System for Pod-Based Transportation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020400437-A1
Application number	US-201916444526-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	Jun 18, 2019
Publication date	Dec 24, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method to transport one or more persons or objects. The system includes pods that each have an interior space to house the one or more persons or objects, and vehicles that are each configured to individually connect to one or more of the pods and to transport the pods from a first location to a second location. A server is located remotely from the pods and the vehicles. The server is configured to receive data from the pods and the vehicles through a wireless communication network to monitor a usage and location of the pods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system to monitor transportation of one or more persons or objects, the system comprising:
pods that each comprise an interior space to house the one or more persons or objects; vehicles each configured to individually connect to one or more of the pods and to transport the pods from a first location to a second location, at least one of the vehicles configured to transport the pods by land and at least one of the vehicles configured to transport the pods by air; and a server located remotely from the pods and the vehicles, the server configured to receive data from the pods and the vehicles through a wireless communication network to monitor a usage and location of the pods.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the pods comprise wall segments that extend around and enclose the interior space and wherein each of the vehicles comprises an interior pod section that extends around and encloses the one or more pods.

3 . 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.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the server comprises:
a communication interface configured to receive the data from the pods and the vehicles transmitted through the wireless communication network; a memory circuit configured to store information about the pods; and a processing circuit configured to monitor the usage and location of the pods.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the server calculates an expected time of arrival to a destination location for the pods that are being transported by one of the vehicles.

6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the server is configured to calculate a travel plan for each of the pods that each comprises a travel path that extends between the first and second locations, the travel plan being calculated prior to departure from the first location.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the server is configured to:
monitor the movement of the pods along the travel paths; and adjust the travel plan of one or more of the pods when the monitor server calculates that two or more of the pods are scheduled to pass within a predetermined distance of each other.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the pods further comprises:
one or more sensors that detect a geographic location of the pod; and a communications circuit configured to wirelessly transmit the location of the pod to the server.

9 . A system to monitor transportation of one or more persons or objects, the system comprising:
pods that each comprise an interior space to house the one or more persons or objects; vehicles each configured to individually connect to one or more of the pods and to transport the pods from a first location to a second location; and a server located remotely from the pods and the vehicles and configured to receive data from the pods and vehicles through a wireless communication network, the server comprising:
a communication interface that receives the data from the pods and the vehicles transmitted through the wireless communication network; and
a processing circuit that monitors the location of the pods and the one or more persons or objects.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to:
maintain transportation preferences for each of the one or more persons; and for each of the one or more persons, schedule transportation with one of the pods according to the transportation preferences.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the transportation preferences comprise an arrangement of the interior space of the pod requested from the one or more persons.

12 . A method of transporting one or more persons or objects, the method comprising:
monitoring a location of pods that each comprise an interior space; monitoring a location of vehicles each configured to individually connect to one or more of the pods and to transport the pods; receiving a request to transport a first one of the persons or objects from a first location to a remote second location; assigning one of the pods to transport the first one of the persons or objects; scheduling a first one of the vehicles to transport the pod from the first location to an intermediate location when the first one of the persons or objects is within the pod; and scheduling a second one of the vehicles to transport the pod from the intermediate location to the second location when the first one of the persons or objects is within the pod.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a travel preference of the first one of the persons or objects and arranging the interior space of the pod to meet the travel preference.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
calculating a travel path for the one of the pods that extends between the first location, the intermediate location, and the second location, the travel path being calculated prior to departure from the first location; monitoring a location of the pod during the travel; determining an event related to the travel path while the pod is being transported between the first and second locations; and in response to determining the event, adjusting the travel path of the one of the pods.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein determining the event related to the travel path comprises determining traffic along the travel path and adjusting the travel path in response to the traffic.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
calculating a travel path for the one of the pods that extends between the first location, the intermediate location, and the second location; and accessing a map through a wireless communication network and integrating the travel path with the map.

17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a request to transport a second one of the persons or objects from the first location to the second location; assigning the pod to transport the second one of the persons or objects; and concurrently transporting both the first and second ones of the persons or objects in the pod from the first location to the second location.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising updating a database that includes current and future movements of the pods and the vehicles prior to assigning the pod to transport the second one of the persons or objects.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising using a first mode of transportation to transport the pod from the first location to the intermediate location and using a different second mode of transportation to transport the pod from the intermediate location to the second location.

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
calculating a travel plan that includes a travel path from the first location to the second location prior to the pod departing from the first location; monitoring a position of the pod during the travel and comparing the position with the travel path; and notifying a remote entity when a difference between the position and the travel path exceeds a predetermined amount.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Glatfelter John William
• Laughlin Brian Dale

Classifications

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title

• G05D1/0212

  with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287) · CPC title

• G05D1/0202

  specially adapted to aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/55

  for a single aircraft · CPC title