JP2021121943A - Flight propriety determination device and flight propriety determination method - Google Patents

Abstract

To determine whether a flight device can arrive at a destination.SOLUTION: A flight route determination device 1 includes: an information acquisition section 151 for acquiring battery capacity information that indicates a capacity of a battery of a flight device, and acquiring position information that has been input to an operation section 11 and indicates positions of a departure place and a destination and article information that indicates the weight of an article to be transported by the flight device; a route information generation section 152 for generating route information that indicates a flight schedule route of the flight device based on the positions of the departure place and the destination which are indicated by the position information acquired by the information acquisition section 151; an estimation section 153 for calculating an estimation value of desired power that is required for the flight of the flight device to the destination along the flight schedule route indicated by the route information generated by the route information generation section 152, based on the weight indicated by the article information; and an output section 154 for outputting an estimation value of the desired power calculated by the estimation section 153 and a determination result on whether the flight device can fly to the destination along the flight schedule route indicated by the route information based on the capacity of the battery.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a flight availability determination device and a flight availability determination method for determining a flight path of a flight device flying in the air.

Conventionally, a technique for flying an unmanned flight device along a preset route is known. Patent Document 1 discloses an unmanned flight device that autonomously flies based on desired movement route information received from an operation terminal.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-173722

In the prior art, the environment in the path on which the flight device flies was not considered, and it was assumed that the flight device could fly as planned. However, in the sky where the flight device flies, the surrounding environment such as wind, rain, and snow changes, so it is not always possible to fly as planned. As a result, there is a problem that the destination may not be reached along the planned flight route.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a flight path determining device and a flight path determining method capable of determining whether or not a flight device can reach a destination. do.

The flight availability determination device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a flight availability determination device that determines whether or not the flight device can fly from the starting point to the destination, and supplies power used by the flight device for flight. From the information acquisition unit that acquires the battery capacity information indicating the capacity of the flight device, the position information indicating the position of the departure point and the destination of the flight device, and the planned flight speed of the flight device, and the departure point. An estimation unit that calculates an estimated value of the required power to fly to the destination based on the scheduled flight speed, the estimated value of the required power calculated by the estimation unit, and a battery acquired by the information acquisition unit. A determination unit for determining whether or not the flight device can fly to the destination is provided based on the capacity of the battery indicated by the capacity information.

The information acquisition unit may acquire the scheduled flight speed specified based on the model information of the flight device.

The information acquisition unit further acquires article information indicating the weight of the article carried by the flight device, and the estimation unit estimates the required power based on the weight indicated by the article information and the scheduled flight speed. The value may be calculated.

The information acquisition unit further acquires article information regarding the shape of the article carried by the flight device, and the estimation unit is based on the magnitude of resistance received by the article based on the shape indicated by the article information. The estimated value of the required power may be corrected.

The information acquisition unit further acquires environmental information indicating the surrounding environment of the scheduled flight route specified based on the position information, and the determination unit further acquires the environmental information based on the environmental information acquired by the information acquisition unit. It may be determined whether or not the flight device can fly to the destination.

The flight availability determination device is a route information generation unit that generates route information indicating a planned flight route of the flight device based on the positions of the departure point and the destination indicated by the position information acquired by the information acquisition unit. May be further provided.

When the determination unit determines that the flight device cannot fly to the destination, the route information generation unit may generate an alternative flight schedule route candidate different from the previously determined flight schedule route candidate.

The flight availability determination method according to the second aspect of the present invention is a flight availability determination method executed by a computer for determining whether or not a flight device can fly from a departure point to a destination, and the flight device flies. Acquire the battery capacity information indicating the capacity of the battery for supplying the power used for the flight device, the step of acquiring the position information indicating the position of the departure point and the destination of the flight device, and the planned flight speed of the flight device. Steps to be performed, a step of calculating an estimated value of the required power for flying from the departure point to the destination based on the planned flight speed, the calculated estimated value of the required power, and acquired battery capacity information. It has a step of determining whether or not the flight device can fly to the destination based on the capacity of the battery indicated by.

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not the flight device can reach the destination.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the flight system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline of the simulation performed by the flight path determining apparatus. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline of the determination process which a flight apparatus performs during a flight. It is a figure which shows the structure of the flight path determination device. It is a flowchart of the operation of the flight path determination device. It is a figure which shows the structure of the flight apparatus. It is a flowchart of the operation of a flight device. It is a figure which shows the structure of the flight system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control device.

<First Embodiment>
[Overview of Flight System S1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a flight system S1 according to the first embodiment. The flight system S1 includes a flight path determining device 1 and a flight device 2.

The flight path determining device 1 is a device that determines the flight path of the flight device 2, and is, for example, a server, a computer, or a smartphone. The flight route determination device 1 acquires information necessary for determining the flight route, such as the departure point and destination of the flight device 2 input by the user, and determines the planned flight route based on the acquired information. The flight route determination device 1 functions as a determination device for determining whether or not the flight device 2 can reach the destination along the planned flight route.

The flight path determining device 1 allows the flight device 2 to fly to the destination along the planned flight route based on the surrounding environment of the planned flight route and the capacity of the battery that supplies the electric power used by the flight device 2 for the flight. It functions as a judgment device that simulates the presence or absence and outputs a judgment result regarding flight availability. The surrounding environment of the planned flight route is, for example, the direction of the wind, the wind speed, the state of rainfall / snowfall, and the temperature in the planned flight route.

