JP6936492B2 - How to control an unmanned aircraft - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an unmanned air vehicle.

In recent years, various services using aircraft such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (hereinafter, simply collectively referred to as "unmanned aerial vehicles") have been provided.

Conventionally, when flying an unmanned aircraft, by setting a predetermined corridor (flight path) and flight plan (flight route of the aircraft) to the unmanned aircraft in advance, autonomous or remote support from the control device (See, for example, Patent Document 1), a technique that makes it possible to carry out a flight plan is disclosed. In particular, Patent Document 1 describes that when an air vehicle detects an obstacle or the like in the middle of the flight route, the flight route is updated so as to avoid the obstacle or the like.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-95246

However, when a large number of unmanned aircraft fly, it becomes difficult to deal with them by the techniques described in the above documents, and it is common for a plurality of unmanned aircraft to maintain order and realize safe flight. A modified flight rule over the sky is required.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a control method for an unmanned flying object capable of flying while avoiding a collision by a plurality of unmanned flying objects by devising a new flight rule.

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for controlling an unmanned flying object, which includes a step of setting a flight route and a step of controlling the flight of the unmanned flying object based on the flight route. In the step of setting the route, in the first altitude zone, the first corridor in which the unmanned vehicle flies in the first direction is set in the first flight path, and the second corridor is different from the first corridor. A control method comprising setting a second corridor in a second flight path in which the unmanned aircraft flies in a direction intersecting the first direction in the altitude zone of.

According to the present invention, by devising a novel flight rule, it is possible to provide a control method for an unmanned air vehicle capable of flying while avoiding a collision by a plurality of unmanned air vehicles.

FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram including a management terminal and an air vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the hardware composition of the control device by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the flying object according to the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the control unit and the storage unit among the control devices according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart about flight control by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the corridor (floor) by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the corridor (strata) by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining a plurality of lanes constituting a corridor according to the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which concerns on the direction change of the flight control by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the tile by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which looked at the flight path from the sky to the unmanned flying body which flies the tile by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is an aerial view of another example of a flight path to an unmanned vehicle flying tiles according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which explains the route change process in detail in the flight control by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which explains the route change process in detail in the flight control according to the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart about flight route setting by 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the flight route setting by the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the setting of the scheduled passage time of each point of an air vehicle in the flight route setting according to the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which explains the route change process in detail in the flight control by the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of flight control related to flight route setting and flight status confirmation processing according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the setting of the scheduled passage time of each point of an air vehicle in the flight route setting according to the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the flight route setting by the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram explaining the setting of the scheduled passage time of each point of an air vehicle in the flight route setting according to the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

