# US 2025/0145306 A1 · Rotatable surface for headwind alignment and vertiport alignment

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- Number: US 2025/0145306 A1
- Document ID: US20250145306A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 19/014,401
- Filed: 2025-01-09
- Published: 2025-05-08
- Earliest claimed: 2020-11-09
- Assignees: Wisk Aero LLC
- Applicants: Wisk Aero LLC
- Inventors: Uri Tzarnotzky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250145306A1

## CPC

- B64F 1/22: for handling aircraft
- B60L 53/30: Constructional details of charging stations
- B60L 53/50: Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means
- B64F 1/30: for embarking or disembarking passengers
- B64F 1/36: Other airport installations (ground installations for de-icing aircraft B64F5/20)
- B60L 2200/10: Air crafts
- B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES

## Abstract

Embodiments provide a vertiport system with rotatable surfaces. The rotatable surfaces can be configured to rotate after an aircraft arrives at the rotatable surface. As a result, the aircraft can be allowed to land with a first orientation facing into a headwind, and then be rotated to have a second orientation that is better suited for reset processes at the vertiport, such as passenger exchange. When ready for a subsequent flight, the rotatable surface can rotate again so that the aircraft faces into the wind again for takeoff.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a rotatable surface;
a motor coupled to the rotatable surface; and
a control system configured to:
after an aircraft arrives with a first aircraft orientation at the rotatable surface, operate the motor to cause the rotatable surface to rotate from a first rotational position to a second rotational position such that the aircraft rotates from the first aircraft orientation to a second aircraft orientation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first aircraft orientation is aligned with a wind direction such that a forward flight direction of the aircraft is antiparallel or approximately antiparallel to the wind direction, and the second aircraft orientation causes the aircraft to be aligned with a set of one or more components external to the rotatable surface, and further comprising:
the set of one or more components external to the rotatable surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second aircraft orientation causes the aircraft to be aligned with a set of one or more components external to the rotatable surface, and the set of one or more components external to the rotatable surface include:
a walkway positioned adjacent to the rotatable surface, wherein the second aircraft orientation causes a door of the aircraft to be aligned with the walkway.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second aircraft orientation causes the aircraft to be aligned with a set of one or more components external to the rotatable surface, and the set of one or more components external to the rotatable surface include:
a charger, wherein the second aircraft orientation causes a charging port of the aircraft to be aligned with the charger.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:
determine the first aircraft orientation before or after the aircraft arrives at the rotatable surface;
determine the second aircraft orientation; and
determine an angular distance between the first aircraft orientation and the second aircraft orientation, wherein operating the motor to cause the rotatable surface to rotate from the first rotational position to the second rotational position includes operating the motor to rotate the rotatable surface by the angular distance.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein determining the first aircraft orientation includes:
receiving a broadcast from the aircraft with heading information associated with the aircraft; and
determining the first aircraft orientation to be the same as the heading information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein determining the first aircraft orientation includes:
receiving a wind direction from a wind sensor; and
determining the first aircraft orientation to be antiparallel to the wind direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein determining the second aircraft orientation includes:
identifying a type of the aircraft; and
determining the second aircraft orientation based on the type of the aircraft.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable surface is a first rotatable surface, the motor is a first motor, the aircraft is a first aircraft, and further comprising:
a second rotatable surface; and
a second motor coupled to the second rotatable surface, wherein the control system is further configured to:
after a second aircraft arrives with the first aircraft orientation at the second rotatable surface, operate the second motor to cause the second rotatable surface to rotate such that the second aircraft rotates from the first aircraft orientation to a third aircraft orientation that is different than the second aircraft orientation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising:
a first set of one or more components proximal to the first rotatable surface, wherein the second aircraft orientation causes the first aircraft to be aligned with the first set of one or more components with a first configuration; and
a second set of one or more components proximal to the second rotatable surface, wherein the third aircraft orientation causes the second aircraft to be aligned with the second set of one or more components with a second configuration, wherein the second configuration is different than the first configuration.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the first rotatable surface and the second rotatable surface are each configured to accommodate one aircraft at a time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:
before the aircraft departs the rotatable surface, operate the motor to cause the rotatable surface to rotate from the second rotational position to a third rotational position such that the aircraft rotates from the second aircraft orientation to a third aircraft orientation.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable surface is a circular, flat platform configured to physically support the aircraft, the rotatable surface has a diameter that is greater than a wingspan of the aircraft by a predetermined ratio, and further comprising:
the aircraft.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a walkway positioned adjacent to the rotatable surface, wherein the second aircraft orientation causes a door of the aircraft to be aligned with the walkway; and
a plurality of chargers positioned adjacent to the rotatable surface, each of the plurality of chargers including an electrical coupler coupled to a power source, each of the plurality of chargers configured to couple to and supply power to an aircraft battery, and including:
a first set of one or more chargers positioned to align with a first set of one or more charging ports associated with a first aircraft type when the door of the aircraft is aligned with the walkway; and
a second set of one or more chargers positioned to align with a second set of one or more charging ports associated with a second aircraft type when the door of the aircraft is aligned with the walkway.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
after an aircraft arrives with a first aircraft orientation at a rotatable surface, operating, by a control system, a motor to cause the rotatable surface to rotate from a first rotational position to a second rotational position such that the aircraft rotates from the first aircraft orientation to a second aircraft orientation.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
determining, by the control system, the first aircraft orientation before or after the aircraft arrives at the rotatable surface;
determining, by the control system, the second aircraft orientation; and
determining, by the control system, an angular distance between the first aircraft orientation and the second aircraft orientation, wherein operating the motor to cause the rotatable surface to rotate from the first rotational position to the second rotational position includes operating the motor to rotate the rotatable surface by the angular distance.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein determining the first aircraft orientation includes:
receiving, from the aircraft, a broadcast with heading information; and
using the heading information as the first aircraft orientation.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein determining the first aircraft orientation includes:
receiving a wind direction from a wind sensor; and
setting the first aircraft orientation to be antiparallel to the wind direction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein determining the second aircraft orientation includes:
determining a first configuration of a first set of one or more components of the aircraft, the first set of one or more components including at least one of a door and a charging port;
determining a second configuration of a second set one or more components proximal to the rotatable surface, the second set one or more components including at least one of a walkway and a charger; and
determining the second aircraft orientation based on aligning the first set of one or more components with the second set one or more components.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
before the aircraft departs the rotatable surface, operating, by the control system, the motor to cause the rotatable surface to rotate from the second rotational position back to the first rotational position such that the aircraft rotates from the second aircraft orientation back to the first aircraft orientation.