United States Patent [19]
`Gibbs
`
`USOO5836529A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`5,836,529
`Nov. 17, 1998
`
`[54] OBJECT BASED RAILROAD
`TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
`MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD
`
`[75] Inventor: Marshall A. Gibbs, Jacksonville, Fla.
`
`[73] Assignee: CSX Technology, Inc., Jacksonville,
`Fla.
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 550,881
`[22]
`Filed:
`Oct. 31, 1995
`
`[51] Int. Cl.6 .................................................... .. B61L 23/22
`[52] US. Cl. ................................ .. 246/122 R; 246/167 R;
`364/424.01; 364/424.04
`[58] Field of Search ................................... .. 246/3, 122 R,
`246/123, 124, 132, 167 R, 169 R, 176;
`364/424.01, 424.02, 424.04, 436
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5,390,880
`
`2/1995 Fukawa et a1. ................... .. 246/167 R
`
`
`
`5,429,329 5,445,347
`
`
`
`7/1995 Wallace et a1. 8/1995 Ng ..................................... .. 246/169 R
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Onsrud, Harlan J. and Reis, Robert 1., “Law and Information
`Policy For Spatial Databases: A Research Agenda,” Juri
`metrics Journal, vol. 35, pp. 377—382 (Summer 1995).
`Business Management Data, Inc., “Locomotive Manage
`ment Systems III: Detail Design Document,” pp. 1—14,
`124—131, 521—560 (Aug. 9, 1994).
`
`Primary Examiner—S. Joseph Morano
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Carr & Ferrell LLP
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`The system of the present invention preferably comprises a
`set of Wayside occupancy detectors, an output device, a
`memory and a processing unit. Each Wayside occupancy
`detector preferably generates a set of transport detection
`signals in response to detecting a set of mobile transports.
`The output device is used for displaying information. The
`memory, has a transport object comprising program instruc
`tions for automatically retrieving the set of transport detec
`tion signals and for automatically collecting a set of infor
`mation related to operation of the transportation network.
`The memory also has a service object comprising program
`instructions for generating graphical representations of
`transport locations, transport status statistics, and transport
`performance statistics upon the output device corresponding
`to both the set of mobile transports and a set of ?xed
`transports. The processing unit executes the program
`instructions stored in the memory and is coupled to the set
`of Wayside occupancy detectors, the output device and the
`memory. The method of the present invention preferably
`comprises the steps of monitoring a set of real time
`identi?cation, position, interconnection and display charac
`teristics for the set of transports Within the transportation
`netWork and generating an output display characterizing
`relationships betWeen the set of transports based on the
`information collected in the monitoring step.
`
`19 Claims, 15 Drawing Sheets
`
`18
`
`202
`
`22?
`
`.
`
`Transportatlon
`Network
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`
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`24
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`System
`
`28
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`Locations
`
`26}
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`Computer
`
`36
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`Service
`Center
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`30
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`
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`
`opcerahons
`enter
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`Transportation
`
`Workstation
`(TWS) Network
`
`32
`
`34
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 1
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Nov. 17, 1998
`
`Sheet 1 0f 15
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`5,836,529
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 2
`
`
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`US. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`Nov. 17, 1998
`
`Sheet 2 0f 15
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 3
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 3
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Nov. 17, 1998
`
`Sheet 3 0f 15
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`5,836,529
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 4
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 4
`
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`
`Sheet 4 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`563
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 5
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`
`Sheet 5 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`
`
`Terminal
`
`Locomotive
`Object
`
`Crew
`Object
`
`End of Train
`Device Object
`
`Division
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`Network Object
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 6
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 6
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`
`Sheet 6 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`90w Context Menu
`Object (CMO)
`
`Map Object
`Library
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`Report Object
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`Fig. 6a
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 7
`
`

`

`US. Patent
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 8
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 8
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`
`Sheet 8 0f 15
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`5,836,529
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 9
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`N0v. 17, 1998
`
`Sheet 9 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`9s\
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`FIG. 7
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 10
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Nov. 17, 1998
`
`Sheet 10 0f 15
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`5,836,529
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 11
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 11
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Nov. 17, 1998
`
`Sheet 11 0f 15
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`5,836,529
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 12
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 12
`
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 17, 1998
`
`Sheet 12 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`I Customer Reports
`Customer Selection
`ALABAMAPOWER
`CP&L
`DUKE POWER
`ELECTRIC FUELS
`GEORGIA POWER
`JEA
`MENMILLIN
`
`Location Summary for ALABAMA POWER
`5-Trains Currently Running
`O-Trains at Origin
`4-Trains on Line of Road
`Set Summary for ALABAMA POWER
`O-Trains Carrying Private Sets
`S-Trains Set Data not Available
`
`| System Delay Summary
`System Delay Summary by Reason
`Total Trains delayed: 79, Total Delay Time: 346'47"
`Delay
`Total Delay
`% of Delay
`Total Trains
`% of Trains
`Delayed
`Delayed
`Description
`Time
`Time
`No Power Available
`75.4
`81.2
`49
`No Crew Available
`16.5
`12
`18.5
`Train Not Ready
`2.7
`4.6
`Connection Delay
`0.2
`1.5
`
`1
`
`I)
`
`I l-Den‘ormance Totals for Trains Displayed
`7:24 Average Delay
`582 Total Trains
`Count
`%
`166 (33%) Are more than 4 hours late.
