RU2784221C1 - Information-measuring and control system for landing a group of unmanned aerial vehicles on a landing platform - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: landing control systems.

SUBSTANCE: information-measuring and control system for landing a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the landing platform contains video, radio and infrared communications, laser UV radiation, a weather station, robotic means for capturing and holding a single UAV, an air traffic control subsystem in spatial - a time zone with a network system of information-measuring beacons, a subsystem network controller, a controller for managing access to the landing system and emergency landing beacons, a subsystem for detecting, measuring coordinates and correcting the UAV trajectory, a subsystem for lighting and radio engineering support, a central controller for the landing system, a modem and communication interfaces, a block for recording and storing data of the landing system, a block for analyzing the load and choosing the structure of the space-time waiting area.

EFFECT: increased safety of UAV landing from the UAV group, increased safety of UAV movement in the waiting area.

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Description

The invention relates to a system for landing a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on at least one landing platform. It can be used in the modernization of existing systems for landing UAV swarm structures on landing platforms, the creation of promising transit terminal stations for servicing UAVs with a high intensity of their arrival for landing to be served by one or more platforms and network interaction of many such stations.

The prior art method of landing a swarm of UAVs on a mobile platform [AnamTahir, JariBaling, Mohammad-Hashem Haghbayan, Juha Plosila. Navigation System For Landing A Swarm Of Autonomous Drones On AMovable Surface. Communications of the ECMS, Volume 34, Issue 1, Proceedings, ©ECMS Mike Steglich, Christian Mueller, Gaby Neumann, Mathias Walther (Editors). ISBN: 978-3-937436-68-5/978-3-937436-69-2(CD) ISSN 2522-2414)]. A swarm of ten UAVs has a hierarchical structure with a designated leader having the highest level of the hierarchy. Associated with it are UAV followers of the next level of the hierarchy, which in turn have their UAV followers. To take into account the mobility of the platform, the UAV leader has feedback from the mobile platform and corrects its position. UAV followers following the leader correct their positions in the swarm, while solving the problem of collision avoidance, taking into account the safe distances between neighboring UAVs in the group, then this task is solved by UAV followers of subsequent levels of the hierarchy. The trajectory of the leader is independent and determines the trajectory of the UAV swarm structure. The trajectory of each follower is determined based on the orientation and actions of the respective leader. In terms of movement, each follower depends on the movement of their respective leader using a safe distance strategy. Each follower is responsible for efficiently tracking the trajectory of the respective leader, keeping the distance between the two respective objects. When solving the task of swarm landing, reference commands from the landing platform station are continuously transmitted to the leader as feedback, describing the phenomenon of tracking mutual movement, as a result of which he corrects his position during landing. This process continues until the UAV lands. Since the swarm structure completely determines the mutual orientation and interaction order of the UAV, the choice of the next UAV for landing is not required, and each next UAV for landing after the leader UAV performs a similar interaction with the landing platform via direct and reverse communication channels. The disadvantages of this method are: the inability to improve the safety of air traffic in the landing area by monitoring and control by the technical means of the landing platform; the inability to create a controlled waiting area for UAVs in a stochastic flow with a high intensity of their arrival for landing on at least one landing platform; lack of UAV priority landing under conditions of stochastic UAV input flow for landing. The cited patent indicates the channels for interaction between the UAV and the landing platform; the system for landing a single UAV on the landing platform is not disclosed.

In [A.M. Ageev, V.V. Belyaev, V.G. Bondarev, V.V. Protsenko Automatic landing systems for unmanned aerial vehicles: problems and solutions // Military theory and practice. Military Thought No. 4, 2020. P. 130-136] an analysis of the methods and means of automatic landing of UAVs was carried out, a landing system was proposed that uses the autonomy properties of visual landing systems [Mohanraj V.R. Vision based landing for unmanned aerial vehicle // IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings, 2011. art. 5747518 03/01/2018)], built on the basis of high-precision determination of coordinates using an onboard vision system and ground-based contrast landmarks. The system includes: ground segment, which includes a set of three ground-based laser infrared beacons (LIM) placed along the runway (runway) on the safety strip in a given configuration; an onboard segment including a digital video camera with a narrow-band filter mounted on a gyro-stabilized controlled gimbal; a digital computer with special software that allows you to search, capture, recognize and track IR landmarks, calculate the angular and linear coordinates of the UAV relative to the runway and generate the values of their mismatch from the glide path line to the UAV autopilot to create control actions in it that provide landing approach to height H=0. To solve the problem of automating runway run and taxiing for UAVs of an aircraft type of medium and heavy class, it is proposed to equip with a system of tags in the form of low-power radiation sources or light mnemonic signs placed along taxiways at certain distances, with the development of appropriate algorithmic support for tag recognition and intelligent control of the UAV in steering mode. The presented automatic landing system provides control and management from the airfield facilities. The disadvantages of the system are: its use only for aircraft-type UAVs; the lack of a solution to the problem of landing a group of UAVs.

