KR20150093102A - Vehicle stand allocation - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a method, a system, and a program product for arranging pre-arranged transfer means to a stands. A first transfer means and a second transfer means have scheduled arrival time and scheduled departure time respectively. The minimum buffer time between the departure of the first transfer means and arrival of the second transfer means is calculated based on deviation distribution from scheduled departure of the first transfer means and deviation distribution from the scheduled arrival time of the second transfer means. The first transfer means and the second transfer means are arranged on other stands of multiple stands, upon a fact that time gap between the scheduled departure time of the first transfer means and the scheduled arrival time of the second transfer means is shorter than the minimum buffer time.

Description

[0001] VEHICLE STAND ALLOCATION [0002]

The present invention relates generally to computer and computer software, and more particularly to methods, systems, and computer program products for assigning scheduled transportation to stands.

Assigning a vehicle to departure and arriving on a scheduled basis can be planned long before the actual arrival of the vehicle on the stand. The difficulty of the stand allocation plan is that during the planning period, the future deviation of the vehicle from the plans can not be predicted while operating. Deviations occur when the vehicle arrives earlier or later than scheduled and / or departs earlier or later than scheduled. Such deviations can disrupt the planned stand allocation in the operating state. For example, under the planned stand assignment, the arrival of the next vehicle may result in an error that the stand is occupied by the vehicle assigned to the stand. For example, such confusion may require re-allocation of means of transportation, re-planning of the stand allocation, intermediate parking of the vehicle during additional shunting and / or operation of the vehicle. Thus, such confusion creates additional effort and expense.

The solution to the confusion is to add a fixed buffer time between the scheduled arrival and the scheduled departure of consecutive vehicles assigned to the same stand. Under the stand allocation plan by the buffer time, establish a time window in which the transportation is not allocated for each stand. As such, the buffer time provides a time span to either reach the stand earlier than scheduled or to start later from the stand, without requiring a stand or crashing with another occupied vehicle or causing a conflict, respectively. Increasing the buffer time reduces the likelihood of collisions by preventing or reducing the possibility of collisions to some degree. For example, if the start delay of the previous vehicle and the early arrival of the subsequent vehicle do not exceed the buffer time as a whole, consecutive vehicles may be assigned to the same stand under the stand allocation plan, avoiding conflicts. Nevertheless, by extending buffer time other key performance indicators can also be affected. For example, if the buffer time is long, the output of the stand use and transportation means can be reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention is directed to providing a method and system for assigning intended means of transportation to stands for improved methods, systems, and computer program media for assigning intended means of transportation to stands.

In one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for assigning at least a first transportation means and a second transportation means to a plurality of stands. The first transportation means and the second transportation means have a scheduled arrival time and a scheduled departure time. The method comprising the steps of: determining, based on a deviation distribution from a predetermined departure time of the first vehicle and a predetermined arrival time of the second vehicle, a difference between a departure time of the first vehicle and an arrival time of the second vehicle, And computing the minimum buffer time. The method also includes transmitting the first and second transportation means to the computer system as the time interval between the predetermined departure time of the first vehicle and the predetermined arrival time of the second vehicle is less than the minimum buffer time, And assigning it to other stands.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling at least one processor, the method comprising the steps of: assigning at least one first vehicle and a second vehicle having a predetermined departure time and a predetermined arrival time, respectively, A computer or a system is provided to include the program code. The method comprises the steps of: providing a computer with a minimum buffer between the departure of the first transport means and the arrival of the second transport means, based on the deviation distribution of the predetermined departure time of the first transport means and / And calculating the time. The method also includes providing the computer system with a first vehicle and a second vehicle on different stands of the plurality of stands as the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first vehicle and the scheduled arrival time of the second vehicle is less than the minimum buffer time, And 2) allocating transportation means.

In another embodiment, the airplanes are assigned to the stands and / or gates of the airport. Therefore, in another embodiment according to the present invention, there is provided a process for assigning at least a first plane and a second plane to a plurality of stands and / or gates. The first plane and the second plane each have a scheduled arrival time and a scheduled departure time, respectively. The method comprises the steps of determining a minimum buffer time between the departure of the first aircraft and the arrival of the second airplane based on the deviation distributions from the scheduled departure times of the first aircraft and the predetermined arrival times of the second aircraft to the computer system . In addition, the method may further comprise the steps of: connecting the first plane and the second plane to a plurality of stands and gates of the computer system as the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first plane and the scheduled arrival time of the second plane is less than the minimum buffer time And assigning each to the other one. In such embodiments, all features described herein for transportation means apply to airplanes.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, which when executed by at least one processor is recorded on a computer readable medium and a computer readable medium, And program code configured to perform a method of assigning the first vehicle and the second vehicle to a plurality of stands. The method comprises the steps of: calculating a minimum deviation between a departure of the first vehicle from the predetermined departure time and a departure of the second vehicle from the predetermined arrival time of the second vehicle by the processor, And calculating the buffer time. The method also includes providing the computer system with a first vehicle and a second vehicle on different stands of the plurality of stands as the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first vehicle and the scheduled arrival time of the second vehicle is less than the minimum buffer time, And 2) allocating transportation means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the present invention and the foregoing general description of the invention and the following detailed description of embodiments thereof serve to illustrate embodiments of the invention, in:
1 is a flow diagram of a method for assigning a first plane and a second plane to a plurality of stands in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method based on the method shown in Figure 1;
3 is a block diagram illustrating the minimum buffer time and deviation of the first and second aircraft;
Figure 4 shows a schematic relationship of the probability distribution function f;
5 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer and an exemplary computer program product in accordance with the present invention.

