JP7148567B2 - System, management device, program, and management method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system, an unmanned aircraft, a management device, a program, and a management method.

Patent Literature 1 describes a drone relay station that forms a relay area and performs radio relay between a base station and a mobile terminal within the relay area while staying in the air. US Pat. No. 6,200,000 describes a flying small cell known as a drone base station.
[Prior art documents]
[Patent Literature]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-092097 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-521962

According to one embodiment of the disclosed invention, a system is provided. The system may comprise a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and a management device for managing the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The management device may have a placement determination unit that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The management device may have an instruction transmission unit that transmits movement instructions to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit. Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles may have a power supply. Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles includes a flight control unit that controls the flight of the own aircraft using power supplied from the power supply unit, and moves and lands the own aircraft based on the movement instruction, and the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. may have a first wireless communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the core network using power supplied from the power supply. Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles forms a wireless communication area using power supplied from the power supply unit and wirelessly communicates with a wireless communication terminal within the wireless communication area while the aircraft is in a landing state. It may have a wireless communication unit.

Each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles may have a situation identification unit that identifies a surrounding situation based on sensor information output by a sensor, and the flight control unit moves based on the movement instruction, A landing position may be determined based on the surrounding conditions specified by the situation specifying unit, and the own aircraft may be landed at the landing position. The situation identifying section may survey surrounding terrain based on the sensor information, and the flight control section may determine the landing position based on the terrain surveyed by the situation identifying section. The situation identifying unit may identify the radio wave conditions in the coverage target area based on the received radio waves, and the flight control unit determines the landing position based on the radio wave conditions identified by the situation identifying unit. good. The flight control unit may determine a landing position based on communication contents with other unmanned aerial vehicles among the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, and land the own aircraft at the landing position. The situation specifying unit may specify the situation of communication traffic in the wireless communication area while the second wireless communication unit forms the wireless communication area while the aircraft is landing, The first wireless communication unit transmits communication traffic conditions within the wireless communication area to the management device, and receives communication traffic conditions within the wireless communication areas of other unmanned aerial vehicles from the management device. Often, the flight control unit determines the position of the own aircraft based on the communication traffic within the wireless communication area of the own aircraft and the communication traffic within the wireless communication areas of other unmanned aircraft, and controls the flight of the own aircraft. to move the aircraft to the determined position. The arrangement determination unit may determine the arrangement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on people flow data indicating the flow of people in the area to be covered. The power supply unit may be a battery, and the placement determination unit may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the remaining battery level of each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The placement determination unit determines the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles so as to place the unmanned aerial vehicles with a larger remaining battery level in an area with a larger amount of communication traffic by wireless communication terminals among the coverage areas. good.

According to one embodiment of the disclosed invention, an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided. The unmanned aerial vehicle may comprise a power supply. The unmanned aerial vehicle may include a flight controller that controls its flight using power supplied from the power supply. The unmanned aerial vehicle may comprise a first wireless communication unit that communicates with the core network via wireless communication using power supplied from the power supply. The unmanned aerial vehicle has a second wireless communication unit that forms a wireless communication area using power supplied from the power supply unit and wirelessly communicates with a wireless communication terminal within the wireless communication area while the aircraft is landed. Be prepared.

According to one embodiment of the disclosed invention, a management device is provided for managing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The management device may comprise a placement determination unit that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The management device transmits a movement instruction including the target point to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit, and the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles lands after landing at the target point. An unmanned aerial vehicle manager may be provided to manage the formation of the wireless communication area in a state.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing a computer to function as the management device.

According to one embodiment of the disclosed invention, there is provided a management method performed by a management device for managing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The management method may comprise a placement determination step of determining placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles. The management method includes transmitting a movement instruction including the target point to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined in the placement determination step, and having each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles land on the target point after landing. A management step may be provided for managing to form a wireless communication area in a state.

It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not list all the necessary features of the invention. Subcombinations of these feature groups can also be inventions.

An example system 10 is shown schematically. An example of the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is shown schematically. An example of the functional configuration of the control device 130 is shown schematically. An example of the functional configuration of the management device 200 is shown schematically. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining position adjustment by a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100; 1 schematically shows an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 1200 functioning as a management device 200. FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution of the invention.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example system 10 . System 10 may include multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . System 10 may comprise a management device 200 that manages multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . System 10 may comprise relay station 300 .

Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may include a power supply capable of supplying power to various parts of the airframe. The power supply may be, for example, a battery. The power supply may be a high capacity battery. The power supply may be any type of battery. The power supply may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery. The power supply may be a lithium air battery. The power supply may be a fuel cell. The power supply unit may be a generator that generates power using fuel.

Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may have the capability to wirelessly communicate with relay station 300 . The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may have a wireless entrance function for wirelessly connecting with the relay station 300, for example.

The relay station 300 may be, for example, a radio base station located on the ground. The relay station 300 may be, for example, a radio base station mounted on a mobile object. The relay station 300 may be, for example, a so-called vehicle-mounted base station. Relay station 300 may be, for example, a so-called mobile base station vehicle. The relay station 300 may be a relay device mounted on a mobile object and having a relay function for relaying communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the core network 20 . The relay station 300 may be, for example, a so-called mobile relay vehicle.

Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may access core network 20 via relay station 300 . The core network 20 may comply with the LTE (Long Term Evolution) communication scheme. The core network 20 may comply with the 3G (3rd Generation) communication system. The core network 20 may comply with the 5G (5th Generation) communication scheme. The core network 20 may be compliant with a communication system after the 6G (6th Generation) communication system.

Unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may have the capability to wirelessly communicate with other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . The plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may be equipped with radio multi-hop communication capabilities. Plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may include router functionality.

Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may function as a radio base station. Unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may form a wireless communication area 101 . Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may, for example, have radio equipment, mobile core equipment, and location-awareness equipment, similar to terrestrial radio base stations, and may be independently capable of providing radio communication services. Note that the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may have a function of amplifying radio waves from other radio base stations, vehicle-mounted base stations, and the like.

A plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may wirelessly connect with each other, and at least one of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may access core network 20 via relay station 300 to form a backhaul.

The management device 200 dispatches a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 to an arbitrary coverage target area and causes each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 to form a wireless communication area 101, thereby providing wireless communication services to the coverage target area. You can The management device 200 may, for example, determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 in the coverage area, and transmit movement instructions to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 based on the placement.

Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may fly toward a point of interest according to the movement instructions. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may autonomously search for and land on a suitable point for landing over the target point using optical cameras, ultrasonic sensors, altitude sensors, and other means. Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may search for a suitable landing point according to predetermined rules.

Such rules may include, for example, prioritizing vantage points. Such rules may include, for example, prioritizing that the landing point be flat. Such rules may include, for example, prioritizing higher positions. The rules may also include conditions that give priority to desirable environments for functioning as a radio base station.

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to this embodiment may in particular perform the formation of the wireless communication area 101 in a landed state rather than in flight. As a result, the system 10 according to one embodiment can reduce power consumption compared to a case where an unmanned aerial vehicle forms a wireless communication area while flying. For example, if the power supply is a battery, battery consumption can be reduced. Further, for example, when the power supply unit is a generator, fuel consumption can be reduced.

For example, the management device 200 dispatches a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 to an area where a disaster such as an earthquake or fire has occurred and ground wireless base stations have stopped functioning, thereby providing wireless communication services to the area. may be provided. According to the system 10 according to one embodiment, the core network 20 can be formed in a very short period of time compared to the case where the core network is formed using wired cables. In addition, even in a place where there is no power infrastructure or a place where there is a problem with the power infrastructure, the wireless communication area 101 can be formed using the power supplied by the power supply unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. Since the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to one embodiment can form the wireless communication area 101 in a landed state, power consumption can be reduced. That is, the system 10 according to one embodiment can provide wireless communication services for an extended period of time, eg, hours to days.

When an event in which a large number of people gather is held, the management device 200 may dispatch a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 to the area where the event is held, thereby providing wireless communication services to the area. As a result, it is possible to distribute the communication load among the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 in a situation where communication that cannot be handled by ground radio base stations occurs.

FIG. 2 schematically shows an example configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 includes body portion 102 , propeller 104 , leg portion 106 , camera 108 , antenna portion 110 and antenna portion 112 . The body 102 may have a power supply 114 , a GNSS unit 121 , an altitude sensor 122 , an acceleration sensor 123 , a gyro sensor 124 and a controller 130 .