A known method of precise landing UAVs on the landing platform [RU2722521C1, publ. 06/01/2020]. To implement the method, a video frame is obtained with a clearly distinguishable image of the UAV when it is in the landing zone using a video camera fixed on the landing platform of the base station or launch container, the position of the UAV on the video image is determined by computer vision methods. They receive data on the coordinates of the UAV from sensors located on its board. The data obtained on the landing platform and the data from the UAV are compared. Control signals are transmitted to correct the landing trajectory, taking into account the correction factors obtained on the basis of a comparison of the above data. This method improves the accuracy of UAV landing. The disadvantages of the method are: the lack of a solution to the problem of landing a group of UAVs; the complexity of navigation when landing a single UAV in poor visibility conditions; use of the landing method only for helicopter-type UAVs.

The closest in technical essence is the UAV automatic refueling system [RU2757400 C1, publ. 10/15/2021], containing a platform, a computing module, a control module, a UAV mounting system and a power module. The platform is made in the form of an autonomous station. The UAV landing site on the platform is marked with markings. A UV camera is installed on the platform, the UAV is equipped with a source of laser UV radiation operating at the phosphor excitation frequency, which marks (navigation pattern) the landing site on the landing site. The power module includes a rechargeable battery and a coil to create an alternating magnetic field for contactless refueling. EFFECT: ensuring accuracy of UAV landing, contactless autonomous recharging of UAVs, including in conditions of autonomous generation using a solar battery.

The disadvantage of the prototype is that the system is not a queuing system, since it does not take into account the solution of problems: ensuring the landing of a group of UAVs or a stochastically formed group (queue) of UAVs due to the high intensity of their arrival for service; priority landing of UAVs from a group, including those with a random structure; organization of safe movement of a plurality of UAVs in the waiting area during landing.

Currently, there are no known landing systems for UAV swarm structures, including random or stochastic UAV flows that create queues when landing on at least one landing platform, as well as ensuring the safe movement of a group of UAVs in the holding area during landing.

The aim of the invention is to ensure the landing of groups of UAVs with a random structure, stochastic flows of UAVs from different directions, creating queues when landing on at least one landing platform, the safe movement of a swarm of UAVs in the waiting and landing areas, as well as the implementation of priority UAV service by a landing station with at least one landing platform.

The difference between the invention and the prototype lies in the fact that in the landing zone an information-measuring and landing control system (IIUSP) is created, which, by means of information-measuring, computing, radio and technical means, allows using at least one landing platform to create a queuing system with UAV landing, consisting of a UAV space-time holding area (TSZO) for UAV swarm structures awaiting landing, a landing buffer zone (LZP) and at least one landing platform.

