Method and apparatus for identifying or controlling travel to a rendezvous

Data processing apparatus for identifying at least one rendezvous state which satisfies criteria for at least one actor, comprising:

• a. at least one processor arranged to perform the following operations
• i. defining a first scenario, and at least one second scenario different from said first scenario, for travel to achieve a rendezvous condition,
• ii. forming respective configuration space data structures based on said scenarios, said data structures being referred to herein as respective configuration spaces, the respective configuration spaces having at least one task state in common,
• iii. propagating cost waves from a respective source for each respective configuration space, to determine costs of corresponding configuration states for each said task state in common,
• iv. forming at least one Boolean expression defining at least one global criterion,
• v. evaluating, for each said task state in common, said Boolean expression to identify candidate rendezvous states,
• b. at least one medium readable by said processor and embodying said first and at least one second scenarios, said respective configuration spaces, said costs, and said expression;
• and
• c. output means connected to the computer for providing an identification of said candidate rendezvous states.

Data processing apparatus for controlling travel of at least first and second actors to a rendezvous, comprising:

• a. at least one processor arranged to perform the following operations
• i. defining a first scenario associated with a first one of the actors, and at least one second scenario associated with at least one other of the actors and different from said first scenario, for travel to achieve a rendezvous condition,
• ii. forming respective configuration space data structures based on said scenarios, said respective data structures being referred to herein as respective configuration spaces, said respective configuration spaces having at least one task state in common,
• iii. propagating cost waves from a respective source for each configuration space, to determine costs for configuration states corresponding to each said task state in common,
• iv. forming at least one Boolean expression defining at least one global criterion,
• v. evaluating said Boolean expression, for each configuration state corresponding to a rendezvous task state in common, to identify candidate rendezvous states,
• vi. selecting one of said candidate rendezvous states,
• vii. determining a respective optimum path for each of said actors to the selected rendezvous state, based on said costs, and
• b. at least one medium readable by said processor and embodying said scenarios, said respective configuration spaces, said costs and said Boolean expression;
• and
• c. output means connected to the processor for providing respective travel control signals to said actors to follow the respective optimum paths.