Method and apparatus for lighter-than-air airship with improved structure and delivery system

Abstract

To provide an improved airship technology that employs geodesic design principles in exoskeletons to reduce weight and create greater structural integrity, and provides superior aerodynamic characteristics, and enables faster cruising speeds.SOLUTION: A lighter-than-air airship has an exoskeleton constructed of spokes and hubs to create a set of connected hexagrams comprised of isosceles triangles, in which the spokes flex and vary in length to produce a slope of the surface of the airship. The exoskeleton connects to a nose cone that includes a cockpit cabin for controlling operation of the airship from a single location that can be physically separated from the exoskeleton in response to catastrophic events and for autonomous and / or remotely piloted operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present technology generally relates to the fields of lighter-than-air airship design, payload transportation, and beamforming transmission and signal relay. The present technology includes airships incorporating improved structural designs and systems, methods, and apparatus for operating said airships from a single location, which may be physically separated, in response to a catastrophic event or when autonomous or remotely piloted operation is desired. Improved means for landing and cargo unloading are also provided, and in another preferred embodiment, through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such airships are specifically designed to efficiently pick up, transport, deliver, and return payloads from remote origins to locations where such payloads are desired, alternatively functioning as communications platforms for beamforming transmission and signal relay, or a combination of these uses. The present disclosure has particular utility for picking up, transporting, and delivering packaged goods manufactured in remote locations to individual consumer locations, such as personal homes and offices, and will be described in connection with such utility. However, other utilities, including mining and other commercial and military utilities, are also contemplated. [Background technology]

[0002] Lighter-than-air airships are well known in the art. A rigid or semi-rigid airship or portable airship is a steerable airship having a structural framework that maintains the airship's shape and carries its structural loads, and buoyancy provided by inflating one or more internal bags or compartments with a lighter-than-air gas, such as hydrogen or helium. Historically, such airships have used a boat-like keel, which, in conjunction with internal cables and / or trusses, helped maintain the airship's shape and served as a kind of spine supporting the gondola and engines. As an improvement over this historical approach, Applicant's prior patent application Ser. No. 13 / 855,923, filed April 3, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,102,391 (the '391 patent), discloses, among other things, an exoskeleton composed of equilateral triangles formed by spokes of equal length and equally sized hubs, with six spokes terminating at each hub to form a set of hexagons. This set of connected hexagons, each composed of six equilateral triangles, formed the three-dimensional shape of the airship by allowing the various spokes to bend to different radii. Applicant's subsequent patent application Ser. No. 15 / 351,759, filed November 15, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,308,340 (the '340 patent), and Applicant's further patent application Ser. No. 15 / 962,475, filed April 25, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,589,969 (the '969 patent), disclose, among other things, mounting a plurality of solar cells on the surface of the airship to generate electrical energy for various purposes, and Applicant's further patent application Ser. No. 15 / 962,475, filed April 25, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,589,969 (the '969 patent), disclose, among other things, systems and methods for transporting, loading, and unloading cargo from the hull of an airship using a transport vehicle, crane, or rail.Applicant's prior patent application, Ser. No. 12 / 290,453, filed on October 29, 2008, now U.S. Patent No. 8,336,810 (the '810 patent), disclosed a system and method for using airships to transport green hydrogen from where it is most economical to produce to where it is most needed, as well as a unique docking system for the airship including, among other things, a single launcher and landing field line receiver adapted to accept and tether the airship to a pole larger than at least half the diameter of the airship that may be equipped with a gimble on top, thereby allowing it to rotate at any angle.

[0003] These previously issued patents, along with other prior art, address the need to develop improved methods for transporting hydrogen gas and alternative payloads from where they are manufactured to where there is market demand. As noted above, Applicant's '391 patent describes an airship exoskeleton constructed of equal-length spokes and identical hubs, with such equal-length spokes terminating at each hub to form a set of hexagons. However, this earlier design of connected hexagons constructed of equilateral triangles based on equal-length spokes to form a three-dimensional shape is limited and, without modification, cannot adequately accommodate changes in pitch and circumference of the airship's 101 three-dimensional shape by merely allowing the various spokes to bend to different radii. Similarly, Applicant's previous disclosures are expanded and improved upon throughout the present disclosure.

[0004] Two of the best-known airships are the Graf Zeppelin and the Hindenburg. The Graf Zeppelin operated commercially from 1928 to 1937, making 590 flights, including 144 ocean crossings, and traveling over one million miles without an incident. Nevertheless, based on the Hindenburg disaster of 1937, the most commonly cited concern regarding airship projects, especially those that may attempt to use hydrogen as a lift gas, is safety. Various aspects of the present technology directly improve airship safety, particularly, but not limited to, overcoming long-standing problems with the prior art, including loading and unloading cargo without the airship becoming too light for economical operation.

[0005] However, from a commercial perspective, various other problems have prevented airships from successfully competing with conventional aircraft, trains, and ships, such as the disproportionately large crew numbers required to operate such airships for a given payload of cargo or passengers that the airship can accommodate, the impairment of the airship's structural integrity, especially in certain adverse weather conditions, and the high cost and reduced lifting capacity of attempting to use helium as a lift gas. Applicant's previous patent applications provide improved systems and methods that attempt to overcome such limitations of the prior art, for example, by employing geodesic design principles in exoskeletons to reduce weight and create greater structural integrity, provide superior aerodynamic properties, and enable faster cruising speeds.

[0006] Some prior art disclosures propose adding an oversized gondola-like structure as a cargo hold underneath a conventional airship, utilizing such additional structure to store goods and launch autonomous aerial vehicles (UAVs) for delivery of the goods. These prior art proposals include, among others, Amazon Technologies, Inc.'s disclosure of an airborne fulfillment center utilizing UAVs for delivery of goods, as disclosed in application Ser. No. 14 / 580,046, filed Dec. 22, 2014, now U.S. Patent No. 9,305,280 (the '280 patent). Walmart Apollo LLC's Application No. 15 / 427,277, filed February 8, 2017, for a distribution center utilizing unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for the delivery of goods, claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 62 / 294,748, filed February 12, 2016, now U.S. Patent No. 10,647,402 (the '402 Patent).

[0007] Essentially, such prior art disclosures seek to benefit from many of the well-known properties of lighter-than-air airships, particularly the "free lift" provided by the lower density of lighter-than-air gases such as hydrogen or helium relative to ambient air; the potential for remaining in a relatively geosynchronous location for extended periods of time, if desired; and the ability to perform vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), allowing such an airship to fly its payload directly from an origin, such as a remote factory, to a distribution center (via UAV or UAS) directly to a final destination, such as multiple residential and business locations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that such properties offer the airship the potential to avoid highly congested and inefficient port facilities, airports, and the need for multiple intermodal transportation, handling steps, and ground facilities. There is therefore the promise of minimizing delays and reducing costs to the extent that the airship can overcome the problems of the prior art. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,102,391 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 10,308,340 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 10,589,969 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 8,336,810 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 9,305,280 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 10,647,402 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In at least one embodiment, the present technology relates to an airship containing a lighter-than-air gas. The airship has an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of variable length and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at an opposite end to one of the hubs. Each hub is coupled to six spokes. The spokes are connected to the hubs so as to form an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes. A skin is coupled to the exoskeleton and defines the exterior of the airship.

[0010] In some embodiments, the airship may have an elliptical shape. The exoskeleton may have multiple regions, including a forward region, a rear region, and one or more central regions between the forward and rear regions. The diameters of the forward and rear regions may be smaller than the diameter of the one or more central regions. In some embodiments, each isosceles triangle includes two spokes of the same length extending longitudinally substantially along the length of the airship and one spoke of a different length extending longitudinally along the circumference of the airship. In some cases, the isosceles triangles form rings along the circumference of the airship, and the length of the spokes within each ring decreases in successive rings as the ring approaches from the center of the airship to the end of the airship. The length of the spokes in each ring may decrease by about 5.1 cm (about 2 inches) in successive rings as the ring approaches from the center of the airship to the end. In some cases, the rings of the one or more central regions include more isosceles triangles formed by spokes than either the rings of the forward or rear regions. In some embodiments, the one or more central region rings include 48 isosceles triangles, the forward region ring includes 12 isosceles triangles, the aft region ring includes 12 isosceles triangles, and the exoskeleton has a first intermediate region between the forward region and the one or more central regions and a second intermediate region between the aft region and the central region, each such intermediate region including 24 isosceles triangles. In some cases, each spoke extending longitudinally around the circumference of the airship is connected to a spoke of the same length extending around the circumference of the airship via a connection to a hub at the opposite end.

[0011] In some embodiments, the spokes are defined by tubular walls, each having the same diameter and wall thickness. Each hub can include six cylindrical inserts extending outward from a central portion, with each insert seated within the tubular wall of a corresponding spoke to couple the hub to the spoke. In some cases, each hub has six separate pronged sockets extending from the central portion of the hub. Each insert can have a protrusion at a first end adjacent the central portion of the hub. Each protrusion can be seated and hinged into one of the pronged sockets to hingeably connect the insert to the hub. In some embodiments, each pronged socket includes three prongs, and each prong includes two prongs.

[0012] In some embodiments, the spokes are carbon fiber and defined by tubular walls having a wall thickness of substantially 0.125 inches. In some cases, the skin is defined by curved panels coupled to a hub using a plurality of connector protrusions. Each curved panel can include a plurality of connector protrusions, and each hub can include a central opening. One or more connector protrusions can be secured within the one or more central openings to couple one of the curved panels to the exoskeleton. In some cases, each curved panel includes a plurality of shaped protrusions having a semi-cylindrical shape. The one or more shaped protrusions can engage one or more spokes to couple one of the curved panels to the exoskeleton. In some cases, at least one of the curved panels can include a thin-film solar collection cell embedded therein.

[0013] In some embodiments, the skin is a bonded aramid fiber coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). In some embodiments, the airship includes a nose cone coupled to the exoskeleton to define a forward end of the airship. The nose cone can include a pilot cabin from which the airship can be controlled. In some embodiments, the nose cone can be selectively detached from the airship. In some embodiments, the nose cone is configured to be selectively detached from the airship via an explosive bolt that detaches the nose cone from the exoskeleton.

[0014] In some embodiments, the airship's exoskeleton forms an elliptical shape. The airship can include a pointed front end coupled to the exoskeleton and a pointed rear end coupled to the exoskeleton. In some cases, the airship can include multiple cameras positioned to view an environment external to the airship from different positions, the cameras configured to generate image data. The display screen can be configured to generate a virtual model of the surrounding environment based on the image data.

[0015] In some embodiments, the airship includes a cargo storage area disposed within the exoskeleton. In some embodiments, at least one curved panel is configured to function as a door that selectively opens to provide a passageway between the cargo storage area and an external environment and closes to seal the passageway. In some embodiments, a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are configured to transport a payload, the payload being at least one of a package or parcel, a person, telecommunications equipment, or remote monitoring equipment. In some embodiments, the UAVs can be powered by compressed hydrogen or liquid hydrogen. In some embodiments, the UAVs are configured to communicate with a beacon to deliver or retrieve the cargo at a destination, the beacon specifying the destination. In some embodiments, one or more of the UAVs include a camera, the one or more UAVs configured to capture photographic images of the package delivery. In some embodiments, one or more of the UAVs include a barcode scanner, the one or more UAVs configured to scan a barcode on a payload with the barcode scanner.

