WO2019184874A1 - Transmitter, aerial vehicle, method for instructing flight control, flight control method, program, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A transmitter (50) for instructing flight control of an aerial vehicle comprises a processing portion. The processing portion acquires operation information used to instruct orientation control of an aerial vehicle (100). Upon acquisition of the operation information, an orientation or a position of the transmitter (50) is acquired, and orientation control of the aerial vehicle (100) is instructed on the basis of the orientation or the position of the transmitter (50). Also disclosed are an aerial vehicle, a method for instructing flight control, a flight control method, a program, and a storage medium

Description

Transmitter, flight body, flight control indication method, flight control method, program, and storage medium Technical field

The present disclosure relates to a transmitter, a flight control indication method, a program, and a storage medium that indicate control of flight of a flying body. Further, the present disclosure relates to a flying body, flight control method for controlling flight of a flying body.

Background technique

In the past, as a method of controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, there are a method in which an unmanned aircraft flies according to a preset flight path (automatic control flight) and a method in which an unmanned aircraft flies according to an operation of a remote controller (manual control) flight). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which a user operates a remote controller to control the flight of an unmanned aircraft.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent Document 1 JP-A-2017-228111

Summary of the invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

When the unmanned aircraft flies according to the operation of the remote controller, it is difficult to discriminate the orientation of the unmanned aircraft, and there may be a case where the remote controller is difficult to operate for the user. For example, in a situation where the unmanned aircraft is in a position away from the position of the user who manipulates the remote controller, the weather is not good, and the like, it is difficult for the user to visually confirm the orientation of the unmanned aircraft.

When the user operates the remote controller to instruct the control of the flight of the unmanned aircraft, the orientation of the unmanned aircraft becomes the reference for the front, rear, left and right movement operations of the body. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to perform the moving operation using the remote controller when the orientation of the unmanned aircraft is difficult to discriminate.

Means for solving problems

In one aspect, a transmitter for instructing control of flight of a flying body includes a processing unit that acquires operation information for instructing control of the orientation of the flying body, and when the operation information is acquired, acquires Information on the orientation or position of the transmitter, and an indication of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter.

The processing portion may indicate the rotation of the flying body such that the orientation of the transmitter is in the same direction as the orientation of the flying body.

The processing unit may acquire position information of the transmitter, acquire position information of the flying body, calculate a straight line connecting the position of the transmitter and the position of the flying body, and instruct the control of the orientation of the flying body based on the direction of the straight line.

The processing unit may instruct the rotation of the flying body such that the orientation of the straight line is in the same direction as the orientation of the flying body.

The processing portion may instruct the flying body to rotate in a rotational direction in which the flying body rotates in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction.

The processing unit may acquire completion information of the control of the orientation of the flying body, and based on the completion information, present information indicating that the control of the orientation of the flying body has been completed.

In one aspect, a flight body that controls flight based on an indication of a transmitter's control of flight includes a processing unit that receives operation information for indicating control of a flying body from a transmitter and a transmitter The position information, when receiving the operation information, acquires the position information of the flying body, calculates a straight line connecting the position of the transmitter and the position of the flying body, and controls the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation of the straight line.

In one aspect, a flight control indication method in a transmitter that indicates control of flight of a flying body has a step of acquiring operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body; when the operation is acquired The step of acquiring information of the orientation or position of the transmitter at the time of information; and the step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter.

The step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body may include the step of indicating the rotation of the flying body such that the orientation of the transmitter is in the same direction as the orientation of the flying body.

The flight control indicating method may further include the steps of: acquiring position information of the flying body; and calculating a straight line connecting the position of the transmitter and the position of the flying body. The step of obtaining information of the orientation or position of the transmitter may include the step of acquiring location information of the transmitter. The step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body may include the step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation of the straight line.

The step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body may include the step of indicating the rotation of the flying body such that the orientation of the straight line is in the same direction as the orientation of the flying body.

The step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body may include the step of indicating a rotation direction in which the flying body rotates in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction in which the amount of rotation of the flying body is less.