For a set of UAVs that require landing on at least one landing platform, the PVSO is a structured space that ensures the creation of a safe queue of the UAV group landing queuing system, as well as the regularization of the UAV input stream, i.e. converting the stochastic input flow of the UAV into a regular flow for the boarding gate. The dimension and structural implementation of the PVZO is formed by the IIUSP on the basis of data on the statistics of service by the landing station, information on the UAV input stream, the type and characteristics of the UAV, data from neighboring landing stations, from the weather station, on destabilizing factors, and the requirements for the safe location of the UAV in the PVZO. The transformation of the stochastic UAV input stream into a regular UAV output stream for landing under conditions of high loading of the landing system is provided, as an option, by the formation of a two-dimensional ring structure of the PVZO in the form of a torus (toroidal structure) and the distribution of the UAV in it along spatially separated, closed routes, in each of which time intervals for UAVs with the same priority are determined. The BZP provides equalization of the UAV speed when leaving the PVZO and its approach to the landing line, buffering the UAV flow, safety of the UAV air traffic in the landing area and high utilization of at least one landing platform. IIUSP performs the following functions: formation of PVZO structures with parameters corresponding to UAV traffic and UAV safe landing conditions, UAV detection and registration for landing, determination of UAV control parameters; organization of UAV transmission of time and coordinates of the entrance to the PVZO, parameters of the trajectory and speed of the UAV movement to the PVZO; control of the air traffic of the UAV in the holding area, correction of its route, forced withdrawal of the UAV from the PVZO in the event that it creates a dangerous proximity zone for the UAV in conditions of destabilizing factors; implementation of a conflict-free UAV access protocol to the landing line when leaving the PVZO; setting the UAV movement parameters in the BZP, UAV landing on at least one landing platform. IIUSP consists of: a landing system control module located on at least one landing platform, which houses the central controller of the landing system and the controller of the detection subsystem connected to it, measuring the coordinates and correcting the UAV trajectory, the unit for analyzing the loading and selecting the structure of the PVZO, the access control controller to the landing system, a block for recording and storing data of the landing system and a communication modem that ensures the interaction of the landing system with the UAV; a subsystem of lighting and radio engineering, the devices of which are connected to the input of the subsystem controller, the output of which is connected to the central controller of the landing system; air traffic control subsystem in PVZO, consisting of a plurality of information and measuring beacons (IIM), forming a network and connected to the inputs of at least one switch of the local network of the subsystem, the output of which is connected to the input of the access control controller to the landing system; weather station, the output of which is connected to the input of the central controller of the landing system. IIUSP is a distributed system, the elements of which are geographically located in the PVZO, BZP, on at least one landing platform and near it. Distributed IIUSP is characterized by a network system of IIM, emergency landing beacons located in the PVZO. By means of IIM, emergency landing beacons and algorithmic support for the access control controller to the landing system using wireless communication channels with UAVs, as well as the tasks of UAVs for safe movement in swarm structures, the safety of UAV air traffic in the PVZO is ensured. Each IIM has a light accompaniment, channels of interaction (direct and reverse) with the UAV, which allow the access control controller to the landing system to specify the speed of movement of objects along the routes. The lighting and radio support subsystem includes video cameras, control and communication radio channels, ensures the interaction of the landing platform with the UAV when it approaches the service area of the landing station, in the landing zone, in the PVZO and BZP, and allows you to adjust the route of the UAV. BZP is characterized by the route of movement of at least one UAV, which is set by the access control controller to the landing system. The exit of the UAV from the PVZO to the BZP is carried out in accordance with the multiple access protocol, the implementation of which is carried out using the access control controller to the landing system. Statistical analysis of the landing of the UAV and the choice of the dimension of the PVZO is carried out by the block for analyzing the load and selecting the structure of the PVZO, based on control commands from the central controller of the landing system and loading data from the block for recording and storing data of the landing system. The central controller of the landing system performs centralized control of the subsystems, interaction with the controllers of the subsystems, individual elements of the system, as well as with the UAV using a modem and communication interfaces.

The technical result of the proposed invention is the formation of the IIUSP of the PVZO structure based on the analysis of the traffic and characteristics of the UAV, weather conditions, information about the information interaction of the landing system with other transit terminal landing stations, the issuance of the IIUSP UAV route information for entering the PVZO and movement in it, security control and correction UAV movement in the PVZO and BZP, formation and transmission of UAV control signals to exit the PVZO to the BZP by solving the problem of multiple access to the landing system, improving the safety of UAV air traffic in the PVZO by monitoring UAV dangerous proximity zones, ensuring the landing of the UAV on the landing platform.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that the information-measuring, computing radio engineering means of the IIUSP form a PVZO structure with a plurality of closed independent routes of various lengths, providing reception for landing both current - incoming UAVs over a time interval, and planned UAVs with a statistical margin (tolerance) for their placement in the structure, the safety of UAV movement in the PVZO is ensured both due to the technical vision of the UAV, and with the use of light and radio engineering means of the IIUSP, a safe landing of the UAV is carried out by implementing algorithms for the UAV exit from the PVZO to the BZP, control of movement and landing on at least one landing platform.

In FIG. 1 shows a model of a landing system for UAV swarm groups on a landing platform in the form of a queuing system, consisting of the main blocks:

1 - PVZO;

2 - BZP;

3 - landing platform (PP).

In FIG. Figure 2 shows examples of organization of routes by checkpoints in PVZO with a toroidal structure: fig. 2 a) - without changing the parameters in the vertical plane; fig. 2 b) - with a change in parameters in the vertical plane.

