JP7640347B2 - Control device, mobile object, and control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control device, a moving body, and a control method, and is particularly suitable for use in a control device that controls a moving body, that moving body, and a control method using that control device.

Conventionally, drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles that fly without a human have become widespread. Regarding unmanned aerial vehicles, Patent Document 1 discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle that can more easily warn about intrusion into areas where flight of unmanned aerial vehicles (unmanned aircraft) is restricted. In Patent Document 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle (a control device that controls the unmanned aerial vehicle) receives radio waves and determines whether the strength of the received radio waves exceeds a threshold, and issues a warning if the strength exceeds the threshold. In Patent Document 2, an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) that has a function of searching for a pedestrian who is lost while walking is disclosed. In Patent Document 2, when a management server detects that a pedestrian is lost, the management server transmits the spatial coordinate values of the pedestrian's location to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the unmanned aerial vehicle flies to the position indicated by the spatial coordinate values as a target position.

Patent Document 3 discloses a technology that prevents contact between multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) when they are flying simultaneously. In this patent document 3, for example, when the aerial vehicle is flying, lighting equipment attached to the aerial vehicle lights up or flashes in a color corresponding to the flight pattern. Patent Document 4 discloses a geofencing device that provides a so-called geofence that restricts the flight range of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

JP 2017-193201 A JP 2020-123316 A JP 2020-117129 A Special table 2017-537012 publication

By the way, the flight methods of unmanned aerial vehicles can be broadly divided into two: autonomous flight and flight according to the pilot's control. In both cases, there are the following characteristics. That is, when the unmanned aerial vehicle approaches a target object, it is better to have the vehicle perform a process corresponding to the situation, but there is a characteristic that a human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the execution of the process. For example, when an obstacle approaches while the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying autonomously. In this case, it is better to move the unmanned aerial vehicle so as to avoid approaching or contacting the obstacle, but since the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying autonomously and is not being operated by a human, the human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the vehicle to move. In another example, when an obstacle approaches while the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying according to the pilot's control, the obstacle may be in the pilot's blind spot or the unmanned aerial vehicle may be considerably far away from the pilot, and the pilot may not be able to recognize the obstacle. In this case, too, it would be better to move the unmanned aerial vehicle so as to avoid approaching or coming into contact with the obstacle, but because the pilot is not aware of the obstacle, a human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the vehicle to move.

In recent years, autonomous unmanned cars that travel autonomously on the ground and self-driving cars that drive automatically with a passenger on board (obviously, it doesn't have to be) have become popular. Like unmanned aerial vehicles, these autonomous unmanned cars and self-driving cars also have the characteristic that, while it is best for the car to perform processing to respond to the situation when it approaches an object, there may be situations in which a human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the car to perform the processing. This is because both autonomous unmanned cars and self-driving cars are not driven by a driver.

For mobile bodies that have the characteristic that it is better to have them perform processing corresponding to a situation when they approach an object, such as the unmanned aerial vehicle, autonomous unmanned automobile, and self-driving car described above, but that there may be situations where a human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the execution of processing, the following measures are usually taken to deal with such situations. That is, the mobile body is equipped with cameras, distance measurement sensors, GPS units, and various other devices used to recognize the environment around the mobile body. The control device of the mobile body recognizes the environment around the corresponding mobile body by analyzing inputs from the various devices through information processing, derives processing according to the environment using information processing means, and executes the derived processing. There has been a demand for new methods to supplement such measures, or to replace such measures when safety conditions can be met.

The present invention was made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a new method for dealing with situations in which a moving object approaches a target object and it would be best to have the moving object perform processing appropriate to the situation, but a human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the moving object to execute the processing.

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, when a beacon is received, identification information included in the beacon is recognized, and if the value of the recognized identification information is a pre-registered value, a process registered in association with the value is executed. In this configuration, the process associated with the value of the identification information includes a first process of moving or stopping the moving body in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with the source of the beacon , and if the value of the recognized identification information is a pre-registered value and the process registered in association with the value is the first process, the moving body can be automatically and immediately moved in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with the source of the beacon , or automatically and immediately stopped moving.

According to the present invention configured as described above, when a beacon is received, a process associated with the value of the identification information included in the beacon is automatically executed. Therefore, by making an object that a moving body may approach, or an object that may approach a moving body transmit a beacon containing a specific value of identification information, and by associating an appropriate process to be executed by the moving body (or a control device for the moving body) when the corresponding object and the moving body approach each type of identification information value, it is possible to automatically execute a process without a human being immediately issuing an explicit instruction when a situation occurs in which the moving body and the object are close to each other. In other words, the present invention provides a new method for dealing with a situation in which a moving body approaches an object and it is better to execute a process corresponding to that situation, but a human being cannot immediately explicitly instruct the execution of a process for a moving body that may be in such a situation.

1 is an oblique view of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle related to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the contents of a processing table. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device according to the modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 corresponds to the "mobile body" in the claims. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is an unmanned flying vehicle called a drone or UAV. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 includes an aerial vehicle body 2, which includes a flight mechanism 3, which includes four propellers 4. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 ascends, descends, moves forward, backward, turns, etc. by adjusting the rotation speed of the four propellers 4. As shown in FIG. 1, a camera 9 is attached below the unmanned aerial vehicle 1.

Unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can fly under remote control by a pilot using a radio-controlled device, and can also fly autonomously through autonomous control. Hereinafter, flying under autonomous control will be referred to as "autonomous flight." The operating mode when flying under remote control will be referred to as "manual mode," and the operating mode when flying autonomously will be referred to as "autonomous mode."