The flight control instructing method may further include: a step of acquiring completion information of the control of the orientation of the flying body; and a step of prompting information indicating that the control of the orientation of the flying body has been completed based on the completion information.

In one aspect, a flight control method in a flying body that controls flight based on an indication of a transmitter's control of flight, having: receiving operational information indicating a control of a direction of a flying body from a transmitter, and transmitting a step of acquiring position information of the aircraft; a step of acquiring position information of the flying body when acquiring the operation information; a step of calculating a straight line connecting the position of the transmitter with the position of the flying body; and controlling the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation of the straight line A step of.

In one aspect, a program for causing a transmitter that directs control of flight of a flying body to perform the steps of: obtaining operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body; when the operation is acquired The step of acquiring information of the orientation or position of the transmitter at the time of information; and the step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter.

In one aspect, a recording medium which is a computer readable recording medium and which records a program for causing a control of flight of a flying body to perform the following steps: acquiring control for the orientation of the flying body a step of performing the indicated operation information; a step of acquiring information of the orientation or position of the transmitter when the operation information is acquired; and a step of indicating control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter.

Moreover, not all features of the present disclosure are exhausted in the foregoing summary. Furthermore, sub-combinations of these feature sets may also constitute an invention.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration example of a flight system in the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific appearance of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one example of a hardware configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

4 is a perspective view showing an example of an appearance of a portable terminal mounted with a transmitter.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one example of a hardware configuration of a transmitter.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing one example of a hardware configuration of a portable terminal.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining an outline of an operation of causing the unmanned aircraft to face the front direction of the transmitter.

Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an operation procedure for causing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft to coincide with the front direction of the transmitter.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a positional relationship between a transmitter held by a user and an unmanned aerial vehicle when viewed from above when the alignment in the front direction is completed.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining an outline of an operation of causing the orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the second embodiment to coincide with the axial direction.

Fig. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an operation procedure for causing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft to coincide with the axial direction.

Fig. 12 is a view showing the positional relationship between the transmitter and the unmanned aerial vehicle that the user holds when viewed from above when the alignment in the axial direction is completed.

FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing another example of an operation procedure for causing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft to coincide with the axial direction.

detailed description

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described by way of embodiments of the present invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. All combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily required for the inventive solution.

The claims, the description, the drawings, and the abstract of the specification contain matters that are protected by copyright. Anyone who makes copies of these documents as indicated in the documents or records of the Patent Office cannot be objected to by the copyright owner. However, in other cases, all copyrights are reserved.

In the following embodiments, the flying body is exemplified by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Unmanned aircraft include aircraft that move in the air. In the drawings of the present specification, the unmanned aircraft is labeled "UAV". The flight control instruction method specifies an action in a transmitter (for example, a proportional controller, a portable terminal) that instructs control of the flight of the unmanned aircraft. The flight control method specifies the action in the unmanned aircraft. Further, the recording medium is recorded with a program (for example, a program that causes the transmitter or the unmanned aircraft to perform various processes).

(First embodiment)

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the flight system 10 in the first embodiment. The flight system 10 includes an unmanned aircraft 100, a transmitter 50, and a portable terminal 80. The unmanned aircraft 100, the transmitter 50, and the portable terminal 80 can communicate with each other by wired communication or wireless communication (for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network)).

Next, a configuration example of the unmanned aircraft 100 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a specific appearance of an unmanned aerial vehicle. A perspective view of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 when flying in the moving direction STV0 is shown in FIG. The unmanned aircraft 100 is an example of a flying body.

As shown in FIG. 2, a direction parallel to the ground and along the moving direction STV0 is defined as a rolling axis (refer to the x-axis). In this case, the direction parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the roll axis is determined as the pitch axis (refer to the y-axis), and further, the direction perpendicular to the ground and perpendicular to the roll axis and the pitch axis is determined as the yaw axis (refer to Z axis).

