JP7440937B2 - Drone chemical dispersion flight control method and information processing terminal - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for controlling a drone flight for dispersing chemicals and an information processing terminal.

As background technology in this technical field, there is Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-64544 (Patent Document 1). This bulletin states, ``The aerial dispersion device 11 (unmanned flying vehicle system 10) includes one or more drones (unmanned flying vehicle) 14 and a ground station 12 connected by wire to at least one of the one or more drones 14. The drone 14 includes a drone-side cable 86 connected to the station 12 or another drone 14, and a drone-side cable mechanism section 108 that extends or retracts the drone-side cable 86.'' (see summary).

JP2019-64544A

Patent Document 1 describes a drone that sprays a spraying agent. However, this Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which power can be supplied and fuel can be replenished from a station, and the amount of medicine and energy required for a spraying flight is not managed. Additionally, spraying agents could only be applied to fields within a certain distance from the station, and the schedule of spraying flights to multiple fields could not be managed.
Furthermore, there was no consideration of the next chemical spraying schedule when operating the drone spraying flight, and there was no need to display the next chemical spraying schedule.
Therefore, the present invention provides a mechanism for displaying information regarding the next spraying flight on a part of the operation screen for operating the drone's spraying flight.

The present application includes multiple means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example is an information processing terminal that controls the spraying flights of a drone that sprays chemical agents, and which controls multiple spraying flights for multiple fields. A storage unit that stores a chemical spraying schedule to be performed, a display unit that displays an operation screen for operating the spraying flight of the drone, and a control unit that controls the spraying flight of the drone, the display unit displays the operation screen for the current spraying flight based on the chemical spraying schedule stored in the storage unit, and displays information regarding the next spraying flight as part of the operation screen for the current spraying flight. It is characterized by displaying.

According to the present invention, it is possible to generate a schedule for a spraying flight by breaking down the conditions to be considered in a spraying flight and performing a route search process based on these conditions, thereby facilitating management of the chemical spraying schedule. .
Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be made clear by the following description of the embodiments.

This is an example of a plan view of a drone. This is an example of a front view of a drone. This is an example of a right side view of a drone. This is an example of a rear view of a drone. It is an example of a perspective view of a drone. This is an example of a block diagram showing the control functions of a drone. It is an example of the connection block diagram of the whole drone management system 700. This is an example of a field information display screen 800 displayed on a mobile terminal 701. This is an example of a drone operation screen 900 displayed on a mobile terminal 701. This is an example of the hardware configuration of a mobile terminal 701. This is an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 702. This is an example of the hardware configuration of the management terminal 703. This is an example of field management information 1300. This is an example of device management information 1400. This is an example of user management information 1500. This is an example of drug management information 1600. This is an example of energy management information 1700. This is an example of flight route management information 1800. This is an example of schedule management information 1900. This is an example of a screen display processing flow 2000. This is an example of a flight route output processing flow 2100. This is an example of a dispersion-related information output processing flow 2200. is a display example of the dispersion information display area 820 of the field information display screen 800. is a display example of the dispersion flight progress information 912 on the drone operation screen 900. It is an example of a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the sprayed chemical load and the flight time. It is an example of a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the sprayed chemical loading amount and the battery reduction amount. This is an example of a display screen 2700 of a chemical spraying schedule for a plurality of fields. This is an example of a display screen 2800 of a multi-day drug dispersion schedule. This is an example of a screen (currently being changed) 2900 for changing the drug dispersion schedule. This is an example of a screen (after change) 3000 for changing the drug dispersion schedule. This is an example of a schedule information display processing flow 3100. This is an example of a schedule management information output processing flow 3200. This is an example of a dispersion flight time calculation processing flow 3300. This is an example of a travel time calculation processing flow 3400. This is an example of a route search model generation processing flow 3500 using AI. This is an example of a schedule information output processing flow 3600 by AI. 37 is an example of a display screen 3700 displaying information regarding an upcoming dispersion flight. 38 is an example of another display screen 3800 displaying information regarding an upcoming spray flight. This is an example of the next dispersion flight information display processing flow 3900. It is an example of a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the amount of sprayed chemical and the notification time.

Examples will be described below with reference to the drawings.
Drones are an example of agricultural machinery. In this specification, a drone refers to a drone, regardless of the power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.) and the operation method (wireless or wired, autonomous flight type or manually operated type, etc.). This refers to all flying vehicles with multiple rotary wings.

FIG. 1 is an example of a plan view of a drone.
FIG. 2 is an example of a front view of the drone.
FIG. 3 is an example of a right side view of the drone.
FIG. 4 is an example of a rear view of the drone.
FIG. 5 is an example of a perspective view of a drone.

The rotary blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, and 101-4b (also called rotors) are means for flying the drone 100. In consideration of the balance between flight stability, aircraft size, and power consumption, there are eight aircraft (four sets of two-stage rotor blades). Each rotor blade 101 is arranged on the four sides of the main body 110 of the drone 100 by an arm extending from the main body 110. That is, rotary blades 101-1a and 101-1b are located at the left rear in the direction of travel, rotary blades 101-2a and 101-2b are located at the left front, rotary blades 101-3a and 101-3b are located at the right rear, and rotary blade 101- is located at the right front. 4a and 101-4b are respectively arranged. Note that the traveling direction of the drone 100 is downward in the plane of the paper in FIG. Rod-shaped legs 107-1, 107-2, 107-3, and 107-4 extend downward from the rotation axis of the rotary blade 101, respectively.

Motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b are rotary blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101- 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, and 101-4b (typically an electric motor, but a motor or the like may also be used). Machine is available. Motor 102 is an example of a propulsion device. The upper and lower rotary blades (for example, 101-1a and 101-1b) and the corresponding motors (for example, 102-1a and 102-1b) in one set have their axes aligned to ensure flight stability of the drone. They are on the same straight line and rotate in opposite directions.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the radial members for supporting the propeller guard, which are provided to prevent the rotor from interfering with foreign objects, are not horizontal but have a tower-like structure. This is to encourage the member to buckle to the outside of the rotor blade in the event of a collision, and to prevent interference with the rotor.

Four drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4 are provided as means for spraying the drug downward. In addition, in this specification, a chemical|medical agent is a liquid, powder, or fine particle sprayed on a field, such as an agricultural chemical, a herbicide, a liquid fertilizer, an insecticide, a seed, and water.

The medicine tank 104 is a tank for storing the medicine to be sprayed, and is provided at a position close to and lower than the center of gravity of the drone 100 from the viewpoint of weight balance. The drug hoses 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, and 105-4 connect the drug tank 104 and each drug nozzle 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, and 103-4. The drug hose is made of a hard material and may also serve to support the drug nozzle. Pump 106 is a means for discharging medicine from the nozzle.

FIG. 6 is an example of a block diagram showing the control functions of the drone.
The flight controller 501 is a component that controls the entire drone, and specifically may be an embedded computer including a CPU, memory, related software, and the like. The flight controller 501 controls the motors 102-1a and 102-1b through a control means such as an ESC (Electronic Speed Control) based on input information received from the controller 401 and input information obtained from various sensors described below. , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, and 104-b to control the flight of the drone 100. The actual rotational speed of the motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b is fed back to the flight controller 501 to ensure normal rotation. The configuration is such that it is possible to monitor whether the Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which the rotary blade 101 is provided with an optical sensor or the like and the rotation of the rotary blade 101 is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The software used by the flight controller 501 can be rewritten through a storage medium or a communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB in order to expand/change functions, correct problems, etc. In this case, protection is provided using encryption, checksums, electronic signatures, virus checking software, etc. to prevent rewriting by unauthorized software. Further, a part of the calculation processing used for control by the flight controller 501 may be executed by another computer located on the controller 401, the farming cloud 405, or other locations. Since the flight controller 501 is highly important, some or all of its components may be duplicated.

The flight controller 501 communicates with the mobile terminal 701 via the Wi-Fi handset function 503 and the base station 710, receives necessary commands from the mobile terminal 701, and transmits necessary information to the mobile terminal. You can send to 701. In this case, the communication may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized acts such as interception, impersonation, and hijacking of the device. In addition to the Wi-Fi communication function, the base station 404 also has the function of an RTK-GPS base station. By combining signals from the RTK base station and signals from GPS positioning satellites, the flight controller 501 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of several centimeters. Because the flight controller 501 is highly important, it may be duplicated or multiplexed, and each redundant flight controller 501 may be configured to use a different satellite in order to respond to failures of specific GPS satellites. It may be controlled. Note that communication between the flight controller 501, base station 710, and mobile terminal 701 may use a mobile network such as LTE instead of Wi-Fi.

The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 measures the acceleration of the drone body in three mutually orthogonal directions. Furthermore, the velocity is calculated by integrating the acceleration. The 6-axis gyro sensor 505 measures changes in the attitude angle of the drone body in the three directions described above, that is, the angular velocity. The geomagnetic sensor 506 measures the direction of the drone body by measuring geomagnetism. The atmospheric pressure sensor 507 can also measure the atmospheric pressure and indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 measures the distance between the drone body and the ground surface using reflection of laser light, and may be an IR (infrared) laser.

The sonar 509 measures the distance between the drone body and the ground surface using reflections of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected depending on the drone's cost goals and performance requirements. Furthermore, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the inclination of the aircraft, a wind sensor for measuring wind force, etc. may be added. Further, these sensors may be duplicated or multiplexed. If there are multiple sensors for the same purpose, the flight controller 501 may use only one of them, and if that sensor fails, it may switch to use an alternative sensor. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used simultaneously, and if the respective measurement results do not match, it may be assumed that a failure has occurred.

The flow rate sensors 510 measure the flow rate of the medicine, and are provided at multiple locations along the route from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzle 103. The liquid-out sensor 511 is a sensor that detects when the amount of medicine has fallen below a predetermined amount. The multispectral camera 512 is a means for photographing the field 403 and acquiring data for image analysis. The obstacle detection camera 513 is a camera for detecting obstacles, and is a different device from the multispectral camera 512 because its image characteristics and lens orientation are different from the multispectral camera 512.

