JP7632224B2 - CONTROL DEVICE, PROGRAM, AIRCRAFT, SYSTEM, AND SYSTEM OPERATION METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a control device, a program, an aircraft, a system, and a method of operating the system.

Technologies have been proposed to assist in controlling aircraft. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a system that controls manned and unmanned aircraft when they fly in the same airspace.

JP 2020-71724 A

There is a need to efficiently manage the operation of aircraft such as eVTOL (electric vertical take off and landing).

This disclosure provides a control device that efficiently manages the operation of an aircraft.

The control device of the present disclosure has a storage unit that stores first history information including flight conditions and piloting history when the pilot piloted the aircraft, and a control unit that assigns the pilot to a flight when a first piloting skill of the pilot based on the first history information corresponds to a second piloting skill required for a flight specified by a passenger, and updates the first history information using second history information of the flight received from the aircraft.

The system disclosed herein is a system having an aircraft and a control device that communicate with each other, the control device has first history information including flight conditions and piloting history when the pilot piloted the aircraft, and assigns the pilot to a flight when the pilot's first piloting skill based on the first history information corresponds to a second piloting skill required for the flight specified by the passenger, and the aircraft sends second history information for the flight to the control device, and the first history information is updated with the second history information.

The method of operation of the system disclosed herein is a method of operation of a system having an aircraft and a control device that communicate with each other, the control device having first history information including flight conditions and piloting history when the pilot piloted the aircraft, and includes a step of assigning the pilot to the flight when the pilot's first piloting skill based on the first history information corresponds to a second piloting skill required for the flight specified by the passenger, and a step of the aircraft sending second history information of the flight to the control device, and updating the first history information with the second history information.

The control device and the like disclosed herein makes it possible to efficiently manage the operation of an aircraft.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a traffic management system. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the configuration of a server device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an aircraft. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the traffic management system. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the server device. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of history information.

The following describes the implementation form.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic management system in one embodiment. Traffic management system 1 is a system that manages the operation of aircraft that transport passengers on demand. Traffic management system 1 has one or more server devices 10, aircraft 12, and terminal devices 13, which are connected to each other via network 11 so that they can communicate information with each other.

The server device 10 is, for example, a server computer that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system and functions as a server that implements various functions. The server device 10 is used by a business operator that provides operation services using the flying object 12.

The flying vehicle 12 is, for example, an eVTOL, which has a cabin of approximately the same size as a passenger vehicle capable of accommodating one or more occupants, and a mechanism including one or more electric rotors for generating lift and thrust, and is operated at least partially under visual flight rules (VFR: Visual Flight Rules). The flying vehicle 12 has a drive mechanism including a motor for driving the electric rotor, a control device for the drive mechanism, and a battery for supplying power to the drive mechanism. The battery is, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The flying vehicle 12 may be operated under instrument flight rules (IFR: Instrument Flight Rules). The flying vehicle 12 also has a communication function and an information processing function, and is connected to the network 11 via a mobile communication network.

The terminal device 13 is an information processing device equipped with a communication function, and is used by passengers aboard the aircraft 12 to perform various types of information communication and information processing. The terminal device 13 is, for example, an information processing terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

Network 11 may be, for example, the Internet, but may also include an ad-hoc network, a LAN (Local Area Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), or other network, or any combination of these.

In the operation management system 1, the server device 10 corresponds to the "control device." In the server device 10, the memory unit stores historical information including flight conditions and piloting history when the pilot piloted the flying object 12. In addition, in the server device 10, the control unit assigns a pilot to a flight when the pilot's piloting skill based on the historical information corresponds to the piloting skill required for the flight specified by the passenger, and updates the historical information in the memory unit using the flight history information received from the flying object 12.

In order to transport passengers on demand, the flying object 12 requires various flight operations, such as vertical takeoff and landing in a relatively small space, ascent and descent, hovering, turning, acceleration and deceleration, and movement, and the maneuvers required for these operations. Therefore, the pilot is required to have the piloting skills required for the flight desired by the passengers. In addition, like pilots of other aircraft such as airplanes, the pilot of the flying object 12 is required to record historical information such as a flight log for each flight from takeoff to landing. According to this embodiment, it is possible to assign a pilot who has the piloting skills required for flight using the historical information, and to easily record the pilot's historical information. This makes it possible to efficiently manage the operation of the flying object 12.

Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining an example configuration of the server device 10. The server device 10 has a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, a control unit 23, an input unit 25, and an output unit 26. The server device 10 is, for example, a single computer. Alternatively, the server device 10 may be composed of two or more computers that are connected to communicate information and operate in cooperation with each other. In that case, the configuration shown in Figure 2 is appropriately arranged in the two or more computers.

The communication unit 21 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN interface. The communication unit 21 receives information used in the operation of the server device 10, and transmits information obtained by the operation of the server device 10. The server device 10 is connected to the network 11 by the communication unit 21, and communicates information with the flying object 12 or the terminal device 13 via the network 11.

The storage unit 22 includes, for example, one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these, that function as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is, for example, an SRAM (Static RAM) or a DRAM (Dynamic RAM). The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM). The storage unit 22 stores information used in the operation of the server device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the server device 10.

The control unit 23 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination of these. The processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 23 executes information processing related to the operation of the server device 10 while controlling each part of the server device 10.

The input unit 25 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen that is integrated with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input unit 25 accepts an operation to input information used in the operation of the server device 10, and sends the input information to the control unit 23.

The output unit 26 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The output unit 26 outputs information obtained by the operation of the server device 10.

The functions of the server device 10 are realized by a processor included in the control unit 23 executing a control program. The control program is a program for causing a computer to function as the server device 10. In addition, some or all of the functions of the server device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 23. In addition, the control program may be stored in a non-transitory recording/storage medium that is readable by the server device 10, and the server device 10 may read it from the medium.

Figure 3 shows an example configuration of the flying object 12. The flying object 12 has a communication unit 31, a memory unit 32, a control unit 33, a positioning unit 34, an input unit 35, an output unit 36, and a detection unit 37. One or more of these may be configured as a single control device, or each unit may be connected to be able to communicate information via the in-flight network of the flying object 12. The control device may also be configured by a personal computer including a tablet terminal, a smartphone terminal, or a navigation device.

The communication unit 31 includes one or more communication interfaces. The communication interfaces are interfaces compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation). The communication unit 31 receives information used in the operation of the control unit 33, and transmits information obtained by the operation of the control unit 33. The control unit 33 is connected to the network 11 by the communication unit 31 via a mobile communication base station, and communicates information with the server device 10 via the network 11.

The memory unit 32 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The memory unit 32 functions, for example, as a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 32 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 33 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 33.

The control unit 33 includes one or more processors, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or an ASIC. The control unit 33 executes information processing related to the operation of the flying object 12.

The positioning unit 34 includes a sensor or receiver for acquiring the position of the flying object 12 by autonomous navigation, electronic navigation, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), etc. Sensors for autonomous navigation include, for example, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a compass, an altimeter, etc. Receivers for electronic navigation include, for example, receivers for receiving radio waves from terrestrial radio facilities such as VOR (VHF omni-directional radio range) and ILS (Instrument Landing System). Furthermore, GNSS receivers include, for example, at least one of GPS (Global Positioning System), QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System), BeiDou, GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and Galileo. The positioning unit 34 acquires the position information of the flying object 12 and sends the position information to the control unit 33.

The input unit 35 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input interface may further include a camera that captures a captured image or an image code, or an IC (Integrated Circuit) card reader. The input unit 35 accepts an operation to input information used in the operation of the control unit 33, and sends the input information to the control unit 33.

The output unit 36 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The output unit 36 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 33.

The detection unit 37 has one or more sensors or an interface with the sensors that detect the state or operation of each part of the flying object 12, and sends information indicating the detection results by the sensors to the control unit 33. The sensors include, for example, sensors that detect the motor temperature, current value, remaining charge of the battery, etc. The sensors also include a wind speed sensor, wind direction sensor, temperature sensor, air pressure sensor, humidity sensor, illuminance sensor, rain sensor, camera, etc. that detect the state of the external environment of the flying object 12.

