Patent ID: 8364189

Claim:
A communication method for a network of a fleet of vehicles, comprising: assigning a first group of the fleet of vehicles to a first level of priority on the network; assigning a second group of the fleet of vehicles to a second level of priority on the network; assigning a first vehicle in the first group as a supervisor of a second vehicle in the second group for messages sent to or from the second vehicle; receiving a message sent to the second vehicle; determining whether the second vehicle is within direct communication range; sending the message to the second vehicle in response to determining that the second vehicle is within direct communication range; in response to determining that the second vehicle is not within direct communication range: determining whether the supervisor vehicle is within direct communication range; and sending the message to the supervisor vehicle in response to determining that the supervisor is within direct communication range; and in response to determining that the supervisor vehicle is not within direct communication range: identifying a peer vehicle in the first group with the first vehicle; and sending the message to the identified peer vehicle.