JP2021131598A - Unmanned aerial vehicle control system and monitoring control device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an unmanned aerial vehicle control system capable of monitoring or controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle without or with minimal assistance, even when the unmanned aerial vehicle is to fly out of sight.SOLUTION: An unmanned aerial vehicle control system comprises: an unmanned aerial vehicle 100 flying on an automatic flight route outside of sight; a monitoring control device 300 for monitoring or controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100; and an unmanned aerial vehicle 200 flying in an unobstructed area between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the monitoring control device 300. The unmanned aerial vehicle 200 captures a video image of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 as a subject and wirelessly transmits the capturing data to the monitoring control device 300, and the monitoring control device 300 displays the capturing data received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle control system that wirelessly controls an unmanned aerial vehicle.

The progress of robot technology in recent years has been remarkable, and robots are often used to solve various social issues. Most of such robots are unmanned moving objects such as unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous driving vehicles. The unmanned moving body needs to be equipped with a communication system in order to transmit control command data for remote control and autonomous control, and video data taken by a camera or the like mounted on the unmanned moving body. At this time, if the unmanned moving body is not a machine that moves along a predetermined route along a rail or the like, wireless communication suitable for the movement is often used.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a mobile base station and a terminal station are provided with a long-range communication function for preparing short-range communication and a short-range communication function for data transmission, and communication using the long-range communication function is used. , The invention of scheduling the timing of short-range communication is disclosed. Further, in Patent Document 2, in a relay system using an unmanned aircraft, the relay of the unmanned aircraft is relayed based on the communication quality of the relay, the scheduled relay time, and the state of the power supply of the unmanned aircraft (power supply capacity). An invention for searching for a position is disclosed.

International Publication No. 2017/018821 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-169848

Unmanned aerial vehicles are used for various purposes such as aerial photography, spraying pesticides, surveying at construction sites, inspection of bridges, search for victims, and transportation of goods. Various standards have been established for the flight of unmanned aerial vehicles so that the safety of aircraft navigation and the safety of people and properties on the ground and on the water are not compromised. For example, as a standard for the system necessary to ensure safety, confirm the route to be flown and the obstacles in the vicinity in advance, identify the appropriate flight route, and position it so that you can see the entire flight route. , Assign an assistant who can constantly monitor the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle and changes in the surrounding weather conditions, etc., and the assistant should give necessary advice so that the person flying the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly safely. Standards are set.

In addition, when an unmanned aerial vehicle is flown in a state where it cannot be directly confirmed with the naked eye (so-called "out-of-sight flight"), it conforms to stricter standards than when it is flown in a state where it can be directly confirmed with the naked eye (so-called "in-visual flight"). I need to let you. As standards for non-visual flight, for example, the following standards are set for the airframe of an unmanned aerial vehicle.
(A) Equipped with an autopilot system, the outside of the aircraft can be monitored by cameras installed on the aircraft.
(B) Being able to grasp the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the presence or absence of abnormalities on the ground (including the case of a crash landing when a problem occurs)
(C) The crisis avoidance function (fail-safe function) operates normally when a problem occurs.

However, in the non-visual flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, there are cases where an assistant cannot be easily placed at a position overlooking the entire flight path. For example, when flying out of sight over a forest, the sky is blocked by trees from the ground, so it is not possible to monitor the unmanned aerial vehicle flying over it and the surrounding conditions. In addition, when inspecting a large bridge by non-visual flight, the lower part of the bridge and the back side of the pier become blind spots from land. Therefore, in order to arrange the assistants at a position where the entire flight path can be seen, it is necessary to charter the ship or arrange more assistants, which causes a problem that labor and cost increase. In addition, depending on the route of the unmanned aerial vehicle that flies out of sight, the shielding loss may increase in addition to the free space loss, and there is a risk that wireless transmission of data for monitoring and control cannot be performed in a stable environment. There is.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and even when an unmanned aerial vehicle is flown out of sight, the unmanned aerial vehicle is unmanned aerial vehicle without an assistant or with a minimum of assistants. The purpose is to be able to monitor or control the flight of the aircraft.

