JPWO2019225762A1 - Drone system, drone, control device, drone system control method, and drone system control program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drone with high safety. [Solution] A drone system 500 in which a pilot 401 and a drone 100 are connected to each other through a network (NW) and operate in cooperation with each other, and the drone system has a plurality of different states, The drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the condition by satisfying the condition defined for each state, and the drone determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states. And a second state transition determination unit 413 that determines whether or not a condition is satisfied for each of a plurality of states. The first state transition determination unit and the second state transition determination unit include: Make the decision alternatively. [Selection diagram] Fig. 9

Description

The present invention relates to a drone system, a flying body (drone), and more particularly to a drone with improved safety, a control device, a drone system control method, and a drone system control program.

The application of small unmanned helicopters (multicopters) generally called drones is progressing. One of the important fields of application thereof is spraying chemicals such as pesticides and liquid fertilizers on farmland (field) (for example, Patent Document 1). In Japan, where farmland is smaller than in Europe and the United States, it is often the case that drones are more suitable than manned airplanes and helicopters.

With technologies such as the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System and RTK-GPS (Real Time Kinematic-Global Positioning System), it became possible for a drone to accurately know its absolute position in centimeters during flight. Even in a farmland with a narrow and complicated terrain typical of the above, it is possible to autonomously fly with minimal manual operation and to efficiently and accurately apply a drug.

On the other hand, there were cases in which it was hard to say that safety considerations were sufficient for autonomous flight drones for agricultural drug spraying. A drone loaded with medicines weighs several tens of kilograms, which could have serious consequences in the event of an accident such as falling onto a person. In addition, the drone operator is usually not an expert, so a fool-proof mechanism is necessary, but the consideration for this was also insufficient. Until now, there have been drone safety technologies premised on human control (for example, Patent Document 2), but in particular, addressing the safety issues peculiar to autonomous flight drones for drug spraying for agriculture There was no technology to do this.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-120151 Patent publication gazette JP, 2017-163265, A

It is possible to provide a drone that can maintain high safety even during autonomous flight, that is, an unmanned aerial vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, a drone system according to an aspect of the present invention is a drone system in which a pilot and a drone are connected to each other through a network and operate in cooperation with each other. Has a plurality of states different from each other, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the condition by satisfying the conditions defined for each state, the drone, the condition for each of the plurality of states A first state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied, and the pilot includes a second state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states. The first state transition determination unit and the second state transition determination unit make the determination alternatively.

Further, further has a main terminal determination unit that determines which state transition determination unit performs the determination, the main terminal determination unit, when the first state transition determination unit is not in a state capable of the determination, The second state transition determination unit may determine to make the determination.

Moreover, the second state transition determination unit may perform the determination when the power of the drone is off.

Further, the second state transition determination unit may perform the determination when the direct or indirect connection between the drone and the control device is disconnected.

In addition, the drone and the pilot are performing information on the state to which the drone system currently belongs, and power on/off information and power capacity of the drone and the pilot, operation history, maintenance history, failure information, and emergency stop. Information about whether or not it is, history of emergency stop, connection state between the pilot and the drone, and water or drug injected into the drug tank of the drone, its amount and injection history At least one piece of information may be transmitted/received to/from each other.

Further, the drone may receive the power capacity of the pilot from the pilot and take an evacuation action when the power capacity is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

Further, the pilot may send an emergency stop command to the drone, and the drone may send receipt information indicating that the drone has received the emergency stop command to the pilot.

A third state, in which a base station is connected to at least one of the drone and the pilot through a network, and the base station determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states. A transition determination unit may be provided, and the first state transition determination unit, the second state transition determination unit, and the third state transition determination unit may alternatively perform the determination.

In addition, the base station executes information on the state to which the drone system currently belongs, and on/off information and power capacity of the drone control device and the base station, operation history, maintenance history, failure information, and emergency stop. Information on whether or not it is in progress, history of emergency stop, connection status of the drone, the pilot, and the base station with each other, and water or medicine injected into a medicine tank included in the drone. Alternatively, at least one piece of information regarding the amount and the injection history may be transmitted/received to/from at least one of the drone and the pilot.

Further, the farming support cloud is connected to each other through at least one of the drone and the controller through a network, and the farming support cloud determines whether or not the conditions are satisfied for each of the plurality of states. A four-state transition determination unit may be provided, and the first state transition determination unit, the second state transition determination unit, and the fourth state transition determination unit may alternatively perform the determination.

Further, the first state transition determination unit, the second state transition determination unit, the third state transition determination unit, and the fourth state transition determination unit may alternatively perform the determination.

A drone according to another aspect of the present invention is a drone that is connected to a drone system that operates in cooperation with each other through a controller and a network, and the drone system includes a plurality of different drone systems. Has a state, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the condition by satisfying the condition defined for each state, the drone satisfies the condition for each of the plurality of states A first state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the pilot has a second state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states; The transition determination unit and the second state transition determination unit selectively perform the determination.

A pilot according to another aspect of the present invention is a pilot connected to a drone and a drone system that is connected to each other through a network and operates in cooperation with each other, and the drone system is different from each other. , The drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the condition by satisfying the condition defined for each state, the drone satisfies the condition for each of the plurality of states. A first state transition determination unit that determines whether or not there is a second state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states; The state transition determination unit and the second state transition determination unit selectively perform the determination.

A drone system control method according to another aspect of the present invention is a drone system control method in which a pilot and a drone are connected to each other through a network and operate in cooperation with each other. The system has a plurality of different states, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the condition by satisfying the conditions defined for each state, the control method, the drone is the plurality of A first state transition determination step of determining whether the condition is satisfied for each state, and a second state transition determination of determining whether the controller satisfies the condition for each of the plurality of states And a step of selectively performing the first state transition determination step and the second state transition determination step.

A drone system control program according to another aspect of the present invention is a drone system control program that causes a computer to execute in a drone system in which a pilot and a drone are connected to each other through a network and operate in cooperation with each other. There, the drone system has a plurality of mutually different states, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the conditions by satisfying the conditions defined for each state, the drone system control program, , A first state transition determination command for determining whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states by the drone, and whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states by the controller. And a second state transition determination instruction, the computer selectively causing the computer to execute the first state transition determination instruction and the second state transition determination instruction.
The computer program can be provided by being downloaded via a network such as the Internet, or can be provided by being recorded in various computer-readable recording media such as a CD-ROM.

Provide a drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) that can maintain high safety even during autonomous flight.

It is a top view showing an embodiment of a drone which constitutes a drone system concerning the invention in this application. It is a front view of the said drone. It is a right view of the said drone. It is a rear view of the said drone. It is a perspective view of the drone. It is an overall conceptual diagram of the drone system. It is a schematic diagram showing the control function of the said drone. It is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the chemical spraying system which the said drone has. It is a functional block diagram which shows the function part regarding a state transition which each of the drone, the controller, the base station, and the farming support cloud which are the components of the drone system has. It is a detailed functional block diagram of the drone. It is a schematic state transition diagram which shows the some state which the said drone system changes. It is a schematic state transition diagram regarding drug replenishment, in which the drone system transitions. It is a schematic state transition diagram regarding a takeoff diagnosis which the said drone system changes. It is a schematic state transition diagram regarding the shutdown of the said drone system which the said drone system changes.

