Creation device, creation method, and creation program

Abstract

To create assignment of work for crew members.SOLUTION: A creation device 100 includes: a work plan creation unit 110 which creates work plans so that working hours being a plurality of combinations of working plan blocks each having crewing start time and ending time satisfy a prescribed restriction; and a sequence creation unit 120 which determines the sequence of the work plans so that the sequence of the working hours satisfies a prescribed restriction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a creating device, a creating method, and a creating program. [Background technology]

[0002] The allocation of tasks to drivers of buses and other vehicles must be done so that the working hours per day and per week do not violate standards such as laws and regulations. Patent Document 1 discloses a system that creates a sequence of tasks according to constraints per week and allocates tasks to drivers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-185639 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, it is highly likely that it will be impossible to search a vast parameter space in a realistic amount of time and with realistic resources, and create a procedure that satisfies the constraints of real-world business.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a creation device, a creation method, and a creation program for creating task assignments for crew members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The creation device according to the present disclosure includes a job creation unit that creates jobs, which are multiple combinations of job blocks having start and end times for work, and whose work times satisfy specified constraints, and an array creation unit that determines the sequence of the jobs so that the sequence of the work times satisfies the specified constraints.

[0007] The creation method disclosed herein involves a computer creating work tasks that are multiple combinations of work blocks having start and end times for work, with working times satisfying specified constraints, and determining the sequence of the work tasks so that the sequence of the working times satisfies the specified constraints.

[0008] The creation program disclosed herein causes a computer to execute a process of creating work that is a combination of multiple work blocks having start and end times for work, the work times of which satisfy specified constraints, and a process of determining the sequence of the work so that the sequence of the work times satisfies the specified constraints. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, task allocations for crew members can be created. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a job created from a bus schedule. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of a service arrangement. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a creating device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the creating device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a creating device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating attributes set in a work arrangement. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing a method for creating a work block. [Figure 8] 13 is a flowchart showing a method for creating a job. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing a method for creating a work arrangement. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method for allocating tasks using a work arrangement. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] In describing the following embodiments, first, an overview of the work and the work arrangement will be described. In the following, the allocation of work to the bus crew will be described. The left part of FIG. 1 shows an example of a bus operation schedule. Each straight line represents a bus trip. The right part shows four work created from the operation schedule. Each of the four work is shown by a solid line, a dotted line, a dashed line, or a double-dashed line. Note that, when creating a work, a forwarding section may be provided. For example, sections 2a and 2b correspond to forwarding sections, and therefore are not included in the operation schedule. In addition, in the work, the crew has a rest period between bus trips.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the work arrangement. A work is an arrangement of multiple works as shown in the upper part of FIG. 2. Each square shape represents a bus service. The hatched shapes represent buses leaving or arriving at the depot. The blank areas correspond to the driver's rest time. Work 5 is a work that does not include a bus service and corresponds to a holiday or reserve day.

[0013] The work schedule for each crew member is created from the work sequence, as shown in the lower part of Figure 2. For example, the work schedule for crew member A can be created by assigning tasks from 5 / 8 in the order of the work sequence. The work schedule for crew member E can be created by assigning tasks from 5 / 9 in the order of the work sequence.

[0014] Although bus schedules differ between weekdays and holidays, it is possible to assign work using work arrangements even in such cases. In such cases, a work arrangement listing weekday work, a work arrangement listing Saturday work, and a work arrangement listing Sunday work are created, and work assignments are performed using these.

[0015] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, in each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the creation device 100 according to embodiment 1. The creation device 100 includes a job creation unit 110 and an array creation unit 120.

[0017] The creation device 100 is a device that creates an optimal work arrangement with each work as an element. Here, a work is information that defines a driver's daily schedule and includes at least information regarding working hours. A bus operator can, for example, generate a work schedule for each person by assigning each person a work arrangement with a shift in days. By using the work arrangement, the operator can level out the workload of each person.

[0018] The work creation unit creates a work, which is a combination of work blocks having a start time and an end time of a driving job, and whose working time satisfies a predetermined constraint. The work block has the start time and end time of the work block as parameters. The work creation unit 110 can create a work by solving a first constraint satisfaction problem using quantum annealing or simulated annealing, which generates a plurality of work whose working time satisfies a predetermined constraint using a plurality of work blocks having a start time and an end time as parameters.

[0019] A work block is a connection of multiple trips in a bus or other service schedule according to a predetermined rule. A work is created by combining multiple such work blocks. A work must be created to satisfy a predetermined constraint on working hours. The predetermined constraint is, for example, a condition that the working hours per day are within the hours specified by law. Note that the predetermined constraint is not limited to the above example. The creation device 100 may create a work whose working hours are equal to or longer than a predetermined time.

