JP2023099635A - Flight route processing device, flight route processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable a flight route conforming to flight rules to be generated when a flight vehicle flies.SOLUTION: A route correction unit 150 acquires route information, together with information that indicates the purpose of flight, from a route generation unit 120. The route correction unit 150 corrects the flight route indicated by the route information when the purpose of flight of a flight vehicle 20 is to fly above a predetermined area. More specifically, the route correction unit 150 acquires information that indicates at least one of the building, facility, district and landform located within the area from, for example, an information storage unit 110. Then, the route correction unit 150 corrects the route information using flight rule information that indicates flight rules based on these building, facility, district and landform. The flight rule information is stored in the information storage unit 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

The present invention relates to a flight route processing device, a flight route processing method, and a program.

In recent years, various technical developments have been made to automatically fly flying objects such as so-called drones. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes setting a flight route of an aircraft using map information.

JP 2017-117018 A

The aircraft described above may fly in a predetermined area. On the other hand, there are cases where flight rules to be observed by the flying object are set in the predetermined area.

One example of the problem to be solved by the present invention is to enable an aircraft to generate a flight route in accordance with flight rules.

The invention according to claim 1 obtains route information indicating a flight route for an aircraft to fly over a predetermined area, and controls at least one of buildings, facilities, and terrain located within the area. and flight rule information indicating flight rules based on the buildings, facilities, and terrain to correct the route information.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, a computer acquires route information indicating a flight route for flying over a predetermined area, and controls at least one of buildings, facilities, and terrain located within the area. and flight rule information indicating flight rules based on the buildings, facilities, and terrain to correct the route information.

The invention according to claim 7 is a program for causing a computer to function as the flight route processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aircraft control system according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional structure of an information processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the functional structure of an aircraft. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of an information processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of the hardware constitutions of an aircraft. It is a figure which shows the 1st example of the process which an information processing apparatus performs. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining a first example of processing performed by a route generation unit in step S30 of FIG. 6; FIG. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining a second example of processing performed by the route generation unit in step S30 of FIG. 6; FIG. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining a third example of processing performed by the route generation unit in step S30 of FIG. 6; FIG. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example of the process which an information processing apparatus performs. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining processing performed by a node setting unit; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing processing performed by a route obtaining unit, an imaging unit, and a control unit when an aircraft flies to a destination; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing details of step S240 (landing process) in FIG. 12; It is a figure for demonstrating a landing position. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an emergency landing function that the flying object has; FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a detailed example of step S330 (emergency landing processing) in FIG. 15; It is a figure which shows the functional structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A) and (B) are diagrams showing a first example of flight route correction by a route correction unit. (A) and (B) are diagrams showing a second example of flight route correction by the route correction unit.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in all the drawings, the same constituent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aircraft control system according to the first embodiment. This aircraft control system includes an information processing device 10 and an aircraft 20 . The information processing device 10 and the aircraft 20 communicate with each other via a communication line. At least part of this communication line may be a public communication network. At least part of this communication line is preferably wireless communication. The flying object 20 may be one or plural.

The information processing device 10 performs various processes for setting the flight route of the aircraft 20 . In other words, the information processing device 10 functions as a route setting device and a flight route processing device. The information processing device 10 also updates information necessary for setting this flight route. The flying object 20 is, for example, a flying object called a drone, and autonomously flies according to a flight route set by the information processing device 10 . The information processing device 10 and the aircraft 20 will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the information processing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. The information processing device 10 includes an information storage unit 110 , a route generation unit 120 and an input/output unit 130 .

The information storage unit 110 stores information necessary for generating the flight route of the aircraft 20 . This information includes flight route information set by the user (for example, route information composed of nodes and links (hereinafter referred to as node/link information)) and map information for generating an appropriate flight route. is The information may also include map information and information indicating nodes and links for setting a flight route (hereinafter referred to as node/link information). The node/link information may be stored as part of the map information.

A part of the map information is, for example, the names indicating various structures and topography associated with information indicating their positions (for example, latitude/longitude information, address information, etc.). Structures are various man-made structures such as buildings, bridges, roads, and railroad tracks. Another part of the map information associates facility names and place names with information indicating their positions (for example, latitude/longitude information, address information, etc.). Another part of the map information stores information indicating the state of land in association with information indicating the position of the land (for example, latitude/longitude information, address information, etc.). Land conditions are, for example, urban areas, rice fields, fields, forests, and the like.

Further, another part of the map information is information indicating the position and range of the no-fly zone (for example, latitude/longitude information, address information, etc.). Information about this no-fly zone may be stored for each flight condition. The flight conditions include at least one of time (for example, flight start time and flight end time), attributes of the aircraft 20, and flight purpose. The time may be further associated with the day of the week or month and day (or month). The attributes of the aircraft 20 are, for example, at least one of the model, serial number, and total weight of the aircraft 20 . The total weight may be the weight of the aircraft 20 itself, the sum of the weight of the aircraft 20 and the weight of the cargo to be carried by the aircraft 20, or both. . Flight purposes include, for example, patrol (at least one of security and inspection), surveying, surveillance, photographing, sightseeing, and transportation of luggage. In the case of patrolling, the flight route of the aircraft 20 is set so as to cover the area to be patrolled. Flight conditions may also include weather conditions during flight. Weather conditions include at least one of temperature, precipitation, pressure, wind direction, wind speed, and hours of sunshine per hour.

Further, the information storage unit 110 may store, as part of the map information, an image captured from above (for example, a satellite image or an aerial image) in association with position information indicating the position of the image. The information storage unit 110 may also store event information dynamically input from the outside (firework display area, holding date and time information, etc.).