Switch 514 is a means for the user of drone 100 to make various settings. The obstacle contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, particularly its rotor or propeller guard portion, has come into contact with an intruder such as a power line, a building, a human body, a standing tree, a bird, or another drone. . Note that the obstacle contact sensor 515 may be replaced by the 6-axis gyro sensor 505. The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects whether the operation panel or internal maintenance cover of the drone 100 is open.

The drug inlet sensor 517 is a sensor that detects whether the inlet of the drug tank 104 is open. These sensors may be selected depending on the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. Alternatively, a sensor may be provided at the base station 710, mobile terminal 701, or other location outside the drone 100, and read information may be transmitted to the drone 100. For example, the base station 404 may be provided with a wind sensor, and information regarding wind force and wind direction may be transmitted to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 transmits a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the amount of medicine discharged and to stop the medicine discharge. The current status of the pump 106 (for example, rotation speed, etc.) is configured to be fed back to the flight controller 501.

The LED 107 is a display means for notifying the drone operator of the drone's status. Display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used instead of or in addition to the LED. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly an error state) by an audio signal. The Wi-Fi handset function 519 is an optional component, separate from the mobile terminal 701, for communicating with an external computer, etc., for example, to transfer software. Instead of or in addition to the Wi-Fi handset function, you can use other wireless communication means such as infrared communication, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), NFC, or wired communication means such as USB connection. May be used. In addition, communication between the flight controller 501, mobile terminal 701, and base station 710 can be performed using mobile communication systems such as 3G, 4G, and LTE instead of the Wi-Fi handset function. Good too.

The speaker 520 is an output means for notifying the state of the drone (particularly the error state) using a recorded human voice, a synthesized voice, or the like. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 during flight, so in such cases, it is effective to convey the situation by voice. The warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light that informs the state of the drone (particularly an error state). These input/output means may be selected depending on the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated or multiplexed.

FIG. 7 is an example of a connection configuration diagram of the entire drone management system 700.
The drone management system 700 includes a drone 100, a mobile terminal 701, a management terminal 703, and a base station 710, each of which is connected to a management server 702 via a network. Note that each terminal can send and receive information via the network, regardless of whether the network is wired or wireless.
The drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701 can communicate via the base station 710 in the field 720, and the drone 100 performs a medicine spraying flight.

The network may be a network that communicates according to one communication standard, or a network that is a combination of multiple communication standard networks. For example, the drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701 may each be connected to a network using Wi-Fi provided by the base station 710, or the drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701 may be each connected to a network using a mobile communication network such as LTE. Alternatively, the drone 100 may be connected via Wi-Fi provided by the base station 710, and the base station 710 and the mobile terminal 701 may be connected via a mobile communication network.

The mobile terminal 701 transmits commands to the drone 100 according to a user's operation, and also displays information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, amount of medicine, remaining battery level, camera image, etc.). For example, this is realized by a portable information device such as a tablet terminal or a smartphone. The drone 100 flies autonomously according to instructions from the management server 702, but the mobile terminal 701 allows manual operations during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in emergencies. Mobile terminal 701 is connected to base station 710 and can communicate with management terminal 703 via base station 710 or directly.

The management server 702 is a server placed on the cloud, for example, and calculates the spraying flight route of the drone 100 based on the field management information 1300, and controls the autonomous flight of the drone 100. Additionally, information obtained from the camera and various sensors mounted on the drone 100 can be collected to perform various analyzes such as the condition of fields and crops.
The management terminal 703 is a terminal that operates the management server 702 and performs various settings for the management server 702. It is also possible to control the drone 100 and the mobile terminal 701.

The base station 710 is installed in a field 720 and is a device that provides a Wi-Fi communication base unit function, etc. It also functions as an RTK-GPS base station and can provide the accurate position of the drone 100. (The base unit function for Wi-Fi communication and the RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices.) Furthermore, the base station 710 can communicate with the management server 702 using mobile communication networks such as 3G, 4G, and LTE.

Each terminal of the drone management system 700 and the management server 702 may be, for example, a mobile terminal (mobile terminal) such as a smartphone, a tablet, a mobile phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA), or may be a glasses-type, wristwatch-type, clothing-type, etc. It may also be a wearable terminal. Alternatively, it may be a stationary or portable computer, or a server placed on a cloud or network. In addition, the function may be a VR (Virtual Reality) terminal, an AR terminal, or an MR (Mixed Reality) terminal. Alternatively, it may be a combination of these multiple terminals. For example, a combination of one smartphone and one wearable terminal can logically function as one terminal. Further, information processing terminals other than these may also be used.

Each terminal of the drone management system 700 and the management server 702 each include a processor (control unit) that executes an operating system, applications, programs, etc., a main storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory), and an IC card or hard disk drive. , SSD (Solid State Drive), auxiliary storage devices such as flash memory, communication control units such as network cards, wireless communication modules, mobile communication modules, touch panels, keyboards, mice, voice input, and motion detection by capturing images of cameras. It is equipped with an input device such as an input device, and an output device such as a monitor or display. Note that the output device may be a device or terminal that transmits information to be output to an external monitor, display, printer, device, or the like.

The main storage device stores various programs, applications, etc. (modules), and when a processor executes these programs and applications, each functional element of the overall system is realized. Note that each of these modules may be implemented in hardware by integrating them or the like. Further, each module may be an independent program or application, or may be implemented as a part of a subprogram or function within one integrated program or application.

In this specification, each module is described as a subject (subject) that performs processing, but in reality, a processor that processes various programs, applications, etc. (modules) executes processing.
Various databases (DB) are stored in the auxiliary storage device. A “database” is a functional element (storage unit) that stores a data set so as to be able to respond to arbitrary data operations (eg, extraction, addition, deletion, overwriting, etc.) from a processor or an external computer. The implementation method of the database is not limited, and may be, for example, a database management system, spreadsheet software, or a text file such as XML or JSON.
The mobile terminal 701 is sometimes called an information processing device, and the management server 702 is sometimes called an information processing device.

FIG. 8 is an example of a field information display screen 800 displayed on the mobile terminal 701.
Screen display module 1011 of mobile terminal 701 acquires map information 1200 and field management information 1300 stored in mobile terminal 701, generates field information display screen 800, and outputs it to output device 1005 such as a screen.
Note that the screen display module 1011 may be configured to obtain the map information 1200 or 1200 and the field management information 1300 stored in the management server 702 via a network and generate the field information display screen 800.

A map 801 is displayed on the back of the field information display screen 800, which shows that information is registered in fields 802, 803, and 804 whose field information is stored in the field management information 1300. An anchor 805 is displayed.
A field is a rice field, a field, etc. that is the target of chemical spraying by the drone 100. In reality, the topography of a field is complex, and topographic maps may not be available in advance, or there may be a discrepancy between the topographic map and the field situation. Farm fields are usually adjacent to houses, hospitals, schools, other crop fields, roads, railways, etc. Furthermore, there may be intruders such as buildings or electric wires in the field. A field is one example of a target area for chemical spraying.

When the screen display module 1011 receives a selection of the field 802 from the user via the input device 1004 by tapping the screen or the like, the screen display module 1011 acquires information corresponding to the field 802 from the field management information 1300 and displays it in the field information display area 810. do. The screen display module 1011 also performs a highlight display indicating that the selected farm field 802 has been selected, such as by changing the periphery of the selected farm field 802 to a brightly colored thick line.

The field information display area 810 displays information acquired from the field management information 1300, such as a field name 811, address 812, area 813, and planted crop name 814.
The dispersion information display area 820 displays information related to dispersion of chemicals. The chemicals to be sprayed vary depending on the crop name 814, the spraying time, etc., and information on chemicals to be sprayed in the near future is acquired from the chemical management information 1600 and displayed.
The spraying information display area 820 displays information related to chemical spraying acquired or calculated by the spraying-related information management module 1114 of the management server 702, such as the chemical name, spraying amount, dilution amount, and energy amount required for a field spraying flight. etc. will be displayed.
In the status 830, information such as "surveyed" and "flight route available" is displayed as the current status of the selected field 802.
The latest flight date and time 840 displays information on the latest dispersion flight date and time.
The flight status display column 850 displays the current status of the drone's spraying flight.

A compass 861 indicates the direction that the map 801 is displaying.
When the entire field display button 862 is selected, the screen display module 1011 changes the scale of the display so that the selected field fills the screen.
When the current location movement button 863 is selected, the screen display module 1011 changes the display so that the current location acquired by the GPS of the mobile terminal 701 is centered on the screen.
When the schedule display button 870 is selected, the screen display module 1011 displays the current day's chemical dispersion schedule.

FIG. 9 is an example of a drone operation screen 900 displayed on the mobile terminal 701.
The drone battery display 901 displays the current remaining battery level of the drone.
In the drone position 902, current position information of the drone 100 is displayed.
The dispersion flight progress information 912 displays progress information of the current dispersion flight. For example, the progress status of the flight route of the spraying flight, the remaining amount of the spraying agent, the remaining battery level, etc. are displayed.
The flight status display column 921 displays the current status of the spraying flight of the drone 100.
Message display field 922 displays messages indicating the content of communication with drone 100, flight status, and the like.

Altitude change buttons 923 and 924 are buttons for changing the flight altitude of the drone 100. Pressing the minus button will decrease the altitude, and pressing the plus button will increase the altitude.
The emergency stop button 925 is a button to emergency stop the flying drone 100, etc. In addition to a temporary stop that hovers on the spot, an option to return to the flight starting point, an option to emergency stop the motor on the spot, etc. can also be displayed.
In the example of the drone operation screen 900, a field 930 to be sprayed with chemicals is displayed on a map, and a flight path 931 of a spraying flight over the field 930 is displayed. The drone 100 sequentially flies through designated flight coordinates according to the flight route management information 1800 stored in the mobile terminal 701 or the management server 702.