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The figures are all examples. In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, certain specific details are set forth in order to facilitate a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, embodiments are not limited to these particular details. Also, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in order to simplify the drawing.

FIG. 6 shows an overall conceptual diagram of a system using an example of a drug spraying application of the drone 100 according to the present invention. This figure is a schematic diagram and the scale is not accurate. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 9, the drone system 500 is a system in which the drone 100, the pilot 401, the base station 404, and the farming support cloud 405 are connected to each other through a network (NW) and operate in cooperation with each other. is there. In addition, in the drone system 500, all the constituent elements may be directly connected to each other, or each constituent element may be directly connected to at least one constituent element, and may be separated via the directly connected constituent element. The configuration may be indirectly connected to the constituent elements of.

The pilot 401 is a means for transmitting a command to the drone 100 by the operation of the user 402 and displaying information received from the drone 100 (for example, position, drug amount, battery level, camera image, etc.). Yes, and may be realized by a portable information device such as a general tablet terminal that runs a computer program. Although it is desirable that the drone 100 according to the present invention be controlled to perform autonomous flight, it is desirable to be able to perform manual operation during basic operations such as takeoff and return, and in an emergency. In addition to portable information devices, you may use an emergency pilot with a function dedicated to emergency stop (emergency pilot is a dedicated device with a large emergency stop button etc. so that you can respond quickly in an emergency. Desirable). It is desirable that the pilot 401 and the drone 100 perform wireless communication by Wi-Fi or the like.

The field 403 is a rice field, a field, or the like to which the drug is sprayed by the drone 100. Actually, the topography of the farm field 403 is complicated, and there are cases where the topographic map cannot be obtained in advance or the topographic map and the situation at the site are inconsistent. Normally, the farm field 403 is adjacent to a house, a hospital, a school, another crop farm field, a road, a railroad, and the like. Further, there may be obstacles such as buildings and electric wires in the field 403.

The base station 404 is a device that provides a master device function of Wi-Fi communication and the like, and it is desirable that the base station 404 also functions as an RTK-GPS base station and can provide an accurate position of the drone 100 (Wi-Fi Communication master unit function and RTK-GPS base station may be independent devices). The farming support cloud 405 is typically a computer group operated on a cloud service and related software, and it is desirable that the farming support cloud 405 be wirelessly connected to the controller 401 by a mobile phone line or the like. The farming support cloud 405 may analyze the image of the field 403 captured by the drone 100, grasp the growing condition of the crop, and perform a process for determining a flight route. Further, the drone 100 may be provided with the stored topographical information of the field 403 and the like. In addition, the history of the drone 100 flight and captured images may be accumulated and various analysis processes may be performed.

Usually, the drone 100 takes off from a landing point 406 outside the field 403 and returns to the landing point 406 after spraying a drug on the field 403 or when it becomes necessary to replenish the drug or charge the battery. The flight route (intrusion route) from the landing point 406 to the target field 403 may be stored in advance in the farming support cloud 405 or the like, or may be input by the user 402 before the start of takeoff.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the drone 100, FIG. 2 is a front view (viewed from the traveling direction side), FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof, FIG. 4 is a rear view, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view. The figure is shown. In the specification of the present application, the drone means any power means (electric power, prime mover, etc.), control method (whether wireless or wired, and whether it is an autonomous flight type or a manual control type). Instead, it refers to all flying bodies having multiple rotors or flight means.

Rotators 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b (also called rotors) are means for flying the drone 100. Considering the balance of flight stability, airframe size, and battery consumption, it is desirable to have 8 aircraft (4 sets of 2-stage rotary blades).

The motors 102-1a, 102-1b, 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 102-4a, 102-4b are rotor blades 101-1a, 101-1b, 101-2a, 101-. 2b, 101-3a, 101-3b, 101-4a, 101-4b is a means for rotating (typically an electric motor, but may be a motor, etc.), one for each rotor It is desirable that the The upper and lower rotor blades (eg 101-1a and 101-1b) and their corresponding motors (eg 102-1a and 102-1b) in one set are for drone flight stability etc. It is desirable that the axes be collinear and rotate in opposite directions. Although some rotor blades 101-3b and the motor 102-3b are not shown, their positions are self-explanatory, and if there is a left side view, they are at the positions shown. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, it is desirable that the radial member for supporting the propeller guard provided so that the rotor does not interfere with foreign matter has a structure in which the propeller guard is not horizontal but is in the shape of a tower. This is for promoting the buckling of the member to the outside of the rotary blade at the time of collision and preventing the member from interfering with the rotor.

The medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are means for spraying the medicine downward, and are preferably provided in four units. In the present specification, the term "medicine" generally refers to pesticides, herbicides, liquid fertilizers, insecticides, seeds, and liquids or powders applied to fields such as water.

The drug tank 104 is a tank for storing the drug to be sprayed, and is preferably provided at a position close to the center of gravity of the drone 100 and a position lower than the center of gravity from the viewpoint of weight balance. The drug hoses 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, 105-4 are means for connecting the drug tank 104 and each drug nozzle 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and are rigid. It may be made of the above material and also has a role of supporting the medicine nozzle. The pump 106 is a means for discharging the medicine from the nozzle.

The drone 100 sprays the medicine stored in the medicine tank 104 downward from the air toward the field. According to the drone 100 that performs aerial application, it is possible to more precisely apply the drug to the field than in the case where the agent is applied from the ground by the ground application machine or the user himself. Therefore, unlike the case of being sprayed from the ground, it is possible to spray it uniformly without overlappingly spraying the area in the field. Therefore, the drug stored in the drug tank 104 has a higher concentration, for example, about 10 times that of the drug sprayed from the ground.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the control function of the embodiment of the drug spraying drone according to the present invention. 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, based on the input information received from the controller 401 and the input information obtained from various sensors described later, via the control means such as ESC (Electronic Speed Control), the motor 102-1a, 102-1b , 102-2a, 102-2b, 102-3a, 102-3b, 104-a, 104-b are controlled to control the flight of the drone 100. The actual rotation 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 perform normal rotation. It is desirable to have a configuration that can monitor whether or not it is. Alternatively, the rotary blade 101 may be provided with an optical sensor or the like and the rotation of the rotary blade 101 may be fed back to the flight controller 501.

The software used by the flight controller 501 is preferably rewritable through a storage medium or the like for function expansion/change, problem correction, or the like, or through communication means such as Wi-Fi communication or USB. In this case, it is desirable to protect by encryption, checksum, electronic signature, virus check software, etc. so that rewriting by unauthorized software is not performed. In addition, a part of the calculation process used by the flight controller 501 for control may be executed by another computer existing on the operation unit 401, the farming support cloud 405, or another place. Since the flight controller 501 is highly important, some or all of its constituent elements may be duplicated.

The battery 502 is a means of supplying power to the flight controller 501 and other components of the drone and is preferably rechargeable. The battery 502 is preferably connected to the flight controller 501 via a power supply unit including a fuse or a circuit breaker. The battery 502 is preferably a smart battery that has a function of transmitting its internal state (amount of stored electricity, accumulated usage time, etc.) to the flight controller 501 in addition to a power supply function.

