Efficient vtol resource management in an aviation transport network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018308366-A1
Application number	US-201815961806-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 24, 2018
Priority date	Apr 25, 2017
Publication date	Oct 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A transport network management system identifies a service objective for a plurality of VTOL aircraft and retrieves VTOL data including locations of the plurality of VTOL aircraft. An estimate of demand for transport services to be provided at least in part by one of the VTOL aircraft is generated and routing data for the plurality of VTOL aircraft is determined based on the estimated demand and the service objective. Routing instructions based on the routing data are sent to at least a subset of the VTOL aircraft.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
identifying a service objective for a plurality of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft; retrieving VTOL data, the VTOL data including locations of the plurality of VTOL aircraft; generating an estimate of demand for transport services to be provided at least in part by one of the VTOL aircraft; determining, based on the estimate of demand and the service objective, routing data for the plurality of VTOL aircraft; and sending routing instructions to at least a subset of the VTOL aircraft, the routing instructions based on the routing data.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the service objective is at least one of: maximizing a number of people transported by VTOL aircraft; minimizing a total amount of time spent on the ground by VTOL aircraft; or maximizing an average number of people in each VTOL aircraft when the VTOL aircraft in in the air.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the VTOL data further comprises current battery levels for the plurality of VTOL aircraft and determining the routing data is further based on current battery levels.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the routing instructions comprise an instruction to a specific VTOL aircraft to recharge for a specified amount of time.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the estimate of demand comprises:
retrieving current demand data, the current demand data indicating unfulfilled requests for transport services already made by riders; and supplementing the current demand data with an estimate of requests for transport services that will be received in the given time period.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimate of demand comprises a plurality of requests for transport services, each request identifying an origin and a destination.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the routing data comprises:
providing the VTOL data and estimated demand as input to a network flow model; and solving the network flow model in view of the identified service objective.

8 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable computer program code that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
identifying a service objective for a plurality of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft; retrieving VTOL data, the VTOL data including locations of the plurality of VTOL aircraft; generating an estimate of demand for transport services to be provided at least in part by one of the VTOL aircraft; determining, based on the estimate of demand and the service objective, routing data for the plurality of VTOL aircraft; and sending routing instructions to at least a subset of the VTOL aircraft, the routing instructions based on the routing data.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the service objective is at least one of: maximizing a number of people transported by VTOL aircraft; minimizing a total amount of time spent on the ground by VTOL aircraft; or maximizing an average number of people in each VTOL aircraft when the VTOL aircraft in in the air.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the VTOL data further comprises current battery levels for the plurality of VTOL aircraft and determining the routing data is further based on current battery levels.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the routing instructions comprise an instruction to a specific VTOL aircraft to recharge for a specified amount of time.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein generating the estimate of demand comprises:
retrieving current demand data, the current demand data indicating unfulfilled requests for transport services already made by riders; and supplementing the current demand data with an estimate of requests for transport services that will be received in the given time period.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the estimate of demand comprises a plurality of requests for transport services, each request identifying an origin and a destination.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein determining the routing data comprises:
providing the VTOL data and estimated demand as input to a network flow model; and solving the network flow model in view of the identified service objective.

15 . A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable computer program code, the computer program code when executed causing the one or more processors to perform operations including:
identifying a service objective for a plurality of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft;
retrieving VTOL data, the VTOL data including locations of the plurality of VTOL aircraft;
generating an estimate of demand for transport services to be provided at least in part by one of the VTOL aircraft;
determining, based on the estimate of demand and the service objective, routing data for the plurality of VTOL aircraft; and
sending routing instructions to at least a subset of the VTOL aircraft, the routing instructions based on the routing data.

16 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the service objective is at least one of: maximizing a number of people transported by VTOL aircraft; minimizing a total amount of time spent on the ground by VTOL aircraft; or maximizing an average number of people in each VTOL aircraft when the VTOL aircraft in in the air.

17 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the VTOL data further comprises current battery levels for the plurality of VTOL aircraft and determining the routing data is further based on current battery levels, the routing instructions comprising an instruction to a specific VTOL aircraft to recharge for a specified amount of time.

18 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein generating the estimate of demand comprises:
retrieving current demand data, the current demand data indicating unfulfilled requests for transport services already made by riders; and supplementing the current demand data with an estimate of requests for transport services that will be received in the given time period.

19 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the estimate of demand comprises a plurality of requests for transport services, each request identifying an origin and a destination.

20 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein determining the routing data comprises:
providing the VTOL data and estimated demand as input to a network flow model; and solving the network flow model in view of the identified service objective.

Assignees

• Uber Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Goel Nikhil
• Petersen Jon
• Badalamenti John
• Moore Mark

Classifications

• B64C29/02

  having its flight directional axis vertical when grounded · CPC title

• G06Q30/0202

  Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities · CPC title

• G06Q50/30

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/0043

  Physics · mapped topic

• G08G5/003 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic