JP2022167127A - Flight support device, flight system, flight support method, and flight support program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a flight support device capable of setting a flight route which is proper for a purpose other than the purpose of the flight of an aircraft.SOLUTION: A flight support device 2 for determining a flight route of an aircraft 5 comprises: a flight request acquisition section 21 for acquiring flight request information which includes a departure place and a destination of the aircraft 5 and acquires flight request information indicating a request related to the flight of the aircraft 5; an observation request acquisition section 27 for acquiring observation request information indicating a request related to observation by a sensor 54 to be mounted on the aircraft 5; and a route determination section 26 for selecting the flight request information corresponding to a flight which satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information with the use of the flight request information and the observation request information, and then determining the flight route of the flight corresponding to the selected flight request information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a flight support device, a flight system, a flight support method, and a flight support program that support determination of a flight path of an aircraft.

In recent years, remote-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) have been used for a variety of purposes, such as aerial photography and surveying. Any aircraft that flies in response to a request from a user, not just a drone, determines a flight route according to the request from the user.

In Patent Document 1, a route on a river that is flat without buildings and has a low possibility of people existing is set as a candidate for the flight route of the aircraft, and weather conditions such as thunder, hail, and thick fog, and the water level measured in the river A flight support system is disclosed that automatically selects a route on a river as a flight route if predetermined conditions are satisfied. The flight support system described in Patent Literature 1 automatically sets a flight route with few obstacles by selecting routes on rivers as much as possible as the flight route.

JP 2020-118657 A

On the other hand, aircraft operated for purposes such as logistics, passenger, and aerial photography may be used for other purposes. For example, it is conceivable to mount a sensor for observation on a drone for distribution and use the data observed by the sensor mounted on the drone. However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 only considers the original purpose of the flight when setting the flight path, and there is a problem that a flight path suitable for other uses cannot be selected.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present disclosure is to obtain a flight support device capable of setting a flight path suitable for uses other than the purpose of flying an aircraft.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a flight support device according to the present disclosure is a flight support device that determines a flight path of an aircraft, and includes a departure point and a destination of the aircraft. an observation request acquisition unit for acquiring flight request information indicating a request for observation by a sensor mounted on an aircraft; an observation request acquisition unit for obtaining observation request information indicating a request for observation by a sensor mounted on an aircraft; a route determination unit that selects flight request information corresponding to a flight that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information, and determines a flight route of the flight corresponding to the selected flight request information.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present disclosure, it is possible to set a flight path suitable for other uses than the purpose of flying an aircraft.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a flight system including a flight support device according to Embodiment 1; FIG. Flowchart showing an example of a flight support processing procedure in the flight support device of Embodiment 1 Diagram showing an example of flight user request information in Embodiment 1 A diagram showing another example of flight user request information in Embodiment 1 A diagram showing an example of observation user request information according to Embodiment 1 A diagram showing another example of observation user request information according to Embodiment 1 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information indicating correspondence between observation targets and observation data acquisition cycles according to the first embodiment; A diagram showing an example of correspondence information indicating correspondence between an observation target and an observation section according to the first embodiment. A diagram showing an example of correspondence information indicating correspondence between observation targets and data types according to the first embodiment. A diagram showing an example of a range observed by the sensor of Embodiment 1 when a river is specified as an observation target. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of each flight path of the aircraft according to Embodiment 1 when the observation target is a bridge; Schematic diagram showing the relationship between sensor field of view and altitude Flowchart showing an example of a procedure for selecting flight request information corresponding to observation request information of Embodiment 1 A diagram showing an example of a main route according to the first embodiment A diagram showing an example of a trunk route and a flight route in Embodiment 1 A diagram showing an example of observation history information according to Embodiment 1 A diagram showing an example of a flight point in Embodiment 1 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer system that realizes the flight support device of Embodiment 1; FIG. Flowchart showing an example of a flight support processing procedure in the flight support device according to the modification of the first embodiment A diagram showing a configuration example of a flight system including a flight support device according to a second embodiment. Flowchart showing an example of a flight support processing procedure in the flight support device of Embodiment 2 Flowchart showing an example of a procedure for setting important observation points according to the second embodiment

A flight support device, a flight system, a flight support method, and a flight support program according to embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a flight system including a flight support device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. A flight system 1 of this embodiment includes a flight support device 2 , data user terminals 3 and 6 , an aircraft flight user terminal 4 and an aircraft 5 .

The aircraft 5 is, for example, a drone, but is not limited to this, and may be a manned or unmanned aircraft. The aircraft 5 of this embodiment can be used for purposes other than the purpose of flying the aircraft 5 . The purpose of the flight of the aircraft 5 is, for example, distribution, aerial photography, surveying, and passengers, but is not limited to these. Another application is, for example, observations by sensors 54 onboard the aircraft 5 . In the following, another application will be described by taking as an example the case where the sensor 54 mounted on the aircraft 5 is used for observation. Observation by the sensor 54 is, for example, observation of rivers for river management, disaster prevention, and mitigation, observation for management of facilities such as railways, observation for grasping the situation after a disaster, and grasping of environmental conditions. Observation for observation, observation for grasping weather conditions, and the like can be exemplified, but are not limited to these. In the observation by the sensor 54, for example, periodic data acquisition is required in order to grasp changes, but the request for observation is not limited to periodic acquisition. It may also include non-periodic requests such as to keep track. The sensor 54 includes, for example, at least one of a camera that acquires visible, infrared, and other images, and a laser capable of acquiring three-dimensional data. The sensor 54 is not limited to this, and may include at least one of a laser that can acquire two-dimensional data and three-dimensional data, a sensor that detects gas concentration, an air velocity sensor, a temperature sensor, and a humidity sensor. Well, not limited to these.

The aircraft flight user terminal 4 is a terminal operated by a user corresponding to the purpose of the flight of the aircraft 5 , and transmits flight user request information indicating requests related to the flight of the aircraft 5 to the flight support device 2 . For example, if the purpose of the flight is logistics, the aircraft flight user terminal 4 is operated by the operator who manages the logistics, and if the purpose is aerial photography, the aircraft flight user terminal 4 is operated by the user requesting the aerial photography. manipulated. Note that the purpose of the flight of the aircraft 5 may be single or selectable from among a plurality of purposes. In the following description, it is assumed that each user can select the purpose of the flight of the aircraft 5 from a plurality of purposes. It can be single. The aircraft flight user terminal 4 may be a personal computer, a smart phone, a tablet, or the like.

The data user terminal 3 is a terminal operated by a user who uses observation by the aircraft 5 , and transmits observation user request information indicating a request regarding observation by the sensor 54 of the aircraft 5 to the flight support device 2 . Observation by the sensor 54 may be for any of the various purposes as described above. It is a terminal operated by The data user terminal 6 is a terminal that receives data observed by a sensor 54 mounted on the aircraft 5 . The data user terminal 6 may be managed by the same organization as the data user terminal 3 and may be a terminal that processes observed data. , it may be a terminal of a general user. Note that FIG. 1 shows an example in which both the data user terminal 3 and the data user terminal 6 receive data observed by the sensor 54 mounted on the aircraft 5, but either one Data observed by an on-board sensor 54 may be received. The data user terminals 3 and 6 may be personal computers, smart phones, tablets, and the like.

Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that each aircraft 5 is equipped with sensors 54 so as to be able to acquire all data of the observation data type that is the data type requested by the observation user request information. For example, if it is possible to specify the data types of camera images and three-dimensional data, the sensors 54 are plural and include cameras and lasers for acquiring three-dimensional data.

The flight support device 2 determines the flight path of the aircraft 5 . Specifically, the flight support device 2 uses the flight user request information received from the aircraft flight user terminal 4 and the observation user request information received from the data utilization user terminal 3 to match the purpose of the flight of the aircraft 5, And set the flight path according to the observation request. Therefore, the flight support device 2 of the present embodiment can set a flight route suitable for other uses than the purpose of the flight of the aircraft 5 .

In the example shown in FIG. 1, one each of the data user terminals 3, 6 and the aircraft flight user terminal 4 is illustrated, but there is no restriction on the number of these terminals, and the data user terminals 3, 6 and There may be a plurality of aircraft flight user terminals 4, respectively. In addition, although one aircraft 5 is shown in FIG. A plurality of aircraft 5 may be available. An example in which there are a plurality of aircraft 5 for which flight paths are set by the flight support device 2 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the flight support device 2 includes a flight request acquisition unit 21, a map information storage unit 22, a trunk route storage unit 23, a route output unit 24, an aircraft determination unit 25, a route determination unit 26, an observation request acquisition unit 27 , a sensor data acquisition unit 28 , a sensor data processing unit 29 and a sensor data output unit 30 .

The flight request acquisition unit 21 receives the flight user request information from the aircraft flight user terminal 4, and uses the flight user request information to generate a flight request including the departure point and destination of the aircraft 5 and indicating a request related to the flight of the aircraft 5. Obtain flight request information by generating information. The flight request acquisition unit 21 outputs flight request information to the aircraft determination unit 25 and the route determination unit 26 . The flight user request information is, as described above, information indicating a request for flight of the aircraft 5, and includes at least destination and flight request identification information. The flight request identification information is identification information for identifying a flight request, and may be given by the aircraft flight user terminal 4 or may be given after the flight request acquisition unit 21 receives the flight user request information. good. When the flight request acquisition unit 21 provides the flight request identification information, the flight request acquisition unit 21 notifies the data user terminal 3 of the flight request identification information. Flight request information is information used to determine the aircraft 5 and flight path corresponding to the flight user request information. Details of the flight user request information and the flight request information will be described later.

The map information storage unit 22 stores map information within a range where the aircraft 5 is expected to fly. The trunk route storage unit 23 stores information indicating trunk routes that are main routes on which the aircraft 5 flies. The trunk route is a route within the range stored in the map information storage unit 22 and is set in advance. The trunk route is a route suitable for the flight of the aircraft 5 and a route with many traffic of the aircraft 5 . Specifically, for example, when the aircraft 5 is a drone, the main route is at least one of over a river and over a railroad track. When the aircraft 5 is a manned aircraft, for example, it is a route defined as a main air route. For example, if the aircraft 5 is a drone, the trunk route may include a route over a highway that is closed to traffic in the event of a disaster, or a route over a power line. good too.

The observation request acquisition unit 27 receives observation user request information from the data user terminal 3, and uses the observation user request information to generate observation request information indicating a request for observation by the sensors 54 mounted on the aircraft 5. to get the observation request information. The observation request acquisition unit 27 outputs observation request information to the route determination unit 26 . The observation user request information is information indicating a request for observation by the sensor 54 of the aircraft 5, as described above, and includes at least observation target, that is, information indicating the observation target and observation request identification information. Observation request identification information is identification information for identifying an observation request, and may be assigned by the data user terminal 3 or may be assigned after the observation request acquisition unit 27 receives the observation user request information. good. When the observation request acquisition unit 27 adds observation request identification information, the observation request acquisition unit 27 notifies the data user terminal 3 of the observation request identification information. Observation request information is information used to select flight request information used to carry out the corresponding observation request. Details of the observation user request information and the observation request information will be described later.

The aircraft determination unit 25 uses the flight request information received from the flight request acquisition unit 21 to determine the aircraft 5 to be assigned to the request corresponding to the flight request information, and notifies the route output unit 24 of the determination result. The route determination unit 26 uses the flight request information and the observation request information to select the flight request information corresponding to the flight that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information, and selects the flight request corresponding to the selected flight request information. Determine route. Specifically, the route determination unit 26 uses the flight request information received from the flight request acquisition unit 21 and the observation request information received from the observation request acquisition unit 27 to determine the flight request used to execute the observation request. Selecting information, determining a flight route and departure time that satisfy the requirements corresponding to the selected flight request information and also satisfying the corresponding observation request, and assigning the determination result to the corresponding observation request identification information and the observation request identification information. The route output unit 24 is notified along with the identification information of the aircraft 5 obtained. The route determination unit 26 includes a flight request information determination unit 261 and a flight route determination unit 262 . The operations of the flight request information determination unit 261 and the flight route determination unit 262 will be described later.

The route output unit 24 outputs the flight route corresponding to the flight request information to the aircraft 5 assigned to the request corresponding to the flight request information based on the determination result by the aircraft determination unit 25 and the determination result by the route determination unit 26. to send. The route output unit 24 also notifies the sensor data processing unit 29 of the observation request identification information, the identification information of the aircraft 5 assigned to the observation request identification information, the flight route, and the departure time. Note that identification information indicating a flight to fly may be used instead of the departure time.

The sensor data acquisition unit 28 receives sensor data, which is data observed by the sensor 54 from the aircraft 5, and outputs the received sensor data to the sensor data processing unit 29 together with identification information of the aircraft 5 and information indicating the departure time. do. The sensor data processing unit 29 associates the sensor data received from the sensor data acquisition unit 28 with the observation request identification information notified from the route output unit 24 based on the identification information and the departure time of the aircraft 5, and obtains observation request identification. Sensor data associated with the information is output to the sensor data output unit 30 .

The sensor data output unit 30 transmits the sensor data together with the observation request identification information to the data user terminal 3 . If a plurality of data user terminals 3 are provided, the observation request acquisition unit 27 holds the correspondence between the data user terminal 3 that sent the observation user request information and the observation request identification information. Correspondence between the user terminal 3 and the observation request identification information is also notified from the observation request acquisition unit 27 to the sensor data output unit 30 via the route determination unit 26 and the route output unit 24 . Alternatively, the correspondence between the data using user terminal 3 and the observation request identification information may be directly notified from the observation request acquisition unit 27 to the sensor data output unit 30 . Moreover, the sensor data output unit 30 may transmit the sensor data to the data user terminal 6 . In addition, as described above, since the sensor data only needs to be transmitted to at least one of the data user terminal 3 and the data user terminal 6, the sensor data output unit 30 Sensor data may be transmitted to one of the terminals 6 .

The aircraft 5 includes a route acquisition unit 51, a control unit 52, a sensor data output unit 53, and sensors 54, as shown in FIG. Note that the aircraft 5 also includes components (not shown) such as mechanisms necessary for flight, but FIG.