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle control system and the monitoring control device are configured as follows.
That is, in the first aspect of the present invention, in an unmanned aircraft control system including a plurality of unmanned aircraft, in order to monitor or control the flight of a first unmanned aircraft flying a predetermined route and a first unmanned aircraft. The second unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with a second unmanned aerial vehicle that flies in an unobstructed area between the first unmanned aerial vehicle and between the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the first unmanned aerial vehicle. It is characterized in that a moving image of an aircraft is captured, the captured data is wirelessly transmitted to a monitoring control device, and the monitoring control device displays the captured data received from the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

In the second aspect of the present invention, in an unmanned aerial vehicle control system including a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, monitoring for monitoring or controlling the flight of a first unmanned aerial vehicle flying a predetermined route and a first unmanned aerial vehicle. A second unmanned aerial vehicle is provided with a second unmanned aerial vehicle flying in an unobstructed area between the control device and the first unmanned aerial vehicle and between the monitoring and control device, and the second unmanned aerial vehicle is the first unmanned aerial vehicle. It is characterized by relaying communication between monitoring and control devices.

Here, the first unmanned aerial vehicle acquires sensing data (including shooting data) during flight and transmits it wirelessly, and the second unmanned aerial vehicle monitors and controls the sensing data received from the first unmanned aerial vehicle. The monitoring and control device may be configured to wirelessly transmit to and display sensing data received from the first unmanned aerial vehicle via the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

Further, the monitoring control device wirelessly transmits a control signal for controlling the operation of the first unmanned aerial vehicle, and the second unmanned aerial vehicle wirelessly transmits the control signal received from the monitoring control device to the first unmanned aerial vehicle. The first unmanned aerial vehicle may be configured to operate based on a control signal received from the monitoring control device via the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

Further, the frequency or modulation method used for wireless communication by the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the frequency or modulation method used for wireless communication between the second unmanned aerial vehicle and the monitoring control device may be different.

Further, the second unmanned aerial vehicle may be configured to move in a direction in which the distance to the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the distance to the monitoring control device are equal to each other.

Further, the second unmanned aerial vehicle may be configured to move in a direction in which the reception quality of the wireless communication with the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the reception quality of the wireless communication with the monitoring control device are equal to each other.

In addition, the first unmanned aerial vehicle acquires sensing data during flight and transmits it wirelessly, and the second unmanned aerial vehicle shoots a moving image of the first unmanned aerial vehicle as a subject and receives it from the first unmanned aerial vehicle. The imaging data obtained by imaging together with the sensed data is wirelessly transmitted to the monitoring and control device, and the monitoring and control device displays the sensing data received from the first unmanned aerial vehicle via the second unmanned aerial vehicle and the second. It may be configured to display the shooting data received from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In the third aspect of the present invention, in a monitoring control device for monitoring or controlling the flight of an unmanned aircraft, wireless communication with the unmanned aircraft and with another unmanned aircraft that captures a moving image of the unmanned aircraft as a subject. An antenna for wireless communication, a monitor that displays data received from another unmanned aircraft by the antenna, and an unmanned aircraft control unit that generates control signals that control the operation of the unmanned aircraft in response to operations by the operator. The control signal is transmitted to the unmanned aircraft by either direct wireless communication with the unmanned aircraft or indirect wireless communication via another unmanned aircraft.

According to the present invention, even when an unmanned aerial vehicle is made to fly out of sight, it is possible to monitor or control the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle without an assistant or with a minimum of assistants.

It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle control system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the non-visual flight subsystem in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the in-visual flight subsystem in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the configuration example of the remote control / monitoring subsystem in FIG. It is a conceptual diagram of the control operation by the unmanned aerial vehicle control system of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle control system 1 includes a non-visual flight subsystem 10 including an unmanned aerial vehicle that performs non-visual flight, an in-sight flight subsystem 20 including an unmanned aerial vehicle that performs in-sight flight, and an unmanned aerial vehicle. It is provided with a remote control / monitoring subsystem 30 that performs remote control and monitoring of the aircraft.