Before proceeding to the detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, several more general aspects are set forth first.

The term "vehicle" is not meant to be a specific example of a vehicle, such as a particular type, model, or the like. Rather, it refers to a combination of means of transport and its intended arrival and departure. For example, a particular airplane arriving at an airport twice a day, such as a morning flight and an evening flight, is considered to be two vehicles.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first and second transport means are arranged such that if the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first transport means and the scheduled arrival time of the second transport means is less than the minimum buffer time, And the second transportation means are assigned to different stands. In other words, this time interval exceeding the buffer time is a necessary restriction for assigning the first and second transportation means to the same stand. However, this limitation is only necessary and not sufficient to assign transportation means to the same stand in all cases, and additional restrictions for assigning one of the means of transportation to one of the stands may be used as a stand assignment Planning, and / or optimizing the process of the present invention.

The minimum buffer time is based on at least one deviation distribution of, for example, the deviation distribution of the first vehicle from each schedule and / or the deviation distribution of the second vehicle. Therefore, according to the present invention, a variable buffer time that better matches the normal behavior of the vehicle for their expected deviation from their schedule can be tolerated. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a rationale for determining whether a pair of first and second means of transportation is to be placed on the same stand (more specifically, the first and second means of transport are successively placed on the same stand Whether they are assigned to be assigned).

Further, according to embodiments of the present invention, the robustness of the stand placement obtained by using such a procedure for assigning transportation means to the stand is increased. The stand may be a parking place for accommodating only one vehicle at a time. The certainty may be a measure of a stand that the stand assignment is perceived as planned during the operational phase, or the stand assignment plan is not realized during the operational phase, for example due to at least one collision. The conflict is understood as described above. In other words, when the actual departure time of the first transportation means is equal to or later than the actual arrival time of the second transportation means (in the same stand), that is to say that both transportation means occupy the same stand for the overlapping time period need. The arrival time ("short" "arrival") is understood as the departure time and the departure time ("departure" for short) is understood as the final time the vehicle occupies the stand.

Increasing the reliability of stand assignments reduces the probability of disputes during the operating phase, thereby improving the quality of service for running a more reliable stand allocation plan on arriving and departing stops, and reducing effort during the operating phase. For example, better stand allocation reduces (during the operational phase) the need for re-planning stand allocation, re-assignment of the vehicle, and / or intermediate parking.

The term " deviation "includes earlier arrivals than scheduled, arrivals later than scheduled, departures earlier than scheduled and / or departures later than scheduled. In other words, the deviation can be thought of as the delay or negative delay of the quantity of the vehicle relative to the schedule of the vehicle. All deviations lead to collisions (ie, confusion) and thus impair stand placement. In order to provide better reliability, the following description applies only to "transportation". Unless expressly stated otherwise, it is understood that it relates to the first vehicle or the second vehicle or the first and second vehicles.

The expression "assigning (plural) transportation means to (plural) stands" is understood as follows. The specific means of transport of the vehicles may be assigned to only one (maximum) of the plurality of stands at a given time. However, more than one of the vehicles (other vehicles) may be assigned to the same stand (in sequential order for buffer time). Thus, in some embodiments, a plurality of vehicles are assigned to a plurality of stands. In such embodiments, all of the features described for the first and second means of transport can also be applied to the other pairs of means of transport of the plurality of means of transport. Furthermore, the minimum buffer time can be calculated separately for the other pairs of vehicles. Such calculated variable buffer time will increase the reliability of the stand allocation more efficiently than the fixed buffer time since other vehicles will exhibit different behaviors for the predetermined deviation (i. E., The buffer time between different stages of the vehicles Not indistinguishable). However, an increase in the fixed buffer time will also increase certainty, but some added buffer time will be unnecessary and some added buffer time will be insufficient for each pair of vehicles.

