JP7555066B2 - Flight map data generating method, program, flight map data generating device, flight management system, flight route setting method, flight route management method, and flight instruction method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flight map data generation method, a program, a flight map data generation device, a flight management system, flight map data, a flight route setting method, a flight route management method, and a flight instruction method.

Air vehicles that can fly without a pilot on board (unmanned air vehicles) are known. When flying such an air vehicle, it is necessary to set a flight path that will avoid collisions with obstacles or other air vehicles. For example, Patent Document 1 describes how, if the set flight path overlaps with the flight path of another air vehicle, a different flight path is set.

JP 2017-117018 A

Here, when an aircraft flies a flight path, permission may be required from the landowner of the land above which the flight path is located. In this case, it is necessary to find the landowner and obtain permission, and if the flight path is set across multiple landowners' land, permission must be obtained from each of them individually, which is troublesome. In addition, there are areas where flying of aircraft is prohibited by law, etc. Therefore, even if a flight path is set as in Patent Document 1, for example, there is a risk that the aircraft will not be able to fly that flight path appropriately. Therefore, it is necessary to set the flight path appropriately.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a flight map data generation method, program, flight map data generation device, flight management system, flight map data, flight route setting method, flight route management method, and flight instruction method that can appropriately set the flight route of an aircraft.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the flight map data generation method according to the present disclosure includes a position information acquisition step of acquiring road position information, a flight possible space setting step of setting the flight possible space in which the aircraft can fly based on the road position information so that the flight possible space follows the road and setting the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, and a flight map data generation step of generating flight map data, which is map data for flight of the aircraft, by associating the position information of the flight possible space with altitude information.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the program disclosed herein causes a computer to execute a position information acquisition step of acquiring road position information, a flight possible space setting step of setting the flight possible space in which an aircraft can fly by setting the position information of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space follows the road based on the road position information, and setting the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, and a flight map data generation step of generating flight map data, which is map data for flight of the aircraft, by associating the position information of the flight possible space with altitude information.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the flight map data generation device according to the present disclosure includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of roads, a flight possible space setting unit that sets the flight possible space in which an aircraft can fly by setting the position information of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space follows the road based on the position information of the road, and sets the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, and a flight map data generation unit that associates the position information of the flight possible space with information on the altitude, and generates flight map data, which is map data for flight of the aircraft.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the flight management system according to the present disclosure includes the flight map data generating device, a flight path setting device that sets a flight path for an aircraft based on the flight map data generated by the flight map data generating device, and a flight path management device that determines whether to permit flight along the flight path set by the flight path setting device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the flight map data disclosed herein is flight map data that includes position information and altitude information of a flight space in which an aircraft can fly, and the position information is set so that the flight space is along a road, and the altitude information is set so that the flight space is at a predetermined altitude from the road.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the flight path setting method according to the present disclosure includes a flight map data acquisition step of acquiring flight map data including information on a flight space along a road and located at a predetermined altitude from the road in which the aircraft can fly, a flight path setting step of setting a flight path along which the aircraft will fly from the flight space set in the flight map data, and a flight time zone setting step of setting a flight time zone during which the flight path will be used.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the flight path management method of the present disclosure includes an application information acquisition step of acquiring the flight path and the flight time period generated by the flight path setting method, a determination step of determining whether the flight path included in the application information is reserved as a flight path for another aircraft during the flight time period included in the application information, and a permission information output step of outputting permission information to the aircraft that is the subject of the application information to permit the use of the flight path during the flight time period if it is determined in the determination step that the flight path is not reserved as a flight path for another aircraft.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the flight instruction method of the present disclosure includes a request step of outputting flight-related information including position information of the departure point and destination of the aircraft and information on the time period during which the aircraft will fly, and requesting the setting of a flight path, an acquisition step of acquiring the flight path and the flight time period generated by the flight path setting method in response to the request step, and an instruction step of causing the aircraft to fly along the acquired flight path and flight time period.

The present invention allows the flight path of an aircraft to be set appropriately.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a flight management system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the measurement device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of acquiring road position information and obstacle height information. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of acquiring road position information and obstacle height information. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a flight map data generating device according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flight space. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram illustrating a flight space. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating the flight space. FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram for explaining a segment. FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram for explaining the segments. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the segments. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the segments. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a flight map. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a flow of generating flight map data. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a flight space on the ground surface covering a tunnel. FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of an aircraft according to this embodiment. FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram of an aircraft control system according to this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a schematic block diagram of a flight route planning device according to this embodiment. FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram of a flight path management device according to this embodiment. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of setting a flight route. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a flight path. FIG. 20 is a diagram for explaining an example of setting a flight path when segments are set as in FIG.

Below, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

(Flight Management System)
1 is a schematic block diagram of a flight management system according to the present embodiment. The flight management system 1 according to the present embodiment includes an aircraft 10, an aircraft control device 12, a flight route setting device 14, a flight route management device 16, a flight map data generating device 18, and a measurement device VX. The flight management system 1 is a system that manages the flight of the aircraft 10.

The aircraft 10 is an unmanned aircraft that can fly without a crew member on board. The aircraft 10 is, for example, a so-called drone or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). In this embodiment, the aircraft 10 flies autonomously without being operated by an operator, but is not limited to this, and may fly by being remotely controlled by an operator. In this embodiment, the aircraft 10 weighs less than 200 g, but is not limited to this, and may weigh 200 g or more. In this embodiment, the aircraft 10 carries luggage, flies a set flight path, and transports the luggage to a destination. In this way, the aircraft 10 is used for delivery purposes, but is not limited to transportation purposes, and may be used for any purpose. In the example of FIG. 1, the flight management system 1 is described as managing one aircraft 10, but may be used to manage multiple aircraft 10. A detailed description of the aircraft 10 will be given later.

The flying object control device 12 is a device (server) that manages the flight of the flying object 10, and is used, for example, by an individual or organization (such as a company) that manages the flying object 10. In this embodiment, the flying object control device 12 is used by a delivery company that uses the flying object 10 to deliver packages. However, the entity that uses the flying object control device 12 may be arbitrary. The flying object control device 12 sets flight-related information such as the time and destination at which the flying object 10 will fly, and transmits the flight-related information to the flight path setting device 14, thereby acquiring information on the flight path of the flying object 10 from the flight path setting device 14. The flying object control device 12 transmits the flight path information to the flying object 10 and causes the flying object 10 to fly according to the flight path. A detailed explanation of the flying object control device 12 will be given later.

The flight path setting device 14 is a device (server) that sets the flight path of the flying object 10, and is used by an individual or organization (such as a company) that provides information on the set flight path to the flying object control device 12. In this embodiment, the flight path setting device 14 is used by an entity different from the entity that uses the flying object control device 12. However, the entity that uses the flight path setting device 14 may be any entity, and may be used by the same entity as the flying object control device 12, for example.

The flight path setting device 14 sets the flight path of the flying object 10 based on flight-related information acquired from the flying object control device 12 and flight map data A acquired from the flight map data generation device 18 described below. The flight path setting device 14 applies to the flight path management device 16 for flight permission for the flight path during the set time period. Once the flight path setting device 14 acquires flight permission for the flight path from the flight path management device 16, it transmits information about the flight path to the flying object control device 12. A detailed explanation of the flight path setting device 14 will be given later.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a flight map data generation method, program, flight map data generation device, flight management system , flight path setting method, flight path management method, and flight instruction method, which are capable of appropriately setting the flight path of an aircraft.

When the flight route management device 16 receives a flight request for a flight route from the flight route setting device 14, it refers to the flight map data A acquired from the flight map data generation device 18 described later and determines whether the flight route has been reserved as a flight route for another flying object 10 during the requested time period. If the flight route has been reserved as a flight route for another flying object 10, the flight route management device 16 rejects the flight request and transmits information to the flight route setting device 14 that flight on the flight route is not permitted. If the flight route management device 16 has not been reserved as a flight route for another flying object 10, it accepts the flight request and transmits information to the flight route setting device 14 that flight on the flight route is permitted. In other words, the flight route management device 16 performs exclusive control so that multiple flying objects 10 do not use the same flight route in the same time period, in other words, so that one flying object 10 occupies the flight route for each time period. A detailed description of the flight route management device 16 will be given later.

The flight map data generating device 18 generates flight map data A, which is information for the flight route setting device 14 to set a flight route. The flight map data generating device 18 is used, for example, by an entity other than the entities that use the aircraft control device 12, the flight route setting device 14, and the flight route management device 16. However, the entity that uses the flight map data generating device 18 may be any entity.

The measurement device VX is a device that acquires data for generating flight map data A. The measurement device VX detects information such as the position of roads and obstacles present on roads as data for generating flight map data A. The measurement device VX may be used by the same entity that uses the flight map data generation device 18.

The measuring device VX will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the measuring device according to this embodiment. The measuring device VX is mounted on a vehicle V, and detects and records the position of the road and obstacles present on the road while the vehicle V is traveling on the road. In other words, the measuring device VX functions as a data logger. As shown in FIG. 2, the measuring device VX includes a control device VP and a sensor VS. The control device VP is a computer, and has a control unit VP1, a communication unit VP2, and a memory unit VP3. The control unit VP1 is a calculation device, i.e., a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The communication unit VP2 is a communication module that communicates with an external device, and communicates with the external device via an antenna AN, for example. The memory unit VP3 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit VP1, and includes at least one of the following: a main memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a non-volatile memory device such as a flash memory or a HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

The sensor VS includes a position information acquisition unit VS1, an image information acquisition unit VS2, and an object 3D information acquisition unit VS3. The position information acquisition unit VS1 is a device that acquires road position information under the control of the control unit VP. The image information acquisition unit VS2 is an imaging device that captures images of obstacles located on the road under the control of the control unit VP. The object 3D information acquisition unit VS3 is a sensor that detects the distance to the obstacle, and may be, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. Note that it is sufficient that at least one of the image information acquisition unit VS2 and the object 3D information acquisition unit VS3 is provided. The sensor VS may also include sensors other than the position information acquisition unit VS1, the image information acquisition unit VS2, and the object 3D information acquisition unit VS3, such as a speed sensor and a direction sensor.

(Obtaining road location information)
The control device VP acquires road position information from the position information acquisition unit VS1. The road position information is information indicating the earth coordinates of the road, and the road here refers to a road on which vehicles and people can pass.

3 and 4 are schematic diagrams for explaining a method of acquiring road position information and obstacle height information. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a vehicle V equipped with a measuring device VS is driven in advance along a road R. The position information acquisition unit VS1 acquires the position information of the measuring device VX, that is, the position information of the vehicle V equipped with the measuring device VX. The position information of the vehicle V is information indicating the earth coordinates of the vehicle V. In this embodiment, the position information acquisition unit VS1 is a module for GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The control device VP (control unit VP1) controls the position information acquisition unit VS1 to receive radio waves from a satellite for GNSS while the vehicle V is traveling, and sequentially acquires the position information of the vehicle V and the time information when the position information is acquired, and stores them in the memory unit VP3. In the following, the vertical upward direction is defined as the Z direction. The direction in which the road R extends is defined as the X direction. The X direction can also be said to be parallel to the direction in which the vehicle V travels on the road R.

Here, since the vehicle V travels on the road R, the position of the vehicle V corresponds to the position of the road R. Therefore, the control device VP can acquire the position information of the road R based on the position information of the vehicle V. In this embodiment, the control device VP uses the position information of the vehicle V as the position information of the road R, but is not limited to this, and may calculate the position information of the road R by performing a predetermined calculation on the position information of the vehicle V. In addition, the control device VP may sequentially acquire information on the traveling direction of the vehicle V using a direction sensor along with the position information of the vehicle V. In this way, the control device VP can acquire information on the traveling direction of the vehicle on the road R in association with the position information of the road R based on the information on the traveling direction of the vehicle V. The traveling direction of the vehicle V may be estimated from the position information and time information of the vehicle V.

In this way, in the measurement device VX, the control device VP acquires the position information of the road R from the position information acquisition unit VS1.

(Obstacle information acquisition)
The control device VP acquires information on an obstacle O present on the road R from the image information acquisition unit VS2. Here, "on the road" refers to a position that overlaps the road when viewed vertically and is vertically above the surface of the road. In other words, the control device VP acquires information on an obstacle O present in the air (directly above) the road. The information on the obstacle O is information for acquiring height information of the obstacle O indicating the height of the obstacle O from the road R. In this embodiment, the control device VP acquires image data of the obstacle O, that is, image data of an image of the obstacle O, as information on the obstacle O. Note that an obstacle on the road is, for example, a traffic light, an electric wire, a pedestrian bridge, etc. that are present on the road.