If the determination result of the flight path determining device 1 indicates that the flight cannot reach the destination, the user can change the flight conditions and cause the simulation to be performed again. When the flight route determination device 1 determines that it cannot fly to the destination along the scheduled flight route, it presents a candidate for an alternative scheduled flight route to the user.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a simulation executed by the flight path determining device 1. When the user inputs the departure point, the destination, and the passing positions P1 to P8, the flight route determination device 1 displays the planned flight route as shown in FIG. 2 on the map on the display (not shown). The flight path determining device 1 determines whether or not it is possible to fly to the destination based on the direction and speed of the wind at at least one of the passing positions P1 to P8. FIG. 2 shows that a southwest wind with a wind speed of 5 m is assumed at position P2, and a west wind with a wind speed of 10 m is assumed at position P4. Although the details will be described later, even if the flight path determining device 1 determines whether or not the flight is possible based on other information such as the scheduled flight speed, the model of the flight device 2, the weight and shape of the article carried by the flight device 2. good.

The user sets the scheduled flight route determined based on the simulation result in the flight route determination device 1 in the flight device 2. The flight route determining device 1 transmits a planned flight route to the flight device 2 via the network N, the base station 3 of the mobile phone network, and the wireless communication line W, for example, based on the instruction of the user. The flight route determination device 1 may transmit to the flight device 2 information on the surrounding environment used when determining the scheduled flight route as well as the scheduled flight route.

The flight device 2 flies along the scheduled flight path received from, for example, the flight path determination device 1. The flight device 2 flies along the scheduled flight route based on control information received from, for example, a flight path determination device 1 composed of a server or a portable terminal such as a promo or a smartphone. The flight device 2 may fly autonomously along the planned flight path. The flight device 2 may operate some functions autonomously, and some functions may be operated based on the control information received from the flight path determination device 1 or the portable terminal.

The flight device 2 monitors the surrounding environment such as the direction of the wind, the speed of the wind, and the state of rainfall / snowfall during flight. The flight device 2 estimates the required power to fly to the destination based on the surrounding environment, and compares the estimated required power with the remaining battery level to determine whether or not the destination can be reached.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the determination process executed by the flight device 2 during flight. FIG. 3 shows that the flight device 2 is flying near the position P4 and receives the northeast wind at a wind speed of 10 m. Although a west wind with a wind speed of 10 m was assumed at position P4 when the flight path determination device 1 simulated, if a northeast wind with a wind speed of 10 m was received during flight, it headed east. The required power of the flying device 2 that is flying is larger than that at the time of simulation. As a result, the flight device 2 may not be able to reach the destination. When it is determined that the flight device 2 cannot reach the destination, the flight device 2 changes the flight path or the flight conditions to prevent a crash during flight.
Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the flight path determining device 1 and the flight device 2 will be described in detail.

[Configuration of flight path determination device 1]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the flight path determining device 1. The flight path determination device 1 includes an operation unit 11, a communication unit 12, a display unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a control unit 15. The control unit 15 includes an information acquisition unit 151, a route information generation unit 152, an estimation unit 153, and an output unit 154.

The operation unit 11 is a device for the user to input various information and to set the processing content to be executed by the flight path determining device 1. The operation unit 11 is composed of, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. The operation unit 11 may be a touch panel provided so as to be superimposed on the display unit 13. The operation unit 11 notifies the route information generation unit 152 of a signal according to the operation content of the user.

The communication unit 12 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information to and from an external device including the flight device 2 via the network N. The communication unit 12 has, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) for connecting to the network N.

The display unit 13 is a device for displaying various types of information presented to the user. The display unit 13 is, for example, a display. The display unit 13 displays the information input from the output unit 154.

The storage unit 14 includes a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a hard disk. The storage unit 14 stores a program executed by the control unit 15. In addition, the storage unit 14 temporarily stores various types of information input by the user and various types of information generated by the control unit 15.

The control unit 15 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes various processes such as determination of a planned flight route of the flight device 2 and determination of whether or not the flight device 2 can reach the destination. The control unit 15 functions as an information acquisition unit 151, a route information generation unit 152, an estimation unit 153, and an output unit 154 by executing the program stored in the storage unit 14.

The information acquisition unit 151 acquires the information input from the operation unit 11 or the information received by the communication unit 12. Specifically, the information acquisition unit 151 includes battery capacity information indicating the capacity of the battery that supplies electric power used by the flight device for flight, and position information indicating the position of at least a part of the planned flight path of the flight device 2. Acquires environmental information indicating the surrounding environment of the scheduled flight route specified based on the position information, and time information indicating the departure time and the arrival time at the destination.

The information acquisition unit 151 acquires at least the position information indicating the latitude and longitude of the departure place and the destination as the position information. The information acquisition unit 151 acquires position information indicating the latitude and longitude of a plurality of positions between the departure point and the destination, as in positions P1 to P8 shown in FIG. 2, for example. In addition, the information acquisition unit 151 acquires a three-dimensional map including information on structures such as flightable areas, no-fly zones, and buildings. The information acquisition unit 151 may display the map on the display unit 13 and acquire the position touched by the user on the displayed map as the position of at least a part of the planned flight route.

The environmental information is, for example, information regarding a wind direction, a wind speed, or a rainfall / snowfall state input by a user using the operation unit 11. The information acquisition unit 151 may acquire environment information from an external server that distributes weather information via the communication unit 12. The information acquisition unit 151 may acquire environmental information regarding the surrounding environment from a plurality of flight devices 2 flying within a predetermined range from the planned flight route between the departure point and the destination.

The environmental information is used by the route information generation unit 152, which will be described later. The information acquisition unit 151 notifies the route information generation unit 152 of the environmental information acquired within the immediately preceding predetermined time, and deletes the environmental information acquired before the predetermined time. By doing so, the route information generation unit 152 can generate route information based on new environmental information.

The information acquisition unit 151 may acquire model information indicating the model of the flight device 2. The model information is, for example, the model name of the flight device 2. The information acquisition unit 151 is required to fly a unit distance (for example, 100 m) in the battery capacity, weight, and windless state of the flight device 2 stored in the storage unit 14 in advance in association with the model name of the flight device 2. Information that affects flight performance, such as electric power (hereinafter referred to as unit power consumption), may be acquired as model information.

