Patent Document ID: 8874356
Application ID: 13748708
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method comprising: receiving information from a control system indicative of a sequence of coverage requirements for a data network for a region over a period of time, wherein the region is characterized by a plurality of landmarks and the period of time is divided into a plurality of phases, and wherein a given coverage requirement of the sequence of coverage requirements is indicative of a desired number of vehicles of a plurality of vehicles for respective landmarks at a given phase; dividing the region into a plurality of sub-regions; determining, by a processor of the control system, sub-region fleet plans for the plurality of sub-regions based on both estimates of one or more vehicles entering respective sub-regions and estimates of one or more vehicles leaving the respective sub-regions, wherein a given sub-region fleet plan of the determined sub-region fleet plans is indicative of one or more landmarks for the one or more vehicles to travel to during one or more phases of the plurality of phases, and indicates both a first number value of vehicles entering the given sub-region and a second number value of vehicles leaving the given sub-region during respective phases, and wherein the first number value of vehicles is different than the second number value of vehicles; combining, by the processor of the control system, the determined sub-region fleet plans to produce a fleet plan responsive to the sequence of coverage requirements for the region; and providing, by the processor of the control system, instructions to the one or more vehicles to travel according to the fleet plan.