Upon receiving operations that require operations on the drone 100, such as the altitude change buttons 923 and 924 and the emergency stop button 925, the drone operation module 1012 transmits information such as commands corresponding to these operations to the drone 100, The drone 100 can be operated.
The next spraying schedule display button 940 is a button for displaying the schedule of the next spraying flight after the currently executed spraying flight. When this button is pressed, information regarding the next spraying flight obtained from schedule management information 1900 is displayed.

FIG. 10 is an example of the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 701.
The mobile terminal 701 is, for example, a tablet, a smartphone, a head-mounted display, or the like.
The main storage device 1001 stores programs and applications such as a screen display module 1011, a drone operation module 1012, a schedule management module 1013, etc. The processor 1003 executes these programs and applications to control each of the mobile terminals 701. Functional elements are realized.
A screen display module 1011 displays a field information display screen 800 and a drone operation screen 900 on an output device 1005 such as a display panel.

When the drone operation module 1012 receives user operations such as the altitude change buttons 923 and 924 or the emergency stop button 925, the drone operation module 1012 transmits information such as commands corresponding to these operations to the drone 100, and controls the flight of the drone. Manipulate.
The schedule management module 1013 manages the schedule of each spraying flight when spraying flights are performed continuously on a plurality of fields.
The auxiliary storage device 1002 stores various information such as map information 1200, field management information 1300, equipment management information 1400, user management information 1500, drug management information 1600, energy management information 1700, flight route management information 1800, and schedule management information 1900. Remember.

FIG. 11 is an example of the hardware configuration of the management server 702.
The management server 702 is configured of a server placed on a cloud, for example.
The main storage device 1101 stores a screen output module 1111, a flight management module 1112, a user/equipment management module 1113, a dispersion-related information management module 1114, a flight route management module 1115, and a schedule management module 1116, and these programs Each functional element of the management server 702 is realized by the processor 1103 executing the following and applications.
The screen output module 1111 extracts and generates information for displaying the field information display screen 800 and the drone operation screen 900, and transmits it to the mobile terminal 701. The screen information itself may be generated and displayed on the mobile terminal 701 or the like.
The flight management module 1112 manages the spraying flight of the drone 100 based on information such as field management information 1300 and flight route management information 1800.

The user/equipment management module 1113 registers information regarding the user who uses the drone 100 in the user management information 1500 and manages the information.
The spraying-related information management module 1114 manages energy amounts such as the amount of medicine sprayed, the amount of medicine required for the spraying flight, the amount of dilution, the amount of water required for dilution, and the number of batteries.
The flight route management module 1115 calculates the flight route of the spraying flight of the drone 100 based on the field management information 1300.
The schedule management module 1116 generates and manages schedules for spraying flights spanning multiple fields and multiple days. The generated chemical dispersion schedule is stored in schedule management information 1900.

The auxiliary storage device 1102 stores various information such as map information 1200, field management information 1300, equipment management information 1400, user management information 1500, drug management information 1600, energy management information 1700, flight route management information 1800, and schedule management information 1900. Remember.
Note that although the same information is stored in the mobile terminal 701 and the management server 702, the information of each may be synchronized, or the information of either may be simply copied. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which some or all of the information is stored on the management server 702, and the information is downloaded from the management server 702 from the mobile terminal 701 as needed.

FIG. 12 is an example of the hardware configuration of the management terminal 703.
The management terminal 703 is a terminal such as a desktop PC, a notebook PC, or a tablet.
The main storage device 1201 stores programs and applications such as a drone setting module 1211 and a management server setting module 1212, and when the processor 1203 executes these programs and applications, each functional element of the management terminal 703 is realized. be done.
The drone setting module 1211 performs various operations and settings such as spraying flight settings and initial settings for the drone 100.
The management server setting module 1212 performs various settings such as initial settings of the management server 702.
The auxiliary storage device 1202 stores various information such as drone setting information 1221 and management server setting information 1222.

FIG. 13 is an example of field management information 1300.
The field management information 1300 stores various information regarding the field to which chemical spraying is performed, and stores information such as field ID, field name, field position, field surrounding coordinates, field area, and planted crops. The field management information 1300 may also be simply referred to as field information.
The field ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the field.
The field position 1311 indicates the position coordinates of the field, and includes information on the latitude and longitude of the center of the field, for example.
The field surrounding coordinates 1312 indicate the coordinates around the field, and for example, in the case of a rectangular field, the field coordinates are the position coordinates of four corner points. The sample value GC007 indicates a link to information in which position coordinates are stored consecutively and separated by commas.
The field area 1313 is the total area of the field corresponding to the field ID.
The planted crops 1314 stores information specifying crops etc. that are planted in the field.

FIG. 14 is an example of device management information 1400.
The device management information 1400 stores information for managing the drone 100, and stores information such as device ID, device name, model number, specifications, user, energy, and flight time.
The device ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the drone 100.
The user is information about the user who is currently using the drone 100, and stores the user ID of the user management information 1500.
Energy 1411 is information regarding energy that can be mounted on drone 100, and stores the energy ID of energy management information 1700.
The available flight time 1412 indicates the available flight time based on the energy that can be mounted on the drone 100. For example, information such as the ability to fly for 15 minutes with a set of two batteries is stored.

FIG. 15 is an example of user management information 1500.
The user management information 1500 stores information about the user who operates the drone 100, and stores information such as a user ID, user display ID, name, email address, date of birth, and gender.
The user ID is identification information that uniquely identifies a user.
The user display ID is user information displayed on the mobile terminal 701 or the like, and is, for example, a nickname registered by the user.

FIG. 16 is an example of drug management information 1600.
The medicine management information 1600 stores information on medicines to be sprayed, and stores medicine ID, medicine name, product number, specifications, dilution rate, spray amount, and the like.
The drug ID is identification information that uniquely identifies a drug.
The drug name 1602 indicates the name of a liquid, powder, or particulate product to be sprayed on a field, such as an agricultural chemical, herbicide, liquid fertilizer, insecticide, or seed.

The specification 1603 stores information such as how to use the chemical, how to dilute it, target crops, and how to spray it, and dilutes and sprays the chemical according to the contents described in the specification 1603.
The dilution rate 1604 stores the rate at which the medicine is diluted, and stores, for example, the ratio of medicine to water, the amount of medicine and water used for dilution, and the like.
The spray amount 1605 stores the spray amount of the diluted chemical (sprayed chemical). For example, it has been shown that 10 L of spraying chemicals should be applied per 1 ha.

FIG. 17 is an example of energy management information 1700.
The energy management information 1700 stores information regarding energy such as a battery, which is necessary for the flight of the drone 100, and stores information such as an energy ID, an energy name, a model number, a type, and specifications.
Energy ID is identification information that uniquely identifies energy.
The type indicates the type of energy, and stores, for example, a battery, gasoline, jet fuel, etc.

FIG. 18 is an example of flight route management information 1800.
The flight route management information 1800 stores information indicating the flight route of the drone 100, and stores a route ID, target ID, route coordinates, total route distance, and the like.
The route ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the flight route.
The target ID is information that specifies the field for which the flight route is calculated, the travel route between the fields, and the like. For example, farm003 indicates that the target is in a field, and route002 indicates that the target is on a moving route outside the field.
The route coordinates 1811 is a link to information indicating the route coordinates of a flight, and the route coordinates of a flight are expressed, for example, as a combination of a plurality of consecutive position coordinates. Possible position coordinates include a combination of latitude and longitude, a combination of latitude, longitude, and altitude, and the like.
The total route distance 1812 indicates the total distance of the route when the entire flight route from the start of the flight to the schedule is flown.

FIG. 19 is an example of schedule management information 1900.
Schedule management information 1900 is information that defines a schedule when conducting a scattering flight over a plurality of fields, and stores information such as schedule ID, schedule name, date and time, starting place, and schedule.
The schedule 1901 stores information that specifies the fields where the spraying flight is to be performed, the travel routes between the fields, and the like. For example, in the example of the sample value, after flying over two fields specified by farm006 and farm005, after flying along the travel route indicated by route001, after flying over the field specified by farm003, and then flying over two fields specified by other001. This is a schedule for flying over the field specified by farm002 after an event (for example, lunch time) has passed.

The spraying related information 1902 is calculated by the schedule management information output processing flow 3200 of FIG. 32, and stores the chemical spray amount, dilution amount, energy amount, etc. of all the output schedules. Note that the amount of chemical sprayed, the amount of dilution, the amount of energy, etc. for each field calculated and outputted by the spraying-related information output processing flow 2200 in FIG. 22 may be stored.
Note that the spraying related information is information including the amount of medicine sprayed, the amount of dilution, the amount of energy, etc. required for the medicine spraying flight.
The method for specifying the schedule is just an example, and other schedule management methods may be used.

FIG. 20 is an example of a screen display processing flow 2000.
Upon receiving a screen display instruction from the user, the screen display module 1011 of the mobile terminal 701 acquires map information 1200 from the storage device 1002 (step 2010).
The screen display module 1011 acquires the field management information 1300 regarding the field targeted for the spraying flight from the storage device 1002 (step 2020).
The screen display module 1011 acquires flight route management information 1800 regarding the flight route of the dispersion flight from the storage device 1002 (step 2030).
The screen display module 1011 acquires drug and energy information necessary for the spray flight (step 2040).

The screen display module 1011 generates and displays the field information display screen 800 based on the acquired information (step 2050).
When the screen display module 1011 receives a drone operation instruction from the user (step 2060: Yes), the screen display module 1011 displays the drone operation screen 900 (step 2070).
Note that the map information 1200 and the field management information 1300 may be acquired from the storage device 1102 of the management server 702 via the network instead of the storage device 1002 of the mobile terminal 701.