The route acquisition unit 51 receives a flight route from the flight support device 2 and outputs the received flight route to the control unit 52 . Using the flight route received from the route acquisition unit 51, the control unit 52 controls the flight of the aircraft 5 and instructs the sensor 54 to acquire data. The sensor 54 performs observation based on instructions from the control unit 52 and outputs sensor data obtained by observation to the sensor data output unit 53 . The sensor data output unit 53 transmits the sensor data together with the identification information of the aircraft 5 to the flight support device 2 .

Next, the operation of the flight support device 2 of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing an example of a flight support processing procedure in the flight support device 2 of this embodiment. The flight request acquisition unit 21 performs the process shown in FIG. 2, for example, at regular intervals. For example, the flight request acquisition unit 21 sets the start time to the time after the preparation time Δt from that time, and creates a flight plan for the aircraft 5 for a certain period from the start time to the certain period ahead. In other words, the flight request acquisition unit 21 determines the flight route of the aircraft 5 from the start time to a certain period ahead at regular intervals. The fixed period is, for example, one hour, half a day, etc., and may be appropriately determined according to the frequency of occurrence of the flight user request information in the flight system 1, the request for the acquisition frequency of observation data in the observation user request information, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flight support device 2 acquires flight request information including a departure point and a destination (step S1). Specifically, the flight request acquisition unit 21 receives the flight user request information from the aircraft flight user terminal 4, generates flight request information using the flight user request information, acquires the flight request information, and obtains the flight request information. Among the information, it extracts the flight request information whose departure time is a certain period after the start time, and outputs it to the aircraft determination unit 25 and the route determination unit 26 . The flight request acquisition unit 21 holds flight request information that has not been output to the aircraft determination unit 25 and the route determination unit 26 . Some flight request information, such as a request for a flight several days or more in the future, may receive flight request information considerably in the future. , the processing of the request will be carried out later. In addition, the flight request acquisition unit 21 outputs all the flight request information acquired within a certain period of time to the aircraft determination unit 25 and the route determination unit 26 at regular intervals, and temporarily determines the aircraft 5 and the flight route. may be determined and changed based on observed user request information.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of flight user request information according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the flight user request information includes flight request identification, origin, destination, itinerary and purpose information. The purpose information is information indicating the type of purpose of the flight. FIG. 3 exemplifies the flight user request information transmitted from the aircraft flight user terminal 4 of the user for the purpose of logistics. The flight user request information is information indicating flight requests for logistics. For distribution purposes, the departure point and destination in the flight user request information require that the aircraft 5 be located on the ground. Although it affects the ground, the degree of freedom regarding the midway flight path of the aircraft 5 is high.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of flight user request information according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 4, similar to the example shown in FIG. 3, the flight user request information includes flight request identification information, origin, destination, itinerary, and purpose information. FIG. 4 illustrates the flight user request information transmitted from the aircraft flight user terminal 4 of the user for the purpose of surveying. For the purpose of surveying, the destination may be specified within the range to be surveyed, as shown in FIG. For the purpose of surveying, the aircraft 5 needs to fly over the location to be surveyed. Therefore, the flight support device 2 determines the flight route so as to fly over the destination. Become.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the flight user request information includes flight request identification information, departure point, destination, itinerary and purpose information, but the flight user request information is not limited to this, at least the destination and request identification information. For example, if the departure point is not specified, or if the departure point is fixed, such as a specific parking spot for the aircraft 5, the departure point may not be included in the flight user request information. If the purpose information is single, the purpose information may not be included in the flight user request information. Further, for example, if there is a rule regarding the date and time such as to fly as soon as possible after receiving the flight user request information, the schedule may not be included in the flight user request information. Also, instead of the schedule, the day or date and time may be included. In addition, the flight user request information may include a request value for the payload of the aircraft 5 .

The flight request information generated by the flight request acquisition unit 21 may be the same as or different from the flight user request information. For example, if there is no destination specified in the flight user request information, a departure point suitable for the destination is selected from the parking lots of the plurality of aircraft 5, and the selected departure point is included in the flight request information. good too. Further, if the schedule is not specified in the flight user request information, the schedule may be determined based on the date and time when the flight user request information is received, and the determined schedule may be included in the flight request information.

Returning to the description of FIG. The flight support device 2 acquires observation request information including an observation target and an acquisition cycle, that is, an observation data acquisition cycle (step S2). Specifically, the observation request acquisition unit 27 receives observation user request information from the data user terminal 3, generates observation request information using the observation user request information, acquires the observation request information, and obtains the observation request information. Information is output to the route determination unit 26 . The observation request acquisition unit 27 outputs to the route determination unit 26 all of the observation request information acquired after outputting the observation request information to the route determination unit 26 in the previous process.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of observed user request information according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the observation user request information includes observation request identification information and observation targets. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the river A is the observation target. Thus, the observation target may include rivers.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of observed user request information according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the observation user request information includes observation request identification information, observation target, observation data acquisition cycle, and data type. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the observation target is the bridge H of the river B, and the observation data acquisition cycle is one week, that is, data is acquired once per week. The data type indicates the type of data for which acquisition is requested, among the data that can be acquired by the sensors 54 mounted on the aircraft 5 . In the example shown in FIG. 6, the acquisition of three-dimensional data is requested, and the acquisition conditions are also specified as shown in parentheses after the three-dimensional data. In the example shown in FIG. 6, regarding the bridge H over the river B, it is required to acquire data by observing downward and upward in the wide area mode and the high resolution mode, and to acquire data by observing downward in the high resolution mode. It is The wide area mode and the high resolution mode can be changed by changing the altitude of the aircraft 5 as described later. Note that if the sensor 54 itself has a plurality of observation modes, the data type may include designation of the mode of the sensor 54 . The upward and downward directions may be changed by changing the mounting position and direction of the sensor 54 before the flight of the aircraft 5, or a sensor 54 capable of changing the central direction of the field of view is used. good too.

The examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are merely examples, and the observed user request information only needs to include at least the observation target, and is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. In addition, the observation user request information may include the date and time period for which observation is requested instead of the observation data acquisition period. In addition, the observation target in the observation user request information in the observation user request information may be specified for each river as illustrated in FIG. It may be designated as a railroad track, a railroad overhead wire, a railroad bridge, an obstacle on a railroad track (existing or not), and the like. Also, the observation target may be specified as an observation point such as latitude and longitude, or may be specified as an observation section, or both an observation target object and an observation section may be specified.

The observation request information generated by the observation request acquisition unit 27 may be the same as or different from the observation user request information. For example, when the observation user request information includes observation targets and observation request identification information as illustrated in FIG. At least one of the types may be determined and the determined information may be included in the observation request information.

