Dynamic aircraft routing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11244572-B2
Application number	US-201916405493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2019
Priority date	May 7, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A request for transport services that identifies a rider, an origin, and a destination is received from a client device. Eligibility of the request to be serviced by a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is determined based on the origin and the destination. A transportation system determines a first and a second hub for a leg of the transport request serviced by the VTOL aircraft and calculates a set of candidate routes from the first hub to the second hub. A provisioned route is selected from among the set of candidate routes based on network and environmental parameters and objectives including pre-determined acceptable noise levels, weather, and the presence and planned routes of other VTOL aircrafts along each of the candidate routes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
connecting a transportation system, via a network, to a plurality of sensors associated with a vertiport;
aggregating, by one or more hardware processors of the transportation system, data from the plurality of sensors associated with the vertiport;
processing, by the transportation system, the aggregated data to determine an operational adjustment based on the aggregated data, the operational adjustment being one of adjusting a performance of an aircraft or adjusting a route of an aircraft; and
causing the operational adjustment to occur, the causing comprising transmitting instructions to the aircraft to make the operational adjustment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining a data collection radius about the vertiport, the data collection radius indicating sensors of the plurality of sensors to use for data aggregation.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising dynamically scaling the data collection radius to ensure that noise perception levels are not exceeded in and around the vertiport.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the operational adjustment comprises:
comparing a current noise signature with predicted and threshold noise signatures; and
based on the comparing, selecting the operational adjustment to reduce noise levels.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational adjustment comprises limiting landing and takeoff for aircrafts traversing a specific signature threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational adjustment comprises adjusting at least one of an approach, departure, or transition direction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting instructions comprises transmitting instructions to the aircraft to slow down one or more propellers or activate one or more control surfaces.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
one or more of the plurality of sensors monitors ground effect and gusts at final approaches and take offs (FATOs) and touchdowns and liftoffs (TLOFs); and
the operational adjustment comprises scheduling vehicle takeoffs and landings based on the monitored ground effect and gusts.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
one or more of the plurality of sensors monitors weather conditions; and
the operational adjustment comprises using aircrafts that are able to land in the monitored weather conditions.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the route of the aircraft comprises:
identifying a plurality of candidate routes for the aircraft, wherein each of the plurality of candidate routes are associated with travel from a first location to a second location; and
selecting a candidate route from among the plurality of candidate routes for the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the aircraft is to transport a user from the first location to the second location in accordance with a request for a transport service.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request for the transport service includes a request for transportation from an origin location to a destination location, the transport services including:
a first leg from the origin location to the first location;
a second leg from the first location to the second location, the second leg being serviced by the aircraft; and
a third leg from the second location to the destination location.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of noise data between the first location and the second location or predicted weather between the first location and the second location.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein selecting the candidate route comprises weighing a plurality of parameters, wherein the parameters comprise avoidance of residential areas and minimization of a predicted travel time.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sensors is fixed to a ground vehicle or an air vehicle.

16. A system comprising:
one or more hardware processors; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, causes the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:
connecting a transportation system, via a network, to a plurality of sensors associated with a vertiport;
aggregating, by the transportation system, data from the plurality of sensors associated with the vertiport;
processing, by the transportation system, the aggregated data to determine an operational adjustment based on the aggregated data, the operational adjustment being one of adjusting a performance of an aircraft or adjusting a route of an aircraft; and
causing the operational adjustment to occur, the causing comprising transmitting instructions to the aircraft to make the operational adjustment.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise defining a data collection radius about the vertiport, the data collection radius indicating sensors of the plurality of sensors to use for data aggregation.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise dynamically scaling the data collection radius to ensure that noise perception levels are not exceeded in and around the vertiport.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the determining the operational adjustment comprises:
comparing a current noise signature with predicted and threshold noise signatures; and
based on the comparing, selecting the operational adjustment to reduce noise levels.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operational adjustment comprises limiting landing and takeoff for aircrafts traversing a specific signature threshold.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the operational adjustment comprises adjusting an at least one of approach, departure, or transition direction.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the transmitting instructions comprises transmitting instructions to the aircraft to slow down one or more propellers or activate one or more control surfaces.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
one or more of the plurality of sensors monitors ground effect and gusts at final approaches and take offs (FATOs) and touchdowns and liftoffs (TLOFs); and
the operational adjustment comprises scheduling vehicle takeoffs and landings based on the monitored ground effect and gusts.

24. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
one or more of the plurality of sensors monitors weather conditions; and
the operational adjustment comprises using aircrafts that are able to land in the monitored weather conditions.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more hardware processors of a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:
connecting a transportation system, via a network, to a plurality of sensors associated with a vertiport;
aggregating, by the transportation system, data from the plurality of sensors associated with the vertiport;
processing, by the transportation system, the aggregated data to determine an operational adjustment based on the aggregated data, the operational adjustment being one of adjusting a performance of an aircraft or adjusting a route of an aircraft; and
causing the operational adjustment to occur, the causing comprising transmitting instructions to the aircraft to make the operational adjustment.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 25 , wherein the operations further com

Assignees

• Joby Aero Inc

Inventors

• Villa Ian Andreas
• Prevot Thomas
• Badalamenti John Conway
• Moore Mark

Classifications

• G05D2109/23

  Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft; Short take-off and landing [STOL, STOVL] aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/30

  Flight plan management · CPC title

• G06Q10/047 Primary

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G08G5/56

  for two or more aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/34

  for flight plan modification · CPC title