The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is configured to include a UAV main body 102, a universal joint 200, an imaging device 220, and a plurality of imaging devices 230. The UAV main body 102 is one example of a housing of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The imaging devices 220 and 230 are an example of an imaging unit.

The UAV main body 102 is provided with a plurality of rotors (spiral). The UAV main body 102 causes the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to fly by controlling the rotation of a plurality of rotors. The UAV body 102 causes the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to fly using, for example, four rotors. The number of rotors is not limited to four. Additionally, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be a fixed-wing aircraft without a rotor.

The imaging device 220 is an imaging camera that captures a subject included in a desired imaging range (for example, a situation as an aerial object, a scene of a mountain, a river, or the like, or a building on the ground).

The plurality of imaging devices 230 are sensing cameras that image the surroundings of the unmanned aircraft 100 in order to control the flight of the unmanned aircraft 100. The two camera devices 230 may be disposed on the front side of the hand of the unmanned aircraft 100. Further, the other two imaging devices 230 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. The two camera units 230 on the front side can be paired to function as a so-called stereo camera. The two imaging devices 230 on the bottom side may also be paired to function as a stereo camera. The three-dimensional spatial data around the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be generated based on images captured by the plurality of imaging devices 230. Further, the number of imaging devices 230 included in the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is not limited to four. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may include at least one imaging device 230. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 may be provided with at least one imaging device 230 on the nose, the tail, the side, the bottom surface, and the top surface of the unmanned aircraft 100, respectively. The angle of view that can be set in the camera 230 can be larger than the angle of view that can be set in the camera 220. The camera 230 may have a single focus lens or a fisheye lens.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing one example of the hardware configuration of the unmanned aircraft 100. The unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is configured to include a UAV control unit 110, a communication interface 150, a memory 160, a memory 170, a universal joint 200, a rotor mechanism 210, an imaging device 220, an imaging device 230, a GPS receiver 240, and an inertial measurement device ( IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit 250, magnetic compass 260, barometric altimeter 270, ultrasonic sensor 280, laser measuring instrument 290. The communication interface 150 is an example of a communication section.

The UAV control unit 110 is configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). The UAV control unit 110 performs signal processing for overall controlling the operation of each part of the unmanned aircraft 100, input/output processing of data with other parts, arithmetic processing of data, and storage processing of data.

The UAV control unit 110 controls the flight of the unmanned aircraft 100 in accordance with a program stored in the memory 160. The UAV control unit 110 controls the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 in accordance with an instruction received from the remote transmitter 50 through the communication interface 150. The memory 160 can also be detached from the unmanned aerial vehicle 100.

The UAV control unit 110 can determine the environment around the unmanned aircraft 100 by analyzing a plurality of images captured by the plurality of imaging devices 230. The UAV control unit 110 controls the flight based on the environment around the unmanned aircraft 100, for example, avoiding an obstacle.

The UAV control unit 110 acquires date information indicating the current date. The UAV control section 110 can acquire date information indicating the current date from the GPS receiver 240. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire date information indicating the current date from a timer (not shown) mounted on the unmanned aircraft 100.

The UAV control unit 110 acquires position information indicating the position of the unmanned aircraft 100. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire position information indicating the latitude, longitude, and altitude at which the unmanned aircraft 100 is located from the GPS receiver 240. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire latitude and longitude information indicating the latitude and longitude of the unmanned aircraft 100 from the GPS receiver 240, respectively, and acquire height information indicating the height of the unmanned aircraft 100 from the barometric altimeter 270 as position information. . The UAV control unit 110 can acquire the distance between the radiation point of the ultrasonic wave generated by the ultrasonic sensor 280 and the reflection point of the ultrasonic wave as the height information.

The UAV control unit 110 acquires orientation information indicating the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 from the magnetic compass 260. The orientation information indicates, for example, an orientation corresponding to the orientation of the nose of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100.