In some embodiments, the minimum buffer time is based on past variance amounts and / or past variance magnitudes. The behavior of such vehicles is reflected by the deviation distribution. This allows the vehicle to respond to past behavior seen by the minimum buffer time, thus increasing the reliability of the stand placement. For example, the minimum buffer time is based on a deviation average value of the previous vehicle. For example, the minimum buffer time can be reduced according to means of transport that show little variation and / or have basically (only) small deviations in the past. The minimum buffer time may be increased according to means of transportation that have frequent (related) deviations in the past and / or have basically large deviations in the past.

In some embodiments, statistical data of the history, i.e., the deviation of the first vehicle from a predetermined departure time, can be analyzed. Alternatively, or additionally, statistical data, i.e., history, of deviations from the scheduled arrival time of the second vehicle can be analyzed. In some embodiments, such analysis may be performed separately for each vehicle. The analysis can be performed using at least statistical tools. According to the analysis, the deviation distribution of each transportation means from the scheduled departure time can be calculated. The history of the (previous or past) deviations of the vehicle shows patterns that can be changed as a probability distribution function, thereby predicting the future behavior of the vehicle. Therefore, the probability distribution function determines the expected deviation of the vehicle during the operating phase. Furthermore, this prediction function can be used to determine the appropriate manner in which the minimum buffer time is used to schedule the stand assignments.

In some embodiments, the (distribution deviation) distribution may comprise a single discrete value, a plurality of discrete values, and the distribution may be continuous. In some embodiments, the distribution may be defined as a histogram, or a function, e.g., a continuous function.

In some embodiments, the minimum buffer time is derived as follows for a particular pair of vehicles from a deviation distribution from the predetermined departure time of the first vehicle and a deviation distribution from the predetermined arrival time of the second vehicle . The minimum buffer time is determined so that the probability of collision (between the first vehicle and the second vehicle) is less than a certain level of reliability. Thus, by determining a predetermined level of the reliability level, it is possible to control the probability of collision of the operating situation. Moreover, the level of reliability provides a measure of the risk of such a collision if each vehicle is assigned to the same stand. In addition, certainty can be determined while the certainty of a standard assignment schedule and / or a certain stand assignment can be assessed.

In some embodiments, the minimum buffer time may be derived from two distributions, respectively, associated with the departure of the first vehicle and the arrival of the second vehicle. In some embodiments, two separate times of the first buffer time associated with the arrival of the vehicle and the second buffer time associated with the start of the vehicle are calculated for the vehicle, Can be derived from the deviation distributions. As such, the minimum buffer time between the first and second transportation means can be calculated as the sum of the second buffer time of the first transportation means and the first buffer time of the second transportation means.

In some embodiments, the minimum buffer time is calculated as follows. Considering the predetermined deviation of the first vehicle and the predetermined deviation of the second vehicle, then the probability of collision between these vehicles (assuming that these vehicles are assigned to the same stand) indicates that the sum of the deviations is less than the minimum buffer time ≪ / RTI > Where x is the deviation of the first vehicle, y is the deviation of the second vehicle, b is the minimum buffer time and P (x + y > b) + y> b) is the probability of collision of these vehicles (assuming that vehicles are assigned to the same stand). The variables are random variables representing the deviation (i. E., X and y represent time) and b may be a fixed buffer time value.

In some embodiments, the variable x corresponds to a delay and the variable y can correspond to an early (i.e., early arrival), where x and / or y can have a positive or negative value. In other words, the first vehicle may start earlier (i.e., x < 0) or slower (i.e., x> 0) than scheduled and / or the second vehicle may be started earlier I.e. y > 0) or later (i.e., y < 0).

The random variable x and / or the arbitrary variable y may have a respective probability distribution function. These probability distribution function (s) can be derived from statistical data of each transportation means.

Thus, also the sum z = x + y of arbitrary variables x and y is also an arbitrary variable, which can have a probability distribution function (based on a probability distribution function in which the variables x and y are combined). The probability of collision P (z &amp;ge; b) can then be formulated as:

P (z ^? _B ) = ^? _B ^? F (z) dz

As described above, the determination of the minimum buffer time may be a function of the level of certain reliability. This corresponds to a certain probability (1 -?) For avoiding collision. In some embodiments, certainty may be considered a constant when planning and / or optimizing stand assignments, for example, by setting a predetermined value to a level of certain reliability (1 -?).

The minimum buffer time can be derived from the following relationship:

∫ ₀ ^b f (z) dz ≥ 1-α

Here, f is a constant level of reliability, and z is a variable (x) representing the deviation of the first vehicle from the predetermined departure time and a variable representing the deviation from the predetermined arrival time of the second vehicle y), and f is a probability distribution function of an arbitrary variable (z). Hence, the probability distribution function f is based on a history of deviations of the first vehicle from a predetermined departure time and a history of deviation from the scheduled arrival time of the second vehicle as previously described. This relation is solved to obtain the minimum buffer time (b). In some embodiments, the solution can be solved by repeatedly computing (in particular, regardless of the nature of the probability distribution function) until a minimum buffer time value for the relation is obtained using, for example, a ladder-type interpolation algorithm .