Camera 108 may image the surroundings of unmanned aerial vehicle 100 . Camera 108 may image the downward direction of unmanned aerial vehicle 100 . Camera 108 may image the horizontal direction of unmanned aerial vehicle 100 . Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may include a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or an infrared sensor instead of camera 108 . Unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may also include a plurality of cameras 108, LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, and infrared sensors. Note that the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is not limited to these examples as long as it can recognize the surrounding environment.

Antenna section 110 may be used for wireless communication with relay station 300 . Antenna section 110 may be used to wirelessly communicate with other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . Since it is desirable to be able to communicate with relay station 300 and other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 in parallel, and communicate with multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 100 in parallel, antenna section 110 may include multiple antennas. The antenna section 110 may be an array antenna.

Wireless communication with the relay station 300 and other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 is a line that forms a backhaul, so it is desirable to be able to achieve relatively large-capacity communication. Therefore, the antenna section 110 may use microwaves, for example. The antenna section 110 may have a mechanism for adjusting directivity toward the position of the communication partner. For example, the antenna unit 110 may monitor changes in the position information and attitude information of its own device and the position information of the communication partner, and adjust the directivity according to the changes.

Antenna section 112 may be used to form wireless communication area 101 . The antenna unit 112 may form the wireless communication area 101 in accordance with the communication method that the core network 20 complies with. Note that the antenna unit 112 may form a wireless communication area by Wi-Fi. Also, the antenna unit 112 may form a wireless communication area using Bluetooth.

The GNSS unit 121 may specify the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and output position information. Altitude sensor 122 may identify the altitude of unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and output altitude information. Altitude sensor 122 may be, for example, an air pressure sensor. The acceleration sensor 123 may detect acceleration and output acceleration information. The gyro sensor 124 may detect angular velocity and output angular velocity information.

FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of the functional configuration of the control device 130. As shown in FIG. The control device 130 includes an information storage unit 132 , an information acquisition unit 134 , a wireless communication unit 136 , a flight control unit 138 , a situation identification unit 140 and a wireless communication unit 142 . The information storage unit 132 may store various information.

The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire sensor information output by various sensors included in the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 . The information acquisition unit 134 may store the acquired sensor information in the information storage unit 132 .

The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire the location information output by the GNSS unit 121, for example. The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire altitude information output by the altitude sensor 122, for example. The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire acceleration information output by the acceleration sensor 123, for example. The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire angular velocity information output by the gyro sensor 124, for example.

The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire the captured image output by the camera 108, for example. The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire measurement results output by LiDAR, for example. The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire, for example, measurement results output by an ultrasonic sensor. The information acquisition unit 134 may acquire, for example, a detection result output by an infrared sensor.

The wireless communication unit 136 may communicate with the core network 20 by wireless communication using power supplied from the power supply unit 114 . The wireless communication unit 136 may be an example of a first wireless communication unit. The wireless communication unit 136 may wirelessly communicate with the relay station 300 via the antenna unit 110 and communicate with the core network 20 via the relay station 300 . The wireless communication unit 136 may communicate with the management device 200 via the core network 20 . The wireless communication unit 136 may receive a movement instruction from the management device 200, for example. The wireless communication section 136 may wirelessly communicate with other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 via the antenna section 110 .

The flight control section 138 may control the flight of the own aircraft using the power supplied from the power supply section 114 . The flight controller 138 may control the flight of the aircraft by controlling the rotation of the propellers 104 .

The situation identification unit 140 may identify the situation around the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 based on the sensor information acquired by the information acquisition unit 134 . The situation identifying unit 140 may survey the terrain around the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, for example. Based on the radio waves received by the antenna unit 112 while the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is flying in a certain area, the situation identifying unit 140 may identify the radio wave situation in that area. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can simulate radio wave conditions when forming a wireless communication area by surveying the surrounding terrain. Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can adjust the direction and strength of the radio waves it transmits by identifying the radio wave conditions. That is, the system 10 according to one embodiment can improve the operational efficiency of the base station.

