JP7048145B2 - Unmanned aerial vehicle management equipment, unmanned aerial vehicle management methods, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flight path prediction device for predicting the flight path of an unmanned aerial vehicle, a flight path prediction method, and a program for realizing these.

Conventionally, unmanned aerial vehicles called "drones" (hereinafter, also referred to as "UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)") have been used for various purposes such as military use and pesticide spraying. In particular, in recent years, due to the miniaturization and high output of batteries, small drones that use an electric motor as a power source have been developed. Small drones are rapidly becoming widespread because they are easy to operate, and are expected to be further utilized in fields such as agriculture, telecommunications, and logistics in the future. (See Non-Patent Document 1.)

On the other hand, with the spread of small drones (hereinafter referred to simply as "drones"), many accidents such as uncontrollable drones crashing, damaging objects on the ground, and colliding with buildings. It has been reported (see Non-Patent Document 2). In addition, there are reports of near-miss accidents with large passenger aircraft, and appropriate operation management of drones is required, but it has not caught up with the rapid spread.

In order to deal with such a situation, in Japan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has established guidelines (see Non-Patent Document 3) regarding the use of drones that exceed a certain standard for drone operation management. There is. Specifically, this guideline requires drone users to apply to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for information such as scheduled flight routes and scheduled flight dates when flying drones over densely populated areas.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism considers other applications, information related to air service operations called NOTAM, information on designated flight prohibited areas, etc., and it is safe to use the drone of the above application. It is judged whether or not it is. Permits or approvals will be given to applications that are determined to be safe.

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "Current status of drones", [online], [Search on September 27, 2016], Internet <URL: http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000401647.pdf> Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "List of accidents related to unmanned aerial vehicles in 2016", [online], [Search on September 27, 2016], Internet <URL: http://www.mlit.go.jp/common /001132992.pdf ＞ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "Guidelines for safe flight of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones, radio-controlled aircraft, etc.)", [online], [Search on September 27, 2016], Internet <URL: http://www.mlit .go.jp/common/001128047.pdf ＞

However, the approval process by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is currently performed manually, and there is a limit to the number of flight applications that can be processed. For this reason, if the number of drone flight applications increases further, the period from flight application to approval will become longer, so a system that automatically performs approval work while considering other drones, aircraft, flight prohibited areas, etc. Is required to be introduced.

By the way, such a drone has a characteristic that it is easily affected by weather conditions such as wind because it is lighter in weight and has lower propulsion force than a general aircraft. This can cause the drone to deviate from the permitted flight path, enter areas where flight is prohibited, or cross the permitted flight path for other drones. Such a situation is a big obstacle to the safe flight of the drone. Under these circumstances, when introducing the above-mentioned system, it is required to be able to perform approval processing in consideration of weather conditions.

An example of an object of the present invention is an unmanned aerial vehicle management device, an unmanned aerial vehicle management method, and a program capable of solving the above-mentioned problems and correcting the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the weather conditions to ensure the safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle. To provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the unmanned aerial vehicle management device in one aspect of the present invention is
A route acquisition unit that acquires the planned flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle,
A weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information that specifies the weather at the scheduled flight time in the area including the acquired flight route, and
A flight route prediction unit that predicts the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information.
It is characterized by having.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the unmanned aerial vehicle management method in one aspect of the present invention is:
(A) Obtaining the planned flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle, steps and
(B) A step of acquiring weather information that specifies the weather at the scheduled flight time in the area including the acquired flight schedule route, and
(C) A step of predicting the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information.
It is characterized by having.

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the program in one aspect of the present invention is:
On the computer
(A) Obtaining the planned flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle, steps and
(B) A step of acquiring weather information that specifies the weather at the scheduled flight time in the area including the acquired flight schedule route, and
(C) A step of predicting the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information.
Is characterized by executing.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to correct the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the weather conditions to ensure the safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram specifically showing the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a planned flight route input by the user in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between each vector generated in an unmanned aerial vehicle. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a flight path predicted in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a flight area set in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an area determination process according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the details of step A5 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a section set according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the section identification information created in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a section corresponding to a flight area of an unmanned aerial vehicle specified in an embodiment of the present invention and a section corresponding to a flight prohibited area. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a match of determination information created in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing details of another example of step A5 shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a case where a part of the flight area corresponds to the flight area of another unmanned aerial vehicle in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a waypoint set in a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention and a passing time thereof. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of schedule determination information created in a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the unmanned aerial vehicle management device, the unmanned aerial vehicle management method, and the program according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

[Device configuration]
First, the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 in the present embodiment is a device for managing an unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 includes a route acquisition unit 11, a weather information acquisition unit 12, and a flight route prediction unit 13.