When the observation request acquisition unit 27 determines the observation data acquisition cycle based on the observation target, the observation request acquisition unit 27 holds in advance correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the observation target and the observation data acquisition cycle. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information indicating correspondence between observation targets and observation data acquisition cycles according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, for example, if the observation target is an embankment or a river, the observation data acquisition cycle is set to one week, and if the observation target is a change in a sandbank, the observation data acquisition cycle is set to one month. If there is, the observation data cycle is set to 1 day. Note that FIG. 7 is only an example, and the specific correspondence between observation targets and observation data cycles is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

When the observation request acquisition unit 27 determines observation intervals based on observation targets, the observation request acquisition unit 27 holds in advance correspondence information indicating correspondence between observation targets and observation intervals. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information indicating correspondence between observation targets and observation intervals according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the observation section is determined according to the observation target, for example, in the case of a bank of river A, the observation section corresponds to the observation section from point x to point y of river A. The observation section may be specified by a feature point or structure on the map such as a bridge or a confluence, or may be specified by latitude and longitude. Note that FIG. 8 is only an example, and the specific correspondence between observation targets and observation intervals is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

When the observation request acquisition unit 27 determines the data type based on the observation target, the observation request acquisition unit 27 holds in advance correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the observation target and the data type. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information indicating correspondence between observation targets and data types according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the data type is determined according to the observation target, such as three-dimensional data for embankments and camera images for changes in sandbanks. In addition, unless the direction is specified in parentheses, the observation is assumed to be downward. Note that FIG. 9 is only an example, and the specific correspondence between observation targets and data types is not limited to the example shown in FIG.

The correspondence information illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 may be input and set in the flight support device 2 by an operator using input means (not shown), or may be transmitted to the flight support device 2 from another device (not shown). It may be set by being sent from the data user terminal 3 to the flight support device 2 and set. Further, these correspondence information may be changeable according to an input to the flight support device 2, an instruction from the data user terminal 3, or an instruction from another device (not shown).

Returning to the description of FIG. The flight support device 2 determines whether or not it is time to determine the flight route based on the observation request (step S3). Specifically, when the observation data acquisition cycle is set in the observation request information received from the observation request acquisition unit 27 in the past, the route determination unit 26 sets the previous data acquisition date and time to tp, and sets the observation data acquisition cycle to tp. If tr is assumed, when the elapsed time from tp is tr-Δt, it is determined that it is time to determine the flight path based on the observation request. The observation request information received from the observation request acquisition unit 27 in the past is not limited to the observation request information received in the most recent fixed period, but is the observation request information for which periodic acquisition of observation data was requested prior to that. Also includes As will be described later, the date and time of observation are recorded. Δt is set in advance according to the time required from the determination of the flight path to the flight. Further, when the observation date and time is specified in the observation request information, the flight support device 2 determines that it is time to determine the flight route based on the observation request when the time is Δt before the observation date and time.

If it is time to determine the flight route based on the observation request (Yes at step S3), the flight support device 2 selects flight request information from which observation data that satisfies the observation request information can be obtained, based on the observation request information and the flight request information. (step S4). Specifically, the flight request information determination unit 261 of the route determination unit 26 selects flight request information from which observation data that satisfies the observation request information can be obtained based on the observation request information and the flight request information. More specifically, the flight request information determination unit 261 uses the departure point and the destination included in the flight request information to determine the section of the trunk route used in the flight corresponding to the flight request information. is determined, and one or more pieces of flight request information that enable the observation target to be observed by flying the determined trunk route section are selected as flight request information that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information. Details of step S4 will be described later. The flight request information considered in step S4 includes flight request information received within a certain period of time from the flight request acquisition unit 21 by the route determination unit 26 in step S1. It also includes flight request information for which is determined.

Next, the flight support device 2 determines a flight route based on the observation request information and the selected flight request information (step S5). Specifically, the flight route determination unit 262 of the route determination unit 26 determines the flight route and the departure time based on the flight request information selected in step S4 and the observation request information, and sends the determined flight route to the flight request. The identification information and the observation identification information are associated with each other and notified to the route output unit 24 . Details of step S5 will be described later.

Next, the flight support device 2 determines a flight route based on the flight request information that was not selected (step S6). Specifically, the flight route determination unit 262 of the route determination unit 26 determines the flight route and departure time based on the flight request information not selected in step S4. There are no particular restrictions on the method of determining the flight route based on the flight request information, and the flight route is determined according to the departure point and destination in the flight request information.

Next, the flight support device 2 determines the aircraft 5 that executes the flight request based on the flight request information and the flight route (step S7). Specifically, the aircraft determination unit 25 uses the flight request information to select the aircraft 5 corresponding to the flight request information, thereby determining the aircraft that executes the flight request. More specifically, the aircraft determination unit 25 holds aircraft operation information indicating specifications such as the on-board weight of each aircraft 5, operation plans, and aircraft operation information, flight request information, flight routes, and departure times. Based on the above, an aircraft 5 suitable for the flight request information and the flight route is selected from among the aircraft 5 that can be operated at the departure time, thereby determining the aircraft 5 that executes the flight request, and selecting the determined aircraft 5 from the flight request information. It notifies the route output unit 24 in association with the flight request identification information. For example, the aircraft determination unit 25 selects, from among the aircraft 5 that can be operated at the departure time, an aircraft 5 that satisfies the load weight requirement included in the flight request information and is capable of flying a distance corresponding to the flight route.

Next, the flight support device 2 transmits the determined flight route to the aircraft 5 (step S8). Specifically, the route output unit 24 associates the aircraft 5 determined by the aircraft determination unit 25 with the flight route determined by the route determination unit 26 using the flight request identification information, Send the corresponding flight path. Further, the route output unit 24 notifies the sensor data processing unit 29 of the identification information, the departure time, and the observation request identification information of the corresponding aircraft 5 for the flight request identification information associated with the observation request identification information.

Next, the flight support device 2 acquires sensor data acquired from the aircraft 5 (step S9). Specifically, the sensor data acquisition unit 28 receives sensor data acquired by a sensor 54 mounted on the aircraft 5 from the aircraft 5, and collects the received sensor data together with the identification information and departure time of the aircraft 5 as sensor data. Output to the processing unit 29 .

Next, the flight support device 2 associates and transmits the acquired sensor data and observation request information (step S10), and ends the process. Specifically, the sensor data processing unit 29 uses the identification information, the departure time, and the observation request identification information of the aircraft 5 notified from the route output unit 24 to obtain the sensor data received from the sensor data acquisition unit 28 as an observation request. The sensor data is associated with the identification information and transmitted together with the observation request identification information to the data user terminal 3 corresponding to the observation request identification information.

If No in step S3, the flight support device 2 determines a flight route based on the flight request information (step S11), and advances the process to step S7. Specifically, in step S11, the flight route determination unit 262 of the route determination unit 26 determines the flight route based on the flight request information, as in step S6.

Note that steps S9 and S10 may be performed in parallel with the processing of steps S1 to S8 and S11. The processes in steps S1 to S8 and S11 are processes for creating a plan and for notifying the aircraft 5 of the plan, and steps S9 and S10 are processes during or after the flight of the aircraft 5. It is conceivable that the next plan creation process may be performed before the sensor data is acquired depending on the time of . Therefore, these two processes may be performed in parallel.