The node/link information includes information indicating the position of a node (for example, latitude/longitude information, address information, etc.; hereinafter also referred to as a node) and information indicating a link (hereinafter also referred to as a link). there is A link includes, for example, information specifying nodes at both ends of the link. Note that the node/link information may be stored in association with the flight conditions of the aircraft 20 . In this case, the node/link information may be stored in a database provided for each flight condition of the aircraft 20 . Also, each of the nodes and links may be given flight conditions under which the node or link should be used.

Also, the link may include information indicating the flight direction (direction from which node to which node). In this case, the flight route is set so as to follow the direction indicated by the link in the route information generation process, which will be described later.

Also, the aircraft 20 may frequently fly between two points. In this case, the information storage unit 110 may store in advance a flight route connecting these two points. In this case, the flight route from point A to point B and the flight route from point B to point A may not overlap two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the two flying objects 20 from colliding when they fly between two points at the same time.

The route generation unit 120 generates information indicating the flight route of the aircraft 20 (hereinafter referred to as route information). The route information includes at least nodes, but may also include links. The route generation unit 120 generates, for example, information indicating the current position or departure position (hereinafter referred to as the current position) of the aircraft 20 (hereinafter referred to as current position information) and information indicating the destination of the aircraft 20 (hereinafter referred to as the destination). ground information) is acquired, and route information is generated using this information and the information stored in the information storage unit 110 . Furthermore, the route generation unit 120 may acquire information indicating the flight purpose of the aircraft 20 . In this case, the route generation unit 120 generates route information using the node/link information corresponding to this flight purpose.

The input/output unit 130 communicates with the aircraft 20 . The input/output unit 130 transmits, for example, route information generated by the route generation unit 120 to the aircraft 20 .

The information processing device 10 further has a node setting unit 140 . The node setting unit 140 updates the node/link information stored in the information storage unit 110 . Specifically, the node setting unit 140 acquires information indicating the actual flight route of the aircraft 20 (hereinafter referred to as flight performance information), and updates the node/link information using this flight performance information. This update is, for example, node addition and link addition, but may include at least one of node deletion and link deletion. For example, the node setting unit 140 may delete nodes and/or links according to instructions input by ten operators.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the flying object 20. As shown in FIG. The aircraft 20 includes a drive section 210 , a route acquisition section 220 , a route storage section 230 , an imaging section 240 , an analysis section 250 and a control section 260 .

The drive unit 210 has a drive system for causing the aircraft 20 to fly, and various sensors. The drive system includes, for example, a propeller, a motor that rotates the propeller, and a battery that powers the motor. The various sensors described above include a sensor for calculating the current position of the flying object 20 (for example, a GPS sensor), a sensor for measuring the state of the motor, and a sensor for measuring the state of the battery (including the remaining amount). there is

The route acquisition unit 220 acquires route information from the information processing device 10 and stores it in the route storage unit 230 .

The image pickup unit 240 (image acquisition unit) picks up an image around the flying object 20, for example, below. The imaging unit 240 may always operate while the flying object 20 is in flight, or may operate only when the flying object 20 satisfies a predetermined condition. An example of the predetermined condition is that the aircraft 20 is positioned within a predetermined distance from the destination. When the flight purpose of the flying object 20 is to patrol, the imaging unit 240 constantly takes images while the flying object 20 is flying over the area to be patrolled. Also, the frame rate of the image generated by the imaging unit 240 is, for example, 0.5 frames/second or more and 60 frames/second or less, but is not limited to this range.

The analysis unit 250 processes the image generated by the imaging unit 240 . The details of the processing performed by the analysis unit 250 will be described later. Note that the analysis unit 250 may be provided outside the aircraft 20 (for example, the information processing device 10). In this case, the input/output unit 130 (image acquisition unit) of the information processing device 10 acquires the image generated by the analysis unit 250 via wireless communication.

The control unit 260 includes a sensor (for example, GPS) for detecting the current position of the flying object 20. Using the detection result of this sensor, the driving unit 210 controls the flying object 20 so that the flying object 20 flies according to the route information. to control. Further, the control unit 260 uses the analysis result of the image by the analysis unit 250 when controlling the driving unit 210 . Also, the control unit 260 may have a clock function.

The aircraft 20 further includes an information storage section 270 and an information generation section 280 . The information storage section 270 stores the same information as the information storage section 110 of the information processing apparatus 10 . The information storage unit 270 also stores a plurality of pieces of information (hereinafter referred to as candidate landing point information) indicating the points where the flying object 20 may land. The map information data structure is configured to contain this information. This landing candidate point information indicates a point at which the flying object 20 should land in an emergency. The information generation unit 280 uses the information stored in the information storage unit 270 to indicate a point at which the aircraft 20 should land, which is closer than the destination of the aircraft 20, from a plurality of candidate landing point information. Information (hereinafter referred to as landing point information) is generated.

Note that the landing candidate point information described above may also be stored in the information storage unit 110 of the information processing device 10 . In this case, after generating the route information, the route generation unit 120 of the information processing device 10 may select landing candidate point information to be applied when flying according to the route information and include it in the route information. For example, the route generation unit 120 selects landing candidate point information located within a reference distance from the flight route indicated by the route information. In this case, the information processing device 10 may include an output unit that reads and outputs the landing candidate point information described above.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10. As shown in FIG. A main configuration of the information processing device 10 is realized using an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has a bus 402 , processor 404 , memory 406 , storage device 408 , input/output interface 410 and network interface 412 . The bus 402 is a data transmission path through which the processor 404, memory 406, storage device 408, input/output interface 410, and network interface 412 exchange data with each other. However, the method of connecting the processors 404 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection. The processor 404 is an arithmetic processing device implemented using a microprocessor or the like. The memory 406 is a memory implemented using a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like. The storage device 408 is a storage device implemented using a ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, or the like.

