JP4304009B2 - Unmanned aircraft control system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to unmanned aerial maneuvering systems including fixed wing aircraft, vertical take-off and landing aircraft and helicopters.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When maneuvering an unmanned aerial vehicle, a method is known in which a plurality of operators carry out remote maneuvering with remote control transmitters having different transmission frequencies in order to ensure the safety of the airframe when radio waves are interrupted. In this case, the driver of the unmanned aerial vehicle is switched by operating a changeover switch provided in the remote control transmitter. Specifically, when two operators operate an unmanned aerial vehicle, they communicate with each other with a radio device carried by each operator, and an operator who succeeds the operation operates a changeover switch. By operating the changeover switch, the frequency of the control signal received by the aircraft is also switched, so that the flight control device of the aircraft recognizes that the operator to be switched has been switched, and thereafter, the aircraft's flight control device follows the control signal according to the switched frequency. Perform flight control.
[0003]
However, if one operator is maneuvering an unmanned aerial vehicle and the other operator accidentally presses the switch, and the operator does not notice it, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be maneuvered by either operator. Therefore, depending on the position of the control lever of the transmitter after switching, it may fly in an unexpected direction or it may crash at a reduced altitude.
[0004]
Therefore, a maneuvering method has been proposed in which a light source that emits light by operating a changeover switch is provided on the fuselage so that an operator can recognize the changeover even if an unexpected changeover is performed, thereby preventing a crash. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-108984
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Such a maneuvering method is suitable for maneuvering unmanned aerial vehicles that fly over large areas with relatively high altitudes and no obstacles around them. In the case of an aircraft, there is a problem that when it is delayed until other operators notice it, it crashes or collides with an obstacle such as an electric wire.
[0007]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to maneuver an unmanned aerial vehicle without crashing or colliding with an obstacle even if it is delayed when another operator notices when an unexpected operator switch is performed. It is to provide an unmanned aerial maneuvering system that can do this.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to an automatic control means for detecting a flight state of the aircraft and maintaining the aircraft in a predetermined flight state, and to send a control signal to the aircraft by an operator's operation. Radio control means having a plurality of transmitters with different frequencies to be transmitted and when the transmitter for transmitting a control signal for controlling the aircraft is switched to another transmitter, the control by the automatic control means is selected. Control means for performing control, and release means for canceling selection of steering by the automatic piloting means when an altitude control command larger than the altitude control command before switching is input from the other transmitter. Features.
Here, the advanced control command includes, for example, a collective pitch.
[0009]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when no steering signal is transmitted from the transmitter to the aircraft, the aircraft is controlled so that a predetermined flight state is maintained by the automatic piloting means, and from the transmitter of the wireless piloting means to the aircraft. When the steering signal is transmitted to the aircraft, the aircraft is steered by the received steering signal. When the transmitter for maneuvering the aircraft is switched to another transmitter during the maneuvering of the aircraft by the wireless maneuvering means, the control means performs control for selecting the maneuvering by the automatic piloting means. As a result, even if the transmitter that controls the aircraft is switched unexpectedly and the operator does not notice that it has switched, the autopilot controls the aircraft, so it can be operated without crashing the aircraft. it can.
According to the invention described in claim 1, when the altitude control command larger than the altitude control command before switching is input from another transmitter by the operator, the canceling unit cancels the selection of the maneuvering by the automatic piloting unit. . Thereby, even if it becomes a state where an operator can maneuver an aircraft, maneuvering can be restarted by a simple method.
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the unmanned aerial maneuvering system according to the first aspect, when the transmitter for transmitting a control signal for controlling the airframe is switched to another transmitter, the automatic control means is The altitude of the aircraft is maintained or raised.
[0011]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the transmitter that transmits the control signal for maneuvering the aircraft is switched to another transmitter, the autopilot means maintains or raises the altitude of the aircraft. As a result, even when the transmitter for maneuvering the aircraft is switched at an unexpected time and the operator does not notice the switching, the aircraft can automatically maintain a safe altitude. Therefore, even if it falls into such a situation, it can be controlled without crashing the aircraft. Further, when the altitude of the aircraft is raised, it is possible to recognize that all operators have been switched from the behavior of the aircraft, and therefore it is possible to perform a recovery operation to prevent a crash.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the case of an unmanned helicopter will be described in detail with respect to an embodiment of an unmanned aircraft control system according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. In addition, the unmanned helicopter operated by the unmanned helicopter control system is used for, for example, medicine spraying, seed sowing, aerial photography, and the like.
As shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned helicopter maneuvering system 100 includes a plurality of transmitters (wireless maneuvering means) 1 that transmit maneuvering signals to the airframe 2 by an operator's operation. The frequencies of the plurality of transmitters 1 are all different so that signals transmitted from the respective transmitters 1 can be discriminated.