As shown in FIG. 2, the non-visual flight subsystem 10 includes an antenna 101, an RF unit 102, a transmission baseband (BB) signal processing unit 103, and a reception baseband (BB) signal processing unit 104. , The main control unit 105, the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 106, the video camera 107, and the flight control unit 108 are mounted on the unmanned aircraft 100. In the following description, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is substantially synonymous with the non-visual flight subsystem 10, and there is no particular intention to use the terms properly.

The antenna 101 transmits and receives radio waves. The RF unit 102 performs processing such as frequency conversion from the baseband to the radio frequency band, frequency conversion from the radio frequency band to the baseband, and signal amplification. The transmission BB signal processing unit 103 performs processing such as error correction coding and modulation. The receiving BB signal processing unit 104 performs processing such as demodulation and error correction / decoding. The main control unit 105 manages and controls data. The GNSS receiver 106 detects the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The video camera 107 captures a video moving image. The flight control unit 108 controls the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 (that is, controls the attitude, the direction of travel, the flight speed, and the like).

The in-visual flight subsystem 20 includes an antenna 201, an RF unit 202, a transmission baseband (BB) signal processing unit 203, and a reception baseband (BB) signal processing unit 204, as shown in FIG. The unmanned aircraft 200 is equipped with a main control unit 205, a GNSS receiver 206, a video camera 207, and a flight control unit 208. In the following description, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 is substantially synonymous with the in-sight flight subsystem 20, and there is no particular intention to use the terms properly.

The antenna 201 transmits and receives radio waves. The RF unit 202 performs processing such as frequency conversion from the baseband to the radio frequency band, frequency conversion from the radio frequency band to the baseband, and signal amplification. The transmission BB signal processing unit 203 performs processing such as error correction coding and modulation. The receiving BB signal processing unit 204 performs processing such as demodulation and error correction / decoding. The main control unit 205 manages and controls data. The GNSS receiver 206 detects the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. The video camera 207 captures a video moving image. The flight control unit 208 controls the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 (that is, controls the attitude, the direction of travel, the flight speed, and the like).

As shown in FIG. 4, the remote control / monitoring subsystem 30 includes an antenna 301, an RF unit 302, a transmission baseband (BB) signal processing unit 303, and a reception baseband (BB) signal processing unit 304. A monitoring control device 300 including a main control unit 305, a GNSS receiver 306, a monitor 307, an interface unit 308, and an unmanned aircraft control unit 309. In the following description, the monitoring control device 300 is substantially synonymous with the remote control / monitoring subsystem 30, and there is no particular intention to use the terms properly.

The antenna 301 transmits and receives radio waves. The RF unit 302 performs processing such as frequency conversion from the baseband to the radio frequency band, frequency conversion from the radio frequency band to the baseband, and signal amplification. The transmission BB signal processing unit 303 performs processing such as error correction coding and modulation. The receiving BB signal processing unit 304 performs processing such as demodulation and error correction / decoding. The main control unit 305 manages and controls data. The GNSS receiver 306 detects the position of the monitoring control device 300. The monitor 307 displays a video movie taken by the unmanned aerial vehicles 100 and 200, the positions of the unmanned aerial vehicles 100 and 200, and the like. The interface unit 308 connects an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 309 such as a radio (controller). The unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 309 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 in response to the operation received from the operator.

The monitoring and control device 300 can wirelessly communicate with both the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. Further, the monitoring control device 300 can perform not only direct wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 but also indirect wireless communication via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. It is assumed that the frequency and modulation method used by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 for wireless communication and the frequency and modulation method used for wireless communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 and the monitoring control device 300 are different from each other. This is to prevent a communication failure due to radio wave interference if both frequencies and modulation methods are the same. In this example, both the frequency and the modulation method are different from each other, but only one of them may be different from each other.