In some embodiments, the probability distribution function may be empirical to consider the observed pattern based on statistical data of the vehicle. For example, the probability distribution function can be represented as discrete values as follows:

And finally, the above relation can be expressed in the following manner:

f (0) + f (1) + ... + f (b) &gt; 1 - alpha

The previous two integrals can be considered as a simplification for the case of the sum of z = x + y with non-negative values. However, in some embodiments, the integration may be performed starting from a negative limit to include cases where the probability distribution function f has a value that is not equal to zero for a value less than zero. In some embodiments, the probability P (z < 0) may be added to f (0) or the probability distribution function f may be added when calculating the integral by, for example, summing the discrete values f If it has a z-value less than 0, it may be appended to an additional summand f (-1) combined with this probability.

In some embodiments, the value of the minimum buffer time may be calculated as follows. In short, the function f is integrated from 0 (or a suitable negative value, e.g., a negative extreme, or -1), i.e., the area under the curve of the function f is increased until a certain level of reliability is achieved. do. This determines the upper bound of the integral, i. E., The minimum buffer time (b). More specifically, for example, at first, the counter variable i is set to zero and the variable cP indicating the accumulated probability, i.e., the actual value of the integral, may be set to zero. Then, if the value of the variable cP is a value smaller than the reliability level 1-a, the variable cP is increased by f (i), where i is the current value of the counter variable i, i) is incremented by one. Then, the value of the minimum buffer time is determined as the final value of the counter variable which is decreased by 1 according to the value of the variable cP that is not larger than the level of reliability (1 -?).

In some embodiments, the minimum buffer time is computed by the computer system for at least one pair of consecutive scheduled vehicles. Still in other embodiments, the minimum buffer time may be calculated for at least each pair of vehicles that can be assigned to the same stand (for their schedule) by the computer system.

As described above, the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first transportation means and the scheduled arrival time of the second vehicle means that the conditions that are not less than the minimum buffer time for assigning these transportation means to the same stand, 0.0 &gt; and / or &lt; / RTI &gt; optimization. In some embodiments, at least one additional limitation is considered when assigning the vehicle to the stand. For example, a compatibility restriction may take account of the consistency between the type of vehicle and the stand. Adjacency restrictions may take into account situations in which a constant allocation of the means of transport to the stand may, for example, cause blockage of the adjacent stand due to the mechanical form of the vehicle or stand. Additional proximity constraints may allow for the assignment of certain (type) vehicles to the stand to interfere with the assignment of another (specific) type of vehicle to the adjacent stand. Additional restrictions may allow for the compatibility of the goods to be transported by the means of transport and the provision of the stands to process these goods. Such restrictions may prevent the assignment of a constant means of transportation to a stand under each state.

In still other embodiments, the stand allocation is planned and / or optimized by the computer system, wherein the minimum buffer time is calculated and the first and second transportation means are assigned to the stands as previously described. Still in another embodiment, planning the stand placement includes optimizing the allocation of the vehicle to the stands for at least one constant optimization purpose, wherein the minimum buffer time between the first vehicle and the second vehicle As a restriction on placing the means of transport on the same stand or on different stands, respectively. For example, an optimal goal is to minimize the intermediate parking of vehicles, maximize the use of at least one particular stand, minimize the risk of passengers from false connections, or transfer goods from one vehicle to another Minimize risk, and / or minimize CO ₂ emissions.

In some embodiments, the first and second vehicle means are an aircraft, a train, a vessel, a bus or a truck, and the stands may be parking spaces for such vehicles. For example, the stands may be platforms and / or gates of an aircraft, platform of a train station, marina of a harbor, bus rides of a bus stop, truck parking places or truck loading and unloading platforms.

For example, the mechanism described herein may be applied to the field of airport resource management. The stand, ie the aircraft parking place, is one or more important resources of the airport. The stand assignment problem consists of assigning an airplane, and in particular a corresponding aircraft, to a parking place called a "stand", which may also include the assignment of passenger arrival gates, technical controls and preparation for departure. The following description is (generally) arranged for an airplane, which means an aircraft providing a particular flight connection service. It should be noted that the term "vehicle" is not meant to be a specific example of a vehicle, such as a particular aircraft, such as a particular type, model, Rather, it refers to any aircraft that conducts a particular flight, similar to including any bus, train, or ship that conducts a bus connection, a train connection, a shuttle connection, or a ferry connection. For example, certain aircraft departing from the airport twice a day, such as morning and evening flights, are considered to be two modes of transport. In other words, the means of transport can be understood as a combination of a particular means of transport and its intended departure or arrival. As such, the term "flight" can be understood as an example of a "vehicle"

In some instances, the airport gate may have only one stand. Therefore, assigning an airplane to a stand corresponds to assigning an airplane to the gate. In another example, at least one gate of an airport may have more than one stand. However, a stand is a parking place that can be occupied by a maximum of one aircraft at a time. The stands and gates are an important resource at the airport. Determining where to park the arriving aircraft can have a significant impact on cost and quality of service to other stakeholders, such as ground managers, airlines, airport authorities, passengers and / or food service providers.

