Airship system

• US 6,857,601 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Akahori, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Collins, Timothy D.
• Application Number:
  US10/189,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20030025034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 244/30, 244/29, 244/96, 244/31, 244/76.R, 244/189, 244/190, 342/464, 342/463, 342/450
• US Class Current: 244/96
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/06 Rigid airships; Semi-rigid airships B64B1/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/18 Visual or acoustic landing aids
• 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 airship system comprising:

an airship 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 airship; and

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

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

the position measuring means measures positional relationships between the airship and a plurality of measurement points;

the position measuring means comprises distance measuring means for measuring distances between the airship and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means comprises an ultrasonic wave generator or generators provided in the airship or at the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and an ultrasonic wave detector or detectors provided at the measurement points or in the airship for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the wave generator or generators, and calculates distances between the airship and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic wave generator or generators to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the wave detector or detectors; and

the airship comprises obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located ahead of the airship in a traveling direction, and the airship system further comprises obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means so that the route of the airship is changed and the airship will thereby avoid an obstacle when the obstacle detecting means detects the obstacle.

2. The airship system according to claim 1, wherein the measurement points are located at three or more locations.

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

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

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

6. The airship system according to claim 5, wherein the measurement point positional relationships determining means comprises ultrasonic wave generators that are provided at at least 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 airship system according to claim 1, further comprising additional measurement point position determining means for determining positional relationships between an additional measurement point and the existing measurement points when the additional measurement point is added.

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

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

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

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

12. The airship system according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle avoiding means is provided in 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 the flight instruction for changing the route of the airship and thereby avoiding the obstacle based on the obstacle detection signal.

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

14. The airship system according to claim 13, wherein the airship is so configured as to send a return request signal to the base station when power has gone short, and upon receiving the return request signal, the control means forms a return instruction and sends the return instruction to the airship, and the propelling means operates so that the airship will return to the charging base.

15. The airship system according to claim 1, further comprising a gas supply base for supplying a ship-floating gas to the airship.

17. The airship system according to claim 1, further comprising load weight adjusting means capable of reducing a weight of the airship by releasing a gas.

18. The airship system according to claim 17, wherein the load weight adjusting means releases the gas so as to compensate for at least part of a loss with time of a ship-floating gas of the airship.

19. The airship system according to claim 17, wherein the load weight adjusting means comprises a container for containing a compressed gas and a control valve for releasing the gas from the container with control.

20. The airship system according to claim 17, wherein the load weight adjusting means comprises a container for containing a liquid and a control valve for evaporating the liquid in the container with control.

22. The airship system according to claim 1, wherein the airship comprises a compressor for compressing air, a container for containing the air that-compressed by the compressor, and a control valve for releasing the air from the container with control.

23. The airship system according to claim 22, wherein the compressor and the control valve operate so as to compensate for at least part of a variation in a lifting force of the airship.

24. The airship system according to claim 22, wherein the airship is propelled or changed in posture by the released air.

25. The airship system according to any one of claims 2, 3, 4-10, or 11-24, wherein the airship system is so configured that the airship flies according to a prescribed flight program.

26. The airship system according to claim 1, wherein communication means for communicating with the base station is provided at one or a plurality of measurement points, and communication between the airship and the base station is performed via the communication means provided at the one or plurality of measurement points.

34. The airship system according to claim 1, further comprising a maximum load capability of the airship of about 8 grams.

16. An airship system comprising:

an airship 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 airship;

position measuring means for measuring a position of the airship, wherein

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

a gas supply base for supplying a ship-floating gas to the airship,

the airship being so configured as to send a return request signal to the base station when a ship-floating gas has gone short, upon receiving the return request signal, the control means forms a return instruction and sends the return instruction to the airship, and the propelling means operates so that the airship will return to the gas supply base.

21. An airship system comprising:

an airship 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 airship;

position measuring means for measuring a position of the airship, wherein

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

a load weight adjusting means capable of reducing a weight of the airship by releasing a gas, the load weight adjusting means comprises a container for containing a solid and a control valve for sublimating the solid in the container with control.