The functions of the control unit 33 are realized by executing a control program in a processor included in the control unit 33. The control program is a program for causing the processor to function as the control unit 33. In addition, some or all of the functions of the control unit 33 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 33.

The control unit 33 controls the communication unit 31, memory unit 32, positioning unit 34, input unit 35, output unit 36, and detection unit 37 while exchanging various information with these units, and also presents the pilot with various information necessary for piloting the aircraft 12 via the output unit 36.

Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the terminal device 13. The terminal device 13 is an information processing device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The terminal device 13 has a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, a control unit 43, a positioning unit 44, an input unit 45, and an output unit 46.

The communication unit 41 has a communication module compatible with wired or wireless LAN standards, a module compatible with mobile communication standards such as LTE, 4G, and 5G, etc. The terminal device 13 is connected to the network 11 by the communication unit 41 via a nearby router device or a mobile communication base station, and communicates information with the server device 10, etc., via the network 11.

The memory unit 42 includes one or more semiconductor memories, one or more magnetic memories, one or more optical memories, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memories are, for example, RAM or ROM. The RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. The ROM is, for example, EEPROM. The memory unit 42 functions, for example, as a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 42 stores information used in the operation of the control unit 43 and information obtained by the operation of the control unit 43.

The control unit 43 has, for example, one or more general-purpose processors such as a CPU or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or one or more dedicated processors specialized for a particular process. Alternatively, the control unit 43 may have one or more dedicated circuits such as an FPGA or an ASIC. The control unit 43 performs overall control of the operation of the terminal device 13 by operating according to a control/processing program, or operating according to an operating procedure implemented as a circuit. The control unit 43 then transmits and receives various information to and from the server device 10, etc. via the communication unit 41, and executes the operation according to this embodiment.

The positioning unit 44 includes one or more GNSS receivers. GNSS includes, for example, at least one of GPS, QZSS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo. The positioning unit 44 acquires the location information of the terminal device 13.

The input unit 45 includes one or more input interfaces. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone that accepts voice input. The input interface may further include a camera that captures a captured image or an image code, or an IC card reader. The input unit 45 accepts an operation to input information used in the operation of the control unit 43, and sends the input information to the control unit 43.

The output unit 46 includes one or more output interfaces. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. The output unit 46 outputs information obtained by the operation of the control unit 43.

The functions of the control unit 43 are realized by a processor included in the control unit 43 executing a control program. The control program is a program for causing the processor to function as the control unit 43. In addition, some or all of the functions of the control unit 43 may be realized by a dedicated circuit included in the control unit 43.

Figure 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation procedure of the operation management system 1. This sequence diagram shows the procedure for the coordinated operation of the server device 10, the flying object 12, and the terminal device 13. The steps related to various information processing of the server device 10, the flying object 12, and the terminal device 13 in Figure 5 are executed by the respective control units 23, 33, and 43. In addition, the steps related to the transmission and reception of various information of the server device 10, the flying object 12, and the terminal device 13 are executed by the respective control units 23, 33, and 43 transmitting and receiving information to each other via the communication units 21, 31, and 41, respectively. In the server device 10, the flying object 12, and the terminal device 13, the control units 23, 33, and 43 respectively store the information to be transmitted and received in the memory units 22, 32, and 42, respectively. Furthermore, the control units 23, 33, and 43 accept the input of various information through the input units 25, 35, and 45, respectively, and output various information through the output units 26, 36, and 46, respectively. Here, an example of an operational procedure is shown in which the server device 10 cooperates with one flying object 12 and one terminal device 13, but the procedure shown in FIG. 5 may be executed in cooperation with the server device 10 and two or more flying objects 12 and two or more terminal devices 13.

In step S500, the terminal device 13 accepts input of operating conditions from passengers. The operating conditions include information such as the number of passengers using the aircraft 12, and the departure point, departure time, destination, and arrival time specified by the passengers. The control unit 53 displays an input screen for the operating conditions using the output unit 56, and accepts information entered by passengers using the touch panel of the input unit 45, etc.

In step S502, the terminal device 13 sends information on the operating conditions to the server device 10. The server device 10 receives the information sent from the terminal device 13.