The contents of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in a list. The flying object according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration.
[Item 1]
It ’s a control method for unmanned aircraft.
Steps to set the flight route and
It has a step to control the flight of an unmanned aircraft based on the flight route.
In the step of setting the flight route, the first corridor in which the unmanned vehicle flies in the first direction is set in the first flight path in the first altitude zone.
A control method including setting a second corridor in which the unmanned vehicle flies in a direction intersecting the first direction in a second flight path in a second altitude zone different from the first corridor. ..
[Item 2]
The control method according to item 1.
The step of setting the flight route is to set a third corridor in the first altitude zone, adjacent to the first corridor, in which the unmanned vehicle flies in a direction opposite to the first corridor. A control method that further includes setting up three flight paths.
[Item 3]
The control method according to item 1.
The step of setting the flight route further includes a fourth corridor in the second altitude zone, adjacent to the second corridor, in which the unmanned vehicle flies in a direction opposite to the second corridor. A control method that further includes setting a fourth flight path.
[Item 4]
The control method according to item 1.
The first corridor is a control method characterized by having a plurality of lanes.
[Item 5]
The control method according to item 4.
A control method characterized in that the plurality of lanes are composed of an acceleration zone, a traffic zone, a deceleration zone, and a stop zone.
[Item 6]
The control method according to item 2.
A control method characterized in that a first fiber is formed by the first corridor and the third corridor.
[Item 7]
The control method according to item 3.
A control method characterized in that a second fiber is formed by the second corridor and the fourth corridor.
[Item 8]
The control method according to item 6 and item 7.
A control method comprising setting a region where the first fiber and the second fiber intersect as tiles.
[Item 9]
The control method according to item 8.
A control method in which the tile is set as an area where the unmanned vehicle changes its flight path to another corridor.
[Item 10]
The control method according to item 8.
A control method for controlling an unmanned vehicle to change its flight path to another corridor while flying clockwise or counterclockwise in the tile.
[Item 11]
The control method according to item 8.
The control method, wherein the step of setting the flight route includes setting the flight route based on the information about the starting point and the destination of the unmanned vehicle.
[Item 12]
The control method according to item 11.
A control method for confirming that the current flight position is located on the flight route based on information on the current flight position from the unmanned aircraft.
[Item 13]
The control method according to item 8.
A control method for changing the flight path to another corridor in the shortest distance when it is confirmed that another flying object does not pass within a certain period of time when passing through the tile.
[Item 14]
The control method according to item 11.
The step of setting the flight route further sets the estimated time of arrival for each tile or corridor located on the flight route, and the unmanned aircraft passes through the same tile or the same corridor at the same time as other unmanned aircraft. A control method that manages time so that it does not occur.
[Item 15]
The control method according to item 1.
The step of setting the flight route further includes a step of registering an airspace in which flight is prohibited, and a control method for setting a flight route so that the unmanned vehicle does not pass through the airspace in which flight is prohibited.
[Item 16]
The control method according to item 15.
The step of registering the airspace for which flight is prohibited further includes a control method for setting a flight route including a step of registering a predetermined time zone for prohibiting flight [Item 17].
The control method according to item 1.
When the unmanned air vehicle and another air vehicle approach each other in the flight route, the unmanned air vehicle and the other air vehicle are based on any of the characteristics and conditions of the unmanned air vehicle and the other air vehicle. A control method for selecting the passage order of unmanned aircraft.
[Item 18]
The control method according to item 1.
A control method for setting restriction information that restricts the unmanned vehicle to fly within a predetermined range in the flight route.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a method for controlling an unmanned flying object according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram including a control device and a plurality of unmanned aircraft according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 1 connects to a plurality of unmanned aircraft 2A, 2B, 2G, etc. via a network such as the Internet (hereinafter, for convenience, any of these aircraft is simply "flighted". Body 2 "). Examples of networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), infrared rays, wireless networks, WiFi, point-to-point (P2P) networks, telecommunications networks, cloud communications, and the like. Here, examples of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 include an unmanned aerial vehicle (for example, a drone) that can autonomously fly or can be remotely controlled and controlled by the control device 1. Predetermined information from the unmanned aircraft 2 to the control device 1, for example, flight position information (latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) of the unmanned aircraft 2, flight path, battery usage / remaining amount, flight speed, flight. Information such as time, acceleration, tilt, and other operating conditions of the device is transmitted automatically or in response to a request from the control device 1.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the control device 1. The illustrated configuration is an example, and may have other configurations.

As shown, the control device 1 is connected to a database (not shown) to form part of the system. The control device 1 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

The control device 1 includes at least a control unit 10, a memory 11, a storage 12, a transmission / reception unit 13, an input / output unit 14, and the like, and these are electrically connected to each other through a bus 15.

The control unit 10 is an arithmetic unit that controls the operation of the entire control device 1, controls the transmission and reception of data between each element, and performs information processing and the like necessary for application execution and authentication processing. For example, the control unit 10 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes each information processing by executing a program or the like stored in the storage 12 and expanded in the memory 11.

The memory 11 includes a main memory composed of a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary memory composed of a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). .. The memory 11 is used as a work area or the like of the processor 10, and also stores a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) executed when the management server 1 is started, various setting information, and the like.

The storage 12 stores various programs such as application programs. A database storing data used for each process may be built in the storage 12.

The transmission / reception unit 13 connects the management server 1 to the network and the blockchain network. The transmission / reception unit 13 may be provided with a short-range communication interface of Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

The input / output unit 14 is an information input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and an output device such as a display.

The bus 15 is commonly connected to each of the above elements and transmits, for example, an address signal, a data signal, and various control signals.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an air vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The following functional block diagram is described as a concept stored in a single device (aircraft) for the sake of simplicity, but for example, some of its functions are described as an external device (for example, a control device). It may be logically configured by exerting it in 1) or by using cloud computing technology.

The flight controller 21 can have one or more processors such as a programmable processor (eg, central processing unit (CPU)).

The flight controller 21 has a memory 22 and can access the memory. Memory 22 stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that the flight controller 21 can execute to perform one or more steps.

The memory 22 may include, for example, a separable medium such as an SD card or random access memory (RAM) or an external storage device. The data acquired from the cameras and sensors 27 may be directly transmitted and stored in the memory. For example, still image / moving image data taken by a camera or the like is recorded in an internal memory or an external memory. The camera is attached to the flying object via the gimbal 28.

The flight controller 21 includes a control module configured to control the state of the flying object. For example, the control module adjusts the spatial placement, velocity, and / or acceleration of an air vehicle with six degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y and z, and rotational motion θ _x , θ _y and θ _z). , Controls the propulsion mechanism (motor 30, etc.) of the flying object via ESC29. The propeller 31 is rotated by the motor to generate lift of the flying object. The control module can control one or more of the states of the mounting unit and the sensors.