The stand allocation can be made in two stages, the planning stage and the operational stage. During the planning phase, which can be carried out from several months to several days in the future, stand planners will consider the flight schedule as input and assign each scheduled operation (departure, arrival, or parking operation) for a given stand. The result is a stand placement. The planning of the stand allocation may (optionally) include consideration of certain limitations as described for the following additional examples. For example, an operational phase begins with the operation of a stand assignment for operations less than 24 hours of actual operation, such as departure or arrival of an aircraft. Stand assignments may occur to resolve conflicts caused by deviations from flight schedules that may occur at random during the operating phase. These changes can impact various related suppliers, and thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the impact can be mitigated as shown in the following examples. According to the examples, most deviations can be absorbed by the minimum buffer time adapted to the deviation distribution.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals denote similar parts in the several views, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary method of assigning at least a first airplane and a second airplane to a plurality of stands of an airport. The first plane and the second plane have a scheduled departure time and a scheduled arrival time. In block (1), the minimum buffer time between the departure time of the first aircraft (at the stand) and the arrival time of the second airplane is determined by the computer system by the deviation distribution from the scheduled departure time of the first airplane, And is calculated based on the deviation distribution from the predetermined arrival time. Further, at block 2, as the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first aircraft and the scheduled arrival time of the second airplane is less than the minimum buffer time, the first plane and the second plane are connected to different stands of the plurality of stands . Thus, the risk of collision is reduced. In another example, a stand assignment of an airport is planned, which includes a method of assigning at least a first plane and a second plane to a plurality of stands as previously described.

Since the minimum buffer time has been applied to the side effects of deviation, particularly the probability of deviation to better absorb the collision, it is possible to establish a more robust stand allocation plan that aims at the schedule deviation occurring in the operational phase. Thus, the examples help to keep the stand assignments as possible as possible by reducing the probability of an assignment change (not desired) of an airplane to the stands. This improves the service quality and cost characteristics. Moreover, the allocation of more efficient planes to the stands can be achieved. These methods can be implemented in airport authorities, and in departments responsible for stand and gate assignments.

In other instances, a computer may be configured to execute at least one processor and a method of assigning at least a first plane and a second plane to a plurality of stands with a computer, when executed by at least one processor in accordance with the previously described examples And includes program code configured. The computer may be part of a computer system. In still other instances, a computer program product includes a computer readable medium having stored thereon, a computer readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of stands, such as those previously described by a processor when executed by at least one processor, And program code configured to execute a method of assigning a second airplane. The processor may be part of a computer. Additional examples are distinguished from the previously described examples as follows:

In some instances, a plurality of airplanes are assigned to a plurality of stands. One way to proceed is to calculate the (individual) buffer time between each pair of consecutive planes. For example, a matrix of all buffer times may be computed for each pair of two consecutive planes. Certain planes can be assigned to one stand at most. However, multiple planes may be assigned to the same stand as a sequential order separated by at least a respective minimum buffer time. To further enhance understanding, the following description is made with respect to the first and second planes. It is understood, however, by way of further examples that more than the first and second planes are assigned to the plurality of stands.

In some instances, prior to assigning the planes to the stand and calculating the minimum buffer time (block 11), the history of the flight deviation is analyzed using a statistical tool such as the example in FIG. 2 (block 12). The statistical data show variance patterns that can be expressed as a probability distribution function. These functions can determine the probability of a constant flight deviation from the schedule at the operational stage. This information is used to determine the appropriate manner in which the minimum buffer time can be used in the stand allocation. As such, the results of the analysis can be a set of functions that allow the evaluation of the deviation probabilities of the analyzed planes.

For example, the deviation history from the scheduled departure of the first aircraft and the deviation history from the scheduled arrival of the second aircraft are analyzed. Then, the deviation distribution from the scheduled departure of the first airplane and the deviation distribution (from the operational stage) from the scheduled arrival of the second airplane are calculated based on these statistical data.

The probability distribution function can also be determined by further considering the nature of the airport. Alternatively or additionally, the probability distribution function may also be determined by considering at least one of the attributes of the airplane (s), such as airline, airplane number, path, date, day of week, and general weather conditions.

In some instances, the minimum buffer time is determined such that the collision between the first and second aircraft, i.e., the collision probability, is less than a certain confidence level. As previously described, a collision or collision means that the actual departure time of the first airplane is equal to or later than the actual arrival time of the second airplane. In other words, avoiding collisions means that when one plane does not leave the current stand for another plane that is already occupied by another plane or that requires a stand, the plane is not allowed to occupy the stand .