In step S504, the server device 10 receives the position information, altitude information, and status information of the flying object 12 from the flying object 12. The status information includes the temperature and current value of the motor of the flying object 12. For example, the flying object 12 sends the position information, altitude information, and status information to the server device 10 at any period (for example, every few seconds). Alternatively, the server device 10 may request the flying object 12 for position information, etc., and the flying object 12 may send the position information, etc. to the server device 10 in response to the request. The position information, altitude information, and status information are assigned with the identification information of the flying object 12. This allows the server device 10 to associate the identification information of each flying object 12 with the position information, etc., even if there are multiple flying objects 12.

In step S506, the server device 10 creates a flight plan. The detailed operation procedure of the control unit 23 in step S506 is shown in FIG. 6.

Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the control unit 23 of the server device 10.

In step S602, the control unit 23 acquires the operation conditions. The control unit 23 reads the operation conditions received from the terminal device 13 from the memory unit 22.

In step S604, the control unit 23 acquires altitude information. The altitude information includes, for example, information on the flight altitude required of the aircraft 12 for each unit area of any size on the map depending on the state of the unit area. The unit area is, for example, an area of several tens to several hundreds of meters square. The state of the unit area is the density of people, buildings, vehicles, ships, etc., or the altitude of the ground surface. Here, the flight altitude is the altitude above sea level. The aircraft 12 is required to fly at a greater distance above buildings, etc. on the ground surface in the sky above a densely populated area compared to a non-dense area. Furthermore, the altitude of the ground surface is added to or subtracted from the required distance from the ground surface. Therefore, the flight altitude required of the aircraft 12, i.e., the altitude above sea level, changes depending on the state of the unit area in which it flies. Therefore, when the aircraft 12 flies along the flight path, it ascends or descends as necessary in order to fly at a flight altitude that changes depending on the state of the unit area in which it flies. Such altitude information is stored in advance in the memory unit 22 together with the map information. The control unit 23 identifies the area between the departure point and destination included in the operation conditions, and reads out altitude information for the unit area in that area.

In step S606, the control unit 23 acquires weather information. The weather information includes, for example, information on the wind direction in each unit area. For example, the control unit 23 acquires weather information corresponding to the unit area from a server that distributes weather information, and acquires information on the wind direction in each unit area.

In step S608, the control unit 23 derives a flight path. Using an arbitrary algorithm, the control unit 23 derives a flight path from the current position of the aircraft 12 to the departure point, and then from the departure point to the destination. The flight path includes information on the flight altitude required in the unit areas passed through along the way.

In step 610, the control unit 23 derives flight conditions when the flying object 12 flies along the derived flight path and the piloting difficulty level under those flight conditions. The flight conditions include items such as the flight path length, the distance and number of ascents or descents, the weather, and the time of day. The piloting difficulty level is, for example, a score set in multiple stages for each item of the flight conditions, with a higher score corresponding to a higher difficulty level. Information on the flight condition items and the score for each item is stored in advance in the storage unit 22. For example, the score is set higher the longer the flight path length, the longer the distance of ascent or descent, and the more times the ascent or descent occurs. In addition, the higher the wind force and rainfall values indicated by the weather, the higher the score is set. Furthermore, a higher score is set for nighttime hours than for daytime hours. The control unit 23 derives the flight path length, the distance and number of ascents or descents of the derived flight path. The control unit 23 also derives the weather and the time of day for the unit area through which the flight path passes. The control unit 23 then derives a corresponding score for each flight condition item along the flight route and sums up the derived scores. The sum of the scores represents the piloting difficulty required along the flight route.

In step S612, the control unit 23 acquires history information. The control unit 23 acquires history information from the memory unit 22. As shown in FIG. 7, the memory unit 22 stores history information 71 linked to the pilot identification information 70 for each pilot. The pilot identification information 70 includes the identification information of the pilot and the identification information of the flying object 12 piloted by that pilot. The history information 71 includes information on the flight conditions and the flying history for each past flight. As described below, the history information 71 is collected by the server device 10 when the flying object 12 flies. The flight conditions include items such as the flight path length, the distance and number of ascents or descents, the weather, and the time of day. The flying history includes items such as the flight path actually flown, the distance and number of ascents or descents. The flying history may further include the current value and temperature of the motor during flight.