The input/output interface 410 is an interface for connecting the information processing apparatus 10 with peripheral devices.

The network interface 412 is an interface for connecting the information processing device 10 to a communication network. A method for connecting the network interface 412 to the communication network may be a wireless connection or a wired connection.

The storage device 408 stores program modules for realizing each functional element of the information processing apparatus 10 . The processor 404 implements each function of the information processing apparatus 10 by reading this program module into the memory 406 and executing it. The storage device 408 also functions as the information storage unit 110 .

Note that the hardware configuration of the integrated circuit described above is not limited to the configuration shown in this figure. For example, program modules may be stored in memory 406 . In this case, the integrated circuit may not include storage device 408 .

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the flying object 20. As shown in FIG. A portion of the aircraft 20 other than the driving unit 210 and the imaging unit 240 is implemented by an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has a bus 502 , processor 504 , memory 506 , storage device 508 , input/output interface 510 and network interface 512 . These are similar to bus 402, processor 404, memory 406, storage device 408, input/output interface 410, and network interface 412 shown in FIG. However, the input/output interface 510 is connected to the driving section 210 and the imaging section 240 . The storage device 508 also functions as the root storage unit 230 and the information storage unit 270. FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a first example of processing performed by the information processing apparatus 10 . In the example shown in this figure, the information processing device 10 generates route information indicating the flight route of the aircraft 20 .

First, the route generation unit 120 of the information processing device 10 acquires information necessary for generating a flight route (hereinafter referred to as setting information) (step S10). The setting information acquires at least current position information and destination information of the aircraft 20 . The setting information preferably further includes information indicating flight conditions of the aircraft 20 . Examples of flight conditions are given above.

Next, the route generation unit 120 uses the information stored in the information storage unit 110 to generate route information indicating the flight route from the current position of the aircraft 20 to the destination (step S20). One example of a flight route generation method is a method using node/link information. The method by which the route generator 120 sets the flight route using the node/link information is similar to the method by which the car navigation system sets the travel route using the node/link information, for example.

The route generator 120 may change the flight route depending on the weather conditions during flight. The weather conditions include at least one of wind direction, temperature, and sunlight irradiation conditions. The route generator 120 acquires weather conditions from an external server. For example, there is a possibility that the flight object 20 cannot move forward if the wind is headwind on a flight route that connects the current position and the destination in a straight line, and the strength of the wind is expected to exceed the reference value. , the route generator 120 changes the flight route to a detour route. For example, the route generation unit 120 sets a detour route so as not to include a direction that travels in the exact opposite direction of the wind direction. Further, when at least one of the temperature and sunlight irradiation information is lower than the reference value, the battery performance is lowered, so the route generation unit 120 makes the flight route as straight as possible.

Also, the route generation unit 120 preferably selects nodes so that the angle formed by two adjacent links is equal to or greater than a reference value (for example, 90° or greater).

Here, the node/link information is stored for each flight condition of the aircraft 20 (or linked to the flight condition to which the node/link should be applied), and the route generation unit 120 acquires the flight conditions in step S10. If so, the route generator 120 uses the node/link information corresponding to the flight conditions acquired in step S10.

Next, the route generation unit 120 corrects the flight route that the aircraft 20 should fly by correcting the route information (step S30). The details of this processing will be described later.

After that, the input/output unit 130 of the information processing device 10 transmits the route information to the aircraft 20 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a first example of processing performed by the route generation unit 120 in step S30 of FIG. As described above, the route generation unit 120 generates route information by acquiring a plurality of nodes and connecting adjacent nodes to generate links. However, in this state, as shown in FIG. 7A, the portion of the link that connects to the node is a straight line, and as a result, when the aircraft 20 flies along the flight route indicated by the route information, 20 needs to bend sharply near the node. On the other hand, when the flying object 20 makes a sharp turn, it becomes necessary to slow down and stop on the spot. In this case, the flying object 20 wastes energy, and as a result, the possible flight distance is shortened.

Therefore, the route generation unit 120 suppresses energy consumption by reducing the speed of movement or avoiding stopping when turning. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7B, the joints of adjacent links in the flight route are curved. For example, suppose a flight route includes a first node (eg, node n ₂ ) and a first link (eg, link L ₁ ) and a second link (eg, link L ₂ ) leading to this node. The route generation unit 120 curves the intermediate portion of the flight route from the portion corresponding to the first link to the portion corresponding to the second link. Again, the scattered curve is formed using at least one of a circular arc, an elliptical arc, a parabola, and a hyperbola, but is not so limited.

Here, as shown in FIG. 7B, the route generation unit 120 may remove the above-described first node (for example, node n ₂ ) from the corrected flight route, or the corrected flight route may be It may pass through this first node. Further, the route generation unit 120 may curve both the end of the first link and the end of the second link, or may curve only one end. Further, the route generation unit 120 may set the length and radius of curvature of the curved portion of the end of the link using the flight speed and the weight of the flying object 20 . For example, if the flight object 20 is heavy or the flight speed is high, the curved portion of the end of the link is lengthened.

Further, when the angle formed by the first link and the second link (the smaller angle θ shown in FIG. 7A) is equal to or less than a reference value (for example, 135° or less), the route generation unit 120 The indicated processing may be performed. Further, the route generation unit 120 may determine whether or not to perform the processing shown in FIG. 7 according to the flight conditions instead of or in addition to the angle conditions described above. For example, the route generation unit 120 performs the processing shown in FIG. 7 when the flight purpose is other than a specific purpose (for example, surveillance or photography).

