Appeal No. 2002-0086 Page 3
Application No. 09/053,880
A further understanding of the invention can be achieved by reading the following
claim.
1. An improved transportation scheduling method of scheduling a
plurality of trips T1-Tn, using a plurality of vehicles V1-Vn, each of said
plurality of vehicles having a trip manifest, said method comprising:
(a) generating a usability matrix that determines which of said
plurality of vehicles V1-Vn, is useable with each of said plurality of trips T1-
Tn, said usability matrix having along one axis said plurality of trips T1-Tn;
(b) determining a best trip of said plurality of trips T1-Tn to be
scheduled next;
(c) determining a best vehicle from said plurality of vehicles V1-Vn
for accommodating said best trip;
(d) determining a best insertion pair into said trip manifest of said
best vehicle for said best trip and updating said trip manifest to include
said best insertion pair;
(e) updating said useability matrix to reflect the scheduling of said
best trip on said best vehicle and removing said best trip from said
plurality of trips T1-Tn;
(f) repeating steps (a)-(e) until all of the trips in said plurality of trips
T1-Tn have been scheduled; and
(g) having said plurality of vehicles V1-Vn, execute their respective
said trip manifests.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, and 13 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) as
anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 5,832,453 ("O'Brien"). Claims 3, 5, 8, 11, and 14 stand
rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as obvious over O'Brien.
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