The wireless communication section 142 may form the wireless communication area 101 using power supplied from the power supply section 114 . The wireless communication unit 142 may form the wireless communication area 101 while the aircraft is landed. The wireless communication unit 142 may wirelessly communicate with wireless communication terminals within the wireless communication area 101 .

The flight control unit 138 may move the aircraft based on the movement instruction received by the wireless communication unit 136 from the management device 200, for example. After moving based on the movement instruction, the flight control unit 138 may determine the landing position based on the surrounding conditions of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 identified by the situation identifying unit 140, and land the aircraft at the landing position. According to this, the system 10 according to one embodiment can land the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 at a relatively suitable position according to the surrounding environment at the site of a disaster or the like.

The flight controller 138 may determine the landing position based on terrain surveyed by the situation determiner 140, for example. For example, the flight control unit 138 may determine a plane larger than the size of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 as the landing position in an area within a predetermined distance from the target point included in the movement instruction. According to this, the system 10 according to one embodiment can improve the stability of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 during landing.

The flight control unit 138 may determine the landing position based on the radio wave condition of the target area identified by the condition identification unit 140, for example. For example, the flight control unit 138 determines, as a landing position, a position where the wireless communication area 101 can be formed in a portion where radio waves do not reach, among areas within a predetermined distance from the target point included in the movement instruction. You can For example, the flight control unit 138 lands at a position where the wireless communication area 101 can be formed in a portion of the area within a predetermined distance from the target point included in the movement instruction, where the radio wave intensity is weaker than other portions. It may be determined as a position. According to this, the system 10 according to one embodiment can increase the area of the wireless communication area. That is, the system 10 according to one embodiment can further expand the area in which wireless communication services can be provided.

FIG. 4 schematically shows an example of the functional configuration of the management device 200. As shown in FIG. The management device 200 includes an unmanned aerial vehicle management unit 202 , an information reception unit 204 , a placement determination unit 206 and an instruction transmission unit 208 .

Unmanned aerial vehicle manager 202 may manage multiple unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . The unmanned aerial vehicle management unit 202 may manage whether or not each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 can be dispatched.

The information receiving section 204 may receive various types of information. The information receiver 204 may receive information about the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, for example. The information receiving unit 204 may receive the position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, for example. The information receiving unit 204 may receive the remaining amount of the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, for example. The information receiving unit 204 may receive, from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the amount of fuel remaining in the generator of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, for example. The unmanned aerial vehicle management unit 202 may manage the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 according to the information regarding the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 received by the information receiving unit 204 .

The information receiving unit 204 may receive, for example, from the core network 20 information about ground radio base stations in various places. The information receiving unit 204 may receive, for example, the operation status of ground radio base stations. The information receiving unit 204 may receive, for example, communication traffic information of ground radio base stations. The information receiving section 204 may receive various types of information from the Internet. The information receiving unit 204 may receive, for example, people flow data indicating the flow of people in various places.

The placement determination unit 206 may determine placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . The placement determination unit 206 may first determine coverage areas to be covered by the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . For example, when a disaster occurs, the placement determination unit 206 may determine the area where the disaster occurred as the area to be covered.

The placement determining unit 206 may determine the coverage area based on the information about the ground radio base stations received by the information receiving unit 204, for example. For example, in a situation where a plurality of terrestrial wireless base stations in a certain area are not in operation due to malfunction, the placement determining unit 206 may determine the area to be covered. Also, for example, when the communication traffic of a plurality of terrestrial wireless base stations in a certain area exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the placement determining unit 206 may determine the area to be the coverage target area.

The placement determination unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 so as to cover the coverage target area. For example, the placement determination unit 206 specifies the number of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 required to cover the entire coverage area, and arranges a plurality of The placement of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may be determined.

The placement determination unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 based on the terrain within the covered area identified by referring to map information stored in advance. The placement determination unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 based on predetermined rules, for example. Such rules may include, for example, prioritizing vantage points. Such rules may include, for example, prioritizing that the landing point be flat. Such rules may include, for example, prioritizing higher positions. The rules may also include conditions that give priority to desirable environments for functioning as a radio base station.