In FIG. Figure 3 shows a block diagram of a distributed IMIS. It consists of:

4 - subsystem for detecting, changing coordinates and correcting the trajectory of the UAV;

5 - video camera;

6 - controller of the subsystem for detecting, changing coordinates and correcting the trajectory of the UAV;

7 – central controller of the landing system;

8 – communication modem;

9 - UAV;

10 - weather station;

11 - transit terminal station with UAV landing system;

12 - block for recording and storing data of the landing system;

13 - block for analyzing the load and choosing the structure of the PVZO;

14 - lighting and technical devices;

15 - radio beacon;

16 - subsystem of light and radio engineering support;

17 - air traffic control subsystem in PVZO;

18 - IIM;

19 - network switch of the air traffic control subsystem in PVZO;

20 - landing system access control controller.

The queuing system for landing a group of UAVs with a random structure (Fig. 1) consists of PVZO 1, BZP 2 and PP 3 connected in series, the input of which is a swarm of UAVs with a random structure, or a stochastic flow of UAVs with intensity γ [UAV/unit. time]. PVZO 1 performs the functions of accumulating UAVs waiting to land, regularizing the incoming flow of UAVs and ensuring the safety of UAV air traffic in it, BZP 2 equalizes the UAV movement speeds when the UAV leaves PVZO 1 and enters the point of the landing line PP 3, and at a high service speed PP 3 is the effective coefficient of its use, by loading the BZP 2 with several UAVs. Structurally, PVZO 1 is, as an option, a two-dimensional ring structure (Fig. 2) - a toroidal structure that has self-similarity, i.e. in it, identical transverse ring structures, representing the figure of a regular polygon, form a spatial regular polygonal ring structure in the longitudinal plane, the vertices of which correspond to the indicated transverse ring structures (hereinafter referred to as elementary ring structures), the vertices of which determine the coordinate points of various routes. As a result, sectors are formed in the toroidal structure, the middles of which correspond to vertically located elementary ring structures (Fig. 2), through which the UAV enters and leaves the PVZO 1. In Fig. 2 a) shows the routes of movement of the UAV without changing the coordinates in the vertical plane, in Fig. 2 b) - with a change in coordinates in the vertical plane. The use of routes with changing coordinates in the vertical plane makes it possible to increase the density of UAVs in the PVZO. The landing system, depending on the analysis of UAV traffic, UAV characteristics and weather conditions, can change the dimension of the transverse polygon of the toroidal structure, which will lead to a change in the number and density of sectors, in addition, depending on the task of safe air traffic, the system can also change small and large radii of a toroidal figure. The vertices of the spatial toroidal structure form the coordinate space of UAV routes. The direction of UAV flights in the PVZO is chosen as one, for example, counterclockwise. Thus, the spatial factor characterizing the PVZO resource is determined by its structure and closed independent routes in it, and the time factor is determined by the allowable time intervals between two successive UAVs in one route. The entry points of the UAV to the PVZO and the UAV exit from it are determined by the access control algorithm to the landing system.

