active knowledge.

22. A transit schedule generating system according to claim 21, wherein said system further comprises:

means in said second logic acting unit for transferring to said first logic acting unit by way of message passing, suggestion information for a problem related to said resource schedule, when said second logic acting unit cannot generate resource schedules needed for said first schedule without problems; and

means in said first logic acting unit for altering said first schedule in accordance with said suggestive information and said first active knowledge.

23. A transit schedule generating system according to claim 21, wherein said system includes a third logic acting unit having means for watching the object data held by each of said logic acting units, in order to detect changes in said data, and means for sending when changes have been detected.

24. A transit schedule generating system according to claim 21, wherein said system further comprises:

a fourth logic acting unit for regulating the discussion between said logic acting units on the basis of the messages passed by them, to coordinate the actions of said logic acting units.

25. A transit schedule generating method in a computer system having a plurality of objects, comprising:

a first step of generating by a first logic acting unit a first schedule, through setting at least one of time and route for transportation, on the basis of a first active knowledge modeled for said first logic acting unit and having at least a train dispatching rule for specifying allowable ranges of a train starting time at a station;

a second step of deciding an information, related to said setting and a relevant logic acting unit, by an object watching said schedule on the basis of a first passive knowledge related to said first schedule and including a name of a datum to be monitored, said name of datum including a name including said train starting time;

a third step of transferring the generated first schedule from said first logic acting unit to said relevant logic unit by a second logic acting unit by way of message passing, so that said second logic acting unit generates a resource schedule on the basis of a second active knowledge, said second active knowledge having rules for available resources and for resource dispatching and said second active knowledge can be locally accessed by said second logic acting unit for revising said first schedule;

a fourth step of generating by said second logic acting unit, a resource schedule for allocating transportation resources needed for making said first schedule practicable, on the basis of said generated first schedule and said second active knowledge;

a fifth step of transferring by said second logic acting unit to said first logic acting unit by way of message passing a modification request for said resource schedule, when said second logic acting unit cannot generate resource schedules needed for said first schedule without problem;

a sixth step of modifying according to said modification request, said first schedule and said resource schedule on the basis of relaxed constraints in said first and second active knowledge; and

a seventh step of fixing said modified first schedule by said first logic acting unit when said modified resource schedule has no problem.

26. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 25, further comprising:

an eight step of a generating, by said first logic acting unit, an alternative first schedule proposition to be checked to said second logic acting unit; and

a ninth step of repeating generation of further alternative first schedules to said second logic acting unit when a problem is detected, until said second logic acting unit detects no problem.

27. A transit schedule generating method according to claim 26, further comprising:

a tenth step of sending a coordination request to a chief logic acting unit when said problem is detected in said ninth step;

an eleventh step of generating and sending a coordination proposition message, by said chief acting unit, which is proposed by relaxing constraints within an allowable range; and

a twelfth step of generating by said first logic acting unit, further modified first schedule under said coordination proposition message.

28. A logic acting unit in a transit schedule generating system in a computer system having at least objects therein comprising:

means for generating a first schedule through setting at least one of time and route for transportation, on the basis of a first active knowledge modeled for said first logic acting unit and having at least a train dispatching rule specifying allowable ranges of a train starting time at a station;

means for deciding an information related to said setting and a relevant logic acting unit, said means being in an object watching said schedule on the basis of a first passive knowledge related to said first schedule and including a name of a datum to be monitored, said name of said datum which includes a name including said train starting time;

means for transferring the generated first schedule to said relative logic acting unit including another logic acting unit by way of message passing, so that said another logic acting unit generates a resource schedule on the basis of a second active knowledge, said second active knowledge having rules for available resources and for resource dispatching and can be locally accessed by said another logic acting unit for revising said first schedule;

means for estimating the generated first schedule and said resource schedule received from said another logic acting unit, when a resource schedule proposition message is received from another logic acting unit;

means for setting a value to its iteration counter, when a transportation schedule modification message is received from another logic acting unit;

means for generating a modified or completely alternative transportation schedule proposition message to said another logic acting unit or a coordination request message to a chief logic acting unit, when said iteration counter reaches said value;

means for sending a coordination request message, when a time-out problem message is received; and

means for relaxing a specific constraint, and generating a modulated first schedule, when a coordination proposition message with said specified constraint is received from another logic acting unit and sending said modulated first schedule with a compromise request to said another logic acting unit.

29. A logic acting unit in a transit schedule generating system in a computer system having at least objects therein and comprising:

means for generating a resource schedule for allocating transportation resources needed for making a first schedule practicable, on the basis of said first schedule and an active knowledge, when a transportation schedule proposition message with said first schedule from another logic acting unit is received, said active knowledge having rules for available resources and for resource dispatching and can be locally accessed by said another logic acting unit for revising said first schedule;

means for generating said logic acting unit for revising said first schedule;

means for generating said resource schedule under a relaxed constraint, when a proposition message with a compromise request is received from said another logic acting unit;

means for generating and sending a transportation modification request to said another logic acting unit for generating the resource schedule without problem, when a problem is detected for generating said resource schedule; and

means for sending the generated resource schedule to said another logic acting unit.