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 6 according to this embodiment, together with related hardware elements. As shown in Figure 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is equipped with a control device 6, a flight mechanism drive unit 7, a GPS unit 8, a camera 9, flight-related sensors 10, a wireless communication unit 11, a beacon receiving unit 12, and a memory unit 13.

The control device 6 includes a processing device such as a CPU, a primary storage device such as a RAM, a secondary storage device such as a ROM, and other hardware. The control device 6 executes various types of arithmetic processing/information processing through cooperation between hardware and software, such as the CPU reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

The flight mechanism drive unit 7, under the control of the control device 6, controls the flight mechanism 3 to make the flying body 2 ascend, descend, move forward, move backward, turn, etc. More specifically, the flight mechanism drive unit 7 includes a PMU (Power Management Unit), an ESC (Electric Speed Controller), and a brushless motor. The brushless motor is a motor that rotates the propellers 4, and there is one for each of the four propellers 4. The PMU controls the power supplied from the battery to the ESC. The ESC controls the rotation speed of the brushless motor.

The GPS unit 8 receives a GPS signal and detects the current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 (the longitude, latitude, and altitude of the current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1) based on the GPS signal. The GPS unit 8 outputs the detection values to the control device 6 at any time.

The camera 9 takes pictures at a predetermined cycle (predetermined frame rate) under the control of the control device 6.

The flight-related sensors 10 include various sensors such as a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a distance measurement sensor (e.g., LIDAR or a stereo camera), and a positioning camera, and output the detection values of the various sensors to the control device 6.

The wireless communication unit 11 includes a baseband unit, an RF unit, an antenna, etc. for wireless communication in a specific frequency band, and transmits wireless signals by radio waves in a specific frequency band under the control of the control device 6, and also receives wireless signals superimposed on radio waves in a specific frequency band and outputs them to the control device 6. With the above configuration, the wireless communication unit 11 wirelessly communicates with a radio-controlled device on the ground and a computer for managing the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to a specific wireless communication standard. Hereinafter, the computer for managing the radio-controlled device on the ground and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 that wirelessly communicates with the wireless communication unit 11 is referred to as the "management device". Any wireless communication standard may be used for wireless communication, and the wireless communication unit 11 and the management device may communicate via a mobile communication network.

The beacon receiving unit 12 receives beacons by wireless communication in accordance with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless communication standard. However, the wireless communication standard is not limited to Bluetooth, and the beacon receiving unit 12 may be configured to receive beacons in accordance with another wireless communication standard instead of or in addition to Bluetooth. The beacon receiving unit 12 corresponds to the "beacon receiving section" in the claims.

The storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM, and stores various data in a non-volatile manner. Note that the distinction between the storage device constituting the control device 6 and the storage unit 13 is for convenience of explanation, and the storage device constituting the control device 6 may include the storage unit 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 6 has a control unit 20 as a functional configuration. As described above, the functions of these functional blocks 20 are realized by the cooperation of hardware and software.

The control unit 20 recognizes the position and attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 during flight based on inputs from the GPS unit 8, camera 9, flight-related sensors 10, wireless communication unit 11 and beacon receiving unit 12, and controls the flight mechanism drive unit 7 to adjust the rotation speed of each propeller 4 of the flight mechanism 3, thereby controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1.

As described above, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment can fly according to remote control by a radio-controlled device, and can also fly autonomously along a predetermined planned route by autonomous control without remote control. Below, a brief explanation of autonomous flight is given.

During autonomous flight, the memory unit 13 stores planned route information by a specified means. The planned route information is information that represents the route that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 will fly using a number of waypoints. Each waypoint has longitude, latitude, and altitude information. During autonomous flight, the control unit 20 controls the flight mechanism drive unit 7 while monitoring the position, attitude, and direction of movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 during flight based on the detection values of the GPS unit 8 and flight-related sensors 10, thereby controlling the ascent, descent, forward movement, backward movement, turning, etc. of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, and flies the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 so that it follows the multiple waypoints recorded in the planned flight information in order.

Regarding autonomous flight, it is possible to fly autonomously while photographing the object to be inspected (for example, an electric wire or an overhead ground wire suspended from a steel tower) with the camera 9.

As described above, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can fly autonomously, or it can fly according to the pilot's control. Regardless of the method of flight, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches an object of some kind, it may be desirable to have the vehicle perform processing appropriate to that situation, but there may also be situations in which a human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the vehicle to perform that processing (specific examples of such situations will be described later). With this in mind, the control device 6 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 executes the following processing.

The control unit 20 monitors whether a beacon has been received by the beacon receiving unit 12 while the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is operating. Receiving a beacon by the beacon receiving unit 12 means that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 has come close enough to the source of the beacon to receive it. The control unit 20 may be configured to monitor whether a beacon with a certain radio wave strength or greater has been received, rather than simply monitoring whether a beacon has been received. When a beacon is received by the beacon receiving unit 12, the control unit 20 recognizes the value of the beacon identification information (corresponding to the "identification information" in the claims) contained in the beacon received by the beacon receiving unit 12. The control unit 20 then refers to the processing table stored in the memory unit 13.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the contents of the processing table. The processing table is a table in which information identifying a process (hereinafter referred to as "processing identification information") is recorded in association with each type of beacon identification information value. Figure 4 shows how the processing table associates the beacon identification information value "N001" with the processing identification information indicating process A, the beacon identification information value "N002" with the processing identification information indicating process B, and the beacon identification information value "N003" with the processing identification information indicating process C. The significance of the beacon identification information and the processing table will become clear later.

