Patent ID: 8688599

Claim:
A transportation problem solving method comprising: storing, by a transportation model storage of a transportation problem solving system, multiple regional transportation models for solving regional transportation problems associated with transportation of delivery orders, each regional transportation model associated with a corresponding one of multiple regions; storing, by said transportation model storage, an inter-depot transportation model for solving inter-depot transportation problems associated with said transportation of said delivery orders; generating, by a transformation section of said transportation problem solving system, a transformation model by incorporating said regional transportation models into portions of said inter-depot transportation model, said incorporating comprising adding to each depot in said inter-depot transportation model a regional representative node that represents a plurality of collection and delivery spots in a region associated with said depot and further adding two intermediate nodes between said depot and said regional representative node; computing, by an inter-depot transportation computing section of said transportation problem solving system and based on said transformation model, an inter-depot transportation plan for inter-depot transportation of said delivery orders and time windows for regional transportation of said delivery orders, said inter-depot transportation plan further being computed so that said delivery orders are transported through said two intermediate nodes in a same order during both transportation of said delivery orders from said depot to said regional representative node and-from said regional representative node to said depot; computing, by a regional transportation computing section and based on said regional transportation models and said time windows, a schedule for collection and delivery of said delivery orders from and to collection and delivery spots in said regions; and outputting, by an output section of said transportation problem solving system, said inter-depot transportation plan and said schedule for collection and delivery.