The flight controller 501 communicates with the controller 401 via the Wi-Fi slave unit function 503 and further via the base station 404, receives a necessary command from the controller 401, and transmits necessary information to the controller. It is desirable to be able to send to 401. In this case, it is desirable to encrypt the communication so as to prevent illegal acts such as interception, spoofing, and hijacking of equipment. The base station 404 preferably has an RTK-GPS base station function in addition to a Wi-Fi communication function. By combining the signal from the RTK base station and the signal from the GPS positioning satellite, the GPS module 504 can measure the absolute position of the drone 100 with an accuracy of about several centimeters. Since the GPS module 504 is highly important, it is desirable to duplicate and multiplex it. Also, in order to cope with the failure of a specific GPS satellite, each redundant GPS module 504 should use another satellite. It is desirable to control.

The 6-axis sensor 505 is a means for measuring the acceleration of the drone body (further, a means for calculating the velocity by integrating the acceleration). The geomagnetic sensor 506 is a means for measuring the direction of the drone body by measuring the geomagnetism. The atmospheric pressure sensor 507 is a means for measuring the atmospheric pressure, and can indirectly measure the altitude of the drone. The laser sensor 508 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground surface by utilizing the reflection of laser light, and it is preferable to use an IR (infrared) laser. The sonar 509 is a means for measuring the distance between the drone body and the ground surface by using the reflection of sound waves such as ultrasonic waves. These sensors may be selected depending on the drone's cost goals and performance requirements. Further, a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor) for measuring the tilt of the machine body, a wind force sensor for measuring wind force, and the like may be added. Moreover, it is desirable that these sensors 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 it fails, switch to another sensor. Alternatively, a plurality of sensors may be used simultaneously, and if the measurement results do not match, it may be considered that a failure has occurred.

The flow rate sensor 510 is a means for measuring the flow rate of the medicine, and is preferably provided at a plurality of places on the path from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzle 103. The liquid shortage sensor 511 is a sensor that detects that the amount of the medicine has become equal to or less than a predetermined amount. The multi-spectral 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 a drone obstacle. Since the image characteristics and the orientation of the lens are different from those of the multispectral camera 512, it is desirable that the obstacle detection camera 513 be a device different from the multispectral camera 512. The switch 514 is a means for the user 402 of the drone 100 to make various settings. The obstacle contact sensor 515 is a sensor for detecting that the drone 100, in particular, its rotor or propeller guard portion has come into contact with an obstacle such as an electric wire, a building, a human body, a tree, a bird, or another drone. .. The cover sensor 516 is a sensor that detects that the operation panel of the drone 100 and the cover for internal maintenance are open. The drug injection port sensor 517 is a sensor that detects that the injection port of the drug tank 104 is open. These sensors may be selected according to the drone's cost targets and performance requirements, and may be duplicated or multiplexed. In addition, a sensor may be provided at the base station 404 outside the drone 100, the controller 401, or another place, and the read information may be transmitted to the drone. For example, a wind sensor may be provided in the base station 404, and information regarding wind force/wind direction may be transmitted to the drone 100 via Wi-Fi communication.

The flight controller 501 sends a control signal to the pump 106 to adjust the medicine ejection amount and stop the medicine ejection. It is desirable that the current status of the pump 106 (for example, the number of revolutions) is fed back to the flight controller 501.

The LED 107 is a display means for informing the drone operator of the status of the drone. Display means such as a liquid crystal display may be used instead of or in addition to the LEDs. The buzzer 518 is an output means for notifying a drone state (especially an error state) by a voice signal. The Wi-Fi slave device function 519 is an optional component for communicating with an external computer or the like, for example, for software transfer, in addition to the controller 401. In addition to or in addition to the Wi-Fi cordless handset function, 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. The speaker 520 is an output means for notifying the drone state (particularly, the error state) by the recorded human voice, synthesized voice, or the like. Depending on the weather conditions, it may be difficult to see the visual display of the drone 100 in flight, and in such a case, it is effective to communicate the situation by voice. The warning light 521 is a display means such as a strobe light for informing the state of the drone (in particular, an error state). These input/output means may be selected according to the cost target and performance requirements of the drone, and may be duplicated/multiplexed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the drug discharge control system provided in the drone 100 is provided in an agricultural machine for spraying a drug, particularly in this example, the drug spray drone 100, and controls the discharge of the drug with high precision. The discharge abnormality of is detected.

In the present embodiment, in the case of “discharging abnormality” of the medicine, in addition to the state where the medicine is actually discharged abnormally and the medicine exceeding the specified value is discharged, such a discharge abnormality of the medicine is caused. This includes a preparation state that may be feared and a setting abnormality condition in which a drug different from the spraying schedule is actually sprayed or may be sprayed.

As described above, the medicine tank 104 is a tank for storing the medicine to be sprayed.
The medicine tank 104 is provided with an openable/closable lid for filling the medicine and taking out the stored medicine. An open/close sensor 104a capable of detecting the open/closed state is attached to the openable/closable lid. The open/close sensor 104a can be configured by, for example, a magnet attached to the lid and a sensor attached to the main body to detect magnetic force and contact of the magnet. This makes it possible to discriminate the open/closed state of the lid and allow the user to recognize the open/closed state of the lid, and prevent a situation in which the medicine is sprayed with the lid open.

Further, the medicine tank 104 is provided with a medicine type discrimination sensor 104b. The drug type determination sensor 104b can determine the type of the drug stored in the drug tank 104.

The drug type discrimination sensor 104b is composed of, for example, a device capable of measuring the viscosity, conductivity, or pH of the drug in the drug tank 104, and the measured value of each item and the reference value for each drug. It is possible to determine the type of drug by comparing with.

Note that, if not limited to this, for example, if a cartridge-type drug tank is used as the drug tank 104, an IC or the like in which data of the drug type is recorded is attached to the cartridge-type drug tank, and the drug type By providing a means for acquiring data, the type of drug can also be determined.

Here, since a plurality of types of drugs may be used, it is useful to determine whether or not the drug to be sprayed is stored in the drug tank 104. In particular, the particle size of the drug varies depending on the type.If a drug with a smaller particle size than the drug to be sprayed is accidentally sprayed, a drift (scattering of the drug to other than the target product) , Adhesion), and cannot be overlooked.

Further, the medicine tank 104 is provided with a liquid shortage sensor 511 for detecting liquid shortage of the medicine. It should be noted that the liquid out of the drug includes not only when the drug is exhausted but also when the amount of the drug becomes less than a predetermined amount, and the liquid out of the drug is detected according to an arbitrarily set amount. You can

It is preferable that the drug tank 104 be provided with a function for detecting the evaporation of the drug in the drug tank 104, a temperature/humidity measuring function, and the like so that the drug is managed in an appropriate state.

The pump 106 discharges the medicine stored in the medicine tank 104 to the downstream side, and each medicine nozzle 103-1, 103-2, via medicine hoses 105-1, 105-2, 105-3, 105-4. It is sent to 103-3 and 103-4.

The medicine is delivered from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. In the description of the present embodiment, the medicine is delivered along this delivery path. May be referred to as the downstream direction, and the opposite direction may be referred to as the upstream direction. A part of the medicine is delivered from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine tank 104 again via the three-way valve 122. Regarding this path, the three-way valve 122 side is referred to as the downstream direction and the medicine tank 104 side is referred to as the upstream direction. There is.

The expansion tank 131 is a tank for temporarily storing the medicine delivered from the three-way valve 122 and returning it to the medicine tank 104.

The path from the three-way valve 122 to the medicine tank 104 via the expansion tank 131 is a path for removing (defoaming) bubbles in the water or the medicine injected into the medicine tank 104. By circulating this path and temporarily storing it in the expansion tank 131, it is possible to defoam water or a chemical agent.