The route acquisition unit 11 acquires the planned flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle. In addition, the weather information acquisition unit 12 acquires weather information that specifies the weather at the scheduled flight time in the area including the acquired scheduled flight route. The flight route prediction unit 13 predicts the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the flight route that the unmanned aerial vehicle actually flies under the influence of the weather conditions is predicted based on the planned flight route and the weather information. For this reason, even if an unmanned aerial vehicle flies on a flight route different from the planned route due to the influence of weather conditions, it becomes possible to grasp the flight route and improve the safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle. be able to.

Subsequently, in addition to FIG. 1, FIGS. 2 to 7 will be used to more specifically explain the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram specifically showing the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 is connected to the terminal device 20 of the user 21 and the weather information database 40 via a network 30 such as the Internet. The meteorological information database 40 stores meteorological information necessary for predicting a flight route.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 has an area setting unit in addition to the route acquisition unit 11, the weather information acquisition unit 12, and the flight route prediction unit 13 shown in FIG. 14 and an area determination unit 15 are provided. The functions of the area setting unit 14 and the area determination unit 15 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, the route acquisition unit 11 acquires the scheduled flight route from the terminal device 20 of the user 21 operating the unmanned aerial vehicle via the Internet 30. Specifically, when the user 21 inputs the flight schedule information including the flight schedule route and the flight schedule time of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the terminal device 20, the terminal device 20 inputs the input flight schedule information to the Internet 30. It is transmitted to the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 via. Therefore, the route acquisition unit 11 acquires the flight schedule route by receiving the flight schedule information.

Here, in the present embodiment, the scheduled flight route input by the user 21 will be specifically described. First, the user 21 (see FIG. 2) displays a map on the screen of the terminal device 20, and inputs the departure point, the waypoint, and the destination point of the planned flight route on the map. The input by the user 21 may be only the starting point and the destination point. Further, the user 21 may input the scheduled flight start time or the scheduled flight start time and the scheduled flight end time on the terminal device 20.

As a result, the terminal device 20 specifies the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of each of the departure point, the waypoint, and the destination point, and sets the scheduled flight start time and the scheduled flight end time to the specified coordinates, and the flight schedule information. Then, the flight schedule information is transmitted to the unmanned aircraft management device 10.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a planned flight route input by the user in the embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 3, the scheduled flight route 50 includes a departure point 51, a waypoint 52, and a destination point 53, and is configured by connecting the points with a straight line.

In the present embodiment, the weather information acquisition unit 12 first identifies an area including the planned flight route acquired by the route acquisition unit 11. Then, the weather information acquisition unit 12 acquires the weather information at the scheduled flight time in the specified area (hereinafter referred to as “specific area”) from the weather information database 40.

Further, the meteorological information database 40 may be a database provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency or a business operator providing the meteorological information, or a database in which the meteorological information measured by the administrator of the unmanned aircraft management device 10 by the observation device is stored. It may be. Further, in the present embodiment, as the meteorological information acquired by the meteorological information acquisition unit 12, for example, information for specifying the wind speed and the wind direction in a specific region can be mentioned.

In the present embodiment, the flight route prediction unit 13 first acquires flight schedule information from the route acquisition unit 11 and then acquires weather information from the weather information acquisition unit 12. Subsequently, the flight path prediction unit 13 identifies the vector of the external force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives from the wind during the flight on the planned flight path based on the weather information. Further, the flight path prediction unit 13 specifies a vector due to the thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a vector of the force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives due to air resistance, based on the information indicating the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle registered in advance. Information indicating the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle includes information necessary for calculating the above-mentioned vector, for example, size, weight, propulsion force, surface area, payload, and the like. Then, the flight path prediction unit 13 predicts the actual flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle using each of the specified vectors.