Acquisition of trunk routes and observation data according to the present embodiment will now be described. As described above, the main route is a route with a lot of traffic of the aircraft 5, and when the aircraft 5 is a drone, it is above a river, for example. For example, when the sky above a river is used as a trunk route, frequent flights over the river for the purpose of distribution will provide observation data suitable for monitoring the river.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the range observed by the sensor 54 of this embodiment when a river is specified as an observation target. FIG. 10 shows an example of an observation range when the aircraft 5 is a drone and the river is observed by flying over the river. In the example shown in FIG. 10, a left bank embankment 202 is provided on the left side of river water 201 flowing in the river to be observed, and a right bank embankment 203 is provided on the right side of the river water 201 . In FIG. 10, it is assumed that the back of the paper is the estuary direction, the embankment on the left side of the estuary is the left bank embankment 202, and the embankment on the right side of the estuary is the right bank embankment 203. there is As the aircraft 5 flies over the center of the river, the observation range shown in FIG. 10 is sequentially observed as the aircraft 5 flies, thereby obtaining observation data over the entire river. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when determining the flight route corresponding to the flight request using the flight request information, the flight request information Data for monitoring the river can be obtained by utilizing the aircraft 5 flying based on. For example, a drone for physical distribution can be used to acquire observation data that satisfies a request from a user who requests observation of a river other than a physical distribution user. As a result, operating costs can be reduced and energy consumption can be reduced compared to flying a drone for logistics and a drone for river monitoring separately.

In addition, there is a degree of freedom as to which altitude to fly on the trunk route, and where to fly in the width of the trunk route if the width of the trunk route is wide. Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is possible to specify the flight point on the trunk route.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of each flight path of aircraft 5 of the present embodiment when the observation target is a bridge. In the example shown in FIG. 11, it is assumed that a bridge 204 over a wide river is the object of observation, and the sky above the river is set as the trunk route. Assume that the sensor 54 is a sensor that acquires a two-dimensional image, two-dimensional data, or three-dimensional data. In the example shown in FIG. 11, a flight path 301 passing over the bridge 204 near the center in the width direction of the river, a flight path 302 passing over the bridge 204 to the left of the center in the width direction of the river, A flight path 303 is shown passing over the bridge 204 to the right of the center in the width direction of the river. In FIG. 11 as well, it is assumed that the back of the paper is the estuary direction, and the left as viewed in the estuary direction is "left". If the bridge 204 is large, the sensor 54 may not be able to observe the entire bridge in one flight. In such a case, the entire bridge 204 can be observed in three flights corresponding to flight paths 301 , 302 and 303 . For example, if the observation data acquisition cycle for the bridge 204 is one week, the observation request will be satisfied if each of the flight routes 301, 302, and 303 is flown within one week.

In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 11, flight paths 304 and 305 that pass under the bridge 204 as well as above the bridge 204 are shown. If there is a request to observe the bridge 204 upward from below, the observation request can be satisfied by setting flight paths 304 and 305 that pass under the bridge 204 in this way.

FIG. 11 does not show the altitude, but even if the field of view of the sensor 54 is the same, the observation range changes depending on the altitude at which the aircraft 5 flies. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the field of view of the sensor and altitude. In FIG. 11, flight path 301 has been described as having the same altitude as flight paths 302 and 303, but in the example shown in FIG.

Nearly the entire bridge 204 is included in the field of view 401 of the sensor 54 mounted on the aircraft 5 when flying on the flight path 301 , but when flying on the flight path 302 , the field of view 401 mounted on the aircraft 5 The field of view 402 of sensor 54 includes only the left-of-center portion of bridge 204 . On the other hand, when flying along the flight path 302, the observation can be made closer to the bridge 204 than when flying along the flight path 301, so the resolution is higher. Therefore, as observation modes, a wide-area mode for observing a wide area at a high altitude and a high-resolution mode for observing a wide area at a low altitude are defined. By setting , it is possible to provide data according to the observation request. The observation mode may be set by the observation user request information, or the observation mode is appropriately determined as the data type for each observation target illustrated in FIG. You may make it determine an observation mode. Note that the number of observation modes is not limited to two, and three or more observation modes with different altitudes may be defined. Thus, the information specifying the wide area mode and the high resolution mode is information regarding the altitude of the aircraft 5 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, a flight path 304 is a path for flying under the bridge 204, and observation is performed in an upward direction as indicated by a field of view 404. FIG. In this way, the upward observation mode is also defined as an observation mode. Here, three observation modes can be set: downward wide-area mode, downward high-resolution mode, and upward high-resolution mode. good too.

In the present embodiment, the flight route is set according to the observation request as described above with respect to the trunk route, so observations suitable for various observation requests can be performed. In the above example, a river was taken as an example, but even if the main route is above a railway line, above a closed expressway, or above a power line, the height and width direction positions within the main route are similarly determined. A specified flight path can be set.

Next, the process of selecting flight request information corresponding to observation request information shown in step S4 will be described. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for selecting flight request information corresponding to observation request information according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13 , the flight request information determination unit 261 of the route determination unit 26 uses the requested flight segment, the map information, and the trunk route to determine the trunk route and the trunk route that is the section to fly on the trunk route. section is determined (step S21). The requested flight segment is the segment from the departure point to the destination included in the flight request information. Note that, for example, when surveying and aerial photography are designated as the purpose information, a plurality of destinations may be designated. A trunk route and a trunk route section, which is a section to fly on the trunk route, are determined as follows. Similarly, there are cases where the destination is designated by section. Determine the interval.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a trunk route according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 14, it is assumed that five trunk routes 81 to 85 are included in the range corresponding to the map information. In the example shown in FIG. 14, main routes 81 to 83 indicated by dashed lines are routes above rivers, and main routes 84 and 85 indicated by dashed-dotted lines are routes above railroad tracks. The flight request information determining unit 261 selects, for example, a main route suitable for the requested flight segment from among these five main routes 81-85. For example, it is possible to select the trunk route that has the smallest difference from the route connecting the departure point and the destination with a straight line, or to determine the priority among the trunk routes 81 to 85 in advance and select the destination from the departure point. A trunk route may be set based on a value obtained by weighting and adding a difference from a route connected by a straight line and a priority. Further, the flight request information determination unit 261 calculates the flight distance when flying the route from the departure point to the destination using each of the trunk routes 81 to 85, and selects the trunk route with the shortest flight distance. good. The trunk route selection method is not limited to these.

When the main route is selected, the flight request information determination unit 261 determines a main route section, which is a section to fly within the main route. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a trunk route and a flight route according to this embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 15, two pieces of flight request information, ie, flight request information requesting a flight from a departure point 91 to a destination 92 and flight request information requesting a flight from a departure point 95 to a destination 96 are included. Corresponding trunk routes and trunk route segments are shown.

In the example shown in FIG. 15, for the flight from the departure point 91 to the destination 92, the trunk route 81 is selected, and the trunk route section 93 is determined as the section to fly from the selected trunk route 81. Further, for the flight from the departure point 95 to the destination 96, the trunk route 85 is selected, and the trunk route section 97 is determined as the section to fly in the selected trunk route 85.