The control device VP controls the image information acquisition unit VS2. The control device VP causes the image information acquisition unit VS2 to capture an image while the vehicle V is traveling on the road R, and stores the captured image data by the image information acquisition unit VS2, the time of capturing the image, and the speed of the vehicle V at the time of capturing the image in the storage unit VP2 as obstacle information. The image information acquisition unit VS2 is provided on the roof of the vehicle V so as to face the Z direction (vertically upward) and captures an image of the vehicle V in the vertical direction above. Therefore, the image information acquisition unit VS2 can capture an obstacle O present on the road R while the vehicle V is traveling on the road R. However, the image information acquisition unit VS2 may be mounted at any position and face any direction as long as it can capture an obstacle O present on the road R. In addition, the image information acquisition unit VS2 is not limited to capturing still images, and may capture moving images by capturing images at a predetermined frame rate.

The image information acquisition unit VS2 captures images of the vehicle V at predetermined time intervals, i.e., continuously in time series, while the vehicle V is traveling on the road R. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the image information acquisition unit VS2 captures the obstacle O while changing the capture position (relative position to the obstacle O). Therefore, multiple images in which the position of the obstacle O in the image is different are obtained. FIG. 4 shows an example of an image of an obstacle. In the example of FIG. 4, images PA1, PA2, ... PAm, ... PA(n-1), PAn in which the same obstacle O is captured by the image information acquisition unit VS2 are shown. The images PA1, PA2, ... PAm, ... PA(n-1), PAn are captured at different times, so the position of the obstacle O in the image is different. However, as shown in the example of FIG. 4, each image PA is used for optical flow calculation as described later, so it is preferable that the change in the position of the obstacle O in the image is small between images PA captured continuously in time series. The image information acquisition unit VS2 adjusts, for example, the frame rate so that the change in the position of the obstacle O in the images captured successively in time series is minimal.

The control device VP transfers the data acquired by the measurement device VX as described above to the memory unit 22 (see FIG. 5) of the flight map data generation device 18 via communication. In this embodiment, the control device VP temporarily stores the position information of the road R, the images captured by the image acquisition unit VS2, the point cloud data acquired by the object 3D information acquisition unit, etc. in the memory unit VP3 inside the control device VP, and then transfers them from the communication unit VP2 and antenna AN to the memory unit 22 of the flight map data generation device 18 at any timing.

(Flight map data generator)
The flight map data generating device 18 will be specifically described. FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of the flight map data generating device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the flight map data generating device 18 is a computer, and includes a communication unit 20, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 24. The communication unit 20 is a communication module that communicates with an external device, here, the flight route setting device 14 and the flight route management device 16, via an antenna AN. The flight map data generating device 18 of this embodiment communicates by wireless communication, but the communication method may be arbitrary. The storage unit 22 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 24, and includes at least one of, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as a HDD. The flight map data generating device 18 may further include an input unit that is a mechanism for accepting user operations, and an output unit that is a mechanism for outputting information such as a display device.

The control unit 24 is realized by a calculation device, i.e., a CPU, and a program executed thereon. The control unit 24 includes an obstacle information detection unit 32, a flight space setting unit 34, a flight map data generation unit 36, and an output unit 38. The control unit 24 realizes the obstacle information detection unit 32, the flight space setting unit 34, the flight map data generation unit 36, and the output unit 38 by reading and executing a program (software) from the storage unit 22, and executes these processes. The control unit 24 may execute these processes using one CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processes using the multiple CPUs. Also, at least a part of the obstacle information detection unit 32, the flight space setting unit 34, the flight map data generation unit 36, and the output unit 38 may be realized by hardware circuits.

The obstacle information detection unit 32 detects the height information of the obstacle O from the information of the obstacle O acquired by the measuring device VX (here, the image data of the obstacle O). The obstacle information detection unit 32 acquires the image data of the obstacle O acquired by the image information acquisition unit VS2 transferred from the measuring device VX. The obstacle information detection unit 32 extracts feature points from multiple image data (images PA1, PA2, ... PAm, ... PA(n-1), PAn in the example of FIG. 4) in which the positions of the obstacle O in the image are different, and calculates the height H0 of the obstacle O from the relationship of the movement of the feature points, the distance between the images, the angle of view information of the image information acquisition unit VS2, etc. It can be said that the obstacle information detection unit 32 calculates the height H0 of the obstacle O from the images of the obstacle O captured continuously in a time series. The height H0 is the height of the obstacle O from the road R, and can also be said to be the length along the Z direction between the position of the obstacle O closest to the Z direction and the surface of the road R. The obstacle information detection unit 32 calculates the distance between the obstacle O and the image information acquisition unit VS2 by optical flow calculation or the like from multiple image data in which the position of the obstacle O in the image is different, and adds information on the height of the installation position of the camera (image information acquisition unit VS2) to calculate the height H0 of the obstacle O from the road R. For example, the obstacle information detection unit 32 extracts feature points for the obstacle O from one image to the next image by optical flow calculation, calculates the relative movement amount of each feature point, and calculates the shape and height H0 of the obstacle O based on the relative movement amount. Since the relative movement amount of the feature point becomes smaller as the height of the obstacle O becomes higher, the obstacle information detection unit 32 can calculate the height H0 of the obstacle O from the relative movement amount. The obstacle information detection unit 32 may calculate the height H0 of the obstacle O from the ratio of the relative movement amount to the actual movement distance of the vehicle V. The obstacle information detection unit 32 calculates the height H0 of each obstacle O present on the road R from the images captured by the image information acquisition unit VS2.

The obstacle information detection unit 32 also acquires position information of the obstacle O, that is, information on the earth coordinates of the obstacle O. The obstacle information detection unit 32 associates the position information of the vehicle V acquired by the measurement device VX with information of the obstacle O acquired by the measurement device VX (here, image data of the obstacle O) and calculates the position information of the obstacle O based on the position information of the vehicle V and the image data of the obstacle. The obstacle information detection unit 32 may use the position of the vehicle V when the image of the obstacle O is captured as the position of the obstacle O, or may calculate the position of the obstacle O by performing a predetermined calculation on the position information of the vehicle V when the image of the obstacle O is captured. The obstacle information detection unit 32 acquires height information of the obstacle O and the position information of the obstacle O in association with each other. In other words, it can be said that the obstacle information detection unit 32 acquires the position and height of the obstacle O for each obstacle O.

The obstacle information detection unit 32 may also add a margin to the height H0 of the obstacle O depending on the type of the obstacle O. For example, if the obstacle O is a natural object whose height changes, such as a tree, the obstacle information detection unit 32 may mark the obstacle O and add a predetermined margin to the height H0 of the obstacle O.

In the above description, the obstacle information detection unit 32 calculates the height H0 by itself, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the control device VP may calculate the height H0 from image data of the obstacle O. In this case, the obstacle information detection unit 32 acquires the information on the height H0 calculated by the control device VP as the height information of the obstacle O. In addition, the obstacle information detection unit 32 is not limited to acquiring the height information of the obstacle O from the captured image of the image information acquisition unit VS2, and may acquire the height information of the obstacle O by any method. For example, the vehicle V may be equipped with an object 3D information acquisition unit VS3 (distance detection sensor), and the obstacle information detection unit 32 or the control device VP may calculate the height H0 of the obstacle O based on the distance to the obstacle O detected by the object 3D information acquisition unit VS3. The object 3D information acquisition unit VS3 may be, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. Furthermore, if there is data in which height information of the obstacle O is pre-recorded, the obstacle information detection unit 32 may obtain information on the height H0 from that data.

(Establishment of flyable space)
The flight space setting unit 34 shown in Fig. 5 sets the flight space S0 based on the position information of the road R transferred from the measurement device VX. The flight space S0 is a space in which the aircraft 10 can fly. When the flight route setting device 14 (see Fig. 1) sets a flight route that passes through the flight space S0, the aircraft 10 flies within the flight space S0 in the section set on the flight route.

In this embodiment, the position information of road R is acquired by the position information acquisition unit VS1 of the measurement device VX, but the method of acquiring the position information of road R is not limited to this. For example, if the measurement device VX acquires only the position information of the vehicle V and does not calculate the position information of road R, the flight space setting unit 34 may acquire the position information of the vehicle V from the measurement device VX and calculate the position information of road R based on the position information of the vehicle V. In addition, for example, the flight space setting unit 34 may acquire existing map data that includes the position information of road R and extract the position information of road R from the map data.

6 and 7A are schematic diagrams for explaining the flight space. As shown in FIG. 6, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the flight space S0 as a space that has a predetermined width in the horizontal and vertical directions along the road R and is at a predetermined height from the road R based on the position information of the road R. In other words, the flight space setting unit 34 sets a set of a series of coordinates that are at a predetermined height from the road R and along the road R as the position information of the flight space S0 based on the position information of the road R. In addition, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the altitude of the flight space S0 so that the flight space S0 is at a predetermined altitude from the road R. Therefore, the flight space S0 is a space located in the earth coordinates where the road R exists (in other words, a space located above (directly above) the road R), and includes a position that is at least a predetermined distance away from the ground surface in the Z direction (vertically upward), and is a space that has a predetermined width in the horizontal and vertical directions. It is preferable that the flight space setting unit 34 sets the flight space S0 above all roads R that exist in the area in which the flight space S0 is to be set.

Figure 7A is a view of the flight space S0 shown in Figure 6 from the X direction, which is the extension direction of road R. As shown in Figure 7A, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the flight space S0 so that the height H1 of the flight space S0 is a predetermined height, and the horizontal length (width) H2 and vertical length (width) H3 of the flight space S0 when viewed from the X direction along road R are predetermined lengths. The lengths H2 and H3 of the flight space S0 may be set arbitrarily, but may be preset lengths, such as about 5m.

The height H1 of the flight space S0 is the length along the Z direction from the road R (ground surface) to a position vertically below the flight space S0. In this embodiment, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the height H1 of the flight space S0 based on the height information of the obstacle O. Specifically, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the height H1 so that it is higher than the height H0 of the obstacle O. The ratio of the height H1 to the height H0 may be set arbitrarily, but for example, the flight space setting unit 34 may set the height H1 so that it is several meters higher than the height H0 of the obstacle O. In this way, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the height H1 based on the height H0 of the obstacle O, but the method of setting the height H1 is not limited to this and is arbitrary as long as it is possible to avoid the obstacle O. In addition, the flight space setting unit 34 may set the height H1 to a preset height, for example, 30 m or more. When setting the height H1 as a preset height in this way, it is preferable to actually fly the aircraft along the set aviation space S0 and check for obstacles. Then, based on the results of the aircraft actually flying through the aviation space S0, it is preferable to update the height H1 of the aviation space S0 and officially set the updated height H1 as the height H1 of the aviation space S0. This allows the value of the height H1 to be corrected to an appropriate value based on the actual flight data.

Figure 7B is a schematic diagram explaining the flight space. As shown in Figure 7B, the flight space setting unit 34 may set the height H1 of the flight space S0 to be different for each position (coordinate). That is, the flight space setting unit 34 may set the height H1 of the flight space S0 for each coordinate, in other words, the coordinates of the flight space S0 and the altitude H1 may be set. For example, the flight space setting unit 34 may set the height H1 for each coordinate of the flight space S0 according to the height of the obstacle O, and the higher the height of the obstacle O, the higher the height H1 at the coordinates overlapping with the obstacle O may be set. Also, as shown in Figure 7B, if the altitude is set at each coordinate to avoid the obstacle O, the flying object 10 flies along a route connecting each coordinate and altitude with a straight line. Therefore, although the designation of each altitude is arbitrary, it is preferable to set it so that it does not change suddenly.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the flight space setting unit 34 divides the flight space S0 into a plurality of segments S, each of which has a height H1 set, as shown in FIG. 7B. In other words, the flight space setting unit 34 divides the space above the road R into a plurality of segments S whose connection points have the same coordinates and height H1 and do not overlap with each other, and sets the height H1 of each segment S to set the entire flight space S0. Therefore, the flight space S0 includes a plurality of segments S. The flight space setting unit 34 sets the height H1 of each segment S so that the height H1 of the segment S is higher than the height H0 of an obstacle O on the road R on which the segment S is located. In addition, if there are a plurality of obstacles O on the road R that overlap one segment S, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the height H1 of the segment S so that the height H1 is higher than the height H0 of the highest obstacle O among the plurality of obstacles O. As described above, the flight space setting unit 34 may set the height H1 for each coordinate, and in this case, the height H1 may be different for each coordinate even within one segment S. Also, if one segment S corresponding to the road R is straight, the designation of the segment S requires only information on the coordinates of two connection points and the altitude H1. The aircraft 10 flies along a route that connects the coordinates and altitude H1 of the two designated connection points as the base of the entrance and exit of the segment with a straight line between them. If the segment S is curved, the designation of the segment S includes, in addition to the two connection points, additionally designated coordinates and altitude H1 as described above so that the route connecting the two connection points does not deviate from the road, and the aircraft 10 flies along a route that connects the space between the two connection points of the segment with the designated coordinates and altitude H1 as the base with straight lines in sequence. At this time, it is desirable to set the coordinates and altitude H1 so that the group of lines connecting the additionally designated series of coordinates and altitude H1 are smooth.