In addition, the information acquisition unit 151 may further acquire speed information indicating the planned flight speed of the flight device 2. The information acquisition unit 151 acquires, for example, the default flight speed specified based on the model information input by the user as the scheduled flight speed. The information acquisition unit 151 may acquire the flight speed input by the user using the operation unit 11 as the scheduled flight speed.

The information acquisition unit 151 may further acquire article information regarding the weight and shape of the article carried by the flight device 2. The user inputs article information using, for example, the operation unit 11. The user may input an image of the article to be transported, and the information acquisition unit 151 may specify the shape of the article based on the input image.

The route information generation unit 152 generates route information indicating the planned flight route based on at least the position information including the departure point and the destination acquired by the information acquisition unit 151. For example, when the user inputs only the departure point and the destination, the route information generation unit 152 sets the route connecting the departure point and the destination with a straight line as a flight schedule route candidate (hereinafter referred to as a flight schedule route candidate). do. When the user sets one or more passage positions between the departure point and the destination, the route information generation unit 152 sets the route passing through the passage position as a flight schedule route candidate. The route information generation unit 152 flies between the departure point and the destination so that the flight device 2 is included in the range designated as the flightable area based on the three-dimensional map acquired by the information acquisition unit 151. The planned route candidate may be determined.

Further, the route information generation unit 152 may determine a flight schedule route candidate based on the environmental information. The route information generation unit 152 determines, for example, a flight schedule route candidate so as to minimize the arrival time or power consumption to the destination based on the environmental information, so that the flight schedule route candidate is used as it is. Can be enhanced.

The route information generation unit 152 notifies the estimation unit 153 and the output unit 154 of information indicating the passing position of the determined flight schedule route candidate. When the route information generation unit 152 receives an instruction from the output unit 154 to request another flight schedule route candidate, the route information generation unit 152 determines an alternative flight schedule route candidate different from the previously determined flight schedule route candidate, and determines an alternative flight schedule route candidate. Information indicating the passing position of the planned flight route candidate is notified to the estimation unit 153 and the output unit 154.

When determining an alternative flight schedule route candidate, the route information generation unit 152 may select a route on which a base where the battery can be replaced or charged exists. By doing so, the flight path determining device 1 presents to the user a method of achieving the purpose by replacing or charging the battery on the way even when it is difficult to go straight to the destination. Will be possible.

The estimation unit 153 flies to the destination along the planned flight route based on the environmental information acquired by the information acquisition unit 151 and the route information of the planned flight route candidate input from the route information generation unit 152. Estimate the required power (required power). The estimation unit 153 calculates a reference value of the required power by, for example, multiplying the value obtained by dividing the flight distance when flying along the planned flight route by the unit distance by the unit power consumption. Then, the estimation unit 153 corrects the calculated reference value based on the wind direction, the wind speed, and the rainfall / snowfall state indicated by the environmental information, so that the estimated value of the required power considering the surrounding environment of the planned flight route is taken into consideration. Is calculated.

Specifically, the estimation unit 153 calculates the estimated value by multiplying the reference value by a predetermined coefficient associated with the direction of the wind and the wind speed with respect to the direction in which the flight device 2 flies. For example, when it is assumed that the wind is blowing in the direction opposite to the direction in which the flight device 2 flies, the estimation unit 153 multiplies the reference value by a coefficient of 1.5 to obtain the required value in a windless state. Calculate an estimated value that is 1.5 times the reference value of electric power. On the contrary, when it is assumed that the wind is blowing in the same direction as the flight device 2 flies, the estimation unit 153 multiplies the reference value by a coefficient of 0.5 to obtain the required power in a windless state. Calculate an estimated value that is 0.5 times the reference value of.

When the information acquisition unit 151 acquires the environmental information corresponding to a plurality of positions on the scheduled flight route, the estimation unit 153 calculates an estimated value of the required power for each section between the positions where the environmental information is acquired. .. The estimation unit 153 calculates an estimated value of the required power when the flight device 2 flies from the departure point to the destination along the planned flight route by adding up the plurality of estimated values of the plurality of sections.

The estimation unit 153 can further use various information other than the environmental information in calculating the estimated value. The estimation unit 153 further uses the characteristics of the flight device 2 associated with the model information, such as the shape of the flight device 2 that affects the susceptibility to wind resistance, the flight performance when wet with rain, and the like. .. By doing so, the estimation unit 153 can improve the accuracy of the estimated value.

The estimation unit 153 may calculate an estimated value of the required power based on the speed at which the flight device 2 flies. Specifically, the estimation unit 153 responds to the flight speed by calculating the required power corresponding to the flight speed based on the relationship between the flight speed and the unit power consumption stored in the storage unit 14 in advance. Calculate an estimate of the required power. The estimation unit 153 may specify the speed at which a long distance can be flown with good fuel consumption or low power consumption based on the past flight record stored in the storage unit 14. By calculating the estimated value of the required power based on the speed specified in this way, the estimation unit 153 can calculate the minimum required power when flying at a speed at which the required power can be made as small as possible.

The estimation unit 153 may calculate an estimated value of the required power based on the article information indicating the weight and shape of the article carried by the flight device 2. The estimation unit 153 calculates a reference value in a windless state based on the total weight obtained by adding the weight of the article carried by the flight device 2 to the own weight of the flight device 2. Then, the estimation unit 153 corrects the reference value based on the magnitude of the resistance received by the article based on the shape of the article, the direction of the wind, and the wind speed.