[0016] In some embodiments, the airship includes communications equipment configured to retransmit a plurality of signals, the signals being at least one of cellular signals or satellite signals. In some cases, the airship is further configured to remain in a relatively stationary position within a transmission range of an area, and the communications equipment is configured to retransmit the signals to communications devices within the area. The communications equipment may include an operating platform configured to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) duties.

[0017] In at least one aspect, the present technology relates to an airship and a system for landing the airship. The airship contains a lighter-than-air gas and has an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of variable length and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at an opposing end to one of the hubs. Each hub is coupled to six spokes. The spokes are connected to the hubs so that adjacent spokes form an isosceles triangle. The airship is coupled to the exoskeleton and includes a skin defining the airship's exterior. The airship also includes at least two tie-down cables, each having a first end physically connected to the exoskeleton. A cradle is configured to hold the airship, the cradle having at least two anchor points. Each tie-down cable includes a second end opposite the first end, the second end configured to attach the tie-down cable to the anchor point and secure the airship to the cradle. In some embodiments, the airship further comprises at least two guide wire cables, each guide wire cable having one end connected to a tie-down cable and the other end connected to a pilot locator. The pilot locator may be one of a projectile electromagnetically attracted to an anchor point, an autonomous drone attracted to a homing beacon at the anchor point, or a remote-controlled drone. When each pilot locator locates a suitable anchor point, a guide wire guides the second end of each tie-down cable to the anchor point. In some embodiments, the cradle has wheels and is mounted on a track to enable movement when the airship is secured to the cradle. In some embodiments, the cradle is disposed on a turntable structure, and the turntable structure is configured to rotate to orient the airship toward an opposing wind direction during landing or takeoff of the airship. In some embodiments, the rotation of the turntable structure is automated to account for the opposing wind direction, and each tie-down cable is configured to be pulled through its respective anchor point by a winch. In some cases, a link configured to extend from or to the airship may be included for loading or unloading cargo when the airship is secured to the cradle.In some cases, once the airship is secured in the cradle, the gangway and cradle can prevent the airship from ascending.

[0018] In at least one aspect, the present technology relates to a method for delivering cargo using an airship. An airship containing lighter air gas is provided. The airship includes an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of variable length and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at an opposing end to one of the hubs. Each hub is coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs to form an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes. The airship also includes a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels. A cargo storage area is disposed within the exoskeleton. The method includes identifying at least one delivery destination and delivering cargo to the at least one destination. In some cases, the airship includes at least two tie-down cables, each tie-down cable having a first end physically connected to the exoskeleton. The method may include providing a cradle with at least two anchor points configured to connect to the tie-down cables to secure the airship. The method may include lowering the airship into the cradle by releasing or recompressing the buoyancy gas. The second ends of at least two tie-down cables are then secured to the anchor points, the second ends being opposite the respective first ends. The cargo is then removed from and loaded into the storage area.

[0019] In some embodiments, a turntable platform configured to hold both the cradle and the airship is provided. Prior to lowering the airship into the cradle, the turntable platform is rotated so that the cradle faces the oncoming wind. In some embodiments, the airship includes a display screen and a controller configured to control the airship. The controller controls the airship at least in part based on an algorithm, the algorithm considering operating conditions including one or more of: compression, release, or recompression of lift gas; amount and direction of thrust of the airship's engines; and a position of the airship relative to a destination. The method further includes the pilot using the display screen to deliver a command to a control system to land the airship at the destination. The control system uses algorithms to operate the release valves and compression systems to release or recompress the lift gas at a rate calculated for a safe descent of the airship; operate the engine positioning system to adjust the direction of each engine to an orientation calculated for a safe descent of the airship; act on the engines to adjust the thrust of each engine to a rate calculated for a safe descent of the airship; and communicate with the turntable platform to rotate the turntable platform so that the cradle faces the direction of an opposing wind.

[0020] In at least one aspect, the present technology relates to a method for delivering goods using an airship. An airship comprising a lighter-than-air gas is provided. The airship has an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of variable lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at an opposing end to one of the plurality of hubs. Each hub is coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs to form an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes. The airship includes a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels. The airship includes a cargo storage area disposed within the exoskeleton and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport the cargo. The method includes identifying at least one delivery destination and delivering the cargo to the at least one destination by the UAVs. In some embodiments, the UAVs deliver the cargo to the at least one destination using a global positioning system and destination coordinates.

[0021] In some embodiments, the airship includes a display screen and a control for controlling the UAV. In some cases, delivering cargo by the UAV can include controlling the UAV using the display screen and the control. In some cases, after delivering cargo at at least one destination using the UAV, the method includes returning the UAV to the airship and docking it in a cargo storage area. In some embodiments, after delivering cargo at at least one destination using the UAV, the method includes flying the UAV to a first additional location, retrieving the package from the first additional location, and delivering the package to a second additional location. In some cases, the method includes opening at least one of the curved panels and directing one of the UAVs into or out of the airship through the open curved panel.

[0022] In at least one aspect, the present technology includes a method of delivering an item using an airship. An airship containing a lighter-than-air gas is provided. The airship includes an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of variable lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at an opposing end to one of the plurality of hubs. Each hub is coupled to six of the plurality of spokes, and the spokes are connected to the hub to form an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes. The airship includes a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels. The airship includes a cargo storage area disposed within the exoskeleton and a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport the cargo. The method includes identifying at least one collection site and collecting the cargo at the at least one collection site by the UAVs. Optionally, the method includes directing the at least one UAV to the at least one collection site by a beacon. The beacon can be configured to pulse a signal identifiable by the UAVs to guide the UAVs.

[0023] In at least one aspect, the present technology relates to a method for retransmitting wireless signals using an airship. The method includes providing an airship comprising a lighter-than-air gas. The airship includes an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of variable length and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at an opposing end to one of the hubs. Each hub is coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs to form an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes. The airship includes a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels. The airship also includes communications equipment configured to retransmit the wireless signals. The method includes positioning the airship within wireless transmission range of an area with insufficient wireless signal coverage and retransmitting the wireless signals to the area using the communications equipment.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method includes providing one or more of the following within an area by retransmitting a radio signal: high-speed internet, telephone service, television service, and global positioning system service. In some embodiments, the method includes setting a travel route for the airship and identifying at least one area within the travel route with insufficient radio signal coverage. The radio signal can be retransmitted when the airship is within radio transmission range of the at least one area within the travel route with insufficient radio signal coverage.

[0025] In some embodiments, the method includes identifying a second airship approaching the radio transmission range of one of the areas with insufficient radio signal coverage when the airship leaves the radio transmission range of the area with insufficient radio signal coverage. Then, after the second airship is within the radio transmission range of the area with insufficient radio signal coverage, the radio signal is retransmitted by the second airship. The method can include providing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport cargo and retransmit the radio signal. Then, the method can further include retransmitting, by the UAVs, the radio signal in the area with insufficient radio signal coverage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a lighter-than-air airship according to the principles of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a nose cone of a lighter-than-air airship structure for use in one preferred embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an internal view of the top of the nose cone, showing optional positions for the pilot to operate the airship and the location of a display screen that allows the pilot to see all important elements of the airship from one location. [Figure 4]Figures 4(a)-4(c) show the airship exoskeleton and the means for attaching its skin and solar panels. Figure 4(a) shows a modified identical hub and variable length spoke design used to assemble the airship exoskeleton. Figures 4(b) and 4(c) show optional means for attaching the airship skin to the hub and spokes, respectively. [Figure 5] 5(a) and 5(b) show an exoskeleton constructed using the principles of the present technology. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the nosecone during vertical descent after it has been detached from the exoskeleton and one or more safety parachutes have then been deployed. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) illustrates a prior art technique for positioning and tethering an airship at a landing site, and Figure 7(b) illustrates an alternative method for guiding an airship to a landing site and tethering the airship to two or more anchor points in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) shows an optional preferred method for mooring the airship using a cradle, and Figure 8(b) shows the use of an optional turntable to orient the cradle into the wind, allowing the airship to land and take off in a variety of wind conditions, but still be able to move into a fixed hangar using tracks and tugs. [Figure 9] Figures 9(a)-9(c) summarize the prior art in utilizing lighter-than-air airship gondolas as aerial warehouses for storage and as launch pads for package delivery by UAVs or UASs, etc. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) show an improved design for performing payload pickup, delivery, and return of such payloads from a remote origin to a location where such payload is needed, as well as incorporating an unmanned aerial vehicle as a communications platform for beamforming transmission and satellite signal relay. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] While implementations are described herein by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that implementations are not limited to the described examples or drawings. It should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit implementations to the particular forms disclosed; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in its permissive (i.e., "permissive") sense rather than its obligatory (i.e., "permissive"). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "coupled" or "attached" can refer to two or more components connected together, whether the connection is permanent (e.g., welding or adhesive) or temporary (e.g., bolted, held by a pin, held in place by friction or tension, or held by pairing), direct or indirect (i.e., through an intermediary), mechanical, chemical, optical, or electrical.

[0028] The present disclosure describes improvements over the prior art, including the exoskeleton structure of the airship; methods for transporting, loading, and unloading cargo from the hull of the airship; and means for positioning and tethering the airship to enable ground operations, increased safety, and superior maneuverability. In this regard, the present disclosure provides an airship with an improved hub and spoke structure that allows for variable length spokes to bend to different radii, as well as different slopes and material variations around the airship along its surface, and that allows for the use of tubes preferably having the same diameter and hub structures that are identical in preferred embodiments, thereby providing substantial production and cost efficiencies while producing superior strength over prior art for flexible designs.

[0029] The present disclosure also includes, in one preferred embodiment, a pre-fabricated nose cone and optionally a pilot's cabin, which may be closed and pressurized and / or physically separated from the rest of the exoskeleton in response to a catastrophic event or for autonomous and / or remotely piloted operation. The present disclosure also, in one alternative preferred embodiment, integrates the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to assist in the pickup, transportation, and delivery of goods and other payloads. In yet another alternative embodiment, the present disclosure integrates communications equipment into the system used to assist both in the accurate and timely pickup and delivery of such payloads, and in optional embodiments, in beamforming and satellite retransmission services.

[0030] These and other aspects of the present technology are disclosed using the following exemplary figures.

[0031] 1 shows a lighter-than-air airship 101 in accordance with the principles of the present technology. In a preferred embodiment, such airship 101 includes optional solar panels 102 and is 1000' long between nose 103 and tail 104. It has a diameter of 150' at its midpoint 105. In alternative embodiments, airships 101 of longer or shorter lengths may be used while adhering to the principles of the present disclosure, and the relative ratio of length to diameter at the centerline may vary, provided that the shape is deemed preferable to provide laminar airflow over the exterior surface of said airship 101, thereby minimizing its drag coefficient. These characteristics allow the airship 101 to travel at higher speeds while minimizing the amount of energy required for forward thrust. This combination of characteristics, along with the larger interior volume achieved through the use of an exoskeleton to maximize the available area for holding lighter-than-air gases, such as hydrogen or helium, to provide lift, represents a highly desirable criterion in manufacturing improved airship structures. Furthermore, by using an internal cargo area rather than a separate gondola structure, the airship 101 can transport oversized cargo, including components for wind turbines, aerospace vehicle assemblies, bulk automotive deliveries, and electrolyzer and fuel cell sections.