The flight controller 21 is configured to transmit and / or receive data from one or more external devices (eg, transmitter / receiver 25 (propo), terminal, display device, or other remote controller). It is possible to communicate with the unit 26. The transmitter / receiver 25 can use any suitable communication means such as wired communication or wireless communication. In this embodiment, since it is assumed that the flying object performs autonomous flight, manual operation by an external device such as a radio can be omitted.

For example, the transmission / reception unit 26 uses one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared rays, wireless, WiFi, a point-to-point (P2P) network, a telecommunications network, a cloud communication, and the like. can do.

The transmission / reception unit 26 transmits and / or receives one or more of the data acquired by the sensors 27, the processing result generated by the flight controller 21, the predetermined control data, the user command from the terminal or the remote controller, and the like. be able to.

Sensors 27 according to this embodiment may include inertial sensors (acceleration sensors, gyro sensors), GPS sensors, proximity sensors (eg, riders), or vision / image sensors (eg, cameras).

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 10 and the storage 12 in the control device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of flight control of an unmanned vehicle executed in the control device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The present process described in the present embodiment can be realized by executing each flight control program stored in the storage 12 of the control device 1 in the control unit, and similarly, in the memory 22 of the unmanned aircraft 2. It can also be realized by executing each program for flight control stored in advance in the flight controller 21. Alternatively, each process constituting this process can also be realized by the control device 1 and the unmanned aircraft 2 collaborating to process each process. The feature of this embodiment is that by executing the programmed processing once, it is possible to realize a completely autonomous flight of the flying object without performing real-time processing on the way.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, the flight route setting unit 43 of the control unit 10 sets the first corridor 61 (see FIG. 6) included in the map information storage unit 52 as the first flight route of the flight route. (S101). The map information can be acquired from the outside of the control device 1 via the input / output unit 14 in the map information acquisition unit 42 of the control unit 10, or can be stored in advance by the control device 2.

6 and 7 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a corridor according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The corridor means an air path through which an air vehicle can travel in a specific direction, and can be defined by a direction, an altitude zone, a width, a time zone, and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the first corridor 61 has an altitude zone (eg 100-500 feet) and a width (eg 25 °) so that the unmanned air vehicle can fly in a predetermined direction (eg 90 °). It can be defined as an airway with (meters). In addition, a third corridor 62 is provided adjacent to the first corridor so that the unmanned air vehicle flies in the opposite direction (eg, 270 °) to the first corridor 61. It can be defined as an airway having substantially the same altitude zone as that of the first corridor and substantially the same width as the first corridor. Then, an unmanned vehicle is provided with a corridor capable of flying in the same direction as the first corridor further adjacent to the third corridor 62, and a corridor capable of flying in the same direction as the third corridor. Can be provided. In this way, it is possible to provide a plurality of corridors in which an unmanned vehicle can fly in the same direction. A structure in which a plurality of corridors are provided in the same altitude zone can also be called a "floor".

As shown in FIG. 7, another floor can be provided so as to intersect the floor at an altitude zone different from that of the floor. In this way, a structure in which floors composed of a plurality of corridors are stacked so as to intersect can be called a "strata". In FIG. 7, the second corridor 71 has an altitude zone (eg 1000-1500 feet) and a width (eg 25 meters) so that the unmanned air vehicle can fly in a predetermined direction (eg 0 °). It can be defined as an airway. Also, a fourth corridor 72 is provided adjacent to the second corridor so that the unmanned air vehicle flies in the opposite direction (eg, 180 °) to the second corridor 72. It can be defined as an airway having substantially the same altitude zone as that of the second corridor and substantially the same width as the second corridor. As a result, the unmanned aircraft can move freely by freely moving back and forth between different floors even in overlapping areas when viewed from the sky. In addition, a predetermined rule can be applied to the naming of the corridor. For example, by naming the corridor as "0-1", the number of floors counted vertically from the ground surface and the number of floors counted horizontally from the predetermined end. A specific corridor can be understood by combining it with the number of floors. Further, on the same floor, odd-numbered corridors and even-numbered corridors counting horizontally from a predetermined end can be arranged so as to be corridors for the flying object to fly in the same direction.

Returning to FIG. 5, the flight route setting unit 43 of the control unit 10 sets the second corridor 71 included in the map information storage unit 52 as the second flight route of the flight route (S102). As a result, the flight route is set so that the first corridor 61 and the second corridor intersect at different altitude zones, and the unmanned vehicle can fly each corridor while changing the altitude, so that it is unmanned. The aircraft can freely change its flight path and fly safely while avoiding collisions with other unmanned aircraft.