The check valves 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 deliver the drug only in a certain direction, and in the direction opposite to the certain direction. This is a valve for preventing the inflow, that is, the reverse flow. The check valves 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 are provided from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3. , 103-4 plays the role of a blocking mechanism that blocks the discharge of the drug, and if it can play a role of blocking the discharge of the drug, use another mechanism such as a solenoid valve as the blocking mechanism. You can also

In this example, the check valve 121-1 is provided between the medicine tank 104 and the pump 106, near the medicine discharge port provided in the medicine tank 104, and the check valve 121-2 is the three-way valve 122 and the medicine. The check valves 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 provided between the nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are provided with check valves 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7. The check valve 121-3 is provided in each of 1, 103a-2, 103a-3, and 103a-4, and is provided between the three-way valve 122 and the expansion tank 131. The check valve 121-1 causes the medicine delivered from the medicine tank 104 to be delivered in the downstream direction, and controls the backflow into the medicine tank 104 such that it cannot flow backward. Further, the check valve 121-2 controls the medicine delivered from the pump 106 in the downstream direction, and controls the pump 106 so that it cannot backflow. Further, the check valve 121-3 controls the three-way valve 122 so as to prevent the backflow to the three-way valve 122 by causing the drug delivered from the three-way valve 122 to be delivered in the upstream direction where the expansion tank 131 is located. Further, the check valves 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 can block the medicine from being discharged to the outside from the discharge ports 103a-1, 103a-2, 103a-3, 103a-4. I have to.

The check valves 121-1, 121-2, 121-3, 121-4, 121-5, 121-6, 121-7 may be of various types such as swing type, lift type and wafer type. However, it is not limited to a particular one. Also, regardless of this example, more check valves than this example may be provided at appropriate locations.

The three-way valve 122 is provided between the pump 106 and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and the pump 106 drives the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, The branch point of the route connecting to 103-4 and the route connecting the pump 106 to the drug tank 104 via the expansion tank 131 is configured, and the drug is delivered to each route according to the switching operation. The three-way valve 122 is, for example, a three-way solenoid valve.
Here, the path from the pump 106 to the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 is such that the medicine is discharged from the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. , A route for spraying the drug.
Further, as described above, the path from the pump 106 to the medicine tank 104 via the expansion tank 131 is a path for removing (defoaming) bubbles in the medicine.

The flow rate sensor 510 is provided between the pump 106 and the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, and delivers it to the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. The flow rate of the drug being measured is measured. Based on the flow rate of the drug measured by the flow sensor 510, the amount of the drug sprayed on the field 403 can be grasped.

The pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 are provided at the medicine ejection ports and measure the ejection pressure of the medicine ejected from the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3 and 103-4 to the outside.
The pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 are provided on the downstream side of the pump 106 and measure the discharge pressure of the drug discharged downstream.
By measuring the ejection pressure of the medicine by these pressure sensors 111-1, 111-2, the ejection pressure of the medicine obtained from 111-1, 111-2 of each pressure sensor and/or each pressure sensor 111-1, Based on the value of pressure loss obtained from the measured value by 111-2, it is possible to accurately grasp the ejection state of the medicine, judge the ejection abnormality such as excessive ejection of the medicine, and control the ejection of the medicine. it can.

The pump sensor 106a measures the rotation speed of the rotor that sucks the drug from the drug tank 104 and discharges the drug downstream in the pump 106.
By measuring the number of revolutions of the rotor of the pump 106 by the pump sensor 106a, the amount of the medicine delivered by the pump 106 can be grasped, and the ejection abnormality such as the excessive ejection of the medicine can be judged or the ejection of the medicine can be judged. Can be controlled.

Nozzle type discrimination sensors 114-1, 114-2, 114-3, 114-4 discriminate the types of the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 attached to the ejection ports of the drug. be able to.
Due to the difference in particle size for each drug to be sprayed, the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are usually different depending on the drug. Therefore, by deciding whether or not the type of the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 is appropriate, it is possible to prevent erroneous medicine spraying.

Specifically, for example, a mechanism for fitting or engaging the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 is provided in the discharge port, and the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103 are provided. -3, 103-4 is a mechanism for fitting or engaging with the fitting or engaging mechanism on the outlet side, and a plurality of medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 A different shaped mechanism is provided for each. Then, when the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 are attached to the ejection ports, different shapes are identified for each medicine nozzle 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4. By doing so, it is possible to determine the type of the medicine nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4.

In the middle of the route from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4, a discharge port with a cock for discharging the drug stored in the route to the outside. (In FIG. 6, it is described as “DRAIN”). When the drug accumulated in the route from the drug tank 104 to the drug nozzles 103-1, 103-2, 103-3, 103-4 is to be discharged after the spraying of the drug on the field 403 is completed, The medicine can be discharged from this discharge port.

Water is injected into the medicine tank 104 in the process of replenishing the medicine tank 104 with the medicine, particularly in a water injection standby state (S31) and an air bleeding standby state (S32) described later. Each of the sensors related to the medicine, that is, the liquid shortage sensor 511, the pressure sensors 511-1 and 511-2, and the flow rate sensor 510, which the medicine ejection system has, operate in the same manner even when the medicine tank 104 contains water. .. Further, the medicine type discrimination sensor 104b can discriminate that the medicine tank 104 contains water.

The drone 100, the pilot 401, the base station 404, and the farming support cloud 405 are connected to each other, and the drone system 500 that operates in cooperation with each other is disconnected from one of the components and the other. It is desirable that the state of the drone system 500 be maintained and the operation of the drone system can be smoothly continued even when the power source of these components is turned off.

Further, the drone system 500 has a plurality of different states. The drone system 500 transitions to another state corresponding to the condition by satisfying the condition defined for each state. The "state of the drone system 500" is a concept indicating that the conditions for transitioning to another state are different from each other, and may be configured independently of each other in the system configuration of software for each state, or may be multiple. The states may be configured in the same system configuration. When the drone system 500 belongs to a certain state, the drone system 500 performs an operation defined for each state. If the condition set for each state is not satisfied, the drone system 500 remains in that state. Further, there may be a plurality of conditions to be defined, and there may be a state in which a plurality of states can be entered.

If any abnormality occurs in any of the drone 100, the pilot 401, the base station 404, and the farming support cloud 405, the safety of the drone system 500 as a whole may be threatened. By correctly determining the state of the drone system 500 and defining the operation according to the determination, the drone 100 will not fly or the drug will not be sprayed if the conditions are not satisfied. That is, the drone system 500 can be operated safely. In particular, the drone 100 can be safely flown and the drug can be sprayed.

As shown in FIG. 9, the drone 100 includes a first state transmission unit 111, a first state reception unit 112, a first state transition determination unit 113, a first main terminal determination unit 114, and a first state storage unit. 115 and. In addition, the pilot 401, the base station 404, and the farming support cloud 405 include a first state transmission unit 111, a first state reception unit 112, a first state transition determination unit 113, a first main terminal determination unit 114, and a first state. Each has a configuration corresponding to the state storage unit 115. That is, the pilot 401 has the second state transmission unit 411, the second state reception unit 412, the second state transition determination unit 413, the second main terminal determination unit 414, and the second state storage unit 415. The base station 404 has a third state transmission unit 441, a third state reception unit 442, a third state reception unit 443, a third main terminal determination unit 444, and a third state storage unit 445. The farming support cloud 405 includes a fourth state transmission unit 451, a fourth state reception unit 452, a fourth state transition determination unit 453, a fourth main terminal determination unit 454, and a fourth state storage unit 455.