In step S614, the control unit 23 selects a pilot who has the piloting skill required for flying on the derived flight path. The control unit 23 derives the piloting skill for each pilot using the history information 71 of each pilot. The piloting skill is, for example, the sum of the piloting difficulty scores corresponding to the flight conditions that the pilot has experienced in the past. The control unit 23 derives the piloting difficulty for the past flight conditions for each pilot using the piloting difficulty scores used in step S610. At this time, the piloting difficulty may be the sum of the scores in multiple past flights or the average per flight. The higher the piloting difficulty of the experienced flight conditions, the higher the piloting skill score is derived. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may correct the piloting difficulty score based on the piloting history. For example, if the flight path length actually flown is longer than the flight path length in the flight conditions, or if the distance and number of ascents or descents actually flown are greater than the distance and number of ascents or descents in the flight conditions, there is a high possibility that the flight path was deviated or unnecessary piloting was performed in the ascent or descent. Therefore, the control unit 23 can correct the piloting skill by scoring the difference between the flight path length, the distance and number of ascents or descents between the flight conditions and the actual flight using an arbitrary coefficient, etc., and subtracting the score from the piloting skill. Alternatively, if the current value and temperature of the motor of the flying object 12 become excessive, there is a high possibility that the motor has been overloaded due to inefficient operation, so the control unit 23 may reduce the piloting skill score according to the number of times that the current value and temperature of the motor exceed the arbitrarily set standard. In this way, it is possible to evaluate the piloting skill more in line with the actual situation. When the control unit 23 derives the piloting skill score required for flight on the derived flight path, it selects a pilot who has piloting skill equal to or higher than that score. If multiple pilots are applicable, the control unit 23 selects the pilot with the lowest piloting skill. In this way, it is possible to secure a pilot who can handle flights with higher piloting difficulty.

In step S616, the control unit 23 confirms whether the pilot can fly the aircraft. Steps S508, S510, and S512 in FIG. 5 are executed in response to step S616. In step S508, the server device 10 sends information on whether the pilot can fly the aircraft 12 to the aircraft 12 piloted by the selected pilot. The information on whether the pilot can fly the aircraft 12 includes presentation information for presenting information on the derived flight path, flight conditions, piloting difficulty, and the like. In step S510, the aircraft 12 outputs the presentation information to prompt the pilot to confirm whether the pilot can fly the aircraft 12. The control unit 33 of the aircraft 12, for example, displays information on whether the pilot can fly the aircraft 12 and a message prompting the pilot to confirm the information by the output unit 36 to present the information to the pilot. If the pilot judges that the aircraft 12 is pilotable based on his or her piloting skills, the control unit 33 inputs information indicating that the aircraft 12 can fly the aircraft 12, and if the pilot judges that the aircraft 12 is not pilotable, the control unit 33 inputs information indicating that the aircraft 12 cannot fly the aircraft 12 to the input unit 35. At this time, by presenting information on the piloting difficulty, the pilot can confirm how much his or her piloting skills can be improved by piloting the aircraft 12, which can stimulate the pilot's motivation. Then, in step S512, the aircraft 12 sends information indicating whether it can be controlled to the server device 10.

In step S618 in FIG. 6, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the pilot can be operated. If information indicating that the pilot can be operated has been received from the flying object 12, the pilot can be operated (Yes), and the control unit 23 proceeds to step S620. On the other hand, if information indicating that the flying object 12 cannot be operated has been received from the flying object 12, the pilot cannot be operated (No), and so in step S622, the control unit 23 excludes the selected pilot and executes steps S614 to S618 again. In step S614, a pilot is selected from among the pilots other than the excluded pilot.