Note that the flight route includes curved portions (for example, R ₁ and R ₂ in FIG. 7B) due to the above-described processing. The flying object 20 flies along this curved portion, for example, as follows. First, the control unit 260 of the flying object 20 sets the traveling direction and turning angle of the flying object 20 so as to follow the curve. Next, the control unit 260 calculates the current speed of the flying object 20 during the time from when the control unit 260 starts turning control to when the flying object 20 actually starts turning (this time is stored in advance, for example). Calculate the value multiplied by . Next, the control unit 260 sets a position at which turning control should be started at a position that is the above-mentioned value from the start point of the curved portion.

Then, when the flying object 20 reaches the position where the turning control should be started, the control unit 260 starts turning control. For example, the control unit 260 moves (turns) along the curved portion of the flight route by gradually inserting the rudder and adding the ailerons and elevators as appropriate.

It is preferable that the route generation unit 120 sets the minimum value of the radius of curvature of the intermediate portion to a reference value or more in the above-described processing. In this case, information for specifying the reference value is stored in the information storage unit 110, for example. The reference value may be determined according to the attributes of the flying object 20, or may be determined according to the flight conditions described above, for example, according to the attributes or purposes of the flying object 20. FIG.

For example, as the flying object 20 becomes larger, or as the flying object 20 (including baggage, if any) becomes heavier, the above reference value increases. Further, as the flight speed of the flying object 20 increases, the above reference value increases. For example, when the purpose of the flight of the flying object 20 is to transport cargo, the flight speed is slower than when the purpose of the flight is patrol. Therefore, the above reference value when the flight purpose of the flying object 20 is to transport packages is smaller than that when the flying object 20 is on patrol.

The route generation unit 120 preferably performs the above-described processing for all nodes except for the node corresponding to the current location and the node corresponding to the destination. However, the route generation unit 120 does not have to perform this process for some nodes.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a second example of the process performed by the route generation unit 120 in step S30 of FIG. In this example, the information storage unit 110 stores information (hereinafter referred to as avoidance area information) for specifying points, buildings, or areas (hereinafter referred to as avoidance areas) where the aircraft 20 should avoid flying. are doing. The information storage unit 110 may store the avoidance area information for each flight condition described above, or may store the avoidance area information in association with the flight condition to which the avoidance area information should be applied. Furthermore, the information storage unit 110 may store the avoidance area information for each of at least one of time, day of the week, and season. may be stored in association with . The avoidance area information may also include information indicating a height at which the aircraft should avoid flying.

The route generator 120 corrects the route information using this avoidance area information. For example, as shown in FIG. 8(A), if a portion of the flight route overlaps with a point or area α where flight should be avoided, as shown in FIG. Modify the route information to avoid Here, the route generation unit 120 preferably corrects the route information so that the flight route is separated from the area α by a reference distance (for example, a predetermined value of 10 m or less).

Correction of the route information may be to change at least one of the two nodes located before and after the avoidance area information, or as shown in FIG. It may be to change the shape of the link to In the latter case, the route generation unit 120 preferably sets the minimum value of the radius of curvature of the corrected portion of the flight route to the above reference value or more.

Points or areas where the flying object 20 should avoid flying include, for example, predetermined private land, areas with heavy traffic, roads with heavy vehicle traffic, roads narrower than standards, predetermined facilities (cultural assets, railway facilities, petrol stations), and at least one of areas where wind is assumed to be strong. Furthermore, the points or areas indicated by the avoidance area information include railways, airports, ports, areas where events are held (for example, event venues), specific facilities such as power plants, predetermined roads (for example, expressways and arterial roads), and It may be at least one specific area (for example, a densely populated area). The predetermined roads described above may be periodically modified based on traffic congestion information. Specifically, at least one of a portion of the road that is congested and a portion that is expected to be congested is set as at least part of the predetermined road. Here, the congestion information may be repeatedly obtained from an external server.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a third example of the process performed by the route generation unit 120 in step S30 of FIG. The information storage unit 110 stores data indicating the planar shape of a building (house shape data) in association with information indicating the position of the building (for example, latitude/longitude information, address information, etc.). Furthermore, the information storage unit 110 may store data indicating the height of the building or data indicating the three-dimensional shape of the building in association with information indicating the position of the building. The avoidance area information may also include information indicating a height at which the aircraft should avoid flying. In these cases, the route generator 120 may modify the flight route in the height direction so that the aircraft 20 does not collide with buildings (or avoids heights that should be avoided). For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, depending on the height of building β, flying object 20 may collide with building β. In this case, the route generator 120 modifies the route information. For example, the route generator 120 changes the height of the flight route so that the flying object 20 does not collide with the building β, as shown in FIG. 9B.

At this time, the route generation unit 120 preferably corrects the route information so that the climb angle θ of the aircraft 20 is equal to or less than the reference value. Specifically, the route generator 120 modifies the climb angle θ by changing the climb start point of the aircraft 20 .

Note that the route generation unit 120 may correct the route information so as to avoid the building β on the horizontal plane when the height of the building β is equal to or higher than the reference value. The processing at this time is as described with reference to FIG.

In addition, when crossing a road (or a pre-designated road) expected to have a large amount of traffic, the route generation unit 120 sets a route so that the crossing distance is short, for example, crossing the road at right angles. You may

Further, the route generation unit 120 may perform the above-described processing not only on buildings but also on terrain (for example, mountains and hills).

FIG. 10 shows a second example of processing performed by the information processing apparatus 10 . This processing is processing for updating the node/link information stored in the information storage unit 110 . This processing is performed by the node setting unit 140 . 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining the processing performed by the node setting unit 140. FIG.