As shown in FIG. 2, the transmitter 1 is provided with a pair of control levers 1a and 1b, and the airframe 2 is operated by operating the control levers 1a and 1b with both hands. . Further, a switching lever 1c is provided between the control lever 1a and the control lever 1b, and when it is tilted in a certain direction, a switching signal notifying that the control right has been transferred to the transmitter 1 is transmitted to the airframe 2.
[0017]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the aircraft 2 includes a flight control device 21 that autonomously flies by driving and controlling the rotor 28 and the like of the aircraft 2 based on a steering signal from the ground or a pre-stored steering signal. An aircraft-side GPS receiver 22 that receives a signal from a satellite and detects the position, velocity, etc. of the aircraft 2, an inertial sensor 23 that detects the attitude angle and angular velocity of the aircraft 2, and a magnetic bearing sensor that detects the magnetic orientation of the aircraft 2. 24, an altitude sensor 25 for detecting the altitude of the airframe 2, a steering signal receiver 26 for receiving a steering signal transmitted from the transmitter 1, an engine 27, a rotor 28, and the like.
[0018]
The flight control device 21 drives and controls the engine 27 to rotate the rotor 28 and generate upward thrust to realize the ascending / descending of the aircraft.
The flight control device 21 is provided with a CPU 21a for performing various arithmetic processes, a RAM 21b used as a work area for the CPU 21a, a ROM 21c for storing a system program necessary for the CPU 21a to control each unit, and the like. Yes.
The CPU 21a reads out a program stored in the ROM 21c, develops it in the RAM 21b, and controls instructions to each unit and control of data transmission / reception based on the program.
[0019]
Specifically, the CPU 21a functions as an automatic control unit that detects the flight state of the airframe 2 and maintains the airframe 2 in a predetermined flight state. As the automatic piloting means, for example, the CPU 21a maintains or raises the altitude or maintains the altitude when the transmitter 1 that transmits the steering signal for maneuvering the airframe 2 is switched to another transmitter 1. Or, ascend and fly the hover 2.
In addition, the CPU 21a functions as a control unit that performs control to select the control by the automatic control unit when the transmitter 1 that transmits a control signal for controlling the airframe 2 is switched to another transmitter 1.
Further, the CPU 21a functions as a canceling unit that cancels the selection of steering by the automatic piloting unit when a collective pitch larger than the collective pitch (altitude control command) before switching is input from the transmitter 1.
[0020]
The ROM 21c stores programs for the CPU 21a to execute various functions.
Specifically, the ROM 21c has an autopilot program 21p that realizes a function of detecting the flight state of the airframe 2 and maintaining the airframe 2 in a predetermined flight state. More specifically, the autopilot program 21p maintains or raises the altitude or maintains the altitude when the transmitter 1 that transmits a steering signal for maneuvering the airframe 2 is switched to another transmitter 1. Realize the function of flying hovering or raising the altitude.
The ROM 21c also implements a control program 21q for realizing a function of performing control for selecting control by the automatic control program 21p when the transmitter 1 that transmits a control signal for controlling the airframe 2 is switched to another transmitter 1. Have
Further, the ROM 21c has a cancellation program 21r that realizes a function of canceling the selection of steering by the automatic piloting program 21p when a larger collective pitch than the pre-switching collective pitch is input from the transmitter 1.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1, the flight control device 21 is connected with a fuselage-side GPS receiver 22, an inertial sensor 23, a magnetic bearing sensor 24, and a steering signal receiver 26. The flight control device 21 determines the collective pitch steering angle and the cyclic pitch steering angle of the rotor 28 based on various data detected by the airframe-side GPS receiver 22, the inertial sensor 23, the magnetic bearing sensor 24, and the altitude sensor 25. To achieve predetermined flight control.
The aircraft-side GPS receiver 22 receives signals from GPS satellites and calculates position information. The steering signal receiver 26 receives the steering signal from the transmitter 1.
[0022]
In addition, the predetermined control command transmitted from the transmitter 1 is transmitted to the flight control device 21 via the control signal receiver 26, and the flight control device 21 realizes the predetermined flight control based on the control signal. As a result, the aircraft 2 can be remotely controlled.
[0023]
Next, a method for operating the unmanned helicopter 2 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the airframe 2 is being operated by one operator, the flight control device 21 of the airframe 2 constantly monitors and determines which transmitter 1 is currently operating the airframe 2. . Here, each transmitter 1 is set so that the frequency of the control signal to be transmitted is different, and the flight control device 21 selects the control signal having the frequency at which the switching signal is received at the nearest time.
When switching to another transmitter 1 is performed and the switching signal is transmitted to the aircraft 2, the CPU 21a of the flight control device 21 recognizes that the other transmitter 1 will be operated in the future and performs control. By executing the program 21q, it is selected that the aircraft 2 is controlled by the automatic pilot program 21p.
Next, the CPU 21a executes the autopilot program 21p, so that the thrust required for forward flight is not generated, and the control for maintaining or raising the altitude of the airframe 2 from the ground, or the airframe 2 is then hovered to fly. Maneuver control to maintain the state.