The flight space setting unit 34 may also set a reference occupancy time for each segment S. The reference occupancy time refers to a reference value of the estimated flight time required for the flying object 10 to fly through the segment S, which is calculated by the flight path setting device 14 as described below. In other words, when the reference occupancy time is set, the flight path setting device 14 can calculate the estimated flight time based on the reference occupancy time. The reference occupancy time can also be said to be a reference time from when the flying object 10 enters the segment S to when it leaves the segment S. The flight space setting unit 34 may set the reference occupancy time in any manner, but may also be a preset time, such as 10 minutes, for example. The flight space setting unit 34 may also set the reference occupancy time based on the length from the entrance to the exit of the segment S. In this case, for example, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the reference occupancy time longer as the length of the segment S increases. By setting the reference occupancy time in this manner, the flight path setting device 14 can appropriately assist in the calculation of the estimated flight time.

Furthermore, the reference occupancy time may have a certain range. For example, a shortest occupancy time and a longest occupancy time may be set as the reference occupancy time. The reference occupancy time may also be defined as a coefficient relative to the reference speed of the aircraft, rather than an actual time. By defining the reference occupancy time as a coefficient, the occupancy time can be shortened according to the performance of the aircraft, enabling effective use of the segment S. The reference speed of the aircraft may be set arbitrarily.

(Segment Settings)
(Example of one segment per section)
An example of a method for dividing the flight space S0 into segments S by the flight space setting unit 34 will be described in more detail below. FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram for explaining segments. FIG. 8A shows a segment S in the case where a road Ra extending in the X1 direction and a road Rb extending in the X2 direction intersect at an intersection Rc. More specifically, FIG. 8A illustrates an example in which there are two roads Ra, Ra' extending in the X1 direction and two roads Rb, Rb' extending in the X2 direction. As shown in FIG. 8A, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the space on the section of the road R that does not intersect with other roads and the space above the intersection Rc that intersects with other roads as different segments S.

Specifically, the flight space setting unit 34 sets multiple segments Sa on the road Ra along the X1 direction, which is the extension direction of the road Ra. In the example of FIG. 8A, the flight space setting unit 34 sets segments Saa, Sac, and Sab along the extension direction of the road Ra as multiple segments Sa. More specifically, the section between point Ra1, which is an exit from one intersection Rca, and point Ra2, which is an entrance to the next intersection Rcb (the intersection on the X1 direction side of the intersection Rca), on the road Ra is set as section Raa. Then, the section of the road Ra connected to section Raa via intersection Rcb is set as section Rab. In this case, the flight space setting unit 34 sets segment Sa1 in the space above the intersection Rca, sets segment Saa in the space above section Raa, sets segment Sac in the space above the intersection Rcb between section Raa and section Rab, and sets segment Sab in the space above section Rab. Note that segments S are set for road Ra' in the same way as for road Ra, so the explanation is omitted.

Consider a road network as shown in FIG. 8A. First, assume that the highest obstacle on the road Ra in FIG. 8A is known to have a height H0. Then, the flight space S0 can be set to an area equal to or greater than the height H1, which is the height H0 of the highest obstacle in the sky above this road network plus a margin. By adopting such a setting method, the height H1 from the ground surface of all segments Sa1, Saa, Sac, and Sab is set to the same height. That is, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the height H1 to the same height for the segments Sa divided along the extension direction of the road Ra. Of course, the height H1 of the segments Sa1, Saa, Sac, and Sab is not limited to being set to the same height, and may be set to different heights. For example, the height H1 of the segment Sa1 on the point Ra1 may be set to 10 m, and the height H1 of the segment Sac on the point Ra2 may be set to 15 m, and the height of the segment at the intersection at the entrance to the section Raa may be set to different heights. Even if the heights of consecutive segments S differ, or the heights of each coordinate within a single segment S differ, it is preferable to set the height H1 to the same value at the connection points between segments S (for example, the connection points between segments Saa and Sac).

Furthermore, the flight space setting unit 34 sets a plurality of segments Sb on the road Rb along the X2 direction, which is the extension direction of the road Rb. In the example of FIG. 8A, the flight space setting unit 34 sets segments Sba and Sbb as a plurality of segments Sb along the extension direction of the road Rb. More specifically, the section of the road Rb between a point Rb1 that is an exit from one intersection Rcc and a point Rb2 that is an entrance to the next intersection Rcb (the intersection on the X2 direction side of the intersection Rcc) is set as the section Rba. Then, the section of the road Rb that is connected to the section Rba via the intersection Rcb is set as the section Rbb. In this case, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the segment Sba in the space above the section Rba, and sets the segment Sbb in the space above the section Rbb. As described above, the segment Sac is set on the intersection Rcb. Note that the segment S is also set on the road Rb' in the same way as on the road Rb, so the explanation is omitted.

If the highest obstacle on road Rb is also at height H0, like Ra, then the flight space S0 on road Rb is set to an area above road Rb at height H1 or higher. For this reason, the heights H1 from the ground level of segments Sba and Sbb are set to the same height. However, the heights H1 of segments Sba and Sbb are not limited to being set to the same height, and may be set to different heights.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 8A, the height H1 of segments Sba and Sbb and the height H1 of segments Saa and Sab are set to the same height, but this is not limited thereto and may be set to different heights.

In the above example, one segment S is set in the direction of extension of the road R from the exit of the intersection to the entrance of the next intersection, but this is not limited to this. The flight space setting unit 34 may set multiple segments S in the direction of extension of the road R from the exit of the intersection to the entrance of the next intersection. In this case, it is preferable that the connection points of each segment S are at the same height H1. This is because if the connection points have different heights, it will be impossible to fly continuously between those segments. The flight space setting unit 34 may set a segment S for each predetermined distance in the direction of extension of the road R, for example. Also, for example, the flight space setting unit 34 may increase the number of segments S set according to the number of flying objects 10 flying over the road R in a unit period such as one day. In this case, the flight space setting unit 34 sets a larger number of segments S as the number of flying objects 10 flying over the road R in a unit period increases. This is because one segment is occupied by one aircraft 10 for a specific period of time, so by making each segment smaller, the number of aircraft that can fly simultaneously can be increased. In this way, by setting up more segments S in congested sections, more aircraft 10 can fly.

(Example of multiple segments on an intersection)
FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram for explaining segments. In the example of FIG. 8A described above, only one segment S is set on the intersection, but as shown in the example of FIG. 8B, multiple segments S arranged vertically may be set on the intersection. Specifically, in the example of FIG. 8B, similar to the example of FIG. 8A, segments Saa, Sac, and Sab are set on the section Raa, intersection Rcb, and section Rab of the road Ra extending in the X1 direction, respectively. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 8B, segments Sba, Sbc, and Sbb are set on the section Rba, intersection Rcb, and section Rbb of the road Rb extending in the X2 direction, respectively. That is, in the example of FIG. 8B, unlike the example of FIG. 8A, segments Sac and Sbc are set on the intersection Rcb.

In the example of FIG. 8B, the height H1 of segments Saa, Sac, and Sab is set to be the same, and the height H1 of segments Sba, Sbc, and Sbb is set to be the same. On the other hand, the height H1 of segments Sba, Sbc, and Sbb is set to be different from the height H1 of segments Saa, Sac, and Sab. In the example of FIG. 8B, the height H1 of segments Sba, Sbc, and Sbb is set to be higher than the height H1 of segments Saa, Sac, and Sab. In addition, the interface between segments Sac and Sbc in the intersection is set to be connected vertically. In the example of FIG. 8B, the flight space setting unit 34 can be said to make the height H1 of each segment S on the intersecting road R different from each other. As a result, the segments S are set not to overlap each other on the intersection Rc. For example, at intersection Rcb, segments Sac and Sbc are set, but because the heights H1 of segments Sac and Sbc are different, segments Sac and Sbc do not overlap. If the segment S of the intersection is set in this way, an aircraft 10 passing through intersection Rc from segment Saa to segment Sab, which are in different directions, and another aircraft 10 passing through intersection Rc from segment Sbb to Sba can enter intersection Rc at the same time, making it possible to assign efficient flight paths. Also, when aircraft 10 flies from segment Saa to Sbb, it flies through the segments connected in the order of segments Saa, Sac, Sbc, and Sbb.

(Example of multiple vertical segments)
Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining segments. Fig. 9 shows an example of setting multiple segments in the vertical direction on a road R. As shown in Fig. 9, for example, when it is expected that the traffic volume per unit time is high, the flight space setting unit 34 may set multiple segments S in the vertical direction.

In the example of FIG. 9, segments Saa1 and Saa2 are set on a section Raa of road Ra extending in the X1 direction, and segments Sac1 and Sac2 are set on an intersection Rc, and segments Sab1 and Sab2 are set on a section Rab, and are set on an intersection Rc. Segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1 are formed continuously along the X1 direction, which is the extension direction of road Ra, and have the same height H1. In addition, the flight direction L of each of segments Saa1 and Sab1 is set in the X1 direction. The flight direction L is the direction in which the aircraft 10 flies within the segment S. It is preferable not to set a flight direction L for segment Sac1, which is a segment S on an intersection, so that the aircraft 10 can go straight or turn within the intersection. However, the flight direction L may also be set for the segment Sac1 on the intersection. In this case, the flight direction L of the segment Sac1 on the intersection is set so that multiple directions are possible: the X1 direction, the X2 direction, and the Z direction (vertically downward).

Segments Saa2, Sac2, and Sab2 are formed continuously along the X1 direction, and are set adjacent to segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1 in the Z direction. That is, segments Saa2, Sac2, and Sab2 have different heights H1 compared to segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1 (height H1 is lower in the example of FIG. 9). Also, the heights H1 of segments Saa2, Sac2, and Sab2 are set to be the same. The flight directions L of segments Saa2 and Sab2 are opposite to the X1 direction. That is, the flight directions L of segments S adjacent to each other in the Z direction are set to different directions, here opposite directions. However, the flight directions L of segments S adjacent to each other in the Z direction may be set to be the same direction. As with segment Sac1, it is preferable not to set a flight direction L for segment Sac2. Even if a flight direction L is set, it is set so that multiple directions are possible, including the direction opposite to the X1 direction, the direction opposite to the X2 direction, and the Z direction (vertically upward).

In the example of FIG. 9, segments Sba1 and Sba2 arranged in the Z direction are set on section Rba of road Rb extending along the X2 direction, and segments Sbb1 and Sbb2 arranged in the Z direction are set on section Rbb. Segments Sba1, Sac1, and Sbb1 are formed continuously along the X2 direction, which is the extension direction of road Rb, and have the same height H1. The flight direction L of each of segments Sba1 and Sbb1 is set to the X2 direction. Segments Sba2, Sac2, and Sbb2 are formed continuously along the X2 direction. Segments Sba2 and Sbb2 are adjacent to segments Sba1 and Sbb1 in the Z direction. That is, segments Sba2 and Sbb2 have a different height H1 than segments Saa1 and Sab1 (height H1 is lower in the example of FIG. 9). Additionally, the height H1 of segments Sba2 and Sbb2 is set to be the same. The flight direction L of segments Sbb2 and Sba2 is opposite to the X2 direction.

Note that in FIG. 9, an example is described in which two segments S are set in the vertical direction, but three or more segments S may be set in the vertical direction.

