Patent ID: 6546371
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: B61L,G06Q

Abstract:
A method for scheduling the movement of a plurality of trains operating on a rail corridor, wherein trains traversing the rail corridor may intersect on the same track, whereby each train has at least one travel parameter that can be varied, whereby the rail corridor includes at least one main line and a plurality of secondary tracks onto which a train may be moved to avoid an intersection with another train, said method comprising the steps of:(a) deriving a localizer function to represent the rail corridor, wherein said localizer function has a value within a first range between secondary tracks and has a value within a second range in the vicinity of each secondary track; (b) selecting a value for at least one travel parameter for each of the plurality of trains; (c) finding the intersection points for the plurality of trains; (d) determining the value of said localizer function for each intersection point; (e) combining said localizer function values to create a schedule feasibility cost function, wherein said schedule feasibility cost function represents the cost function associated with the intersection of trains at a secondary track; and (f) changing one or more of the values selected in step (b) to find the minimum of the schedule feasibility cost function.