The control unit 20 refers to the processing table and determines whether the value of the recognized beacon identification information matches any of the beacon identification information values registered in the processing table. If there is no matching value, the control unit 20 does not execute processing in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if there is a matching value, the control unit 20 executes the processing indicated by the processing identification information associated with the matching value in the processing table.

Note that there may be cases where the beacon does not include beacon identification information, or where the format is different from the expected format and the information corresponding to the beacon identification information cannot be recognized. In this case, the control unit 20 does not execute processing in response to the reception of the beacon. As will be clear later, the beacon transmitting device that transmits the beacon transmits the beacon intermittently and continuously. Therefore, while the distance between the beacon transmitting device and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is close, the control unit 20 will receive beacons containing beacon identification information of the same value intermittently and continuously from the beacon transmitting device. In light of this, appropriate measures are taken to prevent the processing indicated by the processing identification information from being performed each time a beacon containing beacon identification information of the same value is intermittently received. For example, when the control unit 20 receives a beacon containing beacon identification information of a certain value, the control unit 20 executes the above processing, while thereafter discarding the received beacon while the control unit 20 is receiving beacons containing beacon identification information of that certain value intermittently and continuously.

The above is the processing of the control device 6. Below, we will explain the operation of the control device 6 (and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1) along with specific examples of the processing indicated by the processing identification information and specific examples of how it is applied.

<Movement stop processing>
An example of the process indicated by the process identification information is a process to stop movement (hereinafter, referred to as a "movement stop process"). Stopping movement means causing the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 to remain in its current position (a three-dimensional position including the altitude). The movement stop process is applied, for example, in the following manner.

In other words, regardless of whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is in manual mode or automatic mode, a state is created in which a person who may be approached by the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 or who may approach the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 carries a device that intermittently transmits a beacon while the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is operating. Hereinafter, devices that transmit beacons intermittently are collectively referred to as "beacon transmission devices." Furthermore, a person who may be approached by the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 or who may approach the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is referred to as a "possibly approachable person." A potentially approachable person is, for example, the pilot and a person assisting in piloting the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 flies in manual mode, or, for example, a spectator who watches the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. In accordance with the purpose, it is also possible to attach a beacon transmission device not only to humans, but also to other living beings (for example, a pet when the pilot pilots the unmanned aerial vehicle with a pet).

Regardless of whether the mode is manual or automatic, a beacon transmitter is attached to an object (assuming an object other than a human or other living thing) that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may approach or approach the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 while the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is flying. Hereinafter, an object that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may approach or approach the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is referred to as a "probably approachable object". Probably approachable objects include not only stationary objects but also moving objects. For example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 flies indoors, a potentially approachable object is a wall, a facility installed indoors, or other objects present indoors that should be prevented from coming into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. As an example of this, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 flies in a huge warehouse, a wall, a shelf for storing luggage, a vehicle used to transport luggage, etc. may be a potentially approachable object. For example, when an inspection object is photographed by a camera 9 during autonomous flight, the inspection object may be a potentially approachable object.

Hereinafter, accessible humans and accessible objects will be collectively referred to as "accessible objects." Also, for convenience, the state in which a human (accessible human) is carrying a beacon transmitter will sometimes be expressed as "attaching a beacon transmitter to a human."

The beacon transmitter is, for example, a small dedicated device that is provided with a switch and transmits a beacon intermittently while the switch is on. Another example of the beacon transmitter is a small device available on the market called a Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) beacon. Another example of the beacon transmitter is a smartphone, tablet terminal, or other portable device with Bluetooth communication capabilities that transmits beacons intermittently using the functions of an installed dedicated application. The dedicated application has a function of providing a user interface for instructing the start and end of beacon transmission, and a function of cooperating with the OS to cause the Bluetooth module to transmit intermittent beacons while beacon transmission is instructed.

For example, when the source of the beacon is a drone or other unmanned aerial vehicle, and the regulations of the area in which the unmanned aerial vehicle flies require the transmission of a beacon with specified content (which must include information that can be used as beacon identification information), the beacon transmitter is a device that has the function of transmitting that specified beacon. An example of this type of device is a Remote ID device.

Each of the approachable humans carries a beacon transmitter, and while the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is operating, each of the beacon transmitters is in an active state (a state in which a beacon is transmitted intermittently). Also, while the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is operating, each of the beacon transmitters attached to the approachable objects is in an active state.

In addition, in the processing table, the value of the beacon identification information included in the beacon output by the beacon transmitting device carried by the approachable person is registered in association with the processing identification information indicating the movement stop processing. The value of the beacon identification information included in the beacons transmitted by different beacon transmitting devices may be the same (in this case, a record in which the beacon identification information of a common value is associated with the processing identification information indicating the movement stop processing is registered in the processing table). In actual application, a configuration may be adopted in which a record in which a beacon identification information of a predetermined value is associated with the processing identification information indicating the movement stop processing is registered in the processing table, and a beacon including the beacon identification information of the predetermined value is transmitted for each beacon transmitting device.

Furthermore, in the processing table, a record is registered in advance that corresponds the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon output by the beacon transmitter attached to the approachable object with processing identification information that indicates a movement stop processing.