In the flight route management information 1800 of the dispersion flight, information regarding the flight route calculated by the flight route management module 1115 of the management server 702 is stored in the flight route management information 1800 of the storage device 1102 of the management server 702. Alternatively, this information may be synchronized and stored in the storage device 1002 of the mobile terminal 701. Alternatively, the flight path may be calculated on the mobile terminal 701 side and stored in the storage device 1002 of the mobile terminal 701. Calculation of the flight path will be explained with reference to FIG. 21.
The mobile terminal 701 obtains the drug and energy information necessary for the dispersion flight via the network, which is calculated and output by the dispersion-related information management module 1114 of the management server 702. Alternatively, information regarding drugs and energy may be calculated on the mobile terminal 701 side and displayed on the mobile terminal 701. Calculation of information regarding drugs and energy will be explained with reference to FIG. 22.

FIG. 21 is an example of a flight route output processing flow 2100.
It may be executed by the management server 702 or by the mobile terminal 701. When executed by the management server 702, the flight route management module 1115 of the management server 702 first acquires the field management information 1300 from the storage device 1102 (step 2110). Specifically, the flight path management module 1115 acquires, from the field management information 1300, information on the field surrounding coordinates 1312 of the field that is the target of the dispersion flight.

The flight route management module 1115 calculates the shape of the field from the surrounding coordinate information, and calculates the route of the dispersion flight based on the calculated shape of the field (step 2120).
For example, like the flight route 931 of the spraying flight over the field 930 on the drone operation screen 900 in FIG. 9, a route is calculated for the drone to travel back and forth so as to first go around the field and then fill in the inside.
The flight route management module 1115 outputs information regarding the calculated flight route and stores it in the flight route management information 1800 (step 2130). For example, flight route management information 1800 includes route coordinates 1811, in which a plurality of position coordinates consisting of a combination of latitude, longitude, and altitude are stored. The spraying flight of the drone 100 is controlled according to the flight path based on this combination of latitude, longitude, and altitude. Further, the flight route management module 1115 may store the total route distance 1812 and the like in addition to the route coordinates.

Note that when the flight route management module 1115 of the management server 702 receives a request to obtain a flight route from the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703, the flight route management module 1115 of the management server 702 transmits the flight route management information 1800 regarding the calculated flight route to the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703. It is sent to the management terminal 703.
Further, when the mobile terminal 701 executes the flight route output processing flow 2100, a flight route management module (not shown) of the mobile terminal 701 executes similar processing, and the flight route management information 1800 is stored in the storage device of the mobile terminal 701. 1002.

FIG. 22 is an example of a dispersion-related information output processing flow 2200.
It may be executed by the management server 702 or by the mobile terminal 701. When executed by the management server 702, first, the dispersion-related information management module 1114 of the management server 702 acquires the field management information 1300 from the storage device 1102 (step 2210). For example, the dispersion-related information management module 1114 acquires information on the area 1313 of the field to be subjected to the dispersion flight from the field management information 1300.
The spraying-related information management module 1114 acquires drug management information 1600 for the drugs to be sprayed on the field from the storage device 1102 (step 2220). For example, the drug name 1601, product number 1602, specifications 1603, dilution rate 1604, spray amount 1605, etc. of the drug management information 1600 are acquired.

The spraying-related information management module 1114 calculates the amount of the medicine to be actually sprayed in the spraying flight based on the acquired field information (step 2230).
For example, from the field area 1313 obtained from the field management information 1300 and the application amount 1605 of the diluted chemical (sprayed chemical) per unit area obtained from the chemical management information 1600, the amount of the diluted chemical (sprayed chemical) required for spraying can be calculated. calculate.
For example, the amount of the diluted drug to be sprayed may be calculated based on the amount of the diluted drug to be sprayed per unit time of the drone 100 and the flight time of the spray flight.
Further, the amount of the diluted drug to be sprayed may be calculated based on the amount of the diluted drug to be sprayed per unit distance of the drone 100 and the total route distance 1812 of the spraying flight.

Next, the spray-related information management module 1114 calculates the dilution amount of the medicine to be sprayed (step 2240).
The dilution amount is the amount to dilute the drug, and is, for example, the amount of water to be mixed with the drug to dilute the amount of the drug corresponding to the amount of drug sprayed calculated in step 2230. In addition, a dilution rate indicating the ratio of drug to water may be used. Alternatively, it may be the total amount of the drug after mixing with water (in this case, it is better to also display the dilution rate).
Note that the spraying-related information management module 1114 generates information regarding the dilution amount based on at least one of the variety of crops existing in the selected field, the type of the corresponding chemical, and the spraying timing of the corresponding chemical. be able to.
The variety of the crop is stored in the cultivated crop 1314 of the field management information 1300, and the type of chemical necessary for this cultivated crop 1314, the spraying timing, etc. are stored in the specifications 1603 of the chemical management information 1600. .

Next, the spraying-related information management module 1114 calculates the amount of energy required for the spraying flight (step 2250).
For example, the spraying-related information management module 1114 acquires equipment management information 1400 of the drone 100 that performs a spraying flight, and acquires information 1411 on the energy to be used and flight time 1412 with this energy. Energy information 1411 is associated with energy management information 1700. For example, if the corresponding energy of drone 100 is a battery, information regarding this battery is stored in energy management information 1700.

For example, if the energy is a battery, the spray-related information management module 1114 calculates the number of batteries required to spray the entire amount of the diluted drug.
In this case, the spraying is performed based on the amount of diluted chemical sprayed required for the spraying flight calculated in step 2230 and the required battery capacity per amount of chemical sprayed stored in the equipment management information 1400. Calculate the required battery capacity and number of batteries. For example, the battery capacity is equivalent to 2.7 batteries, and the number of batteries is rounded up to take an integer value, which is equivalent to 3 batteries.

Alternatively, the battery capacity and number of batteries required for spraying may be calculated based on the value of the battery capacity required per weight and the total weight of the drone 100 carrying the diluted medicine to be sprayed.
Furthermore, the battery capacity and number of batteries required for spraying may be calculated based on the value of battery capacity required per flight time and the flight time of the spraying flight.
Furthermore, the battery capacity and number of batteries required for spraying may be calculated based on the value of battery capacity required per flight distance and the flight distance of the spraying flight.
In addition, even if the energy of the drone 100 is not a battery, such as jet fuel, the amount of chemical sprayed, the weight, the flight time, the amount of energy required per flight distance, and the amount of chemical sprayed, weight, flight time, and flight distance of the spraying flight. Based on the flight distance, the battery capacity and number of batteries required for spraying can be calculated.

The spraying-related information management module 1114 outputs the calculated chemical spray amount, dilution amount, and energy amount as spraying-related information, and transmits it to the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703 (step 2260). Alternatively, the dispersion-related information is stored together with the field information corresponding to, for example, the field management information 1300 in the storage device 1102 of the management server 702. Alternatively, it is recorded in the schedule management information 1900 as the dispersion related information 1902.

FIG. 23 is a display example of the dispersion information display area 820 of the field information display screen 800.
The screen display module 1011 of the mobile terminal 701 acquires spraying-related information such as the amount of chemical sprayed, the amount of dilution, and the amount of energy for the field designated by the user from the management server 702 and displays it as a spraying information display area 820.
(A) is a display example 2300 in which the scattering information display area 820 is displayed in characters.
The drug name 2301 displays the name of the drug to be sprayed on the field in the spray flight, which is acquired from the drug management information 1600. Note that, not only the case where the drug is determined in advance, but also a configuration in which the user selects or inputs the drug name in the field or in advance may be used. At this time, a configuration may be adopted in which the package of the drug to be sprayed is photographed with the camera unit 1006 of the mobile terminal 701 and the name of the drug is acquired by analyzing the photographed image.

The spray amount 2302, dilution amount 2303, and energy amount 2304 display the chemical spray amount, dilution amount, and energy amount output by the spray-related information output processing flow 2200 in FIG. 22.The energy amount 2304 is for a battery. For example, the battery capacity required for the dispersion flight, 2.7 units, may be displayed, or the value rounded up to an integer value of 3 may be displayed.
(B) is a display example 2350 in which part of the scattering information display area 820 is displayed graphically.
A dilution amount 2353 and an energy amount 2354 are displayed graphically.

FIG. 24 is a display example of the spraying flight progress information 912 on the drone operation screen 900.
The dispersion flight progress information 912 displays progress information of the current dispersion flight. For example, the progress status of the flight route of the spraying flight, the remaining amount of the spraying agent, the remaining battery level, etc. are displayed.
(A) is a display example 2300 that displays the maximum loading capacity and the current progress level.
The progress level of the dispersion flight is displayed in the route progress level 2410, the remaining amount of medicine 2420, and the remaining amount of battery 2430 in the status bar.

In the route progress level 2410, the total value of the route required for the dispersion flight, obtained from the total route distance 1812 of the flight route management information 1800, is displayed in 2411. Among these, a current route progress level 2412 indicating the progress level of chemical spraying is displayed. In the example of the drone operation screen 900, a flight path 931 of a spraying flight over a field 930 is displayed, but the color of the line of the sprayed area changes depending on the progress of the spraying flight. . These displays make it possible for the user to visually grasp at the same time where the drone 100 is currently flying along the route of the spraying flight and how much the route progress 2410 is relative to the total route distance. Management becomes easier to understand.

The remaining amount 2420 of the drug displays the current remaining amount 2422 of the drug, which indicates the progress of drug dispersion, out of the amount 2421 of the diluted drug that can be loaded onto the drone 100 at one time.
Note that 2421 may be the amount of medicine sprayed required in one spraying flight outputted by the spraying-related information output processing flow 2200 in FIG. 22 .
Furthermore, if it is necessary to spray a chemical that exceeds the maximum load capacity of the drone 100, the total amount of chemical spray required for spraying may be set to 2421. In this case, it will be necessary to additionally load the drug along the way.

Regarding the remaining battery capacity 2430, the current remaining battery capacity 2432 out of the maximum capacity 2431 of the battery that can be mounted on the drone 100 is displayed in the status bar.
Note that 2431 may be the amount of energy required for one dispersion flight outputted by the dispersion-related information output processing flow 2200 in FIG. 22 .
Furthermore, if a battery exceeding the maximum loaded battery capacity of the drone 100 is required, the total battery capacity (number of batteries) required for dispersion may be set to 2431. In this case, the battery will need to be replaced midway through.