Similarly, the flight route setting unit 43 of the control unit 10 sets the third corridor 62 included in the map information storage unit 52 as the third flight route of the flight route (S103). By setting the first corridor 61 and the third corridor 62, the unmanned vehicle can freely and safely change the flight path in different directions.

Further, the flight route setting unit 43 of the control unit 10 sets the fourth corridor 72 included in the map information storage unit 52 as the fourth flight path of the flight route (S104). In this way, by setting the first corridor 61, the second corridor 71, the third corridor 62, and the fourth corridor 72 as the routes of the flight routes, the unmanned vehicle can move in different directions at the same altitude. Since it is possible to move to the destination while flying in a belt and different altitude zones, it is possible to realize more flexible flight route setting while realizing safe and free flight.

Subsequently, the flight control unit 41 of the control unit 10 controls the unmanned flying object to fly in the predetermined direction on the flight path set above. As described above, by controlling each flying object to fly according to the flight route based on the traffic rules, it is possible for a plurality of unmanned flying objects to fly while avoiding collision. A method of controlling an unmanned aircraft can be provided.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a plurality of lanes constituting the corridor according to the first embodiment of the present invention. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the corridor 61 can be composed of a plurality of lanes such as an acceleration zone 61A, a lane 61B, a deceleration zone 61C, and a stop zone 61D. Each lane can be provided so as to be arranged horizontally with respect to the ground surface (at substantially the same altitude zone) or vertically with respect to the ground surface (at different altitude zones). However, as shown in FIG. 8B, it is preferable that the lanes are provided adjacent to each other, and it is further preferable that at least the lane is provided adjacent to the other lanes. For each lane, first, the acceleration zone is the lane for accelerating from the unmanned aircraft entering the corridor until it reaches the specified speed of the lane, and the lane is mainly the aircraft where the unmanned aircraft moves in the corridor. A lane to fly can be defined as a lane that is only allowed to fly at a constant speed, a deceleration zone is a lane that decelerates from the lane until it reaches the slow speed of the stop zone, and a stop zone is Defined as a lane where an unmanned aircraft stops and waits to enter the acceleration zone on the upper or lower floor (intersection of the stop zone and the acceleration zone on another floor = entrance) and is only allowed to drive slowly. can do. Also, in the stop zone, waiting machines to enter the entrance will be lined up (= queue), but the length of the queue is limited, and it will be later between the last slow-moving aircraft and the last aircraft in the line. You can set rules such as not to enter.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of flight control for changing direction according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the above example, an example in which an unmanned vehicle moves while flying in different corridors or different floors has been described, but when moving while flying in different floors, a predetermined rule is set to control the flight of the vehicle. This allows multiple flying objects to achieve safer and more orderly flight. Further, the present process described in the present embodiment can be realized by executing each flight control program stored in the storage 12 of the control device 1 in the control unit, and similarly, the memory of the unmanned aircraft 2 It can also be realized by executing each flight control program stored in advance in 22 in the flight controller 21. Alternatively, each process constituting this process can also be realized by the control device 1 and the unmanned aircraft 2 collaborating to process each process.

In FIG. 9, first, the flight control unit 41 of the control unit 10 controls the unmanned vehicle to fly, for example, in the first corridor (S201). Subsequently, the flight control unit 41 confirms that the unmanned aircraft is flying in the tile (S202).

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating tiles according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 10, a plurality of corridors including the first corridor 61 and the third corridor 62 (the combination of two corridors set for the flying object to fly in different directions is referred to as “fiber”) are substantially the same. It is arranged in an altitude zone, and a plurality of corridors including the second corridor 71 and the fourth corridor 72 are arranged in an altitude zone different from the corridors such as the first corridor 61 and the third corridor 62. ing. The region where the fibers intersect at different altitude zones is called a "tile", and a plurality of tiles are formed by intersecting a plurality of corridors at different altitudes. For example, in FIG. 10, when the combination fiber 82 of the first corridor 61 and the third corridor 62 is referred to, and the fiber 82 refers to the combination of the second corridor 71 and the fourth corridor 72 as the fiber 83. , The region where these fibers 82 and 83 intersect can be defined as tiles.

The control device 2 can determine that the unmanned vehicle is flying in the tile, for example, based on the information transmitted from the sensor such as GPS built in the unmanned vehicle. In S202, when the flight control unit 41 determines that the unmanned aircraft is flying in the tile, the flight control unit 41 then controls the unmanned aircraft to change the route based on the preset flight route. (S203). In this process, it is possible for an unmanned aircraft to perform rerouting within the area of the tile.