[0020] The first constraint satisfaction problem is, for example, a problem of calculating a solution that satisfies the constraint conditions expressed by equations 1 to 3.

[0021]

number

[0022]

number

[0023]

number

[0024] The job creation unit 110 searches for a solution such that the value of the evaluation function created based on the constraint conditions is minimized, for example. The evaluation function is expressed as the sum of penalty terms corresponding to each of the equations 1 to 3. The penalty term is an equation based on the difference between the left and right sides of the equation representing the constraint conditions. In the equation 1, for example, the square of the equation obtained by subtracting 1 from the left side of the equation 1 can be used as the penalty term. In the equations 2 and 3, the left side of the equation can be used as the penalty term.

[0025] The array creation unit 120 determines the sequence of jobs so that the sequence of working hours satisfies a predetermined constraint. The array creation unit 120 can determine the sequence of jobs by solving a second constraint satisfaction problem for creating a job array with each job as an array element, using quantum annealing or simulated annealing.

[0026] The job arrangement is an arrangement of jobs created by the job creation unit 110. The job arrangement is created so as to satisfy a predetermined constraint. For example, the predetermined constraint is a constraint that the sum of working hours in one week is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0027] The second constraint satisfaction problem is, for example, a problem of calculating a solution that satisfies the constraint conditions expressed by Equation 4 and Equation 5.

[0028]

number

[0029]

number

[0030] The array creation unit 120 may also search for a solution to minimize the evaluation function, similar to the job creation unit 110. The evaluation function is expressed as the sum of the penalty terms corresponding to Equations 4 and 5.

[0031] The job creation unit 110 and the array creation unit 120 may solve the constraint satisfaction problem using an annealing machine. An annealing machine is dedicated hardware that searches for an optimal solution to an optimization problem by simulated annealing. The job creation unit 110 and the array creation unit 120 may also solve the constraint satisfaction problem using a quantum computer that performs quantum annealing. By searching for an optimal solution using thermal fluctuations, quantum fluctuations, etc., the creation device 100 can create jobs and job arrays in a shorter time. The annealing machine or quantum computer may be provided inside the creation device 100 or outside it.

[0032] In this way, the creation device 100 can create jobs and job sequences in a shorter time by solving constraint satisfaction problems using simulated annealing or quantum annealing.

[0033] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the creating device 100. The creating device 100 includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, and a storage device 1003. The storage device 1003 stores a computer program that implements the processing of the creating method according to the first embodiment. The processor 1001 then loads the computer program from the storage device 1003 into the memory 1002 and executes the computer program. In this way, the processor 1001 realizes the functions of the job creating unit 110 and the array creating unit 120.

[0034] Alternatively, the job creation unit 110 and the sequence creation unit 120 may each be realized by dedicated hardware. Also, a part or all of the components of each device may be realized by a general-purpose or dedicated circuit, processor, or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or may be configured by multiple chips connected via a bus. A part or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc. and programs. Also, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), etc. may be used as the processor. Also, the creation device 100 may be equipped with a quantum chip (not shown) that performs quantum annealing.

[0035] Furthermore, when some or all of the components of the creation device 100 are realized by a plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc., the plurality of information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be centrally arranged or distributed. For example, the information processing devices, circuits, etc. may be realized as a client-server system, a cloud computing system, etc., in a form in which each is connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the functions of the creation device 100 may be provided in a SaaS (Software as a Service) format.

[0036] (Embodiment 2) The second embodiment is a specific example of the first embodiment. In the following description, descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a creating device 100a according to the second embodiment.

[0037] The creation device 100a includes a control unit 130, a display unit 140, an operation input unit 150, revised timetable data 161, a work block database 162, a work database 163, a work arrangement database 164, paid leave request input 165, emergency schedule change input 166, a rule-based work block creation unit 170, a work creation unit 110, an arrangement creation unit 120, an annealing processing unit 180, a rule-based work arrangement determination unit 191, and a rule-based work arrangement adjustment unit 192.

[0038] The control unit 130 controls the overall processing in the creation device 100a. The display unit 140 is a display device such as a display. The display unit 140 displays the created work schedule (shift table) of the driver. The revised timetable data 161 stores timetable information of the bus service.

[0039] The work block database 162 stores a plurality of work blocks. A work block has a start time and an end time as parameters. A work block includes one or more bus services. A work block is generated so as to satisfy criteria such as a maximum driving time and a rest time. A work block is generated by a rule-based work block generation unit 170, which will be described later.

