Airship system

• US 20040232285A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yutaka Akahori
• Original Assignee: Yutaka Akahori
• Inventors: Akahori, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 6,908,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/190
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/06 Rigid airships; Semi-rigid airships B64B1/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/18 Visual or acoustic landing aids taxiing aids B64F1/002
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/12 using turbine engines, e.g. turbojets or turbofans
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/15 using combustion exhausts other than turbojets or turbofans, e.g. using rockets, ramjets, scramjets or pulse-reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/20 Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/22 Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements G01S5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0202 specially adapted to aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/00 Traffic control systems for aircraft , e.g. air-traffic control [ATC]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

An airship system according to the invention has an airship (110), a base station (120), and at least three measurement points. The airship (110) emits ultrasonic waves upon receiving an instruction from the base station (120). Measurement point units (S1-S3) receive the ultrasonic waves, and thereby measure distances from the airship (110) to the respective measurement points. An MPU that is incorporated in the base station (120) calculates a position of the airship (110). The base station (120) controls a route of the airship (110) based on the calculated position by sending a flight instruction to the airship (110). In this manner, an airship system can be provided that makes it unnecessary for an operator to pilot the airship and that can reduce the load weight and the power consumption of the airship.

Claims

1. An aircraft system comprising:

an aircraft having communication means and propelling means that operates according to instructions that are given;

a base station having control means and communication means capable of communicating with the aircraft; and

earth-based position measuring means for measuring a position of the aircraft, wherein;

the control means includes instruction forming means for forming the instructions including a flight instruction for controlling a route of the aircraft based on the position of the aircraft that is measured by the position measuring means, and causes the communication means to send the instructions to the aircraft;

the position measuring means includes distance measuring means for measuring distances between the aircraft and a plurality of measurement points to determine positional relationships between the aircraft and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means includes at least one ultrasonic wave generator provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and at least one ultrasonic wave detector provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the at least one wave generator, and calculates distances between the aircraft and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic wave generator to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the at least one wave detector; and

the aircraft includes obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located in a traveling direction of the aircraft, and the aircraft system further includes obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means to change the route of the aircraft to avoid an obstacle upon the obstacle detecting means detecting the obstacle.

2. The aircraft system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement points are located at least at three locations.

3. The aircraft system according to claim 2, wherein the position measuring means determines a position of the aircraft by measuring distances between the aircraft and three measurement points with the distance measuring means.

4. The aircraft system according to claim 1, further comprising measurement point positional relationship determining means for determining positional relationships between the measurement points.

5. The aircraft system according to claim 4, wherein the measurement point positional relationship determining means measures distances between the measurement points.

6. The aircraft system according to claim 5, wherein the measurement point positional relationship determining means comprises ultrasonic wave generators that are provided at least at two of the three measurement points and an ultrasonic wave detector provided at another measurement point for detecting ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic wave generators, and calculates distances between the measurement points based on times from emission of ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic wave generators to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the ultrasonic wave detector.

7. The aircraft system according to claim 1, further comprising additional measurement point position determining means for determining positional relationships between an additional measurement point and the measurement points.

8. The aircraft system according to claim 7, wherein the additional measurement point position determining means measures distances between the additional measurement point and the measurement points.

9. The aircraft system according to claim 1, further comprising route changing means for reversibly tracking a traveled route when the position measuring means becomes unable to measure a position of the aircraft.

10. The aircraft system according to claim 1, further comprising route correcting means for correcting the route of the aircraft before the aircraft goes out of a position-measurable area where aircraft position measurement by the position measuring means is possible.

11. The aircraft system according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle avoiding means is provided at the aircraft.

12. The aircraft system according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle avoiding means is provided at the base station, the obstacle detecting means sends an obstacle detection signal to the base station when detecting the obstacle, and the obstacle avoiding means causes the instruction forming means to form a flight instruction for changing the route of the aircraft to avoid the obstacle based on the obstacle detection signal.

13. The aircraft system according to claim 1, further comprising a charging base for supplying power to the aircraft.

14. The aircraft system according to claim 13, wherein the aircraft is configured to send a return request signal to the base station when power has run low, and upon receiving the return request signal, the control means forms a return instruction and sends the return instruction to the aircraft, and the propelling means operates to return the aircraft to the charging base.

15. The aircraft system according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft system is configured to fly the aircraft according to a prescribed flight program.

16. The aircraft system according to claim 1, wherein communication means for communicating with the base station is provided at least at one measurement point, and communication between the aircraft and the base station is performed via the communication means.

