Patent ID: 7340328
Filing Date: 2008-03-04
Classification: B61L,G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of planning over a predetermined period of time a use of resources in a railway system having a plurality of trains for movement along a network of track to reduce a cost of implementing the plan, the method comprising: (a) developing strategic schedule constraints in a rule based inference engine for movement of the trains along the network of track based on user-defined railway operating rules and an optimization of proposed schedules under relaxed constraint conditions; (b) developing a detailed movement plan for the plurality of trains along the network of track using a constraint based analysis based upon the strategic schedule constraints and an optimization of the costs of the movement plan; (c) communicating the movement plan to the trains; (d) determining train throttle and brake settings of a respective train for implementing the plan; and (e) controlling the train in accordance with said settings.