Methods and apparatus for distributed airborne transportation system

• US 9,541,924 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunlight Aerospace Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sunlight Photonics Incorporated
• Inventors: Frolov, Sergey V., Moussouris, John Peter, Cyrus, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US14/737,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20160363938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0016 the lift during taking-off being created by free or ducted propellers or by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/56 Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 37/02 Flying units formed by separate aircraft towing B64D3/00; aircraft transported by aircraft B64D5/00; air-refuelling B64D39/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/104 using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/34 In-flight charging photovoltaics B64U50/31
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/80 Vertical take-off or landing, e.g. using rockets rotorcrafts B64U10/10; VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/005 by providing the operator with signals other than visual, e.g. acoustic, haptic
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0669 specially adapted for vertical take-off
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 : involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 : with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 : with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0017 : Arrangements for implementing traffic-related aircraft activities, e.g. arrangements for generating, displaying, acquiring or managing traffic information head-up displays G02B27/01; ground or aircraft-carrier-deck-installations B64F
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 : located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 : Flight plan management
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0065 : for taking-off
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 : specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/025 : Navigation or guidance aids radar or analogous systems specially adapted for landing purposes G01S13/913
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 : Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 7/02 : Anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 : Drag reduction

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an alternative distributed airborne transportation system. In some embodiments, a method for distributed airborne transportation includes: providing an airborne vehicle with a wing and a wing span, having capacity to carry one or more of passengers or cargo; landing of the airborne vehicle near one or more of passengers or cargo and loading at least one of passengers or cargo; taking-off and determining a flight direction for the airborne vehicle; locating at least one other airborne vehicle, which has substantially the same flight direction; and joining at least one other airborne vehicle in flight formation and forming a fleet, in which airborne vehicles fly with the same speed and direction and in which adjacent airborne vehicles are separated by distance of less than 100 wing spans.

Claims

1. A method for distributed airborne transportation, comprising:

providing an airborne vehicle with a wing and a wing span, having capacity to carry one or more of passengers or cargo;

landing of the airborne vehicle near one or more of passengers or cargo and loading at least one of passengers or cargo;

taking-off and determining a flight direction for the airborne vehicle;

locating at least one other airborne vehicle, which has substantially the same flight direction as the determined flight direction;

selecting, for joining, the at least one other airborne vehicle based on flight direction; and

joining at least one other airborne vehicle in flight formation and forming a fleet, in which airborne vehicles fly with the same speed and direction and in which adjacent airborne vehicles are separated by distance of less than 100 wing spans.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising traveling with the fleet and maintaining position of the airborne vehicle within the fleet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising leaving the fleet by changing one or more of the airborne vehicle'"'"'s flight speed, direction, or altitude.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising landing of the airborne vehicle and unloading one or more of passengers or cargo.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising joining another fleet of airborne vehicles and forming another flight formation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the airborne vehicle has vertical take-off and landing capabilities.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising vertical take-off and vertical ascent, in which the direction of the flight is substantially vertical.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising transitioning from vertical flight to horizontal flight, in which the direction of the flight is substantially horizontal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the airborne vehicle has a foldable wing.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising folding the foldable wing before landing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein landing includes one of landing on the ground, a roof, a building, or a vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a communication link to communicate with a customer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein landing occurs near a location provided by the customer via the communication link with the customer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the fleet is able to perform level flight on net propulsion power that is less than a sum of propulsion powers of all its airborne vehicles flown separately.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a communication link with the airborne vehicle and providing one or more of customer information, navigational data, or flight data from other airborne vehicles.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a communication link between the airborne vehicle and at least one other airborne vehicle.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatic piloting of the airborne vehicle using an onboard autopilot.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatic sensing and positioning of the airborne vehicle within the fleet.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a flight route for the fleet.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising finding a defined flight route in the vicinity of the airborne vehicle.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a control center and establishing a communication link between the airborne vehicle and the control center.