Abstract:
A catamaran airship is tethered to a portable and mobile housing. The roof of the housing will be the landing and take-off place for the airship. Many types of vehicles—truck, ship—can be a mobile base for the housing and its airship. This is primarily a visual surveillance and long-range communication system for day and night, and in all-weather. This system can survey large areas over long periods of time, economically and noiselessly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of physical security. Specifically, it relates to the surveillance of a given area and the ability to communicate with other support units. A dual system of surveillance and communication is mounted in a catamaran airship and tethered to a housing below. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field. 
         [0005]    Since 1980, the military and border authorities have used large tethered airships at stationary bases; they are used to detect low-flying aircrafts. They are vey bulky and heavy. 
         [0006]    The airships of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,240,206 and 6,843,448 B2, and a surveillance balloon of U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,997 were analyzed. The airships and the balloon are too bulky and heavy for landing on a truck or a ship. In addition, the balloon is not an all-weather vehicle. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The name of this security system is “LOOKING OVER-THE-HORIZON SYSTEM.” However, it would give advantage to anyone to whom visibility and communication ability are obstructed by tall objects. This is primarily a visual surveillance and long-range communication system for day and night and in all-weather. No new technology is needed. 
         [0008]    The system comprises three sub-systems: 
         [0009]    1. The airship has a plurality of bodies and is tethered. It is relatively simple and economical to design, manufacture and operate. It is very stable in flight, is all-weather, and has great controllability. This airship is not as bulky and heavy as many other surveillance vehicles. 
         [0010]    2. A line of control cables is the medium for the physical, electrical, surveillance and communication connections between the airship and a housing. 
         [0011]    3. A base for the housing can be stationary or mobile. Mobile is best. It can be a truck, ship or any other type of vehicle. The housing should be portable; it can then be used by other bases or units. It can be of many designs. A permanent housing can be used as well. The housing roof should be the landing and take-off area for the airship; this saves space. Inside the housing is the control area for the airship, and the data and images collecting and processing areas, for a plurality of surveillance and communication equipments. The housing has its own independent power supply. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    The drawings will show the advantages and objects of this invention: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a flatbed truck carrying the system; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing how parts inside the airship are connected to parts inside the housing, the system; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the airship with many of its features shown; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a top view of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the airship mounted on the roof of the housing; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a rear view of  FIG. 6 , and 
       
    
    
       [0020]    is an alternate block diagram showing remote controls. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a rigid tethered catamaran airship  10 . Its gas bags within the left body  11 A and the right body  11 B uses helium gas as its buoyant force or lifting power. One  13 A of two fans is shown mounted on top of the left body  11 A; it should be lightweight and inside a housing. There is a clearance light  15  for safety mounted on top of the left fan  13 A. One  17  of eight fins  17  shown with its rudder  19 ; there are two upper rudders and two lower rudders. The fins  17  make the airship  10  very stable in flight and the rudders  19  help give the airship  10  great controllability. The outlet  12  is for a high-resolution electro-optic/infrared system in the nose of the left body  11 A. The communication system is in the right body  11 B. However, they can be reversed. 
         [0022]    When both fans  13 A and  13 B are on at the same time, the lifting power will increase. The fans  13 A and  13 B airflow will create a low pressure L over the top of the airship  10 . These will be a higher pressure H under the airship  10 . This pressure difference will cause the airship  10  to rise. 
         [0023]    The line  20  is a plurality of control cables; they are the medium between the airship  10  the housing  30 . There are four control cables, it is possible to have lesser. The maximum height between the bottom of the airship  10  and the roof of the housing  30  should be  150  feet. This is an optimum height for this type of system. 