`A 40
`(8 %) Are betweenglzjl and Egg hours late.
`A 296 (59%) Are less than 2 hours late.
`—15 —10 —5 0
`5 1015 20 25 30 35,40 45 50
`|
`l
`1
`|
`|
`|
`|
`|
`|
`|
`
`| Locomotive Class Utilization
`Select Locomotive Class: CW4'4F9; E
`CW44-9 Locomotive Utilization
`
`Days
`4.00
`3.00
`2.00
`1.00
`0.00
`
`11/25 12/02 12/09 12/16 12/23
`
`Fig. 8c
`
`Fig. 8d
`
`Fig. 8e
`
`Fig. 8f
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 13
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`
`Sheet 13 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`@ 600
`
`J
`Select a Set of Tranportation Network Boundaries
`602
`l
`Determine a Tranportation Network Layout within the Selected Boundaries J
`i
`6
`Determine Fixed Transports‘ Identification, Position, Interconnection and
`Display Characteristics within the Selected Boundaries
`
`Select Fixed Transports‘ Status and Performance Criteria
`
`l
`
`Kg kék
`
`Determine Mobile Transports‘ Identification, Position and Display
`Characteristics Within the Selected Boundaries
`
`'
`Select Mobile Transports‘ Status and Performance Criteria
`
`610
`
`v
`Define a Set of Status and Performance Warning Criteria
`
`612
`J
`
`(3:)
`Fig. 9a
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 14
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`
`Sheet 14 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`614
`k
`616
`
`620
`
`624
`
`Select a Transport
`l
`Retrieve the Transport's Real-Time Status and Performance Data
`
`I10
`
`Retrieved
`Data Conforming to
`Selected Criteria?
`
`618
`
`Add Selected Transport's ID to an Output List
`
`I10
`
`Retrieved
`Data Conforming to
`Warning Criteria?
`
`622
`
`Activate an Alert Signal and Record the Retrieved Real-Time Status and
`Performance Data Which Conforms to the Warning Criteria
`
`yes
`
`Another Transport?
`
`626
`
`Fig. 9b
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 15
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Nov. 17,1998
`
`Sheet 15 0f 15
`
`5,836,529
`
`628
`Generate a First Output Display Limited by the Selected Boundaries and J
`Depicting Relationships Between those Transports Included in the Output List
`
`630
`l
`Generate a Second Output Display Representing the Retrieved Real-Time J
`Status and Performance Data for those Transports Included in the Output List
`
`Status,
`Performance or Warning
`riteria Modified?
`
`New Set of
`Transportation Network
`Boundaries Selected?
`
`632
`
`634 '
`
`Fig. 9c
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 16
`
`

`

`1
`OBJECT BASED RAILROAD
`TRANSPORTATION NETWORK
`MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD
`
`5,836,529
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates generally to transportation
`management systems. More particularly, the present inven
`tion relates to an object oriented system and method for
`real-time data management of a railroad transportation net
`Work.
