Dynamic vertiport configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11990050-B2
Application number	US-202318321289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2023
Priority date	Jan 15, 2019
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A vertiport system dynamically updates configuration of a vertiport based on predicted usage of the vertiport during a given time frame. The vertiport system predicts vertiport usage using flight data and estimated passenger demands and determines a desired number of parking pads and a desired number of final approach and takeoff (FATO) pads for the vertiport during the time frame. Based on the desired number of parking pads and the desired number of FATO pads for the vertiport, the vertiport system determines an updated configuration of the vertiport. According to the updated configuration, the vertiport system updates the configuration of the vertiport for at least a portion of the time frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
computing vertiport configuration data indicative of a number of parking pads and a number of final approach and takeoff (FATO) pads for a vertiport, wherein the vertiport is associated with a plurality of lighting devices disposed relative to a ground surface of the vertiport, wherein at least one FATO pad of the number of FATO pads is associated with a first lighting pattern and at least one parking pad of the number of parking pads is associated with a second lighting pattern that is different than the first lighting pattern; and
providing instructions for illuminating the number of parking pads and the number of FATO pads indicated by the vertiport configuration data, wherein the plurality of lighting devices illuminate one or more of the plurality of lighting devices to form the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lighting devices comprise a tessellation of shapes provided on one or more portions of the ground surface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein each shape in the tessellation of shapes comprises a plurality of light emitting devices respectively corresponding to a plurality of different colors.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein providing instructions for illuminating the number of parking pads and the number of FATO pads indicated by the vertiport configuration data comprises:
providing instructions for illuminating a first set of shapes in the tessellation of shapes corresponding to the number of parking pads using a first color of the plurality of different colors;
providing instructions for illuminating a second set of shapes in the tessellation of shapes corresponding to the number of FATO pads using a second color of the plurality of different colors.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the tessellation of shapes comprises a tessellation of polygons.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the tessellation of polygons comprises a tessellation of triangles, rectangles, or hexagons.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , the method further comprising computing a set of polygons in the tessellation of polygons to be illuminated for representing a configuration corresponding to the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the vertiport configuration data further comprises a third lighting pattern associated with a taxiway between at least one FATO pad of the number of FATO pads and at least one parking pad of the number of parking pads; and
the method further comprises providing instructions for illuminating a portion of the plurality of lighting devices to form the third lighting pattern.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the vertiport is associated with a set of predetermined configurations, the set of predetermined configurations respectively comprising a particular number of FATO pads and a particular number of parking pads.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising computing a comparison of the vertiport configuration data to a particular regulation associated with spacing of the number of FATO pads or the number of parking pads; and
wherein providing instructions for illuminating the number of parking pads and the number of FATO pads is responsive to the vertiport configuration data being in compliance with the particular regulation.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the particular regulation comprises at least one spacing rule associated with the number of FATO pads or the number of parking pads.

12. A system comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors causes the system to perform operations comprising:
computing vertiport configuration data indicative of a number of parking pads and a number of final approach and takeoff (FATO) pads for a vertiport, wherein the vertiport is associated with a plurality of lighting devices disposed relative to a ground surface of the vertiport, wherein at least one FATO pad of the number of FATO pads is associated with a first lighting pattern and at least one parking pad of the number of parking pads is associated with a second lighting pattern that is different than the first lighting pattern; and
providing instructions for illuminating the number of parking pads and the number of FATO pads indicated by the vertiport configuration data, wherein the plurality of lighting devices illuminate one or more of the plurality of lighting devices to form the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of lighting devices comprise a tessellation of shapes provided on one or more portions of the ground surface.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein each shape in the tessellation of shapes comprises a plurality of light emitting devices respectively corresponding to a plurality of different colors.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein providing instructions for illuminating the number of parking pads and the number of FATO pads indicated by the vertiport configuration data comprises:
providing instructions for illuminating a first set of shapes in the tessellation of shapes corresponding to the number of parking pads using a first color of the plurality of different colors;
providing instructions for illuminating a second set of shapes in the tessellation of shapes corresponding to the number of FATO pads using a second color of the plurality of different colors.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the tessellation of shapes comprises a tessellation of polygons.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the tessellation of polygons comprises a tessellation of triangles, rectangles, or hexagons.

18. The system of claim 16 , the operations further comprising computing a set of polygons in the tessellation of polygons to be illuminated for representing a configuration corresponding to the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions for execution by one or more processors that cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:
computing vertiport configuration data indicative of a number of parking pads and a number of final approach and takeoff (FATO) pads for a vertiport, wherein the vertiport is associated with a plurality of lighting devices disposed relative to a ground surface of the vertiport, wherein at least one FATO pad of the number of FATO pads is associated with a first lighting pattern and at least one parking pad of the number of parking pads is associated with a second lighting pattern that is different than the first lighting pattern; and
providing instructions for illuminating the number of parking pads and the number of FATO pads indicated by the vertiport configuration data, wherein the plurality of lighting devices illuminate one or more of the plurality of lighting devices to form the first lighting pattern and the second lighting pattern.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of lighting devices comprise a tessellation of shapes provided on one or more portions of the ground surface.

Assignees

• Joby Aero Inc

Inventors

• Petersen Jon David
• Alexander Rex J
• Swaintek Iii Stanley Stephen

Classifications

• B64F1/36

  Other airport installations (ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20) · CPC title

• G08G5/56

  for two or more aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/54 Primary

  for approach or landing · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title