TWI769585B - Drone and event notification method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a drone and an event notification method thereof. The method includes: obtaining basic information related to the drone; continuously detecting flight information of the drone during the flight of the drone; determining whether the drone has detected an impact event or a fall event; in response to determining that the drone detects the impact event or the fall event, providing a report message to an event notification platform, wherein the report message includes the latest measured flight information and basic information of the drone.

Description

Unmanned aerial vehicle and its incident notification method

The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle technology, and in particular, to an unmanned aerial vehicle and a method for reporting an incident thereof.

Drone crashes have been heard from time to time. The reasons are nothing more than weather, motor failure, loss of GPS signal, collision with obstacles, lack of power, etc. All the above conditions make the drone unable to operate normally and crash, causing the drone to finally fall to the ground. crash or even damage.

However, UAVs are usually silent during the fall, so if no one notices the UAV in/after the crash, the task of searching for the UAV after the crash can be quite difficult.

In view of this, the present invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle and an event notification method thereof, which can be used to solve the above technical problems.

The present invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle event notification method, which is suitable for an unmanned aerial vehicle, including: obtaining basic data related to the unmanned aerial vehicle; during the flying process of the unmanned aerial vehicle, continuously detecting the flight information of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and judging whether the unmanned aerial vehicle detects or not When a crash event or a fall event is detected; in response to the drone detecting a crash event or a crash event, a report message is provided to an event reporting platform, wherein the report message includes the latest measured flight information and the basic data of the drone.

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle including a storage circuit and a processor. The storage circuit stores a program code. The processor is coupled to the storage circuit, and accesses the code to execute the following steps: obtaining basic data related to the drone; continuously detecting the flight information of the drone during the flight of the drone; judging whether the drone has detected a A crash event or a falling event; in response to the drone detecting a crash event or a falling event, a report message is provided to an event reporting platform, wherein the report message includes the latest measured flight information and the basic data of the drone.

Generally speaking, the method of the present invention can report the relevant flight information accordingly when the drone detects a collision event or a falling event, so as to help the management personnel of the drone to grasp the status of the drone and take corresponding measures. measure. It will be further explained below.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a schematic diagram of a drone and an event reporting platform according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1 , the drone 100 may include a storage circuit 101 , an impact sensor 102 and a processor 104 . The storage circuit 101 is, for example, any type of fixed or removable random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), read-only memory (Read-Only Memory, ROM), flash memory (Flash memory), hard drive A disc or other similar device or a combination of these devices may be used to record multiple code or modules.

The impact sensor 102 can be disposed on any body part of the UAV 100 to detect the external force applied to the body part. In different embodiments, the impact sensor 102 may be disposed on an important part of the UAV 100 for maintaining the flight function, such as an engine, etc., but it is not limited thereto.

The processor 104 is coupled to the storage circuit 101 and the impact sensor 102, and can be a general-purpose processor, a special-purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or Multiple microprocessors, controllers, microcontrollers, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), any Other kinds of integrated circuits, state machines, Advanced RISC Machine (ARM)-based processors, and the like.

In other embodiments, in addition to the elements shown in FIG. 1 and other common flight equipment (eg, wings, engines, etc.), the drone 100 may include communication circuitry (which may be used to communicate with the event notification platform 120 ) , alarm, GPS module, input interface and other components, but not limited to this.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 , the event reporting platform 120 may include a data transceiving module 121 , an event dispatching module 122 and a platform database 123 . The data transceiver module 121 can receive the report message RP provided by (the communication circuit of) the UAV 100 in response to a crash event or a fall event. Moreover, if the report message RP can be successfully received, the data transceiver module 121 can correspondingly send back a response message RS to the UAV 100 to indicate that the report message RP has been successfully received, but it is not limited thereto. In one embodiment, the data transceiving module 121 may further store the report message RP in the platform database 123 , and transmit the report message RP to the event dispatching module 122 .

In one embodiment, the event dispatching module 122 can receive the report message RP from the data transceiving module 121 and adaptively notify the management of the drone 100 through the event reporting application programming interface (API) 131 according to the content of the report message RP unit, or send API 132 via SMS to notify the operator of the drone 100, but not limited to this.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the processor 104 can access the modules and program codes recorded in the storage circuit 101 to implement the UAV event notification method proposed by the present invention, the details of which are described below.

Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a flowchart of a method for reporting a drone event according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method of this embodiment can be executed by the drone 100 in FIG. 1 , and the details of each step in FIG. 2 will be described below with the components shown in FIG. 1 .

First, in step S210 , the processor 104 can obtain basic data related to the UAV 100 . In different embodiments, the operator/manager of the UAV 100 can input the basic data of the UAV 100 to the UAV 100 through the above-mentioned input interface, for example, to store in the storage circuit 102, but it is not limited thereto.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the basic information of the UAV 100 may include the operator's name, operator's phone number, UAV registration code, brand, model, scheduling information, organization name, emergency contact name, contact phone number, At least one of the flight plan and equipment, but not limited to this.

Next, in step S220 , during the flight of the drone 100 , the processor 104 can continuously detect the flight information of the drone 100 . In different embodiments, the flight information of the UAV 100 may include at least one of the longitude, latitude, altitude, direction, speed, and error range of the UAV 100, but it is not limited thereto.

In step S230, the processor 104 may determine whether the drone 100 detects a collision event or a fall event. If so, the processor 104 can perform step S240 to provide the report message RP to the event reporting platform 120, otherwise, it can return to step S220, but it is not limited thereto.

As mentioned earlier, after the event reporting platform 120 receives the report message RP, it can adaptively notify the management unit of the UAV 100 through the event reporting API 131 according to the content of the report message RP, or notify the unmanned aerial vehicle through the API 132 via SMS The operator or agency contact person of the machine 100. Correspondingly, the management unit can send personnel to the incident location (which can be derived from the longitude, latitude, and altitude in the report message RP) to retrieve the UAV 100, or contact the on-site operator to search according to the incident location. In addition, after the operator of the drone 100 or the agency contact person receives the notification, the fallen drone 100 can also be retrieved according to the location of the event, but it is not limited to this.

In different embodiments, the report message RP may include, for example, the latest measured flight information (eg, the longitude, latitude, altitude, direction, speed, etc. when the collision or fall event occurs) and the above-mentioned basic information of the UAV 100 . In addition, the report message RP may also include event occurrence time and event type (eg, a crash event or a fall event), but it is not limited thereto.

In the first embodiment, when the processor 104 determines whether an impact event is detected, the processor 104 can detect the external force applied to the drone 100 through the impact sensor 102 . In different embodiments, the source of the above external force may include, for example, bird strike, hail strike, building strike, or contact between the drone 100 and various objects, but it is not limited thereto.

Afterwards, the processor 104 can determine whether the above-mentioned external force is greater than an external force threshold value. In different embodiments, the above-mentioned external force threshold value can be set to any value according to the needs of the designer. In one embodiment, if the processor 104 determines that the external force is greater than the external force threshold, it means that the drone 100 has been impacted to a certain extent, so the processor 104 can determine that a crash event has been detected. On the other hand, if the processor 104 determines that the above-mentioned external force is not greater than the external force threshold, it means that although there is an external force applied to the UAV 100, the external force may not affect the flight of the UAV 100, so the processor 104 can correspondingly It is determined that no impact event is detected (or it can be understood that the external force is ignored), but not limited to this.

In addition, in the first embodiment, after it is determined that a collision event is detected, the processor 104 can correspondingly initiate a return-to-home procedure. In this way, the UAV 100 can be allowed to return to the starting point or other designated locations, thereby preventing the UAV 100 from increasing the probability of failure due to continuous flight mission after being hit.

In the second embodiment, when the processor 104 determines whether a fall event is detected, the processor 104 may determine whether the drone 100 is changed to move downward. If so, the processor 104 can determine whether the drone 100 has received a downward flight instruction.

In one embodiment, if the drone 100 is changed to move downward when the downward flight instruction is received, the processor 104 may determine that a fall event is not detected. On the other hand, if the drone 100 changes to move downward without receiving the downward flight command, it means that the drone 100 is falling down unexpectedly.