[0032] FIG. 2 includes a diagram of a nose cone 201 having a cockpit cabin 202 disposed therein in one preferred embodiment, and shows, for illustrative purposes only, the dimensions of a few feet (1 foot = 0.3048 m) that an average-height person would stand behind two seated pilots within said cockpit cabin 202. In one such preferred embodiment of the airship 101, the nose cone 201 is approximately 40 feet long and approximately 25 feet in diameter at its widest end, although different dimensions can be used without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. In the preferred embodiment of the airship 101, the diameter of the nose cone 201 at its widest end corresponds to the diameter of the exoskeleton 203 at its narrowest point, which in a preferred embodiment is configured with a modified hub and spoke structure using variable-length tubular spokes having the same inner and outer diameters, and preferably with an identical hub structure, each of which is described in more detail below with respect to FIG. 4(a).

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, crashworthiness of such a pre-fabricated nose cone 201 is provided by the incorporation of joints and structures known to provide lateral and torsional stiffness based on the geometry of the components and their ability to absorb impact energy, such as those used when building high performance race car cabs. In another preferred embodiment of the present technology, at connection points such as junction 204 where exoskeleton 203 attaches to said nose cone 201, said junction 204 may utilize explosive bolts to allow nose cone 201 to separate from the rest of the airship 101, which may be useful in protecting the lives of the crew in the event of a catastrophic failure of the airship, as described in more detail below with respect to FIG.

[0034] Nosecone 201, in one preferred embodiment, is fabricated from a lightweight composite material or a metal such as aluminum or titanium, whose mechanical properties contribute to the safety of its occupants while minimizing the overall weight of airship 101. In yet another preferred embodiment, nose cone 201 includes one or more tempered glass or acrylic windows 205, preferably to provide visibility for the pilot and airship crew for use in navigating airship 101 in combination with various real-time images from remote cameras and other control devices, as described in more detail with respect to FIG. 3 below.

[0035] The exoskeleton 203 is constructed using variable-length tubular ribs or spokes 206, preferably fabricated or extruded with the same wall thickness and outer diameter. The number of such triangles that make up the circumference of the airship 101 may vary (as described more specifically below with respect to FIGS. 5(a)-5(b)), and, except for the junction 204 where the exoskeleton 203 attaches to the nose cone 201 (and optional tail cone), it terminates in a number of preferably identical hubs 207. Each such preferably identical hub 207 is used to join six spokes 206 in a hexagonal configuration, the basic structural unit of which is as close as possible to an equilateral triangle (meaning that all three spokes 206 are exactly equal in length and all three angles are 60° each), as described in more detail with respect to FIGS. 4(a)-4(c). The hexagons made from such triangles are joined together to form the structural shape of the airship 101, to which the outer skin 208 is attached, resulting in an airship 101 with greater structural integrity than prior art airships.

[0036] In another preferred embodiment, the junction 204 where the exoskeleton structure 203 is attached to the nose cone 201 can physically separate said nose cone 201 from the rest of the airship 101 using explosive bolts that are activated in the event of a catastrophic event. In another optional embodiment, a cable 209 provides additional lateral stiffness for the airship 101, connecting the nose cone 201 to an optional tail cone (not shown). In this optional embodiment, such a preferably multi-strand cable 209 extends the entire length of the airship 101, can be adjusted (e.g., tightened or loosened) to affect its lateral stiffness, and can be quickly detached with the detonation of the bolts at point 204, allowing the nose cone 201 to be separated in response to a catastrophic event.

[0037] 3, there is shown a view of the interior of a cockpit cabin 202, which in a preferred embodiment comprises approximately the upper half of said nosecone 201, which in an optional embodiment may be closed and normally pressurized. A floor 301 is provided to allow one or more adults of average height to stand comfortably at the rear of such cabin 202 and have visibility through rear windows 205. Optionally, this space, as well as approximately the lower half of nosecone 201 (not shown), can be used for toilets, sleeping facilities, electronics, and supplies. Sufficient space is preferably provided for two pilots to sit, each with at least partial visibility forward and to each side through the forward windows 205.

[0038] Those skilled in the art of airships will readily appreciate that, given the size of the airship, it is not possible for the pilot to have direct line-of-sight visibility in all six directions from any vantage point. For this reason, and to ensure that all critical operating components and associated instrument readings are visible, a display screen 302 (which may be a large electronic display screen or panel, or a display within multiple smaller screens, panels, or screens) is located directly in front of the pilot in a preferred embodiment of the airship 101. The surface of such a display screen 302 may be flat or curved, and the image, in such a preferred embodiment, may incorporate 3D visualization, augmented reality augmentations, heads-up display data, and pre-programmed reference information and images to enhance the usefulness of the real-time images displayed thereon.

[0039] By using remote cameras, such display screens 302 provide the pilot of the airship 101 with unrestricted views forward and aft. Additionally, visibility is provided above, below, and to both the left and right sides of the airship 101 from various vantage points along the length of the airship. By way of non-limiting example, such real-time images may be augmented with information identifying and specifying the heading, orientation of the airship 101, ground speed, and distance from physical objects indicated in the line of sight, as well as computer-generated plots of the path the airship 101 should take to avoid approaching obstacles or to ensure weather conditions that may threaten its operation. Three-dimensional images and composite visualizations composed of real-time and stored images may also be used to help facilitate the operation of the airship 101 and as a reference for conditions observed in real time.

[0040] In another preferred embodiment, display screen 302 also allows the pilot of airship 101 to see a real-time remote camera view of all critical operating components, including, by way of non-limiting example, individual ballonets, compressors, engines, fuel storage tanks, and fuel cells (if any). Such images can be augmented with operational data such as temperatures, pressures, gas velocities, compression rates, power levels, percentages of expected performance, tolerances, out-of-range warnings, and safety alerts. Display screen 302 can also show graphical representations of one or more flight instruments, such as an artificial horizon, altimeter, directional gyroscope, horizontal situation indicator, wind direction, etc.

[0041] These images and information can be used by the pilot in controlling the airship 101 by using touchscreen controls, a wheel, mouse, mouse pad, joystick, etc. 303 (not shown) on such display screen 302, and / or various controllers located on control panel console 304, enabling turns, actuation of tail control surfaces, tilting and / or adjusting engine thrust, inflation or deflation of ballonets to respectively increase or decrease lift, etc. Also, in yet another preferred embodiment, through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), some of such maneuvers can be pre-programmed, including landing logistics as described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. As a non-limiting example, a pilot's indicated desire to turn the airship 101 20 degrees left and slowly descend toward a selected destination can be translated, via AI, into appropriate adjustments to the power and rotation levels of its engines, gradually deflate the forward-left ballonet at a faster rate than the others, and activate appropriate aileron positions accordingly. In the above illustrative example, display screen 302 may reflect the estimated altitude, ground speed, and time that airship 101 will reach the indicated destination.

[0042] The use of the airship 101 to carry payloads such as cargo provides a further useful, non-limiting illustration of the relevance of such a control system incorporating AI and augmented reality, as well as the practicality of the real-time video display screen 302 in a preferred embodiment of the present technology. In a preferred embodiment, the airship 101 maintains neutral levitation at all times, both while "on the ground" (generally meaning within a few feet (1 ft = 0.3048 m) of touching the ground) and while in flight. For example, as described with respect to FIGS. 8(a)-8(b), even to the extent that the airship 101 is intentionally made heavier than air so that it can rest securely on a cradle or gantry on the ground, it may be desirable for a portion of its total weight to be lifted by an appropriate amount of lighter-than-air gas.

[0043] As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, different amounts of lift gas are required to maintain such neutral lift (or maximum control weight) conditions as payloads are loaded onto the airship 101 and then removed, either in bulk containers or for direct delivery to an end user, as described with respect to FIGS. 10(a)-10(b). Therefore, such payloads must be accurately weighed, and the net increase or decrease in cargo weight must be considered when adjusting the correct lift gas amount to maintain neutral lift. As transportation fuels, such as biodiesel or aviation gas, are consumed during transport, similar incremental adjustments must be made to the amount of lift gas required for the airship 101 to maintain neutral lift. Or, in the case of fuel cells, water is produced as a by-product from the gaseous or liquid hydrogen consumed. In preferred embodiments of the airship 101, such calculations are performed using such an AI system to adjust operating components, such as compressors, ballonets, and vent lines, as part of a pre-programmed landing routine or in response to crew decisions to change altitude or ground speed, thereby changing the rate at which fuel is consumed.

[0044] In any embodiment, the cockpit cabin 202 may be windowless and configured to immerse the pilot in a three-dimensional world at the center of the action, providing a complete immersive experience for the pilot, thereby increasing effectiveness and safety.

[0045] In addition to being used to control the airship 101, in a preferred embodiment, such control systems and display screens 302 may be selectively used to control one or more unmanned aerial vehicles used to locate and mate the airship, as described with respect to FIGS. 7(a)-7(b), and / or to perform payload delivery or pickup, as described more particularly with respect to FIGS. 10(a)-10(b) below. Furthermore, utilizing well-known principles for controlling drone aircraft, in an optional embodiment, these control systems and displays may be selectively used to remotely control the airship 101 from a site physically located at a ground station that transmits digitally telemetered command signals to the airship 101 (or one or more selected UAVs). In yet another optional embodiment, these control systems enable the airship 101 and / or UAVs to operate autonomously based on their respective pre-programmed instructions, or to change from autonomous mode to remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) mode, or vice versa, in response to specific conditions or selected commands.

[0046] The aforementioned controls and displays significantly improve the pilot's awareness of the external situation and allow easy access to critical operating components of the airship 101, thereby improving safety, reducing vulnerability to problematic weather conditions, and reducing the number of crew members that, in prior art airships, were required to directly observe such conditions and make adjustments, if necessary, that can be addressed in improved airship designs from a single location that can be physically separated from the airship 101.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, the remaining forward portion of nose cone 201 behind display screen 302 (thereby hidden from view in FIG. 3) is the location of the antenna and avionics package for airship 101, as well as the forward-facing camera used to provide selected ones of the real-time video images described above. As noted above, electronic equipment including computers, data storage, instruments, telemetry, additional display panels, and communications equipment may be located below floor 301 and / or at the rear of cockpit cabin 202, where it may be easily accessible should it require the attention of the airship 101 crew.

[0048] Referring now to Figures 4(a)-4(c), Figure 4(a) shows a detailed view of the hub and spoke system used in an improved design of the exoskeleton 203 of the airship 101 in a preferred embodiment of the present technology. To distribute stress on the airship 101's skeleton as it hovers, ascends to altitude, descends, loads and unloads payloads, and turns, such an exoskeleton 203 is constructed with spokes 206, preferably of equal diameter and wall thickness, and hubs 207, which are preferably all identical. As shown therein, variable-length spokes 206 terminate at each hub 207 to form a set of six equilateral triangles whenever possible. This set of connected hexagons forms the three-dimensional shape of the airship 101 by allowing the spokes 206 to bend to different radii and adjust to different lengths to generate tilt and desired circumference at each point along the surface of the airship 101. Based on the principles of the present technology, this novel combination maximizes the strength of airship 101 using a minimum amount of structure, thereby minimizing the weight of airship 101 and maximizing its available payload capacity. Furthermore, the preferred embodiment's use of identical hubs 207 and spokes 206 of equal diameter and thickness provides the ability to achieve mass production economies in the manufacture of such components, thereby minimizing the cost of building airship 101.