In this way, when multiple segments S are set on the same section of road R as in the example of FIG. 9, the flight possible space setting unit 34 sets the flight direction L for the segments S excluding the segment S above the intersection, that is, the direction in which the flying object 10 may fly within the segment S. On the other hand, when only one segment S is set on the same section of road R as in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, the flight possible space setting unit 34 does not set the flight direction L, and the flight path setting device 14 sets the flight direction L when setting a flight path based on the segment S as described below. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, even when multiple segments S are set on the same section of road R, the flight possible space setting unit 34 may not set the flight direction L, and the flight path setting device 14 may set the flight direction L when setting a flight path. Conversely, even when only one segment S is set on the same section of road R, the flight possible space setting unit 34 may set the flight direction L when setting the segment S.

(Example of multiple segments across the width of a road)
Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining segments. Fig. 10 shows an example of setting a plurality of segments in the width direction of the road R. As shown in Fig. 10, for example, when the road R is wide, the flight space setting unit 34 may set a plurality of segments S in the width direction of the road R, i.e., in the horizontal direction.

In the example of FIG. 10, segments Saa1 and Saa2 are set on a section Raa of road Ra extending in the X1 direction, segments Sac1 and Sac2 are set on an intersection Rc, and segments Sab1 and Sab2 are set on a section Rab. Segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1 are formed continuously along the X1 direction, which is the extension direction of road Ra, and have the same height H1. The flight direction L of each of the segments Saa1 and Sab1 is set to the X1 direction. The flight direction L of the segment Sac1 above the intersection does not need to be set, and if a flight direction L is set, it is set so that multiple directions are possible, including the X1 direction, the opposite direction of X2 (U-turn), and the Z direction (vertically upward). For this reason, the intersection segment Sac1 has a connection point with the segment Saa1 as an entrance, and a connection point with the segment Sbc1 connected in the X2 direction, a connection point with the segment Sbc2 connected in the opposite direction to the X2 direction, a connection point with the segment Sab1 connected in the X1 direction, and a connection point with the segment Sac2 connected in the opposite direction to the X1 direction as an exit. On the other hand, the segments Sab2, Sac2, and Saa2 are adjacent to the segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1 in the width direction of the road Ra, and are formed continuously along the X1 direction. The flight directions L of the segments Sab2 and Saa2 are opposite to the X1 direction. That is, the flight directions L of the segments S adjacent to each other in the width direction of the road Ra are set in different directions, in this case, opposite directions. The segment Sac2 above the intersection does not need to have a flight direction L set, and if a flight direction L is set, it is set so that multiple directions are possible, including the direction opposite to the X1 direction, the X2 direction (U-turn), and the Z direction (vertical upward). Therefore, the segment Sac2 at the intersection has a connection point with the segment Sab2 as an entrance, and a connection point with the segment Sbc1 connected in the X2 direction, a connection point with the segment Sbc2 connected in the opposite direction to the X2 direction, a connection point with the segment Saa2 connected in the opposite direction to the X1 direction, and a connection point with the segment Sac1 connected in the X1 direction as an exit. The heights H1 of the segments Sab2, Sac2, and Saa2 are the same. In addition, the heights H1 of the segments Sab2, Sac2, and Saa2 may be set to be the same as the heights H1 of the segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1.

In the example of FIG. 10, segments Sba1 and Sba2 are set on the section Rba of road Rb extending in the X2 direction, and segments Sbc1 and Sbc2 are set on the intersection Rc, and segments Sbb1 and Sbb2 are set on the section Rbb, and are set on the section Rbb. Segments Sba1, Sbc1, and Sbb1 are formed continuously along the X2 direction, which is the extension direction of road Rb, and have the same height H1. Segments Sba1 and Sbb1 are set to have the X2 direction as their flight direction L. Segment Sbc1 above the intersection does not need to have a flight direction L set, and if a flight direction L is set, it is set so that multiple directions are possible, including the X2 direction, the X1 direction (U-turn), and the Z direction (vertically downward). The segment Sbc1 at the intersection has one entrance and four exits, similar to the above-mentioned segments Sac1 and Sac2. Meanwhile, the segments Sbb2, Sbc2, and Sba2 are adjacent to the segments Sba1, Sbc1, and Sbb1 in the width direction of the road Rb, and are formed continuously along the X2 direction. The flight directions L of the segments Sbb2 and Sba2 are opposite to the X2 direction. That is, the flight directions L of the segments S adjacent to each other in the width direction of the road Rb are set in different directions, here opposite directions. The flight direction L of the segment Sbc2 above the intersection does not need to be set, and if the flight direction L is set, it is set so that multiple directions are possible, including the direction opposite to the X2 direction, the direction opposite to the X1 direction (U-turn), and the Z direction (vertical downward). Segment Sbc2 at the intersection has one entrance and four exit connection points, similar to segments Sac1, Sac2, and Sbc1 described above. Segments Sbb2, Sbc2, and Sba2 have the same height H1. The height H1 of segments Sbb2, Sbc2, and Sba2 may be set to be the same as the height H1 of segments Sba1, Sbc1, and Sbb1. The height H1 of segments Sba1, Sba2, Sbc1, Sbc2, Sbb1, and Sbb2 is set to be different from the height H1 of segments Saa1, Saa2, Sac1, Sac2, Sab1, and Sab2.

In this way, even when multiple segments S are set in the width direction of road R on the same section of road R, the flight direction L is set for each segment S. However, this is not limited to the above, and even when multiple segments are set in the width direction of road R, the flight space setting unit 34 may not set the flight direction L, and the flight path setting device 14 may set the flight direction L when setting the flight path.

Note that in FIG. 9, an example is described in which two segments S are set in the width direction of the road R, but three or more segments S may be set in the width direction of the road R.

8A to 10, the flight space setting unit 34 may set only one segment S on the same section of the road R (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as the first case), may set multiple segments S on an intersection (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as the second case), may set multiple segments S in the horizontal direction on the same section of the road R (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as the third case), or may set multiple segments S in the vertical direction (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as the fourth case). In addition, the flight space setting unit 34 may set multiple segments S in the horizontal and vertical directions on the same section of the road R (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as the fifth case). For example, the flight space setting unit 34 may select how to set the segments S depending on the width of the road R and the traffic volume per unit time. For example, the flight space setting unit 34 may apply the first or second case to roads R that are narrow and have a low traffic volume, apply the third case to roads R that are narrow and have a high traffic volume, and apply the fourth or fifth case to roads R that are wide and have a high traffic volume. Also, for example, the flight space setting unit 34 may set each of the first to fifth cases, and when the flight path setting device 14 described below sets a flight path, it may determine which of the first to fifth cases to apply depending on the traffic volume, for example.

(Generation of flight map data)
The flight map data generating unit 36 shown in FIG. 5 generates flight map data A based on the information of the flight possible space S0 set by the flight possible space setting unit 34. The output unit 38 outputs the flight map data A to an external device, here, the flight route setting device 14 or the flight route management device 16, via the communication unit 20. The flight map data A is data including information on the flight possible space S0, and can be said to be map data indicating the space in which the flying object 10 can fly. The flight map data A includes position information of the flight possible space S0 and altitude information (height H1 information) of the flight possible space S0, and is information in which the position information and altitude information of the flight possible space S0 are associated. Furthermore, the flight map data A includes coordinates and altitude information for the entrance/exit of the segment S, and information indicating the position and altitude of the section between the entrance/exit of the segment S and another entrance/exit. Here, the information indicating the position and the information indicating the altitude of the section between the entrance/exit of the segment S and the other entrance/exit refers to, for example, the coordinates and the altitude of the connection points of each line segment when the route from the entrance/exit of the segment S to the other entrance/exit is divided into a plurality of line segments so as not to go beyond the road R and connected in a single stroke. In the following, the coordinates of the entrance/exit of the segment S and the information indicating the position of the section between the entrance/exit of the segment S and the other entrance/exit are appropriately described as the position information of the segment S, and the information on the altitude of the entrance/exit of the segment S and the information on the altitude of the section between the entrance/exit of the segment S and the other entrance/exit are appropriately described as the altitude information of the segment S. In addition, the flight map data generating unit 36 may assign an identifier (such as a name or a number) to each segment S and include data in which the identifier and the segment S are associated in the flight map data A. Since the flight space S0 is divided into a plurality of segments S in this embodiment, the flight map data A can be said to be information in which the position information of each segment S and the altitude information (height H1 information) of each segment S are associated with each other, and can be said to be information that is a group of links indicating the position and altitude information of the section between the entrance/exit of the segment S and the other entrance/exit, the coordinates and altitude of the entrance/exit of each segment S, and the entrance/exit of the connected segment S. In addition, the flight map data A also includes information on the flight direction L of the flight space S0 (segment S) and information on the width of the flight space S0 (segment S) as viewed from the flight direction L, and these pieces of information may be associated with the position information and altitude information of the segment S. The width information here can also be said to be information on the lengths H2 and H3 (see FIG. 7A). In addition, when a reference occupancy time is set for each segment S, the flight map data A can also include information on the reference occupancy time for each segment S, and the information on the reference occupancy time may be associated with the position information and altitude information of the segment S. In this way, the flight map data A can be said to be a logical structure having data represented by the interrelationships between data elements such as position information and altitude information of the flight space S0, and therefore can be said to be a so-called data structure.

Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of a flight map. Since the flight map data A is the above-mentioned information, by inputting the flight map data A as input data into the flight map display program, the flight map A1 as shown in Figure 11 can be displayed on the screen of the display device. The flight map A1 becomes data showing the flight space S0 on a map, and becomes a map in which the position information and altitude information of the flight space S0 are associated and displayed. Such a flight map display program may be generated or executed by the flight map data generation unit 36. In addition, such a flight map display program may be generated or executed by the flight route setting device 14 or the flight route management device 16 shown in Figure 1. In this case, the flight route setting device 14 or the flight route management device 16 obtains the flight map data A generated by the flight map data generation unit 36 and executes the flight map display program to obtain the flight map A1. In this way, flight map data A can be said to work in conjunction with hardware resources to construct operations according to the intended use, such as indicating the position and altitude of the flight space S0 and setting a flight route.

In the example of FIG. 11, in addition to the flight space S0, roads R and facilities F are also displayed on the flight map A1, but the flight map data A and flight map A1 do not need to include information on roads R and facilities F. However, as shown in FIG. 11, by adding information on roads R and facilities F to the flight map data A, it is possible to display roads R, facilities F, and the flight space S0 on the flight map A1. Facilities F refer to structures other than roads R, such as buildings, and natural objects.

(Flow of generating flight map data)
Next, a generation flow of the flight map data A described above will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the generation flow of the flight map data. As shown in FIG. 12, the flight map data generation device 18 acquires position information of the road R (step S10; position information acquisition step), and acquires height information of an obstacle O on the road R by the obstacle information detection unit 32 (step S12; obstacle information acquisition step). In this embodiment, the flight map data generation device 18 acquires the position information of the road R from the position information of the vehicle V that has previously traveled on the road R, and acquires the height information of the obstacle O from an image of the obstacle O captured by the vehicle V.

Next, the flight map data generating device 18 sets the flight space S0 by the flight space setting unit 34 so that the flight space S0 is along the road R and at a predetermined altitude from the road R, more specifically, so as to avoid the obstacle O (step S14; flight space setting step). In this embodiment, the flight space setting unit 34 sets the position information of the flight space S0 so that the road R and the earth coordinates overlap based on the position information of the road R, and sets the altitude of the flight space S0 so that the altitude is higher than the height H0 of the obstacle O. Then, the flight space setting unit 34 divides the flight space S0 into segments S, sets the position information and altitude for each segment S (step S15), and creates links between the segments S so that the heights H1 of the connection points between the segments S are the same height (step S16). More specifically, in this embodiment, the flight space setting unit 34 determines which parts of the flight space S0 overlap with the entrance/exit of the intersection and which parts overlap with other entrances, and divides the flight space S0 into multiple segments S so that one segment S extends from the part that overlaps with the entrance/exit of the intersection to the part that overlaps with the other entrance. The flight space setting unit 34 then creates links between the segments S so that the heights H1 of the connection points between the segments S are the same.

Next, the flight map data generating device 18 generates flight map data A using the flight map data generating unit 36 based on the information on the flight space S0, here based on the position information and altitude information for each segment S (step S17; flight map data generating step). The flight map data generating unit 36 generates flight map data A by associating the position information and altitude information for each segment S. Then, the flight map data generating device 18 outputs the flight map data A to an external device, here to the flight route setting device 14 or the flight route management device 16 (step S18). This process ends with the output of the flight map data A. As described above, the flight map data generating unit 36 may also generate a flight map display program capable of generating a flight map A1 using the flight map data A as input data.