Specifically, the flight path prediction unit 13 first calculates a vector w indicating a wind direction and a wind speed from meteorological information. Further, the flight path prediction unit 13 determines the vector D indicating the thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the vector v indicating the actual traveling direction and speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the air resistance received by the unmanned aerial vehicle from the information indicating the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Calculate the vector R. Further, the flight path prediction unit 13 calculates the vector f of the wind force received by the unmanned aerial vehicle from the vector w and the vector v. Then, the flight path prediction unit 13 calculates the acceleration vector a of the unmanned aerial vehicle at time t by using the following equation 1 as the mass m of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Then, the flight path prediction unit 13 calculates the acceleration vector a of the unmanned aerial vehicle at the set time interval. Further, the flight path prediction unit 13 predicts the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle for each hour based on the starting point of the scheduled flight route by using the calculated magnitude and direction of the acceleration vector a for each hour. , Predict the actual flight route, taking into account the effects of wind and the like. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between each vector generated in an unmanned aerial vehicle. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a flight path predicted in the embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 5, the predicted flight path 54 is a path that detours more than the planned flight path 50 due to the influence of the wind.

In the example of FIG. 5, it is predicted that the unmanned aerial vehicle will reach the destination point 53 through the waypoint 52 regardless of the situation affected by the wind. This is, for example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle flies by manual maneuvering, the operator corrects the course so that the unmanned aerial vehicle reaches the destination 53 via the waypoint 52 even if it is swept by the wind. This is to steer while maneuvering. In addition, when the unmanned aerial vehicle flies by the automatic navigation function, the course is corrected based on the position information of GPS (Global Positioning System) so that the unmanned aerial vehicle itself reaches the destination point 53 via the waypoint 52. This is to fly while flying.

Further, the area setting unit 14 sets an area including the flight path 54 predicted by the flight path prediction unit 13 and the scheduled flight route 50 (hereinafter referred to as “flight area”) (see FIG. 6). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a flight area set in the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 6, 55 indicates a set flight area.

Further, the flight area 55 may be set by the area setting unit 14 so as to include the flight path 54 and the scheduled flight path 50. However, in the present embodiment, the area setting unit 14 determines the shortest distance between the outer edge of the flight area 55 and the flight path 54 or the planned flight path 50, depending on the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle, for example, the presence or absence of the flight path correction function. That is, a margin can also be set. Further, the margin may be set by a fixed value.

Further, the flight area 55 set here is a flight prohibited area for another aircraft. Here, examples of other aircraft include airplanes, helicopters, airships, and all other aircraft that can fly. Further, the other aircraft may be a manned type or an unmanned type.

Further, the area determination unit 15 determines whether or not the flight area 55 set by the area setting unit 14 overlaps with the flight area 56 set for another unmanned aerial vehicle or the area where the aircraft is prohibited from flying in advance. judge. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an area determination process according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 7, the set flight area 55 overlaps with the flight area 56 already set for the other unmanned aerial vehicle.

In the following, the flight area 56 set for other unmanned aerial vehicles and the area where the aircraft is prohibited from flying in advance are collectively referred to as a “flight prohibited area”. Areas where aircraft are prohibited from flying in advance include densely populated areas, roads, railway lines, power plant areas, government agency areas, and other areas where flight is prohibited in advance, as well as areas other than unmanned aerial vehicles. The flight area of the aircraft is mentioned.

Specifically, the area determination unit 15 first acquires map data of an area including a flight area set by the area setting unit 14 (hereinafter referred to as "wide area area"). Next, the area determination unit 15 divides the wide area area using the acquired map data and sets a plurality of sections. Further, the area determination unit 15 identifies a section corresponding to the flight area 55 set by the area setting section 14 and a section corresponding to the flight prohibited area among the set sections.

Then, the area determination unit 15 compares the section corresponding to the flight area 55 set by the area setting unit 14 with the section corresponding to the flight prohibited area. After that, the area determination unit 15 determines whether or not there is a matching section from the comparison result. When there are matching sections, the area determination unit 15 determines that the flight area 55 set by the area setting unit 14 overlaps with the flight prohibited area.

[Device operation]
Next, the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, FIGS. 1 to 7 will be referred to as appropriate. Further, in the present embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle management method is implemented by operating the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10. Therefore, the description of the unmanned aerial vehicle management method in the present embodiment will be replaced with the following description of the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, in the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10, the route acquisition unit 11 receives the flight schedule information transmitted from the terminal device 20 of the user 21 and acquires the flight schedule route (step). A1). Specifically, the route acquisition unit 11 identifies the flight schedule route from the acquired flight schedule information and acquires it.