[0049] Based on application of the foregoing principles, in one preferred embodiment of the airship 101, the spokes 206 are made using spun or extruded carbon fiber material with an outer diameter of 2 inches and a wall thickness of 0.125 inches. The hub 207 is made using titanium, carbon fiber, or another lightweight material. However, in any other embodiment, the spokes 206 may have a larger or smaller outer diameter and / or wall thickness. Furthermore, different materials may be used in manufacturing the spokes 206 and hub 207 without departing from the principles of the present technology.

[0050] As shown in Figures 4(a)-4(c), six of the spokes 206 are attached to the hub 207 and form six triangles that are as nearly equilateral as possible, together comprising a hexagon. If such triangles were equilateral, each of the spokes 206 would have the same length and all three angles would be 60°. However, as shown in Figures 5(a)-5(b), to generate the smoothly tapered elliptical shape of the airship 101 and exoskeleton 203, slight variations in the length of one leg of each successive triangle may occur, and at least one angle may be less than 60°. In the example above, a total of 48 isosceles triangles, each as nearly equilateral as possible, were used to construct a ring of triangles with a circumference of approximately 143.6 m (approximately 471 feet) at the midpoint of the exoskeleton 203 of the airship 101, which is 45.72 m (150 feet) in diameter, and each leg of such a triangle would be approximately 3.0 m (approximately 9.8 feet (118 inches)) long, including its proportional portion at the hub 207.

[0051] Moving from the centerline of the airship 101 toward each end, the circumference of the next ring of triangles is somewhat shorter in a preferred embodiment, with the length of the spokes 206 becoming progressively shorter with each successive ring of triangles. For example, assuming the diameter at the next ring of triangles is 148 feet, the circumference of the ring is approximately 465 feet long, and as a result, the length of each leg of these 48 triangles decreases by approximately 2 inches (to 116 inches), including the proportional distribution of the hub 207. Because every other triangle in this ring shares one leg with a triangle in the previous ring, in one preferred embodiment, the approximately 2 inch difference in length is accommodated by introducing an insert 401 of approximately 7 inches into the end of each spoke 206. The insert 401 makes it possible to accommodate the difference in length between two adjacent rows of triangles while maintaining as nearly an equilateral triangular pattern as possible, thereby achieving the strength / weight advantages of the geodesic structure of the exoskeleton 203.

[0052] 4(a), one end of each hub 207 and each insert 401 is formed to allow the angle to change as the exoskeleton 203 progresses from a diameter of 150 feet at the midpoint of the airship 101 to a diameter of approximately 24.3 feet where the exoskeleton 203 joins with the nose cone 201. In a preferred embodiment, this variable tilt is housed in a coupling in which a bifurcated protrusion 402 on each insert 401 is inserted into each of six trifurcated sockets 403 to form hinges on all six sides of the hub 207, each preferably held in place by an insertion pin 404. In an alternative embodiment, insert 401 has a single-pronged protrusion that is inserted into each of the six bifurcated receptacles and held in place by insert pins 404 to form such hinges on all sides of hub 207 similar to a clevis fastener or fork joint. Alternative hinge means can also be used to achieve the principles of the present technology.

[0053] Figure 4(a) also shows openings 405 which serve to reduce the weight of the hub 207 while also aiding in attaching the skin 208 to the exoskeleton 203. Figure 4(b) shows a cross-section through section line AA shown in Figure 4(a) and illustrates an optional means of coupling the skin 208 to the exoskeleton 203 using the hub 207.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, the skin 208 of the airship 101 is fabricated from flat or curved panels 406 made of a lightweight composite material, such as bonded aramid fiber coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), to produce a low-density, high-tensile strength covering with a slick, non-wetting surface that is highly resistant to extreme temperatures (-50°C to +200°C), fire resistance, and flame retardants. In surface areas where the airship 101 is likely to experience the most prolonged exposure to the sun, in another preferred embodiment, thin-film solar collection cells 407 can be embedded in such flat or curved fabricated panels 406 to produce a solar cell array 102. Such solar cells 407 are preferably very thin and lightweight, and materials such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) and other substrates can be used to enable collection efficiencies of greater than 15% to 20%. Those skilled in the art will understand that all of the aforementioned materials are described for illustrative purposes, and other materials may be used without departing from the principles of the present technology.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4(b), in a preferred embodiment, molded protrusions 408 made from a lightweight extruded or adhesive material may be bonded to the back of the panel 406 (optionally including embedded solar collection material 407) including the skin 208. In a preferred embodiment, the protrusions 408 are inserted into the hub openings 405 and, in any embodiment, may be securely held in place using various means, including clamps 409 and fastening bolts 410. To the extent that an individual panel 406 covers one triangular space and directly abuts another panel 406 on each adjacent triangle, such protrusions 408 may comprise 1 / 6 of such open area 405. Alternatively, depending on the number and shape of such panels 406 covering the hub 207, in alternative embodiments, such protrusions 408 may fill up to more than 1 / 6 of the open area 405.

[0056] 4(b), void spaces of various dimensions may be formed between the curved panel 406 and at least some portions of the hub 207, so long as the skin 208 is smoothly curved and the hub 207 is identical. If the integrity of the curved shape of the skin 208 needs to be maintained, this void space can be avoided in any embodiment by manufacturing the hub 207 (optionally including embedded solar collection material 407) with a customized top surface shape to reflect the curved shape of the panel 406, or by the use of contoured shims 411 to fill such void spaces.

[0057] FIG. 4(c) is a cross-sectional view of section line BB shown in FIG. 4(a) and illustrates another optional means of connecting the skin 208 to the exoskeleton 203 using spokes 206. As shown in FIG. 4(c), shaped protrusions 412 may be made from a lightweight extruded or adhesive material bonded to the back of the panel 406 (optionally including embedded solar collection material 407) containing the skin 208. The protrusions 412 may then be pressed onto the spokes 206 and held firmly in place using a variety of known means, including clamping configurations for the shaped protrusions 412 in one optional embodiment. Other means of connecting the skin 208 of the airship 101 to the hub 207 and spokes 206 may also be used consistent with the principles of the present technology.

[0058] 5(a)-5(b) show the exoskeleton 203 in a preferred embodiment of the airship 101. As shown in FIG. 5(a), line 501 corresponds approximately to the centerline of the airship 101. Assuming the diameter at the centerline 501 is 45.72 m (150 feet), as described above, the circumference of the airship 101 is approximately 141.7 m (465 feet) long at the centerline 501. The circumference may include a ring of 48 equal isosceles triangular base legs forming spokes 206, each 300 cm (118 inches) long, with a proportionate share of hubs 207 connecting the base legs of such 48 triangles. The other two spokes 206 of these isosceles triangles are as nearly equal in length as possible to said base legs, while also taking into account the lengths of the spokes 206 in the next successive ring of triangles. In any embodiment, the number of centerline triangles may be greater or less than 48, provided that the selected number is a multiple of 12 (e.g., 24, 36, 48, 60, 72), etc., which in preferred embodiments allows the number of spokes 206 to be successively divided in half each time the length reaches a minimum allowable length.

[0059] In one preferred embodiment, the longest triangular spoke 206 is 120 inches (10 feet) long, or the shortest triangular spoke is 60 inches (5 feet) long (each such measurement includes the proportional portion of the associated hub 207). In one such preferred embodiment, as the length of the spokes 206 approaches 60 inches, the number of triangles can be reduced by half (i.e., from 48 to 24 triangles in the example above), with the opposing spokes 206 of every other triangle comprising the next narrower circumference being twice the length of the base of the spokes 206 of the previous ring composed of twice the number of triangles.

[0060] The foregoing principle is illustrated in one such preferred embodiment at point 502, where a cumulative reduction of several inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm) in each successive ring of isosceles triangles leads to a length sufficient to define a change in the number of triangles that make up the next ring. Thus, in one such preferred embodiment, at point 502, the number of triangles in the exoskeleton 203 is reduced from 48 to 24 in the next smaller ring, with the length of the spokes 206 of these triangles being twice the length of the previous ring. This reduction in half occurs again at point 503, in one such preferred embodiment, when the number of isosceles triangles is reduced from 24 to 12 and the length of the spokes 206 is again double the length of the spokes 206 of the previous ring. This number of triangles is used, in one such preferred embodiment, until the final ring has a diameter of approximately 7.41 m (approximately 24.3 feet) at point 204, at which point exoskeleton 203 is attached to nose cone 202 as described above with respect to FIG. 2.

[0061] These spaces 502 and 503, where the number of isosceles triangles is reduced by half and the length of the spokes 206 is correspondingly doubled, as discussed above, are also shown in FIG. 5(b), which represents a cross-section along section line AA in FIG. 5(a). Applying the aforementioned principles, and in each case making the base legs of the isosceles triangles as small as necessary so that all angles are as close to 60 degrees as possible, in one such preferred embodiment, the exoskeleton 203 of a 1000' long airship 101 requires approximately 5,600 hubs 207, utilizing a total of approximately 120,000 straight legs of 5.1 cm (2 inch) diameter carbon fiber tubes 206, resulting in weight savings and improved structural integrity compared to previous airships of the prior art. Furthermore, based on utilizing the materials described in the foregoing exemplary disclosure, finite element analysis of the foregoing structural system indicates that the airship 101 can withstand a force of 0.2 g (approximately 1.96 m / s²) without imparting significant stresses to such a structure. 2 (approximately 6.43 ft / s 2 ), or about 304.8 m (about 1,000 ft) every 2.6 minutes), and can turn at a rate of 2° per second (completing a 90° turn in 45 seconds).

[0062] Referring now to Figure 6, a nosecone 201 including a cockpit cabin 202 is shown suspended beneath one or more deployed parachutes 601, as if following a catastrophic event that caused such nosecone 201 separation. In such an event, as described in more detail with respect to Figure 2 above, in response to the nosecone 201 separating from the exoskeleton 203 by separating at juncture 204, said one or more parachutes 601 are mechanically or explosively released from one or more retention compartments 602 using known techniques. The corresponding retention compartment caps 603 are forcibly removed and discarded by the force of such release, and the one or more parachutes 601 deploy, open, and fill with air according to known principles over the full extent of shroud lines 604, which are connected to risers 605 rigidly attached to said nosecone 201. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of such one or more parachutes 601 increases the likelihood that the occupants of the cockpit cabin 202 will survive a catastrophic event by reducing the descent rate of the nosecone 201 and the force of its impact. In an alternative embodiment, parafoils are used in place of the parachute or parachutes 601, and preferably can be used manually or autonomously to steer the descent profile of the nosecone 201 to effect a soft landing by directly or indirectly pulling on the risers 605. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, a distress call including GPS coordinates and a tracking signal is automatically transmitted, and the nosecone 201 is equipped with an inflatable raft and emergency equipment (not shown) that can be manually or automatically deployed for the protection of said occupants until emergency assistance arrives in the event of such a catastrophic event occurring over water or in a remote location.

[0063] 7(a) illustrates the prior art in locating and docking lighter-than-air airships. As in Applicant's previous disclosures culminating in the prior '810 patent, one of the historical challenges of operating airships has been controlling the landing of the airship, especially when landing sites are confined and / or weather conditions, such as high winds in or near the landing area, make it difficult to control a craft with such a large footprint. To address such challenges, Applicant has previously disclosed the use of a lightweight guidewire cable 701 physically attached to a connector 702 at a suitable point at or near the front of said airship.