The first to fourth status transmission units 111, 411, 441, 451 are connected to other information to which the status of the drone system 500 currently belongs, and terminal information indicating the status of each terminal of the drone 100, the pilot 401, and the base station 404. It is a functional unit that transmits to a component. The other component is here the drone 100, the pilot 401, the base station 404, or the farming support cloud 405. The terminal information is, for example, on/off information of the power supply of each of the drone 100, the pilot 401, and the base station 404, and a numerical value indicating each power supply capacity. In addition, the terminal information includes a connection state between each component, an operation history and a maintenance history of each component, failure information of each component, information on whether an emergency stop is being executed, and an emergency stop. It may include the history, the type of water or the medicine injected into the medicine tank 104, the amount thereof, the injection history, and the like.

The 1st thru|or 4th state transmission part 111,411,441,451 may transmit the cloud information which shows the condition of the farming assistance cloud 405 to another component. The cloud information may include, for example, a history of updating the information stored in the farming support cloud 405, that is, the last update date and time, information of the terminal that has performed the update, and the like.

The first to fourth status receiving units 112, 412, 442, 452 are provided with information on the status to which the drone system 500 currently belongs, and terminal information indicating the status of the drone 100, the pilot 401, and the base station 404, when other connected components are connected. It is a functional unit that receives from the first to fourth state transmitting units 111, 411, 441, 451 that it has. Further, the first to fourth state receiving units 112, 412, 442, 452 may receive cloud information from other components.

That is, the base station 404 transmits the current state of the drone system 500 to at least one of the drone 100 and the pilot 401. In addition, the base station 404 receives the state to which the drone system 500 currently belongs from at least one of the drone 100 and the pilot 401. Base station 404, at least one of the connection state of pilot 401 and base station 404, the connection state of drone 100 and base station 404, and the connection state of pilot 401 and drone 100, the drone 100 and Receive from at least one of the pilots 401.

Further, the base station 404 may transmit/receive the connection state between each component and the farming support cloud 405 to/from at least one other component.

According to the first to fourth state transmitting units 111, 411, 441, 451 and the first to fourth state receiving units 112, 412, 442, 452, each component comprehends the terminal information and cloud information of the other components connected in the drone system 500 to each other. be able to. That is, each component can maintain the state of the drone system 500 even if any of the components deviates from cooperation, and the drone system 500 can be smoothly operated.

Moreover, according to the configuration in which the pilot 401 constantly grasps the terminal information and the cloud information, the user 402 can always grasp the state of the drone system 500.

The first to fourth state transition determination units 113, 413, 443, 453 are functional units that recognize the state to which the drone system 500 currently belongs and determine whether or not a condition for transitioning from the currently belonging state to another state is satisfied. is there. The first to fourth state transition determination units 113, 413, 443, 453 can make determinations regarding the same condition, and each state transition determination unit can operate as a substitute for another state transition determination unit.

The 1st thru|or 4th state transition determination parts 113, 413, 443, 453 selectively determine whether the conditions for transiting to another state are satisfied. That is, when one state transition determination unit makes the determination, the other state transition determination units do not make the determination. In the following description, a component having a state transition determination unit that makes a state transition determination is also referred to as a “main terminal”. According to this configuration, even when the power of any one of the constituent elements is turned off, or when the connection between any of the constituent elements is disconnected and the main terminal cannot operate, another constituent element does not operate. As the main terminal, it is possible to determine the state transition and transition the state of the drone system 500.

The first to fourth main terminal determining units 114, 414, 444, 454 are functional units that determine which component is the main terminal based on the information received by the first to fourth state receiving units 112, 412, 442, 452. A priority order is set in advance as to which component is the main terminal, that is, which of the first to fourth state transition determination units 111, 411, 441, 451 determines the state transition. Specifically, when the power of each component is turned on and all the components cooperate, the drone 100 becomes the main terminal. When the power of the drone 100 is turned off or the connection with each component of the drone 100 is disconnected and the operation as the main terminal is impossible, the pilot 401 is determined by the first to fourth main terminal determining units 114, 414, 444, 454. It becomes the main terminal. Note that the priority order is an example, and when the drone 100 cannot operate as the main terminal, the base station 404 or the farming support cloud 405 may be the main terminal. Further, the priority order may be fixed or may change. For example, the priority may vary depending on the state to which the drone system 500 currently belongs.

In the present embodiment, the main terminal determination unit is provided in each component. According to this configuration, the main terminal can be determined regardless of which component is disconnected and cooperation is lost. It should be noted that when all the constituent elements are operating in cooperation with each other, it suffices for any one of the main terminal determining units to determine the main terminal, for example, the first main terminal determining unit provided in the drone 100. 114 may determine that drone 100 will be the primary terminal. When the drone 100 is out of cooperation, the second main terminal determining unit 114 determines that the pilot 401 will be the main terminal based on the information to that effect.

The first to fourth state storage units 115, 415, 445, 455 are functional units that store terminal information indicating the state to which the drone system 500 currently belongs and the states of the drone 100, the pilot 401, and the base station 404. The first state storage unit 115 may further store cloud information indicating the status of the farming support cloud 405.

At least a part of the first to fourth state storage units 115, 415, 445, 455 is configured by a non-volatile storage area, for example, a non-volatile memory. According to this configuration, information can be stored even when the power of each component is turned off. Since the failure information and maintenance history are carried over even when the power is turned on again, it is possible to reliably perform repairs and maintenance even for failures and abnormalities that occurred before the power was turned off. Can be used safely.

As shown in FIG. 10, the drone 100 includes a water injection detection unit 31, an air bleeding detection unit 32, and a full tank detection unit 33 as a configuration for managing the injection of the drug into the drug tank 104.

The water injection detection unit 31 is a functional unit that detects completion of water injection into the medicine tank 104.

The air bleeding detection unit 32 is a functional unit that detects the completion of the air bleeding operation for causing the air inside the medicine tank 104 to flow out to the outside of the medicine tank 104. When the three-way valve 122 opens the path on the side of the expansion tank 131, the air bleeding detection unit 32 causes air in the path from the drug tank 104 to the three-way valve 122 (hereinafter, also referred to as “upstream path”) in FIG. Detects that the removal is complete. When the three-way valve 122 opens the path on the side of the medicine nozzles 103-1 to 104-4, the air bleeding detection unit 32 determines the path from the three-way valve 122 to the medicine nozzles 103-1 to 103-4 in FIG. It is also referred to as a "route") and detects that the air bleeding is completed.

The air bleeding detection unit 32, in the detection of air bleeding in the upstream path, based on the rotation speed of the pump 106 detected by the pump sensor 106a and the measurement result of at least one of the pressure sensor 111-1 and the flow rate sensor 510, Detects that the air bleeding operation is complete. In the downstream route, specifically, the air bleeding detection unit 32 detects the value of the pressure sensor 111-1 and the value of the flow rate sensor 510 according to the rotation speed of the pump 106 when the air bleeding operation is completed. At least one value is stored as a reference value. The air bleeding detection unit 32 compares a reference value according to the rotation speed of the pump 106 with an actual measurement value of at least one of pressure and flow rate. When the difference is within a predetermined range, the air bleeding detection unit 32 detects that the air bleeding operation is completed.