Correspondingly, the processor 104 may accumulate the falling time of the UAV 100 moving downward, and determine whether the falling time reaches a time threshold (for example, 5 seconds). In one embodiment, if the drone 100 stops falling before the falling time reaches the above-mentioned time threshold, it means that the drone 100 may have resumed the normal flight state, so the processor 104 can reset the falling time accordingly, and It is determined that no fall event has been detected.

On the other hand, if the falling time of the drone 100 reaches the above-mentioned time threshold, it means that the drone 100 is likely to fall out of control, so the processor 104 can determine that a falling event has been detected accordingly, but may not limited to this.

In some embodiments, after it is determined that a fall event has been detected, the processor 104 may also control the warning device of the drone 100 to emit a warning (eg, a sound or light), so that people in the vicinity of the drone 100 can be noticed The drone 100 during/after the fall can perform actions such as evasion, but it is not limited to this. In addition, the warning device can be provided with an independent battery, so that the warning can be continuously issued even after the drone 100 is powered off for some reason.

In some embodiments, after the drone 100 sends the report message RP to the event reporting platform 120, the processor 104 may determine whether a response message RS corresponding to the reporting message RP is received from the event reporting platform 120 within a preset time. If not, it means that the event reporting platform 120 may not successfully receive the report message RP, so the processor 104 can send the report message RP to the event reporting platform 120 again, but not limited to this.

To make the method of the present invention easier to understand, several application scenarios are supplemented below for further description.

In the first scenario, it is assumed that the UAV 100 of the present invention is hit by hail due to weather changes when performing detection and photography. In this case, the UAV 100 may crash due to being hit by a large amount of hail. Therefore, after the drone 100 detects the collision event for the first time, it will start the return procedure to fly to the starting point or other designated location, and immediately send the basic data of the drone 100 and the latest measured flight information and events. The time of occurrence and event type (eg, impact event) are notified to the event reporting platform 120 with a report message RP. Correspondingly, the relevant management personnel can notify the operator of the collision event by text message according to the contact information of the operator in the report message RP, and the operator can retrieve the drone 100 at the departure point or other designated location after receiving the text message. . Thereby, the crash risk of the drone 100 can be greatly reduced.

In the second scenario, it is assumed that the UAV 100 of the present invention is attacked by birds while performing a scheduled autonomous flight mission. In this case, the UAV 100 may crash due to a relatively large impact force. Therefore, after the drone 100 detects the collision event for the first time, it will start the return procedure to fly to the starting point or other designated location, and immediately send the basic data of the drone 100 and the latest measured flight information and events. The time of occurrence and event type (eg, impact event) are notified to the event reporting platform 120 with a report message RP.

In addition, if the drone 100 falls due to being struck by a bird again during the return flight, the drone 100 can activate the alarm accordingly to warn the public below after detecting the falling event, and send the drone 100 to the ground. The basic data and the latest measured flight information, event occurrence time and event type (eg, a crash event) are notified to the event reporting platform 120 by another report message.

After the event reporting platform 120 receives the report message RP and the other report message, it can notify the management unit of the drone 100 accordingly, and the management unit can send someone to search for the event location, and quickly find it by tracking the alarm sound Falling drone 100, and carry out subsequent processing operations.

In the third scenario, it is assumed that there are multiple drones 100 performing shooting operations in the sky above a crowd gathering place or an outdoor gathering place, one of them hits a street light due to improper operation, and the other one falls for some reason. In this case, the falling drone 100 can activate the alarm accordingly to warn the people below, so that the people can avoid it as soon as possible. In addition, the above-mentioned two UAVs 100 that have fallen/collided can individually notify the event notification platform 120 of the detected falling event/collision event through corresponding report messages.

Correspondingly, the event reporting platform 120 can transmit the content of the above-mentioned report message to the relevant unit, and transmit the short message to the operator, so that the operator can quickly go to the event location notified by the short message. In addition, relevant units can also immediately contact the on-site control personnel to go to the incident site to evacuate the people, and quickly find the downed drone 100 by tracking the alarm sound, and carry out follow-up processing operations.