         [0024]    The housing  30  has an enclosure  31  on all four sides and the floor. A relatively, strong and lightweight roof structure  33  has a dual purpose: it&#39;s the roof of the housing  30  and an airport for the airship  10 . There is a ladder  36  to the roof and a video camera  38  for observing the airship  10 . The housing  30  should be portable; it should be assembled or disassembled in a relatively short time. It can be moved between bases or units; this is the great advantage of portability. The option is still open to a permanent housing. The vehicle  40  that is a mobile base for the housing  30  is a flatbed truck. 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram that shows all the internal connections of the airship  10 , a line  20  of control cables, and the housing  30 . The control cables consist of a strong lightweight steel cable  20 A attached to a pivoting unit  10 A that allows the rotational motions of the airship  10 . It is tethered by this physical cable  20 A and the cable  20 A is powered by an electric winch  30 A. And there is a lightweight, electrical cable  20 B that powers the electric fans  13 A. and  13 B, rudders&#39; motors  19 A, and the clearance light  15 . Next, there is a lightweight surveillance cable  20 C for its surveillance equipments  12 A and a lightweight communication cable  20 D for its communication equipments  14 A. 
         [0026]    The system is integrated and controlled from within the housing  30  by control panels and video screens  32 . All surveillance and communication data are displayed or processed. The system should have an independent power supply  31 A. However, the power supply  31 A should be designed so it can draw its power from the vehicle it is on. A good example would be a ship it is on. Also on a ship the bridge can have a video screen connected to the video system in the housing  30 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the airship  10  showing its external incorporated parts. The parts are the left body  11 A, the surveillance outlet  12 , the left fan  13 A, the clearance light  15 , a tubular connecting structure  16 , two of the eight fins  17 , and two of the four rudders  19 . A motor  19 A to power the rudders  19  is incorporated near the vertical fins  17 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a top view of  FIG. 3 . In addition to the above parts  11 A,  12 ,  13 A,  15 ,  16 ,  17 ,  19  and  19 A, the new parts are the communication outlet  14 , the fins  17  are fastened together by a rectangular plate  17 A fastened down, and a lifting ring  16 A for moving the airship  10 . 
         [0029]    The tubular connecting structure  16  joins the left and right twin bodies  11 A and  11 B of the airship  10  together. The structure  16  is approximately centered between the bodies  11 A and  11 B, and approximately in alignment with the fans  13 A and  13 B. 
         [0030]    The communication outlet  14  with antennas allows (1) good voice communication with other units; (2) good direction to small, long-range inspection vehicles going to concern areas on land or sea; and (3) observation and controllability over autonomous unmanned underwater or surface vessels, out to a greater range than at present. 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of  FIG. 4 . The new element is a centered hole  16 B in the underside of the tubular connecting structure  16 , for the control cables  20 A,  10 B  20 C and  20 D to pass to the housing  30  below. The hole  16 B is substantially aligned with the lifting ring  16 A. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 6 and 7  gives good views of the airship  10  and housing  30  combination. The enclosure  31  and ladder  36  are shown; the video camera  38  has been omitted for clarity. The roof structure  33  has four relatively short, outer vertical supports  32  and one taller, y-shape center vertical support  34  mounted to its flat base. In this center vertical support  34  is a vertical hole  37  that can let pass the line  20  of control cables  20 A,  20 B,  20 C and  20 D into the interior of the housing  30 . The upper ends of all the vertical supports  32  and  34  have paddings  35  for the airship  10  to rest on. 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 8  three control cables,  20 B,  20 C, and  20 D of  FIG. 2 , have been replaced with three remote control systems. The remote control transmitters RT 1 , RT 2  and RT 3  are mounted on the roof structure  33  of the housing  30  and the remote receivers RR 1 , RR 2  and RR 3  are mounted on the underside of the airship  10 . This allows commands sending and data receiving by the surveillance and communication equipments through their antennas on both the housing  30  and the airship  10 . 
         [0034]    A great improvement in batteries and other technologies could offset the weight problem associated with airships. Which is best in bad weather—a cable system or a remote control system? The U.S. Coast Guard large cutters have to go out into storms. The airship  10  should not be made much larger than the following: each body  11 A and  11 B bring up to 50 feet in length and up to 20 feet in diameter or smaller. 