Returning to the description of FIG. Next, the flight request information determination unit 261 selects flight request information suitable for the observation request information based on the observation section included in the observation request information and the trunk route section corresponding to the flight request information (step S22 ) and terminate the process. Specifically, the flight request information determining unit 261 selects flight request information corresponding to the trunk route section including at least part of the position of the observation target in the observation section included in the observation request information. The observation section included in the observation request information may be specified by the observation user request information as described above, or may be set by the observation request acquisition section 27 . If the observation request information specifies an observation target point without specifying an observation section, in step S22, the flight request information determination unit 261 determines the observation request information based on the observation target point. Select suitable flight request information.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 15, it is assumed that an observation section start point 99 to an observation section end point 100 on the river corresponding to the trunk route 81 is designated as an observation target. As shown in FIG. 15, of the main route section 93 and the main route section 97, the main route section 93 includes this observation section. In this case, the flight request information determining unit 261 selects the flight request information corresponding to the trunk route section 93 as the flight request information corresponding to the observation request information specifying the observation section. In the example shown in FIG. 15, the main route section 93 includes all of the observation sections specified by the observation request information, but the main route section includes all of the observation sections specified by the observation request information. There may be no trunk route section. For example, if there is observation request information for observing the entire river corresponding to the trunk route 81 , part of the observation object will be observed in the trunk route section 93 . In such a case, the flight request information determination unit 261 selects a plurality of flight request information so as to achieve observation of the entire observation target by combining a plurality of trunk route sections including only part of the observation section. do. That is, although not shown in FIG. 15, for example, the flight request information determining unit 261 obtains flight request information corresponding to the main route section including a portion other than the main route section 93 of the main route 81, for example, the main route It also selects a plurality of pieces of flight request information that define routes upstream and downstream from the main route section 93 of the route 81 as main route sections. Moreover, even when a plurality of data types are specified in the observation request information, the flight request information determination unit 261 may select a plurality of flight request information as the flight request information corresponding to the observation request information.

Moreover, although geographical conditions are shown in the above example, the flight request information determination unit 261 also considers temporal constraints. Specifically, in step S22, using the date and time included in the observation request information, or the observation data acquisition cycle included in the observation request and the managed observation history information, the observation date and time requested in the observation request and the flight Flight request information is selected from flight request information whose difference from the date and time in the request information is within a threshold. In addition, depending on the observation data acquisition cycle, it is sufficient to acquire data of multiple data types at multiple planning timings. At the planning timing of , a process of selecting one piece of flight request information corresponding to the observation request information may be repeated.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of observation history information according to this embodiment. The flight request information determination unit 261 holds observation history information illustrated in FIG. 16 for each observation request information corresponding to regular observation, that is, for each observation request information for which an observation data acquisition cycle is set. As shown in FIG. 16, the observation history information includes observation request identification information, an observation data acquisition cycle, and a previous observation data acquisition date and time indicating the date and time of the previous observation. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 16, since a plurality of data types are specified in the corresponding observation request, the date and time of the previous observation are stored for each data type. In this way, the flight request information determination unit 261 manages the date and time when the previous observation was performed, treats the point in time when the elapsed time from the previous observation reaches the observation data acquisition cycle as the observation request time, and determines the observation request information. Select the corresponding flight request information. As shown in FIG. 16, when a plurality of data types are set, the flight request information determination unit 261 configures the observation request information so that data is acquired at the observation data acquisition cycle for each data type. Select the corresponding flight request information.

Next, the method of determining the flight path in step S5 will be described. As exemplified in FIGS. 11 and 12, there may be a degree of freedom regarding which altitude and position to fly on the main route, and it may be necessary to specify the altitude depending on the required observation mode. Therefore, in step S5, based on the observation target and the required observation mode, a flight route is determined in which positions and altitudes to be flown in the main route section are designated as flight points. In other words, the route determining unit 26 determines the flight route so that the flight route corresponding to the flight request information that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information includes the flight point that satisfies the observation request. If there is no request for position, the position may not be specified, and if there is no request for altitude, the altitude may not be specified.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a flight point according to this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, flight points are determined for each observation target as shown in FIG. , the flight path determination unit 262 refers to the correspondence information according to the observation target to determine the flight point. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 17, when the entire river A is to be observed, the width of the river is narrow in the first section, which is the upstream section. Observing the entire first section, the width of the river becomes wider in the second section downstream from the first section. Observation is carried out on a flight path that includes points. As described above, when the observation mode is specified by the observation user request information, the flight route determination unit 262 determines the flight point according to the observation request information by setting the altitude for each observation mode. decide.

Regarding the flight request information selected by the flight request information determination unit 261, if there are a plurality of flight points corresponding to the observation target, the flight route determination unit 262 selects a plurality of flight points for which observation is not performed within the observation data acquisition period. Any one of the flight points is selected and a flight route designated to fly the selected flight point is determined. Note that, when the observation mode is taken into account in the selection of flight request information by the flight request information determination unit 261 described above, the flight route determination unit 262 designates an altitude according to the observation mode. Through the above processing, it is possible to set a flight route based on the observation request indicated by the observation request information.

Also, in the above example, the flight point is on the main route, but the flight point may be set on a route other than the main route. For example, when observing a specific location in the event of a disaster, the flight support device 2 sets an arbitrary location designated as an observation target as the flight location, and determines the trunk route section based on the flight request information. When determining , the flight route may be determined so as to observe the flight point by selecting a trunk route section close to the flight point and temporarily flying away from the trunk route section. In addition, in the event of a disaster, it may be possible to fly a route other than the trunk route even for flights such as logistics. It may be selected as a route corresponding to the request information. For example, in this case, the flight support device 2 departs from the departure point indicated by the flight request information, passes through the flight point corresponding to the observation target specified by the observation request information, and travels to the destination indicated by the flight request information. Arbitrary routes can be set up to reach the ground.

Next, the hardware configuration of the flight support device 2 of this embodiment will be described. In the flight support device 2 of the present embodiment, the computer system functions as the flight support device 2 by executing a flight support program, which is a program describing processing in the flight support device 2, on the computer system. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer system that implements the flight support device 2 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 18, this computer system comprises a control section 101, an input section 102, a storage section 103, a display section 104, a communication section 105 and an output section 106, which are connected via a system bus 107. there is

In FIG. 18, a control unit 101 is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes a flight support program in which processing in the flight support device 2 of the present embodiment is described. The input unit 102 is composed of, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and is used by the user of the computer system to input various information. The storage unit 103 includes various memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) and storage devices such as a hard disk, and stores programs to be executed by the control unit 101 and necessary data obtained in the course of processing. store data, etc. The storage unit 103 is also used as a temporary storage area for programs. The display unit 104 includes a display, LCD (liquid crystal display panel), etc., and displays various screens to the user of the computer system. A communication unit 105 is a receiver and a transmitter that perform communication processing. The output unit 106 is a speaker or the like. Note that FIG. 18 is an example, and the configuration of the computer system is not limited to the example of FIG.

Here, an operation example of the computer system until the flight support program of the present embodiment becomes executable will be described. The computer system configured as described above stores a flight assistance program from a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM set in a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM drive or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM drive (not shown). installed in the unit 103 . Then, the flight support program read out from the storage unit 103 is stored in the storage unit 103 when the flight support program is executed. In this state, the control unit 101 executes processing as the flight support device 2 of this embodiment according to the program stored in the storage unit 103 .

In the above description, the program describing the processing in the flight support device 2 is provided using a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM as a recording medium. For example, a program provided by a transmission medium such as the Internet via the communication unit 105 may be used depending on the capacity of the computer.

In the aircraft determination unit 25, the route determination unit 26, and the sensor data processing unit 29 shown in FIG. 1, the flight support program stored in the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 18 is executed by the control unit 101 shown in FIG. It is realized by The map information storage unit 22 and the trunk route storage unit 23 shown in FIG. 1 are part of the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. Flight request acquisition unit 21, route output unit 24, observation request acquisition unit 27, sensor data acquisition unit 28, and sensor data output unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 are implemented by communication unit 105 and control unit 101 shown in FIG. be. The flight support device 2 may be realized by a plurality of computer systems. The flight support device 2 may be realized by a cloud system.