First, the node setting unit 140 acquires information specifying the route actually flown by one of the aircraft 20 (hereinafter referred to as flight record information) (step S110). It is preferable that the node setting unit 140 acquires the flight record information in association with the flight conditions described above. The node setting unit 140 may acquire the flight performance information by input from the user, or may acquire it from the aircraft 20 via the input/output unit 130 . In the latter case, for example, the aircraft 20 transmits flight performance information to 10 after completing the flight.

Then, as shown in FIG. 11A, the node setting unit 140 overlaps routes (for example, routes R ₁ , R ₂ , and R ₃ ) indicated by each of the plurality of flight record information. Then, the intersections of multiple routes are recognized as nodes. Then, among the recognized nodes, a point that is not stored as a node in the information storage unit 110 (for example, a point denoted by symbol N in FIG. 11B) is recognized as a new node (step S120), and the information storage unit 110 (step S140).

Furthermore, the node setting unit 140 recognizes a line connecting two adjacent nodes as a link. Among the recognized links, a line that is not stored as a link in the information storage unit 110 is recognized as a new link (step S130) and stored in the information storage unit 110 (step S140). In other words, the node setting unit 140 causes the information storage unit 110 to store, as a link, a line connecting a first node and a second node, which is a node adjacent to the first node on any route. A line registered as a link is, for example, a straight line connecting two nodes, but may be a curved line. Also, this line may be a part of the route itself that the aircraft 20 actually flew. Also, the link may further include the actual flight direction.

Note that the node setting unit 140 preferably acquires the flight record information in association with the flight conditions of the aircraft 20 . In this case, node setting unit 140 generates nodes and links for each flight condition, and stores them in information storage unit 110 . If the recognized node (or link) is already stored in the information storage unit 110 but is not associated with the current flight conditions, the node setting unit 140 newly sets the flight condition to that node (or link). ).

FIG. 12 shows the processing performed by the route acquisition unit 220, imaging unit 240, and control unit 260 when the flying object 20 flies to the destination. First, the route acquisition unit 220 acquires flight-scheduled route information from the information processing device 10, and stores it in the route storage unit 230 (step S210). Next, the control unit 260 controls the driving unit 210 so that the aircraft 20 flies according to the route information stored in the route storage unit 230 (step S220). At this time, the control unit 260 reads and uses information stored in the information storage unit 270 as necessary.

When the flying object 20 reaches the destination (step S230: Yes), the control unit 260 executes landing processing (step S240).

FIG. 13 shows details of step S240 (landing process) in FIG. In the processing shown in this figure, the image capturing unit 240 captures an image of the aircraft 20 below. This image contains a destination. The imaging unit 240 analyzes the image generated by the imaging unit 240 to generate landing position information indicating a candidate landing position of the flying object 20 , and outputs this landing position information to the flying object 20 . The flying object 20 controls the drive unit 210 so as to land at the position indicated by this landing position information. Below, step S240 in FIG. 12 will be described in detail.

In the example shown in this figure, the landing position information is predetermined. For example, if the purpose of the flight of the aircraft 20 is to transport a package, the landing position information is predetermined by at least one of the recipient of the package and the requester of the transport, and the information storage unit 110 of the information processing device 10 or the information storage of the aircraft 20 stored in unit 270 . In the former case, the route information generated by the route generator 120 includes landing position information. The landing position information indicates the relative position of the landing position 302 with respect to the planar shape of the building 310, as shown in FIG. 14, for example. When setting the landing position information, an image or map of the destination stored in the information storage unit 110 may be displayed on the display.

First, when the flying object 20 arrives above the destination, the imaging unit 240 takes an image of the area below the flying object 20 (step S242). This imaging timing is, for example, when the flying object 20 arrives at the destination, or after that. However, if the image includes the destination, the imaging unit 240 may image the area below the flying object 20 immediately before the flying object 20 arrives at the destination. Furthermore, the imaging unit 240 may continuously image the area below the flying object 20 while the flying object 20 is in flight.

The analysis unit 250 acquires the image captured by the imaging unit 240 . The imaging unit 240 identifies the shape and position of the building by analyzing the acquired image (step S244). This identification is performed, for example, by matching processing of feature amounts. The shape of the building is, for example, at least one of the planar shape of the building and the planar shape of the structure on the exterior. The structures on the exterior include, for example, an approach to the entrance, a sidewalk leading to the entrance, a gate, a parking lot, a garden, a storeroom, and a fence.

For example, the analysis unit 250 determines the position and range of the sidewalk leading to the entrance and the parking lot based on the presence or absence of pavement and the shape of the paved area. The analysis unit 250 may determine the position and range of the parking lot by using the area of the site connected to the road in addition to the shape of the paved area described above. Also, the analysis unit 250 may determine that the end of the sidewalk on the side of the house is the entrance. Furthermore, the analysis unit 250 may determine the range of the garden from the state of planting.

The analysis unit 250 then determines whether the shape and position of the building specified using the image match the map information stored in the information storage unit 270 (step S246). For example, when house shape data is included in the map information, the analysis unit 250 determines whether or not the degree of matching between the house shape data and the shape of the building is equal to or higher than a standard. If they match (step S<b>246 : Yes), the analysis unit 250 outputs information to that effect to the control unit 260 . The control unit 260 lands the aircraft 20 at the position indicated by the preset landing position information (step S250).

On the other hand, if they do not match (step S246: No), the analysis unit 250 generates a new landing position response report using the image analysis result, outputs it to the control unit 260, and updates the landing position information (step S248). The control unit 260 lands the aircraft 20 at the position indicated by the updated landing position information (step S250).