Here, when flying the flying object 10, permission may be required from the landowner of the land over which the flight route is located. In this case, it is necessary to find the landowner and obtain permission, or if the flight route is set across multiple landowners' land, permission must be obtained individually from each of them, which is troublesome. In addition, there are areas where flying of the flying object 10 is prohibited by law. In contrast, the flight map data generation device 18 according to this embodiment sets the flight space S0 in which the flying object 10 can fly on the road R. The road R is managed collectively by a well-known organization such as the police. Therefore, by setting the road R as the flight space S0, the effort of finding the landowner can be eliminated, and flight permission can be obtained collectively, making it easy to obtain permission for the flight route. In addition, since the road R is usually an area where flight is not prohibited, the use of a prohibited flight route can be suppressed by setting the road R as the flight space S0. In addition, if there is a section of the road R where flight is prohibited, it is more preferable that the flight map data generating device 18 does not set the flight space S0 above that section. In this way, by setting the flight space S0 above the road R, the flight path of the flying object 10 can be appropriately set. In addition, the flight map data generating device 18 according to this embodiment sets the flight space S0 based on the height of the obstacle O above the road R. Therefore, according to the flight map data generating device 18, it is possible to set the flight space S0 so as not to interfere with the obstacle O, and a flight path that does not collide with the obstacle O can be appropriately set on the road R. In addition, when generating the flight map data A, the operator may input data such as the flight space S0 and the prohibited space for areas where flight is prohibited or areas where special permission is granted (parts of parks and private land where permission is granted), and the final flight map data A may be generated from both the data and S0 on the road R.

(Examples other than roads)
As described above, the flight map data generation device 18 sets the flight possible space S0 above the road R, but this is not limited thereto, and the flight possible space S0 may also be set in a space other than above the road R. A specific description will be given below.

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of setting a flight space on the ground surface covering a tunnel. As shown in Figure 13, a road R may be connected to a tunnel T covered by the ground surface G of a mountain M. In other words, a part of the road R may pass through the tunnel T. Since the space inside the tunnel T is narrow, it may be impossible to set the flight space S0 appropriately inside the tunnel T. In addition, when the flying object 10 measures its position using GNSS or the like to recognize its own position, it may not be able to fly the correct route because it cannot receive radio waves from an artificial satellite. Therefore, the flight space setting unit 34 of the flight map data generation device 18 sets the flight space S0 on the ground surface G of the mountain M covering the tunnel T. More specifically, the entrance of the tunnel T on the road R is set as the point RT1, and the exit of the tunnel T on the road R is set as the point RT2. It can also be said that the points RT1 and RT2 are the connection points of the road R and the tunnel T. In this case, the flight space setting unit 34 sets different segments S on the section up to point RT1 of the road R, on the ground surface G of the mountain M that covers the tunnel T, and on the section from point RT2 of the road R. The ground surface G is, for example, a mountain, the surface of water such as the ocean, or a bridge. In other words, the tunnel T may be formed anywhere, such as in the mountains, at the bottom of the water, or under a bridge.

In the example of FIG. 13, the flight space setting unit 34 sets segments Sc1, Sc2, Sd, Se1, and Se2. Segment Sc1 is set on the section up to point RT1 of road R, and segment Sc2 is set on the section from point RT2 of road R. Segment Sd is set on the ground surface G covering the tunnel T. Segment Se1 is a segment set to connect the point on the point RT1 side of segment Sc1 and the point on the point RT1 side of segment Sd, and is set to extend in the Z direction, for example. Segment Se2 is a segment set to connect the point on the point RT2 side of segment Sc2 and the point on the point RT2 side of segment Sd, and is set to extend in the Z direction, for example.

The position information (earth coordinates) of the segment Sd on the ground surface G is set so that it is connected to the segments Sc1 and Sc2 (in this embodiment, so that it is connected to the segments Sc1 and Sc2 via the segments Se1 and Se2). For example, the position information is set so that the segment Sd is connected to the segments Sc1 and Sc2 and forms a straight path. In addition, the altitude of the segment Sd is set so that it is higher than an obstacle formed on the ground surface G. The height of an obstacle formed on the ground surface G may be calculated, for example, from an image of the obstacle in the same way as the height calculation of the obstacle O on the road R described above, or may be calculated by any other method.

When the aircraft 10 flies over the road R shown in FIG. 13, segments Sc1, Se1, Sd, Se2, and Sc2 are reserved. The aircraft 10 flies in segment Sc1, enters segment Se1, ascends in the Z direction through segment Se1, and enters segment Sd. The aircraft 10 flies in segment Sd, enters segment Se2, descends through segment Se2, enters segment Sc2, and flies through segment Sc2. By setting segment S on the ground surface G that covers the tunnel T in this way, even when the road R is connected to the tunnel T, a flight space S0 that can suppress collisions can be appropriately set. In addition, the top of the mountain M may be managed by a management entity different from the road R, such as the landowner of the mountain M. In such a case, by obtaining prior consent from the landowner of the mountain M and setting the flight space S0 (segment S), it becomes unnecessary to inquire of the landowner when setting the flight path, and the flight path can be set smoothly. In the example of FIG. 13, segments Se1 and Se2 are set to connect segment Sd on the ground surface G with segments Sc1 and Sc2 on the road R, but segments Se1 and Se2 may not be set and segment Sd may be directly connected to segments Sc1 and Sc2. Furthermore, segment Sd is not limited to being above a tunnel, and may be set at any location as long as it connects the tunnel entrances RT1 and RT2. In roads along rivers, tunnels T may be installed to pass over cliffs, but the detour can be shortened by avoiding the river rather than going up the cliff.

In FIG. 13, an example is described in which a flight space S0 (segment S) is formed on the ground surface G that covers the tunnel T, but the flight space S0 (segment S) may be set in a place other than on the ground surface G that covers the tunnel T. For example, the flight space S0 (segment S) may be set above a river or above a railway line where a train runs.

(Flight Route Reservation)
Next, a method for setting the flight path of the aircraft 10 by the aircraft control device 12, the flight path setting device 14, and the flight path management device 16 (see FIG. 1) will be described. The flight path is set so as to pass through the flight space S0 permitted by the flight path management device 16.

(Aircraft)
FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of the flying object according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the flying object 10 includes a driving unit 40, a communication unit 42, a memory unit 44, a position information acquisition unit 45, and a control unit 46. The driving unit 40 is a driving device for flying the flying object 10, and includes, for example, a propeller. The communication unit 42 is a communication module that communicates with an external device, such as the flying object control device 12 in this case, and is, for example, an antenna. The flying object 10 communicates by wireless communication, but the communication method may be arbitrary. The memory unit 44 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 46, and includes, for example, at least one of a RAM, a main memory device such as a ROM, and an external memory device such as a HDD. The position information acquisition unit 45 is a device that acquires position information and attitude of the aircraft 10 under the control of the control unit 46, and in this embodiment is a receiving module for GNSS and an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit).

The control unit 46 is a calculation device, i.e., a CPU. The control unit 46 includes a flight path acquisition unit 50 and a flight control unit 52. The control unit 46 realizes the flight path acquisition unit 50 and the flight control unit 52 by reading and executing a program (software) from the memory unit 44, and executes these processes. The control unit 46 may execute these processes using one CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processes using the multiple CPUs. Furthermore, at least a portion of the flight path acquisition unit 50 and the flight control unit 52 may be realized by hardware circuits.

The flight path acquisition unit 50 acquires information about its own flight path from the aircraft control device 12 via the communication unit 42. The flight control unit 52 controls the drive unit 40 to fly the aircraft 10 along the flight path acquired by the flight path acquisition unit 50. The flight control unit 52 receives radio waves from GNSS satellites using the position information acquisition unit 45, detects its own position, and moves the aircraft 10 along the flight path while successively grasping its own position and attitude using the IMU.

(Aircraft Control System)
FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram of the flying object control device according to this embodiment. The flying object control device 12 is a computer, and includes a communication unit 60, a storage unit 62, and a control unit 64, as shown in FIG. 15. The communication unit 60 is a communication module that communicates with an external device, such as the flying object 10 or the flight route setting device 14, and is, for example, an antenna, but the communication method is not limited to wireless and may be a wired communication method. The flying object control device 12 communicates by wireless communication, but the communication method may be any, and may be, for example, wired communication as described above. The storage unit 62 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 64, and includes at least one of, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as a HDD. The flying object control device 12 may further include an input unit that is a mechanism for accepting user operations, and an output unit that is a mechanism for outputting information such as a display device.

The control unit 64 is a calculation device, i.e., a CPU. The control unit 64 includes a flight-related information acquisition unit 70, a flight path acquisition unit 72, and an aircraft control unit 74. The control unit 64 realizes the flight-related information acquisition unit 70, the flight path acquisition unit 72, and the aircraft control unit 74 by reading and executing a program (software) from the memory unit 62, and executes these processes. The control unit 64 may execute these processes using one CPU, or may be equipped with multiple CPUs and execute the processes using these multiple CPUs. Also, at least a portion of the flight-related information acquisition unit 70, the flight path acquisition unit 72, and the aircraft control unit 74 may be realized by hardware circuits.

The flight-related information acquisition unit 70 acquires flight-related information, which is information related to the flight of the flying object 10. In general, the operator displays a flight map A1 as shown in FIG. 12 on the screen of the flying object control device, specifies the departure point P1 and the arrival point P2 on the screen, and inputs the flight start time, thereby setting the flight-related information. The flight-related information includes the location information (earth coordinates) of the destination of the flying object 10, the location information (earth coordinates) of the departure point of the flying object 10, the location information of the waypoints, etc., and the set time, which is the time or time period during which the flying object 10 flies, which are generated using the input information. The flight path acquisition unit 72 outputs the flight-related information to the flight path setting device 14 via the communication unit 60, and requests the flight path setting device 14 to set a flight path. The flight path acquisition unit 72 acquires information on the flight path set by the flight path setting device 14, that is, information on the route when the coordinates that become the flight path are combined to form a route, the altitude of each coordinate of the flight path, and a set of information on the time period during which the flight path is used. The aircraft control unit 74 controls the flight of the aircraft 10 by outputting flight route information acquired from the flight route setting device 14 to the aircraft 10. Control of the aircraft 10 means providing the aircraft 10 with a list of data on the times and coordinates at which the aircraft 10 is permitted to fly, and having the aircraft 10 fly according to the permitted times and coordinate data. The specific processing of the aircraft control device 12 will be described later.

(Flight route planning device)
FIG. 16 is a schematic block diagram of the flight path setting device according to the present embodiment. The flight path setting device 14 is a computer, and includes a communication unit 80, a storage unit 82, and a control unit 84. The communication unit 80 is a communication module that communicates with an external device, such as the flying object control device 12, the flight path management device 16, and the flight map data generation device 18, and is, for example, an antenna, but the communication method may be any, and may be a wired communication method as well as wireless. The storage unit 82 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 84, and includes at least one of, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as a HDD. The flight path setting device 14 may further include an input unit that is a mechanism for accepting user operations, and an output unit that is a mechanism for outputting information such as a display device.

The control unit 84 is a calculation device, that is, a CPU. The control unit 84 includes a flight map data acquisition unit 90, a flight-related information acquisition unit 92, a flight route setting unit 94, an application information generation unit 96, and an output unit 98. The control unit 84 realizes the flight map data acquisition unit 90, the flight-related information acquisition unit 92, the flight route setting unit 94, the application information generation unit 96, and the output unit 98 by reading and executing a program (software) from the storage unit 82, and executes the processes. The control unit 84 may execute these processes using one CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processes using the multiple CPUs. In addition, at least a part of the flight map data acquisition unit 90, the flight-related information acquisition unit 92, the flight route setting unit 94, the application information generation unit 96, and the output unit 98 may be realized by a hardware circuit.

The flight map data acquisition unit 90 acquires flight map data A from the flight map data generation device 18 via the communication unit 80. The flight-related information acquisition unit 92 acquires flight-related information from the aircraft control device 12 via the communication unit 80. The flight route setting unit 94 sets a list of segments S that will be the flight route of the aircraft 10, a set of coordinates (position information of segments S) of the segments S included in the list of segments S, and the occupancy time of each segment S (time period during which the segments S are occupied) based on the flight map data A and the flight-related information. The application information generation unit 96 generates application information to apply for the use of the segments S that will be the flight route during the occupancy time based on the information of the segments S that will be the flight route and the information of the occupancy time of the segments S. The output unit 98 outputs the application information to the flight route management device 16 via the communication unit 80. When the flight route management device 16 authorizes the use of the flight route based on the application information, the flight route setting unit 94 acquires information to that effect, officially sets the flight route, and transmits it to the aircraft control device 12. The specific processing of the flight route setting device 14 will be described later.