The functioning of the distributed IIUSP is carried out as follows. The subsystem for detecting, measuring coordinates and correcting the trajectory of the UAV 4 by means of video and radio control 5 detects an approaching object, transmits data through the controller of the subsystem 6 to the central controller of the landing system 7, which solves the problem of identifying the object, provided that the UAV is determined to solve the problem of determining "its own -alien" performs radio data exchange via communication modem 8 with the approaching UAV 9. When the central controller of the landing system 7 decides to allow the UAV 9 to land based on the data received from the weather station 10, data on the characteristics of the UAV 9, information about the workload of neighboring transit terminal stations with landing systems 11, statistical data on the traffic characteristics of the UAV 9 received from the block for recording and storing data of the landing system 12, as well as data from the block for analyzing the load and selecting the structure of the PVZO 13 about the selected structure of the PVZO 1, the time and coordinates of the entry point to the PVZO are given 1, the route of movement in it. UAV 9 moves in the direction of PVZO 1 using its own GPS / GLONASS navigation, lighting equipment 14 and radio beacon group 15 of the subsystem of light and radio technical support 16. When approaching the entry point to PVZO 1, UAV 9 sends a signal via a radio channel via a communication modem 8 - a request to the central controller of the landing system 7 to enter it along a given route. Upon receipt of permission, it starts moving in PVZO 1. When moving along the route, UAV 9 maintains a high-speed mode that ensures the passage of sector coordinate points of the toroidal structure of PVZO 1 (Fig. 2) at strictly defined time intervals. The movement of the UAV group 9 in PVZO 1 is controlled by the air traffic control subsystem in PVZO 17 by means of IIM 18, transmitting the coordinate data and identifiers of the UAV 9 through the network switch of the subsystem 19 to the access control controller to the landing system 20, which, based on the data used on the structure of the PVZO 1, received from the central controller of the landing system 7, if necessary, corrects the route of the UAV 9 by issuing the appropriate command through the central controller of the landing system 7 and the communication modem 8. provide independent landing of UAV 9. At the same time, in the toroidal structure in each sector there is a coordinate point from which it is allowed to carry out an independent emergency landing of UAV 9. In the case of destabilizing factors, when UAV 9 make a dangerous approach, they independently solve the problem of collision avoidance [Kurik iY., NamerikawaT. Consensus-based cooperative formation control with collision avoidance for a multi-UAV system //2014 American Control Conference. - IEEE, 2014. - S. 2077-2082]. At the same time, on the basis of data from the air traffic subsystem in PVZO 17, the access control controller to the landing system 20 selects the zone with the greatest emergency and sends a signal for the emergency withdrawal of the UAV 9 from this zone through the central controller of the landing system 7 and the communication modem 8. For To prevent such emergencies, the central controller of the landing system 7, based on a request signal to the block for analyzing and selecting the structure of PVZO 17 and receiving updated parameters of the structure of PVZO 1 from it, transmits to all UAVs 9 in PVZO 1 a signal for correcting traffic routes with appropriate time intervals. The exit of the UAV 9 from the PVZO 1 for landing is carried out when it passes through certain coordinate points of the sectors of the toroidal structure of the waiting area. Being in the previous sector of the UAV 9 before the landing, it transmits a request signal to the landing system access control controller 20. landing system controller 7 and communication modem 8. Upon receipt of a forbidden signal, UAV 9 continues to move to PVZO 1 along its closed route. Upon receiving a positive signal and passing the corresponding coordinate point of the toroidal structure of the waiting area, the UAV 9 enters the route corresponding to the BZP 2, which was previously received simultaneously with the landing clearance signal. Landing of the UAV 9 at the SP 3 is carried out using the necessary equipment for landing a single UAV 9, in particular, the lighting equipment of the SP3, computer vision technologies, robotic means for capturing and holding the UAV9 at the SP 3, etc. The interaction of the UAV 9 and the access control controller to landing system 20 can be implemented by introducing an additional communication modem with a certain frequency to solve the problem of air traffic safety in the PVZO and solve the problem of access to landing at BCP 3.

The novelty of the invention lies in the creation of an IIUSP for landing swarms of UAVs on at least one landing platform, including groups of UAVs with a random structure, which forms the UAV PVZO with many independent routes of various lengths, BZP, ensures air traffic safety in the PVZO and BZP, priority service UAV during landing. The advantage over the prototype is the provision of automatic landing of groups of UAVs with random structures and UAV flows that create queues of UAVs when landing on at least one landing platform, providing priority landing, the possibility of using the landing system for both UAVs of aircraft and helicopter types.

The proof of the technical feasibility of the invention is the use of technical and computational resources of the UAV swarm landing system, technical vision, control systems with video and IR channels, wireless communication systems in the landing zone, providing two-way digital communication between the central unit of the landing system and a plurality of UAVs, as well as known algorithms for improving air traffic safety, multiple access to a common resource, priority service and methods for forming self-similar spatial structures in order to form a space-time waiting area.

Claims (3)

1. Information-measuring and control system for landing a group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on a landing platform, using vision technology and (or) including video, radio and IR communication channels, laser UV radiation, a weather station, as well as robotic means for capturing and holding a single UAV for automatic landing on a landing platform, characterized in that for landing a group of UAVs with a random structure or a stochastic UAV input stream that creates a queue when landing on the platform, the software and hardware of the system creates a spatio-temporal UAV waiting area in in the form of a set of ordered coordinate points in a limited space and a landing buffer zone in the form of a set of UAV movement routes, including an air traffic control subsystem in a space-time zone with a network system of information-measuring beacons, a subsystem network controller, an access control controller to landing system and emergency landing beacons, a subsystem for detecting, measuring coordinates and correcting the trajectory of the UAV, a subsystem for lighting and radio engineering, a central controller for the landing system, a modem and communication interfaces, a unit for recording and storing data of the landing system, a unit for analyzing loading and selecting the structure of spatial temporary waiting area. 2. Information-measuring and control system for landing a group of UAVs on the landing platform according to claim 1, characterized in that a two-dimensional ring structure with self-similarity is used as the structure of the space-time waiting area, in which the number of sectors in the ring of larger radius is equal to the number of coordinate points various routes in a small radius ring. 3. Information-measuring and control system for landing a group of UAVs on the landing platform according to claim 1, characterized in that a separate communication modem is used to ensure direct communication between the UAV and the access control controller to the landing system.

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