Segment-Specific Time Buffers for Crew Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current personnel scheduling methods often result in pilots exceeding personal time limits due to inadequate buffer calculations, leading to inefficiencies and wasted crew time, as general buffers do not accurately represent operation variances for specific flight segments.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines Gumbel distributions for time variances of operations based on historical data, selects a reliability factor, and identifies combinations of operations that do not exceed personal time limits by applying segment-specific buffers, ensuring compliance with personal time limits and optimizing scheduling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If general buffers are used for scheduling operations, then the scheduling process is simple, but the buffer calculations do not accurately represent operation variances for specific flight segments, leading to pilots exceeding personal time limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by transitioning from general buffers to segment-specific buffers. Each flight segment receives a buffer calculated based on its unique historical time variance characteristics, allowing accurate representation of operation variances for specific segments while maintaining overall scheduling effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the scheduling problem by analyzing and buffering individual flight segments separately. Historical data is organized by segment, and buffers are calculated and applied at the segment level rather than uniformly across all operations, enabling precise control over time limit compliance
2Measurement precision
If segment-specific buffers based on historical data are used, then the accuracy of buffer calculations improves, but the complexity of the scheduling process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing buffer values based on historical time variance data before the actual scheduling occurs. The system analyzes past performance, determines appropriate buffers, and stores them for quick retrieval during scheduling, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations while maintaining high accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own historical data to generate the buffers automatically. By analyzing past flight segment performance and using that same data to determine future buffers, the system serves itself by providing accurate, data-driven scheduling without requiring external intervention or complex manual calculations
3Reliability
If adequate buffers are applied to prevent exceeding personal time limits, then reliability improves, but crew time is wasted due to excessive buffers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting buffer sizes based on actual historical time variance data for each segment. Instead of using fixed or excessive buffers, the system calculates precise buffer values that reflect real operational characteristics, ensuring compliance with personal time limits while minimizing unnecessary time buffers and associated waste
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for statistically determining buffers for time variances for scheduled operations. Buffers for a particular operation can be based on a statistical analysis of past instances of the specific operation, and a buffer can be applied based on a selected statistical confidence interval. The statistical analysis can include determining a Gumbel distribution for time variances for a particular operation. Once buffers have been determined for the various operations, itineraries of operations can be prepared such that the scheduled times plus the buffer times for the operations in an itinerary do not exceed personnel limits of the personnel who may be assigned to the itineraries.