[0064] As previously disclosed by the applicant, a pole or mast that is at least half the diameter of the airship can be equipped at its top with a gimble that can pivot to any angle. In said prior art, the applicant disclosed that an attachment point 703 can be mechanically coupled to this gimble, thereby enabling an airship securely tethered to such a pole or mast to move 360° around said anchor point, allowing the airship to reorient itself so that its nose 702 faces into an oncoming wind.

[0065] Applicant has previously disclosed that the guidewire cable 701 can deploy attachment point 703 by firing a projectile connected to the end of the guidewire 701 into a receiving port, which can optionally be equipped with an electromagnetic field, or by the use of a drone 704, which can be operated from a remote console by the airship pilot or landing officer. While the anchor point positioning, tethering, and docking means described above can be used with respect to the airship 201 of the present disclosure, Figure 7(b) shows an improved method of docking and securely securing the craft, which can enable the airship to land in even smaller locations regardless of high wind conditions.

[0066] FIG. 7(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the exoskeleton 203 indicated by section line AA in FIG. 5(a), illustrating multiple containers 705 within the cargo area of ​​the lighter-than-air airship. Such containers 705 generally contain payload and, in an optional embodiment, may include pre-filled high-pressure tanks for compressed gases, such as Hexagon Lincoln's Titan® ISO container modules, and / or interchangeable liquid storage tanks for transporting hydrogen as described in Applicant's '802 patent, and / or liquid storage tanks to enable the use of fuels most suited to the planned operational mission. In a preferred embodiment, two or more lightweight guidewire cables 706 are physically attached to larger diameter tie-down cables 707(a) and 707(b), and the relatively heavy tie-down cables are physically attached to the exoskeleton 203 at attachment points 708(a) and 708(b). At the opposite ends of each of the lightweight guidewire cables 706, pilot locators 709 are directed toward their corresponding anchor points 710 on the wall 711 of the cradle or gantry structure. As shown, the pilot locator 709 may include any number of positioning means, including, but not limited to, a manually retrieved drop line, an electromagnetically attracted projectile, an autonomous drone drawn to a homing beacon, and a remotely controlled drone. While only two anchor points 710 are shown in Figure 7(b), those skilled in the art of operating airships and docking other vessels having large surface areas will readily understand that it may be preferable to have multiple locators 709 and corresponding anchor points 710 along both sides of the airship to better distribute the loads exerted on the exoskeleton 203 and to selectively control the front, middle, and rear of the airship when it is placed in a cradle 711, as described below.

[0067] FIGS. 8(a)-8(b) provide further details regarding the cradle or gantry structure 711 used in a preferred embodiment of the present technology. FIG. 8(a) shows the exoskeleton 203 of a lighter-than-air airship 101 tethered to the cradle 711 by tie-down cables 707(a) and 707(b) pulled by winches 801(a) and 801(b) through anchor points 710(a) and 710(b), respectively. While the cradle 711 may be stationary in one embodiment, in a preferred embodiment, the cradle 711 is equipped with wheels 802 and tracks 803 to allow the airship to be moved in and out of the hangar structure, as will be described in more detail with respect to FIG. 8(b). Those skilled in the art of airship operation will readily appreciate that in a preferred embodiment, even when the airship is secured within the cradle 711, some lift gas may be retained in the ballonette of the airship 101 to reduce a portion of the airship's total weight. This requires that a weight slightly less than the total weight of the airship and its cargo be supported by the cradle 711, thereby allowing the cradle to be moved on the track 803 by a relatively small tug vehicle or pulley arrangement (not shown).

[0068] The cradle 711 may be placed on the surface of land 804, or optionally be partially (as shown in FIG. 8(a)) or completely submerged therein. Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the cradle 711 may optionally be placed on a turntable structure 805, allowing the entire structure to rotate on wheels 806 along a circular track 807, or on other well-known means for rotating such a structure. As shown in FIG. 8(a), once the airship is properly tethered and aligned, a gangway 808 may extend into the cargo area of ​​the airship through a cargo door by rollers 809 or the like, thereby allowing cargo 705 to be loaded or unloaded while the airship is securely moored. While such rollers 809 are shown in FIG. 8( a ) as being located beneath the accessway 808 as an integral part of the cradle 711, in an alternative embodiment such rollers 809 may also be strategically positioned both above and below the accessway 808 as part of the cradle 711, and may be positioned within any turntable structure 805, permanent land side 804 installations, and the cargo hold of the airship 101 itself, thereby causing the accessway 808 to provide additional physical hold down of the airship until the lifting gas in the ballonet is reduced, as described in more detail in Applicant's previous patent disclosures.

[0069] Those skilled in the art of airship operations will appreciate that one of the long-standing challenges associated with lighter-than-air airships being used to transport large amounts of cargo is the so-called "loft ballast" logistics problem. This problem can be understood by the example of a 40- or 50-ton payload being removed from the airship, instantly making the airship 40- or 50-ton lighter and, if unmitigated, causing the airship to climb very rapidly. The aforementioned combination of tethering the airship within cradle 711 until the release or recompression of the lift gas (as disclosed in applicant's earlier '810 patent) and the use of gangway 808 compensates for such changes in cargo payload. The solution to this long-standing technical problem helps make logistics airships commercially viable by enabling the rapid and safe loading and unloading of cargo.

[0070] FIG. 8(b) illustrates how the optional turntable 805 can assist in dealing with stronger wind conditions. Wind symbol 810 depicts a wind blowing out of the southwest at 75 knots to illustrate the principles of the present technology. In response, as indicated by arrow 811, the turntable 805 rotates so that the nose 103 of the lighter-than-air airship faces the wind to assist in the safe landing of the airship 101 and minimize the impact of the wind on such large vessels. As described with respect to FIG. 8(a), once the airship is securely tethered to the cradle 711, the turntable 805 can then rotate in the direction of the turn arrow 811 so that the cradle track 803 on the turntable aligns with the track 803 on land 804. The cradle 711 (with the airship 101 moored) can then be moved into the hangar structure 812, and one or more access ways 808 can be extended to or into the airship's cargo area. The above steps may be reversed to allow the airship to take off safely in too strong a wind if such nose 103 is not turned directly into the wind.

[0071] The following table summarizes the area required for various optional landing conditions to support a lighter-than-air airship, assuming a length of 1000' and a diameter of 150', and assuming a 20% margin of operational safety when subjected to wind motion and a 10% margin of protection from it. [Table 1]

[0072] 9(a)-9(c), three subparts present the current state of the art regarding the use of lighter-than-air airships as aerial warehouses or local area transports for small packages and cargo, and as launch pads for unmanned aerial vehicles (or "UAVs") for delivering such goods to purchasers. Those skilled in the art will understand that final, or last-mile, delivery of physical items to homes, offices, or other user-designated locations is traditionally accomplished using human-controlled cars, trucks, bicycles, carts, and the like.

[0073] For example, a user can order an item and specify that it be delivered to their personal home or office. Generally speaking, months in advance, the item is manufactured and / or assembled in a different region, country, or (frequently) even a different continent and shipped by ship, train, and / or truck to a regional warehouse facility. Once an order for the item is received, the item can be picked up from the warehouse facility, packaged, and transported by a delivery company to the customer for final delivery. Generally speaking, the delivery company loads the item onto a truck that a human drives to an airport, where the item is shipped to a distribution hub, sorted, transported by another truck to the airport, transported to the nearest local distribution center, and loaded onto yet another truck that transports the item to the final delivery location; a human driver, or another human companion with the driver, retrieves the item from the truck and completes delivery to the destination. For example, the human can hand-deliver the item to the recipient, leave the item outside the user's front door, or place it at a pre-designated collection location, such as a mailbox or postbox.

[0074] With the rise of online purchasing, the speed, convenience, and cost of local delivery are often important considerations in consumers' selection of merchants and products. Generally speaking, these methods have focused on improving the "last mile." In one such cutting-edge proposal, a UAV can receive inventory information and destination location, autonomously retrieve the inventory from its location within the airship, calculate a route to the destination, and autonomously travel to that destination to deliver the goods. Once the delivery is complete, the UAV can return to the airship, a shuttle exchange location including another lighter-than-air airship, a nearby material handling facility, or another location to recharge and pick up goods for the next delivery.

[0075] Figure 9(a) illustrates a service such as that disclosed in Amazon Technologies' '280 patent, entitled "Airborne fulfillment center utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles for item delivery." As shown therein, a lighter-than-air airship 901(a), referred to in the '280 patent as an aerial fulfillment center or AFC, consists of a lift section 902(a) containing a lighter-than-air gas and a separate fulfillment center 903(a) used to store inventory, deploy UAVs, etc., and which is shaded in Figure 9(a) for emphasis. According to the specification, the fulfillment center 903(a) may be coupled to the lift portion 902(a) using a variety of techniques, including being suspended using a cable from the lift portion 902(a) of the AFC 901(a), as shown in FIG. 9(a) (a composite of FIGS. 3 and 4 of the '280 patent), and in other implementations, the fulfillment center 903(a) may be directly attached to or incorporated into the lift portion 902(a).

[0076] UAVs 904(a) depart from one or more UAV deployment bays 905(a) and, based on flight commands and / or wireless communications, using wings and / or propellers as described in more detail in the '280 patent, such UAVs 904(a) navigate to user-specified delivery locations within urban areas 906(a). Although not shown in FIG. 9(a), the '280 patent specification discloses that upon completion of each item delivery, such UAVs 904(a) may be incorporated into a UAV network to deliver other items or may be instructed to navigate to a material handling facility, shuttle replenishment, or other location from which the UAVs 904(a) may extend from AFC 901(a) and return to AFC 901(a) via a shuttle utilizing one or more docking bays 907 or docking arms 908 that may dock or mate with said shuttle to facilitate the transfer of inbound and outbound items.

[0077] FIG. 9(b) illustrates another delivery service anticipated in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 817,356, entitled "Method of drone delivery using aircraft," filed by Gerald Fandetti on August 4, 2015 (the '356 application), and subsequently abandoned. This service uses a lighter-than-air airship 901(b), such as a blimp or zeppelin, that is comprised of a lift section 902(b) containing a lighter-than-air gas, a separate control gondola 909 that includes a cockpit 910 where a user can fly the airship, and a cargo area 903(b), which is shaded for emphasis in FIG. 9(b). The control gondola 909 may include a pivoting door 911 that can be opened and closed, thereby providing UAV 904(b) with an exit from cargo area 903(b) during release and retrieval steps.

[0078] As described in the '356 application, airship 901(b) can load multiple packages 912(b) into cargo area 903(b) before taking off from the ground. Airship 901(b) can fly to multiple different locations, each in proximity to one or more delivery destinations, such as homes or businesses 906(b). When airship 901(b) reaches a first location, cargo door 911 can pivot open to release multiple UAVs 904(b) from cargo area 903(b). Airship 901(b) can remain in that location for a period of time to deliver all packages to destinations within that area and retrieve the UAVs 904(b) once such deliveries are complete. Each UAV 904(b) may be directed to a different delivery destination to release a package 912(b). UAV 904(b) is then returned to cargo area 903(b) through the opened pivot door 911, and airship 901(b) can fly to the next location where the above steps are repeated.

[0079] Figure 9(c) illustrates yet a third delivery service as envisioned in Walmart Apollo '402 Patent, entitled "Gas-filled carrier aircraft and methods of dispersing unmanned aircraft systems in delivering products." This service uses a gas-filled airborne transport and launch system 901(c) comprised of a gas chamber and / or subchamber 902(c) filled with heated gas, helium, other related gases, or a combination of two or more such gases that induces lift on a carrier compartment 903(c), which is shaded for emphasis in Figure 9(c).

