Method and apparatus for selectively disabling train location reports

• US 7,797,087 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Griffith, Darren, Philp, Joseph Wesley, Wills, Mitchell Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Behncke; Christine M
• Application Number:
  US11/342,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,687 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 701/117, 701/207, 705/6, 703/8, 104/26.1, 104/307
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/12 Preparing schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/14 Following schedules
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/18 Crew rosters; Itineraries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

A scheduling system and method for moving plural objects through a system described as a freight railway scheduling system. The scheduling system utilizes a cost reactive resource scheduler to minimize resource exception while at the same time minimizing the global costs associated with the solution. The achievable movement plan can be used to assist in the control of, or to automatically control, the movement of trains through the system. Train location reports used in the automatic updating of the movement plans are selectively disabled for individual trains as a function of the activity scheduled for that train.

Claims

1. In a railway scheduling system in which each resource used in each scheduled activity has an incremental cost associated with it, and in which train location reports are automatically provided to the scheduler as an aid in the updating the schedule of a train along a planned line of road, a method of selectively disabling train location reports comprising:

(a) assigning a local movement activity which does not advance a train along the planned line of road to a selected train at a selected location;

(b) detecting a location of the selected train using a trackside sensor;

(c) automatically providing a location report of the selected train to the scheduler; and

(d) automatically disabling the use of the provided train location report by the scheduler for the selected train as a function of the distance of the train from the selected location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the local movement activity is one of a pickup, setout, engine work, power change, crew change or mishap recovery.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically resuming the use of train location reports by the scheduler for the selected train as a function of elapsed time.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically resuming the use of train location reports by the scheduler for the selected train as a function of the distance of the selected train from the selected location.

5. In a railroad system in which plural trains are moved along a network of railway tracks under control of a dispatcher assisted by a scheduling computer prepared movement plan that assigns resources to activities and considers the cost of each activity and assigned resources in scheduling the movement of trains along a planned line of road,

and in which information as to the location of trains is automatically provided to the movement planner by trackside sensors for use in modifying the movement plan for the system,

the improvement comprising the step of disabling the use of train location information by the scheduling computer for trains that have been assigned activities that require local movement which do not advance the train along the planned line of road.

6. A computer program product for controlling the movement of plural trains along a planned line of road, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code modules embodied in said medium for selectively disabling train location reports;

a computer readable first program code module for assigning a local movement activity which do not advance the train along the planned line of road to a selected train at a selected location;

a computer readable second program code module for detecting a location of the selected train using a trackside sensor;

a computer readable third program code module for automatically providing a location report of the selected train to the scheduler; and

a computer readable fourth program code module for automatically disabling the use of the provided train location report by the scheduler for the selected train as a function of the distance of the train from the selected location.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the local movement activity is one of a pickup, setout, engine work, power change, crew change or mishap recovery.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising a computer readable fifth program code module for automatically resuming the use of train location reports by the scheduler for the selected train as a function of elapsed time.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising a computer readable fifth program code module for automatically resuming the use of train location reports by the scheduler for the selected train as a function of the distance of the selected train from the selected location.