The UAV control unit 110 can acquire position information indicating a position where the unmanned aircraft 100 should exist when the imaging device 220 captures an imaging range corresponding to the imaging. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire position information indicating the position where the unmanned aircraft 100 should exist from the memory 160. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire position information indicating a position where the unmanned aircraft 100 should exist from the other device such as the transmitter 50 via the communication interface 150. The UAV control unit 110 can refer to the three-dimensional map database to specify a position where the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can exist, to take a picture corresponding to the captured imaging range, and acquire the position as position information indicating a position where the unmanned aircraft 100 should exist. .

The UAV control unit 110 acquires imaging information indicating an imaging range of each of the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230. The UAV control unit 110 acquires angle of view information indicating the angles of view of the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230 from the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230 as parameters for specifying the imaging range. The UAV control unit 110 acquires information indicating the imaging directions of the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230 as parameters for specifying the imaging range. The UAV control unit 110 acquires posture information indicating the posture state of the imaging device 220 from the universal joint 200 as, for example, information indicating the imaging direction of the imaging device 220. The UAV control unit 110 acquires information indicating the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. The information indicating the posture state of the imaging device 220 indicates the angle at which the universal joint 200 is rotated from the reference rotation angles of the pitch axis and the yaw axis. The UAV control unit 110 acquires position information indicating the position where the unmanned aircraft 100 is located as a parameter for specifying the imaging range. The UAV control unit 110 can define an imaging range indicating the geographical range captured by the imaging device 220 based on the angle of view and the imaging direction of the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230, and the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, and generate an image indicating the imaging range. Information to obtain camera information.

The UAV control unit 110 can acquire imaging information indicating an imaging range that the imaging device 220 should capture. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire imaging information that the imaging device 220 should take from the memory 160. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire imaging information that the imaging device 220 should capture from the other device such as the transmitter 50 via the communication interface 150.

The UAV control unit 110 can acquire stereoscopic information (three-dimensional information) indicating a three-dimensional shape (three-dimensional shape) of an object existing around the unmanned aircraft 100. The object is a part of a landscape such as a building, a road, a vehicle, or a tree. The stereoscopic information is, for example, three-dimensional spatial data. The UAV control unit 110 can generate stereoscopic information indicating a three-dimensional shape of an object existing around the unmanned aircraft 100 based on each image obtained by the plurality of imaging devices 230, thereby acquiring stereoscopic information. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire stereoscopic information indicating a three-dimensional shape of an object existing around the unmanned aircraft 100 by referring to the three-dimensional map database stored in the memory 160. The UAV control unit 110 can acquire stereoscopic information related to the three-dimensional shape of the object existing around the unmanned aircraft 100 by referring to the three-dimensional map database managed by the server existing on the network.

The UAV control unit 110 acquires image data captured by the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230.

The UAV control unit 110 controls the universal joint 200, the rotor mechanism 210, the imaging device 220, and the imaging device 230. The UAV control unit 110 controls the imaging range of the imaging device 220 by changing the imaging direction or the angle of view of the imaging device 220. The UAV control unit 110 controls the imaging range of the imaging device 220 supported by the universal joint 200 by controlling the rotation mechanism of the universal joint 200.

In the present specification, the imaging range refers to a geographical range captured by the imaging device 220 or the imaging device 230. The camera range is defined by latitude, longitude and altitude. The imaging range can be a range of three-dimensional spatial data defined by latitude, longitude, and altitude. The imaging range is specified based on the angle of view and the imaging direction of the imaging device 220 or the imaging device 230, and the position of the unmanned aircraft 100. The imaging directions of the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230 are defined by the orientation and depression angle of the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230 on the front side where the imaging lens is provided. The imaging direction of the imaging device 220 is a direction specified by the orientation of the head of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the posture state of the imaging device 220 with respect to the universal joint 200. The imaging direction of the imaging device 230 is a direction specified by the orientation of the head of the unmanned aircraft 100 and the position where the imaging device 230 is provided.

