Safe vertical take-off and landing aircraft payload distribution and adjustment
US10913528B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 11, 2019 |
| Grant date | Feb 9, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 11, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01G19/07
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft can provide opportunities to incorporate aerial transportation into transportation networks for cities and metropolitan areas. However, VTOL aircraft can be sensitive to uneven weight distributions, e.g., the payload of an aircraft is primarily loaded in the front, back, left, or right. When the aircraft is loaded unevenly, the center of mass of the aircraft may shift substantially enough to negatively impact performance of the aircraft. Thus, in turn, there is an opportunity that the VTOL may be loaded unevenly if seating, luggage placement, and/or positions of internal components are not coordinated. Among other advantages, dynamically assigning the payloads and adjusting components of the VTOL aircraft can increase VTOL safety by ensuring the VTOL aircraft is loaded evenly and meets all weight requirements; can increase transportation efficiency by increasing rider throughput; and can increase the availability of the VTOL services to all potential riders.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.