Hereinafter, the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle control system of this example during non-visual flight will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is assumed to move over a forest that cannot be visually recognized because it is blocked by trees from the place where the monitoring control device 300 is installed. On the other hand, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 shall move in the sky within a range that can be visually recognized from the place where the monitoring control device 300 is installed. That is, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 flies only in the area where there is no shield between the monitoring and control device 300, while the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 also flies in the area where there is a shield between the monitoring and control device 300.

Further, it is assumed that the route on which the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 travels is pre-registered in the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 as an automatic flight route outside the visual field. Similarly, it is assumed that the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 is pre-registered with an in-visual automatic flight route that is considered so that the entire non-visual automatic flight route can be seen from the monitoring control device 300 within a visible range. That is, as an in-visual automatic flight route, a route is set so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 can maintain flight in an unobstructed area between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the monitoring control device 300.

First, in the monitoring control device 300, when the operator performs an operation to start the takeoff of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 309 generates a control signal for starting the takeoff. The takeoff start control signal is input to the main control unit 305 via the interface unit 308. The main control unit 305 outputs the input control signal for takeoff start to the transmission BB signal processing unit 303 as transmission data together with the position information of the monitoring control device 300 acquired from the GNSS receiver 306. The transmission BB signal processing unit 303 encodes and modulates these transmission data to generate a transmission signal. The generated transmission signal is emitted as a radio wave from the antenna 301 after frequency conversion and amplification to the radio frequency band by the RF unit 302.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, when the radio wave from the monitoring control device 300 is received by the antenna 101, the received signal is frequency-converted and amplified by the RF unit 102 to the baseband and output to the reception BB signal processing unit 104. .. The reception BB signal processing unit 104 demodulates and decodes the input signal to restore the transmission data. The main control unit 105 extracts a takeoff start control signal from the restored transmission data and transmits it to the flight control unit 108. The flight control unit 108 starts the takeoff of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to the takeoff start control signal.

At this time, also in the unmanned aircraft 200, the radio wave from the monitoring control device 300 is received by the antenna 201, the received signal is frequency-converted and amplified by the RF unit 202 to the baseband, and output to the received BB signal processing unit 204. Will be done. The reception BB signal processing unit 204 demodulates and decodes the input signal to restore the transmission data. The main control unit 105 extracts the position information of the monitoring control device 300 from the restored transmission data and stores it in the memory.

Next, in the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the flight control unit 108 follows the pre-registered non-visual automatic flight route based on the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 acquired from the GNSS receiver 106 via the main control unit 105. Move the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. Further, the main control unit 105 transfers the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the shooting data by the video camera 107 to the transmission BB signal processing unit 103 at any time. These transmission data are encoded and modulated by the transmission BB signal processing unit 103, then frequency-converted and amplified to the radio frequency band by the RF unit 102, and emitted as radio waves from the antenna 101.

In the unmanned aircraft 200, when the radio wave from the unmanned aircraft 100 is received by the antenna 201, the RF unit 202 performs frequency conversion and amplification to the baseband, and then the reception BB signal processing unit 204 demodulates and decodes. The transmitted data is restored. The main control unit 205 extracts the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 from the restored transmission data and compares it with the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 acquired from the GNSS receiver 206. Then, when the main control unit 205 detects that the separation distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the main control unit 205 generates a control signal for starting takeoff and transmits it to the flight control unit 208. .. The flight control unit 208 starts the takeoff of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 according to the takeoff start control signal. After that, the flight control unit 208 moves the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 along the pre-registered in-visual automatic flight route based on the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 acquired from the GNSS receiver 206 via the main control unit 205. ..