The estimation unit 153 may correct the reference value based on the position where the article is mounted on the flight device 2 and the orientation of the article. In this way, the estimation unit 153 can calculate an estimated value that reflects the influence of the magnitude of the wind resistance that the article receives by using the position where the article is mounted and the orientation of the article. , The accuracy of the estimated value is improved. The estimation unit 153 notifies the output unit 154 of the calculated estimated value.

In the above description, the estimation unit 153 shows an example of determining the estimated value by multiplying the reference value by the coefficient corresponding to the environmental information, but the method of the estimation unit 153 determining the estimated value is this. Not limited to. The storage unit 14 stores a table in which various information such as environmental information is associated with the estimated value, and the estimation unit 153 stores the estimated value by referring to the table stored in the storage unit 14. You may decide.

The output unit 154 allows the flight device 2 to fly to the destination along the planned flight route based on the estimated value of the required power calculated by the estimation unit 153 and the battery capacity information acquired by the information acquisition unit 151. Outputs the judgment result of whether or not. Specifically, the output unit 154 determines that it is possible to fly to the destination when the estimated value of the required power is less than the battery capacity indicated by the battery capacity information, and the estimated value of the required power is the battery capacity information. If it exceeds the battery capacity indicated by, it is determined that it is not possible to fly to the destination. Further, when the output unit 154 determines that the flight to the destination is possible, the output unit 154 may output the arrival time to the destination.

When the output unit 154 determines that it is not possible to fly to the destination, the output unit 154 instructs the route information generation unit 152 to calculate an estimated value of the required power for other candidates for the planned flight route. The output unit 154 may instruct the route information generation unit 152 to calculate an estimated value of a plurality of required powers when flying at a plurality of different flight speeds. When the estimated value calculated by the route information generation unit 152 for the candidate of the alternative flight route is less than the capacity of the battery, the output unit 154 outputs the candidate of the alternative flight route as the recommended alternative flight route. Further, the output unit 154 outputs a flight speed determined based on a plurality of required electric powers corresponding to a plurality of different flight speeds.

When the route information generation unit 152 generates a plurality of alternative flight scheduled route candidates that the flight device 2 can reach the destination, the output unit 154 is based on the flight distance and flight speed of each of the plurality of candidates. The flight time from the departure point to the destination may be calculated. In this case, the output unit 154 outputs the candidate of the alternative flight schedule route having the shortest arrival time to the destination as the alternative flight schedule route among the plurality of candidates.

The output unit 154 may display the information indicating the planned flight route that enables the flight device 2 to fly to the destination and the information indicating the flight speed on the display unit 13, and the flight device 2 may display the information indicating the flight speed via the communication unit 12. May be sent to. Further, the output unit 154 transmits information indicating a plurality of planned flight route candidates to the user's terminal (for example, a promo or a smartphone), and causes the user to select one scheduled flight route candidate from the plurality of planned flight route candidates. You may. The output unit 154 may transmit the flight schedule route candidate selected by the user to the flight device 2. When the output unit 154 determines that the flight device 2 cannot reach the destination due to the influence of the surrounding environment such as wind when the scheduled flight route selected by the user is used, the output unit 154 transmits to that effect to the user terminal, and other You may let you select the planned flight route candidate.
As described above, the user can simulate the flight availability by using the flight path determining device 1 and set the scheduled flight route that the flight device 2 can reach the destination in the flight device 2. Increases the chances of achieving the purpose of the flight.

[Operation flowchart of flight path determination device 1]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of the flight path determining device 1. First, the information acquisition unit 151 acquires the battery capacity information input by the user via the operation unit 11 or the battery capacity information received from the flight device 2 via the communication unit 12 (S11). In addition, the information acquisition unit 151 acquires position information indicating the position of at least a part of the planned flight route input by the user via the operation unit 11 (S12). In addition, the information acquisition unit 151 acquires environmental information around the position corresponding to the position information input from the operation unit 11 or the communication unit 12 (S13). The processing order of steps S11 to S13 is arbitrary.

Subsequently, the route information generation unit 152 determines a candidate for the planned flight route based on the position information acquired by the information acquisition unit 151 (S14). Subsequently, the estimation unit 153 estimates the required power when the flight device 2 flies on the candidate flight route determined by the route information generation unit 152 (S15).

When the required power estimated by the estimation unit 153 is smaller than the battery capacity indicated by the battery capacity information acquired by the information acquisition unit 151 (YES in S16), the output unit 154 can fly to the destination together with the planned flight route. A determination result indicating that there is is output (S17). When the required power estimated by the estimation unit 153 is equal to or greater than the battery capacity indicated by the battery capacity information acquired by the information acquisition unit 151 (NO in S16), the output unit 154 uses the route information generation unit 152 as an alternative flight scheduled route. Is requested to be determined (S18).

The control unit 15 repeats the processes from steps S14 to S18, and outputs a determination result indicating that it is possible to fly to the destination when there is a flight schedule route that can be flown. In step S14, when the route information generation unit 152 cannot determine an alternative scheduled flight route candidate (NO in S14), the output unit 154 outputs a determination result indicating that the flight is impossible (S19).

[Structure of flight device 2]
Subsequently, the configuration of the flight device 2 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the flight device 2. The flight device 2 includes a GPS receiver 20, an ambient environment sensor 21, a communication unit 22, a battery 23, a flight mechanism 24, a storage unit 25, and a control unit 26. The control unit 26 includes a position identification unit 261, an environment identification unit 262, a remaining amount identification unit 263, an estimation unit 264, a determination unit 265, and a flight condition change unit 266.

The GPS receiver 20 receives radio waves transmitted from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites, and notifies the position identification unit 261 of information used for identifying latitude and longitude included in the received radio waves.

The surrounding environment sensor 21 is a sensor for detecting the state of the surrounding environment such as the direction of the wind, the wind speed, and the rainfall condition. The surrounding environment sensor 21 notifies the environment specifying unit 262 of the detected information indicating the state of the surrounding environment.