Next, the weather information acquisition unit 12 identifies an area including the scheduled flight route acquired in step A1, and acquires the weather information at the scheduled flight time in this specific area from the weather information database 40 (step A2). .. The scheduled flight time is specified from the flight schedule information received in step A1.

Next, the flight route prediction unit 13 predicts the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the flight schedule route acquired in step A1 and the weather information acquired in step A2 (step A3).

Specifically, in step A3, the flight path prediction unit 13 calculates the vector w indicating the wind direction and the wind speed from the weather information. Further, the flight path prediction unit 13 determines the vector D indicating the thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the vector v indicating the actual traveling direction and speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the air resistance received by the unmanned aerial vehicle from the information indicating the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Calculate the vector R. Further, the flight path prediction unit 13 calculates the vector f of the wind force received by the unmanned aerial vehicle from the vector w and the vector v, and calculates the acceleration vector a of the unmanned aerial vehicle at time t using the above equation 1. Then, the flight path prediction unit 13 predicts the actual flight path by predicting the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle for each hour from the magnitude and direction of the acceleration vector a for each hour.

Next, the area setting unit 14 sets a flight area including the flight path predicted in step A3 and the scheduled flight path acquired in step A1 (step A4). Further, the area setting unit 14 sets the set flight area as a flight prohibited area for another airplane.

Next, the area determination unit 15 determines whether the flight area set in step A4 overlaps with the flight area set for another unmanned aerial vehicle or the flight prohibited area where the aircraft is prohibited from flying in advance. (Step A5).

Then, the area determination unit 15 transmits the determination result in step A5 to the terminal device 20 of the user 21 via the Internet 30 (step A6). As a result, the terminal device 20 indicates on the screen whether or not the scheduled flight route input by the user 21 may come into contact with another unmanned aerial vehicle.

Here, step A5 shown in FIG. 8 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the details of step A5 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, first, the area determination unit 15 acquires map data of a wide area including the flight area set in step A5 (step A51).

Specifically, in step A51, the area determination unit 15 sets, for example, a rectangular area surrounding the flight area as a wide area, and acquires map data of the wide area from a map database connected to the Internet 30. .. Specific examples of the map database include a database of a business operator that provides a map information service, a database owned by the administrator of the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10, and the like.

Next, the area determination unit 15 divides the wide area by using the map data acquired in step A51 and sets a plurality of sections (step A52).

Specifically, the area determination unit 15 divides a wide area into a grid pattern and sets a plurality of sections. Further, the area determination unit 15 assigns a number to each of the set plurality of sections. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a section set according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 10, each section 60 is assigned a number from 1 to 96. Further, at this time, the area setting unit 15 can improve the accuracy of the determination described later by further dividing the target area into smaller areas and reducing the area of each section 60.

Further, when the section 60 is set, the area determination unit 15 creates and holds the section specifying information for specifying each set section based on the map data. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the section identification information created in the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the division identification information includes the number assigned to the division, the coordinates of the northwest corner of the division (latitude, longitude), and the coordinates of the southeast corner of the division (latitude, longitude). Is specified.

The section identification information may be any information that can identify each section, and instead of the coordinates of the northwest corner and the southeast angle of the section, it is information that specifies the coordinates of one point at a specific position (for example, the center) of the section. There may be.

Next, the area determination unit 15 identifies the section 60a corresponding to the flight area 55 and the section 60b corresponding to the flight prohibited area among the sections 60 set in step A52 (step A53).

Specifically, in step A53, the area determination unit 15 superimposes the flight area of the unmanned aerial vehicle on each section and specifies the number of the section 60a corresponding to the flight area. Further, the area determination unit 15 corresponds to a flight prohibited area by superimposing the flight area of the other unmanned aerial vehicle specified earlier and the preset area where flight is prohibited in each section. The number of the section 60b is also specified.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a section corresponding to a flight area of an unmanned aerial vehicle specified in an embodiment of the present invention and a section corresponding to a flight prohibited area. As shown in FIG. 12, the area determination unit 15 identifies the number of the section 60a and the number of the section 60b.

