Airport transportation system

• US 8,700,250 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scootaround, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Curtis, Vicki, John, Elizabeth, Hoenle, Adam William, Zammit, Raphael Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, DANIEL LAWSON
• Application Number:
  US13/421,005
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/206 specially adapted for indoor navigation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots

Abstract

A method and apparatus comprising a mobile platform, a movement system associated with the mobile platform, a location system, and a navigator. The mobile platform is configured to hold a passenger. The movement system is configured to move the mobile platform. The location system is configured to identify a location of the mobile platform. The navigator is configured to identify flight information for the passenger. The navigator is further configured to generate a route to a gate for the passenger using the flight information. The navigator is further configured to control the movement system to move the mobile platform along the route using the location of the mobile platform.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile platform configured to hold a passenger;

a movement system associated with the mobile platform and configured to move the mobile platform;

a location system configured to identify a location of the mobile platform; and

a navigator configured to identify flight information for the passenger, generate a route to a gate for the passenger using the flight information, and control the movement system to move the mobile platform along the route using the location of the mobile platform, wherein an implementation of the navigator is selected from the group consisting of non-transitory software, hardware, or a combination of non-transitory software and hardware.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigator is configured to identify a set of points of interest in an airport from user input and wherein in being configured to generate the route to the gate for the passenger, the navigator is configured to generate the route to the gate, wherein the route includes the set of points of interest in the airport.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the route is comprised of waypoints and wherein each point of interest in the set of points of interest is a waypoint in the waypoints.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the navigator is configured to communicate with an electronic boarding pass device and receive the flight information for the passenger from the electronic boarding pass device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movement system comprises:

a propulsion system; and

a steering system.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the mobile platform has wheels and wherein the propulsion system comprises:

a number of electric motors connected to a number of the wheels.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the steering system comprises:

a number of controllers configured to control the number of electric motors.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the location system comprises:

a global positioning system receiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an object sensor system comprising a sensor configured to detect objects, wherein the navigator is configured to receive object detection information from the object sensor system and to avoid the objects on the route.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a luggage system associated with the mobile platform, wherein the luggage system is configured to alert the passenger when luggage is left in the luggage system.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a proximity sensor system comprising a radio frequency identification receiver, wherein the proximity sensor system is configured to monitor the luggage system and to alert the passenger when the luggage is left in the luggage system.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a proximity sensor system having a proximity sensor and a locking mechanism, the proximity sensor comprising a radio frequency identification receiver, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect a proximity of the passenger to the mobile platform using a radio frequency identification tag given to the passenger, and the locking mechanism is configured to secure the mobile platform or a luggage system when the proximity sensor detects a change.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile platform is selected from one of a wheelchair, a cart, and a two-wheeled self-balancing personal transport platform.

14. A self-propelled passenger platform comprising:

a mobile platform configured to hold a passenger;

a movement system associated with the mobile platform and configured to move the mobile platform;

a location system configured to identify a location of the mobile platform; and

a navigator configured to identify flight information for the passenger, identify points of interest, generate a route to a gate and a set of points of interest in response to user input selecting the set of points of interest, and control the movement system to move the mobile platform along the route using the location of the mobile platform, wherein an implementation of the navigator is selected from the group consisting of non-transitory software, hardware, or a combination of non-transitory software and hardware.

15. The self-propelled passenger platform of claim 14, wherein the self-propelled passenger platform is configured to return to a loading station automatically when the passenger is not detected on or near the self-propelled passenger platform for a desired amount of time.

16. A method of operating a self-propelled passenger platform, the method comprising:

identifying flight information for a passenger with a navigator, wherein an implementation of the navigator is selected from the group consisting of non-transitory software, hardware, or a combination of non-transitory software and hardware;

generating with the navigator a route from a location of a mobile platform to a gate identified from the flight information; and

controlling with the navigator operation of a movement system associated with the mobile platform such that the mobile platform moves along the route.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

identifying a set of points of interest from user input, wherein generating the route from the location of the mobile platform to the gate identified from the flight information comprises;

generating the route from the location of the mobile platform to the gate identified from the flight information, wherein the route includes the set of points of interest.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying the flight information for the passenger comprises:

receiving the flight information from an electronic device.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

avoiding objects on the route detected by an object sensor system for the mobile platform while moving the mobile platform to the gate, wherein the object sensor system comprises a sensor.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile platform includes a luggage system associated with the mobile platform;

and

the method further comprises;

monitoring the luggage system with a proximity sensor system comprising a radio frequency identification receiver; and

alerting the passenger with the proximity sensor system when luggage is left in the luggage system.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling the operation of the movement system associated with the mobile platform further comprises:

identifying whether the passenger is present within a desired proximity of the mobile platform by using a proximity sensor comprising a radio frequency identification receiver, wherein the passenger has a radio frequency identification tag; and

locking the mobile platform until the passenger returns to an area within the desired proximity of the mobile platform.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile platform is selected from one of a wheelchair, a cart, and a two-wheeled self-balancing personal transport platform.