FIG. 11 is a view of the flight path of an unmanned vehicle flying on tiles as viewed from above according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the flight control unit 41 can control the flying object to fly a predetermined route A and route B within the area of the tile 81. When the aircraft 41 enters the tile area, it is controlled to fly on Route A. Then, by changing the course to route B, it is controlled to invade the corridor to be changed. In this way, within the tile, all flying objects can be in the same direction (clockwise in this example, but counterclockwise depending on right and left traffic, regardless of the route of the departure corridor and the entry corridor. ) To turn. This allows the unmanned aircraft to carry out safe and orderly rerouting according to simple traffic rules.

FIG. 12 is an aerial view of another example of a flight path to an unmanned flying object flying tiles according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the flight control unit 41 controls the flying object to fly the shortest predetermined route C or route D in the area of the tile 81 according to the route to be turned. be able to. For example, when the flying object 41 confirms that other flying objects do not pass within a certain period of time when entering the tile area, the shortest route C from the approaching corridor 71 to the leaving corridor 62 is set to the altitude. Controlled to fly while changing. Alternatively, the flight is controlled to fly on the shortest route D from the approach corridor 71 to the exit corridor 61 while changing the altitude. This allows the unmanned aircraft to perform safe and orderly rerouting according to simpler traffic rules.

In this example, in S201, the unmanned vehicle flies through the first corridor 61 and enters the tile 81 in S202. Then, it is controlled to fly the route A, changes the route to the second corridor 71 via the route B, and is controlled to fly the second corridor (S204).

FIG. 12 is an aerial view of another example of a flight path to an unmanned flying object flying tiles according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 12, the flight control unit 41 controls the flying object to fly the shortest predetermined route C or route D in the area of the tile 81 according to the route to be turned. be able to. For example, when the aircraft 41 enters the tile area, it is controlled to fly on the shortest route C from the entry corridor 71 to the departure corridor 62 while changing the altitude. Alternatively, the flight is controlled to fly on the shortest route D from the approach corridor 71 to the exit corridor 61 while changing the altitude. This allows the unmanned aircraft to perform safe and orderly rerouting according to simpler traffic rules.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a route change process in detail in the flight control according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining in detail the route change process in the flight control according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the details of the route change processing will be described with reference to an example in which the aircraft passes on a side different from the other examples of the present embodiment for convenience. In addition, for convenience, different floors in which areas overlap in the vertical direction in the tile will be described separately for each altitude zone. Further, the present process described in the present embodiment can be realized by executing each flight control program stored in the storage 12 of the control device 1 in the control unit, and similarly, the memory of the unmanned aircraft 2 It can also be realized by executing each flight control program stored in 22 in the flight controller 21, and each process constituting this process is processed in cooperation with the control device 1 and the unmanned aircraft 2. It can also be realized by doing.

First, the flight control unit 41 controls the unmanned flying object to fly a specific corridor in a specific direction (eg, 90 ° direction) (S301). Subsequently, the flight control unit 41 controls, in principle, toward the stop zone of the corridor when the flying object enters the tile (S302). (Example: 0 °) Following the cruise, the flight control unit 41 controls the flying object to once reach the stop zone and change the altitude zone toward the corridor to be entered (S303).

Subsequently, the flight control unit 41 controls the flying object to change direction (eg, turn in the direction of 0 °) (S304) and fly toward the acceleration zone of the corridor to be approached (S305). Then, the flight control unit 41 accelerates by entering the acceleration zone of the corridor, and finally enters the traveling zone of the corridor to control the corridor to which the route is changed to cruise in a specific direction (S306). ).

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of the flight status confirmation process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating flight route setting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Here, the present process described in the present embodiment can be realized by executing each flight control program stored in the storage 12 of the control device 1 in the control unit, and similarly, the unmanned aircraft 2 It can also be realized by executing each flight control program stored in the memory 22 in the flight controller 21, and each process constituting this process is performed by the control device 1 and the unmanned aircraft 2 in cooperation with each other. It can also be realized by processing.