27. A guidance system comprising:

an airship 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 airship;

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

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

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

the position measuring means measures positional relationships between the airship and a plurality of measurement points;

the position measuring means comprises distance measuring means for measuring distances between the airship and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means comprises an ultrasonic wave generator or generators provided in the airship or at the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and an ultrasonic wave detector or detectors provided at the measurement points or in the airship for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the wave generator or generators, and calculates distances between the airship and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic wave generator or generators to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the wave detector or detectors; and

the airship comprises obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located ahead of the airship in a traveling direction, and the airship system further comprises obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means so that the route of the airship is changed and the airship will thereby avoid an obstacle when the obstacle detecting means detects the obstacle.

33. The system according to any one of claims 27-29 or 31-32, wherein communication means for communicating with the base station is provided at one or a plurality of measurement points, and communication between the airship and the base station is performed via the communication means provided at the one or plurality of measurement points.

28. A monitoring system comprising:

an airship 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 airship;

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

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

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

the position measuring means measures positional relationships between the airship and a plurality of measurement points;

the position measuring means comprises distance measuring means for measuring distances between the airship and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means comprises an ultrasonic wave generator or generators provided in the airship or at the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and an ultrasonic wave detector or detectors provided at the measurement points or in the airship for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the wave generator or generators, and calculates distances between the airship and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic wave generator or generators to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the wave detector or detectors; and

the airship comprises obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located ahead of the airship in a traveling direction, and the airship system further comprises obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means so that the route of the airship is changed and the airship will thereby avoid an obstacle when the obstacle detecting means detects the obstacle.

30. The monitoring system according to claim 28 or 29, further comprising reporting means for reporting a monitoring state of the monitoring means.

29. A monitoring system comprising:

an airship having communication means, propelling means that operates according to instructions that are given;

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

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

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

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

the position measuring means measures positional relationships between the airship and a plurality of measurement points;

the position measuring means comprises distance measuring means for measuring distances between the airship and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means comprises an ultrasonic wave generator or generators provided in the airship or at the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and an ultrasonic wave detector or detectors provided at the measurement points or in the airship for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the wave generator or generators, and calculates distances between the airship and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic wave generator or generators to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the wave detector or detectors; and

the airship comprises obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located ahead of the airship in a traveling direction, and the airship system further comprises obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means so that the route of the airship is changed and the airship will thereby avoid an obstacle when the obstacle detecting means detects the obstacle.

31. An advertisement system comprising:

an airship 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 airship;

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

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

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

the position measuring means measures positional relationships between the airship and a plurality of measurement points;

the position measuring means comprises distance measuring means for measuring distances between the airship and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means comprises an ultrasonic wave generator or generators provided in the airship or at the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and an ultrasonic wave detector or detectors provided at the measurement points or in the airship for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the wave generator or generators, and calculates distances between the airship and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic wave generator or generators to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the wave detector or detectors;

the airship comprises obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located ahead of the airship in a traveling direction, and the airship system further comprises obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means so that the route of the airship is changed and the airship will thereby avoid an obstacle when the obstacle detecting means detects the obstacle.

32. A robot toy system comprising:

an airship 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 airship;

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

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

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

the position measuring means measures positional relationships between the airship and a plurality of measurement points;

the position measuring means comprises distance measuring means for measuring distances between the airship and the measurement points;

the distance measuring means comprises an ultrasonic wave generator or generators provided in the airship or at the measurement points for generating ultrasonic waves and an ultrasonic wave detector or detectors provided at the measurement points or in the airship for detecting the ultrasonic waves emitted from the wave generator or generators, and calculates distances between the airship and the measurement points based on times from generation of the ultrasonic waves by the ultrasonic wave generator or generators to arrival of the ultrasonic waves at the wave detector or detectors; and

the airship comprises obstacle detecting means for detecting an obstacle located ahead of the airship in a traveling direction, and the airship system further comprises obstacle avoiding means for controlling the propelling means so that the route of the airship is changed and the airship will thereby avoid an obstacle when the obstacle detecting means detects the obstacle.