For example, the analysis unit 250 estimates the boundary line 300 of the site of the destination using the positions of walls and fences. The analysis unit 250 then generates landing position information using this boundary line. Specifically, the analysis unit 250 selects a landing candidate position from the area inside the boundary line.

In this embodiment, when selecting a landing position, a structure on the exterior structure that should be the position where the aircraft 20 should land is set in advance. This setting may be set by, for example, the person who requested the flight of the flying object 20 (the person requesting the transportation when the flying object 20 transports a package), or may be set in advance by default. The information storage unit 270 stores information specifying this structure. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the information storage unit 270 stores at least one of the entrance 312 of the building 310, the garden 320, and the parking lot 330 as the position where the aircraft 20 should land. The analysis unit 250 then identifies the position of this structure by analyzing the image, and sets the identified position as a new landing candidate position. It should be noted that when the analysis unit 250 selects the parking lot 330 as the landing position 302, it preferably requires that the car is not parked.

The information storage unit 270 may store a plurality of structures as positions at which the aircraft 20 should land. In this case, the information storage unit 270 stores information specifying each structure in association with the information indicating the order of priority, and also stores conditions to be satisfied by the candidate landing positions. Then, the analysis unit 250 specifies the positions of the structures in descending order of priority, and determines whether or not the above conditions are satisfied. set to a suitable landing candidate position. As a priority, for example, the space to the right of the entrance in the entrance hallway is the highest, and the next highest (if, for example, you cannot secure a suitable landing point there) is the space in the entrance hallway toward the entrance. the space on the left, the next highest is the garden, and the next highest is the parking lot. However, as for the parking lot, it is preferable not to land when the car is parked.

The condition to be satisfied here is, for example, whether or not there is a predetermined size, and may be set for each attribute of the aircraft 20 (for example, model, size, or width).

As described above, the information storage unit 270 stores information specifying each structure in association with the information indicating the order of priority. may be changed by

Furthermore, at least one of the processing shown in step S244 and the processing shown in step S248 may be changed depending on the destination address of the aircraft 20. FIG. For example, if the destination of the flying object 20 is in the suburbs (that is, if the boundary of the site can be identified from the image and the area per site is equal to or greater than the reference value), the above processing is performed for the entire site. . On the other hand, if the distance between adjacent buildings is wide and the destination is in an area where it is expected that the boundaries of the sites of each building cannot be identified from the image, a predetermined distance (for example, within 20 m, preferably within 10 m) from the outline of the house ), the above-described processing is performed on the area.

Also, in an area where it is expected that there is a large gap between adjacent buildings and the boundaries of the premises of each building cannot be identified from the image, the algorithm for identifying gardens and sidewalks may be different from the above examples. Furthermore, in such an area, the analysis unit 250 may select an obstacle-free area from areas within a predetermined distance from the house, and use this selected area as a candidate landing position.

Also, the control unit 260 of the flying object 20 may omit the processes shown in steps S244 and S246. In this case, the control unit 260 performs the processing shown in step S248 and generates the landing position information when landing at the destination.

In addition to the processing shown in steps S244 and S246, or in addition to the processing shown in steps S244 and S246, the analysis unit 250 performs the landing around the position indicated by the preset landing position information. It may be determined whether or not there is an obstacle (hereinafter referred to as an obstacle). In this case, if there is no obstacle, the process proceeds to step S250, and if there is an obstacle, the process proceeds to step S248.

Furthermore, instead of the processing shown in steps S244 and S246, or in addition to the processing shown in steps S244 and S246, the analysis unit 250 uses the flatness of the position indicated by the preset landing position information as a reference. It may be determined whether or not the In this case, if the flatness meets the criteria, the process proceeds to step S250, and if the flatness does not meet the criteria, the process proceeds to step S248. This process may be performed in addition to the above-described process regarding the presence or absence of an obstacle. In this case, the processing shown in steps S244 and S246 may also be performed.

Further, if the analysis unit 250 cannot set the landing point even after performing the above processing, the control unit 260 may cause the flying object 20 to return to the departure point. Furthermore, if the purpose of the flight of the aircraft 20 is to deliver packages, after taking off with the packages placed, the imaging unit 240 captures an image of the packages placed at the destination from above the destination, and uses the image as evidence of delivery. may be stored as

At least part of the processing shown in FIG. 13 (for example, the processing shown in steps S244 and S246) or all may be performed by the information processing apparatus 10. FIG. In this case, necessary information is transmitted and received between the information processing device 10 and the aircraft 20 . When the processing shown in FIG. 13 is performed by the information processing apparatus 10, the image of the destination stored in the information storage unit 110 may be used instead of the house shape data in step S246. In this case, the house shape data is generated from the image of the destination stored in the information storage unit 110 .

FIG. 15 is a flow chart for explaining the emergency landing function of the flying object 20. FIG. When the flying object 20 determines that the flying object 20 cannot fly to the destination, it makes an emergency landing near the current position of the flying object 20.例文帳に追加

First, the control unit 260 of the flying object 20 repeatedly acquires the detection values of the sensors included in the driving unit 210 as state information indicating the state of the flying object 20 (step S310). The state information includes, for example, a value for specifying the remaining battery level of the aircraft 20 and a value for specifying the state of the motor. Every time the control unit 260 acquires the state information, it determines whether the state information satisfies the criteria, that is, whether the aircraft 20 can fly (step S320).

For example, the control unit 260 calculates the current position of the flying object 20 using the detection values of the GPS sensor of the driving unit 210 . The control unit 260 then uses the current position to calculate the remainder of the planned flight distance of the aircraft 20 . Furthermore, the control unit 260 uses the remainder of the scheduled flight distance to calculate the remaining battery capacity required for the flight. If this value (or a value obtained by multiplying this value by a predetermined coefficient) is smaller than the measured remaining battery capacity, it is determined that the aircraft 20 cannot fly to the destination. Here, the predetermined coefficient may be greater than one or less than one.