First, the input / output unit 14 of the control device 1 receives information on the departure point and the destination from the unmanned aircraft (S401). Subsequently, the flight route setting unit 43 of the control unit 10 of the control device 1 sets the flight route based on the received departure point and destination information (S402). For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the departure point (X) and the destination (Y) are first set by referring to the map information composed of a plurality of corridors stored in the map information storage unit 52 of the storage 12, and then the map. The tile 81 and the tile 82 included in the above are specified as the flight path change area, and the flight route is set. The flight route that constitutes the flight route can be set by referring to 1) distance, 2) no-fly zone, 3) other weather information, and the like. No-fly zones can be registered in advance. In addition, it is possible to register in advance a predetermined time zone or a regular time zone in which flight is prohibited, and to register as a no-fly zone in that time zone. For example, when a helicopter crosses a corridor-managed airspace, a no-fly zone can be set on the corridor based on the scheduled flight time of the helicopter. Further, when setting the flight route, it is possible to set in advance the scheduled time to pass through the change area of the flight route (tile 81A and tile 81B in the example of FIG. 16). Further, for example, when passing through a point where the airframe is concentrated at a specific point having an airport function such as a drone port, such as a departure point (X) or a destination (Y), the airframe It is also possible to select the passage order based on the aircraft characteristics and state information of. In addition, when the points that can be entered or exited are restricted in a specific airspace that has an airport function, etc., the set restriction information (latitude / longitude, altitude, speed, departure or arrival time zone, etc.) You can also set the flight route to fly within range. Further, based on the information on the strength and sensitivity of communication from the communication equipment registered in advance, the flight route can be set so that the air vehicle passes through the region where the communication strength and sensitivity are high. As a result, the flight path and transit time of each unmanned aircraft can be determined, so that the possibility of traffic on the flight route is reduced, and each unmanned aircraft can maintain safe and orderly flight. can.

FIG. 17 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the setting of the scheduled passage time of each point of the flying object in the flight route setting according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 17, the horizontal axis is the distance l from the departure point (X) to the destination (Y), and the vertical axis is the axis related to the time t from the departure time to the destination arrival time. On the way of the horizontal axis l, each passing point l1 to l4 of the flying object is set, and each scheduled arrival time of the flying object is set on the time axis extending in the vertical axis direction. For example, the passing point l1 can be preset so that the flying object passes during the period from time t1 to t1'. In the flight route, there may be a case where the flying object cannot fly as planned due to disturbance such as wind. Therefore, the passing time of l1 of the flying object may be set to a predetermined width from t1 to t1', and from l2 to l4. As the distance increases, it becomes more susceptible to such disturbances. Therefore, in consideration of the difference in arrival time at each passing point, the time width from tun to tun'is increased from tun-1 to tun-1'. It can be set to be relatively longer than the time width of.

Returning to FIG. 16, the control device 1 then transmits the set flight route to the unmanned vehicle via the input / output unit 14 (S403). The flying object performs remote control or autonomous flight by the control device 1 based on this flight route.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 18 is a flowchart of flight control for changing direction according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The first embodiment is characterized in that once the program is executed, it is possible to realize completely autonomous flight without requiring real-time control on the way. The feature is that the flight accuracy can be further improved by performing flight monitoring and real-time processing in the flight stroke of the flying object. In the process according to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, each program for flight control previously stored in the storage 12 of the control device is executed in the control unit, or the memory of the unmanned aircraft 2 is executed. This can be realized by executing each flight control program stored in advance in 22 in the flight controller 21. Alternatively, each process constituting this process can also be realized by the control device 1 and the unmanned aircraft 2 collaborating to process each process. Further, the basic configuration of the control device and the flying object is basically the same as that described in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 18, first, the flight control unit 41 of the control unit 10 controls the unmanned vehicle to fly, for example, in the first corridor (S501). Subsequently, the flight control unit 41 detects that the unmanned aircraft is flying in the tile as described in FIG. 10 (S502).

Whether or not the unmanned vehicle is flying in the tile can be determined by the control device 2 based on, for example, information transmitted from a sensor such as GPS built in the unmanned vehicle. In S202, when the flight control unit 41 determines that the unmanned aircraft is flying in the tile, the flight control unit 41 then determines whether or not the unmanned aircraft changes the route (S503). In this process, it is possible for an unmanned aircraft to perform rerouting within the area of the tile.

Here, the flight control unit 41 can determine whether or not to change the route by referring to the flight route stored in the flight route storage unit 53 for the predetermined flight route. It can be determined based on the aircraft information such as the position, direction, and speed of the aircraft transmitted from the aircraft.

When the flight control unit 41 determines that the flying object changes the route, the flight control unit 41 performs the route change control (S504). The specific processing of the route change control can be the same as that described in FIGS. 11 and 12 above. For example, in S501, the unmanned vehicle flies the first corridor 61. , S502, enter the tile 81, and are controlled to fly route A shown in FIG. 11, reroute to second corridor 71 via route B, and fly the second corridor. It can be controlled to do so.

Then, the flight control unit 41 controls the unmanned flying object to fly, for example, in the first corridor (S505).

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of flight route setting and flight status confirmation processing according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, this process can be realized by executing each flight control program stored in the storage 12 of the control device 1 in the control unit, and is similarly stored in the memory 22 of the unmanned aircraft 2. It can be realized by executing each program for flight control in the flight controller 21, or it can be realized by processing each process constituting this process in cooperation with the control device 1 and the unmanned aircraft 2. Can be done.