The air bleeding detection unit 32, in detecting air bleeding in the downstream path, based on the rotation speed of the pump 106 detected by the pump sensor 106a and the measurement result of at least one of the pressure sensor 111-2 and the flow rate sensor 510. , Detects that the air bleeding operation is completed. The air bleeding detection unit 32 stores, as a reference value, at least one of the value of the pressure sensor 111-2 and the value of the flow rate sensor 510 according to the rotation speed of the pump 106 when the air bleeding operation is completed. Then, the completion of the air bleeding operation is detected by comparing with the measured value. Further, the value of the pressure sensor 111-1 may also be used to detect air bleeding in the downstream path.

The values of the pressure sensors 111-1 and 111-2 and the value of the flow rate sensor 510 depending on the rotation speed of the pump 106 are different depending on the path in which the three-way valve 122 is open. The air bleeding detection unit 32 determines a reference value to be compared with the actual measurement value, based on the information indicating which path the three-way valve 122 is open.

The full tank detection unit 33 is a functional unit that detects that the medicine tank 104 has been replenished with the medicine.

As shown in FIG. 10, the drone 100 has a flight start command receiving unit 51 and a flight start command receiving unit 51 as a configuration for diagnosing whether the drone 100 can fly safely and conditions for drug spraying are satisfied before takeoff. A plan confirmation unit 52, a drone determination unit 53, and an external environment determination unit 54 are provided.

The flight start command receiving unit 51 is a functional unit that receives a flight start command input from the user 402. The flight start command is a command transmitted from the controller 401 to the drone 100. Since the flight start command is a command for transmitting the intention of the user 402 to the drone 100, the flight start command is transmitted to the drone 100 starting from the operation of the user 402.

The flight plan confirmation unit 52 is a functional unit that confirms whether or not the drone 100 normally holds information regarding the flight plan of the drone 100. The flight plan includes, for example, the position of the field where the drug solution is sprayed during the flight and the route of flight within the field. The flight plan is information registered in the drone 100 in advance and can be rewritten as appropriate. Further, the flight route included in the flight plan is automatically calculated based on the position of the designated field. The flight route may be uniquely calculated based on the position of the field, or may be a different flight route that is calculated each time a flight plan is created in consideration of other conditions. Good.

The drone determination unit 53 is a functional unit that determines that each component of the drone 100 itself is operating within a normal range. The components included in the drone 100 itself are, for example, the battery 502, the motor 102, various sensors, and the like.

The external environment determining unit 54 is a functional unit that mainly determines whether the external environment of the drone 100 is suitable for flying the drone 100. The external environment includes, for example, the presence or absence of a disturbance that interferes with the radio waves that connect the components, the GPS reception sensitivity, and the temperature.

● State Transition of Drone System As shown in FIG. 11, the drone system 500 according to the present embodiment has a stopped state (S0), an initial check state (S1), a drug preparation standby state (S2), and a drug preparation state ( S3), flight start standby state (S4), takeoff diagnosis state (S5), flight dispersion state (S6), post landing standby state (S7), maintenance state (S8), shutdown state (S9) And can be taken.

The stopped state (S0) is a state in which the power supplies of the drone 100, the pilot 401 and the base station 404 are off. When the power of each component is turned on in the stop state (S0), the drone system 500 transits to the initial check state (S1). The power of each component may be manually turned on by the user 402, or the user 402 may operate one component to power on the other components. May be For example, the power of the drone 100 and the base station 404 may be turned on by the user 402 turning on the power of the pilot 401 and activating a dedicated application.

The initial check state (S1) is a state of confirming whether or not the operation of each constituent element is normally performed after the activation of each constituent element. In the initial check state, for example, it is confirmed whether or not each constituent element is powered on, and whether or not communication between each constituent element is normally performed. When it is confirmed that all the predetermined confirmation items are normal, the drone system 500 transitions to the medicine preparation standby state (S2).

The drug preparation standby state (S2) is a state of waiting for a command from the user 402 to start the work of injecting the drug into the drug tank 104 of the drone 100, that is, a command injection start command is input. Is. Upon receiving the drug injection start command input by the user 402, the drone system 500 transitions to the drug preparation state (S3).

The drug preparation state (S3) is a state to which the drone system 500 belongs while the user 402 is injecting the drug into the drug tank 104.

As shown in FIG. 12, the medicine preparation state (S3) includes a water injection waiting state (S31), an air bleeding waiting state (S32), and a medicine waiting state (S33).

The water injection standby state (S31) is a state in which water can be injected into the medicine tank 104. The water injection standby state (S31) is a state transitioning from the medicine preparation standby state (S2) based on the medicine injection start command from the user. In the water injection standby state (S31), when the water injection detection unit 31 detects that water has been injected into the medicine tank 104, the drone system 500 transitions to the air bleeding standby state (S32). The drone system 500 may transition to the air bleeding standby state (S32) on condition that the lid of the water injection port of the medicine tank 104 is locked by an appropriate lock mechanism.

The air bleeding standby state (S32) is a state in which the pump 106 is driven to bleed air and waits for air to escape from the inside of the medicine tank 104 and the path from the medicine tank 104 to the medicine nozzles 103-1 to 103-4. .. The air bleeding standby state (S32) further has an upstream air bleeding standby state (S32-1) and a downstream air bleeding standby state (S32-2).

In the upstream air bleeding standby state (S32-1), the three-way valve 122 is open to the expansion tank 131 side. The air existing in the medicine tank 104 and in the upstream path is circulated in this path by driving the pump 106 and is temporarily stored in the expansion tank 131 and removed. When the air bleeding detection unit 32 detects the completion of the air bleeding operation in the upstream path, the drone system 500 transitions to the downstream air bleeding standby state (S32-2).

In the downstream air bleeding standby state (S32-2), the three-way valve 122 is opened to the medicine nozzles 103-1 to 103-4 side. The air mainly present in the downstream path is pushed by the water moving by the drive of the pump 106, and is discharged from the nozzle 103 to the outside of the medicine tank 104. That is, the air is removed from the medicine tank 104 in the downstream path. When the air bleeding detection unit 32 detects the completion of the air bleeding operation, the drone system 500 transitions to the medicine standby state (S33).

In the medicine standby state (S33), the lid of the water injection port is unlocked, and the medicine can be injected from the water injection port. When the full tank detection unit 33 detects that the medicine tank 104 has been replenished with the medicine, the drone system 500 transitions to the flight start standby state (S4).

The flight start standby state (S4) is a state in which a flight start command from the user 402 can be input. The flight start command is a command for the user 402 to prompt the takeoff of the drone 100. As shown in FIG. 11, when the flight start command receiving unit 51 receives the flight start command, the drone system 500 shifts to a takeoff diagnosis state (S5) in which takeoff diagnosis necessary before the takeoff of the drone 100 is performed.

The takeoff diagnosis state (S5) is a state in which the drone system 500 belongs while the drone 100 is flying safely and is diagnosing whether or not the conditions for drug spraying are satisfied before the drone 100 takes off.

As shown in FIG. 13, the takeoff diagnosis state (S5) includes a drone determination state (S51), a flight plan confirmation state (S52), and an external environment determination state (S53).