Note that the control unit 260 calculates the possible flight distance of the aircraft 20 from the remaining battery power, and if this distance (or the value obtained by multiplying this distance by a predetermined coefficient) is smaller than the remaining planned flight distance, , it may be determined that the flying object 20 cannot fly to the destination. The predetermined coefficient used herein may be greater than one or less than one.

The control unit 260 also determines that the flying object 20 cannot fly to the destination when it detects that the motor is abnormal.

When the control unit 260 determines that the flying object 20 cannot fly to the destination (step S320: Yes), it executes emergency landing processing (step S330).

FIG. 16 shows a detailed example of step S330 (emergency landing processing) in FIG. In this process, the information generation unit 280 selects the landing candidate points located within the flightable distance of the aircraft 20 from the current position of the aircraft 20, among the plurality of landing candidate points stored in the information storage unit 270. The flying object 20 selects it as a landing point and outputs it to the control unit 260 .

First, the control unit 260 calculates the current position of the flying object 20 using the detected value of the GPS sensor of the driving unit 210 (step S332), and calculates the possible flight distance of the flying object 20 from the remaining battery power. (Step S334). Note that the control unit 260 may omit step S332 when the current position of the aircraft 20 is calculated in step S320. Also, if the control unit 260 has calculated the possible flight distance of the aircraft 20 in step S320, step S334 may be omitted.

Next, the information generation unit 280 selects a candidate landing point stored in the information storage unit 270 that is within the flightable distance from the current position calculated by the control unit 260 (or adds a predetermined coefficient of less than 1 to the flightable distance). multiplied value) is selected as the landing point for the flying object 20 (step S336).

If a plurality of candidate landing points are selected here, the information generator 280 may select the candidate landing point closest to the current position of the aircraft 20, for example. In addition, when the landing candidate points stored in the information storage unit 270 are stored in association with the priorities, the information generating unit 280 uses the priorities to determine the landing candidate points that should be landed on. You may choose. Specifically, the information generator 280 selects the landing candidate point with the highest priority. One of the factors that determine the priority here is the presence or absence of a charging facility for the flying object 20 . For example, the priority of a landing candidate point having a charging facility for the flying object 20 is high.

Note that the priority of the candidate landing points is set in multiple stages, for example. Therefore, multiple landing candidate points with the same priority may be selected. In this case, the information generator 280 selects the closest landing candidate point from the current position of the aircraft 20 .

Then, the control unit 260 sets the landing candidate point selected by the information generating unit 280 as a new destination (step S338), and performs landing processing toward that point (step S340).

Although the control unit 260 updates the route information in step S338, the control unit 260 may correct the route as described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 in this update process. Specifically, the control unit 260 first straightens the three-dimensional flight route from the current position of the aircraft 20 to the new destination. Next, the control unit 260 corrects the two-dimensional shape of the links that make up the route so that the flight route planarly avoids the points, buildings, and areas indicated by the avoidance area information. If the avoidance area information also includes information indicating a height to be avoided, the control unit 260 adjusts the three-dimensional shape of the links forming the route so that the flight route avoids the no-fly zone in the height direction. fix it.

Also, at least part of the processing shown in FIG. 15 may be performed by the information processing device 10 . Also, at least part of the processing shown in FIG. 16 may be performed by the information processing device 10 . For example, the route generation unit 120 of the information processing apparatus 10 may perform the processing performed by the information generation unit 280 in the destination change processing (processing for changing the destination to the point for emergency landing) shown in S330. In this case, necessary information is transmitted and received between the information processing device 10 and the aircraft 20 .

As described above, the information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment has the node setting unit 140 . The node setting unit 140 sets new nodes and links using the flight route actually flown by the aircraft 20 and stores them in the information storage unit 110 . Therefore, new nodes and links can be easily added to the information storage unit 110 .

Further, the route generation unit 120 of the information processing device 10 corrects the flight route indicated by the route information so that the flying object 20 does not have to make sharp turns. Therefore, the number of times the flying object 20 decelerates during flight is reduced, and as a result, it is possible to prevent the flying object 20 from excessively consuming energy. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the flight distance of the aircraft 20 from decreasing.

Further, the flying object 20 according to the present embodiment uses an image of the destination captured by the imaging unit 240 immediately before landing to determine the position at which the flying object 20 should land in the destination. Therefore, the landing point of the flying object can be accurately controlled. In addition, the flying object 20 can be landed safely and with high probability.

Further, when it becomes necessary for the flying object 20 to land before the destination, the control unit 260 of the flying object 20 adjusts the flying distance from a plurality of preset candidate landing points. Select a candidate landing point and set this candidate landing point as the new destination. Therefore, the flying object 20 can land safely before the destination.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to the second embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment has the same configuration as the information processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, except that it includes a route correction unit 150 and a recommended number setting unit 160 . Also, the flying object 20 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The route correction unit 150 acquires route information together with information indicating the flight purpose from the route generation unit 120 . The route correction unit 150 corrects the flight route indicated by the route information when the flight object of the aircraft 20 is to fly over a predetermined area, for example, to patrol. Specifically, the route correction unit 150 acquires information indicating at least one of buildings, facilities, regions, and terrain located within the above-described area from the information storage unit 110, for example. Then, the route information is corrected using flight rule information indicating flight rules based on the buildings, facilities, areas, and topography. Flight rule information is stored in the information storage unit 110 .