First, the input / output unit 14 of the control device 1 receives information on the departure point and the destination from the unmanned aircraft (S601). Subsequently, the flight route setting unit 43 of the control unit 10 of the control device 1 sets the flight route based on the received departure point and destination information (S602). For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the departure point (X) and the destination (Y) are first set by referring to the map information composed of a plurality of corridors stored in the map information storage unit 52 of the storage 12, and then the map. The tile 81 and the tile 82 included in the above are specified as the flight path change area, and the flight route is set. The flight route that constitutes the flight route can be set by referring to 1) distance, 2) other weather information, and the like. Further, when setting the flight route, it is possible to set in advance the scheduled time to pass through the change area of the flight route (tile 81A and tile 81B in the example of FIG. 16). As a result, the flight path and transit time of each unmanned aircraft can be determined, so that the possibility of traffic on the flight route is reduced, and each unmanned aircraft can maintain safe and orderly flight. can.

Next, the control device 1 transmits the set flight route to the unmanned vehicle via the input / output unit 14 (S603). The flying object performs remote control or autonomous flight by the control device 1 based on this flight route. Then, the flight body information acquisition unit 44 of the control device 1 acquires information (current flight position information, remaining battery level, flight speed, flight path, etc.) about the flight body from the unmanned flight body on a regular basis or on a request basis. (S604).

Based on the acquired flight object information, the flight status monitoring unit 45 determines whether the flight object is flying on the flight route and whether the flight object has passed a predetermined flight path at a predetermined time. Check the situation (S605). When the aircraft is flying other than the specified flight route, it controls the flight so that the aircraft flies on the flight route, or when it passes the checkpoint on the flight route later than the specified time, it flies. Controls such as increasing the flight speed of the body.

FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the setting of the scheduled passage time of each point of the flying object in the flight route setting according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 20, the horizontal axis is the distance l from the departure point (X) to the destination (Y), and the vertical axis is the axis related to the time t from the departure time to the destination arrival time. On the way of the horizontal axis l, each passing point l1 to l4 of the flying object is set, and each scheduled arrival time of the flying object is set on the time axis extending in the vertical axis direction. For example, the passing point l1 can be preset so that the flying object passes during the period from time t1 to t1'. In the flight route, there may be a case where the flying object cannot fly as planned due to disturbance such as wind. Therefore, the passing time of l1 of the flying object may be set to a predetermined width from t1 to t1', and from l2 to l4. As the distance increases, it becomes more susceptible to such disturbances. Therefore, in consideration of the difference in arrival time at each passing point, the time width from tun to tun'is increased from tun-1 to tun-1'. It can be set to be relatively longer than the time width of. In the present embodiment, the width of the scheduled passage time can be adjusted according to the flight status confirmation process in S605. For example, when the time when the air vehicle passes the passing point l1 exceeds the range from the originally scheduled time t1 to t1'(for example, when it is "t'"), the flight route setting unit 43 performs the same flight. By changing the latest scheduled passage time of the passing point l2 to the body from t2'to t2', the flight route setting can be changed in real time. As a result, more flexible route setting, particularly setting of the scheduled transit time can be realized.

(Third Embodiment)
FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating flight route setting according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the first and second embodiments described above, the processing focusing on the flight control of individual flying objects has been described, but in the present embodiment, the flight control in consideration of the flight of a plurality of flying objects will be described. In the process according to the present embodiment, as in the above embodiment, each program for flight control previously stored in the storage 12 of the control device is executed in the control unit, or the memory 22 of the unmanned aircraft 2 is preliminarily executed. It can be realized by executing each stored flight control program in the flight controller 21. Alternatively, each process constituting this process can also be realized by the control device 1 and the unmanned aircraft 2 collaborating to process each process. Further, the basic configuration of the control device and the flying object is basically the same as that described in the above embodiment.

First, the input / output unit 14 of the control device 1 receives information on the departure point and the destination from the unmanned aircraft a (S701). Subsequently, the input / output unit 14 of the control device 1 receives information on the departure point and the destination from another unmanned aircraft b, which is different from the unmanned aircraft a (S702). The flight route setting unit 43 of the control unit 10 of the control device 1 sets the flight route of the flight body a based on the received departure point and destination information received from the flight body a and the flight body b (S703). .. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the departure point (X) and the destination (Y) are first set by referring to the map information composed of a plurality of corridors stored in the map information storage unit 52 of the storage 12, and then the map. The tiles 81A and 81B included in the above are specified as the flight path change areas, and the flight route is set. The flight route that constitutes the flight route can be set by referring to 1) distance, 2) other weather information, and 3) traffic of the aircraft. In addition, when setting the flight route, the scheduled time to pass through the flight route change area (tile 81A and tile 81B in the example of FIG. 16) is also set in advance based on the traffic of other aircraft. be able to. This allows the flight path and transit time of each unmanned aircraft to be determined more strictly, which reduces the possibility of traffic on the flight route and maintains safe and orderly flight of each unmanned aircraft. can do.

