Distributed airborne transportation system

• US 9,836,065 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2017
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• 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:
  US15/401,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20170115668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 distributed airborne transportation system, comprising:

a plurality of airborne vehicles, each having a wing and vertical take-off and landing capabilities; and

an airborne fleet comprising at least two of the plurality of airborne vehicles flown in flight formation, wherein the airborne vehicles fly at the same speed and direction and are separated by a distance of less than 100 wing spans and wherein lateral separation between airborne vehicles of the plurality of airborne vehicles is smaller than longitudinal separation between airborne vehicles.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flight control center with established wireless communication links between the flight control center and the plurality of airborne vehicles.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising one or more of communication links between the airborne vehicles, communication links between the flight control center and customers, or communication links between the airborne vehicles and customers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles is an autonomously piloted vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises a flight control system and sensors for enabling formation flight capabilities.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises a compartment for one or more of passengers and cargo.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises free space optical communications equipment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises an electric motor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises a solar cell.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises a foldable wing.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises a wing with embedded propellers providing propulsion in the vertical direction.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of airborne vehicles comprises a propulsion system providing propulsion in the horizontal direction.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of airborne vehicles fly at the same altitude.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of airborne vehicles fly at different altitudes, wherein the difference in altitude is less than one wing span.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of airborne vehicles fly in formation with wingtip separation of less than 10 wing spans.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a predefined flight route with Global Positioning System (GPS) markers programmed within flight control software of the plurality of airborne vehicles.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of predefined flight routes with Global Positioning System (GPS) markers programmed within flight control software of the plurality of airborne vehicles.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a take-off and landing zone on at least one of the ground, buildings, sea vessels, and platforms.