Pod-centric transportation model system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11167680-B2
Application number	US-201916444229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	Jun 18, 2019
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A transportation system that includes one or more pods that each includes an interior space configured to house travelers and objects. The pods can be attached to and transported by multiple different vehicles. The different vehicles can provide for different modes of transportation depending upon the plans of the travelers. Different modes include but are not limited to ground travel, air travel, water travel, and rail travel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transportation system to transport one or more persons, one or more objects, or a combination of persons and objects, the system comprising:
a pod comprising:
a frame;
an interior space formed in the frame and configured to house the one or more persons or objects, the interior space comprising a seating arrangement secured to a floor of the pod to accommodate the one or more persons during travel;
one or more pod connectors positioned on the frame;

a plurality of vehicle each configured to individually connect to and transport the pod, each of the vehicles comprising:
a base configured to support the pod and position the interior space for transport;

one or more vehicle connectors positioned on the base and configured to engage with the one or more pod connectors to attach to the pod; and
at least one of the vehicles configured to transport the pod by land and at least one of the vehicles configured to transport the pod by air.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises wall segments that extend around and enclose the interior space.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising windows in one or more of the wall segments and windows within one or more of the vehicles, the windows of the pod being positioned to align with the windows of the vehicle when the pod is mounted to one of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first one of the vehicles comprises wheels that are driven by an engine or propulsion system to transport the pod over land, and a second one of the vehicles comprises an aircraft engine and wings to transport the pod through the air.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more pod connectors and at least one or more of the vehicle connectors are configured to provide electrical power from the vehicle to the pod.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the pod connectors and the vehicle connectors comprises one or more tracks and the other of the pod connectors and the vehicle connectors comprise one or more bodies that are sized to fit into and slide along slots in the one or more tracks to connect the pod to the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one of the pod connectors and the vehicle connectors are connected to a rotatable platform for positioning at a variety of different angular positions.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heating and ventilation system on the vehicle that supplies conditioned air to the pod when the pod is attached to the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a first power source in the pod that supplies power to the pod and a second power source in each of the vehicles that supplies power to the vehicle, the second power source providing power to the pod when the pod is attached to the vehicle.

10. A transportation system comprising:
a plurality of pods, each of the pods comprising:
wall segments that extend around and form an interior space that is configured to house one or more persons, objects, or a combination of persons and objects with the interior space comprising furniture that can be configured into at least one of a meeting space with chairs and a bedroom with a bed;
one or more pod connectors positioned on one or more of the wall segments;

a plurality of vehicles each configured to connect to and transport one or more of the pods, each of the vehicles comprising:
a base configured to support one or more of the pods;
one or more vehicle connectors positioned on the base and configured to engage with the one or more pod connectors of the one or more pods;

the plurality of vehicles configured to transport the one or more pods by two or more different modes of travel.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein a first one of the pods comprises a first size and a second one of the pods comprises a different second size, with each of the first and second ones of the pods configured to be connected to one or more of the vehicles.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the vehicles further comprises a communication system configured to communicate with a remote entity, and each of the pods configured to connect to the communication system when the pod is connected to the vehicle.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the pods comprises a first power source and each of the vehicles comprise a second power source, each of the pods configured to use the second power source to supply power to the pod and deactivate the first power source when the pod is connected to the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a cabin area within at least one of the vehicles, the cabin area comprising seats to transport other travelers that are not within the pods.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one pods and at least one of the one vehicles are configured to provide conditioned air from the vehicle to the pod.

16. A method of transportation comprising:
positioning a pod at a first location and orienting the pod with the interior space being in a predetermined orientation;
attaching the pod to a first vehicle at the first location while the interior space remains in the predetermined orientation;
transporting the pod with the first vehicle from the first location to a remote second location using a first mode of transportation while the interior space remains in the predetermined orientation;
detaching the pod from the first vehicle at the second location while the interior space remains in the predetermined orientation;
attaching the pod to a second vehicle at the second location while the interior space remains in the predetermined orientation;
transporting the pod with the second vehicle from the second location to a remote third location using a different second mode of transportation while the interior space remains in the predetermined orientation; and
detaching the pod from the second vehicle at the third location while the interior space remains in the predetermined orientation.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising transporting the pod on the ground with one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle and transporting the pod in the air with the other of the first vehicle and the second vehicle.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising attaching one or more additional pods to the first vehicle and transporting the pod and the additional pods from the first location to the second location using the first mode of transportation.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
moving conditioned air into the pod from a first heating and ventilation system in the pod;
attaching the pod to the first vehicle and thereafter deactivating the first heating and ventilation system; and
moving conditioned air into the pod from a second heating and ventilation system in the first vehicle.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising attaching the pod to a first section of the second vehicle that is spaced away from a cabin area of the second vehicle.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Glatfelter John William
• Laughlin Brian Dale

Classifications

• B64U2101/61

  for transporting passengers · CPC title

• B64D2011/0046

  Modular or preassembled units for creating cabin interior structures · CPC title

• B64D11/00

  Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B60P7/13

  Securing freight containers or forwarding containers on vehicles · CPC title

• B64F1/31

  Passenger vehicles specially adapted to co-operate, e.g. dock, with aircraft or terminal buildings · CPC title