The communication unit 22 is a wireless communication module for transmitting and receiving information via a wireless communication line. The communication unit 22 is, for example, a wireless communication module for connecting to an LTE (Long Term Evolution) line, and transmits / receives information to / from a flight path determining device 1, another flight device, or an external device. The communication unit 22 notifies the environment identification unit 262 of environmental information regarding the surrounding environment received from the flight path determination device 1, another flight device, or an external device.
The battery 23 supplies electric power for flying the flight device 2. The battery 23 supplies electric power to each part of the flight device 2.

The flight mechanism 24 includes a propeller, a motor for rotating the propeller, a rudder, and the like. The flight mechanism 24 can change the flight speed and the flight direction by operating these mechanisms under the control of the flight control unit 267.

The storage unit 25 is a storage medium including a ROM and a RAM. The storage unit 25 stores a program executed by the control unit 26. In addition, the storage unit 25 stores, for example, route information received from the flight route determination device 1 indicating the planned flight route to the destination. The storage unit 25 may further store the reference environment information indicating the surrounding environment of the scheduled flight route, which is used when, for example, the flight route determining device 1 determines the scheduled flight route.

The control unit 26 is, for example, a CPU and controls each unit of the flight device 2. By executing the program stored in the storage unit 25, the control unit 26 executes the position identification unit 261, the environment identification unit 262, the remaining amount identification unit 263, the estimation unit 264, the determination unit 265, the flight condition change unit 266, and the flight. It functions as a control unit 267.

The position specifying unit 261 identifies the current position during flight of the flight device 2 based on the information for specifying the latitude / longitude input from the GPS receiver 20. The position specifying unit 261 notifies the estimation unit 264 of the position information indicating the specified current position.

The environment specifying unit 262 identifies the state of the surrounding environment during flight based on the information input from the surrounding environment sensor 21 or the communication unit 22. Specifically, the environment specifying unit 262 specifies the direction of the wind, the wind speed, and the rain / snow state at the position where the flight device 2 is in flight. The environment identification unit 262 notifies the estimation unit 264 of information regarding the specified surrounding environment. The environment identification unit 262 plans to fly from the current position to the destination based on the environmental information corresponding to at least a part of the position from the current position to the destination received by the communication unit 22 from another flight device or an external device. The state of the surrounding environment around the route may be specified.

The remaining amount specifying unit 263 monitors the voltage output by the battery 23 and specifies the remaining amount of the battery 23 based on the voltage value. The remaining amount specifying unit 263 notifies the estimation unit 264 of the remaining amount of the specified battery 23.

The estimation unit 264 estimates the electric power required for the flight device 2 to fly to the destination based on the planned flight route from the current position to the destination and the surrounding environment specified by the environment identification unit 262. The estimation unit 264 can estimate the required power by, for example, the same method as the estimation unit 153.

The estimation unit 264 divides the flight distance from the current position to the destination by a unit distance (for example, 100 m) when flying along the planned flight route, and divides the flight distance by a unit distance (for example, 100 m) to the unit power consumption per unit distance of the flight device 2. The reference value of the required power is calculated by multiplying by. Then, the estimation unit 264 corrects the calculated reference value based on the wind direction, the wind speed, and the rainfall / snowfall state specified by the environment identification unit 262, so that the required power in consideration of the surrounding environment of the planned flight route is taken into consideration. Calculate the estimated value of.

Specifically, the estimation unit 264 calculates the estimated value by multiplying the reference value by a predetermined coefficient associated with the direction of the wind and the wind speed with respect to the direction in which the flight device 2 flies. For example, when the environment identification unit 262 identifies that the flight device 2 is blowing a wind opposite to the direction in flight, the estimation unit 264 multiplies the reference value by a coefficient of 1.5. Therefore, an estimated value 1.5 times the reference value of the required power in a windless state is calculated. On the contrary, when the environment identification unit 262 identifies that the flight device 2 is blowing the wind in the same direction as the flight device 2, the estimation unit 264 multiplies the reference value by a coefficient of 0.5. , Calculate an estimated value 0.5 times the reference value of the required power in a windless state.

Even if the estimation unit 264 calculates the estimated value of the required power based on the environmental information corresponding to at least a part of the position from the current position to the destination received by the communication unit 22 from another flight device or an external device. good. In the estimation unit 264, when the environment identification unit 262 acquires the environment information corresponding to a plurality of positions on the planned flight route from the current position to the destination, each section between the positions where the environment information is acquired is acquired. Calculate the estimated value of the required power. The estimation unit 264 calculates an estimated value of the required power when the flight device 2 flies from the current position to the destination along the planned flight route by adding up a plurality of estimated values of the plurality of sections.

The estimation unit 264 can use various environmental information. For example, the estimation unit 264 can use the weather information collected in real time from the sensors installed in various places to obtain the weather information as the environmental information. The estimation unit 264 may use the environmental information collected from other flight devices and the environmental information estimated based on the past flight history.

The estimation unit 264 can further use various information other than the environmental information in calculating the estimated value. The estimation unit 264 further uses the characteristics of the flight device 2 associated with the model information, such as the shape of the flight device 2 that affects the susceptibility to wind resistance, the flight performance when wet with rain, and the like. Therefore, the accuracy of the estimated value can be improved.

The estimation unit 264 may calculate an estimated value of the required power based on the speed at which the flight device 2 flies. Specifically, the estimation unit 264 responded to the flight speed by calculating the required power corresponding to the flight speed based on the relationship between the flight speed and the unit power consumption stored in the storage unit 25 in advance. Calculate an estimate of the required power.