(B) is a display example 2350 that displays the maximum load, the amount required for one spraying flight, and the current progress.
The degree of progress in the dispersion flight is displayed on the status bar as the route progress 2460, the remaining amount of medicine 2470, and the remaining amount of battery 2480.
The route progress level 2460 displays a maximum possible flight distance 2461 and a total value 2462 of the route required for the dispersion flight, which is obtained from the total route distance 1812 of the flight route management information 1800. Among these, the current route progress level 2463 indicating the progress level of chemical spraying is displayed.

The drug progress level 2470 indicates the maximum loading amount 2471 of the diluted drug that can be loaded onto the drone 100 at one time, and the amount of drug sprayed required in one spraying flight output by the spraying-related information output processing flow 2200 in FIG. 2472 is displayed. Among these, the current remaining amount of medicine 2473 indicating the progress of medicine dispersion is displayed.
The remaining battery capacity 2480 displays the maximum capacity 2481 of the battery that can be mounted on the drone 100 and the amount of energy (battery amount) 2482 required for one spraying flight output by the spraying-related information output processing flow 2200 in FIG. 22. has been done. Of these, the current remaining battery charge 2483 indicating the progress of chemical dispersion is displayed.

FIG. 25 is an example of a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the sprayed chemical loading amount and the available flight time.
For example, the drone 100 can be loaded with a maximum of 10 L of medicine A, and the flight time when fully loaded is 15 minutes. On the other hand, carrying fewer spray agents reduces weight, reduces battery consumption, and increases flight time. The flight time when not carrying drugs is 20 minutes.
In this case, there is no linear relationship between battery consumption and drug load, and as the payload decreases and the weight decreases, the flight time tends to increase.
Furthermore, since the specific gravity differs for each drug, the relational expression will differ for each drug.

FIG. 26 is an example of a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the sprayed chemical loading amount and the battery reduction amount.
If we replace the relationship in Figure 25 with the battery reduction rate, in the case of drug A, one battery (one set) will be consumed in 15 minutes at the maximum load of 15L, so 1/15 batteries per minute = approximately 6.7%/ battery consumption. On the other hand, when nothing is loaded, one battery is consumed in 20 minutes, so the battery consumption is 1/20 batteries per minute = 5%/minute.

Note that in reality, the spray flight continues to spray the chemical, and the amount of the chemical gradually decreases over time. The amount of battery reduction in this case can be calculated by integrally calculating the amount of battery reduction depending on the amount of drug at each time.
Similarly, the possible flight time can also be calculated by performing calculations using the possible flight time depending on the amount of the drug at the time.

In the spraying-related information output processing flow 2200 of FIG. 22, the spraying-related information management module 1114 of the management server 702 calculates the battery capacity required for spraying 2250, and calculates the amount of chemicals required for spraying determined in step 2230. The battery capacity required for spraying can be calculated using the relationship between the spray amount and the battery reduction amount with respect to the drug amount shown in FIG. In this case, by using a relational expression for each drug, it becomes possible to calculate a more accurate battery capacity.
By calculating the battery capacity by taking into account the reduction in the amount of sprayed chemicals loaded on the drone 100 in this way, it is possible to more accurately determine the amount of battery usage and more accurately determine the timing and frequency of battery replacement. becomes possible.
Note that similar calculations can be performed using energy such as other fuels instead of batteries.

The configuration of the first embodiment can also be applied to a spraying flight in which a plurality of fields are selected.
FIG. 27 is an example of a display screen 2700 of a chemical spraying schedule for a plurality of fields.
When the schedule display button 870 is selected from the field information display screen in FIG. 8, the screen display module 1011 displays the scattering schedule bar 2710 in an animation that slides from the right edge of the screen.
On the spraying schedule bar 2710, fields 802, 803, and 804 are selected as spraying targets, and respective spraying schedules 2730, 2740, and 2750 for these fields are displayed.
Further, at the top of the dispersion schedule bar 2710, a total information display area 2720 is displayed as the entire dispersion schedule for one day.

The schedule management module 1116 of the management server 702 calculates a chemical spraying schedule for the plurality of selected fields.
For each of the fields 802, 803, and 804, the flight route management information 1800 and the spraying related information calculated by the flight route management module 1115 and the spraying related information management module 1114 are acquired, and the spraying is performed according to the spraying schedules 2730, 2740, and 2750. Displays the amount of medicine and energy required for the flight.

An example of the display screen 2700 of the chemical spraying schedule is a display when a field 802 is selected. The screen display module 1011 displays the field 802 in a different color to show that it has been selected, and displays information about the field 802 in the field information display area 810. The screen display module 1011 also highlights the spraying schedule 2730 corresponding to the field 802 on the spraying schedule bar 2710 by changing the color.

In addition, the schedule management module 1116 acquires the area information of each field from the field management information 1300 of the selected plurality of fields, and the spraying-related information management module 1114 calculates the necessary Calculate the amount of chemical spray and energy amount. The calculated value is displayed in the total information display area 2720 as the entire day's dispersion schedule.
Note that, as in Example 1, the amount of chemical spray and energy required for the entire day's spray schedule may be calculated based on the total flight distance, total flight time, and the like.
In addition, instead of first totalizing the area of the fields, etc., and then calculating the required amount of chemical spraying and energy amount, we calculate the amount of chemical spraying and energy amount for each field, which are calculated based on the spraying schedule for each field. By summing them up, the total amount of medicine sprayed and the amount of energy may be calculated.

Further, the spraying-related information management module 1114 of the management server 702 calculates and outputs the total amount of chemical spray, dilution amount, and energy amount based on the total of the field management information 1300 of all the selected fields.
The screen display module 1011 displays the total amount of medicine sprayed, the amount of dilution, and the amount of energy in the total information display area 2720 based on the output information.

As for the GUI (graphical user interface) output to the display unit, for example, the screen display module 1011 accepts input of multiple fields and the working date of each field, and the spraying-related information management module 1114 receives inputs based on the field area of each field. It is assumed that the number of batteries, amount of chemicals, and amount of water required for each field work will be calculated, and the total amount of resources (number of batteries, amount of chemicals, and water) required for each day will be displayed. It is also possible to notify these necessary resources in advance of the work day, so that the necessary resources can be known in advance.
In addition, the screen display module 1011 receives input of the work order of each field, calculates the travel time between each field based on the distance between each field calculated from the field position 1311 of each field, and calculates the travel time between each field. It is also possible to display the travel time.
Furthermore, it is also possible to have a function to input work completion information for each field to be worked on, and to display work completion information on the work schedule screen.

Note that the process of drawing the chemical spraying schedule in the second embodiment and the process of drawing the information on each field and the necessary chemical spray amount and energy amount may be performed on the management server 702 side, or may be performed on the mobile terminal 701 side. You may.
Further, the calculation of the amount of chemical spraying and the amount of energy for each field and the total thereof may be performed on the management server 702 side or on the mobile terminal 701 side.

The present embodiment relates to a method for controlling a flight of a medicine dispersing drone and an information processing device. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of automatically generating a schedule for a drug dispersion flight through schedule management information output processing.
During pest control periods, when pesticides and other chemicals are sprayed to prevent and exterminate agricultural pests and diseases, it is necessary to spray pesticides on many fields over several days, making it difficult to plan an efficient work schedule. Desired.

However, because the fields are scattered and the size of each field and the distance between each field vary, it has been difficult to create a chemical spraying schedule with good overall work efficiency. In addition, there are restrictions on time such as night-time drone flights being prohibited and avoiding lunch hours, and restrictions on the flight time with one set of batteries and the amount of spraying agent that can be sprayed in one spraying flight. There are fixed and other functional constraints, and it was difficult to create an optimal schedule while taking these constraints into account.
Therefore, in this example, the conditions to be considered in a spraying flight are broken down, and a route search process is performed based on these conditions to generate a schedule for the spraying flight, thereby creating a mechanism that facilitates the management of the chemical spraying schedule. provide.

The present application includes a plurality of means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example is an information processing device that controls a spraying flight of a drone that sprays pesticides, and includes a storage unit that stores information on a plurality of fields. , an output unit that outputs a plurality of the field information, an input unit that receives selections from the plurality of fields, and a control unit that controls a spraying flight of a drone that performs chemical spraying; For a plurality of fields selected via A chemical spraying schedule is generated based on the conditions, and the output unit outputs the generated chemical spraying schedule.

According to the present invention, it is possible to generate a schedule for a spraying flight by breaking down the conditions to be considered in a spraying flight and performing a route search process based on these conditions, thereby facilitating management of the chemical spraying schedule. .

FIG. 28 is an example of a display screen 2800 of a multi-day drug dispersion schedule.
In FIG. 27, the daily spraying schedule bar 2710 was displayed as an animation that slides from the right edge of the screen, but if you swipe this spraying schedule bar 2710 further to the left, the chemical spraying schedule bar 2810 for the most recent multiple days will be displayed. Is displayed.
The dates of the most recent days are displayed in the date area 2820 at the top of the multi-day drug dispersion schedule bar 2810. By further swiping this multi-day drug dispersion schedule bar 2810 to the left or right, it is possible to display the drug dispersion schedule for dates earlier or later than the currently displayed day.

The multi-day chemical spraying schedule bar 2810 displays, for example, a chemical spraying schedule 2830 for each field. Also displayed are a movement schedule 2841 indicating the time for moving between fields by truck or the like, and a movement flight schedule 2842 indicating that the drone 100 will move while flying.
Since the display area of the mobile terminal 701 and the like is limited, it may not be possible to display all the schedules. Continuation display 2843 indicates that other schedule information exists in areas other than those displayed on the screen on the same day.

The chemical spraying schedule 2830 for each field displays the chemical spraying amount, dilution amount, and energy amount as the spraying-related information required for that spraying flight.
In addition, the spraying related information 2821 for all schedules for one day displays the amount of chemical spraying, the amount of dilution, and the amount of energy required for all schedules for one day.
The display of the schedule is just an example, and other schedules may be displayed.

