Patent ID: 9014957
Filing Date: 2015-04-21
Classification: B64B,B64C,G05D,G06Q,G08G,H04B

Abstract:
1. A method for a data network comprising: receiving an initial location of one or more vehicles of a fleet of vehicles; receiving a sequence of individual coverage requirements for a geographic region for the data network and an associated period of time, wherein the geographic region is divided into a plurality of landmarks and the associated period of time is divided into a plurality of phases, and wherein each individual coverage requirement of the sequence of individual coverage requirements corresponds to at least one respective phase of the plurality of phases and is indicative of a desired number of vehicles of the fleet of vehicles for one or more of the plurality of landmarks at an end of the at least one respective phase; determining, by a processor, for each of one or more of the respective phases of the plurality of phases and for each of multiple respective ending landmarks of the plurality of landmarks, a set of starting landmarks corresponding to the respective phase and the respective ending landmark, wherein the set of starting landmarks comprises one or more landmarks of the plurality of landmarks from which the one or more vehicles of the fleet of vehicles could reach the respective ending landmark of the plurality of landmarks by traveling during the respective phase; based on the initial locations of the one or more vehicles of the fleet of vehicles, the sequence of individual coverage requirements for the geographic region for the data network, and the determined set of starting landmarks for each of the one or more respective phases and each of the multiple respective ending landmarks of the plurality of landmarks, determining, by the processor, which landmark of the plurality of landmarks for a particular vehicle of the one or more vehicles of the fleet of vehicles to travel to during a respective phase of the one or more respective phases; and instructing the particular vehicle to travel to the determined landmark during the respective phase.