In the state where the above-mentioned state is established, the control device 6 executes the following process. That is, regardless of whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is in manual mode or autonomous mode, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the approachable object (attached to a beacon transmitter) approach each other while flying, the beacon emitted by the approachable object's beacon transmitter is received by the beacon receiving unit 12 of the control device 6. In response to this, the control unit 20 recognizes the value of the beacon identification information transmitted by the beacon transmitter and refers to the processing table. Since the processing table has a record in which the value of the beacon identification information included in the beacon output by the beacon transmitter of the approachable object and the processing identification information indicating the movement stop processing are associated with each other, the control unit 20 determines that the same value as the recognized beacon identification information exists. Next, the control unit 20 executes the processing indicated by the processing identification information associated with the value that matches the value of the recognized beacon identification information in the processing table. Here, the processing indicated by the processing identification information is the movement stop processing, so the control unit 20 executes the movement stop processing.

As a result, regardless of whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is in manual mode or autonomous mode, when it approaches a potentially approachable object to the extent that it can receive a beacon emitted by the beacon transmitter of the potentially approachable object, the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 automatically and immediately stops without human instructions (for example, operation by a pilot or a person operating a management computer). This makes it possible to appropriately avoid the approach or contact between the potentially approachable object and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Note that in this embodiment, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 "approaches" an object, it means that the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the object is shortened to the extent that some adverse effect may be caused to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 or the object, and is clearly distinguished from the state represented by the expression "approaching" and the state represented by the expression "approaching".

The processing to be performed after the movement stop processing is executed can be set as appropriate. For example, the control unit 20 stops the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 until the beacon is no longer received (or until the strength of the radio waves drops below a certain level). In addition, for example, the control unit 20 controls the wireless communication unit 11 to send a message to the management device indicating that the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 has been stopped based on the processing table.

<Other application examples of movement stop processing>
The above-mentioned application example of the movement stop processing is aimed at preventing the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from approaching or coming into contact with an object. In addition, the following application is possible. That is, suppose that there are objects scattered around that, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches during autonomous flight in autonomous mode, the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 should be stopped for a certain period of time and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 should execute some processing. For example, the object is located close to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and is required to be photographed by the camera 9 in a stopped state. In such a case, by attaching a beacon transmitter to each object and registering in advance in the processing table a record in which the value of the beacon identification information included in the beacon transmitted by each beacon transmitter and the processing identification information indicating the movement stop processing are associated, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can be stopped for a certain period of time at a position close to each object when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches each object during autonomous flight in autonomous mode.

<Rising process>
An example of the process indicated by the process identification information is a process of raising the aircraft (hereinafter referred to as "ascending process"). Raising the aircraft means moving the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 vertically upward from its current position. For example, the following application is made to the ascending process. That is, regardless of whether the mode is manual or autonomous, a beacon transmitter is attached to the following objects (a concept including living things including humans and objects other than living things, as described above) within the range in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can fly. That is, a beacon transmitter is attached to an object that can safely raise the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches the object, and can reliably or effectively prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from approaching or coming into contact with the object by raising the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Hereinafter, such an object is referred to as an ascending process-compatible object. The ascending process corresponds to "a process of moving a moving object in a predetermined manner".

An object that can be subjected to ascent processing is basically an object that does not move vertically upward. This is because, if the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches such an object, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can rise and physically separate itself from the object. Examples of objects that can be subjected to ascent processing include humans (including pilots), automobiles that move on the ground, and equipment installed on the ground.

A beacon transmitter is attached to the object capable of ascending, and a record is registered in advance in the processing table in which the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon transmitted by each beacon transmitter corresponds to processing identification information indicating the ascent processing. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from approaching or coming into contact with the object capable of ascending.

The extent to which the value is increased, the processes to be executed along with the increase, and the processes to be executed after the increase are all set appropriately.

<Reverse Processing>
An example of the process indicated by the process identification information is a process of moving backwards (hereinafter referred to as "reverse processing"). Reverse processing means moving the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from the current position in the opposite direction to the direction of travel up to that point. Reverse processing corresponds to "processing of moving a moving body in a predetermined manner". For example, the following application is made to the reverse processing. That is, regardless of the manual mode or the autonomous mode, a beacon transmitter is attached to the following object within the range where the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can fly. That is, a beacon transmitter is attached to an object that can safely move the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 backwards when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches the object, and can reliably or effectively prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from approaching or coming into contact with the object by moving backwards. Hereinafter, such an object is referred to as a reverse processing compatible object. The reverse processing compatible object is, for example, the above-mentioned approachable human and approachable object.

A beacon transmitter is then attached to the reverse progression processing compatible object, and a record is preregistered in the processing table in which the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon transmitted by each beacon transmitter corresponds to processing identification information indicating reverse progression processing. This makes it possible to effectively prevent proximity or contact between the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the reverse progression compatible object. Note that in the case of an object that is expected to move toward the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, it is thought that there may be cases in which proximity or contact can be prevented more effectively by performing reverse progression processing rather than movement stop processing.

<Scheduled route change processing>
An example of the process indicated by the process identification information is a process of changing the planned route (hereinafter referred to as "planned route change process"). The planned route change process is applied, for example, as follows. That is, in relation to the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 in the autonomous mode, a beacon transmitter is attached to the following object, or the beacon transmitter is held by the object. That is, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 flies in the autonomous mode, the beacon transmitter is attached to an object that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may approach or contact, and when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches the object, it is effective to change the planned route in order to reliably avoid approaching or contacting the object and to smoothly continue the autonomous flight thereafter. Hereinafter, such an object is referred to as an object compatible with planned route change process. An object compatible with planned route change process is, for example, the above-mentioned inspection object.