`2. Description of the Background Art
`Many types of transportation netWorks are knoWn to exist
`(i.e. railroad systems, highWay systems, air freight systems
`and Water-borne systems). Such transportation netWorks
`typically comprise massive cargo carrying devices. Loco
`motives and cars, comprising a train, are one example of
`such cargo carrying devices and make up the backbone of an
`operative, responsive and reliable railroad system. In addi
`tion to being very capital intensive, railroads are geographi
`cally distributed over thousands of miles. Goods and com
`modities must be moved from one station to the next in an
`ef?cient, reliable and timely manner, requiring the selection
`of suf?cient resources to get a job done and satisfy the
`customer. Meeting the diverse needs of customers requires
`the coordinated efforts of a large number of management
`teams spread throughout a railroad system. Such teams are
`comprised of senior managers, line managers, train
`managers, locomotive managers, yard masters, dispatchers
`and customer service representatives Who need specialiZed
`yet interrelated sets of railroad system information to per
`form such tasks as planning, sales, train and car blocking,
`scheduling, revenue collection, execution, customer man
`agement and reporting. Each of these teams requires infor
`mation pertinent to their particular sphere of responsibility
`and quite commonly the information needs of these teams
`overlap.
`Typically, each management team manually gathers the
`information they require piecemeal from a variety of
`sources. One team might routinely place telephone calls to
`each and every station to determine Whether or not they have
`loads to ship that could be “blocked” With loads traveling by
`their train. “Blocking” is the assembling of optimal groups
`and sequences of cars based on their destination or a
`customer. Another team might also need to talk to the train
`master at every terminal so as to create a performance report
`detailing hoW Well each terminal receives and processes
`trains throughout a particular time period. Yet another team
`might need to identify those train yards that have excess
`locomotive capacity and route their excess poWer to those
`yards needing additional poWer to move their cars. As a
`result of such direct and laborious point-to-point communi
`cation betWeen those Who need information and those Who
`have it, each management team has typically had a only a
`very limited vieW of the entire railroad transportation net
`Work and has only achieved such a vieW at a great cost in
`human resources often resulting in the duplication of efforts.
`As an example of the above labor intensive scenario, if a
`line manager needed to knoW hoW many coal trains require
`same day shipping, one set of clerks Would be assigned that
`task. If the line manager also needed to knoW hoW many
`locomotives to assign to each coal train, a second set of
`clerks Would be assigned that task. Furthermore, if the line
`manager needed to knoW Which terminals had extra loco
`motives that could be coupled to coal trains requiring more
`
`10
`
`15
`
`25
`
`35
`
`45
`
`55
`
`65
`
`2
`poWer, yet a third set of clerks Would be assigned that task.
`As a result, the three different sets of clerks might often be
`consulting the exact same ?les and talking to the exact same
`yard managers resulting in a Wasteful duplication of efforts.
`Additionally, once all of the reports are generated, the line
`manager Would most likely be so inundated With stacks of
`reports as to have serious dif?culty sorting through them all
`in an organiZed manner. Furthermore, the reports generated
`for the line manager might be useful to a second line
`manager Who might not normally communicate With the line
`manger and Would thus have his oWn staff generate the exact
`same set of reports, resulting in another Wasteful duplication
`of efforts. Lastly, employing large numbers of clerical per
`sonnel to gather data and compile unique reports for each
`management layer increases the odds of introducing errors
`each time information is passed betWeen various manage
`ment levels.
`A system and method is needed to address the costly and
`inef?cient data gathering and presentation problems men
`tioned above, since an ef?ciently run railroad system relies
`upon literally hundreds of sets of data that must be analyZed
`and organiZed in a meaningful Way. What is needed is a
`system and method for automatically monitoring all
`resources Within a transportation netWork, characteriZing
`resource status, and determining resource performance char
`acteristics according to ?exible criteria. The required system
`and method Would not only provide varying levels of detail
`dependent upon the needs of the particular user, but Would
`also automatically generate alerts, Warnings and/or alarms
`should a monitored resource deviate from its expected status
`or performance. Such computer implemented alerts, Warn
`ings and alarms are critical to the railroad transportation
`netWorks operation due to the high costs associated With late
`trains, unavailable locomotives and empty cars, just to name
`a feW.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention is an object based railroad trans
`portation netWork management system and method, Wherein
`the transportation netWork is comprised of a set of mobile
`transports and a set of ?xed transports. The present invention
`automatically maintains a transportation netWork database;
`automatically generates transportation netWork status
`statistics, performance statistics, and Warning signals for
`user-selectable transports Within a user-selectable geo
`graphic region; and outputs graphical representations of the
`generated statistics and the Warning signals. The system and
`method also enables users to select betWeen either a broad
`or a detailed representation of the transportation netWork’s
`operation.