The estimation unit 264 may calculate an estimated value of the required power based on the article information indicating the weight and shape of the article carried by the flight device 2. The estimation unit 264 calculates a reference value in a windless state based on the total weight obtained by adding the weight of the article carried by the flight device 2 to the own weight of the flight device 2. Then, the estimation unit 264 corrects the reference value based on the magnitude of the resistance received by the article based on the shape of the article, the direction of the wind, and the wind speed. The estimation unit 264 may correct the reference value based on the position where the article is mounted on the flight device 2 and the orientation of the article. The estimation unit 264 notifies the determination unit 265 of the calculated estimated value.

The determination unit 265 determines whether or not the destination can be reached along the planned flight route based on the relationship between the required power and the remaining battery level. The determination unit 265 determines that if the required power estimated by the estimation unit 264 is less than the remaining battery power, it can fly to the destination, and if the required power is more than the remaining battery power, it cannot fly to the destination. Is determined. The determination unit 265 notifies the flight condition change unit 266 and the flight control unit 267 of the determination result.

The determination unit 265 determines the difference between the surrounding environment during flight specified by the environment specifying unit 262 and the surrounding environment stored in the storage unit 25 and indicated by the reference environment information used for determining the scheduled flight route. When it becomes larger than the size, it may be determined whether or not the destination can be reached along the planned flight route. For example, when the determination unit 265 receives a headwind at a position where a tailwind is expected when determining the planned flight route, the actual wind speed is higher than the wind speed of the tailwind expected when determining the planned flight route. Whether or not the destination can be reached along the planned flight route when is smaller or when the actual wind speed is higher than the wind speed of the headwind assumed when determining the planned flight route. To judge. By doing so, the determination unit 265 can promptly determine whether or not the destination can be reached when there is a risk that the destination cannot be reached.

When the determination unit 265 determines that the destination can be reached, the determination unit 265 estimates the time required to reach the destination based on the planned flight route from the current position to the destination and the surrounding environment specified by the environment identification unit 262. You may. When the determination unit 265 determines that the destination cannot be reached by the target arrival time based on the preset scheduled departure time, the target arrival time, and the time required to reach the target, the determination unit 265 determines the flight route to the flight condition change unit 266. Instruct to change.

The flight condition change unit 266 is different from the original planned flight route when the determination unit 265 determines that the flight device 2 cannot fly to the destination, or determines that the destination cannot be reached by the target arrival time. Determine an alternative flight path. When the flight condition changing unit 266 determines the candidate of the alternative flight scheduled route, the flight condition changing unit 266 instructs the estimation unit 264 to calculate the estimated value of the required power. When the estimated value calculated by the estimation unit 264 for the alternative flight route candidate is less than the battery level, the flight condition change unit 266 recommends the alternative flight route candidate as the flight control unit. Notify 267.

The flight condition change unit 266 generates candidates for a plurality of alternative flight routes that the flight device 2 can reach the destination, and based on the flight distance and flight speed of each of the plurality of candidates, from the current position. The flight time to the destination may be calculated. In this case, the flight condition changing unit 266 notifies the flight control unit 267 of the candidate of the alternative flight scheduled route having the shortest arrival time to the destination among the plurality of candidates as the alternative flight scheduled route.

The flight condition changing unit 266 may determine an alternative flight route in which a base where the battery can be replaced or charged exists on the route. By doing so, even if it is difficult for the flight device 2 to go straight to the destination, the flight device 2 can reach the destination by replacing or charging the battery on the way.

Further, the flight condition changing unit 266 may change the flight speed to an alternative speed that can make the required power smaller than the required power required to fly to the destination at the speed during flight. Prior to changing the flight speed, the flight condition changing unit 266 instructs the estimation unit 264 to calculate an estimated value of a plurality of required powers when flying at a plurality of different flight speeds. When the flight condition changing unit 266 estimates a plurality of required powers when the estimation unit 264 flies at a plurality of different flight speeds, the estimated value calculated by the estimation unit 264 among the plurality of different flight speeds is less than the remaining battery level. The maximum flight speed among the flight speeds is determined as the alternative flight speed. The flight condition change unit 266 notifies the flight control unit 267 of the changed alternative flight speed.

The flight control unit 267 flies the flight device 2 along the scheduled flight path by controlling the flight mechanism 24. When the flight control unit 267 determines that the determination unit 265 cannot reach the destination along the scheduled flight route, the flight condition is determined based on the alternative flight route and the alternative flight speed notified by the flight condition change unit 266. change.

[Operation flowchart of flight device 2]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the operation of the flight device 2. When the flight device 2 starts flying, the position specifying unit 261 identifies the current position during flight (S21). In addition, the environment specifying unit 262 specifies the state of the surrounding environment at the current position during flight (S22). Further, the remaining amount specifying unit 263 specifies the remaining amount of the battery 23 (S23). The estimation unit 264 estimates the required power for the flight from the current position to the destination based on at least the surrounding environment (S24).

Subsequently, the determination unit 265 determines whether or not the required power is smaller than the remaining battery level (S25). When the determination unit 265 determines that the required power is smaller than the remaining battery level (YES in S25), the determination unit 265 instructs the flight control unit 267 to continue the flight as it is (S26). When the determination unit 265 determines that the required power is equal to or greater than the remaining battery level (NO in S25), the determination unit 265 instructs the flight condition change unit 266 to change the flight conditions (S27). The flight condition changing unit 266 changes the flight path or flight speed, and the flight control unit 267 flies based on the changed flight path or flight speed.

The control unit 26 repeats the processes from steps S21 to S27 until it arrives at the destination (NO in S28). When the control unit 26 arrives at the destination (YES in S28), the control unit 26 ends the process.