Next, the area determination unit 15 compares the section corresponding to the flight area 55 set by the area setting section 14 with the section corresponding to the flight prohibited area, and from the comparison result, the matching section is found. It is determined whether or not it exists (step A54). Specifically, the area determination unit 15 compares the number of the section 60a corresponding to the flight area 55 with the number of the section 60b corresponding to the flight prohibited area, and determines whether or not a matching number exists. To judge.

Then, as a result of the determination, if there is a matching section, the area determination unit 15 determines that the flight area 55 set in step A4 overlaps with the flight prohibited area (step A55). On the other hand, as a result of the determination, if there is no matching section, the area determination unit 15 determines that the flight area 55 set in step A4 does not overlap with the flight prohibited area (step A56). ..

Here, the details of the determination process in step A54 will be described with reference to FIG. In step A54, the area determination unit 15 first uses the number of the section corresponding to the flight area specified in step A53 and the number of the section corresponding to the flight prohibited area from the section identification information (see FIG. 11). Information for the determination process shown in FIG. 13 (hereinafter referred to as "determination information") is created.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a match of determination information created in the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 13, the determination information includes information indicating whether or not the section corresponds to the flight area 60a and whether or not the section corresponds to the flight prohibited area 60b for each section. Information indicating that is included.

In the example of FIG. 13, if a certain section corresponds to the section 60a corresponding to the flight area, the item of "flight area" becomes "1", and if not, the item of "flight area" becomes "0". Will be. Similarly, if a certain section corresponds to the section 60b of the flight prohibited area, the item of "flying prohibited area" becomes "1", and if it does not correspond, the item of "flying prohibited area" becomes "0". ..

Therefore, for example, when a certain section is a section 60a corresponding to a flight area and a section 60b corresponding to a flight prohibited area, both the "flying area" and the "flight prohibited area" are "1". ".

In this case, the area determination unit 15 determines that the section corresponding to the flight prohibited area also exists in the section 60a corresponding to the flight area, and the flight area of the unmanned aerial vehicle overlaps with the flight prohibited area. It is determined that there is.

[Effects of embodiments]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the flight route that the unmanned aerial vehicle actually flies under the influence of the weather conditions is predicted by using the planned flight route and the weather information. For this reason, even if an unmanned aerial vehicle flies on a flight route different from the planned route due to the influence of weather conditions, it becomes possible to grasp the flight route and improve the safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle. be able to.

Further, in the present embodiment, a flight area where the unmanned aerial vehicle may fly under the weather conditions is set, and the set flight area is the flight area of another unmanned aerial vehicle and the flight of the aircraft in advance. It is determined whether it overlaps with the prohibited area. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately manage the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and further, it is possible to improve the safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[Modification example]
Here, a modified example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17. In this modification, the area determination unit 15 has two unmanned areas when the flight area of the unmanned aerial vehicle overlaps with the flight prohibited area and the flight prohibited area is a flight area set for another unmanned aerial vehicle. Perform collision determination in consideration of the flight schedule of the aircraft.

Therefore, in this modification, steps B51 to B58 shown in FIG. 14 are executed as step A5 shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing details of another example of step A5 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 14, first, the area determination unit 15 acquires map data of a wide area including the flight area set in step A5, and further, a flight schedule (scheduled flight start time and scheduled flight end time). Also acquired (step B51). Step B51 is the same step as step A51 shown in FIG. 9, except that the flight schedule is acquired.

Next, the area determination unit 15 divides the wide area area using the map data acquired in step B51 and sets a plurality of sections 60 (step B52). Step B52 is the same step as step A52 shown in FIG.

Next, the area determination unit 15 identifies the section 60a corresponding to the flight area 55 and the section 60b corresponding to the flight prohibited area among the sections 60 set in step B52 (step B53). Step B53 is the same step as step A53 shown in FIG.

Next, the area determination unit 15 compares the section corresponding to the flight area 55 set by the area setting section 14 with the section corresponding to the flight prohibited area, and all or part of the section of the flight area 55 is in advance. It is determined whether or not the flight of the aircraft corresponds to the prohibited area (step B54).

As a result of the determination in step B54, if all or part of the section of the flight area 55 corresponds to the area where the flight of the aircraft is prohibited in advance, the area determination unit 15 determines that the flight area 55 set in step A4 is , It is determined that the flight prohibited area overlaps with the area where the aircraft is prohibited from flying in advance (step B59).