In step S620, the control unit 23 confirms the passenger's intention. In response to step S620, steps S514, S516, and S518 in FIG. 5 are executed. In step S514, the server device 10 sends flight plan information to the passenger's terminal device 13. The flight plan information includes information on the derived flight route and information indicating the pilot's piloting skill selected. In step S516, the terminal device 13 outputs the flight plan information to prompt confirmation. The control unit 43 of the terminal device 13, for example, displays the flight plan information and a message prompting confirmation by the output unit 46 and presents it to the passenger. At this time, if the pilot's piloting skill greatly exceeds the piloting skill required for flight, for example, if the difference in piloting skill exceeds an arbitrary reference value, a message may be presented to the passenger to the effect that an additional fee will be charged. Then, if the passenger wishes to fly, information requesting flight is input to the input unit 45, and if the passenger does not wish to fly, information indicating that flight is not requested is input. Then, in step S518, the terminal device 13 sends information indicating whether or not a flight request has been made to the server device 10.

In step S622 of FIG. 6, the control unit 23 determines whether or not there is a flight request. If information indicating a flight request has been received from the terminal device 13, then there is a flight request (Yes), and the control unit 23 proceeds to step S624. On the other hand, if information not requesting flight has been received from the terminal device 13, then there is no flight request (No), and so in step S622, the control unit 23 excludes the selected pilot and executes steps S614 to S624 again.

In step 626, the control unit 23 determines the flight plan. The flight plan includes the flight route, the flight altitude required along the flight route, the scheduled time of departure from the departure point, the scheduled time of arrival at the destination, etc.

Returning to FIG. 5, in step S520, the server device 10 generates flight instructions based on the flight plan. Then, in step S522, the server device 10 sends the flight instructions to the flying object 12. The flight instructions include information necessary for flying along the flight path. The flight instructions include the flight path, the flight altitude required along the flight path, the departure point and scheduled departure time, and the destination and scheduled arrival time. The flying object 12 receives the information sent from the server device 10.

In step S524, the aircraft 12 flies based on flight instructions from the server device 10. The aircraft 12 outputs information necessary for flight to the pilot by displaying or otherwise presenting it to the pilot, and the pilot flies the aircraft 12 by controlling it in accordance with the flight instructions.

In step S526, the flying object 12 sends position information, altitude information, and status information to the server device 10. For example, the flying object 12 sends position information, altitude information, and status information to the server device 10 at any period (e.g., every few seconds). Alternatively, the server device 10 may request position information, etc. from the flying object 12 at any period, and the flying object 12 may send position information, etc. to the server device 10 in response to the request. The position information, etc. is accompanied by identification information of the flying object 12. This allows the server device 10 to identify the flying object 12 and grasp its position, etc. The server device 10 collects position information, altitude information, and status information of the flying object 12 until the flying object 12 finishes flying.

In step S528, the server device 10 updates the history information. The control unit 23 reads out the history information corresponding to the identification information of the flying object 12 from the storage unit 22. Then, the history information is updated using the position information received from the flying object 12, etc. The control unit 23 identifies the pilot identification information 70 including the identification information of the flying object 12, and adds the history information 71 including the flight conditions and the operation history in correspondence with the pilot identification information 70. That is, the history information 71 stored in the storage unit 22 of the server device 10 is updated by the history information received from the flying object 12. The control unit 23 derives the flight path length by deriving the actual flight path based on the transition of the position information of the flying object 12. The control unit 23 also derives the distance and number of ascents or descents based on the transition of the flight altitude of the flying object 12. Furthermore, the control unit 23 counts the number of times that the current value and temperature of the motor of the flying object 12 exceed the standard. The control unit 23 then adds the operation history, including the flight path length, the distance and number of ascents or descents, and the number of times the motor current value and temperature exceeded the standard, to update the history information 71. In this way, the server device 10 can easily collect the operation history of the flying object 12.

In step S530, the server device 10 executes a billing process. The server device 10 executes a process for charging the fare for the aircraft 12 to the passenger's financial account. At this time, the server device 10 may execute a process for charging an additional fee if the pilot's piloting skills greatly exceed the required piloting skills.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to use historical information to assign a pilot with the necessary piloting skills for flight, and to simplify the recording of the pilot's historical information. This makes it possible to efficiently manage the operation of the aircraft 12.

In the above explanation, the server device 10 sends and receives information to confirm whether the pilot is able to control the aircraft 12. However, the server device 10 may also send and receive such information to and from a terminal device used by the pilot.