[0040] The work database 163 stores a plurality of work. The work is created by the work creation unit 110 based on the work block database 162. The work arrangement database 164 stores the work arrangement created by the arrangement creation unit 120. The paid leave request input 165 stores information regarding the crew's desired paid leave date. The emergency schedule change input 166 stores information regarding the crew's emergency leave acquisition.

[0041] The rule-based work block creation unit 170 creates a plurality of work blocks whose driving time satisfies a predetermined constraint based on the revised timetable data 161. An example of a method for creating a work block will be described below. It is known that about 1 / 3 of all buses in a route bus or other operation timetable can be connected between an outward trip and a return trip. The rule-based work block creation unit 170 creates such combinations of outward trips and return trips. From the set of created combinations, the rule-based work block creation unit 170 creates a work block by connecting combinations whose time difference between the arrival time and the departure time is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The work block needs to be created so as to satisfy constraints based on labor standards, etc. The work block is created so that the driving time is within 4.5 hours and includes a rest period of 30 minutes or more, for example.

[0042] The job creation unit 110 creates a plurality of jobs that satisfy a predetermined constraint from the job block database 162 by solving the first constraint satisfaction problem using the annealing processing unit 180 described later. The constraints of the constraint satisfaction problem include strong constraints that do not allow deviations and weak constraints that allow deviations. Both of these constraints are expressed using penalty terms, and strong constraints and weak constraints are distinguished depending on the magnitude of the weighting coefficient of the penalty terms. The job creation unit 110 may solve the first constraint satisfaction problem including, for example, a strong constraint that the working hours are less than the hours specified by law and a weak constraint that the number of jobs is reduced. In such a case, it is efficient because all the flights can be covered with a small number of crew members. In addition, the first constraint satisfaction problem may further include a weak constraint that the bus forwarding time is shortened. The job creation unit 110 registers the created jobs in the job database 163.

[0043] In addition, attributes such as morning, night, and all day may be defined for the generated work. For example, a work consisting of a bus service that operates in the morning is classified as morning. Work blocks may also be classified into attributes.

[0044] For example, a work block classified as "morning" may be assigned to a work whose attribute is "morning". In such a case, the set of works to which the work block is assigned is S ´ is part of the set of jobs S. Therefore, the variable x b、s The range of the subscript s of is S ´ Limited to.

[0045] The first constraint satisfaction problem may also include a weak constraint, as implied by the penalty term shown in Equation 6.

[0046]

number

[0047] In the creation of a job, restrictions regarding vehicles may be taken into consideration. In such a case, job blocks that use the same vehicle are connected to each other.

[0048] The sequence creation unit 120 creates job sequences that satisfy predetermined constraints from the job database 163 by solving the second constraint satisfaction problem using the annealing processing unit 180 described later.

[0049] First, a holiday is set in the work sequence. By law, two days off must be included in a seven-day period. Therefore, a holiday without work is set in the work sequence so that, for example, one day off is taken after four consecutive days of work.

[0050] The array creation unit 120 solves the second constraint satisfaction problem including the above-mentioned formula 4 and formula 5 as constraints by using the annealing processing unit 180 described later. The array creation unit 120 prepares an evaluation function including a penalty term corresponding to each of formula 4 and formula 5, and creates an optimal work array by searching for a state in which the evaluation function becomes a minimum value. The array creation unit 120 may also perform formulation so that the sum of the working hours approaches a predetermined time.

[0051] The evaluation function may include a penalty term as shown in Equation 7.

number

[0052] The second constraint satisfaction problem may include a constraint on driving time. The array creation unit 120 may solve the second constraint satisfaction problem by formulating the problem so that both the sum of the working hours per seven days and the sum of the working hours approach a specific time.

[0053] Furthermore, each element of the job sequence may have an attribute set in advance. The attribute may be, for example, morning, night, or all day. If an attribute is also set for the job, the array creation unit 120 solves the second constraint satisfaction problem so as to assign a job with the same attribute to each array element. This reduces the number of variables when searching for an optimal solution, and improves the accuracy of the solution.

[0054] In some cases, a job array may be created so that jobs with the attribute "morning" are not assigned to jobs before holidays. In such cases, the set L with the attribute "morning" removed is ´ Consider the set L ´ is part of the set of tasks L. The variable y before the holiday s、l The range of the subscript l of is L ´The same process can be used to prevent work with the attribute "night" from being assigned to work after a holiday.