[Modification example]
In the above description, when the flight device 2 cannot reach the destination, the method of the flight device 2 changing the flight path or the flight speed to reach the destination has been described, but the flight device 2 flies to the destination. Instead of doing so, you may return to your starting point. In order to enable the flight device 2 to return to the departure point, the storage unit 25 further stores historical information indicating the history of the surrounding environment in the flight path from the departure point to the current position.

The estimation unit 264 estimates the required power required to return from the current position to the departure point based on the history information stored in the storage unit 25. Specifically, the estimation unit 264 estimates the power required to return from the current position to the departure point based on the wind direction and the wind speed at a plurality of positions from the current position to the departure point indicated by the history information.

The determination unit 265 determines whether or not the destination can be reached along the planned flight route while the electric power required to return from the current position to the departure point is smaller than the remaining battery level. Then, when the determination unit 265 determines that the destination cannot be reached along the scheduled flight route, the flight condition change unit 266 changes the flight conditions so as to return to the departure point, and sets the flight route to return to the departure point. Decide on an alternative flight route. By doing so, the flight device 2 can prevent an accident of crashing during flight by returning to the starting point when the destination cannot be reached.

[Effects of Flight Path Determination Device 1 and Flight Device 2 According to the First Embodiment]
As described above, in the flight route determination device 1, the estimation unit 153 determines the required power required for the flight device 2 to fly to the destination along the planned flight route based on the environmental information and the route information. presume. Then, the output unit 154 outputs a determination result of whether or not it is possible to fly to the destination along the planned flight route based on the required power estimated by the estimation unit 153 and the battery capacity information. By doing so, the user who flies the flight device 2 can check whether or not the destination can be reached before the flight device 2 is flown, so that an accident of a crash during the flight can be prevented. can.

Further, the output unit 154 presents an alternative scheduled flight route candidate to the user when the destination cannot be reached by using the scheduled flight route input by the user. By doing so, the flight path determining device 1 is a flight device that can reach the destination even if the destination cannot be reached using the planned flight route assumed by the user. Allows you to fly 2.

Further, in the flight device 2 according to the present embodiment, the estimation unit 264 is required for the flight device 2 to fly to the destination based on the planned flight route from the in-flight position to the destination and the surrounding environment. Estimate the required power. Then, the determination unit 265 determines whether or not the destination can be reached along the scheduled flight route based on the relationship between the required power and the remaining battery level. When the determination unit 265 determines that the destination cannot be reached, the flight condition change unit 266 changes the flight conditions so that the flight device 2 crashes during the flight. Can be prevented.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of the flight system S2 according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the user can control the flight device 2 by using the control device 4. The control device 4 has a function of determining whether or not the flight device 2 can reach the destination, and the flight device 2 of the present embodiment is different from the flight device 2 of the first embodiment and has a destination. It is not necessary to be able to judge by one's own machine whether or not it can reach.

The control device 4 is a flight control device capable of transmitting control information for operating the flight device 2 via a wireless communication line, such as a radio, a smartphone, and a tablet. When the user operates the control device 4, the control device 4 transmits control information according to the operation content to the flight device 2.

The control device 4 estimates the power required for the flight device 2 to fly to the destination based on the planned flight route from the flight position to the destination and the surrounding environment, and when the destination cannot be reached. , Display warning information. The user can change the flight path based on the warning display. Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the control device 4 will be described.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 4. The control device 4 includes a communication unit 41, a display unit 42, an operation unit 43, a storage unit 44, and a control unit 45. The control unit 45 includes a position identification unit 451, an environment identification unit 452, a remaining amount identification unit 453, an estimation unit 454, a determination unit 455, a flight condition change unit 456, and a control information generation unit 457.

The communication unit 41 is a wireless communication module for transmitting and receiving information to and from the flight device 2 and other devices via the wireless communication line W. The communication unit 41 acquires flight information indicating the flight position, the surrounding environment, and the remaining battery level from the flight device 2 via the wireless communication line W. Further, the communication unit 41 transmits control information for controlling the flight device 2.

The display unit 42 is a display that displays various types of information. The display unit 42 displays the flight information received from the flight device 2, displays the determination result regarding whether or not the flight can reach the destination, and displays the changed flight conditions.

The operation unit 43 is a device for operating the flight device 2, and includes, for example, a joystick or a volume for controlling the flight direction and the flight speed. The operation unit 11 may further include a touch panel provided on the surface of the display unit 13.

The storage unit 44 is a storage medium including a ROM and a RAM. The storage unit 44 stores a program executed by the control unit 45.
The control unit 45 is a CPU, and by executing the program stored in the storage unit 44, the position identification unit 451, the environment identification unit 452, the remaining amount identification unit 453, the estimation unit 454, the determination unit 455, and the flight condition change. It functions as a unit 456 and a control information generation unit 457.

The position specifying unit 451 corresponds to the position specifying unit 261 shown in FIG. 6, and specifies the current position of the flight device 2 based on the position information received from the flight device 2 via the communication unit 41. The environment identification unit 452 corresponds to the environment identification unit 262, and identifies the state of the surrounding environment of the flight device 2 based on the environment information received from the flight device 2 via the communication unit 41. The environment specifying unit 452 corresponds to the remaining amount specifying unit 263, and specifies the remaining amount of the battery of the flying device 2 based on the battery remaining amount information received from the flight device 2.

The estimation unit 454 corresponds to the estimation unit 264, and estimates the required power when flying from the current position to the destination based on the position information and the environmental information. The determination unit 455 corresponds to the determination unit 265, and the flight device 2 can reach the destination based on the required power estimated by the estimation unit 454 and the remaining battery level specified by the remaining amount specifying unit 453. Judge whether or not. The determination unit 455 displays the determination result on the display unit 42.