FIGS. 29 and 30 are diagrams illustrating changes in display when changing the spraying schedule from the multi-day drug spraying schedule bar 2810.
FIG. 29 is an example of a screen (currently being changed) 2900 for changing the drug dispersion schedule.
Assume that the scattering flight 2850 in the field D2 in FIG. 28 is moved to the vacant area 2910 in the schedule in FIG. 29.

The screen display module 1011 receives schedule change instructions from the user. For example, when the mobile terminal 701 is a doublet or a smartphone, the screen display module 1011 recognizes a change instruction by detecting a long press on the drug dispersion schedule 2950 to be moved. Further, in the case of a notebook PC or a desktop PC, the screen display module 1011 recognizes a change instruction by detecting that the drug dispersion schedule 2950 to be moved is dragged with a mouse or the like.

FIG. 30 is an example of a screen (after change) 3000 for changing the drug dispersion schedule.
As the schedule changes, the schedule is recalculated and the schedule management information 1900 is updated.
For example, the time of the chemical dispersion schedule 3050 to be moved is 15 minutes longer than the free area 2910 of the schedule, but it is moved to the empty area 2910, and instead, the time of the chemical dispersion schedule 3010 after it is started. The time has been pushed back by 15 minutes.

Furthermore, since the amount of chemical spray, dilution amount, and energy amount required for all schedules for one day are also changed, the overall spraying related information 3021 and 3022 for all schedules for one day is recalculated and updated.
Further, travel flight schedules and travel schedules that are no longer needed are deleted as in 3030.

FIG. 31 is an example of a schedule information display processing flow 3100.
The schedule management module 1116 of the management server 702 receives a selection of a field to be sprayed from the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703 (step 3110).
The schedule management module 1116 receives a selection of a scheduling mode for setting priorities when generating a flight schedule from the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703 (step 3120).

Scheduling modes include, for example, a "time saving mode" that prioritizes shortening the time to complete a task, a "battery saving mode" that prioritizes reducing the number of batteries used, and scheduling modes such as replenishing drugs and replacing batteries. There is a "number of operations reduction mode" that prioritizes reducing the number of operations.
For example, after receiving the selection of multiple fields, the screen display module 1011 of the mobile terminal 701 displays a screen for selecting "time saving mode", "battery saving mode", and "work frequency reduction mode", and the screen is tapped by the user. mode selection is accepted.

The schedule management module 1116 executes the schedule management information output process shown in FIG. 32 based on the input information and the information stored in the storage device, and outputs the schedule management information 1900 (step 3130).
Schedule management module 1116 outputs the drug dispersion schedule to output device 1105 based on schedule management information 1900 (step 3140). Alternatively, the drug dispersion schedule is output to the mobile terminal 701 via the network in order to display a schedule display screen on the mobile terminal 701.

The schedule management module 1116 receives a schedule change instruction from the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703 (step 3150).
When the schedule change instruction is received, the schedule management module 1116 executes the schedule management information output process again and recalculates the schedule.
The schedule management module 1116 constantly or periodically checks whether there is any schedule change instruction until it receives the display end instruction (step 3160).

Note that all or part of each step of the schedule information display processing flow can also be performed by the mobile terminal 701. For example, only the schedule management information output process 3130 can be executed by the management server 702, and the other processes can be executed by the mobile terminal 701.
When carried out by the mobile terminal 701, the screen display module 1011 executes the output and display on the screen, and the schedule management module 1013 executes the acquisition and adjustment of the schedule management information 1900.

FIG. 32 is an example of a schedule management information output processing flow 3200.
The schedule management module 1116 of the management server 702 acquires field information such as field area 1313 and field position 1311 from the field management information 1300 in response to the field information to be sprayed received from the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703. (Step 3210).
The schedule management module 1116 acquires some of the constraints from the mobile terminal 701 and the management terminal 703. For example, time constraints include the amount of time the user plans to take a break, the user's anticipated start and end times, the amount of time required for preparatory work such as changing batteries or refilling medications, and other predetermined schedules and locations. There are constraints, such as having to be at a predetermined location at 2:00 p.m.

In addition, the constraint conditions stored in advance on the management server 702 side are also acquired. For example, in a case where regulations stipulate a time during which the drone 100 is prohibited from flying, such as at night, a constraint may be to fit the schedule outside the time during which the drone 100 is prohibited from flying.
The time period other than the time when these spraying flights cannot be performed is the workable time during which the actual spraying flight can be performed, and one of the constraint conditions is that the workable time falls within this workable time.
The schedule management module 1116 executes the scattering flight time calculation process for each field shown in FIG. 33 (step 3230).
The schedule management module 1116 executes the process of calculating the travel time between each field shown in FIG. 34 (step 3240).

Schedule management module 1116 changes the constraints based on the selected mode (step 3250).
For example, in the "time saving mode", the aircraft loads as many medicines as possible, reduces the number of refills, and continues to fly continuously. Constraint conditions are changed to reduce time loss during battery replacement and drug replenishment by performing battery replacement and drug replenishment as simultaneously as possible.
In addition, for example, in the "battery saving mode", by replenishing the medicine in small increments as much as possible, flight can be continued with a small amount of medicine, so the loaded weight of the drone 100 is lightened, and as shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, the battery The amount of depletion will be reduced, and the battery life will be improved.
In addition, in the "work frequency reduction mode", the constraint conditions are changed so that battery replacement and drug replenishment are performed at the same time as much as possible, thereby reducing work loss during replacement and replenishment.

The schedule management module 1116 uses the calculated spraying flight time, travel time, and constraint conditions as input, executes route search processing on these, and outputs a chemical spraying schedule (step 3260).
The route search process is performed, for example, by the flight route management module 1115 rearranging the input scattering flight times and travel times and executing a route search algorithm so that the input scattering flight times and travel times fall within the constraint conditions. As a route search algorithm, for example, there is an algorithm that solves the traveling salesman problem, and by solving the traveling salesman problem for the scattering flight time and travel time, it calculates the route that minimizes the time to visit all fields. can do.

In addition, Dijkstra's algorithm, A* search algorithm, etc. may be used as an algorithm for calculating the shortest travel route between two arbitrary locations. The route search algorithm is not limited to these, and other routes can be selected as appropriate.
It is also possible to generate a route search model using AI using machine learning or deep learning, and to generate a schedule by inputting conditions to this route search model. This will be described later with reference to FIGS. 35 and 36.

An example of a constraint that must be met in the route search process is the workable time, and as mentioned above, the spraying flight time and travel time are arranged so that they fit within the workable time other than break times and flight ban times. Generate a spray schedule.
Further, a chemical dispersion schedule is generated so as to satisfy the constraint conditions changed in step 3250. For example, in the "time saving mode", a schedule is created that allows for as many medicines as possible, fewer refills, and continuous flights. For example, in the ``battery saving mode'', a chemical dispersion schedule is generated so that the aircraft can continue flying with a small amount of chemical by replenishing the chemical in small increments as much as possible. For example, in the "work frequency reduction mode", a drug dispersion schedule is generated so as to perform battery replacement and drug replenishment at the same time as much as possible to reduce work loss during replacement and replenishment.

Another example of a constraint is the flight time available when the user uses all of the batteries held by the user, and a chemical spraying schedule that arranges the spraying flight time and travel time to fit within this flight time. generate.
Examples of other constraint conditions include the amount of medicine that the drone 100 can load at one time, and a medicine spraying schedule is generated in which the spraying flight time and travel time are arranged so that the amount of medicine that the drone 100 can load at one time is not exceeded. do.
Examples of other constraint conditions include the number of batteries in use, and a chemical dispersion schedule is generated to minimize the number of batteries in use.

An example of other constraint conditions is the time required to complete the work, and a chemical dispersion schedule is generated to minimize the time required to complete the work.
Examples of other constraints include at least one of the following, or a combination of the following: working time, flight time using batteries, the amount of medicine that the drone can carry at once, the number of batteries that can be used, and the time required to complete the work. I do not care.
Furthermore, the order of fields to be sprayed can be specified in advance as a constraint.
As described above, there are multiple constraints to be satisfied, but it is not necessary to satisfy all of them; for example, the schedule management module 1116 changes the set of constraints to be satisfied based on the mode selected by the user. , schedule information is calculated by route search processing so as to satisfy this changed constraint condition.

Next, the schedule management module 1116 calculates the chemical dispersion amount, dilution amount, and energy amount for all schedules (step 3270), and writes and outputs the calculated schedule information together with the schedule management information 1900 (step 3280). Alternatively, it is output to the mobile terminal 701 or the management terminal 703 via the network.

FIG. 33 is an example of a dispersion flight time calculation processing flow 3300.
The schedule management information 1900 of the management server 702 acquires field information such as a field area 1313 and field surrounding coordinates 1312 from the field management information 1300 (step 3310).
The schedule management module 1116 acquires the flight path in each field calculated by the flight path management module 1115 based on the acquired field information (step 3320).
The schedule management module 1116 calculates the spraying flight time for each field by dividing the total distance of the flight route by the flight speed (step 3330), and outputs it (step 3340).

Although the spraying flight time was calculated from the total route distance and the flight speed, the spraying flight time may also be calculated from the field area and the area that can be sprayed per unit time.
In addition, if the spray flight speed changes depending on the weight of the loaded chemical, that is, if the total weight is heavy, the flight speed decreases, and if the total weight is light, the flight speed increases, then The spraying flight time can be determined using the flight speed calculated based on the relationship between the flight speed and the weight (or the total weight of the drone 100).

In this case, the schedule management module 1116 obtains the drug name 1601 and dilution rate 1604 from the drug management information 1600 to be sprayed on each field, and calculates the weight of the sprayed drug.
Alternatively, the weight of the sprayed chemical may be calculated by calculating the dilution amount of the sprayed chemical. Note that the dilution amount can be calculated based on at least one of the variety of crops present in the field, the type of the corresponding chemical, and the timing of spraying the corresponding chemical.
The variety of the crop is stored in the cultivated crop 1314 of the field management information 1300, and the type of chemical necessary for this cultivated crop 1314, the spraying timing, etc. are stored in the specifications 1603 of the chemical management information 1600. .