         [0035]    The best type is the rigid airship  10 ; perhaps a semi-rigid one is, okay but never a non-rigid one. There should be a lightweight lightning rod to give the. airship  10  some protection from lightning strikes. 
         [0036]    See  FIG. 2 . The pivoting unit  10 A should allow a 300-degree rotation of the airship  10 . The overlapping views of the surveillance camera will give a 360-degree panorama view of a given area. However, the operator should be aware that this is good when then vehicle  40  is stationary. It is not a good idea if the vehicle  40  is moving; see  FIG. 1 . 
         [0037]    See  FIG. 4 . If any vehicle is moving the airship  10  should be turned 90-degrees only to the left or to the right. The airship  10  will be sideways but this will not create a problem for this catamaran airship  10 . A catamaran airship has a side area one-half of the side area of a regular airship of equal lifting ability. Therefore, this catamaran airship  10  will be less affected by cross winds, a great advantage. 
         [0038]    If we turn the left fan  13 A on and the right fan  13 B off and move the rudders  19  to the right (see  FIG. 3 ), the airship  10  will rotate to the right (see  FIG. 4 ). If you reverse the above the airship  10  will rotate to the left. If the rudders  19  and their electric motors  19 A are eliminated the airship  10  can still be turned right or left with the fans  13 A and  13 B, but the turning rate will be, slower. 
         [0039]    This system would be great for the Coast. Guard&#39;s search and rescue missions due to its height and mobility. It would also be good for the U.S. Navy&#39;s 
         [0040]    Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Other applications of this system as described and shown in this invention are: Drones are being used to protect endangered species in national parks; foot patrols have become expensive and dangerous. This system would be good for a complementary ground force. Arctic seagoing traffic is growing fast; the U.S. Coast Guard could use this system on its icebreakers. 
         [0041]    It is possible for electronic control technology to be integrated with electronic communication technology. The system now becomes “A VISUAL SURVEILLANCE AND LONG-RANGE COMMUNICATION-CONTROL SYSTEM,” an advanced version. Various surveillance equipments  12 A, communication equipments  14 A and control equipments can be carried in pods attached under the airship  10 . 
         [0042]    A much smaller version of this system can be used at the country&#39;s many ports and waterways. It would be used in conjunction with other security systems, being used and tested at our ports and waterways. The housing  30  would be much smaller and mounted on an anchored floating platform. The system would be a watchful eye at the entrance of a port or waterway. 
         [0043]    For this application of the system a permanent housing  30  would be better than a portable one. It would last longer in areas of extreme bad weather. The power supply  31 A inside the housing  30  would use power from solar panels, a wind turbine and batteries. 
         [0044]    The airship  10  would be smaller and have a height of 50 feet above the top of the roof structure  33  of the housing  30 . It would only be landed for periodic maintenance checks and/or repairs. The rudders  19 A and their electric motors  19 A are eliminated. The catamaran design and the eight fins  17  would keep the airship  10  very stabile for good day and night and all-weather surveillance, communication and controlling. This port and waterway system would be remote-controlled from a land-based headquarter and electronically monitored by various water vehicles. 
         [0045]    Several advantages and objects will be given: This airship  10  is adjustable in height and is noiseless. The airship  10  can be set at,  30  feet for example. This would give you an excellent view of the surrounding area without making the airship  10  too conspicuous. 
         [0046]    The airship,  10  can be used in areas from a crowded metropolis to a remote bay due to its portability and independent power supply  31 A. It can be camouflaged for good concealment as well. It saves space by landing and taking off from the roof structure  33  of the housing  30 . 
         [0047]    One other important feature is that the left fan  13 A and the right fan  13 B together can create a pressure difference about the airship  10 ; the lifting power of the airship  10  will increase. No new technology is needed but as technology gets better, so will this system.