`The system of the present invention preferably comprises
`a set of Wayside occupancy detectors, an output device, a
`memory and a processing unit. Each Wayside occupancy
`detector preferably identi?es the presence of a mobile trans
`port and in response transmits a mobile transport detection
`signal to the processing unit. The memory, comprises a
`transport object comprising program instructions for auto
`matically retrieving the set of transport detection signals and
`for automatically collecting a set of information related to
`operation of the transportation netWork. The memory further
`comprises a service object comprising program instructions
`for generating graphical representations of transport loca
`tions (based on the set of transport detection signals),
`transport status statistics, and transport performance statis
`tics upon the output device corresponding to both the set of
`mobile transports and a set of ?xed transports. The process
`ing unit executes the program instructions stored in the
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 17
`
`

`

`3
`memory and is coupled to the set of Wayside occupancy
`detectors, the output device and the memory. The output
`device is used for displaying information.
`The method of the present invention preferably comprises
`the steps of prompting the user to select a set of transpor
`tation netWork boundaries, determining a transportation
`netWork layout Within the selected boundaries, determining
`a ?xed transport’s and a mobile transport’s identi?cation,
`position, and display characteristics Within the selected
`boundaries, prompting the user to select the ?xed and mobile
`transport’s status and performance criteria and retrieving
`either a system-de?ned or user-de?ned set of status and
`performance Warning criteria. The preferred method contin
`ues by selecting a transport, retrieving the transport’s real
`time status and performance data, comparing the data
`retrieved With the selected status and performance criteria
`speci?ed earlier and adding the selected transport’s identi
`?cation (ID) to an output list if the real time criteria falls
`Within the bounds of the selected criteria. Next, the method
`proceeds to determine Whether the data retrieved conforms
`With the Warning criteria speci?ed earlier and activating an
`alert signal, on the output device if the retrieved data falls
`Within the bounds of the Warning criteria. The method then
`proceeds to generating a ?rst output display limited by the
`selected boundaries and depicting relationships betWeen
`those transports included in the output list, described above
`and generating a second output display representing the
`retrieved real-time status and performance data for those
`transports included in the output list.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`an object based railroad transportation netWork management
`system;
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a Transportation Workstation (TWS) NetWork of the present
`invention;
`FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a TWS Within the TWS NetWork;
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a storage device Within the TWS;
`FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a transport object library Within the storage device;
`FIG. 6a is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a service object library Within the storage device;
`FIG. 6b is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a map object library Within the service object library;
`FIG. 6c is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a report object library Within the service object library;
`FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of
`a transport object data structure Within the transport object
`library;
`FIGS. 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 86 and 8f are a graphical layout of
`a preferred embodiment of a set of maps, reports and context
`menus as vieWed on an output device; and
`FIGS. 9a, 9b and 9c are a ?oWchart of a preferred method
`for object based railroad transportation netWork manage
`ment.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`
`The present invention is an object based railroad trans
`portation netWork management system and method. The
`system and method automatically maintains a highly struc
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`tured railroad system information database and generates
`multiply nested maps, tables, charts and alerts for providing
`varying levels of real-time perspective on an operating
`railroad system. These levels of perspective range from a
`“system-Wide” vieW needed by executives, senior managers
`and planners to an individualiZed and detailed report needed
`by a customer service representative, a train master or a
`dispatcher. In addition, the system automatically generates
`alert signals according to customiZable Warning criteria
`Whenever a variance from planned operation has occurred.
`The present invention generates an easy-to-use, consistent
`user interface that provides graphical characteriZations of
`transportation netWork status conditions and performance
`criteria at multiple levels of detail. The present invention
`directly provides railroad personnel With a poWerful set of
`tools for maximiZing resource utiliZation, minimiZing
`exceptions and improving on-time delivery to their custom
`ers. The present invention is particularly advantageous over
`the prior art because of its ability to automatically generate
`graphical status and performance indicators from both his
`torical and real-time data, thereby aiding users ranging from
`executives to clerks in the areas of planning, sales, optimum
`blocking, scheduling, revenue collection, shipment, cus
`tomer management and report generation. The present
`invention’s preferred embodiment in an object oriented
`programming environment is also highly advantageous
`because the real World resources Within the transportation
`netWork (i.e. trains, terminals, creWs, locomotives, etc.) lend
`themselves to an object-oriented programming paradigm.
`For instance, a real World train is de?ned by a large number
`of data items (i.e. its position, its cargo, its estimated time of
`arrival, etc.) that change as the train progresses along its
`route. Thus, a train object, Which references and automati
`cally updates such train related data items, advantageously
`provides a single source for other objects Within the trans
`portation netWork to obtain information about the train’s
`status and performance.