[0080] According to the '402 patent specification, one or more propulsion systems 913 are secured to the gas chamber 902(c) and / or the carrier compartment 903(c). The carrier compartment 903(c) includes an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) storage area configured to receive multiple staged UAS 904(c) (not shown) that are launched to deliver products. One or more UAS launch bays 905(c) are included in the carrier compartment 903(c) or its floor 914 to enable the UAS 904(c) to be launched in various ways while the transport aircraft 901(c) is in flight and the UAS is carrying a product or package to be delivered to a corresponding intended delivery location that is within a UAS flight threshold from the transport aircraft's position when the UAS 904(c) was launched. Doors in the launch bays 905(c) can further be utilized for retrieving the UAS 904(c) returning from delivery.

[0081] In some embodiments of the '402 patent, the carrier compartment 903(c) can be removably coupled to the gas chamber 902(c) to allow for easy removal and reattachment of the carrier compartment 903(c). The ability to separate the carrier compartment 903(c) from the gas chamber 902(c) allows the UAS 904(c) and / or a carrier compartment pre-loaded with packages to be easily coupled to the gas chamber and subsequently separated when the packages are delivered, and when the power level and / or fuel drops below a threshold, or for other such reasons. Upon disconnecting the first carrier compartment 903(c), a different pre-loaded carrier compartment 903(c) with a charged power source can be coupled to the gas chamber 902(c), allowing the transfer airship 901(c) to quickly return to the sky and continue enabling package delivery. In some embodiments, the gas chamber 902(c) includes one or more carrier attachments 915 configured to securely couple with one or more coupling systems 916 of the carrier compartment 903(c). In some examples, the carrier mounting portion 915 and coupling system 916 may include connections such that, when coupled, power and / or communications may be transferred between the gas chamber 902(c), the propulsion system 913, and / or the carrier section 903(c).

[0082] As shown by the shaded areas in Figures 9(a)-9(c), and as summarized above, all prior art systems incorporate carriers for such unmanned aerial vehicles and packages delivered by such unmanned aerial vehicles from a gondola or other appendage to the airship, thereby reducing the airship's aeronautical efficiency, slowing its cruising speed, and increasing its energy requirements. In a preferred embodiment of the present technology, these problems are overcome by locating a cargo area inside the exoskeleton 203 of the airship 101, rather than adding a separate structure such as a prior art fulfillment center 903(a), cargo area 903(b), or carrier compartment 903(c).

[0083] Finally, Figures 10(a)-10(b) are divided into two subparts, with Figure 10(a) corresponding to section line BB in Figure 5(a) and Figure 10(b) corresponding to section line AA in Figure 5(a). As shown in Figures 10(a)-10(b), rather than being added to the airship 101, the cargo area in the improved airship design is located within the exoskeleton 203. As described in more detail in applicant's '969 patent, in a preferred embodiment, goods may be stored in intermodal (ISO) shipping containers 705, commonly used for transporting cargo by ship, train, and truck, which in one embodiment may be suspended from rails located approximately 15% of the lower side of the airship 101. Such standard ISO shipping containers 705 are conventionally 10', 20', or 40' long, 8'0" wide, and 8'6" high. However, in other embodiments, different bulk shipping containers (including containers made from lightweight materials such as composite plastics and fabrics) and irregularly shaped and oversized payloads such as wind turbine parts, aerospace vehicle assemblies, bulk automotive deliveries, and electrolyzer and fuel cell units may be carried and, optionally, stored on the installed floor of the airship 101 approximately 10' to 12' below the overhead racks described above. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 10(a)-10(b), payloads 1001 collectively incorporate standard shipping containers 705 and any such alternative payloads. Those skilled in the art of warehousing will readily appreciate that, unless the system for moving such payloads 1001 is fully automated, such floor area may also be used for the movement of personnel and equipment for warehousing and transportation.

[0084] In a preferred embodiment, one or more panels 1002 adjacent to the cargo storage area, constructed in part or in whole of one or more selected triangles comprising the exoskeleton 203 and skin 406, can be opened or closed in support of end-point pickup and delivery services, as described in more detail below. In such cases, the one or more selected panels 1002 can temporarily swing open, as shown in FIG. 10(a), in response to a manual or preprogrammed command or proximity switch, and slide or move to an open position to allow one or more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) 1003 to fly through the opening. In an alternative embodiment, one or more flight decks can be located in designated areas, such as the aft portion of the interior cargo space, and serve as a focal point for launching UAVs 1003 from the airship 101. Such UAVs 1003 may be any unmanned fixed-wing, single- or multi-rotor aircraft, UAS, drone, etc., as such terms are used in the following disclosure. Although it may be powered by any fuel, in a preferred embodiment, the UAV 1003 is powered by compressed or liquid hydrogen in order to extend its useful life, maximize the amount of weight it can carry, minimize the time required for refueling, and minimize or eliminate the carbon footprint from such operation.

[0085] As shown in Figures 10(a)-10(b), such a UAV 1003 includes a catch arm 1004 to enable the UAV to securely grasp and release the package 1005 at the appropriate time. In any embodiment, the UAV 1003 may include a retractable cable 1006 to allow the UAV to remain somewhat out of reach above the intended drop area to help increase safety when near pets, children, adults, and other objects. In yet another optional preferred embodiment, the UAV 1003 includes a wireless camera 1007, optionally allowing visibility from the display screen 302 of the cockpit cabin 202, thereby providing photographic confirmation of such delivery, including an indication of the precise geographic location and timestamp of when and where the item was placed.

[0086] In a preferred embodiment, multiple packages 1005 may be loaded into shipping containers 1001 and transported by airship 101 directly from a factory or distribution center to one or more areas with multiple delivery destinations, such as homes or businesses 1008. The improved aerodynamic properties of airship 101 allow it to travel at significantly faster speeds than conventional airships, making overnight door-to-door delivery from several regional warehouses and second-day door-to-door delivery of cargo produced in remote locations such as Asia, South America, and Europe feasible throughout the United States (and vice versa) without the need for intermediate stops or multimodal transfers. This ability to rapidly service end users directly from factories or several large regional distribution centers solves the last-mile challenge and provides a powerful competitive advantage.

[0087] As indicated by arrow 1009(a), once the airship 101 reaches its initial drop location, one or more panels 1002 (or flight deck doors in alternative embodiments) open and one or more UAVs 1003 fly out from the airship 101 carrying goods 1005 for destinations 1008 serviced by the location of the airship 101. As indicated by arrow 1009(b), said UAVs 1003 rapidly descend to the immediate area of ​​such destination, and then proceed to the destination 1008 based on pre-programmed GPS coordinates or other delivery information, as indicated by arrow 1009(c). In situations where the preferred destination becomes disorganized for some reason once it reaches the immediate area, in any preferred embodiment, the UAVs 1003 may be guided in RPV mode from screen 302 using a remote control device as described in more detail with respect to FIG. 3 above.

[0088] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10(b), a sentinel beacon 1010 transmitting a radio signal 1011 designates a particular end point, such as a preferred drop-off location at a destination 1008. Such a beacon 1010 designates a desired placement location for goods 1005 and can be sold, leased, or provided to customers as an added convenience to reinforce customer loyalty and ensure timely and accurate delivery to such destination 1008. Such a beacon 1010 can communicate directly with the UAV 1003, or such communication can be directed by retransmission equipment 1012 mounted in a suitable location, such as the underside of said airship 101, the nose cone 201, or another suitable location.

[0089] In any preferred embodiment, the communications device 1012, alone or in cooperation with one or more UAVs 1003, may also provide a communications platform for beamforming transmission of cellular signals as a satellite signal relay station. By way of non-limiting example, beamforming techniques may be used to provide communications services to users in underserved cellular areas and coverage areas affected by emergency shutdowns of normal communications service.

[0090] In yet another optional embodiment, the communications equipment 1012 can be used as a satellite communications relay platform to provide high-speed internet, email, telephone, television services, gaming, video-on-demand, and global positioning systems in large and remote underserved areas. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, if dedicated to such services, the airship's 101 operating system can be used to keep the airship in a relatively stationary position for extended periods well within the transmission range of standard cellular telephone and wireless internal computer antennas. Such a deployment facilitates signal access for ground units where satellites are out of range, reception is poor, and / or transmission latency is significant. The airship 101 can utilize communications equipment 1012 to provide this relay function as an alternative to cube relay sets, which would otherwise have to be launched into low Earth orbit by conventional rockets at great cost and with a substantial carbon footprint, resulting in increased space clutter.

[0091] Additionally, opportunities for hybrid use exist. If multiple airships 101 fly over an area as part of a standard air cargo route and use conventional switching equipment, the communications equipment 1012 from one airship 101 may be used for that portion of the time it passes through the service area, with its traffic being handed off to communications equipment 1012 on another airship 101 on its route when the first airship is about to move out of range. These capabilities can be used alone or in concert with the aforementioned cargo transportation and delivery focus as a way to help defray some of the operating costs of the airship 101. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate how this combination of uses helps make airship 101 service more economically attractive, both in carrying cargo on the one hand and providing much-needed access to communications capabilities in severely underserved areas on the other.

[0092] Returning now to Figure 10(a), once UAV 1003 reaches the appropriate location to deliver package 1005, it either lands and then releases catch arm 1004 before releasing such package, or it uses retractable cable 1006 to lower item 1005, as indicated by arrow 1009(d). Using optional camera 1007, UAV 1003 can capture images that provide photographic evidence of delivery, as previously described, and / or can automatically initiate (or trigger the initiation of) a call or email message to confirm details of such delivery.

[0093] In a preferred embodiment, after completing each delivery of the items 1005, the UAVs 1003 may then be directed away from the home or office 1008 as shown by arrow 1009(e), then fly back to the airship 101 as shown by arrow 1009(f), and return to the cargo area as shown by arrow 1009(g). In an alternative embodiment, some or all of the UAVs 1003 may be directed to a nearby distribution center or to another home or office 1008 that has items that the customer has indicated they wish to return. In this case, the UAV 1003 can pick up the return package, as indicated by arrow 1013(d), and then return to a nearby distribution center or the airship 101, as indicated by arrows 1013(e) and 1013(f), in the latter case flying back to the cargo area through one or more open panels 1002 or an alternate flight deck, as indicated by arrow 1013(g), after which the airship 101 can move to the next drop area, where the above steps are repeated. At the pilot's discretion or based on standard procedures, the airship 101 can hover essentially in the same place while the UAV 1003 performs the aforementioned activities, or the airship 101 can move slowly along an optimal route, with such a UAV programmed to catch up to the cargo area before the airship 101 departs for the next drop area.

[0094] FIG. 10(a) also illustrates an alternative preferred embodiment for use in collecting goods from several origin shipper locations. In this alternative embodiment, the system described above is applied in the opposite direction. A beacon 1010 at such shipper location 1008 can be used to alert the airship 101 that a finished product or piece work is available for pickup. When the airship 101 is over the area, one or more panels 1002 open, as indicated by arrow 1013(a), and UAVs 1003 fly out of the cargo area, as indicated by arrow 1013(a), descend to the area of ​​the pickup locations 1008, as indicated by arrow 1013(b), and then move to these pickup locations 1008, as indicated by arrow 1013(c). When directly over the beacon 1010, these UAVs 1003 can optionally use retractable cables 1006 to lower fastening arms 1004 to pick up packages 1005, as indicated by arrow 1013(d). Optionally, the UAV 1003 can use the video camera 1007 to confirm such pickup time, geographic location and weight of the parcel 1005 before returning to the airship 101 via arrows 1013(e), 1013(f) and entering the cargo area 1013(g).