[0055] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of attributes set in a work array. The horizontal direction in FIG. 6 represents time, with the left side representing earlier time periods and the right side representing later time periods. A work array is an array of 12 work. Works 6 and 12 correspond to holidays or reserve days. Works 1 to 5 and 7 to 11 are set with one of three attributes: morning, all day, and night. The attribute of work 1 and 7 is "morning," the attribute of work 5 and 11 is "night," and the attribute of work 2 to 4 and 8 to 10 is "all day." Works with the same attribute set are assigned to each array element.

[0056] 5, the annealing processing unit 180 may be an annealing machine that can efficiently solve the optimization problem using simulated annealing, or may be a quantum computer that calculates a solution to the optimization problem by quantum annealing. The annealing processing unit 180 may solve the optimization problem using the quantum Monte Carlo method or the like.

[0057] The rule-based work arrangement determination unit 191 determines the allocation of work arrangements to crew members so that the holidays in the work arrangements created by the arrangement creation unit 120 match the desired vacation days obtained by the paid vacation request input 165. The rule-based work arrangement adjustment unit 192 creates a crew shift schedule by changing part of the allocation determined by the rule-based work arrangement determination unit 191. At this time, the rule-based work arrangement adjustment unit 192 adjusts the allocation of work arrangements using the desired change data (urgent desired vacation days) obtained by the emergency schedule change input 166.

[0058] Next, the flow of creating a work block will be described with reference to FIG. 7. First, it is assumed that a database of buses is prepared (step S101). Next, the creation device 100a creates a work block by combining buses in the revised timetable data 161 (step S102). Here, as described above, the creation device 100a may create a work block by combining outward and return journeys, and further combining those whose departure time and arrival time difference is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Next, the creation device 100a judges whether the created work block satisfies the law (step S103). If the law is not satisfied (No in step S103), the creation device 100a returns to step S102 and creates a work block again. If the law is satisfied (Yes in step S103), the creation device 100a checks whether all buses are assigned to the work (step S104). If there is a bus that is not assigned to the work (No in step S104), the creation device 100a returns to the process of step S102. If all the flights are assigned to the work (Yes in step S104), the creation device 100a registers the created work block in the work block database 162, and ends the creation of the work block.

[0059] Next, the flow of job creation will be described with reference to Fig. 8. It is assumed that the job block database 162 has already been created (step S105). The job creation unit 110 considers constraints on the upper limit of working hours, constraints on minimizing the number of jobs, constraints on vehicles, etc., and performs formulation for job creation (step S106).

[0060] Next, the job creation unit 110 executes annealing using the annealing processing unit 180 (step S107) and determines whether a valid solution has been obtained (step S108). If a valid solution has not been obtained (No in step S108), the job creation unit 110 returns to step S106 and performs formulation again.

[0061] When a valid solution is found (Yes in step S108), the job creation unit 110 judges whether the found solution satisfies the law (step S109). If the solution satisfies the law (Yes in step S109), the job creation unit 110 ends the creation of the job, and if the solution does not satisfy the law (No in step S109), the job creation unit 110 returns to step S106 and performs formulation again.

[0062] Next, the flow of creating an array will be described with reference to Fig. 9. It is assumed that the job database 163 has already been created (step S110). In step S111, the jobs are classified into attributes. This makes it easier to meet constraints such as weekly and monthly work hours and driving hours.

[0063] Next, the array creation unit 120 executes formulation for creating a work array (step S112). The array creation unit 120 performs formulation so as to satisfy, for example, a constraint that the sum of weekly working hours and driving hours is close to a certain time. Formulation may be performed so that a fixed pattern (attribute) of specifications is assigned before and after holidays.

[0064] Next, the array creation unit 120 executes annealing using the annealing processing unit 180 (step S113) and judges whether a valid solution has been obtained (step S114). If a valid solution has not been obtained (No in step S114), the array creation unit 120 returns to step S112 and performs formulation again. If a valid solution has been obtained (Yes in step S114), the array creation unit 120 judges whether the obtained solution satisfies the criteria of laws and regulations (step S115). If the solution does not satisfy the laws and regulations (No in step S115), the array creation unit 120 returns to step S111, and if the solution satisfies the laws and regulations (Yes in step S115), the array creation unit 120 ends the creation of the work array.

[0065] Next, a method for creating a shift table (work schedule) that meets vacation requests based on work arrangements will be described with reference to FIG. 10. A shift table is created by arranging work arrangements by shifting the days for each crew member. First, the input vacation request days are tallied (step S116). Next, the creation device 100a determines whether a shift table can be created so that each person's vacation request days overlap with reserve days (step S117). If each person's vacation request is met (Yes in step S117), the creation device 100a proceeds to the process of step S120, which will be described later.