Regarding the planned route change process, the control device 6 executes the following process, for example. That is, when it is decided to execute the planned route change process, the control unit 20 temporarily stops the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Next, the control unit 20 controls the wireless communication unit 11 to send a command to the management device requesting a change in the planned route. This command includes the GPS unit 8, the camera 9, the flight-related sensor 10, the beacon identification information contained in the beacon, and other information used by the management device to newly derive the planned route. When the management device receives this command, it derives a new appropriate planned route that avoids proximity or contact with the object that is the source of the beacon, and transmits the planned route information to the control device 6. The control unit 20 of the control device 6 receives the planned route information, updates the value of the planned route information in the memory unit 13, and moves the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 along the planned route.

A beacon transmitter is attached to the object compatible with the planned route change process, and a record is registered in advance in the processing table in which the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon emitted by each beacon transmitter corresponds to the processing identification information indicating the planned route change process. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from approaching or contacting the object compatible with the planned route change, and allows autonomous flight to continue smoothly thereafter.

<Speed Deceleration Processing>
Moreover, one example of the process indicated by the process identification information is a process of decelerating speed (hereinafter, referred to as "speed deceleration process"). The speed deceleration process means decelerating the speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Particularly in the manual mode, the speed deceleration process means flying at a speed slower than the speed at that time. Also, in the autonomous mode, the speed deceleration process means reducing the target speed described above. For example, the following applications are made regarding the speed deceleration process.

That is, regardless of whether the mode is manual or autonomous, a beacon transmitter is attached to an object that should be prevented from approaching or coming into contact within the range in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can fly. Hereinafter, an object that is the subject of speed deceleration processing will be referred to as a speed deceleration processing compatible object. Speed deceleration processing compatible objects are, for example, the aforementioned approachable humans and approachable objects.

Then, a beacon transmitter is attached to the object corresponding to the speed deceleration process, and a record in which the value of the beacon identification information included in the beacon transmitted by each beacon transmitter and the processing identification information indicating the speed deceleration process are associated with each other is registered in advance in the processing table. This allows the speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 to be decelerated when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches the object corresponding to the speed deceleration. This allows the pilot to more easily and accurately avoid the approach or contact between the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the object corresponding to the speed deceleration in the manual mode. In addition, the following effects are achieved in the autonomous mode. That is, the control unit 20 has a function of controlling the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 based on the detection value of the flight-related sensor 10, in addition to the processing using the beacon, and avoiding the approach or contact between the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the object. And, in order to exercise such a function, the movement speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is reduced in advance, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can more reliably and smoothly avoid the approach or contact between the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the object.

<Log recording process>
An example of a process indicated by the process identification information is a log recording process in which the control unit 20 records the beacon identification information as a log. Recording a beacon identification signal as a log means that the control unit 20 records information indicating the date and time (date + time) when the beacon was received and the beacon identification information in association with each other in the log data stored in the storage unit 13. Naturally, information other than the date and time and the beacon identification information may be recorded in the log data. Furthermore, when the control unit 20 recognizes the same beacon identification information consecutively, it may be configured to record only the first beacon identification information. For example, the following is applied to the log recording process.

For example, regardless of whether they are in manual mode or autonomous mode, a beacon transmitter is attached to other unmanned aerial vehicles that may approach the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Furthermore, a record is pre-registered in the processing table in which the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon emitted by each beacon transmitter corresponds to processing identification information indicating a log recording process. As a result, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and another unmanned aerial vehicle approach each other, the beacon identification information corresponding to the other unmanned aerial vehicle is recorded in the log data as a log, and the log data can be used to perform effective analysis of the flights of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the other unmanned aerial vehicles after the fact.

For example, in autonomous mode, a beacon transmitter is attached to each point that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 must pass through (provided that this is a point where a beacon transmitter can be attached). Furthermore, a record is preregistered in the processing table that associates the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon emitted by each beacon transmitter with processing identification information indicating the log recording process. As a result, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches a point during autonomous flight, the beacon identification information corresponding to the point is recorded in the log data as a log, making it possible to effectively analyze the flight behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 after the fact using the log data.

<Message sending process>
An example of the process indicated by the process identification information is a process in which the control unit 20 controls the wireless communication unit 11 to transmit a message to a management device on the ground (specific examples of the contents of the message will be described later). When the control unit 20 continuously recognizes the same beacon identification information, the control unit 20 may be configured to transmit a message only when the beacon identification information is recognized for the first time. For example, the following is applied to the message transmission process.

For example, regardless of whether it is in manual mode or autonomous mode, a beacon transmitter is attached to other unmanned aerial vehicles that may approach the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Furthermore, a record is pre-registered in the processing table in which the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon emitted by each beacon transmitter corresponds to processing identification information indicating a message transmission process. As a result, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches another unmanned aerial vehicle, a message including the beacon identification information for the other unmanned aerial vehicle and information indicating that the other unmanned aerial vehicle is approaching is sent to the management device, and the person operating the management device can recognize through the message that another unmanned aerial vehicle is approaching the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The message can also be stored as a log.

However, it is possible to send messages to a variety of objects when approaching, not just other unmanned aircraft.

As described above, the control device 6 and unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment recognize the beacon identification information (identification information) contained in the beacon when receiving the beacon, and if the value of the recognized beacon identification information is a pre-registered value, they execute the registered process in association with that value.

According to this configuration, when a beacon is received, a process associated with the value of the beacon identification information (identification information) included in the beacon is automatically executed. Therefore, by making an object that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may approach, or an object that may approach the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 transmit a beacon containing a specific value of beacon identification information, and then associating appropriate processing to be executed by the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 (or the control device 6 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1) when the corresponding object and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approach each type of value of the beacon identification information, it is possible to automatically execute processing when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the object approach each other without a human immediately giving an explicit instruction.