(Flight Path Management Device)
FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram of the flight path management device according to this embodiment. The flight path management device 16 is a computer, and includes a communication unit 100, a storage unit 102, and a control unit 104. The communication unit 100 is a communication module that communicates with an external device, such as the flight path management device 16 and the flight map data generation device 18, and is, for example, an antenna, but the communication method is not limited to wireless and may be a wired communication method. The flight path management device 16 communicates by wireless communication, but the communication method may be any, and may be, for example, wired communication as described above. The storage unit 102 is a memory that stores various information such as the calculation contents and programs of the control unit 104, and includes at least one of, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and an external storage device such as a HDD. The flight path management device 16 may further include an input unit that is a mechanism for accepting user operations, and an output unit that is a mechanism for outputting information such as a display device. The storage unit 102 stores a flight path occupancy status database DB1, which will be described later. The flight route occupancy status database DB1 is a database that includes information regarding flight map data A, which will be described later.

The control unit 104 is a calculation device, i.e., a CPU. The control unit 104 includes a flight map data acquisition unit 110, an application information acquisition unit 112, a judgment unit 114, and an output unit 116. The control unit 104 realizes the flight map data acquisition unit 110, the application information acquisition unit 112, the judgment unit 114, and the output unit 116 by reading and executing a program (software) from the storage unit 102, and executes these processes. The control unit 104 may execute these processes using one CPU, or may be provided with multiple CPUs and execute the processes using these multiple CPUs. Also, at least a part of the flight map data acquisition unit 110, the application information acquisition unit 112, the judgment unit 114, and the output unit 116 may be realized by hardware circuits.

The flight map data acquisition unit 110 acquires information about the flight map data A from the flight map data generation device 18 via the communication unit 100 and stores it in the flight route occupancy status database DB1 of the storage unit 102. The information about the flight map data A here is not limited to the entire flight map data A, and may be, for example, information about an identifier assigned to a segment S. The application information acquisition unit 112 acquires application information from the flight route setting device 14 via the communication unit 100. The judgment unit 114 judges whether to permit the use of the flight route in the flight time zone based on the application information. The memory unit 102 stores a pair of the identifier of the segment S and information about the time zone reserved for that segment S. The judgment unit 114 judges whether to permit the use of the flight route in the flight time zone based on the application information and the information stored in the memory unit 102. The output unit 116 outputs the judgment result of the permission to use the flight route in the flight time zone to the flight route setting device 14 via the communication unit 100. For example, if the decision is to permit use of the flight path, the control unit 104 registers data to the effect that the permitted segment S will be occupied in the flight path occupancy status database DB1. That is, the flight path occupancy information database DB1 records information about the flight map data A (here, for example, an identifier assigned to the segment S) and information about the time period during which the segment S is occupied (reserved) in association with each other. This prevents duplicate occupancy of the same segment S in the same time period. The specific processing of the flight path management device 16 will be described later.

(Flight route setting flow)
Next, a flow of setting a flight route will be described along with specific processing of the aircraft control device 12, the flight route setting device 14, and the flight route management device 16. Fig. 18 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of setting a flight route.

When setting a flight path, the flight path setting device 14 and the flight path management device 16 acquire all or part of the flight map data A from the flight map data generation device 18 in advance (flight map data acquisition step). Then, as shown in FIG. 18, the flying object control device 12 acquires flight-related information by the flight-related information acquisition unit 70, and outputs the flight-related information to the flight path setting device 14 by the flight path acquisition unit 72, thereby requesting the flight path setting device 14 to set a flight path (step S20). The flight-related information includes position information (earth coordinates) of the destination of the flying object 10, position information (earth coordinates) of the departure point of the flying object 10, position information of intermediate points, etc., and the set time. The set time is the time or time period when the flying object 10 flies, and may be, for example, the target arrival time when the flying object 10 arrives at the destination, or the target departure time when the flying object 10 departs for the destination. The flight-related information acquisition unit 70 may acquire flight-related information by any method, but for example, in the case of delivering luggage by drone, the flight-related information may be acquired as a designated destination and designated time specified by the customer. The flight route acquisition unit 72 outputs the flight-related information acquired by the flight-related information acquisition unit 70 and information requesting the setting of a flight route and flight time zone to the flight route setting device 14.

The flight path setting device 14 acquires flight-related information and information requesting the setting of a flight path and flight time zone from the flying object control device 12 through the flight-related information acquisition unit 92. The flight path setting device 14 sets a flight path and flight time zone based on the flight-related information and flight map data A through the flight path setting unit 94 (step S22; flight path setting step, flight time zone setting step). The flight path setting unit 94 extracts position information of the departure point and destination of the flying object 10 from the flight-related information. Then, the flight path setting unit 94 selects the departure point and arrival point or the nearest segment S from the flight map data A, extracts position information and altitude information of each flight possible space S0, and sets the route from the departure point to the destination through the flight possible space S0 between them as the flight path. In other words, the flight path setting unit 94 extracts a list of segments S from the departure point to the destination from the flight possible space S0, and sets the extracted list of segments S as the flight path. In the example of FIG. 11, the departure point extracted from the flight-related information is P1, the destination extracted from the flight-related information is P2, and the route from the departure point P1 to the destination P2 passing through the flight space S0 is set as flight route B.

A more detailed example of the flight path setting method will be described below. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of flight path setting. As shown in FIG. 19, when setting a flight path from a departure point PN1 to a destination point PN2, the flight path setting unit 94 sets the initial value of the coordinates (x1, y1) of the flying object 10 to the coordinates (x0, y0) of the departure point PN1, and when the coordinates (x, y) of the flying object 10 are changed, the flight path is set by sequentially selecting segments S connected to each other so that the difference between the coordinates (x, y) and the coordinates (x2, y2) of the destination point PN2 becomes small. In the example of FIG. 19, coordinates (x1, y1) can be reached at coordinates (x2, y2) of destination PN2 by following segments S in the following order: SA1, SA2, SA3, SA4, SA5, SA6, SA7, SA8, SA9, SA10, SA11, SA12. Therefore, segments S are selected as the flight route in the following order: SA1, SA2, SA3, SA4, SA5, SA6, SA7, SA8, SA9, SA10, SA11, SA12.

For example, segment SA5 is connected to segment SA6 and segment SA13. In this way, when multiple segments are connected in parallel to the selected segment, that is, when multiple segments can be selected as the next segment, the segment that has the smaller difference between the coordinates (x1, y1) of the other end point of the segment and the coordinates (x2, y2) of the destination PN2 may be selected from among the multiple segments. Also, if the amount of decrease in the difference between the coordinates (x1, y1) and the coordinates (x2, y2) of the destination PN2 is the same for the multiple segments, any one of the segments may be selected by any method. Also, for example, there may be cases where there is no next connected segment S, such as segments SA13 and SA14. In this way, when a segment that does not have a next connected segment S is selected (in the case of a dead end), the segment goes back and selects a segment S that is a different route. For example, when segment SA13 is selected, the previous segment SA5 is returned to and segment SA6 that is a different route is selected. Also, in some cases, such as SA9, which is far from the destination, if that is the only segment option, the route search may be performed to make a detour if the route is not farther than a predetermined distance.

The above search for segment S can be expressed recursively as shown in 1-7 below.
1. The departure point (x1, y1), destination (x2, y2), and an identifier indicating the segment of the destination are obtained as arguments, and a list LI is created in which the endpoints of the segments connected to (x1, y1) other than the destination are associated with the names of the segments.
2. If the list of end points LI created in 1 includes the destination segment, add the destination segment name to the route list, set the destination arrival flag as the return value, and return.
3. For the list of end points LI created in 1, remove from LO any end points that have a direction specification that is the exit of the segment with respect to the flight direction L (x1, y1). In addition, if the distance between the argument (x1, y1) input as the departure point and the destination (x2, y2) is LO1, and the distance between the coordinates of an end point in the list of end points LI and the destination (x2, y2) is LO2, if the length of LO2 is longer than the length of LO1 by a specified ratio or more, remove that end point.
Thereafter, the list of end points LI is rearranged in order of proximity of the end points to the coordinates (x2, y2) of the destination.
4. Set a pointer to the first entry in the list of endpoints LI.
5. For the entry indicated by the pointer in the list of end points LI, call itself with the end point (x1, y1) as the new starting point, the destination (x2, y2) as it is, and the identifier of the destination segment as arguments.
6. If the return value of the call to itself is that the destination has been reached, the identifier of the segment pointed to by the pointer is added to the route list, and the destination reached flag is set in the return value before returning.
7. If the return value is a destination reach failure, update the pointer to the next entry in the list of endpoints LI. If a next entry exists, return to 5 and repeat. If a next entry does not exist, set a destination reach failure flag and return.

In addition, in the case where the flight direction L is not set for the segment S, that is, for example, in the case shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the flight path setting unit 94 sets the flight direction L of the aircraft 10 within the segment S for each segment S set as a flight path. That is, the flight space setting unit 34 sets, for each segment S, in which direction the aircraft 10 may fly within the segment S. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the flight direction L of the aircraft 10 is set to be parallel to the X direction, which is the extension direction of the road R corresponding to the segment S, except when the segment includes multiple end points such as intersections. In other words, the flight direction L of the aircraft 10 is set to be parallel to the running direction of the vehicle V0 on the road R corresponding to the segment S. In the example of Figure 6, the flight direction L of the aircraft 10 is set in the same direction as the running direction of the vehicle V0 on the road R corresponding to the segment S, but is not limited to this and may be set in the opposite direction to the running direction of the vehicle V. However, the flight direction L of the flying object 10 in the segment S is not limited to being set parallel to the X direction or the traveling direction of the vehicle V0, and may be set arbitrarily. Furthermore, the flying object 10 is not limited to flying only along the flight direction L in the segment S, and may move vertically in the segment S, for example. In addition, as in the case shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, when the flight direction L is preset by the flight map data generating device 18 when the segment S is set, the flight space setting unit 34 selects the segment S to be the flight path based on the flight direction L of the segment S as well. That is, in this case, the flight space setting unit 34 selects the segment S to be the flight path, taking into account the flight direction L preset for the segment S as a restriction (condition).

The flight path setting unit 94 also sets a flight time zone. The flight time zone refers to the time zone during which the flying object 10 flies the flight path, and refers to the time from the start time to the end time of the flight of the flight path. The flight time zone can also be said to be the time during which the flying object 10 can occupy the flight path. The flight path setting unit 94 calculates an estimated flight time required to fly from the departure point to the destination along the flight path based on the set flight path. The flight path setting unit 94 sets the flight time zone based on the estimated flight time and the set time. For example, the flight path setting unit 94 sets the flight time zone based on the estimated flight time and the set time so as to arrive at the destination at the designated arrival time based on the estimated flight time and the set time. More specifically, in this embodiment, the flight path setting device 14 calculates an estimated flight time for each segment S included in the flight path and sets the flight time zone. That is, the time zone from the start time to the end time of the flight in the segment S is set as the flight time zone for each segment S. Note that, when the flight map data A includes the above-mentioned reference occupancy time, the flight path setting device 14 calculates an estimated flight time for each segment S based on the reference occupancy time. For example, the flight path setting device 14 may use the reference occupancy time for a segment S set as a flight path as the estimated flight time for that segment S.

Returning to FIG. 18, after the flight route setting device 14 sets the flight route and flight time zone as described above, the application information generating unit 96 generates application information to apply for the use of the flight route during the set flight time zone, and the output unit 98 outputs the application information of the flight plan determined by the flight route setting device to the flight route management device 16 (step S24; application information generating step). The flight route setting device 14 includes information on the set flight route and flight time zone, and information to apply for the use of the flight route during that flight time zone, in the application information. In this embodiment, the flight route information included in the application information is information indicating the segment S that has been set as the flight route, and is the position information (earth coordinates) of the segment S that has been set as the flight route, but may be information indicating the identifier of the segment S that has been set as the flight route, for example, if an identifier is assigned to each segment S. The flight time zone information included in the application information is associated with the segment S, and is information indicating the flight time zone for each segment S.