17. A guidance system comprising:

an aircraft having communication means and propelling means that operates according to instructions that are given;

a base station having control means and communication means capable of communicating with the aircraft;

earth-based position measuring means for measuring a position of the aircraft; and

means for moving the aircraft along a prescribed guidance route, wherein;

the control means includes instruction forming means for forming the instructions including a flight instruction for controlling a route of the aircraft based on the position of the aircraft that is measured by the position measuring means, and causes the communication means to send the instructions to the aircraft;

the position measuring means includes distance measuring means for measuring distances between the aircraft and a plurality of measurement points to determine positional relationships between the aircraft and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means includes at least one ultrasonic wave generator provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and at least one ultrasonic wave detector provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the at least one wave generator, and calculates distances between the aircraft and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic wave generator to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the at least one wave detector; and

the aircraft includes obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located in a traveling direction of the aircraft, and the aircraft system further includes obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means to change the route of the aircraft to avoid an obstacle upon the obstacle detecting means detecting the obstacle.

18. A monitoring system comprising:

an aircraft having communication means and propelling means that operates according to instructions that are given, and monitoring means;

a base station having control means and communication means capable of communicating with the aircraft;

earth-based position measuring means for measuring a position of the aircraft; and

means for moving the aircraft along a prescribed monitoring route, wherein;

the control means includes instruction forming means for forming the instructions including a flight instruction for controlling a route of the aircraft based on the position of the aircraft measured by the position measuring means, and causes the communication means to send the instructions to the aircraft;

the position measuring means includes distance measuring means for measuring distances between the aircraft and a plurality of measurement points to determine positional relationships between the aircraft and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means includes at least one ultrasonic wave generator provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and at least one ultrasonic wave detector provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the at least one wave generator, and calculates distances between the aircraft and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic wave generator to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the at least one wave detector; and

the aircraft includes obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located in a traveling direction of the aircraft, and the aircraft system further includes obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means to change the route of the aircraft to avoid an obstacle upon the obstacle detecting means detecting the obstacle.

19. A monitoring system comprising:

an aircraft having communication means, propelling means that operates according to instructions that are given, and monitoring means;

a base station having control means and communication means capable of communicating with the aircraft;

earth-based position measuring means for measuring a position of the aircraft; and

means for causing the aircraft to follow a prescribed monitoring object, wherein;

the control means includes instruction forming means for forming the instructions including a flight instruction for controlling a route of the aircraft based on the position of the aircraft that is measured by the position measuring means, and causes the communication means to send the instructions to the aircraft;

the position measuring means includes distance measuring means for measuring distances between the aircraft and a plurality of measurement points to determine positional relationships between the aircraft and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means includes at least one ultrasonic wave generator provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and at least one ultrasonic wave detector provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the at least one wave generator, and calculates distances between the aircraft and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic wave generator to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the at least one wave detector; and

the aircraft includes obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located in a traveling direction of the aircraft, and the aircraft system further includes obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means to change the route of the aircraft to avoid an obstacle upon the obstacle detecting means detecting the obstacle.

20. The monitoring system according to claim 19, further comprising reporting means for reporting a monitoring state of the monitoring means.

21. An advertisement system comprising:

an aircraft having communication means, propelling means that operates according to instructions that are given, and one of sound output means and display means;

a base station having control means and communication means capable of communicating with the aircraft;

earth-based position measuring means for measuring a position of the aircraft; and

means for moving the aircraft along a prescribed advertisement route, wherein;

the control means includes instruction forming means for forming the instructions including a flight instruction for controlling a route of the aircraft based on the position of the aircraft that is measured by the position measuring means, and causes the communication means to send the instructions to the aircraft;

the position measuring means includes distance measuring means for measuring distances between the aircraft and a plurality of measurement points to determine positional relationships between the aircraft and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means includes at least one ultrasonic wave generator provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and at least one ultrasonic wave detector provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the at least one wave generator, and calculates distances between the aircraft and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic wave generator to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the at least one wave detector;

the aircraft includes obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located in a traveling direction of the aircraft, and the aircraft system further includes obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means to change the route of the aircraft to avoid an obstacle upon the obstacle detecting means detecting the obstacle.

22. A robot toy system comprising:

an aircraft having communication means, propelling means that operates according to instructions that are given, detecting means, and output means;

a base station having control means and communication means capable of communicating with the aircraft;

earth-based position measuring means for measuring a position of the aircraft; and

means for causing the output means to operate in accordance with movement of an object that can be detected by the detecting means, wherein;

the control means includes instruction forming means for forming the instructions including a flight instruction for controlling a route of the aircraft based on the position of the aircraft that is measured by the position measuring means, and causes the communication means to send the instructions to the aircraft;

the position measuring means includes distance measuring means for measuring distances between the aircraft and a plurality of measurement points to determine positional relationships between the aircraft and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means includes at least one ultrasonic wave generator provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and at least one ultrasonic wave detector provided at least at one of the aircraft and the measurement points for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the at least one wave generator, and calculates distances between the aircraft and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the at least one ultrasonic wave generator to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the at least one wave detector; and

the aircraft includes obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located in a traveling direction of the aircraft, and the aircraft system further includes obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means to change the route of the aircraft to avoid an obstacle upon the obstacle detecting means detecting the obstacle.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein communication means for communicating with the base station is provided at least at one measurement point, and communication between the aircraft and the base station is performed via the communication means.