A flexible scheduling environment using dynamic exception handling

Abstract

A generalized environment which facilities the development of various types of schedules has been developed. This environment includes an extensive user interface in which a graphics terminal and a mouse is used to display and manipulate schedules. A common data structure is used for representing schedules; this data structure is flexible enough to allow for the different amounts of information required by different scheduling problems. In developing algorithms to be used in conjunction with this scheduling environment, an attempt has been made to address the situation that has faced automated airline scheduling systems in the past - that there are such a large number of pieces of information specific to each scheduling situation that it is hard to incorporate this "knowledge" into a deterministic algorithm. The solution that is proposed can be called dynamic exception handling. This system will allow an individual to communicate these specific piece of information to the automated system in a way that will allow the special cases to be handled with a minimum los of efficiency.