Here, regarding drones and other UAVs, there is a technology that uses geofences to restrict the movement range of the UAV. However, geofences are not always effective in avoiding collisions between the UAV and moving objects. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, collisions between the UAV and moving objects can be appropriately avoided. In this embodiment, various sensors and devices that can be used to avoid collisions with objects are installed, but if the use of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is limited and safety can be ensured, the technology described in this embodiment can be implemented to configure the vehicle without installing various sensors, thereby reducing costs and weight. In addition, by combining a conventional UAV-related contact avoidance system with the technology described in this embodiment, more reliable contact avoidance can be achieved.

Next, the control method by the control device 6 (and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1) will be described using a flowchart. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 6 (and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1). As shown in Figure 5, while the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is in operation, the control unit 20 monitors whether a beacon has been received by the beacon receiving unit 12 (step SA1). If a beacon has been received (step SA1: YES), the control unit 20 recognizes the beacon identification information contained in the beacon (step SA2). The control unit 20 then refers to the processing table stored in the memory unit 13 (step SA3).

The control unit 20 then determines whether the value of the beacon identification information recognized in step SA3 matches any of the values of beacon identification information registered in the processing table (step SA4). If there is no matching value (as described above, this includes the case where the beacon identification information is not included and the beacon identification information cannot be recognized) (step SA4: NO), the control unit 20 does not execute processing in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if there is a matching value (step SA4: YES), the control unit 20 executes the processing indicated by the processing identification information associated with the matching value in the processing table (step SA5).

<Modification of the First Embodiment>
Next, a modified example of the first embodiment will be described. The control unit 20 according to this modified example executes the following process instead of the process of the first embodiment. That is, in the first embodiment, if the value of the beacon identification information included in the received beacon does not match any of the values of the beacon identification information registered in the process table, the control unit 20 does not execute the process in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, the control unit 20 according to this modified example executes the following process.

If the value of the beacon identification information included in the received beacon does not match any of the beacon identification information values registered in the processing table (including cases where the beacon does not include beacon identification information and cases where the beacon identification information was not recognized), the control unit 20 in this modified example analyzes the information included in the beacon to determine whether or not it is possible to identify the type of device that sent the beacon. In this modified example, the device is a concept that includes various devices, including unmanned aerial vehicles.

If the value of the beacon identification information included in the received beacon does not match any of the beacon identification information values registered in the processing table, it is possible that the beacon receiving unit 12 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 has received a beacon of a specific format that was sent for a purpose other than to be received by the beacon receiving unit 12. In this case, the beacon may contain information that identifies the device, and the control unit 20 analyzes the contents of the beacon based on information about various formats and determines whether it is possible to identify the type of device that sent the beacon.

If the type of device that sent the beacon cannot be identified, the control unit 20 does not execute processing in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if the type of device that sent the beacon can be identified, the control unit 20 identifies the device type. Next, the control unit 20 refers to the type table stored in the storage unit 13. The type table is a table in which, for each device type, information indicating the type (hereinafter referred to as "type information") and processing identification information are registered in association with each other. The processing identification information corresponding to information indicating a certain type indicates the processing that the control device 6 should execute when the device type is that type.

After referring to the type table, the control unit 20 determines whether the type of the identified device matches any of the types indicated by the type information registered in the type table. If there is no matching type, the control unit 20 does not execute processing in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if there is a matching type, the control unit 20 executes the processing indicated by the processing identification information associated with the matching type in the type table.

For example, the type table registers records in which type information indicating that the type is a type of device typically carried by humans (e.g., mobile phones including smartphones, tablet terminals, notebook computers, laptop computers, etc.) is associated with processing identification information indicating an ascent process. With this, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches a human, even if that human does not have a beacon transmitter (a device with the function of transmitting a beacon including beacon identification information), if the device carried by the human transmits a beacon that can identify the type of device, contact between the human and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can be accurately prevented without the human's explicit instructions. Note that in the above example, the part designated as the ascent process may be any process that avoids proximity or contact, and may be, for example, a movement stop process.

For example, the type table registers records in which type information indicating that the type is an unmanned aerial vehicle is associated with processing identification information indicating a message transmission process. With this, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 approaches another unmanned aerial vehicle, even if the other unmanned aerial vehicle is not equipped with a beacon transmitter (a device with the function of transmitting a beacon including beacon identification information), the message transmission process can be executed automatically without human instructions when the other unmanned aerial vehicle approaches (the content of the message is adjusted as appropriate). Note that in the above example, the part designated as the message transmission process may be any process that responds to the approach of another unmanned aerial vehicle, and may be, for example, a log recording process.

Next, a control method for the control device 6 (and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1) according to this modified example will be described using a flowchart. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control device 6 (and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1). As shown in FIG. 6, while the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is in operation, the control unit 20 monitors whether a beacon has been received by the beacon receiving unit 12 (step SB1). If a beacon has been received (step SB1: YES), the control unit 20 recognizes the beacon identification information (step SB2), refers to the processing table (step SB3), and determines whether the value of the beacon identification information matches any of the values of the beacon identification information registered in the processing table (step SB4). If a matching value is found (step SB4: YES), the control unit 20 executes the processing indicated by the processing identification information associated with the matching value in the processing table (step SB5).