Further, the main control unit 205 transfers the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 and the shooting data by the video camera 207 to the transmission BB signal processing unit 203 at any time. The video camera 207 is controlled to capture real-time images of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and its surroundings based on the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. That is, the shooting data taken by the video camera 207 is moving image data with the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 as the subject. These transmission data are encoded and modulated by the transmission BB signal processing unit 203, then frequency-converted and amplified to the radio frequency band by the RF unit 202, and emitted as radio waves from the antenna 201.

In the monitoring and control device 300, when the radio wave from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is received by the antenna 301, the RF unit 302 performs frequency conversion and amplification to the baseband, and then the reception BB signal processing unit 304 demodulates and decodes. It is done and the transmitted data is restored. The main control unit 305 extracts the position information and the shooting data of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 from the restored transmission data, and displays them on the monitor 307.

Similarly, in the monitoring control device 300, when the radio wave from the unmanned aircraft 200 is received by the antenna 301, the RF unit 302 performs frequency conversion and amplification to the baseband, and then the reception BB signal processing unit 304 demodulates. And decryption is performed, and the transmitted data is restored. The main control unit 305 extracts the position information and the shooting data of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 from the restored transmission data, and displays them on the monitor 307.

In this example, since the monitor 307 is composed of one unit, the display area of the monitor 307 is divided into a plurality of windows, and the data obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the data obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 are separated. It is displayed in the window. The display of the data obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the display of the data obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 may be switched according to the instruction of the operator. Further, a plurality of monitors 307 may be used to display these data on separate monitors 307. Further, as for the display of the position information, the method of displaying the positions of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 on the map is easy to understand visually, but other display methods may be used. For example, the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the surveillance control device 300, the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 and the surveillance control device 300, the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200, and the like are displayed in text. May be good.

After that, in the flight control unit 208 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200, the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 acquired from the GNSS receiver 206, and the monitoring recorded in the main control unit 205. Compare with the position information of the control device 300. Then, the flight control unit 208 controls to move the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 in a direction in which the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 is equal to the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 and the monitoring control device 300. That is, even if the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 moves far away, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 tracks the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 within a visible area from the place where the monitoring control device 300 is installed. As a result, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 can be maintained at a position where the video camera 207 can easily capture the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and its surroundings. The unmanned aerial vehicle 200 may be moved to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 side or a position shifted to the monitoring control device 300 according to the zoom performance of the video camera 207.

Further, in the unmanned aerial vehicle control system of this example, direct wireless communication is performed between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the monitoring control device 300, but the communication can also be relayed by the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. Therefore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is flying in an area where wireless communication with the monitoring and control device 300 is possible (or an area where the quality of wireless communication is good), the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can directly communicate with the monitoring and control device 300. , Indirect wireless communication via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 can be performed. That is, it is possible to realize the redundancy of the wireless communication line. Further, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is flying in an area where wireless communication with the monitoring control device 300 is impossible (or an area where the quality of wireless communication is poor), the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the monitoring control device 300 via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. Wireless communication can be performed indirectly. In addition, the wireless communication area can be substantially expanded.

Since the interference level is not always the same in each of the subsystems (unmanned aerial vehicle 100, unmanned aerial vehicle 200, monitoring control device 300), the reception quality is measured in each subsystem and the reception quality between the subsystems becomes equal. It may be controlled as follows. That is, for example, if the reception quality between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 is lower than the reception quality between the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 and the monitoring control device 300, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 is moved in a direction approaching the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. Therefore, the configuration may be such that the reception quality of each wireless line is controlled to be uniform. Further, in this example, the in-visual automatic flight route to which the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 moves is specified in a linear shape, but it may be configured to automatically fly in a visually observable space.

Further, the monitoring control device 300 may control the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 in flight along the non-visual automatic flight route according to the operation by the operator. That is, it may be possible to forcibly intervene in the automatic navigation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. At this time, the control signal for the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is transmitted to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by either direct wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 or indirect wireless communication via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. Further, the monitoring control device 300 may also be able to control the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 in flight along the in-visual automatic flight route according to the operation by the operator. That is, it may be possible to forcibly intervene in the automatic navigation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 200.

