PlanZustand

PlanZustand is a term used in planning and scheduling to denote the current snapshot of a plan within a planning system. It combines the visible plan with the present state of the world, describing which actions have been completed, which are scheduled, and what resources and constraints remain to achieve the goals.

Formally, a PlanZustand can be represented as a combination of the executed action sequence, the set of pending actions, the current valuation of world fluents, and the remaining constraints or goals. In many systems it is modeled as a pair or record that captures both the history of actions and the present state. The PlanZustand is distinct from the ideal or intended plan, because it reflects actual progress and the conditions that still apply.

Applications of the concept include automated planning and scheduling, robot control, logistics optimization, and manufacturing. Monitoring the PlanZustand helps determine whether the current plan remains feasible, whether deviations have occurred, and whether plan repair or replanning is needed to continue toward the objectives.

Example: in a delivery route planner, the initial PlanZustand contains the planned sequence of deliveries and the starting location. After arriving at the first stop, the PlanZustand updates to reflect the completed action, revised time estimates, and remaining deliveries. If a new constraint such as a road closure arises, a planner can generate a new PlanZustand from the current state to continue toward the goal.

See also: Plan, Planning, Automated planning and scheduling, Replanning, State estimation.