The flight speed can also be changed depending on the dilution rate of the drug. For drugs for which the dilution rate can be changed, for example, a spray flight that sprays a drug with a concentration of 5% flying at a speed of 100 m/min is different from a spray flight that sprays a drug with a concentration of 10% flying at a speed of 200 m/min. In some cases, this can be replaced by a dispersion flight. That is, for a sprayed chemical with a higher concentration, the spraying density is reduced by spraying at a faster rate, and the amount of sprayed chemical per unit area becomes approximately the same.
In this case, the spraying flight time can be determined using the flight speed calculated based on the relationship between the drug name, drug dilution rate, and flight speed.

FIG. 34 is an example of a travel time calculation processing flow 3400.
The schedule management module 1116 acquires the field position 1311 of the field management information 1300 (step 3410).
The schedule management module 1116 calculates the distance between each field based on the acquired position coordinates of the field position 1311 (step 3420). Although the field position 1311 is, for example, information on the latitude and longitude of the center of the field, the distance between each field may be calculated using information on the field surrounding coordinates 1312.

The schedule management module 1116 calculates the travel time between each field from the calculated distance between each field and the moving speed (step 3430), and outputs it (step 3440).
Although it is possible to calculate the approximate travel time from the distance between each field by setting the travel speed to a predetermined value, it is also possible to calculate a more accurate travel time by using the travel speed divided by distance. .
As for the movement speed, for example, flight movement in which the drone 100 moves while flying, truck movement in which the drone 100 is temporarily recovered and moved by truck, and foot movement in which the drone 100 is moved on foot can be considered.

An appropriate means of transportation is selected depending on the distance between fields. For example, if the drone 100 can only fly continuously for about 15 minutes, taking spraying time into consideration, flying to a location more than 5 minutes away is a waste of battery power and is not recommended.
Furthermore, the maximum time for walking is about 15 minutes, and if the time is longer than that, truck movement is more efficient.
Possible means of transportation are determined based on such predetermined conditions. For example, if the distance between fields is 0m or more and less than 300m, movement by flight is required, if the distance is 300m or more and less than 1km, movement is by foot, and if it is 1km or more, movement by truck, etc. The travel time is calculated based on the travel speed.

The spraying flight time output in FIG. 33 and the travel time calculated in FIG. 34 are used as input values for the route search process in FIG. 32, and a spraying schedule for the spraying chemical is calculated in consideration of the constraint conditions.
In the example of FIG. 32, a method of calculating a schedule using a route search algorithm has been described, but instead of using such a route search algorithm, a route search model can be generated using AI such as machine learning or Deep Learning, and this model can be used. It is also possible to calculate the schedule.
For example, the schedule management module 1116 may collect field information for a plurality of selected fields, a spraying flight time for conducting a spraying flight to each field, a travel time for traveling between each field, constraint conditions, a chemical spraying schedule, is used as training data, field information, spraying flight time, travel time, and constraints are input, and a route search model is generated using machine learning with the chemical spraying schedule as output. It is possible to accept input of conditions and output a chemical dispersion schedule estimated from the input information using a route search model.

FIG. 35 is an example of a route search model generation processing flow 3500 using AI.
For example, using the field information, constraints, spraying flight time, travel time, and schedule information stored in the field management information 1300 as training data, input the field information, constraints, and spraying flight time. A route search model with travel time as output and schedule information as output is generated.
Specifically, the schedule management module 1116 acquires, for each field selected as input information, the field area or field surrounding coordinates, which are field information stored in the field management information 1300, and the field position (step 3510).
The schedule management module 1116 obtains the aforementioned constraints as input information (step 3520).

The schedule management module 1116 obtains the calculated scattering flight time for each field as input information (step 3530).
The schedule management module 1116 obtains the calculated travel time between each field as input information (step 3540).
The schedule management module 1116 obtains schedule information for each selected field as each input information (step 3550).
The schedule management module 1116 generates a route search model whose input is field information, constraint conditions, scattering flight time, and travel time, and whose output is schedule information (step 3560).

FIG. 36 is an example of a schedule information output processing flow 3600 by AI.
The schedule management module 1116 accepts input of field information (step 3610), accepts input of constraint conditions (step 3620), accepts input of calculated dispersion flight time for each field (step 3630), An input of travel time between fields is accepted (step 3640).
The schedule management module 1116 uses the route search model generated in FIG. 37 to output schedule information calculated from the various input information received (step 3650).

The schedule management module 1116 accepts the user's evaluation of the output schedule information as appropriate (step 3660). For example, the evaluation may be an evaluation of whether the output schedule is "good" or "bad", and it may be possible to have the user input the evaluation one by one when the chemical is actually sprayed according to the schedule. .
The schedule management module 1116 improves the accuracy of the route search model by using input information corresponding to schedules evaluated as "good" as training data. Alternatively, part of the input information corresponding to the schedule evaluated as "good" is used as teacher data with a high evaluation, and part of the input information corresponding to the schedule evaluated as "bad" is used as training data with a low evaluation. to improve the accuracy of the route search model.

Note that although field information, constraint conditions, dispersion flight time, travel time, and schedule information were used as training data, a route search model that uses some, not all, of these as training data may be used.
Note that, for example, the field area or the surrounding coordinates of the field, and the field position are used as the field information, but some of these may be used, or other information stored in the field management information 1300 may be used. It's okay.
As the constraint conditions, the various constraint conditions described above can be used as training data, but some of them may be used instead of all of them.

The present embodiment relates to a method for controlling a flight of a medicine dispersing drone and an information processing apparatus. In particular, it relates to notification of preparation information for drug dispersion flights.
During pest control periods when pesticides and other chemicals are sprayed to prevent and exterminate agricultural pests and diseases, it is necessary to dilute the chemicals for each field according to the work schedule, and then perform a flight to spray the chemicals after dilution.
Some chemicals to be sprayed may precipitate over time, so it is preferable to dilute them by mixing them with water just before spraying (several minutes). In this case, when spraying is performed on multiple fields in sequence, it is desirable to dilute the chemical to be sprayed on the next field during the spraying from the viewpoint of shortening the work time.

However, conventional chemical spraying using a drone requires a user to directly operate the drone using an operating terminal. Therefore, it was necessary to concentrate on operating the drone, and it was not possible to do any other work while operating the drone. Therefore, when operating a drone spraying flight, there was no consideration of the next chemical spraying schedule, and there was no need to display the next chemical spraying schedule.

On the other hand, one feature of this embodiment is that basically, according to the flight route 931 of the spraying flight generated by the flight route management module 1115 of the management server 702 and the chemical spraying schedule generated by the schedule management module 1116, The point is that chemical spraying by the drone 100 is automatically performed.
Therefore, the user does not need to operate the drone 100 except in case of an emergency or when the user wants to change the altitude of the drone 100, and the user can prepare the medicine for the next spraying flight while spraying the medicine. It is possible.
Therefore, in this embodiment, a mechanism is provided in which information regarding the next spraying flight is displayed on a part of the operation screen for operating the drone's spraying flight.

The present application includes multiple means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example is an information processing terminal that controls the spraying flights of a drone that sprays chemical agents, and which controls multiple spraying flights for multiple fields. A storage unit that stores a chemical spraying schedule to be performed, a display unit that displays an operation screen for operating the spraying flight of the drone, and a control unit that controls the spraying flight of the drone, the display unit displays the operation screen for the current spraying flight based on the chemical spraying schedule stored in the storage unit, and displays information regarding the next spraying flight as part of the operation screen for the current spraying flight. It is characterized by displaying.

According to the present invention, a mechanism is provided in which information regarding the next spraying flight is displayed on a part of the operation screen for operating the drone's spraying flight. For example, by displaying the medicine to be used in the next spraying flight and its dilution amount or battery capacity, the user can efficiently prepare for the next spraying flight, such as diluting the medicine.

FIG. 9 is an example of a drone operation screen 900 displayed on the mobile terminal 701.
In the example of the drone operation screen 900, a field 930 to be sprayed with chemicals is displayed on a map, and a flight path 931 of a spraying flight over the field 930 is displayed. The drone 100 sequentially flies through designated flight coordinates according to the flight route management information 1800 stored in the mobile terminal 701 or the management server 702.
Furthermore, when receiving operations that require operations on the drone 100, such as the altitude change buttons 923 and 924 and the emergency stop button 925, the drone operation module 1012 sends information such as commands corresponding to these operations to the drone 100. and can operate the drone 100.

The next spraying schedule display button 940 is a button (operation display) for displaying the schedule of the next spraying flight after the currently executed spraying flight. When this button is pressed, information regarding the next spraying flight obtained from schedule management information 1900 is displayed.
Further, as will be described later, when the time until the next spraying schedule reaches a predetermined time, information regarding the next spraying flight is displayed.

FIG. 37 is an example of a display screen 3700 that displays information regarding an upcoming spray flight.
The screen display module 1011 displays an information display area 3710 regarding the next dispersion flight on a part of the operation screen regarding the current dispersion flight, for example, at the bottom right of the screen.
When the right triangle button 3715 is selected, the screen display module 1011 further displays information regarding the next dispersion flight, and when the left triangle button is selected, the screen display module 1011 displays information regarding the previous dispersion flight.
Information display area 3710 regarding the next spraying flight displays information acquired from field management information 1300 such as field name 3711, address 3712, field area 3713, and planted crops 3714.

The dispersion information display area 3720 displays information related to dispersion of chemicals. Although the chemicals to be sprayed vary depending on the crop name 3714, the spraying time, etc., information on the chemicals to be sprayed in the next spraying flight is acquired from the chemical management information 1600 and displayed.
The spraying information display area 3720 displays information related to chemical spraying acquired or calculated by the spraying-related information management module 1114 of the management server 702, such as the chemical name, spraying amount, dilution amount, and energy amount required for the field spraying flight. etc. will be displayed.
In the status 3730, information such as "surveyed" and "flight route available" is displayed as the current status of the selected field 930.