The UAV control unit 110 controls the flight of the unmanned aircraft 100 by controlling the rotor mechanism 210. That is, the UAV control unit 110 controls the position including the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the unmanned aircraft 100 by controlling the rotor mechanism 210. The UAV control unit 110 can control the imaging ranges of the imaging device 220 and the imaging device 230 by controlling the flight of the unmanned aircraft 100. The UAV control unit 110 can control the angle of view of the imaging device 220 by controlling the zoom lens provided in the imaging device 220. The UAV control unit 110 can control the angle of view of the imaging device 220 by digital zoom using the digital zoom function of the imaging device 220.

When the imaging device 220 is fixed to the unmanned aircraft 100 and the imaging device 220 is not moved, the UAV control unit 110 can cause the imaging device 220 to be desired by moving the unmanned aircraft 100 to a specific position on a specific date. The desired imaging range is taken in the environment. Alternatively, when the imaging device 220 has no zoom function and cannot change the angle of view of the imaging device 220, the UAV control unit 110 may cause the imaging device 220 to be desired by moving the unmanned aircraft 100 to a specific position on a specific date. The desired imaging range is taken under the environment.

Communication interface 150 is in communication with transmitter 50. The communication interface 150 receives various instructions and information from the remote transmitter 50 to the UAV control unit 110.

The memory 160 stores the UAV control unit 110 for the universal joint 200, the rotor mechanism 210, the imaging device 220, the imaging device 230, the GPS receiver 240, the inertial measurement device 250, the magnetic compass 260, the barometric altimeter 270, the ultrasonic sensor 280, and the laser measuring instrument. 290 Programs required for control, etc. The memory 160 may be a computer readable recording medium, and may include an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory: Erasable). At least one of a flash memory such as a programmable read only memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), and a USB memory. The memory 160 can be disposed inside the UAV body 102. It can be configured to be detachable from the UAV body 102.

The universal joint 200 rotatably supports the image pickup device 220 around at least one of the axes. The universal joint 200 can rotatably support the image pickup device 220 centering on the yaw axis, the pitch axis, and the roll axis. The universal joint 200 can change the imaging direction of the imaging device 220 by rotating the imaging device 220 around at least one of the yaw axis, the pitch axis, and the roll axis.

The rotor mechanism 210 includes a plurality of rotors 211, a plurality of drive motors 212 that rotate the plurality of rotors 211, and a current sensor 213 that measures a current value (actual measurement value) of a drive current for driving the drive motor 212. The drive current is supplied to the drive motor 212.

The imaging device 220 captures a subject of a desired imaging range and generates data of the captured image. The image data obtained by the imaging by the imaging device 220 is stored in a memory of the imaging device 220 or in the memory 160.

The imaging device 230 captures the surroundings of the unmanned aircraft 100 and generates data of the captured image. The image data of the imaging device 230 is stored in the memory 160.

The GPS receiver 240 receives a plurality of signals indicating the time transmitted from a plurality of navigation satellites (i.e., GPS satellites) and the position (coordinates) of each GPS satellite. The GPS receiver 240 calculates the position of the GPS receiver 240 (i.e., the position of the unmanned aircraft 100) based on the received plurality of signals. The GPS receiver 240 outputs the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 to the UAV control unit 110. In addition, the calculation of the position information of the GPS receiver 240 may be performed by the UAV control unit 110 instead of the GPS receiver 240. In this case, the UAV control unit 110 inputs information indicating the time and the position of each GPS satellite included in the plurality of signals received by the GPS receiver 240.

The inertial measurement device 250 detects the posture of the unmanned aircraft 100 and outputs the detection result to the UAV control unit 110. The inertial measurement device IMU 250 detects the acceleration in the three-axis direction of the front, rear, left and right, and up and down of the unmanned aircraft 100 and the angular velocity in the three-axis directions of the pitch axis, the roll axis, and the yaw axis as the posture of the unmanned aircraft 100.

The magnetic compass 260 detects the orientation of the nose of the unmanned aircraft 100, and outputs the detection result to the UAV control unit 110.

The barometric altimeter 270 detects the flying height of the unmanned aircraft 100 and outputs the detection result to the UAV control section 110.