The flight route management device 16 acquires application information from the flight route setting device 14 (application information acquisition step). The flight route management device 16 judges, by the judgment unit 114, whether the flight route included in the application information has been reserved in the flight route occupancy information database DB1 as a flight route of another flying object 10 during the flight time period included in the application information (step S26; judgment step). The judgment unit 114 reads out the flight map data A and extracts information on the segment S included in the applied flight route from the flight route information included in the application information. The judgment unit 114 judges whether the flight time period set for the extracted segment S has been reserved by another flying object 10. More specifically, when the flight route management device 16 permits the flight of the segment S, it stores the permitted flight time period as a reserved flight time period for each segment S. The judgment unit 114 reads out the reserved flight time period from the flight route occupancy information database DB1 for the segment S included in the flight route applied for this time, and checks whether it overlaps with the flight time period applied for this time. If the currently requested flight time zone overlaps with a reserved flight time zone, the judgment unit 114 determines that the segment S has been reserved as a flight route for another flying body 10, and judges that the flight route included in the application information has been reserved. On the other hand, if the currently requested flight time zone does not overlap with a reserved flight time zone, the judgment unit 114 determines that the segment S has not been reserved as a flight route for another flying body 10, and judges that the flight route included in the application information has not been reserved. In other words, if a flight route includes multiple segments S, the judgment unit 114 may determine that the flight route has been reserved if the flight time zone requested for at least one segment S overlaps with a reserved flight time zone.

If the flight route has not been reserved (step S28; No), the flight route management device 16 outputs permission information to the flight route setting device 14 via the output unit 116 to permit flight along the flight route during the requested flight time slot (step S30; permission information output step), and registers information on the permitted flight route (e.g., the identifier of segment S) and the flight time slot of the flight route in the flight route occupancy information database DB1 in the storage unit 102. When the flight route setting device 14 acquires the permission information, it determines the set flight route as the official flight route, and outputs information on the determined flight route and flight time slot to the flight vehicle control device 12 (step S32). The flight vehicle control device 12 outputs the acquired information on the flight route and flight time slot to the flight vehicle 10 (step S34), and causes the flight vehicle 10 to fly along the flight route during the flight time slot.

On the other hand, if part of the flight route has been reserved (step S28; Yes), the flight route management device 16 outputs denial information to the flight route setting device 14 indicating that flight of the flight route during the requested flight time period is not permitted (step S36). When the flight route setting device 14 acquires the denial information, it determines that flight of the flight route during the set flight time period is not permitted. In this case, the flight route setting device 14 may reset the flight time period and flight route, and return to step S24 to generate application information again. When outputting the denial information, the flight route management device 16 may also output information regarding which segments S of the entire flight route have been reserved, together with a list of segments S that overlap with other flight routes, to the flight route setting device 14. By acquiring this information, the flight route setting device 14 can flexibly reset the flight route based on the list.

Below, we will use the above-mentioned Figures 8A to 10 to explain a specific example of setting a flight path and flying along that flight path.

First, an example of setting a flight path when one segment S (flightable space S0) is set on one road as shown in FIG. 8A will be described. In the example of FIG. 8A, as described above, segments Saa, Sac, and Sab are set on the section Raa, intersection Rcb, and section Rab of the road Ra extending in the X1 direction, respectively, and segments Sba and Sbb are set on the section Rba and section Rbb of the road Rb extending in the X2 direction, respectively. In such a case, when setting a flight path that flies straight in the X1 direction over the section Raa, intersection Rcb, and section Rab, the flight path setting device 14 sets the segments Saa, Sac, and Sab as the flight path. If flight on that flight path is permitted, the flying object 10 will fly straight in the X1 direction within the segments Saa, Sac, and Sab during the reserved flight time period. During that flight time period, segments Saa, Sac, and Sab are occupied by that aircraft 10, so other aircraft 10 are prohibited from entering, and collisions between aircraft 10 are suppressed.

On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 8A, let us take the case where the flying object 10 travels straight on section Raa in the X1 direction, turns left at intersection Rcb, and travels straight on section Rbb in the X2 direction. In this case, the flight path setting device 14 sets segments Saa, Sac, and Sbb as the flight path. If flight on that flight path is permitted, the flying object 10 travels in the X1 direction within segment Saa during the reserved flight time slot, enters segment Sac at intersection Rcb, changes direction to the X2 direction at segment Sac, and travels along the X2 direction within segments Sac and Sbb.

Next, an example in which multiple segments S are set on an intersection as shown in FIG. 8B will be described. In the example of FIG. 8B, as described above, segments Saa, Sac, and Sab are set on the section Raa, intersection Rcb, and section Rab of road Ra extending in the X1 direction, respectively, and segments Sba, Sbc, and Sbb are set on the section Rba, intersection Rcb, and section Rbb of road Rb extending in the X2 direction, respectively. In such a case, an example in which the vehicle travels straight on the section Raa in the X1 direction, turns left at the intersection Rcb, and travels straight on the section Rbb in the X2 direction will be described. In this case, the flight route setting device 14 sets the segments Saa, Sac, Sbc, and Sbb as the flight route. Then, the flight route setting device 14 sets the flight direction L of the segments Saa and Sac to the X1 direction, and the flight direction L of the segments Sbc and Sbb to the X2 direction. If flight along that flight path is permitted, the aircraft 10 moves in the X1 direction within segment Saa during the reserved time period and enters segment Sac above intersection Rcb. The aircraft 10 rises within segment Sac and enters segment Sbc, which is formed above segment Sac. The aircraft 10 moves in the X2 direction within segments Sbc and Sbb. In this way, multiple segments S are set at intersection Rcb, and by reserving each segment S, the aircraft 10 can turn at the intersection without colliding with other aircraft 10.

Next, an example will be described in which multiple segments S are set in the vertical direction as shown in Figure 9. In the example of Figure 9, as described above, vertically aligned segments Saa1 and Saa2 are set on section Raa of road Ra, vertically aligned segments Sac1 and Sac2 are set on intersection Rc, and vertically aligned segments Sab1 and Sab2 are set on section Rab. Vertically aligned segments Sba1 and Sba2 are set on section Rba of road Rb, and vertically aligned segments Sbb1 and Sbb2 are set on section Rbb.

In the case of FIG. 9, when setting a flight route that flies straight in the X1 direction over the section Raa, intersection Rcb, and section Rab, the flight route setting device 14 sets the segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1 as the flight route. In the case of FIG. 9, the flight direction L is set in advance. The aircraft 10 flies straight in the X1 direction within the segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sab1 during the reserved flight time period. On the other hand, when setting a flight route that flies straight in the opposite direction to the X1 direction over the section Rab, intersection Rcb, and section Raa, the flight route setting device 14 sets the segments Sab2, Sac2, and Saa2 as the flight route. The aircraft 10 flies straight in the opposite direction to the X1 direction within the segments Sab2, Sac2, and Saa2 during the reserved flight time period.

In the example of FIG. 9, the flying object 10 travels straight on section Raa in the X1 direction, turns left at intersection Rcb, and travels straight on section Rbb in the X2 direction. In this case, the flight path setting device 14 sets segments Saa1, Sac1, and Sbb1 as the flight path. During the reserved flight time slot, the flying object 10 travels in the X1 direction within segment Saa1, enters segment Sac1 at intersection Rcb, changes direction to the X2 direction at segment Sac1, and travels along the X2 direction within segments Sac1 and Sbb1.

Next, an example in which multiple segments S are set in the width direction of a road as shown in FIG. 10 will be described. In the example of FIG. 10, as described above, segments Saa1 and Saa2 are set on section Raa of road Ra, aligned in the width direction of road Ra, segments Sac1 and Sac2 are set on intersection Rc, and segments Sab1 and Sab2 are set on section Rab, aligned in the width direction of road Ra. Segments Sba1 and Sba2 are set on section Rba of road Rb, aligned in the width direction of road Rb, segments Sbc1 and Sbc2 are set on intersection Rc, and segments Sbb1 and Sbb2 are set on section Rbb, aligned in the width direction of road Rb.

Figure 20 is a diagram for explaining an example of setting a flight path when segments are set as in Figure 10. Figure 20 shows a flight path in the case where the aircraft 10 travels straight on the section Raa in the X1 direction, turns left at the intersection Rc, and travels straight on the section Rbb in the X2 direction. The flight path setting device 14 sets segments Saa1, Sac1, Sbc1, and Sbb1 (shaded areas in Figure 20) as the flight path. In the cases of Figures 10 and 20, the flight direction L is set in advance. The aircraft 10 moves in the X1 direction within the segment Saa1 during the reserved time period and enters the segment Sac1 above the intersection Rc. The aircraft 10 rises within the segment Sac1 and enters the segment Sbc1 formed above the segment Sac1. The aircraft 10 moves along the X2 direction within the segments Sbc1 and Sbb1. In this way, by setting multiple segments S at the intersection Rcb, it is possible to turn at the intersection without colliding with other flying objects 10, even if multiple segments are set in the width direction of the road.

In this way, by varying the number of segments S set in the width direction or vertical direction of the road, it is possible to flexibly set a flight path according to, for example, traffic volume. For example, when traffic volume is low, one segment S can be set on one road as shown in FIG. 8A, and the flight direction L of the segment S can be made available in both directions without determining the flight direction L of the segment S. Also, for example, as shown in FIG. 8B, multiple segments S can be set on an intersection, which can increase traffic volume while preventing collisions between flying objects at the intersection. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, traffic volume can be further increased by setting multiple segments S in the vertical or width direction and reversing the flight direction L of each segment S.

(effect)
As described above, the method for generating flight map data A according to the present embodiment includes a position information acquisition step for acquiring position information of road R, a flight possible space setting step for setting the position information of the flight possible space S0 in which the flying object 10 can fly so that the flight possible space S0 is along the road R based on the position information of the road R, and setting the altitude of the flight possible space S0 so that the flight possible space S0 is at a predetermined altitude from the road R, thereby setting the flight possible space S0, and a flight map data generation step for generating flight map data A, which is map data for flight of the flying object 10, by associating the position information of the flight possible space S0 with the information of the altitude. According to this method, the flight possible space S0 in which the flying object 10 can fly is set on the road R, so that it is possible to easily reserve a flight route and it is also possible to suppress the use of a prohibited flight route. Therefore, according to this method, the flight route of the flying object 10 can be appropriately set.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, the flight space S0 is set so that it is divided into multiple segments S, each with a set altitude. According to this method, since the flight space S0 is divided into segments S and set, the flight space S0 can be flexibly set above the road R, and the flight path can be appropriately set, for example, even when multiple flying bodies 10 are flying.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, multiple segments S are set along the extension direction of the road R. According to this method, the flight space S0 is divided into segments S and set, so that the flight space S0 can be flexibly set above the road R, and the flight path can be appropriately set, for example, even when multiple flying bodies 10 are flying.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, the space on the section from the exit of intersection Rc to the entrance of the next intersection on road R and the space above intersection Rc are set as different segments S. According to this method, by setting a segment S at intersection Rc, it is possible to set a flight path that can prevent collision with other flying objects 10.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, the space on the section from the exit of intersection Rc on road R to the entrance of the next intersection is divided into multiple segments S. According to this method, by setting multiple segments S on a section that does not intersect with other roads, it is possible to appropriately set flight paths even when multiple flying objects 10 are flying, for example.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, segments S are set on each of the intersecting roads R at different altitudes. According to this method, since the altitudes of the segments S on the intersecting roads R are made different, flight paths can be set appropriately even when multiple flying bodies 10 are flying, for example.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, a reference occupancy time is set as a standard for the time (estimated flight time) that one flying object 10 occupies the segment S, and in the flight map data generation step, information on the reference occupancy time is included in the flight map data A. According to this method, since a reference estimated time is set, flight paths can be appropriately set, for example, even when multiple flying objects 10 are flying. Furthermore, by setting a reference estimated time, flight time periods can be provided separately for each flying object, making it possible to appropriately respond even if the traffic volume of flying objects increases beyond the traffic volume assumed when the segment S was set.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, the reference occupancy time is set as a coefficient of the reference speed of the flying object 10. By defining the reference occupancy time as a coefficient, the occupancy time can be shortened according to the performance of the flying object, and the segment S can be used effectively.

