US 11,939,069 B2
Vertiport with handling robots and a turntable
Oren Tal, Kfar-Sava (IL); and Reuven Tal, Tel-Aviv (IL)
Assigned to FLYON AEROSYSTEMS LTD., Tel-Aviv (IL)
Filed by FLYON Aerosystems Ltd., Tel-Aviv (IL)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/237,012.
Application 18/237,012 is a continuation of application No. 18/114,346, filed on Feb. 27, 2023, granted, now 11,745,884.
Application 18/114,346 is a continuation of application No. 17/178,436, filed on Feb. 18, 2021, granted, now 11,603,210, issued on Mar. 14, 2023.
Application 17/178,436 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/664,913, filed on Oct. 27, 2019, granted, now 11,565,801, issued on Jan. 31, 2023.
Application 16/664,913 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/IL2018/050468, filed on Apr. 29, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/572,493, filed on Oct. 15, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/502,793, filed on May 8, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/490,622, filed on Apr. 27, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0391462 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64C 27/20 (2023.01); B64F 1/22 (2006.01); B64F 1/228 (2024.01); B64F 1/24 (2006.01); B64F 1/30 (2006.01); B64F 1/36 (2017.01)
CPC B64D 27/24 (2013.01) [B64C 27/20 (2013.01); B64F 1/228 (2013.01); B64F 1/24 (2013.01); B64F 1/30 (2013.01); B64F 1/364 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vertiport for use in a transportation system transporting passengers via a fleet of passenger-conveying VTOL air vehicles (AVs), the vertiport comprising:
(a) a flight deck including at least one landing pad;
(b) a passenger terminal;
(c) at least one disembarkation area for at least one passenger to disembark from the AV for entering said passenger terminal;
(d) a robotic system comprising at least one handling robot configured for automatically approaching and docking with an AV while not in flight, wherein said at least one handling robot is operative to convey the AV within the vertiport;
(e) at least two turntables for orienting a stand-alone AV or an AV docked with said at least one handling robot; and
(f) a vertiport controller comprising at least one processor and at least one communications subsystem, said vertiport controller controlling the movement of the AV, handling robot and turntables at the vertiport,
wherein a first of said at least two turntables is positioned on said landing pad, and wherein said vertiport controller is operable to orient said AV, after landing on said first of said turntables, to be aligned with a direction to a second of said turntables at said disembarkation area.