[0095] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the aforementioned improvements to conventional airship designs enable several different modes of operation, each offering multiple advantages over the prior art, and that individual circumstances will determine which of these modes, or a selected combination thereof, may be optimal for a particular situation. While names may be ascribed to each such mode, this is merely for ease of reference; such names are not intended to be limiting in nature. It is also fully accepted that patent applicants have the right to be their own lexicographers. With this in mind, the following terms are intended to have the following special meanings in addition to, but not instead of, the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art of goods, cargo, personnel, and other types of payload. In addition to its conventional meaning as used in the following description, the term “factory” includes any and all points of origin of goods or other payloads, including, for example, manufacturing facilities, production plants, farms, mines, personnel bases, etc. The term “consumer” includes any and all recipient locations of one or relatively small quantities of such goods or other payloads. The term "distribution center" includes any and all locations where shipments of goods or other payloads are received and / or where such goods or payloads (alone or in combination with goods or other payloads from one or more other sources) are sent to a factory, a consumer, or another distribution center.

[0096] In a direct factory-to-consumer delivery mode, the airship 101 receives goods or other payloads directly at a factory and, possibly often assisted by its VTOL capabilities, delivers such payloads directly to the consumer by deploying a UAV 1003 as described in Figures 10(a)-10(b). In a container pickup and delivery mode, the collection and delivery of goods and other payloads by the airship 101 focuses, in a preferred embodiment, on bulk quantities that are packaged in standard ISO shipping containers. In this mode, such containers are picked up by the airship 101 directly at the factory and delivered by the airship 101 directly to a logistics center or consumer warehouse storage location.

[0097] In a distribution center-to-endpoint delivery mode, one or more containers 1001 containing payloads 1005 and UAVs 1003 are loaded onto the airship 101. In an optional embodiment, each unit of goods 1005 is already paired with a UAV 1003 that can be used to deliver such goods to the consumer destination 1008. In another optional embodiment, rather than using a container such as a standard ISO container, when the airship 101 arrives at the distribution center, such a pre-paired UAV 1003 can autonomously fly directly onto the airship 101 and assume a pre-designated position or perch, remaining there until it reaches the appropriate drop area, ensuring the aforementioned sequence of events. In another optional embodiment, a shipping container 1001 is filled with goods 1005 to be delivered, and the exterior of each such package includes a scannable barcode. The UAVs 1003 are loaded into separate containers 1001 or remain on the airship 101 for subsequent flights. In this case, UAV1003 is programmed to locate the package based on such scannable barcode, or alternatively, warehouse automation equipment in the cargo area of ​​airship101 is programmed to locate the barcode corresponding to the appropriate delivery while in flight to or over the drop area, remove it from the container, and expose it for pickup by one of UAV1003 to perform the aforementioned delivery steps. The aforementioned modes may be used alone, in combination with other modes, or in a different order as dictated by the circumstances, but share the advantage of avoiding traditional intermodal transportation and / or infrastructure such as airports, ports, and intermodal distribution centers typically required in the prior art for bulk movement of goods and other payload collection and delivery services.

[0098] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various combinations and other alternative modes of operation are possible and may be used interchangeably as dictated by particular needs. It will also be appreciated that the power system and lift capabilities of each UAV 1003 may be optimized for the weight of the goods 1005 being delivered, and that a significant amount of mechanical / electrical energy is avoided because the UAV 1003 does not need to use its own power to fly from a factory or logistics center to the immediate vicinity of the consumer destination 1008. While the utility of the present technology has been described with respect to cargo and commercial applications, it will also be appreciated that the present technology is well suited to the requirements of other applications, including emergency services and military use cases in deploying or extracting goods and / or individual troops by replacing the anchor arm 1004 with a body harness for precisely targeted personnel deployment and / or extraction operations.

[0099] As a further example, another important use of the airship 101 is as an operating platform for performing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations for defense, government, and private entities regarding land and maritime surveillance needs. In any such embodiment, the communications equipment 1012 may be expanded to include full mission systems, including, but not limited to, cameras, radar, automatic identification systems (AIS), electronic support measurements (ESM) position trackers, active electronically scanned array (AESA) antennas, electro-optical and infrared systems, and other state-of-the-art equipment for ISR purposes. In any such embodiment, additional lift gas may be used in combination with a lower payload weight to enable the airship 101 to fly at significantly higher altitudes, and supplemental hydrogen may be used to support extended deployment, produced by electrolysis using power provided by solar panels 102, as described in applicant's previously issued '340 patent.

[0100] Those skilled in the advanced military and laser warfare fields will appreciate that, in one optional embodiment, such high-altitude platforms providing the aforementioned ISR capabilities can also be equipped with powerful lasers, neutral particle beams, and other directed energy systems to easily identify and neutralize imminent threats posed by enemy launches of ground-, space-, or sea-based missiles, or to defeat Pirate attacks against commercial maritime vessels. Such deployments can occur without concern about such use violating existing or future treaties prohibiting the placement of weapons in outer space. Furthermore, in yet another optional embodiment, such ISR capabilities can be enhanced by using any one or more UAVs 1003 coupled with communications equipment 1012 for close-up verification and observation, underwater reconnaissance, search and rescue, border surveillance, pipeline surveillance, and immigration control missions, as well as for precision deployment of life rafts, smoke markers, emergency supplies, explosives, and illumination flares that cannot be supported by conventional ISR aircraft or prior art airships.

[0101] From the foregoing disclosure, it will be understood that, although specific embodiments have been described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims and the elements described therein. Furthermore, while certain aspects have been presented as optional or preferred embodiments, not all such embodiments are required and, therefore, can be incorporated as dictated by the circumstances to achieve desired results. Furthermore, while certain aspects are presented below in specific claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects in any available claim form. Various modifications and variations can be made, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be encompassed, and therefore, the foregoing description should be regarded in an illustrative and not a limiting sense. The present invention includes the following embodiments. [1] 1. An airship containing a gas lighter than air, said airship comprising: an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of varying lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at opposite ends to one of the hubs, and each hub coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs forming an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes; a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship; An airship equipped with [2] the airship has an elliptical shape; the exoskeleton has a plurality of regions including a front region, a rear region, and one or more central regions between the front and rear regions; the diameters of the anterior and posterior regions are in each case smaller than the diameters of the one or more central regions; [1] The airship described in [1]. [3] [2] The airship described in [2], wherein each isosceles triangle includes two spokes of the same length extending longitudinally substantially along the length of the airship and one spoke of a different length extending longitudinally along the circumference of the airship. [4] [3] The airship described in [3], wherein the isosceles triangles form rings along the circumference of the airship, and the length of the spokes in each ring decreases in successive rings as the ring approaches from the center of the airship to the end of the airship. [5] [4] The airship described in [4], wherein the length of the spokes in each ring decreases by about 5.1 cm (about 2 inches) in successive rings as the ring approaches the center of the airship toward the end. [6] the rings in the one or more central regions include a greater number of isosceles triangles formed by spokes than the rings in either the anterior region or the posterior region; [4] The airship described in. [7] the ring in the one or more central regions comprises 48 isosceles triangles; the anterior region ring includes 12 isosceles triangles; the posterior region ring includes 12 isosceles triangles; and the exoskeleton has a first intermediate region between the anterior region and the one or more central regions, and a second intermediate region between the posterior region and the central region, each such intermediate region comprising 24 isosceles triangles; [6] The airship described in. [8] [3] The airship described in [3], wherein each spoke extending longitudinally along the circumference of the airship is connected to a spoke of the same length extending along the circumference of the airship via a connection to a hub at the opposite end. [9] the spokes are defined by tubular walls, each spoke having the same diameter and wall thickness, and the hubs each include six cylindrical inserts extending outwardly from a central portion, each insert secured within the tubular wall of a corresponding spoke to couple the hub to the spokes; [1] The airship described in [1].

[10] each hub including a receptacle having six separate projections extending from a central portion of said hub; each insert having a protrusion at a first end adjacent a central portion of the hub; each projection is secured and hinged within one of the protruding receptacles to hinge the insert to the hub; [9] The airship described in.

[11]

[10] The airship of

[10] , wherein each multi-lobed socket includes three prongs and each projection includes two prongs.

[12] 10. The airship of claim 1, wherein the spokes are carbon fiber and are defined by a tubular wall having a wall thickness of substantially 0.3175 cm (0.125 inches).

[13] 10. The airship of claim 1, wherein the skin is defined by a curved panel coupled to the hub using a plurality of connector protrusions.

[14] Each curved panel includes a plurality of connector protrusions; Each hub includes a central opening;

[13] The airship described in

[13] , wherein one or more of the plurality of connector protrusions are seated within one or more of the central openings to couple one of the curved panels to the exoskeleton.

[15] Each curved panel includes a plurality of molded protrusions having a semi-cylindrical shape; one or more of the plurality of molded protrusions engage one or more of the spokes to couple one of the curved panels to the exoskeleton;

[13] The airship described in.

[16]

[13] The airship of

[13] , wherein at least one of the curved panels includes a thin-film solar collection cell embedded therein.

[17] The airship according to [1], wherein the skin is a bonded aramid fiber coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

[18] 10. The airship of [1], further comprising a nose cone coupled to the exoskeleton that defines a forward end of the airship.

[19] the nosecone includes a pilot cabin capable of controlling the airship, the nosecone being selectively detachable from the airship;

[18] The airship described.

[20]

[19] The airship of

[19] , wherein the nose cone is configured to be selectively detached from the airship via an explosive bolt that detaches the nose cone from the exoskeleton. [twenty one] the exoskeleton of the airship forms an elliptical shape; the airship includes a pointed front end coupled to the exoskeleton; and the airship including a pointed rear end coupled to the exoskeleton. [1] The airship described in [1]. [twenty two] a plurality of cameras positioned to view an environment external to the airship from different positions, the cameras configured to generate image data; and a display screen configured to generate a virtual model of the surrounding environment based on the image data; The airship according to [1], further comprising: [twenty three]

[13] The airship of

[13] , further comprising a cargo storage area disposed within the exoskeleton. [twenty four]

[23] The airship of

[23] , wherein at least one curved panel is configured to function as a door that selectively opens to provide a passageway between the cargo storage area and the external environment and closes to seal the passageway. [twenty five]

[24] The airship of

[24] , further comprising a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport payloads, the payloads being at least one of packages or parcels, people, telecommunications equipment, or remote monitoring equipment.

[26]

[25] The airship of

[25] , wherein the UAV is powered by compressed hydrogen or liquid hydrogen.

[27] The airship of

[25] , wherein the UAV is configured to communicate with a beacon to deliver or retrieve cargo at a destination, the beacon specifying the destination.

[28]

[25] The airship described in

[25] , wherein one or more of the UAVs include a camera, and the one or more UAVs are configured to capture photographic images of package deliveries.

[29]

[25] The airship described in

[25] , wherein one or more of the UAVs include a barcode scanner, and the one or more UAVs are configured to scan a barcode on the payload with the barcode scanner.