FIG. 22 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the setting of the scheduled passage time of each point of the flying object in the flight route setting according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 21, the horizontal axis is the distance l from the departure point (X) to the destination (Y), and the vertical axis is the axis related to the time t from the departure time to the destination arrival time. On the way of the horizontal axis l, each passing point l1 to l4 of the flying object is set. It is set on the axis. For example, the passing point l1 can be preset so that the flying object a passes during the period from time ta1 to ta1'. In the flight route, in addition to cases where the aircraft cannot fly as planned due to disturbances such as wind, the physical and temporal airspace in which the aircraft can fly may be restricted by the traffic of the aircraft including other aircraft. Therefore, the passing time of l1 of the flying object a is set to a predetermined width from the passing time tb1 to tb1'of l1 of another flying object b to a period not overlapping with the period, for example, from ta1 to ta1'. be able to.

Returning to FIG. 21, the control device 1 then transmits the set flight route to the unmanned vehicle via the input / output unit 14 (S704). The flying object performs remote control or autonomous flight by the control device 1 based on this flight route. Also, when an air vehicle and another air vehicle approach each other on a flight route, the unmanned air vehicle and other unmanned air vehicle pass through, based on any of the characteristics and conditions of the air vehicle and the other air vehicle. You can also choose the order.

The flying object of the present invention can be expected to be used as an industrial flying object in surveys, surveys, observations, and the like. In addition, the air vehicle of the present invention can be used in airplane-related industries such as multicopter drones, and further, through the present invention, it contributes to the improvement of safety related to the flight of these air vehicles and air vehicles. be able to.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes an equivalent thereof.

1 Control system 2A-2G Aircraft

Claims (12)

It ’s a control method for unmanned aircraft.
Steps to set the flight route and
It has a step to control the flight of an unmanned aircraft based on the flight route.
The step of setting the flight route is
In the first altitude zone, the first corridor in which the unmanned vehicle flies in the first direction is set as the first flight path.
In a second altitude zone different from the first corridor, a second corridor in which the unmanned vehicle flies in a direction intersecting the first direction is set as the second flight path.
In the first altitude zone, adjacent to the first corridor, a third flight path is set for the third corridor in which the unmanned vehicle flies in the direction opposite to the first corridor.
In the second altitude zone, adjacent to the second corridor, a fourth corridor in which the unmanned vehicle flies in the direction opposite to the second corridor is set as a fourth flight path. Including
The first corridor and the third corridor form a first fiber.
The second corridor and the fourth corridor form a second fiber.
The area where the first fiber and the second fiber intersect is set as a tile, and the tile is set.
Control the unmanned vehicle to change flight path to another corridor while flying clockwise or counterclockwise within the tile.
Control method. The control method according to claim 1.
The first corridor is a control method characterized by having a plurality of lanes. The control method according to claim 2.
A control method characterized in that the plurality of lanes are composed of an acceleration zone, a traffic zone, a deceleration zone, and a stop zone. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
A control method in which the tile is set as an area where the unmanned vehicle changes its flight path to another corridor. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The control method, wherein the step of setting the flight route includes setting the flight route based on the information about the starting point and the destination of the unmanned vehicle. The control method according to claim 5.
A control method for confirming that the current flight position is located on the flight route based on information on the current flight position from the unmanned aircraft. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
A control method for changing the flight path to another corridor in the shortest distance when it is confirmed that another flying object does not pass within a certain period of time when passing through the tile. The control method according to claim 5.
The step of setting the flight route further sets the estimated time of arrival for each tile or corridor located on the flight route, and the unmanned aircraft passes through the same tile or the same corridor at the same time as other unmanned aircraft. A control method that manages time so that it does not occur. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The step of setting the flight route further includes a step of registering an airspace in which flight is prohibited, and a control method for setting a flight route so that the unmanned vehicle does not pass through the airspace in which flight is prohibited. The control method according to claim 9.
The step of registering the airspace for which flight is prohibited further includes a control method for setting a flight route including a step for registering a predetermined time zone for prohibiting flight. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
When the unmanned air vehicle and another air vehicle approach each other in the flight route, the unmanned air vehicle and the other air vehicle are based on any of the characteristics and conditions of the unmanned air vehicle and the other air vehicle. the method of selecting the path sequence of the flight body. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
A control method for setting restriction information that restricts the unmanned vehicle to fly within a predetermined range in the flight route.

Images