Patent ID: 6578005
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A task-allocation apparatus comprising:input means for providing information relating to tasks to be allocated and resources available to perform the tasks during a given period; off-line schedule generation means to allocate the resources to the tasks, thereby generating, for each resource, an initial complete schedule covering substantially all the then known tasks to be carried out during the period under consideration to instruct a user, storage means for storing the initial complete schedule, updating means for receiving, from the input means, updated information relating to the tasks and resources for said given period, the updated information being received by the input means during said given period from a source external to the apparatus, and on-line modifying means for modifying the initial complete schedule of at least a first a resource in response to such updated information to generate at least one modified complete schedule, wherein changes to the initial complete schedule may be made in response to such updated information in real time, independently of the schedule generation means; and the initial complete schedule is generated by the off-line schedule generation means without reacting to any change in input information provided to the off-line schedule generation means, whereas the modified complete schedule generated by the on-line modifying means reacts to said updated information.