When step B59 is executed, in step A6, the area determination unit 15 indicates to the user 21 that "the flight area to be determined overlaps with the area where the flight of the aircraft is prohibited in advance". Notify device 20.

Further, in an area where the flight of an aircraft is prohibited in advance, a time limit may be set to prohibit the flight only in a specific time zone. In this case, before the execution of step B59, the area determination unit 15 can determine whether or not the time limit is set in the area where the flight of the aircraft is prohibited in advance. When the time limit is set, the area determination unit 15 compares the flight schedule acquired in step B51 with the content of the time limit, and as a result of the comparison, the flight schedule is prohibited from flying. If it corresponds to the time zone, the above-mentioned step B59 is executed. On the other hand, as a result of comparison, if the flight schedule does not correspond to the time zone in which flight is prohibited, the area determination unit 15 executes step B58 described later.

As a result of the determination in step B54, if all or part of the section of the flight area 55 does not correspond to the area where the flight of the aircraft is prohibited in advance, the area determination unit 15 shall use all or part of the section of the flight area 55. Determines whether or not corresponds to the flight area 56 set for the other unmanned aerial vehicle (step B55).

As a result of the determination in step B55, if all or part of the section of the flight area 55 does not correspond to the flight area 56 set for the other unmanned aerial vehicle, the area determination unit 15 determines the flight area set in step A4. 55 determines that it does not overlap with the flight prohibited area (step A58).

On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step B55, if all or part of the section of the flight area 55 corresponds to the flight area 56 of another unmanned aerial vehicle, the area determination unit 15 sets the flight schedule of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The flight schedule of the other unmanned aerial vehicle is collated, and the possibility of the unmanned aerial vehicle colliding with the other unmanned aerial vehicle is determined (step B56).

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a case where a part of the flight area corresponds to the flight area of another unmanned aerial vehicle in the embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 15, 61 is the departure point of the other unmanned aerial vehicle and 62 is the arrival point of the other unmanned aerial vehicle.

If there is no possibility that the unmanned aerial vehicle will collide with another unmanned aerial vehicle as a result of the determination in step B56, the area determination unit 15 executes step B58, and the flight area 55 set in step A4 is a flight prohibited area. It is determined that it does not overlap with.

On the other hand, if the unmanned aerial vehicle may collide with another unmanned aerial vehicle as a result of the determination in step B56, the area determination unit 15 determines that the flight area 55 set in step A4 is the other of the flight prohibited areas. It is determined that it overlaps with the flight area 56 set for the unmanned aerial vehicle (step B57). When step B57 is executed, in step A6, the area determination unit 15 indicates to the user 21 that "the flight area to be determined overlaps with the flight area set for the other unmanned aerial vehicle". Notify device 20.

Here, the details of the collision determination process in step B56 will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. In step B56, the area determination unit 15 first sets a waypoint 53 between the departure point and the waypoint of the scheduled flight route, and specifies the number of the corresponding section, as shown in FIG. Then, the area determination unit 15 obtains the flight speed from the flight schedule acquired in step B51, and specifies the passing time for each waypoint 53 from the obtained flight speed. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a waypoint set in a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention and a passing time thereof.

Subsequently, the area determination unit 15 also sets a waypoint for other unmanned aerial vehicles and specifies the number of the corresponding section. The area determination unit 15 also specifies the passing time for each waypoint set for the other unmanned aerial vehicle.

Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the area determination unit 15 creates determination information for each of the departure time and the passing time of the waypoint of the unmanned aerial vehicle to be determined. Each determination information created at this time will be collectively referred to as "schedule determination information" below. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of schedule determination information created in a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 17, each determination information constituting the schedule determination information includes information indicating whether or not the division includes a planned flight route for each division at a corresponding time, and the division is another. It contains information indicating whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is a section of the area where it is scheduled to fly.

In the example of FIG. 17, if a certain section corresponds to a section of a flight area, the item of "flight area 1" becomes "1", and if not, the item of "planned flight route 1" becomes "0". Will be. Similarly, if a section corresponds to a section of the flight area of another unmanned aerial vehicle, the item of "flight area 2" becomes "1", and if not, the item of "flight area 2" becomes "0". ".