As described above, the unmanned aerial vehicle control system of this example includes an unmanned aerial vehicle 100 that flies on an automatic flight route out of sight, a monitoring control device 300 for monitoring or controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. It is equipped with an unmanned aerial vehicle 200 that flies in an unobstructed area between the space and the monitoring and control device 300. The unmanned aerial vehicle 200 shoots a moving image of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 as a subject, wirelessly transmits the shooting data to the monitoring control device 300, and the monitoring control device 300 displays the shooting data received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 200.

According to such a configuration, even if the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 cannot be confirmed from the ground monitoring control device 300, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 photographs and monitors the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and its surroundings from an appropriate place in the sky. It can be displayed on the control device 300. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and changes in the surrounding weather conditions without an assistant or with a minimum of assistants. Further, even if the assistant cannot be arranged at a position overlooking the entire flight path or the assistant cannot be arranged at a place where safety can be ensured, the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be monitored without any trouble.

Further, in the unmanned aerial vehicle control system of this example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 flies in an area capable of wireless communication with both the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the monitoring control device 300, and communicates between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the monitoring control device 300. To relay. More specifically, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 wirelessly transmits the shooting data obtained by shooting a moving image during flight, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 wirelessly transmits the shooting data received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to the monitoring control device 300. Then, the monitoring control device 300 displays the photographing data received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. Further, the monitoring control device 300 wirelessly transmits a control signal for controlling the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 wirelessly transmits the control signal received from the monitoring control device 300 to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 wirelessly transmits the control signal. , Operates based on the control signal received from the monitoring control device 300 via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200.

According to such a configuration, even when the monitoring control device 300 cannot directly perform wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, it is possible to indirectly perform wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. can. Therefore, deterioration of the quality of the wireless communication line due to free space loss and shielding loss can be suppressed. Therefore, control of the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and confirmation of shooting data by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 should be carried out in a stable communication environment. Is possible. Even if various sensors are mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the data (for example, temperature, humidity, etc.) obtained by the sensors is transmitted to the monitoring control device 300 by direct or indirect wireless communication. good.

Further, the monitoring control device 300 of this example includes an antenna 301 for wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle 200 for capturing a moving image of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 as a subject, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. A monitor 307 that displays data received from the antenna 301 and an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit 308 that generates a control signal that controls the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 in response to an operation by the operator. Transmission to the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by either direct wireless communication with the 100 or indirect wireless communication via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200.

According to such a configuration, even when the operator of the monitoring control device 300 makes the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 fly out of sight, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be viewed while watching the image of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 taken by the unmanned aerial vehicle 200. Can control the flight of. Further, even when the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is out of the wireless communication area of the monitoring control device 300, the flight control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be stably continued by indirect wireless communication via the unmanned aerial vehicle 200.

Although the present invention has been described above based on one embodiment, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the unmanned aerial vehicle control system described here, and can be widely applied to other unmanned aerial vehicle control systems. stomach.
The present invention also provides, for example, a method including a technical procedure related to the above processing, a program for executing the above processing by a processor, a storage medium for storing such a program in a computer-readable manner, and the like. Is also possible.

It should be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated and described exemplary embodiments, but also includes all embodiments that provide an effect equal to that of the object of the present invention. Moreover, the scope of the invention can be defined by any desired combination of specific features of all disclosed features.

The present invention can be used in an unmanned aerial vehicle control system that wirelessly controls an unmanned aerial vehicle.