Since the level of reliability corresponds to the probability of collisions occurring in the operational phase, such examples provide an important tool for measuring the certainty of stand placement. A probability distribution function can be used to determine the probability of a collision for each pair of consecutive operations on the same stand (ie, the arrival or departure of an aircraft on the same stand with or without the departure or arrival of another airplane on the same stand). , Whereby the global authenticity of a stand assignment, e.g., a planning stage or a constant stand assignment, can be assessed.

In some instances, the minimum buffer time is derived from a certain level of reliability. A certain level of reliability can be determined (freely) by the stand-by assigner to specify the number of collision times allowed. For example, the confidence level may be (at least) 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 95%.

 As shown in FIG. 3, the possibility of delay of the first aircraft I, that is, the deviation x and the possibility of early arrival of the second aircraft J, that is, the deviation y is considered. The deviations (x and y) are two arbitrary variables each having a probability distribution function. For example, probability distribution functions can be achieved by analyzing statistical data as described above.

If a collision between the first and second planes occurs, an unwanted change (stand-by assignment) of the stand placement will be required. This corresponds to x + y > b. The probability of occurrence of such a collision (P (x + y > b)) is as follows:

P (z ^? _B ) = ^? _B ^? F (z) dz

Where z = x + y; b is the minimum buffer time; f is a probability distribution function of z, which is combined with a probability distribution function of x and y.

The probability of such a collision can be minimized. For example, this should be less than the value of the equation as follows:

∫ ₀ ^b f (z) dz ≤α

Next, the probability for avoiding this collision is 1 -?, The value (1 -?) Corresponds to the confidence level, which is determined by the stand placement planner as a target value (e.g., / / Limit for optimization): &lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt;

∫ ₀ ^b f (z) dz ≥ 1-α

This is schematically illustrated in Fig. 4 which shows a graph of a probability distribution function f of an arbitrary variable z that is the sum of the deviations (x and y) of the first and second planes. The integral of the previous equation corresponds to the area under the graph curve of the probability distribution function (f). The hatched portion of this area starting at z = 0 has a value (1 -?), and therefore the upper limit of the hatched area determines the minimum buffer time (b), which represents a certain reliability level (1 -?). Therefore, no collision occurs when the minimum buffer time is used in probability (1 -?). For example, this equation can be solved to calculate the minimum buffer time (b) by numerical computation, repeating until the value of b is involved in the equation and using a ladder interpolation algorithm, for example, regardless of the nature of the probability distribution function . Assigning the planes to the stand by taking into account the planning of the stand allocation, in particular, the calculated minimum buffer time, will ensure a certain level of reliability of the stand allocation.

In some instances, the probability distribution function f is statistical and can take into account the observed pattern for the history of the data. For example, the probability distribution function f is discontinuous and thus is:

Then, f (0) + f (1) + ... + f (b) &gt; 1 - alpha

The minimum buffer time (b) can then be calculated with the following algorithm: &lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt;

funtion Calculate_MinimumBufferTime ()

cP = 0

i = 0

while (cP < 1- alpha)

      cP = cP + f (i)

      i = i + 1

return i - 1

Where cP is the cumulative probability and i is the counter variable.

In some instances, the buffer time is included as a constraint when assigning the first and second transportation means to a plurality of stands. Assignment of the first and second vehicles to the same stand by such restriction is only performed as the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first aircraft and the scheduled arrival time of the second aircraft is not less than the minimum buffer time.

However, this does not necessarily mean that the first and second planes should (finally) be assigned to the same stand even if this restriction is completed, since this assignment would be prevented by at least one additional restriction, Because it would be less appropriate for the goal of. For example, (additional) considered limitations may account for the inconsistency between the vehicle type and the stand. Not all stands can accommodate all types of aircraft, and some stands can only be used for domestic or international traffic, as the gates are served by gates belonging to domestic or international terminals. Another limitation is the proximity limit, which reflects the fact that the assignment of an aircraft at a given stand may limit possible assignments at adjacent stands. This happens, for example, when a wing of a large aircraft blocks adjacent stands.

Some examples include at least one goal for optimization. Since the buffer time may be thought of as a constraint on optimization, the optimization may seek a solution that optimizes at least one target while engaging in the minimum buffer time. This allows the planner to have greater flexibility in designing stand assignments, optimizing for the relevant airport goals, and ensuring that the achieved stand assignments are towards the deviations. For example, such a goal may include maximizing the service provided to passengers at the contact stands; Minimization of towing operations; Maximization of airport service quality; Minimizing the costly burden of airport and / or ground managers; Minimizing changes in stand assignments during the operational phase; Maximization of route preference; Or minimizing the risk exposure of passengers.