The flight condition change unit 456 corresponds to the flight condition change unit 266, and when the determination unit 455 determines that the flight device 2 cannot reach the destination, determines an alternative flight route or an alternative flight speed. And change the flight conditions. The flight condition changing unit 456 displays the changed flight condition on the display unit 42 and notifies the control information generation unit 457.

The control information generation unit 457 generates control information including the user's operation content input from the operation unit 43 or the changed flight condition input from the flight condition change unit 456. The control information generation unit 457 transmits control information to the flight device 2 via the communication unit 41. By doing so, the flight device 2 flies according to the changed flight conditions based on the control information.

[Effect of the control device 4 of the second embodiment]
As described above, in the control device 4, the estimation unit 454 estimates the required power to the destination based on the current position of the flight device 2 and the surrounding environment, and the determination unit 455 determines the required power and the remaining battery level. Based on, it is determined whether or not the flight device 2 can fly to the destination. Then, when the determination unit 455 determines that the flight device 2 cannot fly to the destination, the determination unit 455 displays the determination result on the display unit 42. By doing so, even if the flight device 2 cannot determine whether or not it can fly to the destination as in the first embodiment, the flight device 2 can be operated by using the control device 4. The maneuvering user can recognize that the flight device 2 cannot reach the destination. Then, the user can prevent the flight device 2 from crashing by changing the flight path or the flight speed.

When the determination unit 455 determines that the flight device 2 cannot fly to the destination, the control information generation unit 457 generates control information including the changed contents of the flight conditions, and the generated control information is transmitted to the flight device 2. You can also send. By doing so, the control device 4 can transmit control information including the changed flight conditions to the flight device 2 even when the user cannot control the flight, so that the flight device 2 can be prevented from crashing. be able to.

(Modification example)
In the above description, in the control device 4, the case where the flight device 2 determines whether or not the flight device 2 can fly to the destination based on the required power and the remaining battery level has been described. It may be executed by a device other than the device 4. For example, the server receives position information, remaining battery level, environmental information, aircraft information, speed / direction information from the flight device 2, calculates the reachability and reachable time to the destination, and determines the optimum flight route. It may be recommended to the flight device 2 or the control device 4. As described above, the execution subject of the determination process based on the required power and the remaining battery level is not limited to the example described in the above description.

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. In particular, the specific embodiments of the distribution / integration of the devices are not limited to those shown above, and all or a part thereof may be in arbitrary units according to various additions or the like, or according to the functional load. It can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated.

1 Flight route determination device 2 Flight device 3 Base station 4 Control device 11 Operation unit 12 Communication unit 13 Display unit 14 Storage unit 15 Control unit 20 GPS receiver 21 Surrounding environment sensor 22 Communication unit 23 Battery 24 Flight mechanism 25 Storage unit 26 Control Unit 41 Communication unit 42 Display unit 43 Operation unit 44 Storage unit 45 Control unit 151 Information acquisition unit 152 Route information generation unit 153 Estimating unit 154 Output unit 261 Position specifying unit 262 Environment specifying unit 263 Remaining amount specifying unit 264 Estimating unit 265 Judgment unit 266 Flight condition change unit 267 Flight control unit 451 Position identification unit 452 Environment specification unit 453 Remaining amount specification unit 454 Estimate unit 455 Judgment unit 456 Flight condition change unit 457 Control information generation unit

Claims (8)

It is a flight availability judgment device that determines whether or not the flight device can fly from the departure point to the destination.
Acquires battery capacity information indicating the capacity of a battery that supplies electric power used by the flight device, and acquires position information indicating the position of the departure point and destination of the flight device and the planned flight speed of the flight device. Information acquisition department and
An estimation unit that calculates an estimated value of the required power to fly from the departure point to the destination based on the planned flight speed.
Whether or not the flight device can fly to the destination based on the estimated value of the required power calculated by the estimation unit and the capacity of the battery indicated by the battery capacity information acquired by the information acquisition unit. Judgment unit to determine
A flight availability determination device equipped with. The information acquisition unit acquires the scheduled flight speed specified based on the model information of the flight device.
The flight possibility determination device according to claim 1. The information acquisition unit further acquires article information indicating the weight of the article carried by the flight device, and further acquires article information.
The estimation unit calculates an estimated value of the required power based on the weight indicated by the article information and the scheduled flight speed.
The flight possibility determination device according to claim 1 or 2. The information acquisition unit further acquires article information regarding the shape of the article carried by the flight device, and obtains article information.
The estimation unit corrects the estimated value of the required power based on the magnitude of the resistance received by the article based on the shape indicated by the article information.
The flight possibility determination device according to claim 1 or 2. The information acquisition unit further acquires environmental information indicating the surrounding environment of the scheduled flight route specified based on the position information.
The determination unit determines whether or not the flight device can fly to the destination based on the environmental information acquired by the information acquisition unit.
The flight possibility determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A route information generation unit that generates route information indicating a planned flight route of the flight device is further provided based on the positions of the departure point and the destination indicated by the position information acquired by the information acquisition unit.
The flight possibility determination device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. When the determination unit determines that the flight device cannot fly to the destination, the route information generation unit generates an alternative flight schedule route candidate different from the previously determined flight schedule route candidate.
The flight possibility determination device according to claim 6. A computer-executed flight availability determination method that determines whether or not a flight device can fly from a departure point to a destination.
A step of acquiring battery capacity information indicating the capacity of a battery that supplies electric power used by the flight device for flight, and
A step of acquiring position information indicating the position of the departure point and the destination of the flight device, and
The step of acquiring the planned flight speed of the flight device and
A step of calculating an estimated value of the required power for flying from the starting point to the destination based on the planned flight speed, and a step of calculating the estimated value.
A step of determining whether or not the flight device can fly to the destination based on the calculated estimated value of the required power and the capacity of the battery indicated by the acquired battery capacity information.
Flight availability determination method.

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