[30] [1] The airship described in [1], further comprising communication equipment configured to retransmit a plurality of signals, the signals being at least one of cellular signals or satellite signals.

[31] the airship is further configured to remain in a relatively stationary position within a transmission range of an area;

[30] The airship described in

[30] , wherein the communication equipment is configured to retransmit the signal to communication devices within the area.

[32]

[30] The airship of

[30] , wherein the communications equipment comprises an operational platform configured to perform intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) duties.

[33] 1. An airship and a system for landing said airship, an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of varying lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at opposite ends to one of said hubs, each hub coupled to six spokes, said spokes connected to said hubs to form an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes; a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining the exterior of the airship; and at least two tie-down cables, each tie-down cable having a first end physically connected to said exoskeleton; an airship containing a gas lighter than air, a cradle configured to hold the airship, the cradle having at least two anchor points; each tie-down cable including a second end opposite the first end, the second end configured to attach the tie-down cable to the anchor point to secure the airship to the cradle; An airship and a system for landing said airship.

[34] the airship further comprising at least two guidewire cables, each such guidewire cable connected at one end to a tie-down cable and at the other end to a pilot locator; the pilot locator is one of a projectile that is electromagnetically attracted to the anchor point, an autonomous drone that is attracted to a homing beacon at the anchor point, or a remotely controlled drone; the guide wire directs the second end of each tie-down cable to an anchor point;

[33] An airship and a system for landing the airship.

[35]

[33] The airship and the system for landing the airship described in

[33] , wherein the cradle has wheels and is installed on a track, allowing the airship to move when secured to the cradle.

[36]

[33] The airship and system for landing the airship described in

[33] , wherein the cradle is placed on a turntable structure, and the turntable structure is configured to rotate to orient the airship in the direction of an opposing wind during landing or takeoff of the airship.

[37] the rotation of said turntable structure is automated to take into account the direction of the opposing wind; Each tie-down cable is configured to be pulled through a respective anchor point by a winch.

[36] An airship and a system for landing the airship.

[38]

[33] The airship and system for landing the airship described in

[33] further comprising a connecting passage configured to extend from or to the airship for loading or unloading cargo when the airship is secured to the cradle.

[39]

[38] An airship and a system for landing the airship described in

[38] , wherein when the airship is secured to the cradle, the connecting passage and the cradle prevent the airship from ascending.

[40] A method of delivering cargo using an airship, comprising: providing the airship; wherein the airship comprises a lighter air gas, the airship comprising: an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of varying lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at opposite ends to one of the hubs, and each hub coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs forming an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes; a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels; a cargo storage area disposed within said exoskeleton; Provide; Identifying at least one delivery destination; and delivering the cargo to said at least one destination; A method comprising:

[41] the airship further comprising at least two tie-down cables, each tie-down cable having a first end physically connected to the exoskeleton; The method further comprises: Providing a cradle; wherein the cradle comprises at least two anchor points configured to connect to the tie-down cables to secure the airship; lowering said airship into said cradle by releasing or recompressing lift gas; securing second ends of the at least two tie-down cables to anchor points; wherein said second ends are opposite respective first ends; Removing cargo from said storage area; and loading cargo into said storage area; The method according to

[40] , comprising:

[42] providing a turntable platform configured to hold both the cradle and the airship; and rotating the turntable platform so that the cradle faces an opposing wind before lowering the airship into the cradle; The method according to

[41] , further comprising:

[43] the airship comprising a display screen and a controller configured to control the airship; The control unit controls the airship based at least in part on an algorithm, the algorithm comprising: Compression, release, or recompression of flotation gases; The amount and direction of thrust of the airship's engines; and the relative position of the airship to a destination;

[0033] Considering operating conditions including one or more of: The method further includes the pilot using the display screen to deliver a command to the control system to land the airship at the destination; The control system uses the algorithm to: activating a release valve and compression system to release or recompress lift gas at a rate calculated for a safe descent of said airship; activating an engine positioning system to adjust the direction of each engine to a calculated orientation for a safe descent of the airship; applying force to the engines to adjust the thrust of each engine to a speed calculated for the safe descent of the airship; communicating with the turntable platform to rotate the turntable platform so that the cradle faces an opposing wind direction; The method described in

[40] .

[44] 1. A method of delivering an item using an airship, comprising: providing the airship; wherein the airship comprises a gas lighter than air, and the airship comprises: an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of varying lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at opposite ends to one of the hubs, and each hub coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs forming an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes; a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels; a cargo storage area disposed within the exoskeleton; a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport cargo; Provide; Identifying at least one delivery destination; and delivering cargo to the at least one destination by the UAV; A method comprising:

[45]

[44] The method described in

[44] , wherein the UAV delivers cargo to the at least one destination using a global positioning system and destination coordinates.

[46] The airship includes a display screen and a control unit that controls the UAV, Delivering the cargo by the UAV includes controlling the UAV using the display screen and control unit. The method described in

[44] .

[47]

[44] The method of

[44] further comprising, after delivering cargo at the at least one destination using the UAV, returning to the airship by the UAV and docking within the cargo storage area.

[48] using the UAV to deliver cargo at the at least one destination and then fly to a first additional location; removing a package from the first add location; and delivering the package to a second additional location; The method according to

[44] , further comprising:

[49] opening at least one of the curved panels; and guiding one of the UAVs into and out of the airship through an open curved panel; The method according to

[44] , further comprising:

[50] 1. A method of delivering an item using an airship, comprising: providing the airship; wherein the airship comprises a gas lighter than air, and the airship comprises: an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of varying lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at opposite ends to one of the hubs and each hub coupled to six of the spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs forming an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes; a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels; a cargo storage area disposed within the exoskeleton; a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport cargo; Provide; Identifying at least one collection point; and the UAV recovering the cargo at the at least one recovery location; A method comprising:

[51]

[50] The method of

[50] further comprising guiding the at least one UAV to the at least one recovery location by a beacon.

[52] The method of

[51] , wherein the beacon is configured to pulse a signal that is identifiable by the UAV to guide the UAV.

[53] 1. A method for retransmitting a radio signal using an airship, comprising: providing the airship; wherein the airship comprises a gas lighter than air, and the airship comprises: an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of varying lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at opposite ends to one of the hubs, and each hub coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs forming an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes; a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship, the skin being defined by a plurality of curved panels; a communication device configured to retransmit the wireless signal; Provide; positioning the airship within radio transmission range of an area with poor radio signal coverage; and retransmitting the wireless signal to the area using the communication device; A method comprising:

[54] providing one or more of high speed Internet, telephone service, television service, and global positioning system service within the area by retransmitting the radio signal; The method of

[53] , further comprising:

[55] establishing a travel route for said airship; identifying at least one area of ​​insufficient wireless signal coverage within said travel route; and retransmitting the radio signal when the airship is within radio transmission range of the at least one area within the travel route where radio signal coverage is insufficient; The method of

[53] , further comprising:

[56] identifying a second airship approaching radio transmission range of one of the areas of insufficient radio signal coverage as the airship leaves radio transmission range of the one of the areas of insufficient radio signal coverage; and retransmitting the radio signal by the second airship after the second airship is within radio transmission range of the area of ​​insufficient radio signal coverage; The method of

[53] , further comprising:

[57] providing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport cargo and to retransmit said radio signals; and retransmitting, by the UAV, the wireless signal in the area of ​​insufficient wireless signal coverage; The method of

[53] , further comprising:

Claims

1. 1. An airship containing a gas lighter than air, said airship comprising: an exoskeleton defined by a plurality of spokes of varying lengths and a plurality of hubs, each spoke coupled at opposite ends to one of the hubs, and each hub coupled to six spokes, the spokes connected to the hubs forming an isosceles triangle between adjacent spokes; wherein each isosceles triangle includes two spokes of equal length extending longitudinally substantially along the length of said airship and one spoke of a different length extending longitudinally along the circumference of said airship; a skin coupled to the exoskeleton and defining an exterior of the airship; An airship equipped with

2. The airship has a substantially ellipsoidal shape, the exoskeleton has a plurality of regions including a front region, a rear region, and one or more central regions between the front and rear regions; the diameter of the anterior region and the posterior region is in each case smaller than the diameter of the one or more central regions; 2. The airship of claim 1.

3. 2. The airship of claim 1, wherein the isosceles triangles form rings around the circumference of the airship, the length of the spokes in each ring decreasing in successive rings as the ring approaches from the center of the airship to the end of the airship.

4. 4. The airship of claim 3, wherein the length of the spokes in each ring decreases by about 2 inches in successive rings as the rings move from the center to the ends of the airship.

5. the rings in the one or more central regions include a greater number of isosceles triangles formed by spokes than the rings in either the anterior region or the posterior region; 4. The airship of claim 3.

6. 2. The airship of claim 1, wherein each spoke extending longitudinally around the circumference of the airship is connected to a spoke of the same length extending around the circumference of the airship via a connection to a hub at an opposite end.

7. The spokes are defined by tubular walls, each spoke having the same diameter and wall thickness, and the hubs each include six cylindrical inserts extending outwardly from a central portion, each insert secured within the tubular wall of a corresponding spoke to couple the hub to the spoke.

2. The airship of claim 1.

8. each hub including a receptacle having six separate projections extending from a central portion of said hub; each insert having a protrusion at a first end adjacent a central portion of the hub; each projection is secured and hinged within one of the protruding receptacles to hinge the insert to the hub; 8. The airship of claim 7.

9. 9. The airship of claim 8, wherein each multi-pronged socket includes three prongs and each projection includes two prongs.

10. 10. The airship of claim 1, wherein said spokes are carbon fiber and defined by a tubular wall having a wall thickness of substantially 0.125 inches.

11. 10. The airship of claim 1, wherein the skin is defined by a curved panel coupled to the hub using a plurality of connector protrusions.

12. Each curved panel includes a plurality of connector protrusions; Each hub includes a central opening; 12. The airship of claim 11, wherein one or more of the plurality of connector protrusions are seated within one or more of the central openings to couple one of the curved panels to the exoskeleton.

13. Each curved panel includes a plurality of molded protrusions having a semi-cylindrical shape; one or more of the plurality of shaped protrusions engage one or more of the spokes to couple one of the curved panels to the exoskeleton; The airship of claim 11.

14. 12. The airship of claim 11, wherein at least one of said curved panels includes thin film solar cells embedded therein.

15. 10. The airship of claim 1, wherein the skin is a bonded aramid fabric coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

16. 10. The airship of claim 1, further comprising a nose cone coupled to said exoskeleton defining a forward end of said airship.

17. the nosecone includes a pilot cabin capable of controlling the airship, the nosecone being selectively detachable from the airship; 17. The airship of claim 16.

18. 18. The airship of claim 17, wherein the nosecone is configured to be selectively detached from the airship via an explosive bolt that detaches the nosecone from the exoskeleton.

19. the exoskeleton of the airship forms a generally ellipsoidal shape; the airship includes a pointed front end coupled to the exoskeleton; and the airship including a pointed rear end coupled to the exoskeleton.

2. The airship of claim 1.

20. 12. The airship of claim 11, further comprising a cargo storage area disposed within the exoskeleton.

21. 21. The airship of claim 20, wherein at least one curved panel is configured to function as a door that selectively opens to provide a passageway between the cargo storage area and the outside environment and closes to seal off the passageway.

22. 22. The airship of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) configured to transport payloads, the payloads being at least one of packages or parcels, people, telecommunications equipment, or remote surveillance equipment.

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