The placement determination unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 based on the remaining battery level of each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . The placement determination unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100, for example, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 with a larger remaining battery level is placed at a point with a longer flight distance. As a result, the system 10 according to one embodiment flies an unmanned aerial vehicle with a smaller remaining battery level than other unmanned aerial vehicles over a longer distance, thereby shortening the period during which the wireless communication service can be provided. You can reduce the chances of getting stuck. That is, the system 10 according to one embodiment can easily secure a longer period of time during which the wireless communication service can be provided.

The placement determining unit 206 arranges the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 so that, for example, the unmanned aerial vehicles 100 with the greater remaining battery capacity are placed in areas with higher communication traffic by wireless communication terminals among the coverage areas. You can decide. As a result, wireless communication services can be provided by arranging an unmanned aerial vehicle with a lower remaining battery level than other unmanned aerial vehicles at locations where communication traffic is higher and battery consumption is higher. It is possible to reduce the possibility that the period becomes short. That is, the system 10 according to one embodiment can easily secure a longer period of time during which the wireless communication service can be provided.

The placement determination unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 based on people flow data indicating the flow of people in the coverage area. The placement determination unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100, for example, so that more unmanned aerial vehicles 100 are placed in areas with a higher flow of people. The placement determining unit 206 may determine the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100, for example, so that the unmanned aerial vehicles 100 with more remaining battery capacity are placed in areas with a higher flow of people. As a result, the system 10 according to one embodiment can provide generous services to areas where there is a high probability that there is a large flow of people and a high demand for communication services.

The instruction transmission unit 208 may transmit movement instructions to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit 206 . The instruction transmission unit 208 may transmit an instruction to move each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 to a target position to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 .

The unmanned aerial vehicle management unit 202 may monitor the remaining battery levels of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 forming the wireless communication area 101 and providing wireless communication services. The unmanned aerial vehicle management unit 202 may dispatch another unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to replace the one unmanned aerial vehicle 100 when the remaining battery level of the one unmanned aerial vehicle 100 becomes lower than a predetermined threshold. . This allows system 10 according to one embodiment to reduce the likelihood that one unmanned aerial vehicle will run out of battery power before a replacement unmanned aerial vehicle arrives in the service area. . That is, according to the system 10 according to one embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the wireless communication service in a specific area will be interrupted for a long period of time.

The unmanned aerial vehicle management unit 202 may cause the instruction transmission unit 208 to transmit a movement instruction including position information of one unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to the other unmanned aerial vehicle 100 . The other unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may start flying according to the movement instruction and replace the one unmanned aerial vehicle 100 at the destination.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining position adjustment by a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100. As shown in FIG. The plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may determine landing positions while communicating with each other after moving over the target point according to the movement instruction from the management device 200 .

The flight control unit 138 may determine the landing position based on the content of communication with other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 out of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100, and land the own aircraft at the landing position. For example, after the flight control unit 138 determines the landing position based on the circumstances surrounding the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 identified by the situation identification unit 140, the flight control unit 138 communicates the determined landing position, the radio wave may be transmitted to other unmanned aerial vehicles 100 . A plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may share their determined landing positions and radio wave conditions to determine the landing positions of the respective unmanned aerial vehicles 100 that optimize the coverage of the coverage area.

The plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may adjust their positions in response to changes in circumstances after once the unmanned aerial vehicles 100 have started providing wireless communication services. For example, the situation identifying unit 140 may identify the communication traffic situation within the wireless communication area 101 while the wireless communication unit 142 is forming the wireless communication area 101 while the aircraft is landing. The wireless communication unit 136 transmits the status of communication traffic within the wireless communication area 101 to the management device 200, and receives the status of communication traffic within the wireless communication area 101 of the other unmanned aerial vehicle 100 from the management device 200. good.

Then, the flight control unit 138 determines the position of the own aircraft based on the communication traffic within the wireless communication area 101 of the own aircraft and the communication traffic within the wireless communication area 101 of the other unmanned aerial vehicle 100, and determines the position of the own aircraft. You may control flight to move your craft to a determined position. The plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 may, for example, adjust their positions so that the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles 100 cover an area covered by the wireless communication area 101 where communication traffic is higher. This allows the system 10 according to one embodiment to increase the amount of wireless communication resources provided to areas with higher communication traffic.

