JP2018190362A - Landing device for drone - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic takeoff/landing device by means of a GPS receiver.SOLUTION: In the automatic takeoff/landing device, a processing device for transmitting positional information of a second GPS receiver 4 attached to a takeoff/landing base 3 to a drone 2 on which a first GPS receiver 1 is mounted, comparing the positional information of the two GPS receivers on the drone side, and landing at an agreed spot. If two GPS receivers having the same specification are located at the same position, a change in the difference between the two is small even if the value of each of the two changes, so that the landing accuracy can be increased.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic landing device for a small unmanned aerial vehicle.

As an example of a conventional automatic landing device, there is a method provided by Patent Publication 2012-71645. In the method, the target mark placed at the landing point is captured by the imaging device after flying to the vicinity of the landing point by the GPS mounted on the unmanned airplane, and landing is made aiming at the target mark.
If the target is a mobile object such as an automobile, GPS is also attached to the mobile object, and after processing two GPS information and flying an unmanned airplane to the vicinity of the mobile object, the target mark is captured by the imaging device, Land for that.
FIG. 5 shows a pattern described in the document as an example of the target mark.

The above-mentioned automatic landing apparatus shown as an example of the prior art accurately captures the position by processing the information of the visual sensor after flying near the landing point based on the position information of GPS. However, if the target mark is partially hidden due to dead leaves or a piece of paper, there is a possibility that trouble that cannot be recognized may occur.
Therefore, the present invention provides a system that uses GPS position information not only for flying an unmanned airplane close to the landing point, but also as a means for accurately determining the landing point.

  In the invention according to claim 1, in the automatic take-off and landing system including the first GPS receiver, the drone equipped with the first GPS receiver, and the take-off and landing platform used for take-off and landing of the drone, A GPS receiver, a transmitter that sends the position information obtained by the second GPS receiver to the drone, a receiver that receives the position information sent by the transmitter to the drone, and a position obtained by the receiver A processing device for landing at a point that matches the position information obtained by comparing the information with the position information obtained by the first GPS receiver is mounted.

  The GPS receiver processes the difference in arrival times of radio waves transmitted from a plurality of artificial satellites to determine the position. Radio waves are slower than the speed of light as they pass through the ionosphere, but the arrival time also changes because the depth and density of the ionosphere change over time. This is the biggest cause of the loss of GPS accuracy.

  If two GPS receivers with the same specifications are at the same position, even if each of the two values changes, the change in the two differences is small. Pay attention here, place a GPS receiver at the landing point, send the position information to the drone, compare it with the position information obtained by the GPS receiver of the drone, and land it so that the difference is zero, landing accuracy Devised to raise.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
In the figure, 1 is a GPS receiver, 2 is a drone, 3 is a take-off and landing platform, 4 is a GPS receiver, 5 is a transmitter, 6 is a receiver, and 11 to 14 are propellers.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of each of the drone 2 and the take-off / landing platform 3 of FIG.
In FIG. 2, the processing device 7 calculates the difference between the position information input from the GPS receiver 1 and the position information of the GPS receiver 4 input via the transmitter 5 and the receiver 6, so that it becomes zero. Send a signal to 8. The flight controller 8 controls the position and speed of movement by changing the number of revolutions of each of the propellers 11 to 14 based on a signal sent from the processing device 7.

  The drone can change its direction by changing the number of revolutions of the propeller and can move in the forward / backward, left / right and up / down directions. For example, in FIG. 1, if the rotation speeds of the propellers 11 and 12 are lowered, the propellers are inclined to the side where they are, so that the inclination is maintained at a predetermined value thereafter, and the rotation speed is increased to advance in the inclined direction.

  If the difference between the position information of the take-off and landing platform 3 and the position information of the drone 2 is zero, the drone is moved so as to reduce the plus if the difference is positive, but the response speed is involved in this control. It is necessary to transmit the difference in the numerical value of information to the flight controller 8 through a digital filter.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a float chart relating to the digital filter of the processing device 7.
The float chart in the figure performs processing to make the difference between the left and right positions zero. In the figure, X represents a position difference, and R represents a value to be sent to the flight controller. However, X is calculated by periodically inputting left and right position information, and Xz obtained in one previous period A new R is obtained by substituting it into the calculation formula together with Rz and sent to the flight controller. In general, a PWM signal is often used as a signal sent to the flight controller. In this case, R is a duty value.

  In addition, signals for controlling the Y direction (front and back), the Z direction (up and down), and the direction (yaw) are also sent to the flight controller.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining one of the factors that change the position information of the GPS receiver.
In the figure, reference numerals 15 to 18 denote artificial satellites that send radio waves to the ground. A terrestrial GPS receiver receives radio waves from four satellites and calculates position information. Since each satellite changes its elevation angle with time, the ionosphere passage distance also changes. As a result, the calculation result of the position information also changes, but if the two GPS receivers overlap at the landing point, the difference in the position information becomes sufficiently small, and can be used for the purpose of landing automatically.

  Accurate landing can be achieved by slowly lowering the drone's flight controller while controlling the position information difference to be zero.

Industrial applicability

  Since GPS receivers are mass-produced and can be obtained at a low cost, they are more economical than conventional visual alignment and are likely to be applied in the market.

It is explanatory drawing of the Example of this invention. FIG. 1 is a rewrite of the configuration diagram. It is a figure which shows one example of the float chart of the processing apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of GPS. This is a mark to be captured by a conventional imaging apparatus.

Brief description of symbols

1, 4 GPS receiver 2 Drone 3 Takeoff / landing platform 5 Transmitter 6 Receiver 7 Processing device 8 Flight controller 9, 10 Antenna 11-14 Propeller 15-18 Artificial satellite

Claims (1)

  In an automatic take-off and landing system including a first GPS receiver, a drone equipped with the first GPS receiver, and a take-off and landing platform used for take-off and landing of the drone, the second GPS receiver and the second GPS on the take-off and landing platform A transmitter for sending position information obtained by a GPS receiver to the drone is attached, a receiver for receiving position information sent from the transmitter to the drone, position information obtained by the receiver, and the first GPS reception An automatic take-off and landing system equipped with a processing device for landing at a point that matches the position information obtained by the aircraft.