To sum up, the present invention has at least the following features: (1) the present invention can provide instant warning and notification information when a crash event/fall event occurs; (2) the present invention can efficiently The information is provided to the management unit, so that the management personnel of the relevant management unit (such as drone regulators, companies or institutions that own drones, etc.) can dispatch personnel as soon as possible to deal with the aftermath or remind the public to pay attention; (3) The present invention can be provided at one time The basic information of the UAV and the latest measured flight information, so that the management unit's acceptance personnel can grasp the correct scene situation in real time; (4) In addition to the management unit, if the UAV's crash site is on the road, the present invention can also notify the handover. The control center can respond to traffic distribution in real time. In addition, it can notify the operator by text message, or interface with other systems to make flexible application of the data; (6) It can provide real-time notification of general drone collision events or falling events, which is convenient for people to retrieve and reduce losses, and also allows The public has an extra layer of protection to avoid the benefits of being injured due to the falling of the drone.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above by the embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, The protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the appended patent application.

100: Drone 101: Storage circuit 102: Impact sensor 104: Processor 120: Incident reporting platform 121: Data transceiver module 122: Event dispatch module 123: Platform Database 131:Event Notification API 132: SMS sending API S210~S240: Steps

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a drone and an event reporting platform according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for reporting a drone event according to an embodiment of the present invention.

S210~S240: Steps

Claims (9)

An unmanned aerial vehicle event notification method, suitable for an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprises: obtaining basic information related to the unmanned aerial vehicle; during the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, continuously detecting the flight information of the unmanned aerial vehicle; judging whether the unmanned aerial vehicle is detected detecting an impact event; and in response to the drone detecting the impact event, providing a report message to an event reporting platform, wherein the report message includes the latest measured flight information and the basic information of the drone, Wherein the drone includes an impact sensor, the impact sensor is installed on the engine of the drone, wherein the step of judging whether the drone has detected the impact event includes: detecting and applying by the impact sensor an external force on the drone; and in response to determining that the external force is greater than an external force threshold, determining that the impact event is detected, otherwise determining that the impact event is not detected, wherein the response is determining that the impact event is not detected within a preset time. A response message corresponding to the report message is received from the event reporting platform, and the reporting message is sent to the event reporting platform again. The method of claim 1, wherein the basic information of the UAV includes the operator's name, operator's phone number, UAV registration code, brand, model, scheduling information, organization name, emergency contact person name, contact person At least one of the phone, flight plan, and equipment. The method of claim 1, wherein the flight information includes at least one of longitude, latitude, altitude, direction, speed, and error range of the UAV. The method of claim 1, wherein the report message further includes at least one of an event occurrence time and an event type. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the drone detecting the impact event, the method further comprises initiating a return-to-home procedure. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: in response to determining that the UAV is changed to move downward, determining whether the UAV has received a downward flight instruction; in response to determining that the down flight instruction has not been received, accumulating the The falling time of the drone moving downward; and in response to determining that the falling time reaches a time threshold, it is determined that the drone has detected a falling event, otherwise it is determined that the falling event has not been detected, wherein the response is that the unmanned The aircraft detects the falling event and provides the report message to the event reporting platform. The method of claim 6, wherein in response to the drone detecting the falling event, the method further comprises issuing an alert. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising: a storage circuit for storing a program code; an impact sensor installed on the engine of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a processor coupled to the storage circuit to access the program code to perform the following steps: Obtain the basic information related to the drone; continuously detect the flight information of the drone during the flight of the drone; determine whether the drone has detected a collision event; and respond to the detection of the drone by the drone For the impact event, provide a report message to an event reporting platform, wherein the report message includes the latest measured flight information and the basic data of the drone, wherein the impact sensor detects the impact applied to the drone an external force, the processor determines that the impact event is detected in response to determining that the external force is greater than an external force threshold value, and otherwise determines that the impact event is not detected, wherein in response to determining that the impact event is not detected within a preset time The notification platform receives a response message corresponding to the report message, and sends the report message to the event notification platform again. The drone of claim 8, wherein the processor accessing the program code further executes the following steps: in response to determining that the drone is changed to move downward, determining whether the drone has received a downward flight instruction; in response to determining If the downward flight instruction is not received, the falling time of the downward movement of the drone is accumulated; and in response to determining that the falling time reaches a time threshold, it is determined that the drone has detected a falling event, otherwise, it is determined that the drone has not been detected. The falling event is detected, wherein in response to the drone detecting the falling event, the report message is provided to The event notification platform.

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