The ultrasonic sensor 280 emits ultrasonic waves, detects ultrasonic waves reflected from the ground and the objects, and outputs the detection results to the UAV control unit 110. The detection result may show the distance from the unmanned aircraft 100 to the ground, that is, the altitude. The detection result may indicate the distance from the unmanned aircraft 100 to the object.

The laser measuring instrument 290 irradiates the laser light onto the object, receives the reflected light reflected by the object, and measures the distance between the unmanned aircraft 100 and the object by the reflected light. As an example of the laser-based distance measuring method, it may be a time-of-flight method.

Next, a configuration example of the transmitter 50 and the portable terminal 80 will be described. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing one example of the appearance of the portable terminal 80 on which the transmitter 50 is mounted. In FIG. 4, a smartphone 80S is shown as an example of the portable terminal 80. The directions of the upper and lower, front and rear, and left and right directions of the transmitter 50 are respectively in accordance with the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. The transmitter 50 is used in a state in which, for example, a person who uses the transmitter 50 (hereinafter referred to as an "operator") holds with both hands. Transmitter 50 is an example of a transmitter.

The transmitter 50 has a resin case 50B having, for example, a substantially square bottom surface and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape (in other words, a substantially box shape) having a height shorter than one side of the bottom surface. A left control lever 53L and a right control lever 53R are protruded from substantially the center of the housing surface of the transmitter 50.

The left control lever 53L and the right control lever 53R are respectively used for an operation of the operator to remotely control the movement of the unmanned aircraft 100 (for example, the forward and backward movement, the left and right movement, the up and down movement, and the orientation change of the unmanned aircraft 100) (moving) Control operation). In FIG. 4, the left control lever 53L and the right control lever 53R show positions of an initial state in which an external force is not separately applied by the operator's hands. The left lever 53L and the right lever 53R are automatically restored to a predetermined position (for example, the initial position shown in FIG. 4) after the external force applied by the operator is released.

The power button B1 of the transmitter 50 is disposed on the near side (in other words, the operator side) of the left control lever 53L. When the operator presses the power button B1 once, for example, the remaining amount of the capacity of the battery (not shown) built in the transmitter 50 is displayed on the remaining battery amount display unit L2. When the operator presses the power button B1 again, for example, the power of the transmitter 50 is turned on, and each part of the transmitter 50 is supplied with power and can be used.

An RTH (Return To Home) button B2 is disposed on the near side (in other words, the operator side) of the right lever 53R. When the operator presses the RTH button B2, the transmitter 50 transmits a signal to the unmanned aircraft 100 for automatically returning it to the predetermined position. Thus, the transmitter 50 can cause the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 to automatically return to a predetermined position (eg, the takeoff position stored by the unmanned aerial vehicle 100). The RTH button can be utilized in the case where the operator does not see the body of the unmanned aircraft 100 in the aerial photography using the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 outdoors, or if it is unable to operate due to radio wave interference or unexpected failure. B2.

The remote state display unit L1 and the battery remaining amount display unit L2 are disposed on the near side (in other words, the operator side) of the power button B1 and the RTH button B2. The remote state display unit L1 is configured by, for example, an LED (Light Emission Diode), and displays the wireless connection state between the transmitter 50 and the unmanned aircraft 100. The battery remaining amount display unit L2 is configured by, for example, an LED, and displays the remaining capacity of the battery (not shown) built in the transmitter 50.

Two antennas AN1, AN2 are protruded from the rear side of the left control lever 53L and the right control lever 53R and the rear side surface of the housing 50B of the transmitter 50. The antennas AN1, AN2 transmit signals generated by the transmitter control section 61 (i.e., signals for controlling the movement of the unmanned aircraft 100) to the driverless based on the operations of the operator's left and right levers 53L, 53R. Aircraft 100. This signal is one of the operational input signals input by the transmitter 50. The antennas AN1, AN2 can cover, for example, a transmission range of 2 km. Further, when the image captured by the imaging device 220 included in the unmanned aircraft 100 wirelessly connected to the transmitter 50 or the various data acquired by the unmanned aircraft 100 is transmitted from the unmanned aircraft 100, The antennas AN1, AN2 are capable of receiving these images or various data.