Here, the buildings, facilities, and areas described above are the avoidance areas shown in the first embodiment. Here, the congestion information for defining the avoidance area and the dynamically changing or suddenly occurring event information may be repeatedly obtained from an external server, or may be captured by the imaging unit 240 of the aircraft 20. It may be iteratively generated based on the image. In this case, the image analysis may be performed by the analysis unit 250 or by the information processing apparatus 10 . In the former case, the analysis result by the analysis unit 250 is transmitted to the information processing device 10 , and in the latter case, the image captured by the imaging unit 240 is transmitted to the information processing device 10 .

Also, the terrain includes specific mountains, hills, rivers, valleys, and the like.

In addition, as a flight rule, there is a prohibition of flying in the sky. Here, flight may be prohibited below a predetermined height, flight may be prohibited above a predetermined height, or flight may be prohibited at all heights.

Each figure in FIG. 18 shows a first example of flight route correction by the route correction unit 150 . FIG. 18(A) shows the flight route before correction. In this figure, a plurality of nodes n are selected along the edge of the area 340 to be patrolled by the vehicle 20 . A flight route is set by sequentially connecting these nodes n. Here, if any node n (for example, nodes n ₁₁ and n ₁₂ ) is located outside the area 340 , part of the flight route extends outside the area 340 . Therefore, the route correction unit 150 corrects the flight route so that the entire flight route is positioned inside the region 340 as shown in FIG. 18(B). For example, the route correction unit 150 moves the node n located outside the area 340 inside the area 340 . All flight routes are thereby located inside the area 340 .

Each figure in FIG. 19 shows a second example of flight route correction by the route correction unit 150 . In the example shown in FIG. 19(A), the area 340 includes the line 342 . Flight above the track 342 is prohibited. Therefore, the route correction unit 150 corrects the flight route so that the information on the railroad 342 is not passed. When the line 342 passes through the region 340 as shown in FIG. 19A, the route correction unit 150 divides the region 340 into two regions with the line 342 as a boundary, as shown in FIG. 19B. , set a flight route for each area. If the track passes under a tunnel or overpass (not shown), the flight route may be corrected to a route that traverses over the tunnel or overpass. By doing so, it is possible to set a flight route without dividing the area.

In this case, the recommended number setting unit 160 outputs information indicating the recommended number of flying objects based on the corrected flight route. For example, in the examples shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the area 340 is divided into two areas, and a flight route is set for each area. Therefore, the monitoring efficiency of the area 340 is higher when there are two flying objects 20 . In this case, the recommended number setting unit 160 acquires information indicating how many areas the area 340 is divided from the route correction unit 150 and outputs the number of divisions indicated by this information as the recommended number of flying objects 20 . The output destination is, for example, a display connected to the information processing apparatus 10, but may be a terminal possessed by a specific person.

Further, the route correction unit 150 may perform route correction as described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. Specifically, the route correction unit 150 corrects the two-dimensional shape of the links forming the route so that the flight route avoids the no-fly zone in plan. Also, when the no-fly zone is set in the height direction, the route correction unit 150 corrects the three-dimensional shape of the links forming the route so that the flight route avoids the no-fly zone in the height direction.

In addition, the route correction unit 150 may incorporate the detour route into part of the flight route if the above-described buildings, facilities, and areas can be detoured. For example, as a detour example, when buildings and facilities stand side by side and pass through in a zigzag manner, and frequent direction corrections are required, the power consumption efficiency deteriorates, and the possibility of inaccurate flight also increases. In this case, the area is temporarily regarded as a no-fly zone, and the flight route is modified to bypass the entire area. The following methods are conceivable as methods for setting temporary no-fly zones. First, the route correction unit 150, for example, when the route set by the user frequently enters and exits a predetermined area at short intervals, or when the flight route is corrected for avoidance, the power consumption, etc. is reduced compared to before the correction. Detects when a large number of links occur that increase the cost of Next, the route correction unit 150 creates a rectangular area of a predetermined shape and size, or a circular range of a predetermined size centered on the building that is the first cause of the no-fly zone in the relevant section, or the no-fly zone itself. set. Next, within this set range, the route correction unit 150 determines whether the building that is the cause of the no-fly zone other than the central one, or the density of the no-fly zone itself, and the lack of bias are above a certain level. immediately consider the rectangle or circle as a temporary no-fly zone. The shape and size of the rectangle and the size of the circle may vary depending on the airframe characteristics (battery capacity and electricity consumption characteristics) of the flight object (for example, drone). In addition, instead of the rectangle or circle itself, an area within the range with many deviations may be regarded as the temporary no-fly zone.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the flight object of the flying object 20 is to patrol over a predetermined area, the route correction unit 150 determines whether the buildings, facilities, areas, and topographical features located in the area. modify the flight route based on the flight rules set in at least one of Therefore, the route information indicates a more appropriate flight route. In some cases, the flight route is divided into a plurality of routes. In this embodiment, an example of a patrol route has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to the setting of flight routes for package delivery and physical distribution.

Although the embodiments and examples have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are examples of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above can be adopted.

10 information processing device 20 aircraft 110 information storage unit 120 route generation unit 130 input/output unit 140 node setting unit 150 route correction unit 160 recommended number setting unit 210 drive unit 220 route acquisition unit 230 route storage unit 240 imaging unit 250 analysis unit 260 Control unit 270 Information storage unit 280 Information generation unit 300 Boundary line 302 Landing position 310 Building 312 Entrance 320 Garden 330 Parking lot 340 Area 342 Track

Claims (1)

Acquiring route information indicating a flight route for an aircraft to fly over a predetermined area, information indicating at least one of buildings, facilities, and terrain located within the area; A flight route processing device comprising a route correction unit that corrects the route information using flight rule information indicating flight rules based on facilities and terrain.

Images