Compared to the drone operation screen 900 of FIG. 9, the screen display module 1011 places the altitude change button 924, which was placed on the right side of the screen, on the left side, displays the emergency stop button 925 with a shorter width, and displays various operation buttons. It is displayed so as not to be hidden in the information display area 3710 regarding the next dispersion flight.
Note that the display is just an example, and the display may be such that these various operation buttons are hidden, or other display designs may be used.

FIG. 38 is an example of another display screen 3800 displaying information regarding an upcoming dispersion flight.
The screen display module 1011 displays an information display area 3810 regarding the next dispersion flight at the bottom right of the screen.
In this example, the current day's spraying schedule obtained by the screen display module 1011 from the schedule management information 1900 is displayed, and below information 3820 about the field A where the current spraying flight is being conducted, information 3830 about the next spraying flight is displayed. is displayed.
Current time 3850 displays the current time in the schedule.

Furthermore, since the information 3840 regarding the next dispersion flight is not fully displayed, continuation information 3841 indicating that there is continued information is displayed outside the margin.
The information display area 3810 regarding the next dispersion flight can be scrolled up and down by swiping or the like, and information regarding past or future dispersion flights can be displayed.
As described above, at least one of the amount of the medicine to be sprayed or the amount of energy required for spraying is displayed as information regarding the next spraying flight. As the energy amount, for example, the number of batteries required for spraying is displayed. Further, the information regarding the next spraying flight may include information regarding the start time of the next spraying flight and the field to be sprayed.

FIG. 39 is an example of the next dispersion flight information display processing flow 3900.
When the screen display module 1011 of the mobile terminal 701 receives a drone operation instruction from the user, it displays the drone operation screen 900 (step 3910).
The screen display module 1011 acquires the schedule 1901 of the schedule management information 1900 (step 3920).
The screen display module 1011 obtains the next schedule notification time (step 3930).

The next schedule notification time is assumed to be the time required to prepare for the next spraying flight, such as diluting the chemicals necessary for the next spraying flight and preparing replacement batteries, and is assumed to be about 5 to 10 minutes, for example. . This notification time is predetermined for each dispersion flight and is stored in the schedule management information 1900.
Alternatively, the notification time may be set for each type of chemical to be sprayed in the next spraying flight. For example, when diluting a highly viscous drug, it takes time to dilute it, so a longer time is set. Alternatively, this notification time may be set based on the time required to dilute the chemical to be sprayed on the next spray flight.

Alternatively, the notification time may be set based on the dilution amount of the drug to be sprayed on the next spray flight. The dilution amount is at least one of the dilution rate of the drug, the amount of water mixed with the drug, or the total amount of the drug after mixing with water. For example, if the total amount of medicine to be diluted is large, the time required for dilution becomes longer, so the notification time is set longer.
Furthermore, according to the schedule stored in the schedule management information 1900, if the battery needs to be replaced before the next spraying flight, a notification time can be set that includes the time required for battery replacement.

The screen display module 1011 detects that the next spraying schedule display button 940 has been selected by the user by tapping the screen or selecting with the mouse, and upon receiving the instruction to display the next schedule (Yes in step 3940), the screen display module 1011 displays the drone. Information regarding the next schedule is displayed on the operation screen 900 (step 3960).
Alternatively, if the time until the next schedule is less than or equal to the notification time (step 3950: Yes), information regarding the next schedule is displayed on the drone operation screen 900 (step 3960).

Thereafter, the next dispersion flight information display processing flow is repeated until a display end instruction is received (step 3970).
Although this flow is assumed to be executed by the screen display module 1011 of the mobile terminal 701, the screen output module 1111 of the management server 702 executes it to generate and output a display screen, which is then sent to the mobile terminal 701 or the management server. The configuration may be such that the terminal 703 displays the information.

FIG. 40 is an example of a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the amount of sprayed chemical and the notification time.
Sprayed chemicals are prepared by mixing chemicals and water and diluting them with stirring. However, as the amount of sprayed chemicals increases, the amount of chemicals and water increases, and the time required for dilution increases. The notification time is set taking this increased time into consideration.
Comparing medicine A and medicine B, for example, medicine B has a higher viscosity, and even when making the same spray medicine, medicine B takes longer to dilute and stir than medicine A, so the notification time is set for a long time.

Further, for example, even if the amount of spraying of the medicine C is smaller than that of the medicine A, such as when two types of medicines and water need to be mixed, the initial time required is long. On the other hand, since the viscosity is low, the time required for dilution and stirring is short, and the graph has a steep angle.
In this way, the notification time can be set based on the relationship between the amount of sprayed chemical and the notification time.
Furthermore, the amount of sprayed medicine differs depending on, for example, the medicine name, purpose, weight, dilution amount, time required for dilution, specifications, etc. stored in the medicine management information 1600, so it may differ from these medicine-related information. The notification time may be set based on the relationship between the drug-related information and the notification time by storing a graph of the relationship between the drug-related information and the notification time.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Further, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

Further, each of the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be partially or entirely realized in hardware by designing, for example, an integrated circuit. Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, etc. may be realized by software by a processor interpreting and executing a program for realizing each function. Information such as programs, tables, files, etc. that implement each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk, an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

Further, the control lines and information lines are shown to be necessary for explanation purposes, and not all control lines and information lines are necessarily shown in the product. In reality, almost all components may be considered to be interconnected.
Note that the above-described embodiments disclose at least the configuration described in the claims.

100... Drone, 701... Mobile terminal, 702... Management server, 703... Management terminal, 710... Base station

Claims (24)

An information processing terminal that controls the spraying flight of a drone that sprays chemicals,
a storage unit that stores a chemical spraying schedule for performing multiple spraying flights on multiple fields;
a display unit that displays an operation screen for operating the spraying flight of the drone;
A control unit that controls the spraying flight of the drone,
The display section displays information regarding the current spraying flight, including the current flight route, based on the chemical spraying schedule stored in the storage section , and information about the next flight route that is different from the flight route of the current spraying flight. An information processing terminal characterized in that information regarding a dispersion flight is simultaneously displayed on the operation screen . The operation screen has an operation display for displaying information regarding the next spraying flight,
The information processing terminal according to claim 1, wherein when the selection of the operation display is accepted, the display unit displays information regarding the next scattering flight. The information processing terminal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display section displays information regarding the next scattering flight when the time until the start of the next scattering flight becomes less than or equal to a predetermined value. The information processing terminal according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined value is set based on the type of the chemical to be sprayed in the next spraying flight. The information processing terminal according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined value is set based on the time required to dilute the chemical to be sprayed in the next spraying flight. The information processing terminal according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined value is set based on a dilution amount of the chemical to be sprayed in the next spraying flight. 7. The information processing terminal according to claim 6, wherein the dilution amount is at least one of a dilution rate of the drug, an amount of water mixed with the drug, or a total amount of the drug after mixing with water. The information according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the information regarding the next spraying flight includes at least one of the amount of the medicine to be sprayed in the next spraying flight or the amount of energy required for spraying. processing terminal. The information regarding the current spraying flight and the information regarding the next spraying flight that are simultaneously displayed on the operation screen are the remaining amount of the spraying agent for the current spraying flight and the amount of spraying agent required for the next spraying flight, respectively. , the information processing terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The information regarding the current dispersion flight and the information regarding the next dispersion flight that are simultaneously displayed on the operation screen are the remaining energy amount of the current dispersion flight and the amount of energy required for the next dispersion flight, respectively. The information processing terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The information processing terminal according to claim 8 or 10 , wherein the amount of energy required for spraying is the number of batteries required for spraying. The information processing terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the information regarding the next spraying flight includes information regarding the start time of the next spraying flight and the field to be sprayed. A control method for controlling a spraying flight of a drone that sprays a chemical using an information processing terminal,
The information processing terminal is
a storage unit that stores a chemical spraying schedule for performing multiple spraying flights on multiple fields;
a display unit that displays an operation screen for operating the scattering flight;
comprising a control unit ;
Based on the chemical dispersion schedule stored in the storage unit,
Information about the current spraying flight, including the current flight route, and information about the next spraying flight, which will take a different flight route than the flight route of the current spraying flight and carry a new drug, are simultaneously displayed on the operating screen . A control method characterized by displaying . The operation screen has an operation display for displaying information regarding the next spraying flight,
14. The control method according to claim 13 , further comprising displaying information regarding the next spraying flight when the selection of the operation display is accepted. The control method according to claim 13 or 14 , wherein information regarding the next scattering flight is displayed when the time until the start of the next scattering flight becomes less than or equal to a predetermined value. 16. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the predetermined value is set based on the type of the chemical to be sprayed in the next spraying flight. 16. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the predetermined value is set based on the time required to dilute the chemical agent to be sprayed in the next spraying flight. 16. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the predetermined value is set based on a dilution amount of the chemical to be sprayed in the next spraying flight. 19. The control method according to claim 18 , wherein the dilution amount is at least one of a dilution rate of the drug, an amount of water mixed with the drug, or a total amount of the drug after mixing with water. The information regarding the current spraying flight and the information regarding the next spraying flight that are simultaneously displayed on the operation screen are the remaining amount of the spraying agent for the current spraying flight and the amount of spraying agent required for the next spraying flight, respectively. The control method according to any one of claims 13 to 19. The information regarding the current dispersion flight and the information regarding the next dispersion flight that are simultaneously displayed on the operation screen are the remaining energy amount of the current dispersion flight and the amount of energy required for the next dispersion flight, respectively. The control method according to any one of claims 13 to 19. 22. The control method according to claim 21 , wherein the amount of energy required for spraying is the number of batteries required for spraying. 23. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the information regarding the next spraying flight includes information regarding the start time of the next spraying flight and the field to be sprayed. A program for causing an information processing terminal to execute each step of the control method according to any one of claims 13 to 23 .

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