In the above description, the server device 10 corresponds to the "control device." However, a part or more of the information processing by the control device may be executed by the flying object 12. In other words, a part or all of the operations of the server device 10 described above may be performed by the control unit 33 of the flying object 12 together with the server device 10 or instead of the server device 10.

Although the embodiment has been described above based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that a person skilled in the art would easily be able to make various modifications and corrections based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and corrections are included in the scope of this disclosure. For example, the functions included in each means, step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple means, steps, etc. can be combined into one or divided.

1 Traffic management system 10 Server device 11 Network 12 Aircraft 13 Terminal device 21, 31, 41 Communication unit 22, 32, 42 Memory unit 23, 33, 43 Control unit 34, 44 Positioning unit 25, 35, 45 Input unit 26, 36, 46 Output unit 37 Detection unit

Claims (14)

a storage unit that stores first history information including flight conditions and a flight history when the pilot pilots the aircraft;
a control unit that assigns the pilot to a flight when a first piloting skill of the pilot based on the first historical information corresponds to a second piloting skill required for the flight specified by a passenger, and updates the first historical information using second historical information of the flight received from the flying object;
having
The control unit outputs presentation information for presenting flight conditions of the flight to the pilot, including information indicating a piloting skill that can be improved by the flight, and executes allocation of the flight to the pilot on the condition that information indicating acceptance by the pilot is received.
Control device. In claim 1,
The control unit is
a control device that outputs information for presenting the first piloting skill to the passenger and executes the allocation of the flight to the pilot on the condition that information indicating acceptance by the passenger is received. In claim 1 or 2 ,
The control unit executes a process for charging an additional fee to the passenger when the first piloting skill exceeds the second piloting skill.
Control device. In any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The flight conditions include one or more of flight path length, distance or number of ascents or descents, weather, and time of day information;
Control device. A program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to operate as the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . An aircraft having a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . 1. A system having an air vehicle and a controller in communication with each other,
The control device has first history information including flight conditions and a piloting history when the pilot piloted the flying object, and assigns the pilot to the flight when a first piloting skill of the pilot based on the first history information corresponds to a second piloting skill required for the flight designated by a passenger;
the flying object sends second history information of the flight to the control device, and the first history information is updated with the second history information;
The control device outputs presentation information for presenting flight conditions of the flight to the pilot, the presentation information including information indicating a piloting skill that can be improved by the flight, and executes allocation of the flight to the pilot on the condition that information indicating acceptance by the pilot is received.
system. In claim 7 ,
The control device includes:
The system outputs information for presenting the first piloting skill to the passenger, and executes the allocation of the flight to the pilot conditional on receiving information indicating acceptance by the passenger. In claim 7 or 8 ,
the control device executes a process for charging the passenger an additional fee when the first piloting skill exceeds the second piloting skill.
system. In any one of claims 7 to 9 ,
The flight conditions include one or more of flight path length, distance or number of ascents or descents, weather, and time of day information;
system. 1. A method of operating a system having an air vehicle and a controller in communication with each other, comprising:
The control device has first historical information including flight conditions and a piloting history when the pilot piloted the flying object, and assigns the pilot to the flight when a first piloting skill of the pilot based on the first historical information corresponds to a second piloting skill required for the flight specified by a passenger;
a step of the flying object transmitting second history information of the flight to the control device and updating the first history information with the second history information;
Including,
The control device outputs presentation information for presenting flight conditions of the flight to the pilot, the presentation information including information indicating a piloting skill that can be improved by the flight, and executes allocation of the flight to the pilot on the condition that information indicating acceptance by the pilot is received.
How it works: In claim 11 ,
The control device includes:
A method of operation comprising: outputting information for presenting the first piloting skill to the passenger; and executing the flight assignment to the pilot conditional on receiving information indicating acceptance by the passenger. In claim 11 or 12 ,
the control device executes a process for charging the passenger an additional fee when the first piloting skill exceeds the second piloting skill.
How it works: In any one of claims 11 to 13 ,
The flight conditions include one or more of flight path length, distance or number of ascents or descents, weather, and time of day information;
How it works:

Images