FIG. 6 schematically shows an example of a hardware configuration of a computer 1200 functioning as the management device 200. As shown in FIG. Programs installed on the computer 1200 cause the computer 1200 to act as one or more "parts" of the apparatus of the above embodiments, or cause the computer 1200 to operate or perform operations associated with the apparatus of the above embodiments. Multiple "units" can be executed and/or the computer 1200 can be caused to execute the processes or steps of the processes according to the above embodiments. Such programs may be executed by CPU 1212 to cause computer 1200 to perform certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

Computer 1200 , according to one embodiment, includes CPU 1212 , RAM 1214 , and graphics controller 1216 , which may be interconnected by host controller 1210 . Computer 1200 also includes communication interface 1222 , storage device 1224 , and input/output units such as DVD drive 1226 and IC card drive, which may be connected to host controller 1210 via input/output controller 1220 . Storage devices 1224 may be hard disk drives, solid state drives, and the like. Computer 1200 also includes legacy input/output units, such as ROM 1230 and keyboard, which may be connected to input/output controller 1220 via input/output chip 1240 .

CPU 1212 may operate according to programs stored in ROM 1230 and RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. Graphics controller 1216 may retrieve image data generated by CPU 1212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in RAM 1214 or itself, and cause the image data to be displayed on display device 1218 .

Communication interface 1222 may communicate with other electronic devices over a network. Storage device 1224 may store programs and data used by CPU 1212 within computer 1200 . The IC card drive may read programs and data from the IC card and/or write programs and data to the IC card.

ROM 1230 may have stored therein, such as a boot program that is executed by computer 1200 upon activation, and/or programs that depend on the hardware of computer 1200 . Input/output chip 1240 may also connect various input/output units to input/output controller 1220 via USB ports, parallel ports, serial ports, keyboard ports, mouse ports, and the like.

The program may be provided by a computer-readable storage medium such as DVD-ROM 1227 or IC card. The program may be read from a computer-readable storage medium, installed in storage device 1224 , RAM 1214 , or ROM 1230 , which are also examples of computer-readable storage media, and executed by CPU 1212 . The information processing described within these programs can be read by computer 1200 to provide coordination between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be configured by implementing information operations or processing according to the use of computer 1200 .

For example, when communication is to be performed between computer 1200 and an external device, CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 . Then, the CPU 1212 may command the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Communication interface 1222, under the control of CPU 1212, may read transmission data stored in a transmission buffer area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 1214, storage device 1224, DVD-ROM 1227, or an IC card. The communication interface 1222 may then transmit the read transmission data to the network, or write the reception data received from the network to a reception buffer area or the like provided on the recording medium.

Also, the CPU 1212 may cause the RAM 1214 to read all or necessary portions of files or databases stored in external recording media such as the storage device 1224, the DVD drive 1226 (DVD-ROM 1227), and IC cards. CPU 1212 may then perform various types of processing on the data in RAM 1214 . CPU 1212 may then write back the processed data to an external recording medium.

Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on recording media and subjected to information processing. CPU 1212 performs various types of operations on data read from RAM 1214, information processing, conditional decisions, conditional branching, unconditional branching, and information retrieval, which are described throughout this disclosure and are specified by instruction sequences of programs. Various types of processing may be performed, including /replace and the like. CPU 1212 may then write back the results to RAM 1214 . In addition, the CPU 1212 may search for information in a file in a recording medium, a database, or the like. For example, when a plurality of entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, the CPU 1212 selects the first attribute from among the plurality of entries. You may search for entries that match the conditions in which the attribute value of the attribute is specified. Then, the CPU 1212 reads the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, thereby acquiring the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies the predetermined condition. good.

The programs or software modules described above may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near computer 1200 . A storage medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a private communication network or the Internet may also be usable as a computer-readable storage medium. That is, the program may be provided to computer 1200 via a network.

The blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams in one embodiment may represent steps in the process in which the operations are performed or "parts" of the apparatus responsible for performing the operations. Certain steps and "sections" may be provided with dedicated circuitry, programmable circuitry provided with computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium, and/or computer readable instructions provided with computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium. It may be implemented by a processor. Dedicated circuitry may include digital and/or analog hardware circuitry. Dedicated circuitry may include, for example, integrated circuits (ICs) and/or discrete circuitry. Programmable circuits, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Programmable Logic Arrays (PLAs), etc., perform AND, OR, EXCLUSIVE OR, NOT AND, NOT OR, and other logical operations. , flip-flops, registers, and memory elements.

A computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions for execution by a suitable device. As a result, a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon may comprise an article of manufacture including instructions that may be executed to create means for performing the operations specified in the flowcharts or block diagrams. Examples of computer-readable storage media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, and the like. More specific examples of computer readable storage media include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM or flash memory) , electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray disc, memory stick , integrated circuit cards, and the like.

The computer readable instructions may be assembler instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or object oriented programming such as Smalltalk, JAVA, C++, etc. language, and any combination of one or more programming languages, including conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. good.

Computer readable instructions are used to produce means for a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, or programmable circuits to perform the operations specified in the flowchart or block diagrams. A general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processor, locally or over a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, etc., to execute such computer readable instructions. It may be provided in the processor of the device or in a programmable circuit. A processor may be, for example, a computer processor, processing unit, microprocessor, digital signal processor, controller, microcontroller, or the like.

Although the invention according to the present disclosure has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the invention according to the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the scope of claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The execution order of each process such as actions, procedures, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, the specification, and the drawings is particularly "before", "before etc., and it should be noted that they can be implemented in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if the description is made using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. not a thing

Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is clear from the description of the scope of the claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The execution order of each process such as actions, procedures, steps, and stages in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, the specification, and the drawings is etc., and it should be noted that they can be implemented in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the specification, and the drawings, even if the description is made using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. not a thing

10 system, 20 network, 100 unmanned aerial vehicle, 101 wireless communication area, 102 main body, 104 propeller, 106 leg, 108 camera, 110 antenna, 112 antenna, 114 power supply, 121 GNSS unit, 122 altitude sensor, 123 acceleration sensor, 124 gyro sensor, 130 control device, 132 information storage unit, 134 information acquisition unit, 136 wireless communication unit, 138 flight control unit, 140 situation identification unit, 142 wireless communication unit, 200 management device, 202 unmanned aircraft management Section 204 Information Reception Section 206 Arrangement Determination Section 208 Instruction Transmission Section 300 Relay Station 1200 Computer 1210 Host Controller 1212 CPU 1214 RAM 1216 Graphic Controller 1218 Display Device 1220 Input/Output Controller 1222 Communication Interface , 1224 storage device, 1226 DVD drive, 1227 DVD-ROM, 1230 ROM, 1240 input/output chip

Claims (13)