1: Unmanned aircraft control system, 10: Non-visual flight subsystem, 20: In-visual flight subsystem, 30: Remote control / monitoring subsystem, 100: Unmanned aircraft, 101: Antenna, 102: RF section, 103: Transmission BB Signal processing unit, 104: Received BB signal processing unit, 105: Main control unit, 106: GNSS receiver, 107: Video camera, 108: Flight control unit, 200: Unmanned aircraft, 201: Antenna, 202: RF unit, 203 : Transmission BB signal processing unit, 204: Reception BB signal processing unit, 205: Main control unit, 206: GNSS receiver, 207: Video camera, 208: Flight control unit, 300: Surveillance control device, 301: Antenna, 302: RF unit, 303: Transmit BB signal processing unit, 304: Receive BB signal processing unit, 305: Main control unit, 306: GNSS receiver, 307: Monitor, 308: Interface unit, 309: Unmanned aircraft control unit

Claims (9)

In an unmanned aerial vehicle control system with multiple unmanned aerial vehicles
The first unmanned aerial vehicle flying a given route,
A monitoring control device for monitoring or controlling the flight of the first unmanned aerial vehicle, and
A second unmanned aerial vehicle flying in an unobstructed area between the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the monitoring and control device is provided.
The second unmanned aerial vehicle shoots a moving image of the first unmanned aerial vehicle as a subject, and wirelessly transmits the shooting data to the monitoring control device.
The monitoring control device is an unmanned aerial vehicle control system characterized by displaying shooting data received from the second unmanned aerial vehicle. In an unmanned aerial vehicle control system with multiple unmanned aerial vehicles
The first unmanned aerial vehicle flying a given route,
A monitoring control device for monitoring or controlling the flight of the first unmanned aerial vehicle, and
A second unmanned aerial vehicle flying in an unobstructed area between the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the monitoring and control device is provided.
The second unmanned aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle control system characterized by relaying communication between the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the monitoring control device. In the unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 2.
The first unmanned aerial vehicle acquires sensing data during flight and transmits it wirelessly.
The second unmanned aerial vehicle wirelessly transmits the sensing data received from the first unmanned aerial vehicle to the monitoring control device.
The monitoring control device is an unmanned aerial vehicle control system, characterized in that it displays sensing data received from the first unmanned aerial vehicle via the second unmanned aerial vehicle. In the unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 2.
The monitoring control device wirelessly transmits a control signal for controlling the operation of the first unmanned aerial vehicle.
The second unmanned aerial vehicle wirelessly transmits a control signal received from the monitoring control device to the first unmanned aerial vehicle.
The first unmanned aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle control system characterized in that it operates based on a control signal received from the monitoring control device via the second unmanned aerial vehicle. In the unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 2.
Unmanned aerial vehicle control characterized in that the frequency or modulation method used for wireless communication by the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the frequency or modulation method used for wireless communication between the second unmanned aerial vehicle and the monitoring control device are different. system. In the unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 2.
The second unmanned aerial vehicle is an unmanned aerial vehicle control system characterized in that the distance to the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the distance to the monitoring control device are equal to each other. In the unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 2.
The second unmanned aerial vehicle is characterized in that it moves in a direction in which the reception quality of wireless communication with the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the reception quality of wireless communication with the monitoring control device are equal to each other. system. In the unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 2.
The first unmanned aerial vehicle acquires sensing data during flight and transmits it wirelessly.
The second unmanned aerial vehicle shoots a moving image of the first unmanned aerial vehicle as a subject, and wirelessly sends the shooting data obtained by the shooting together with the sensing data received from the first unmanned aerial vehicle to the monitoring control device. Send and
The monitoring and control device is characterized in that it displays sensing data received from the first unmanned aerial vehicle via the second unmanned aerial vehicle and displays imaging data received from the second unmanned aerial vehicle. Unmanned aerial vehicle control system. In a surveillance control device for monitoring or controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle
An antenna for wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle and wireless communication with another unmanned aerial vehicle that shoots a moving image of the unmanned aerial vehicle as a subject.
A monitor that displays data received by the antenna from the other unmanned aerial vehicle, and
It is provided with an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit that generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to an operation by the operator.
A monitoring and control device comprising transmitting the control signal to the unmanned aerial vehicle by either direct wireless communication with the unmanned aerial vehicle or indirect wireless communication via the other unmanned aerial vehicle, or both. ..

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