The drone determination state (S51) is a state to which the drone system 500 belongs while the drone determination unit 53 determines that each configuration of the drone 100 itself is operating within a normal range. When the drone determination unit 53 determines that each component is operating within the normal range, the drone system 500 transitions to the external environment determination state (S53). When an abnormality is confirmed by the drone determination unit 53, the fact is displayed on the controller 401, and the state transitions to the standby state (S7) after landing.

The flight plan confirmation state (S52) is a state in which the drone system 500 belongs while the flight plan confirmation unit 52 confirms whether or not the drone 100 normally holds information regarding the flight plan of the drone 100. When the information regarding the flight plan is confirmed, the drone system 500 transitions to the external environment determination state (S53). If the flight plan information is not properly retained, the drone system 500 operates to obtain the flight plan information. This operation may receive the information from the farming support cloud 405, for example. Further, when the user 402 needs to make a decision such as designation of a field for spraying the drug, the user 402 is notified of the fact through the controller 401, and the decision is prompted.

The external environment determination state (S53) is a state to which the drone system 500 belongs while the external environment determination unit 54 mainly determines whether the external environment of the drone 100 is suitable for flying the drone 100. When the external environment determination unit 54 determines that the external environment is suitable for flight, the drone system 500 takes off and transits to the flight dispersion state (S6). By having the takeoff diagnosis state (S5) immediately after takeoff after the flight start command, it is possible to reliably detect abnormalities that occur during other work such as drug injection, so diagnose at a different timing. Higher safety can be ensured as compared with the configuration that performs and the configuration that does not perform diagnosis.

When the external environment determination unit 54 determines that the external environment is not suitable for the flight of the drone 100, the drone 100 waits while landing. Further, the fact is displayed on the manipulator 401. Since the external environment is a factor that fluctuates rapidly in a short time, it is preferable to wait for the external environment to reach a state suitable for flight, rather than transition to another state.

In the takeoff diagnosis state (S5), the drone system 500 may prompt confirmation by the user 402 and input information indicating that the user 402 has confirmed it as one condition of the state transition.

The drone system 500 may check the power supply capacity of the emergency pilot in the takeoff diagnosis state (S5). This is because if the power supply capacity of the emergency pilot is less than or equal to the predetermined value, the emergency stop command cannot be transmitted in the flight spraying state (S6), which may impair safety. If the power supply capacity of the emergency pilot is less than or equal to a predetermined value, a message to that effect is displayed on the pilot 401 to prompt the user 402 to take measures such as replacing the battery of the emergency pilot. The same applies to the power supply capacity of the pilot 401 itself.

The flying/spraying state (S6) is a state in which the drone system 500 belongs while the drone 100 is flying and the chemicals are sprayed on the field. When the drone 100 lands, it transitions to the standby state (S7) after landing.

When an emergency stop command is transmitted by the pilot 401 or the emergency pilot in the flying/scattering state (S6), the drone 100 takes an evacuation action. The evacuation action includes, for example, "urgent return" in which the vehicle immediately moves to a predetermined return point by the shortest route. The predetermined return point is a point stored in advance in the flight control unit 23, and is, for example, the departure point 406. The landing point 406 is, for example, a land-based point where the user 402 can approach the drone 100, and the user 402 can inspect the drone 100 reaching the landing point 406 or manually carry it to another place. can do.

Further, the evacuation action includes a landing action. "Landing operation" means "normal landing" that performs normal landing operation, "emergency landing" that descends faster than normal landing, and stops drone 100 from the spot by stopping all rotors. Includes "emergency stop" to drop to. In addition, "emergency landing" includes not only the operation of descending faster than a normal landing and landing at the same point as when performing a normal landing while performing the same attitude control as in normal operation, but also the accuracy of attitude control. However, it also includes movements that make landing even if the posture is slightly disturbed. As one specific example, by slowly and evenly reducing the rotation speeds of all the motors, it is possible to land while accurately descending although not directly below.

The drone 100 receives the power supply capacity of the pilot 401 from the pilot 401 at least in the flight spraying state (S6). The drone 100 takes an evacuation action when the power supply capacity of the pilot 401 is less than or equal to a predetermined value. When the power supply capacity of the pilot 401 is low, the command regarding the flight of the user 402 cannot be transmitted to the drone 100, which makes it difficult to fly the drone 100 safely. Therefore, when the power supply capacity of the pilot 401 is low and the capacity of the battery 502 of the drone 100 is sufficient, it is preferable that the drone 100 take an evacuation action.

Similarly, even if the power supply capacity of the emergency controller is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the drone 100 may be allowed to take an evacuation action.

When the drone system 500 receives the emergency stop command from the pilot 401 or the emergency pilot, the drone system 500 transits to the emergency stop state (S11). The drone system 500 receives the emergency stop command and transmits receipt information to the effect that the emergency stop state (S11) has been entered to the pilot 401. According to this configuration, the user 402 can know from the display on the controller 401 that the drone system 500 has transited to the emergency stop state (S11) as intended by the user 402.

The standby state after landing (S7) is a state to which the drone system 500 belongs while preparing to switch work after landing. The standby state after landing (S7) is a state in which the drone 100 can transit to a plurality of states based on an operation command from the user 402 while the drone 100 is landing.

In the standby state after landing (S7), when the operation command for switching the field to be sprayed with the drug is received from the user 402, the drone system 500 enters the flight start standby state (S4) via the designated field switching route (D). Transition.

In the standby state after landing (S7), when the operation command for performing maintenance is received from the user 402, the drone system 500 transitions to the maintenance state (S8).

In the standby state after landing (S7), when the drone system 500 receives an operation command to replenish the medicine from the user 402, the drone system 500 transitions to the medicine preparation standby state (S2).

According to the drone system 500 having the standby state after landing (S7), even if the drone 100 that has finished spraying the drug on one field continues to spray the drug on another field or replenish the drug, the next operation is smoothly performed. Can be moved to. Specifically, when switching fields and refilling chemicals, the flight start standby state (S9), stop state (S0), initial check state (S1), and other flight start standby states ( It is possible to directly transit to S4) and the drug preparation standby state (S2).

The maintenance state (S8) is a state to which the drone system 500 belongs while the drone 100 is maintaining the drone 100 itself. The maintenance includes, for example, an operation of automatically cleaning the outer casing of the drone 100. When the maintenance in the maintenance state (S8) is completed, the drone system 500 transitions to the shutdown state (S9).

The shutdown state (S9) is a state in which the drone system 500 belongs until the drone 100, the pilot 401 and the base station 404 are disconnected from each other and the power of the drone 100, the pilot 401 and the base station 404 is shut down. Is.

As shown in FIG. 14, the shutdown state (S9) includes a drone shutdown state (S91) and another terminal shutdown state (S92).

The drone shutdown state (S91) is a state in which the drone system 500 belongs until the drone 100 shuts down, that is, prepares for powering off and the drone 100 shuts down. In the drone shutdown state (S91), the drone 100 stores the information stored in the first state storage unit 115 in the nonvolatile storage unit. Further, the drone 100 causes the first state transmission unit 111 to transmit the information stored in the first state storage unit 115 to the farming support cloud 405.

The drone 100 disconnects the controller 401 and the base station 404, and cancels the cooperation with each component. Then the drone 100 is shut down.

When the drone 100 is shut down, the drone system 500 transitions to the other terminal shutdown state (S92). Here, when the drone 100 is the main terminal, the main terminal shifts to another component, for example, the pilot 401, when the drone 100 is shut down.