A computer can be implemented in many ways in accordance with the present invention. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary apparatus 50 in which the various steps of the methods described above may be practiced in a manner consistent with the present invention. For purposes of the present invention, the computer 50 may indeed represent a particular type of computer, computer system, or other programmable electronic device. Moreover, the computer 50 may be implemented using one or more network computers, e.g., a cluster or other distributed computing system, or may be implemented using a single computer or other programmable electronic device such as a desktop computer, Computer, set top box, and the like.

The computer 50 typically includes a central processing unit 52 that includes at least one processor coupled to a memory 54 that includes random access memory (RAM) including a main storage of the computer 50, And supplemental memory such as cache memory, non-volatile or backup memory (e.g., programmable or flash memory), ROM, and the like. Further, the memory 54 may include a memory store physically located in the computer 50, such as, for example, a cache memory of the processor of the CPU 52, and a mass storage 56 or another computer coupled to the computer 50. [ Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; stored &lt; / RTI &gt; The computer 50 also typically receives a number of inputs and outputs to communicate information externally. Computer 50 typically includes one or more user input devices (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a joystick, a touch pad, and / or a microphone, A display panel, and / or a speaker, etc.). Otherwise, user input may be received via another computer or terminal.

As an additional storage device, the computer 50 may be, for example, a floppy or other removable disk drive, a hard disk drive, a direct attached storage device (DASD), an optical drive (e.g., CD drive, DVD drive, One or more mass storage devices 56 such as drives, guitars, and the like. The computer 50 also includes one or more networks (e.g., a LAN, WAN, wireless network, and / or the Internet, etc.) to communicate information with other computers and electronic devices, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt; 62 &lt; / RTI &gt; The computer 50 typically includes suitable analog and / or digital interfaces between the CPU 52 and each of the components 54, 56, 58, and 60, as is well known in the art. Other hardware environments are contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

The computer 50 operates under the control of the operating system 68 and executes or depends upon various computer software applications, components, programs, objects, modules, data structures, Furthermore, various applications, components, programs, objects, modules, etc. may also be distributed over network 62, for example, to one or more processors of another computer coupled to computer 50 in a client- So that the processing necessary for implementing the functions of the computer program can be assigned to a plurality of computers via the network.

In general, paths that have been implemented as part of an operating system, or implemented as a particular application, part, program, object, module or sequence of instructions, or as a subset thereof, or to implement an embodiment of the invention, Will simply be referred to herein as "computer program code" or simply "program code". The program code typically includes one or more instructions that are internal to the various memory and storage devices of the computer multiple times and may be executed by one or more processors of the computer to cause the computer to perform the steps of implementing the various aspects of the invention Let us perform the steps necessary to realize the elements. Moreover, although the present invention has been described and will be described in the context of fully functional computer and computer systems, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various embodiments of the present invention may be distributed as program products in various forms, It will be understood that the invention is equally applicable regardless of the particular form of computer readable medium actually used to carry out the distribution.

The computer readable medium can include a computer readable storage medium and a communication medium. The computer readable storage medium is essentially persistent and may include volatile and nonvolatile media embodied in computer readable instructions, data structures, information storage methods such as program modules or other data, or techniques. The computer-readable storage medium may also be a memory, such as RAM, ROM, removable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other semiconductor, CD- (DVD), or other optical storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other medium that can be used to store certain information and can be connected by computer 50. The communication medium may embody computer readable media, data structures, or other program modules. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above may also be included within the scope of computer readable media.

The various program codes described herein may be ascertained based on an application in which certain embodiments of the invention are implemented. It should be understood, however, that the following specific program names are used merely for convenience and that the present invention should not be construed to be limited to the sole use of any particular application specified and / or implied by such designation. Moreover, it is to be understood that the computer programs may be implemented in various software layers (e.g., operating systems, libraries, APIs, applications, applets, etc.) unique to the paths, procedures, methods, modules, objects, It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific structures and arrangements of program functionality described herein, given the usually infinite number of ways that can be configured in various ways in which program functionality may be assigned.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the examples shown in Figures 1-5 are not intended to limit the embodiments of the invention. Indeed, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other alternative hardware and / or software environments may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Moreover, while the above examples illustrate the stands of airplanes and airports, other examples include platforms for trains and trains, buses and bus stops for buses, trucks and truck parking areas or truck loading and unloading platforms . It will be appreciated that some of the features of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be used without corresponding use of other features. Moreover, various further modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