`Referring noW to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a preferred
`embodiment of an object based railroad transportation net
`Work management system 18 is shoWn. The system 18
`comprises a transportation netWork 20, a Wayside occupancy
`detector 22, a computer-aided dispatching system 24, a
`central computer 26, at least one ?eld location 28, an EDI
`29, a customer-service center 30, an operations center 32 and
`a transportation Workstation (TWS) netWork 34. The trans
`portation netWork 20 is Well knoWn in the art and preferably
`is a railroad system consisting of a layout (i.e. a set of train
`tracks) and a set of transports. The set of transports further
`comprises a set of ?xed transports (for example: terminals,
`yards and shops) and a set of mobile transports (for example:
`trains, locomotives, creWs, cars, end of train devices). Those
`skilled in the art Will recogniZe that the transportation
`netWork 20 could alternatively be a highWay system, an
`airline system, a ship system or any other type of geographi
`cally referenced cargo carrying system. The Wayside occu
`pancy detector 22 is also Well knoWn in the art and detects
`When a train has passed a particular geographic latitude and
`longitude on the transportation netWork 20. A very large
`number of Wayside occupancy detectors 22, perhaps on the
`order of ten-thousand or more, are distributed throughout the
`transportation netWork 20. The Wayside occupancy detector
`22 is coupled to the computer aided dispatching system 24
`and transmits a train detection signal to the computer aided
`dispatching system 24. Each time a train passes the Wayside
`occupancy detector 22, the train detection signal is sent to
`the computer aided dispatching system 24; otherWise, no
`train detection signal is sent. When the computer aided
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`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 18
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`dispatching system 24, also Well known in the art, receives
`the train detection signal, the computer aided dispatching
`system 24 stores the train detection signal in a register,
`determines a last train in an area around the Wayside
`occupancy detector 22 and associates the train detection
`signal With the last train in the area. The computer aided
`dispatching system 24 then generates a train location signal
`containing the latitude/longitude of the Wayside occupancy
`detector 22 Which thus pinpoints the location of last train in
`the area. The computer aided dispatching system 24 then
`transfers this latitude/longitude information to the central
`computer 26. The central computer 26 forms a neXus of a
`local area netWork preferably con?gured in a conventionally
`knoWn star netWork. Those skilled in the art Will realiZe that
`other local area netWork con?guration are possible. The
`central computer 26 acts as a hub, to Which the computer
`aided dispatching system 24, the set of ?eld locations 28, the
`EDI 29, the customer-service center 30, the operations
`center 32 and the TWS netWork 34 are preferably coupled to
`form nodes. The central computer 26 receives: a train
`location signal from the computer-aided dispatching system
`24; incident reports, local jobs and yard jobs from the ?eld
`location 28; standard messages betWeen systems from the
`EDI 29; Work orders and alerts from the customer-service
`center 30; equipment inventories, sloW orders, curfeWs,
`poWer assignments, poWer plan, train plan and physical
`plant data from the operations center 32; and information
`requests from the TWS netWork 34. The central computer 26
`organiZes and stores this railroad system information so that
`it can later retransmit the information in response to a
`request from any of the nodes 24, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34. The set
`of ?eld locations 28, the EDI 29, the customer-service center
`30 and the operations center 32 are all conventionally knoWn
`in the art.
`Referring noW to FIG. 2, a block diagram of a preferred
`embodiment of the TWS netWork 34 of the present invention
`is shoWn. The TWS netWork 34 comprises a gateWay 38 and
`a set of TWSs 40, 42, 44 preferably coupled together on a
`token ring netWork 46. Those skilled in the art, hoWever, Will
`realiZe that other netWork con?gurations could be used. The
`gateWay 38 is coupled to the central computer 26 via a ?rst
`interface 36. ShoWn in FIG. 2 are three nodes, TWS#1 40,
`TWS#2 42 and TWS#n 44; hoWever, those skilled in the art
`Will recogniZe that additional or feWer TWSs may be
`coupled to the token ring netWork 46. The gateWay 38 is
`conventionally knoWn and provides an interface betWeen the
`central computer 26 and the token ring netWork 46.
`Preferably, each TWS 40, 42, 44 is identical in capability
`and functionality, as Will be discussed in detail beloW in
`reference to FIG. 3. The token ring netWork 46 is of a type
`conventionally knoWn in the art.