Therefore, when the "flying area 1" and the "flying area 2" of the specific section are both "1" in the determination information at the specific time, the area determination unit 15 is the specific at the specific time. Determine that an unmanned aerial vehicle may collide with another unmanned aerial vehicle in the parcel.

Further, when the area determination unit 15 determines that the unmanned aerial vehicle may collide with another unmanned aerial vehicle, the area determination unit 15 can also specify a time zone during which the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly in the flight area. Specifically, the area determination unit 15 shifts the departure time and the passing time of each waypoint by a certain time, creates schedule determination information again, and determines the possibility of collision. The area determination unit 15 specifies a time zone in which the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly in the flight area by performing this series of processes a plurality of times.

Further, when the area determination unit 15 can specify the time zone in which the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly in the flight area, the area determination unit 15 notifies the terminal device 20 of the user 21 of the specified time zone. As a result, the terminal device 20 presents on the screen a time zone during which the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly in the flight area.

As described above, in this modification, when the flight area overlaps with the flight area of another unmanned aerial vehicle, the flight schedule is confirmed and it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of collision, so that it is more appropriate and safe. The flight of unmanned aerial vehicles is managed. Further, when there is a possibility of a collision, the user 21 can be presented with a safe time zone, so that the user 21 can deal with it by changing the departure time.

[program]
The program in the present embodiment may be any program as long as it causes a computer to execute steps A1 to A6 shown in FIG. By installing and executing this program on a computer, the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 and the unmanned aerial vehicle management method according to the present embodiment can be realized. In this case, the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the computer functions as a route acquisition unit 11, a weather information acquisition unit 12, a flight route prediction unit 13, an area setting unit 14, and an area determination unit 15 to perform processing.

Further, the program in the present embodiment may be executed by a computer system constructed by a plurality of computers. In this case, for example, each computer may function as any of a route acquisition unit 11, a weather information acquisition unit 12, a flight route prediction unit 13, an area setting unit 14, and an area determination unit 15, respectively.

(Physical configuration)
Here, a computer that realizes the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 by executing the program in the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The CPU 111 expands the programs (codes) of the present embodiment stored in the storage device 113 into the main memory 112 and executes them in a predetermined order to perform various operations. The main memory 112 is typically a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Further, the program in the present embodiment is provided in a state of being stored in a computer-readable recording medium 120. The program in the present embodiment may be distributed on the Internet connected via the communication interface 117.

Further, specific examples of the storage device 113 include a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory in addition to a hard disk drive. The input interface 114 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and an input device 118 such as a keyboard and mouse. The display controller 115 is connected to the display device 119 and controls the display on the display device 119.

The data reader / writer 116 mediates the data transmission between the CPU 111 and the recording medium 120, reads the program from the recording medium 120, and writes the processing result in the computer 110 to the recording medium 120. The communication interface 117 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and another computer.

Specific examples of the recording medium 120 include a general-purpose semiconductor storage device such as CF (Compact Flash (registered trademark)) and SD (Secure Digital), a magnetic recording medium such as a flexible disk, or a CD-. Examples include optical recording media such as ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory).

The unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 in the present embodiment can also be realized by using the hardware corresponding to each part instead of the computer in which the program is installed. Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle management device 10 may be partially realized by a program and the rest by hardware.

As described above, according to the present invention, the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle can be corrected based on the weather conditions to ensure the safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The present invention can be used in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles.

10 Unmanned aerial vehicle management device (embodiment)
11 Route acquisition unit 12 Meteorological information acquisition unit 13 Flight route prediction unit 14 Area setting unit 15 Area judgment unit 20 Terminal device 21 User 30 Internet 40 Meteorological information database 50 Scheduled flight route 51 Departure point 52 Route point 53 Destination point 54 Predicted Flight path 55 Flight area 56 Flight area configured for other unmanned aerial vehicles 110 Computer 111 CPU
112 Main memory 113 Storage device 114 Input interface 115 Display controller 116 Data reader / writer 117 Communication interface 118 Input device 119 Display device 120 Recording medium 121 Bus

Claims (6)

