Resource assignment and scheduling system
US5943652A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 18, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 24, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 18, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06Q10/1097
- WIPO fieldIT methods for management
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for assigning and scheduling resource requests to resource providers use a modified "best-first" search technique that combines optimization, artificial intelligence, and constraint-processing to arrive at near-optimal assignment and scheduling solutions. In response to changes in a dynamic resource environment, potential changes to an existing assignment set are evaluated in a search for a better solution. New calls are assigned and scheduled as they are received, and the assignment set is readjusted as the field service environment changes, resulting in global optimization. Each search operation is in response to either an incremental change to the assignment set such as adding a new resource request, removing a pending resource request, reassigning a pending resource request, or to a request for further evaluation. Thus, the search technique assumes that the existing assignment set is already optimized, and limits the task only to evaluating the effects of the incremental change. In addition, each search operation produces a complete assignment and scheduling solution. Consequently, the search can be terminated to accept the best solution generated so far, ma…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.