[0024]
During this time, the control signal such as collective pitch transmitted from the ground transmitter 1 is ignored, and the control signal obtained by the automatic control program 21p is output to the actuator of the airframe 2.
When the operation of the airframe 2 by the autopilot program 21p is finished and another operator wants to operate the airframe 2 by the transmitter 1, the other operator inputs a collective pitch larger than the collective pitch before switching from the transmitter 1. To do. Then, the CPU 21a of the flight control device 21 cancels the maneuvering of the airframe 2 by the automatic maneuvering program 21p by executing the canceling program 21r. This allows other operators to steer the aircraft 2 with the transmitter 1. It should be noted that the maneuvering cannot be performed until a certain time has passed after the release, and the collective pitch is not changed by the release command.
[0025]
According to the unmanned helicopter maneuvering system 100 in the present embodiment, when no maneuvering signal is transmitted from the transmitter 1 to the airframe 2, the CPU 21a executes the automatic maneuvering program 21p, whereby the airframe 2 is maintained in a predetermined flight state. When the steering signal is transmitted from the transmitter 1 to the airframe 2, the airframe 2 is steered by the received steering signal.
[0026]
When the transmitter 1 that controls the airframe 2 is switched to another transmitter 1 while the airframe 2 is being operated by the transmitter 1, the CPU 21a executes the control program 21q so that the CPU 21a can execute the automatic operation program 21p. Control to select the maneuvering by. In this case, the control signal to the airframe 2 is for maintaining the altitude of the airframe 2 or raising it to a predetermined altitude, or for maintaining the altitude or hovering at the predetermined altitude. Even if the transmitter 1 that controls the aircraft is switched and the operator does not notice that it has switched, the aircraft 2 automatically maintains its altitude or rises or flies over.
[0027]
Therefore, even if it falls into such a situation, the airframe 2 does not crash and can be operated without causing the airframe 2 to crash. Further, when the altitude of the airframe 2 is raised, it can be recognized from the behavior of the airframe that all operators have been switched, so that a recovery operation for preventing a crash can be performed.
[0028]
When a collective pitch larger than the collective pitch before switching is input from the transmitter 1 by the operator, the CPU 21a executes the cancel program 21r, thereby canceling the selection of control by the automatic control program 21p. Thereby, even if it becomes a state where an operator can maneuver the body 2, the maneuvering of the body 2 can be resumed by a simple method.
[0029]
As described above, the embodiment has been described by using a helicopter. However, in the case of a fixed wing aircraft, there is no hovering flight capability, and collective pitch control is not performed. It may be performed when the instruction is issued. Further, for a vertical take-off and landing aircraft that does not have rotor blades, for example, when an elevator rudder angle larger than that before switching is instructed, it is only necessary to cancel the flight by autopilot. The reason why the advanced control command is used for the release command is that it is safer than other operations when the operation is wrong, and if it is safe, other control commands can be used. Needless to say.
[0030]
Further, by providing a warning light on the airframe so that the warning light is turned on or blinking for a certain time when the transmitter is switched, the effect of alerting the operator can be enhanced. In addition, a sound source such as a speaker may be provided in the body, and an alarm or a message may be uttered from the sound source when the transmitter is switched. In addition, substitution and change can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, when the transmitter for maneuvering the aircraft is switched to another transmitter during maneuvering of the aircraft by the wireless maneuvering means, the control means performs control for selecting maneuvering by the autopilot means. As a result, even if the transmitter that controls the aircraft is switched unexpectedly and the operator does not notice that it has switched, the autopilot controls the aircraft, so it can be operated without crashing the aircraft. it can.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an unmanned helicopter steering system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a transmitter in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view partially seen through to show an outline of the unmanned helicopter in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a situation during maneuvering of the unmanned helicopter according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Transmitter (Radio control means)
2 Airframe 21 Flight control device 21a CPU (automatic steering means, control means, release means)
21b RAM (automatic steering means, control means, release means)
21c ROM (automatic steering means, control means, release means)
100 Unmanned helicopter maneuvering system

Claims (2)

Automatic control means for detecting a flight state of the aircraft and maintaining the aircraft in a predetermined flight state;
Radio control means having a plurality of transmitters having different frequencies for transmitting control signals to the aircraft by the operation of the operator,
Control means for performing control for selecting control by the automatic control means when a transmitter that transmits a control signal for controlling the aircraft is switched to another transmitter;
Release means for canceling the selection of maneuvering by the autopilot means by inputting an altitude control command larger than the altitude control command before switching from the other transmitter,
An unmanned aerial vehicle control system comprising: When a transmitter that transmits a control signal for controlling the aircraft is switched to another transmitter,
The unmanned aircraft control system according to claim 1, wherein the automatic control means maintains or raises the altitude of the airframe.

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