For example, the flight support program of the present embodiment acquires flight request information that includes the departure point and destination of the aircraft 5 and indicates a request for the flight of the aircraft 5 in a computer system that determines the flight path of the aircraft 5. a step of obtaining observation request information indicating a request for observation by a sensor mounted on the aircraft; and a flight satisfying the observation request indicated by the observation request information using the flight request information and the observation request information. selecting flight request information to be used, and determining a flight path for the flight corresponding to the selected flight request information.

Further, the control unit 52 in the aircraft 5 of the present embodiment executes a program stored in a storage unit similar to the storage unit 103 shown in FIG. 18 by a control unit similar to the control unit 101 shown in FIG. It is realized by being The route acquisition unit 51 and the sensor data output unit 53 are realized by a communication unit and a control unit similar to the communication unit 105 and the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 18 .

The data user terminals 3 and 6 and the aircraft flight user terminal 4 are, for example, personal computers, tablets, smartphones, etc., as described above, and the hardware configuration of each is the same as the computer system shown in FIG.

As described above, in this embodiment, the flight support device 2 uses the flight user request information received from the aircraft flight user terminal 4 and the observation user request information received from the data utilization user terminal 3 to Set a flight path suitable for the purpose of the flight and according to the observation requirements. Therefore, the flight support device 2 of the present embodiment can set a flight route suitable for other uses than the purpose of the flight of the aircraft.

<Modification>
In the above description, an example in which the aircraft 5 is equipped with all the sensors that acquire the data specified by the data type has been described. A case will be described where there is an aircraft 5 that does not operate. In such a case, the aircraft 5 is selected according to the data type specified by the observation request information.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing an example of a flight support processing procedure in the flight support device 2 according to the modification of the present embodiment. The same step numbers are assigned to the same processes as in FIG. 2, and the description thereof is omitted. As shown in FIG. 19, in the modified example, step S7a is performed instead of step S7. Select the aircraft to perform the flight request based on onboard sensors 54 . In addition, in the modified example, the aircraft operation information held by the aircraft determination unit 25 further includes information indicating the type of the sensor 54 mounted on each aircraft 5, and the aircraft determination unit 25 determines the observation request information. Select an aircraft 5 equipped with a sensor 54 capable of acquiring the type of data included. That is, in the modified example, the observation request information includes the data type for which acquisition is requested, and the aircraft determination unit 25 selects the aircraft corresponding to the flight request information as the flight request information that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information. 5 is selected from aircraft 5 equipped with sensors 54 capable of acquiring data corresponding to the data type using the data type included in the observation request information. As a result, the aircraft determination unit 25 can select an appropriate aircraft 5 even if the sensors 54 mounted on the aircraft 5 are different or the aircraft 5 without the sensors 54 are included.

Embodiment 2.
FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a flight system including a flight support device according to a second embodiment; A flight system 1a of this embodiment includes a flight support device 2a, data utilization user terminals 3 and 6, an aircraft flight user terminal 4, and an aircraft 5. FIG. Data utilization user terminals 3 and 6, aircraft flight user terminal 4, and aircraft 5 are the same as in the first embodiment. Components having functions similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and overlapping descriptions are omitted. Differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

A flight support device 2a of the present embodiment is the same as the flight support device 2 of Embodiment 1 except that a route determination unit 26a and a sensor data processing unit 29a are provided instead of the route determination unit 26 and the sensor data processing unit 29. is.

The sensor data processing unit 29a holds sensor data, extracts change points that have changed using the held sensor data and the acquired sensor data, and detects when the amount of change at the extracted change points is greater than or equal to a threshold. In this case, the change point is set as an important observation point. The sensor data processing unit 29a sets a change extracting unit 292 that extracts locations with changes using sensor data, and sets important observation points using the results extracted by the change extracting unit 292, and sets the set important observation points. and an important observation point determination unit 291 that instructs the route determination unit 26a.

When the important observation points are set, the route determination unit 26a selects flight request information corresponding to flights that can observe the important observation points, and determines a flight route corresponding to the selected flight request information. The route determination unit 26a includes a flight request information determination unit 261a and a flight route determination unit 262a. The flight request information determining unit 261a selects flight request information from which observation data that satisfies the observation request information can be acquired based on the observation request information, the flight request information, and the priority observation points (if set). to select. The operation of the flight request information determination unit 261a when no important observation point is set is the same as that of the flight request information determination unit 261 of the first embodiment. When an important observation point is set, the flight request information determination unit 261a selects the corresponding flight request information so as to increase the frequency of observation of the corresponding observation request information, for example. Specifically, an observation for observing the priority observation point is added in addition to the normal observation observed in the observation data acquisition cycle, and the flight request information is selected for the added observation.

The flight route determination unit 262a determines a flight route based on the important observation points (if set), the observation request information, and the selected flight request information. The operation of the flight route determination unit 262a when no important observation point is set is the same as that of the flight route determination unit 262 of the first embodiment. When the important observation points are set, the flight route determination unit 262a determines the flight route so that the important observation points can be observed. For example, the flight path is set so that the observations added to observe the priority observation points are performed in the high-resolution mode.

FIG. 21 is a flow chart showing an example of a flight support processing procedure in the flight support device 2a of this embodiment. Steps S1 to S3 are the same as in the first embodiment. In step S4a after step S3, the flight support device 2a performs a flight that can acquire observation data that satisfies the observation request information based on the observation request information, the flight request information, and the priority observation point (if set). Select request information. Specifically, as described above, the flight request information determining unit 261a selects the flight request information so as to increase the frequency of observation when the important observation points are set. If no important observation point is set, the same processing as in step S4 is performed.

In step S5a, the flight support device 2a determines a flight route based on the important observation points (if set), the observation request information, and the selected flight request information. Specifically, as described above, the flight request information determining unit 261a determines the flight route so that the important observation points can be observed when the important observation points are set. If no important observation point is set, the same processing as in step S5 is performed.

Steps S6 to S11 are the same as in the first embodiment. After step S10, the flight support device 2a determines whether or not to set an important observation point (step S31). When setting the important observation point (step S31 Yes), the flight support device 2a sets the important observation point and repeats the process from step S4a. If no important observation point is set (step S31 No), the flight support device 2a terminates the process.

FIG. 22 is a flow chart showing an example of a procedure for setting important observation points according to the present embodiment. FIG. 22 shows the processing of step S31 described above. The sensor data processing unit 29a holds the acquired sensor data for a certain period of time. As shown in FIG. 22, the flight support device 2a extracts change points from the acquired sensor data (step S32). Specifically, the change extraction unit 292 of the sensor data processing unit 29a compares the sensor data output from the sensor data acquisition unit 28 with past sensor data, thereby extracting change points that are places that have changed from the past. . There are no restrictions on the method of extracting change points, and any method may be used. Locations that are greater than or equal to the determined value are extracted as change points, and locations where the positional difference between points that are assumed to be the same location are greater than or equal to a predetermined value in the case of three-dimensional data are extracted as change points. Also, when the sensor 54 observes the concentration of gas, a point where the difference in concentration is equal to or greater than a certain value is extracted as a point of change. The past sensor data to be compared with the acquired sensor data may be sensor data acquired last time, may be an average value of sensor data acquired over a certain period of time, or may be, for example, The sensor data may be sensor data having the same weather conditions, seasons, etc. as the sensor data. The sensor data processing unit 29a outputs to the important observation point determination unit 291 together with the extracted point of change and the amount of change, that is, the difference from the past sensor data. Note that a plurality of change points may be extracted.