A system comprising a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and a management device for managing the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
The management device
a placement determination unit that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on remaining power levels of power supply units of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
an instruction transmission unit that transmits a movement instruction to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit;
each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
the power supply unit;
a flight control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft using the power supplied from the power supply unit, and moves and lands the aircraft based on the movement instruction;
a first wireless communication unit that communicates with a core network by wireless communication using power supplied from the power supply unit;
a second wireless communication unit that forms a wireless communication area using power supplied from the power supply unit and wirelessly communicates with a wireless communication terminal within the wireless communication area while the aircraft is in a landing state; and
The placement determination unit is configured to at least give priority to a point with a view of the surroundings and a higher position based on the topography in the covered area specified by referring to map information stored in advance. determining placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles according to rules including
system. A system comprising a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and a management device for managing the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
The management device
a placement determination unit that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on remaining power levels of power supply units of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
an instruction transmission unit that transmits movement instructions to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit;
has
each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
the power supply unit;
a flight control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft using the power supplied from the power supply unit, and moves and lands the aircraft based on the movement instruction;
a first wireless communication unit that communicates with a core network by wireless communication using power supplied from the power supply unit;
a second wireless communication unit that forms a wireless communication area using power supplied from the power supply unit and wirelessly communicates with a wireless communication terminal within the wireless communication area while the aircraft is in a landing state;
has
The arrangement determining unit arranges a larger number of the unmanned aerial vehicles with a larger remaining power level of the power supply unit in a covered area with a larger flow of people based on people flow data indicating the flow of people in the covered area. determining the placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles so as to
system. A system comprising a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and a management device for managing the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
The management device
a placement determination unit that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on remaining power levels of power supply units of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
an instruction transmission unit that transmits movement instructions to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit;
has
each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
the power supply unit;
a flight control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft using the power supplied from the power supply unit, and moves and lands the aircraft based on the movement instruction;
a first wireless communication unit that communicates with a core network by wireless communication using power supplied from the power supply unit;
a second wireless communication unit that forms a wireless communication area using power supplied from the power supply unit and wirelessly communicates with a wireless communication terminal within the wireless communication area while the aircraft is in a landing state;
has
Based on the remaining power of the power supply unit of each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, the placement determination unit determines whether the unmanned aerial vehicle with the greater remaining power of the power supply unit is assigned to a target point having a longer flight distance. determining placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to position the aircraft;
system. A system comprising a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles and a management device for managing the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
The management device
a placement determination unit that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on remaining power levels of power supply units of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
an instruction transmission unit that transmits movement instructions to the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit;
has
each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
the power supply unit;
a flight control unit that controls the flight of the aircraft using the power supplied from the power supply unit, and moves and lands the aircraft based on the movement instruction;
a first wireless communication unit that communicates with a core network by wireless communication using power supplied from the power supply unit;
a second wireless communication unit that forms a wireless communication area using power supplied from the power supply unit and wirelessly communicates with a wireless communication terminal within the wireless communication area while the aircraft is in a landing state;
has
Based on the remaining power of the power supply unit of each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, the placement determination unit distributes the remaining power of the power supply unit to an area where communication traffic by wireless communication terminals is larger among the target areas. Determining placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles to place a greater amount of unmanned aerial vehicles;
system. each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles has a situation identification unit that identifies a surrounding situation based on sensor information output by a sensor;
2. After moving based on the movement instruction, the flight control unit determines a landing position based on the surrounding conditions identified by the situation identification unit, and lands the aircraft at the landing position. 5. The system of any one of Clauses 4 . The situation identification unit surveys the surrounding terrain based on the sensor information,
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the flight controller determines the landing position based on terrain surveyed by the situation determiner. 7. The second wireless communication unit according to claim 6 , wherein the second wireless communication unit simulates a radio wave condition when forming a wireless communication area based on the terrain surveyed by the situation identification unit, and adjusts the direction and strength of the radio waves that it transmits. System as described. The situation identification unit identifies the radio wave situation in the coverage target area based on the received radio waves,
8. The system according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , wherein said flight control unit determines a landing position based on radio conditions identified by said situation identification unit. 9. The flight control unit determines a landing position based on communication contents with other unmanned aerial vehicles among the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, and lands the aircraft at the landing position. The system described in paragraph. The situation identifying unit identifies the situation of communication traffic in the wireless communication area while the second wireless communication unit forms the wireless communication area while the aircraft is landing,
The first wireless communication unit transmits the status of communication traffic within the wireless communication area to the management device, and receives the status of communication traffic within the wireless communication area of another unmanned aircraft from the management device,
The flight control unit determines the position of the own aircraft based on the communication traffic within the wireless communication area of the own aircraft and the communication traffic within the wireless communication areas of other unmanned aircraft, and controls the flight of the own aircraft. , moving the aircraft to the determined position. A management device for managing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles,
a placement determination unit that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on remaining power levels of power supply units of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
A state in which a movement instruction including a target point is transmitted to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined by the placement determination unit, and the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles land after landing at the target point. with an unmanned aerial vehicle management unit that manages to form a wireless communication area ,
The placement determination unit is configured to at least give priority to a point with a view of the surroundings and a higher position based on the topography in the covered area specified by referring to map information stored in advance. A management device that determines placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles according to rules including any one of: A program for causing a computer to function as the management apparatus according to claim 11. A management method executed by a management device for managing a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising:
a placement determination step of determining placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on remaining power levels of power supply units of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles;
A state in which a movement instruction including a target point is transmitted to each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles based on the placement determined in the placement determination step, and each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles lands after landing at the target point. and a management step for managing to form a wireless communication area ,
The placement determination step includes at least prioritizing a point with a view of the surroundings and prioritizing a higher position based on the topography within the covered area identified by referring to map information stored in advance. A management method for determining placement of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles according to rules including any of :

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