Cost-optimizing allocation system and method

US6272483A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The State of Oregon Acting by and through the State Board of Higher Education on Behalf of the University of Oregon · US

Inventors

• David E. Joslin · Burbank, US
• David CLEMENTS · Eugene, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 29, 1998
• Grant date: Aug 7, 2001
• Expiry date: Oct 29, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q10/06
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A system for determining schedules and processing other optimization problems includes a local optimization engine and a global optimization engine. The local optimization engine operates based on heuristics, and includes a prioritizer, a constructor, and an analyzer to make large "coherent" moves in the search space, thus helping to avoid local optima without relying entirely on random moves. The global optimization engine takes the individual schedules produced by the local optimization engine and optimizes them using Linear Programming/Integer Programming techniques.