The flight support device 2a determines whether or not there is a change point that satisfies the conditions of the important observation point (step S33). Specifically, the important observation point determination unit 291 determines whether or not there is a change point that satisfies the conditions of the important observation point. For example, when the amount of change received from the change extracting section 292 is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the important observation point determination section 291 determines that there is a change point that satisfies the conditions of the important observation point.

If there is a change point that satisfies the conditions of the important observation point (step S33 Yes), the flight support device 2a associates the change point with the observation request identification information and sets it as the important observation point ( Step S34), the process ends. In step S34, specifically, the important observation point determination unit 291 determines the change points received from the change extraction unit 292 as important observation points, associates the important observation points with the observation request identification information, and sends them to the route determination unit 26a. instruct.

If there is no change point that satisfies the conditions for the important observation point (step S33 No), the flight support device 2a terminates the process without setting the important observation point. If Yes is determined in step S33, Yes is determined in step S3, and if No is determined in step S33, No is determined in step S3. In the above example, observations at key observation points are added in addition to observations in the normal observation data acquisition cycle. You may make it shorten a period. Operations of the present embodiment other than those described above are the same as those of the first embodiment.

As described above, the flight support device 2a according to the present embodiment uses sensor data to set a place where there is a change as an important observation point, and observes the important observation point in addition to the observation in the normal observation data acquisition cycle. added. For this reason, it is possible to automatically and intensively observe a portion where there is a change.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments are only examples, and can be combined with other known techniques, or can be combined with other embodiments, without departing from the scope of the invention. It is also possible to omit or change part of the configuration.

1, 1a flight system, 2, 2a flight support device, 3, 6 data user terminal, 4 aircraft flight user terminal, 5 aircraft, 21 flight request acquisition unit, 22 map information storage unit, 23 trunk route storage unit, 24 route output unit 25 aircraft determination unit 26, 26a route determination unit 27 observation request acquisition unit 28 sensor data acquisition unit 29, 29a sensor data processing unit 30, 53 sensor data output unit 51 route acquisition unit 52 control Part, 54 sensor, 261, 261a flight request information determination part, 262, 262a flight route determination part, 291 important observation point determination part, 292 change extraction part.

Claims (19)

A flight support device that determines the flight path of an aircraft,
a flight request acquisition unit that acquires flight request information that includes a departure point and a destination of the aircraft and indicates a request related to the flight of the aircraft;
an observation request acquisition unit that acquires observation request information indicating a request for observation by a sensor mounted on the aircraft;
selecting the flight request information corresponding to the flight satisfying the observation request indicated by the observation request information using the flight request information and the observation request information; and selecting the flight route of the flight corresponding to the selected flight request information. a route determination unit that determines
A flight support device comprising: 2. The flight support device according to claim 1, wherein said observation request information includes information indicating an observation target. A trunk route storage unit that stores information indicating a trunk route that is a main route on which the aircraft flies;
with
The route determination unit uses the departure point and the destination to determine a trunk route section that is a section used in the flight among the trunk routes used in the flight corresponding to the flight request information, and determines one or more of the flight request information that allows the observation target to be observed by flying the trunk route section that has been selected as the flight request information that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information. Item 2. The flight support device according to Item 2. The route determination unit determines the flight route so that the flight route corresponding to the flight request information that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information includes a flight point that satisfies the observation request. The flight support device according to claim 2 or 3. 4. The flight support device according to claim 3, wherein the main route includes at least one of over a river and over a railroad track. 6. The flight support device according to claim 5, wherein the main route includes an area above a river. 7. The flight support device according to claim 6, wherein the observation target includes a river. 8. The flight support device according to claim 7, wherein the observation target includes at least one of embankments, bridges and sandbanks. The flight support device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera that acquires images and a laser capable of acquiring three-dimensional data. 10. The flight support device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the observation request information includes an acquisition cycle of sensor data obtained by observation by the sensor. The sensor data is held, a change point is extracted using the held sensor data and the acquired sensor data, and if the amount of change at the extracted change point is equal to or greater than a threshold, the change is detected. a sensor data processing unit that sets a point as an important observation point;
with
When the priority observation points are set, the route determination section selects the flight request information corresponding to a flight capable of observing the priority observation points, and selects the selected flight request information. 11. A flight assistance device according to claim 10, characterized in that it determines a corresponding flight path. an aircraft determination unit that uses the flight request information to select the aircraft corresponding to the flight request information;
a route output unit that transmits the flight route corresponding to the aircraft selected by the aircraft determination unit;
The flight support device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: the observation request information includes a data type for which acquisition is requested;
The aircraft determination unit determines the aircraft corresponding to the flight request information selected as the flight request information that satisfies the observation request indicated by the observation request information using the data type included in the observation request information. 13. The flight support device according to claim 12, wherein the aircraft on which the sensor capable of acquiring data corresponding to the data type is mounted is selected. the observation request information includes information about the altitude of the aircraft;
14. The flight support device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the route determination unit determines the altitude of the flight route using the altitude information included in the observation request information. 15. A flight support device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the aircraft is an unmanned aerial vehicle. 16. The flight support device according to claim 15, wherein the flight request information is information indicating a flight request for physical distribution. aircraft and
a flight support device that determines the flight path of the aircraft;
a first user terminal that transmits flight user request information indicating a request for flight of the aircraft to the flight support device;
a second user terminal that transmits observation user request information indicating a request for observation by a sensor mounted on the aircraft to the flight support device;
with
The flight support device is
a flight request acquisition unit that uses the flight user request information to generate flight request information that includes a departure point and a destination of the aircraft and indicates a request related to the flight of the aircraft;
an observation request acquisition unit that uses the observation user request information to generate observation request information indicating a request for observation by the sensor;
selecting the flight request information corresponding to the flight satisfying the observation request indicated by the observation request information using the flight request information and the observation request information; and selecting the flight route of the flight corresponding to the selected flight request information. a route determination unit that determines
A flight system comprising: A flight support method in a flight support device that determines the flight path of an aircraft,
obtaining flight request information indicating a request for flight of the aircraft, including the origin and destination of the aircraft;
obtaining observation request information indicating a request for observation by a sensor mounted on the aircraft;
selecting the flight request information corresponding to the flight satisfying the observation request indicated by the observation request information using the flight request information and the observation request information; and selecting the flight route of the flight corresponding to the selected flight request information. a step of determining
A flight support method comprising: A computer system that determines the flight path of an aircraft,
obtaining flight request information indicating a request for flight of the aircraft, including the origin and destination of the aircraft;
obtaining observation request information indicating a request for observation by a sensor mounted on the aircraft;
selecting the flight request information corresponding to the flight satisfying the observation request indicated by the observation request information using the flight request information and the observation request information; and selecting the flight route of the flight corresponding to the selected flight request information. a step of determining
A flight support program characterized by executing

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