[0066] If a shift schedule that satisfies the vacation request cannot be created (No in step S117), the creation device 100a assigns the work of the person scheduled for vacation to the reserve day of another crew member (step S118). Next, the creation device 100a checks whether the crew member to whom the work was assigned in step S118 was not assigned work on the previous reserve day (step S119). If the work was assigned to the previous reserve day (No in step S119), the creation device 100a returns to step S118 and assigns work to the reserve day of another crew member.

[0067] If the crew member was not assigned a shift on the previous reserve day (Yes in step S119), the creation device 100a judges whether the created shift schedule satisfies the laws and regulations (step S120). If the laws and regulations are not satisfied (No in step S120), the creation device 100a returns to step S118 and creates a new shift schedule. If the laws and regulations are satisfied (Yes in step S120), the creation device 100a outputs the created shift schedule to the display unit 140 and ends the process.

[0068] Finally, the effects of the second embodiment will be described. The work schedule of the bus driver needs to be created so that the working hours (working hours) and the upper limit of continuous driving hours meet the standards of laws and regulations. Therefore, the work was assigned by a person so as not to violate the labor standards and improvement standards. Therefore, there was a problem that the work was highly dependent on the individual and took a lot of time.

[0069] The creation device 100a can eliminate the dependency on task allocation work through automation. In addition, the creation device 100a can obtain a solution with a certain degree of accuracy in a realistic time by using quantum annealing or simulated annealing.

[0070] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 100, 100a Creation Equipment 110 Job Creation Department 120 Sequence Creation Section 130 Control section 140 Display section 150 Operation input section 161 Revised timetable data 162 Job Block Database 163 Work Database 164 Serving Sequence Database 165 Paid leave request input 166 Urgent schedule change entry 170 Rule-based work block creation department 180 Annealing Processing Section 191 Rule-based sequence decision unit 192 Rule-based arrangement adjustment unit

Claims

1. A task creation unit that creates a task, which is a combination of a plurality of task blocks having a start time and an end time of a task, and whose working time satisfies a predetermined constraint; an arrangement creation unit that determines an arrangement of the work so that the sum of the working hours satisfies a predetermined constraint; Equipped with the array creation unit assigns jobs in a later time zone to array elements corresponding to days before holidays, and assigns jobs in an earlier time zone to array elements corresponding to days after holidays, among the array elements of the job array in which the jobs are arranged; A work attribute relating to a time period is set for each work and each array element of the work array in which the work is arranged, The sequence creation unit determining an arrangement of the work so that the work to which the same work attribute is set is assigned to each array element; Creation device.

2. The job creation unit includes: Creating the jobs by solving a constraint satisfaction problem including a constraint to reduce the number of jobs using quantum annealing or simulated annealing. The creation device according to claim 1 .

3. The creating device includes: A rule-based task block creation unit that creates the task block whose driving time satisfies a predetermined constraint based on a train schedule; The creating device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

4. The sequence creation unit determining the sequence of the work tasks by solving a constraint satisfaction problem in which a predetermined constraint is imposed on the sum of the working times of a predetermined number of consecutive work tasks using quantum annealing or simulated annealing; The creating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The computer Creating a job, which is a combination of multiple job blocks having a start time and an end time for a job, and whose working time satisfies a predetermined constraint; Determining the sequence of the work so that the sum of the working hours satisfies a predetermined constraint; Including, The determining step includes allocating a job in a later time period to an array element corresponding to a day before a holiday, and allocating a job in an earlier time period to an array element corresponding to a day after a holiday, among the array elements of the job array in which the jobs are arranged; A work attribute relating to a time period is set for each work and each array element of the work array in which the work is arranged, The determining step determines an arrangement of the work so that the work to which the same work attribute is set is assigned to each array element. How to create it:

6. On the computer, A process of creating a job, which is a combination of multiple job blocks having start and end times for a job, and whose working hours satisfy predetermined constraints; A process of determining a sequence of the work so that the sum of the working hours satisfies a predetermined constraint; Run the command, The process of determining includes assigning a job in a later time zone to an array element corresponding to a day before a holiday, and assigning a job in an earlier time zone to an array element corresponding to a day after a holiday, among the array elements of the job array in which the jobs are arranged; A work attribute relating to a time period is set for each work and each array element of the work array in which the work is arranged, The process of determining determines an arrangement of the work so that the work to which the same work attribute is set is assigned to each array element. Creation program.

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