In addition, in the flight space setting step, a flight space S0 is set on the ground surface G covering the tunnel T connected to the road R. According to this method, by setting a segment S on the ground surface G covering the tunnel T, the flight route can be set appropriately even when the road R is connected to the tunnel T. Also, by setting a segment S on the mountain M covering the tunnel T, it is possible to obtain prior consent from the landowner of the mountain M, which eliminates the need to inquire with the landowner at the stage of granting permission for flight along the flight route, and flight permission can be granted immediately.

The method also includes an obstacle information acquisition step for acquiring height information of an obstacle O present on the road R, and in the flight space setting step, sets altitude information of the flight space S0 based on the height information of the obstacle O. According to this method, it becomes possible to set the flight space S0 so as not to interfere with the obstacle O, and it is possible to appropriately set a flight path that does not collide with the obstacle O.

In addition, in the obstacle information acquisition step, information on the height of the obstacle O is acquired by calculating the height of the obstacle O based on an image captured by an imaging device C mounted on a vehicle V traveling on a road R. According to this method, the height of the obstacle O can be calculated with high accuracy based on the image, so that a flight path that does not collide with the obstacle O can be appropriately set.

In addition, in the obstacle information acquisition step, the height H0 of the obstacle O is calculated from images captured continuously in time series. According to this method, the height of the obstacle O can be calculated with high accuracy based on the images of the obstacle O captured continuously, so that a flight path that does not collide with the obstacle O can be appropriately set.

The method may further include a program generation step of generating a flight map display program that displays the flight map A1 on a screen when the flight map data A is input. According to the method, the flight route can be appropriately set using the flight map A1.

Flight map data A according to this embodiment includes position information and altitude information of the flight space S0 in which the aircraft 10 can fly, and the position information is set so that the flight space S0 is along road R, and the altitude information is set so that the flight space S0 is at a predetermined altitude from road R. Since flight map data A according to this embodiment provides information on the flight space S0 that is along road R, the flight route can be appropriately set by using flight map data A.

The flight management system 1 according to this embodiment also includes a flight map data generating device 18 that generates flight map data A using the method described above, a flight path setting device 14 that sets a flight path for the flying object 10 based on the flight map data A generated by the flight map data generating device 18, and a flight path management device 16 that determines whether to permit flight along the flight path set by the flight path setting device 14. According to this flight management system 1, the flight path can be appropriately set by using the flight map data A.

The flight path setting method according to this embodiment includes a flight map data step of acquiring flight map data A including information on the flight space S0 along road R and located at a predetermined altitude from road R in which the flying object 10 can fly, a flight path setting step of setting a flight path for the flying object 10 to fly from the flight space S0 set in the flight map data, and a flight time zone setting step of setting a flight time zone in which the flight path will be used. According to this method, a flight path is set from the flight space S0 included in flight map data A, and information to apply for flight on that flight path is generated, so that the flight path can be set appropriately.

The flight path management method according to this embodiment includes an application information acquisition step of acquiring a set flight path and flight time zone, a judgment step of judging whether the flight path is reserved as a flight path for another flying object during that flight time zone, and a permission information output step of outputting permission information to permit the flying object to use the flight path during that flight time zone if it is determined in the judgment step that the flight path is not reserved as a flight path for another flying object. According to this method, the flight path is permitted to be used if it has not been reserved for the same time zone, so that multiple flying objects 10 are prevented from entering the flight path, thereby preventing collisions between the flying objects 10.

The flight instruction method according to this embodiment also includes a request step of outputting flight-related information including position information of the departure point and destination of the flying object 10 and information on the time period during which the flying object 10 flies, and requesting the setting of a flight path, an acquisition step of acquiring the flight path and flight time period generated by the above-mentioned method in response to the request step, and an instruction step of causing the flying object to fly along the acquired flight path and flight time period. According to this method, the flying object is flown using a flight path generated from flight map data A, so that the flying object can be flown appropriately.

In this embodiment, both the flight route setting device 14 and the flight route management device 16 acquire the flight map data A generated by the flight map data generation device 18, but this is not limited to the above. For example, at least one of the flight route setting device 14 and the flight route management device 16 may acquire the flight map data A.

In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which there is one entity that permits flight on the flight path, and that entity uses one flight path management device 16. However, it is also assumed that there are multiple entities that permit flight on the flight path for each area of the flight path, and a flight path management device 16 may be provided for each entity. In such a case, it is preferable for the flight map data generation device 18 to divide the segments S for each entity. The flight map data generation device 18 may then associate information about the entity that has the authority to permit flight with the segment S and include it in the flight map data A. The flight path setting device 14 can set the flight path setting device 14 that transmits application information for each segment S based on the information about the entity that has the authority to permit flight, and can smoothly execute flight permission applications.

In addition, in this embodiment, the flying object control device 12, the flight path setting device 14, the flight path management device 16, and the flight map data generation device 18 are each separate devices and are used by different entities, but this is not limited to the above. For example, at least two of the flying object control device 12, the flight path setting device 14, the flight path management device 16, and the flight map data generation device 18 may be the same device. Also, at least two of the flying object control device 12, the flight path setting device 14, the flight path management device 16, and the flight map data generation device 18 may be used by the same entity.

Although the embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the contents of these embodiments. The above-mentioned components include those that a person skilled in the art can easily imagine, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-mentioned components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-mentioned embodiments.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Flight management system 10 Aircraft 12 Aircraft control device 14 Flight route setting device 16 Flight route management device 18 Flight map data generation device 32 Obstacle information detection unit 34 Flyable space setting unit 36 Flight map data generation unit 38 Output unit A Flight map data R Road S0 Flyable space S Segment

Claims (20)

A flight map data generating method executed by a flight map data generating device, comprising:
a position information acquisition step of acquiring road position information;
A flight possible space setting step of setting the position information of the flight possible space in which the aircraft can fly along the road based on the position information of the road, and setting the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, thereby dividing the flight possible space into a plurality of segments ;
a flight map data generation step of generating flight map data, which is map data for flight of the flying object, by associating the position information of the flight possible space with the altitude information;
Including ,
In the flight space setting step, the flight space is set by performing at least one of setting a plurality of the segments in a horizontal direction on the same section of the road, setting a plurality of the segments in a vertical direction on the same section of the road, and setting the segments on intersecting roads at different altitudes.
A method for generating map data for flight. 2. The flight map data generating method according to claim 1, wherein in the flight space setting step, the flight space is set so that the flight space is divided into the plurality of segments, each of which has a set altitude, along an extension direction of the road. The flight map data generation method according to claim 2, wherein in the flight space setting step, the space on the section from the exit of an intersection to the entrance of the next intersection on the road and the space on the intersection are set as different segments. The flight map data generation method according to claim 3, wherein in the flight space setting step, the space on the section from the exit of an intersection on the road to the entrance of the next intersection is divided into a plurality of the segments. A flight map data generating method executed by a flight map data generating device, comprising:
a position information acquisition step of acquiring road position information;
A flight possible space setting step of setting the position information of the flight possible space in which the aircraft can fly along the road based on the position information of the road, and setting the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, thereby dividing the flight possible space into a plurality of segments;
a flight map data generation step of generating flight map data, which is map data for flight of the flying object, by associating the position information of the flight possible space with the altitude information;
Including ,
In the flight space setting step, a reference occupancy time is set as a reference for the time that one of the aircraft occupies the segment;
In the flight map data generation step, information on the reference occupancy time is included in the flight map data.
A method for generating map data for flight. 6. The flight map data generating method according to claim 5 , wherein in the flight space setting step, the reference occupancy time is set as a coefficient of a reference speed of the flying object. 7. The flight map data generating method according to claim 1, wherein in the flight space setting step, the flight space is set on a ground surface covering a tunnel connected to the road. The method further includes an obstacle information acquisition step of acquiring information on the height of an obstacle present on the road,
8. The flight map data generating method according to claim 1 , wherein in the flight space setting step, information on the altitude of the flight space is set based on information on the height of the obstacle. 9. The flight map data generating method according to claim 8, wherein in the obstacle information acquiring step, information on the height of the obstacle is acquired by calculating a height of the obstacle based on an image captured by an imaging device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road . 9. The flight map data generating method according to claim 8 , wherein in the obstacle information obtaining step, a height of the obstacle is calculated based on images captured continuously in time series. The flight map data generating method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , further comprising a program generating step of generating a flight map display program that displays a flight map on a screen by inputting the flight map data. a position information acquisition step of acquiring road position information;
A flight possible space setting step of setting the position information of the flight possible space in which the aircraft can fly along the road based on the position information of the road, and setting the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, thereby dividing the flight possible space into a plurality of segments ;
a flight map data generation step of generating flight map data, which is map data for flight of the flying object, by associating the position information of the flight possible space with the altitude information;
The computer executes the following :
In the flight space setting step, the flight space is set by performing at least one of the following: setting a plurality of the segments in a horizontal direction on the same section of the road; setting a plurality of the segments in a vertical direction on the same section of the road; and setting the segments on intersecting roads at different altitudes from each other.
program. a position information acquisition step of acquiring road position information;
A flight possible space setting step of setting the position information of the flight possible space in which the aircraft can fly along the road based on the position information of the road, and setting the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, thereby dividing the flight possible space into a plurality of segments;
a flight map data generation step of generating flight map data, which is map data for flight of the flying object, by associating the position information of the flight possible space with the altitude information;
The computer executes the following:
In the flight space setting step, a reference occupancy time is set as a reference for the time that one of the aircraft occupies the segment;
In the flight map data generating step, information on the reference occupancy time is included in the flight map data.
Program. causing a computer to execute an obstacle information acquisition step of acquiring information on the height of an obstacle present on the road;
In the flight space setting step, information on the altitude of the flight space is set based on information on the height of the obstacle;
In the obstacle information acquisition step, a height of the obstacle is calculated based on an image captured by an imaging device mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road, thereby acquiring information on the height of the obstacle.
The program according to claim 12 or 13. causing a computer to execute an obstacle information acquisition step of acquiring information on the height of an obstacle present on the road;
In the flight space setting step, information on the altitude of the flight space is set based on information on the height of the obstacle;
In the obstacle information acquisition step, a height of the obstacle is calculated based on images captured continuously in a time series.
The program according to claim 12 or 13. a location information acquisition unit for acquiring location information of roads;
A flight possible space setting unit that sets the position information of the flight possible space in which the aircraft can fly along the road based on the position information of the road, and sets the altitude of the flight possible space so that the flight possible space is at a predetermined altitude from the road, thereby dividing the flight possible space into a plurality of segments ;
a flight map data generation unit that generates flight map data, which is map data for flight of the flying object, by associating the position information of the flight possible space with altitude information;
Including,
The flight space setting unit sets the flight space by performing at least one of the following: setting a plurality of the segments in a horizontal direction on the same section of the road; setting a plurality of the segments in a vertical direction on the same section of the road; and setting the segments on intersecting roads at different altitudes from each other.
A flight map data generator. The flight map data generating device according to claim 16 ,
a flight path setting device that sets a flight path of an aircraft based on the flight map data generated by the flight map data generating device;
a flight route management device that determines whether to permit flight along the flight route set by the flight route setting device;
A flight management system, including: A flight route setting method performed by a flight route setting device, comprising:
A flight map data acquisition step of acquiring flight map data including information on a flight space in which an aircraft can fly, the flight map data being located along a road and at a predetermined altitude from the road;
a flight route setting step of setting a flight route along which the aircraft will fly from the flight possible space set in the flight map data;
A flight time zone setting step of setting a flight time zone in which the flight route is used;
Including,
The aviation space includes at least one of a plurality of segments set in a horizontal direction on the same section of the road, a plurality of segments set in a vertical direction on the same section of the road, and a plurality of segments set at different altitudes on intersecting roads,
How to set a flight path. A flight route management method performed by a flight route management device, comprising:
An application information acquisition step of acquiring the flight route and the flight time zone generated by the flight route setting method according to claim 18 ;
a determination step of determining whether the flight path is reserved as a flight path for another flying object during the flight time period;
a permission information output step of outputting permission information indicating that use of the flight route during the flight time period is permitted when it is determined in the determination step that the flight route is not reserved as a flight route for another flying object;
A method for managing a flight path, including: A flight instruction method performed by an aircraft control device, comprising:
a request step of outputting flight-related information including location information of the departure point and destination of the aircraft and information on the time period during which the aircraft flies, and requesting the setting of a flight route;
an acquisition step of acquiring the flight route and the flight time zone generated by the flight route setting method according to claim 18 in response to the request step;
An instruction step of causing the aircraft to fly along the acquired flight path and flight time period;
4. A flight instruction method comprising:

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