`Referring noW to FIG. 3, a block diagram of a preferred
`embodiment of a representative TWS 40 Within the TWS
`netWork 34 is shoWn. The TWS 40 comprises a processing
`unit 48, an input device 50, an output device 52, a netWork
`I/O port 54, a storage device 56, a volatile memory 58, a
`TWS management unit 59, an operating system 68 and a
`non-volatile memory 60, all coupled via a bus 62. Elements
`48, 50, 52, 54 and 60 of the TWS 40 are conventionally
`knoWn in the art. The storage device 56 and the volatile
`memory 58, hoWever, due to their stored program instruc
`tions discussed beloW, are not conventionally knoWn in the
`art. In the preferred embodiment, the TWS 40 is a stand
`alone personal computer. The processing unit 48 eXecutes
`programming instructions stored in the storage device 56,
`the volatile memory 58 and the non-volatile memory 48, as
`discussed beloW. The input device 50 is preferably a con
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`ventional keyboard and mouse for receiving commands
`from a user and translating the commands into signals Which
`are sent to the processing unit 48. The output device 52 is
`preferably a conventional display monitor for receiving and
`selectively displaying information to the user in response to
`commands from the processing unit 48. The output device
`52 may also include an audible alert Warning capability. The
`netWork I/O port 54 couples the TWS 40 to the token ring
`netWork 46 and handles message passing functions for the
`TWS 40. It is via the netWork I/O port 54 that the TWS 40
`receives railroad system information from the central com
`puter 26.
`The storage device 56 is a computer useable medium,
`preferably a hard disk drive, storing a set of computer
`readable program instructions for controlling hoW the pro
`cessing unit 48 accesses, transforms and outputs data, as
`described in detail beloW With reference to FIG. 4. Those
`skilled in the art Will recogniZe that in alternate embodi
`ments the storage device 56 could be replaced With a
`functionally equivalent computer useable medium such as: a
`compact disk and drive; a ?oppy disk and drive; and/or a
`memory card. The volatile memory 58 contains memory
`locations suitable for storing program instructions from
`either the storage device 56 or the non-volatile memory 60
`until eXecution by the processing unit 48 and for storing the
`intermediate results generated by the processing unit 38. The
`volatile memory 58 is preferably a Random Access Memory
`(RAM) device and includes the TWS management unit 59
`and the operating system 68.
`The TWS management unit 59 preferably comprises a set
`of executable program instructions for launching and oper
`ating the TWS 40. A detailed discussion of the TWS
`management unit’s 59 operation is provided beloW. The
`operating system 68 preferably includes a multitasking
`capability, a graphical user interface and a local area net
`Work interface. OS/2, an operating system sold by Interna
`tional Business Machines Inc. (IBM), ?ts the above prefer
`ences and is preferably employed in the present invention.
`Those skilled in the art Will recogniZe hoWever, that other
`operating systems can also be employed Within the TWS 40.
`The non-volatile memory 60 also may contain a set of
`program instructions that control the operation of the pro
`cessing unit 48 and is preferably a Read Only Memory
`(ROM) device.
`Referring noW to FIG. 4, a block diagram of a preferred
`embodiment of the storage device 56 Within the TWS 40 is
`shoWn. The storage device 56 comprises a transport object
`library 64 and a service object library 66, each coupled to the
`bus 62. The transport object library 64 preferably comprises
`a set of transport objects preferably stored in a dynamic-link
`library (DLL) con?guration Well knoWn in the art and
`representing various tangible assets Within the transportation
`netWork 20. Additional details regarding each of the trans
`port objects Within the transport object library 64 is provided
`beloW in reference to FIG. 5. The service object library 66
`preferably comprises a set of service objects Which are also
`preferably stored in a DLL con?guration and represent
`various user interface, map generation and report generation
`capabilities Within the TWS 40 that pertain to the operation
`of the transportation netWork 20. Additional details discuss
`ing each of the service objects Within the service object
`library 66 is presented beloW in reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b,
`6c. Alternate embodiments of the present invention store the
`transport object library 64 and the service object library 66
`in the volatile memory 58 and avoid the dynamic-link
`library con?guration.
`Referring noW to FIG. 5, a block diagram of a preferred
`embodiment of the transport object library 64 Within the
`
`Petitioner Apple Inc. - Exhibit 1006, p. 19
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`storage device 56 is shown. The transport object library 64
`is preferably comprised of a set of mobile transport objects
`representing geographically dynamic transports and a set of
`?xed transport objects representing geographically static
`transports. The mobile transp