Strategic route planning using informed best-first search

An approach to strategic-route planning that uses ordered-graph search as the basis for the route planner is described. The heuristics provide search guidance. Selection of heuristics determines worst-case solution quality, which may be optimal, near optimal, or acceptable. Heuristic strength also determines the amount of memory, time, and other resources required to perform the search. Therefore, given the specific problem requirements, and available resources, the most efficient search methodology may be selected. This selection may be accomplished at run-time to provide acceptable real-time route-planning performance. The planner performs three major functions: (1) gaming area processing, (2) heuristic flight-path development, and (3) flight-path optimization