A route acquisition unit that acquires the planned flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle,
A weather information acquisition unit that acquires weather information that specifies the weather at the scheduled flight time in the area including the acquired flight route, and
A flight route prediction unit that predicts the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information.
A flight area including the predicted actual flight path and the planned flight path of the unmanned aircraft is set, the set flight area is set as a flight prohibited area of another aircraft, and the outer edge of the flight area and the flight path are further set. An area setting unit that sets a margin between the space or between the outer edge of the flight area and the planned flight route.
The area map data is acquired, the area is divided using the acquired map data to set a plurality of sections, each section is numbered, and the flight area is superimposed on each section. Specify the number of the section corresponding to the flight area, and further superimpose the flight area set for other unmanned aircraft and the prohibited area where the aircraft is prohibited to fly in each section to make it a flight prohibited area. The number of the relevant section is specified, and the number of the section of the flight area is compared with the number of the section of the prohibited area based on the flight schedule of the unmanned aircraft, and the section of the flight area is the flight. An area judgment unit that determines whether or not it overlaps with a prohibited area section,
It features an unmanned aerial vehicle management device. The flight path prediction unit
Based on the meteorological information, the vector of the external force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives from the wind during the flight along the planned flight route is identified.
Based on the information indicating the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle registered in advance, the vector due to the thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the vector of the force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives due to the air resistance are specified, and each of the specified vectors is used as described above. Predicting the actual flight path of an unmanned aerial vehicle,
The unmanned aerial vehicle management device according to claim 1. A computer-run method of managing unmanned aerial vehicles
(A) Obtaining the planned flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle, steps and
(B) A step of acquiring weather information that specifies the weather at the scheduled flight time in the area including the acquired flight schedule route, and
(C) A step of predicting the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information.
(D) A flight area including the predicted actual flight path and the planned flight path of the unmanned aircraft is set, the set flight area is set as a flight prohibited area of another aircraft, and the outer edge of the flight area and the flight area are described. A step that sets a margin between the flight path or between the outer edge of the flight area and the planned flight path.
(E) Acquire map data of the area, divide the area using the acquired map data, set a plurality of sections, assign numbers to each section, and superimpose the flight area on each section. Then, the number of the section corresponding to the flight area is specified, and the flight area set for other unmanned aircraft and the prohibited area where the flight of the aircraft is prohibited in advance are superimposed on each section to fly. The number of the section corresponding to the prohibited area is specified, and based on the flight schedule of the unmanned aircraft, the number of the section of the flight area is compared with the number of the section of the prohibited area, and the section of the flight area is determined. , Steps to determine if it overlaps the section of the no-flight area,
An unmanned aerial vehicle management method characterized by having. In the step (c), based on the meteorological information, the vector of the external force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives from the wind during the flight along the planned flight path is specified.
Based on the information indicating the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle registered in advance, the vector due to the thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the vector of the force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives due to the air resistance are specified, and each of the specified vectors is used as described above. Predicting the actual flight path of an unmanned aerial vehicle,
The unmanned aerial vehicle management method according to claim 3. On the computer
(A) Obtaining the planned flight route of an unmanned aerial vehicle, steps and
(B) A step of acquiring weather information that specifies the weather at the scheduled flight time in the area including the acquired flight schedule route, and
(C) A step of predicting the actual flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the planned flight route and the weather information.
(D) A flight area including the predicted actual flight path and the planned flight path of the unmanned aircraft is set, the set flight area is set as a flight prohibited area of another aircraft, and the outer edge of the flight area and the flight area are described. A step that sets a margin between the flight path or between the outer edge of the flight area and the planned flight path.
(E) Acquire map data of the area, divide the area using the acquired map data, set a plurality of sections, assign numbers to each section, and superimpose the flight area on each section. Then, the number of the section corresponding to the flight area is specified, and the flight area set for other unmanned aircraft and the prohibited area where the flight of the aircraft is prohibited in advance are superimposed on each section to fly. The number of the section corresponding to the prohibited area is specified, and based on the flight schedule of the unmanned aircraft, the number of the section of the flight area is compared with the number of the section of the prohibited area, and the section of the flight area is determined. , Steps to determine if it overlaps the section of the no-flight area,
A program that runs. In the step (c), based on the meteorological information, the vector of the external force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives from the wind during the flight along the planned flight path is specified.
Based on the information indicating the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle registered in advance, the vector due to the thrust of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the vector of the force that the unmanned aerial vehicle receives due to the air resistance are specified, and each of the specified vectors is used as described above. Predicting the actual flight path of an unmanned aerial vehicle,
The program according to claim 5.

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