A method of assigning at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle having a predetermined arrival time and a predetermined departure time to a plurality of stands,
Wherein the computer system is further programmed to cause the computer system to perform the steps of: determining a departure from the predetermined departure time of the first transportation means and a deviation distribution from the predetermined arrival time of the second transportation means; Calculating a minimum buffer time between the minimum buffer time and the minimum buffer time; And
To the computer system such that the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first transportation means and the scheduled arrival time of the second transportation means is less than the minimum buffer time, And assigning the transportation means and the second transportation means. The method according to claim 1,
To calculate a deviation distribution from the predetermined departure time of the first transportation means and a predetermined distribution time of the second transportation means from the predetermined departure time to the computer system, And analyzing a history of deviations from a predetermined arrival of the second transportation means. The method according to claim 1,
Determining a minimum buffer time such that the probability of avoiding collision between the departure of the first vehicle and the arrival of the second vehicle is at least a certain level of confidence; and a deviation distribution from the predetermined departure time of the first vehicle, From the deviation distribution from the scheduled arrival time of the two vehicles, the minimum buffer time is derived,
Wherein the collision corresponds to a case where the actual departure time of the first transportation means is equal to or later than the actual arrival time of the second transportation means. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the minimum buffer time is derived from the following relation:
∫ ₀ ^b F (z) dz ≤ 1 - α
Where b is the derived minimum buffer time;
f is a probability distribution function based on a history of deviation of said first vehicle from a predetermined departure time and a deviation history from a predetermined arrival time of said second vehicle;
z is an arbitrary variable corresponding to a total deviation defined by a deviation of the first vehicle from a predetermined departure time and a deviation of the second vehicle from a predetermined arrival time; And
(1 -?) Is a constant confidence level. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the transportation means is an airplane and the stands are stands of an airport. 6. The method of claim 5,
The probability of deviation from the predetermined departure time of the first means of transport and the deviation probability from the predetermined arrival time of the second means of transport can be determined by the airline, the airplane number, the route, the date and time, the days of week, And an assignment method calculated based on the combination. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising the step of considering at least one restriction for assigning said first transport means and said second transport means to said plurality of stands,
Wherein the at least one restriction takes into account the inconsistency between the mode of transport and the stand, proximity limit, or combination thereof. A system for assigning at least a first transportation means and a second transportation means to a plurality of stands, each having a predetermined arrival time and a predetermined departure time,
At least one processor; And
And program code configured to be executed by at least one processor, wherein the program code causes the at least one processor to:
A minimum buffer time between the departure of said first transport means and the arrival of said second transport means based on a deviation distribution from said predetermined departure time of said first transport means and a deviation distribution from said predetermined arrival time of said second transport means To the computer, and then,
The first transportation means and the second transportation means are connected to the other of the plurality of stands so that the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first transportation means and the scheduled arrival time of the second transportation means becomes less than the minimum buffer time, Assignment system configured to assign computers to stands. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:
A history of deviations of the first transportation means from a predetermined departure time and a second history of the deviation of the first transportation means from a predetermined departure time and a second arrival time of the second transportation means, An allocation system for analyzing a history of deviations from a scheduled arrival of a vehicle. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:
A deviation distribution from the predetermined departure time of the first transportation means and a predetermined distribution of the arrival time of the second transportation means so that the probability of avoiding collision between the arrival of the first transportation means and the arrival of the second transportation means is at least a certain level of reliability, And derive a minimum buffer time from the deviation distribution from time,
Wherein the collision corresponds to a case where the actual departure time of the first transportation means is equal to or later than the actual arrival time of the second transportation means. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor causes at least one processor to:
Deriving the minimum buffer time from the following relationship:
∫ ₀ ^b F (z) dz ≤ 1 - α
Where b is the derived minimum buffer time;
f is a probability distribution function based on a history of deviation of said first vehicle from a predetermined departure time and a deviation history from a predetermined arrival time of said second vehicle;
z is an arbitrary variable corresponding to a total deviation defined by a deviation of the first vehicle from a predetermined departure time and a deviation of the second vehicle from a predetermined arrival time; And
(1-α) is a constant reliability level. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the transportation means is an airplane and the stands are stands of an airport. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor causes at least one processor to:
A deviation from a predetermined departure time of the first vehicle from a predetermined departure time based on an airline, an airplane number, a route, a time of day, a weekday work, a general weather condition, And a distribution system. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the program code configured to be executed by the at least one processor causes at least one processor to:
Wherein the at least one restriction is configured to take into account at least one restriction for assigning the first and second means of transportation to the plurality of stands, wherein the at least one restriction is between the mode of the vehicle and the stand, adjacent limit, The allocation system considers the inconsistency of the system. A computer-readable medium; And
Program code configured to execute by the at least one processor a method of allocating at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle that are recorded in the computer readable medium and have a predetermined arrival time and a predetermined departure time in a plurality of stands, 13. A computer program product comprising:
Between the departure of said first transportation means and the arrival of said second transportation means to a computer system based on a deviation distribution from said predetermined departure time of said first transportation means and a deviation distribution from said predetermined arrival time of said second transportation means &Lt; / RTI &gt; and &lt; RTI ID = 0.0 &gt;
To the computer system such that the time interval between the scheduled departure time of the first transportation means and the scheduled arrival time of the second transportation means is less than the minimum buffer time, And assigning the transportation means and the second transportation means.

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