On the other hand, if there is no matching value (including the case where the beacon does not include beacon identification information and the case where the beacon identification information was not recognized) (step SB4: NO), the control unit 20 determines whether or not the type of the device that sent the beacon can be identified (step SB6). If it cannot be identified (step SB6: NO), the control unit 20 does not execute the process in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if it can be identified (step SB6: YES), the control unit 20 identifies the type of the device (step SB7) and refers to the type table (step SB8). Next, the control unit 20 determines whether the identified device type matches any of the types indicated by the type information registered in the type table (step SB9). If there is no matching type (step SB9: NO), the control unit 20 does not execute the process in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if there is a matching type (step SB9: YES), the control unit 20 executes the process indicated by the process identification information associated with the matching type in the type table (step SB10).

Second Embodiment
Next, the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 6A according to this embodiment. The control device 6A according to this embodiment is a device mounted on a compatible vehicle 1A. The compatible vehicle 1A is an autonomous unmanned vehicle or an automatically driven vehicle. An autonomous unmanned vehicle is a vehicle that runs autonomously without a passenger, so-called an UGV. An automatically driven vehicle is a vehicle that runs automatically with a passenger on board (naturally, it does not have to be on board). Hereinafter, the autonomous unmanned vehicle and the automatically driven vehicle are collectively referred to as the "compatible vehicle 1A". The compatible vehicle 1A corresponds to the "moving body" in the claims.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 6A is connected to a beacon receiving unit 12A, a memory unit 13A, and a driving execution device 30. The beacon receiving unit 12A has the same functions as the beacon receiving unit 12 in the first embodiment. The memory unit 13A has the same functions as the memory unit 13 in the first embodiment.

The driving execution device 30 is a device that executes automatic driving or autonomous driving. The driving execution device 30 is connected to various sensors that detect the vehicle environment (the vehicle position, the surrounding conditions in which the vehicle is driving, the inter-vehicle distance, etc.), various sensors that detect the vehicle state (vehicle speed, relative direction, gear state, etc.), and various ECUs that control various mechanisms related to the propulsion of the vehicle (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, etc.), and executes automatic driving or autonomous driving by controlling the various ECUs according to the vehicle environment and vehicle state.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 6A has a control unit 20A as a functional configuration. The control unit 20A executes various arithmetic processing/information processing through cooperation between hardware and software, such as the CPU reading and executing a program stored in the ROM.

In this embodiment, a processing table is stored in the storage unit 13A, as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a beacon transmitter is attached to objects (including living things, including humans, and non-living objects, as described above) that are required to be prevented from approaching or coming into contact with the compatible vehicle 1A within the range in which the compatible vehicle 1A travels, as in the first embodiment. Then, in the processing table, a record is registered in which the value of the beacon identification information included in the beacon transmitted by the beacon transmitter attached to the object is associated with processing identification information indicating processing for preventing approach or contact with the object. The processing for preventing approach or contact with the compatible vehicle 1A is processing for controlling the travel execution device 30 to stop the vehicle, move in reverse (move in a specified manner), reduce the travel speed, output a warning, etc. while ensuring safety.

In this embodiment, a beacon transmitter is attached to an object within the driving range of the compatible vehicle 1A, for which it is desired that the control device 6A execute some process (other than a process to avoid proximity or contact) when the compatible vehicle 1A approaches. Then, a record is registered in the process table that associates the value of the beacon identification information contained in the beacon emitted by the beacon transmitter attached to the object with process identification information that indicates the process that the control device 6A should execute when approaching the object.

The control device 6A according to this embodiment executes the following process. Note that the operation of the control device 6A described below is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the operation of the control device 6A will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 5. While the compatible vehicle 1A is driving, the control unit 20A monitors whether a beacon has been received by the beacon receiving unit 12 (step SA1). If a beacon has been received (step SA1: YES), the control unit 20A recognizes the beacon identification information contained in the beacon (step SA2). Next, the control unit 20A refers to the processing table stored in the memory unit 13A (step SA3).

The control unit 20A then determines whether the value of the beacon identification information recognized in step SA2 matches any of the values of beacon identification information registered in the processing table (step SA4). If there is no matching value (step SA4: NO), the control unit 20A does not execute processing in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if there is a matching value (step SA4: YES), the control unit 20A executes the processing indicated by the processing identification information associated with the matching value in the processing table (step SA5).

This embodiment has the same effects as the first embodiment, as follows. That is, when a beacon is received, a process associated with the value of the beacon identification information (identification information) included in the beacon is automatically executed. Therefore, by making an object that the compatible automobile 1A may approach, or an object that may approach the compatible automobile 1A transmit a beacon containing a specific value of beacon identification information, and by associating an appropriate process to be executed by the compatible automobile 1A (or the control device 6A of the compatible automobile 1A) when the corresponding object approaches the compatible automobile 1A for each type of value of the beacon identification information, it is possible to automatically execute a process when the compatible automobile 1A approaches an object without a human immediately issuing an explicit instruction.

<Modification of the second embodiment>
Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described. The operation of the control device 6A described below is the same as that of the modified example of the first embodiment, and the operation of the control device 6A according to this modified example will be described below with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 6. During driving of the corresponding automobile 1A, the control unit 20A monitors whether a beacon is received by the beacon receiving unit 12A (step SB1). If a beacon is received (step SB1: YES), the control unit 20A recognizes the beacon identification information (step SB2), refers to the processing table (step SB3), and determines whether the value of the beacon identification information matches any of the values of the beacon identification information registered in the processing table (step SB4). If there is a matching value (step SB4: YES), the control unit 20A executes the processing indicated by the processing identification information associated with the matching value in the processing table (step SB5).