For the transition of the main terminal, the pilot 401 may be determined as the main terminal by the first main terminal determination unit 114 before the drone 100 is shut down. Further, the second main terminal determining unit 414 may detect that the power of the drone 100 is off and determine the control device 401 as the main terminal.

The other terminal shutdown state (S92) is a state to which the drone system 500 belongs until the controller 401 and the base station 404 are shut down. Even if the pilot 401 and the base station 404 transmit the information stored in the second and third state storages 415 and 445 to the farming support cloud 405 by the second and third state transmission units 411 and 441, respectively. Good.

When the drone 100, the pilot 401 and the base station 404 are all shut down, the drone system 500 shuts down. That is, the drone system 500 transitions to the stopped state (S0).

In the drug preparation state (S3) or the takeoff diagnosis state (S5), if it is detected that the battery capacity of the drone 100 is below a predetermined level, the drone system 500 will land via the dead battery route (C). Transition to the standby state (S7). When the battery capacity is below a predetermined level in the standby state (S7) after landing, the drone system 500 shifts to the shutdown state (S9), and the battery 502 is in a replaceable state.

In the drug preparation state (S3) or the standby state after landing (S7), when it is detected that the amount of the drug in the drug tank 104 is below a predetermined level, the drone system 500 prepares the drug via the drug shortage route (B). Transition to the standby state (S2). In the medicine preparation state (S3), that is, when it is detected that the medicine in the medicine tank 104 is less than or equal to a predetermined value while the drone 100 is landing, the medicine preparation standby state (S2) may be entered before takeoff. it can. If the medicine is sufficiently contained in the medicine tank 104 in the medicine preparation state (S3), there is a high possibility that the medicine will be depleted in the flight spraying state (S6) of the drone 100. Therefore, the drone 100 makes a landing from the flight spraying state (S6), makes a transition to the standby state (S7) after landing, and then makes a transition to the drug preparation standby state (S2). In this way, the drone system 500 can detect a drug shortage and make a transition from two different states to the drug preparation standby state (S2), so that a redundant state transition is made even when a drug is exhausted. It is possible to smoothly transition to the next state.

According to the drone system according to the present invention, in which the drone, the pilot, the base station, and the farming support cloud are connected to each other and operate in cooperation with each other, the connection between any of the components and the other components is disconnected, Even if the power of any of the components is turned off, the state of the drone system can be maintained and the operation as the drone system can be smoothly continued.

In the present description, the agricultural chemical spray drone has been described as an example, but the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to this and is applicable to drones in general. It is especially useful for drones that fly autonomously.

(Technically remarkable effect of the present invention)
In the drone system according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drone system that can maintain high safety even during autonomous flight.

Claims (16)

With a pilot,
Drone,
Is a drone system that is connected to each other through a network and cooperates with each other.
The drone system has a plurality of different states, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the conditions by satisfying the conditions defined for each state,
The drone includes a first state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The pilot includes a second state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The first state transition determination unit and the second state transition determination unit selectively perform the determination,
Drone system.
The main terminal determining unit further includes a main terminal determining unit that determines which state transition determining unit performs the determination, and the main terminal determining unit determines whether the first state transition determining unit is in the second state when the first state transition determining unit is not in a state where the determination can be performed. The drone system according to claim 1, wherein the state transition determination unit determines to perform the determination.
The drone system according to claim 1, wherein the second state transition determination unit makes the determination when the power of the drone is off.
The drone system according to claim 1, wherein the second state transition determination unit makes the determination when a direct or indirect connection between the drone and the control device is cut off.
The drone and the pilot are executing information on the state to which the drone system currently belongs, and power on/off information and power capacity of the drone and the pilot, operation history, maintenance history, failure information, and emergency stop. Information on whether or not, history of emergency stop, connection state between the pilot and the drone, and water or drug injected into the drug tank of the drone, its amount and injection history The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which transmits and receives at least one piece of information to and from each other.
The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drone receives the power capacity of the pilot from the pilot and takes an evacuation action when the power capacity is less than or equal to a predetermined value.
7. The drone system according to claim 1, wherein the pilot sends an emergency stop command to the drone, and the drone sends receipt information indicating that the drone has received the emergency stop command to the drone. ..
The states that the drone system has are:
Drone shutdown state waiting for the drone shutdown,
Other terminal shutdown state waiting for shutdown of the pilot,
Further including,
The drone system stores information stored in the drone in a non-volatile storage unit in the drone shutdown state, and transitions to the other terminal shutdown state by the second state transition determination unit when the drone is shut down. The drone system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the drone system is shut down in the other terminal shutdown state.
A base station connected to each other through at least one of the drone and the pilot, and a network,
The base station includes a third state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The drone system according to claim 1, wherein the first state transition determination unit, the second state transition determination unit, and the third state transition determination unit make the determination alternatively.
The base station is executing information on the state to which the drone system currently belongs, and on/off information and power capacity of the drone controller and the base station, operation history, maintenance history, failure information, and emergency stop. Information on whether or not there is, history of emergency stop, connection state of the drone, the pilot, and the base station with each other, and whether water or medicine injected into a medicine tank included in the drone, The drone system according to claim 9, wherein information of at least one of the amount and the injection history is transmitted to and received from at least one of the drone and the pilot.
A farming support cloud is connected to each other through a network with at least one of the drone and the pilot,
The farming support cloud includes a fourth state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The drone system according to claim 1, wherein the first state transition determination unit, the second state transition determination unit, and the fourth state transition determination unit selectively perform the determination.
The base station includes a third state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The drone system according to claim 11, wherein the first state transition determination unit, the second state transition determination unit, the third state transition determination unit, and the fourth state transition determination unit selectively perform the determination. ..
A drone connected to a pilot and a drone system that operates in cooperation with each other through a network,
The drone system has a plurality of different states, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the conditions by satisfying the conditions defined for each state,
The drone includes a first state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The pilot includes a second state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The first state transition determination unit and the second state transition determination unit selectively perform the determination,
Drone.
A controller connected to a drone and a drone system that operates in cooperation with each other through a network,
The drone system has a plurality of different states, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the conditions by satisfying the conditions defined for each state,
The drone includes a first state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The pilot includes a second state transition determination unit that determines whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states,
The first state transition determination unit and the second state transition determination unit selectively perform the determination,
Pilot.
With a pilot,
Drone,
Is a control method for a drone system that is connected to each other through a network and operates in cooperation with each other.
The drone system has a plurality of different states, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the conditions by satisfying the conditions defined for each state,
The control method is
A first state transition determination step of determining whether or not the drone satisfies the condition for each of the plurality of states;
A second state transition determination step of determining whether or not the pilot satisfies the condition for each of the plurality of states;
Including,
A method for controlling a drone system, wherein the first state transition determination step and the second state transition determination step are alternatively performed.
With a pilot,
Drone,
Is a drone system control program that causes a computer to execute in a drone system that is connected to each other through a network and operates in cooperation with each other,
The drone system has a plurality of different states, the drone system transitions to another state corresponding to the conditions by satisfying the conditions defined for each state,
The drone system control program is
A first state transition determination command for determining whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states by the drone;
A second state transition determination command for determining whether or not the condition is satisfied for each of the plurality of states by the controller,
Including,
A drone system control program for causing a computer to selectively execute the first state transition determination instruction and the second state transition determination instruction.

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