On the other hand, if there is no matching value (step SB4: NO), the control unit 20A determines whether the type of the device that sent the beacon can be identified (step SB6). If it cannot be identified (step SB6: NO), the control unit 20A does not execute the process in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if it can be identified, the control unit 20A identifies the type of the device (step SB7) and refers to the type table (step SB8). Next, the control unit 20A determines whether the identified device type matches any of the types indicated by the type information registered in the type table (step SB9). If there is no matching type (step SB9: NO), the control unit 20A does not execute the process in response to the reception of the beacon. On the other hand, if there is a matching type (step SB9: YES), the control unit 20A executes the process indicated by the process identification information associated with the matching type in the type table (step SB10). According to the configuration of this modified example, the same effect as the modified example of the first embodiment is achieved.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, each of the above embodiments merely shows an example of a concrete implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted in a limiting manner by them. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or main features.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 (first embodiment) and the corresponding automobile 1A (second embodiment) are exemplified as moving bodies, but the moving body is not limited to the targets exemplified in each embodiment. In other words, the moving body to which the present invention is applied may be any moving body that, when approaching a target object, should be made to perform processing corresponding to that situation, but may encounter a situation in which a human cannot immediately and explicitly instruct the execution of the processing.

In the first embodiment, the flight mechanism 3 has four propellers 4. However, it goes without saying that the flight mechanism 3 is not limited to the structure exemplified in the embodiment. For example, the number of propellers 4 does not have to be four, and may be, for example, three, six, eight, etc. Also, for example, the flight mechanism 3 may have a main rotor (rotor) like a normal helicopter, and the unmanned aerial vehicle may be configured to take off and fly using the lift of the main rotor.

1. Unmanned aerial vehicles (mobile vehicles)
1A Compatible vehicles (mobile objects)
6, 6A Control device 12, 12A Beacon receiving unit 20, 20A Control unit

Claims (11)

A control device for controlling a moving object,
a control unit that recognizes identification information included in a beacon received by a beacon receiving unit that receives a beacon, and when a value of the recognized identification information is a value registered in advance, executes a process registered in association with the value;
The process associated with the value of the identification information includes a first process of moving or stopping the moving object in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with a source of a beacon;
The control unit is characterized in that, when the value of the recognized identification information is a pre-registered value and the process registered in correspondence with that value is the first process, the control unit automatically and immediately moves the moving body in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with the source of the beacon, or automatically and immediately stops the moving body. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the value of the recognized identification information is not a pre-registered value or if the identification information is not included, the control unit determines whether or not it is possible to identify the type of device that sent the beacon from the information included in the beacon, and if it is possible to identify the type of device, identifies the type of device and executes a process associated with the identified type of device. The moving object is an unmanned aerial vehicle,
The process associated with the value of the identification information includes the first process of moving or stopping the unmanned aerial vehicle in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with a source of the beacon,
The control device described in claim 1, characterized in that, when the value of the recognized identification information is a pre-registered value and the process registered in correspondence with that value is the first process, the control unit automatically and immediately moves the unmanned aerial vehicle in a predetermined manner to avoid proximity or contact with the source of the beacon , or automatically and immediately stops movement. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein the process associated with the value of the identification information further includes a process of transmitting a message to a management device on the ground. The control device according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein the process associated with the value of the identification information further includes a process of recording information including the identification information as a log. The control device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that if the value of the recognized identification information is not a pre-registered value or if the identification information is not included, the control unit determines whether or not it is possible to identify the type of device that sent the beacon from the information included in the beacon , and if it is possible to identify the type of device, identifies the type of device and executes a process associated with the identified type of device. The control device described in claim 6, characterized in that the processing associated with a device type indicating that the device is a type carried by a human includes processing for moving or stopping the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle so as to avoid proximity or contact between the unmanned aerial vehicle and humans. The moving object is an autonomous unmanned vehicle or a self-driving vehicle,
The process associated with the value of the identification information includes the first process of moving or stopping the autonomous unmanned automobile or the self-driving vehicle in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with a source of a beacon ,
The control device according to claim 1 , characterized in that, when the value of the recognized identification information is a pre-registered value and the process registered in correspondence with that value is the first process, the control unit automatically and immediately moves the autonomous unmanned automobile or the self-driving vehicle in a predetermined manner or automatically and immediately stops movement so as to avoid proximity to or contact with a source of a beacon. The control device according to claim 8, characterized in that if the value of the recognized identification information is not a pre-registered value or if the identification information is not included, the control unit determines whether or not it is possible to identify the type of device that transmitted the beacon from the information included in the beacon, and if it is possible to identify the type of device, identifies the type of device and executes a process associated with the identified type of device. a control unit that recognizes identification information included in a beacon received by a beacon receiving unit that receives a beacon, and when a value of the recognized identification information is a value registered in advance, executes a process registered in association with the value;
The process associated with the value of the identification information includes a first process of moving or stopping the movement of the own device in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with a source of the beacon ,
The control unit, when the value of the recognized identification information is a pre-registered value and the process registered in correspondence with that value is the first process, automatically and immediately moves the vehicle in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity to or contact with the source of the beacon , or automatically and immediately stops movement of the vehicle. A control method for a control device that controls a moving object, comprising:
A first step in which a control unit of the control device recognizes identification information included in a beacon received by a beacon receiving unit that receives a beacon;
a second step of executing a process registered in association with the value of the identification information recognized by the control unit of the control device when the value of the identification information recognized is a pre-registered value;
The process associated with the value of the identification information includes a first process of moving or stopping the moving object in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with a source of a beacon;
A control method characterized in that in the second step, if the value of the recognized identification information is a pre-registered value and the process registered in correspondence with that value is the first process, the control unit automatically and immediately moves the moving body in a predetermined manner so as to avoid proximity or contact with the source of the beacon , or automatically and immediately stops the movement.