In FIG. 4, the transmitter 50 does not include a display unit, but may include a display unit.

The portable terminal 80 can be loaded and mounted on the bracket HLD. The bracket HLD can be attached and mounted on the transmitter 50. Thereby, the portable terminal 80 is mounted on the transmitter 50 via the bracket HLD. The portable terminal 80 and the transmitter 50 can be connected by a wired cable such as a USB cable. It is also possible not to install the portable terminal 80 on the transmitter 50, but to separately set the portable terminal 80 and the transmitter 50.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing one example of the hardware configuration of the transmitter 50. The transmitter 50 is configured to include a left control lever 53L, a right control lever 53R, a transmitter control unit 61, a wireless communication unit 63, an interface unit 65, a magnetic compass 66, a power button B1, an RTH button B2, an orientation button B3, The operation unit group OPS, the vibrator 67, the GPS receiver 68, the remote state display unit L1, the battery remaining amount display unit L2, and the display unit DP.

The left control lever 53L is used, for example, for an operation of remotely controlling the movement of the unmanned aircraft 100 by the operator's left hand. The right lever 53R is used, for example, for an operation of remotely controlling the movement of the unmanned aircraft 100 by the right hand of the operator. The movement of the unmanned aircraft 100 is, for example, a movement in a forward direction, a movement in a backward direction, a movement in the left direction, a movement in the right direction, a movement in a rising direction, a movement in a descending direction, and a rotation in the left direction of an unmanned aircraft. Any one of the movement of 100 and the movement of the unmanned aircraft 100 in the right direction or a combination thereof is the same as the following.

For example, the left-hand lever 53L can be used to perform the movement operation of the forward-backward movement and the right-and-left rotation, and the right control lever 53R can be used to perform the movement operation of the ascending and descending and the left-right movement (operation mode 1). Further, for example, the left control lever 53L may be used to perform a movement operation of the ascending and descending and the right and left rotation, and the right control lever 53R may be used to perform the movement operation of the forward and backward movement and the right and left movement (operation mode 2). The operation mode can be set by the transmitter control unit 61, the setting information is stored in a memory (not shown), or any one of the operation modes can be set in advance, and the setting information is stored in a memory (not shown).

When the power button B1 is pressed once, a signal indicating that it has been pressed once is input to the transmitter control unit 61. The transmitter control unit 61 displays the remaining amount of the capacity of the battery (not shown) built in the transmitter 50 on the remaining battery amount display unit L2 based on the signal. Thereby, the operator can easily check the remaining amount of the capacity of the battery built in the transmitter 50. Further, when the power button B1 is pressed twice, a signal indicating that it has been pressed twice is transmitted to the transmitter control unit 61. The transmitter control unit 61 instructs a battery (not shown) built in the transmitter 50 to supply power to each part in the transmitter 50 based on the signal. Thereby, the operator turns on the power of the transmitter 50, and the use of the transmitter 50 can be easily started.

When the RTH button B2 is pressed, a signal indicating that it is pressed is input to the transmitter control unit 61. The transmitter control unit 61 generates a signal for automatically returning the unmanned aircraft 100 to a predetermined position (for example, a take-off position of the unmanned aircraft 100) in accordance with the signal, and transmits it to the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2. The person drives the aircraft 100. Thereby, the operator can automatically return (return) the unmanned aircraft 100 to the predetermined position by a simple operation of the transmitter 50.

When the orientation toward the alignment button B3 is pressed, a signal indicating that the signal is pressed is input to the transmitter control portion 61.

The transmitter control unit 61 acquires information on the orientation detected by the magnetic compass 66 based on the signal so that the front direction of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the front direction of the transmitter 50. The transmitter control unit 61 transmits the acquired information of the orientation to the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2.

The operation unit group OPS is composed of a plurality of operation units OP (for example, operation units OP1, . . . , operation unit OPn) (n: an integer of 2 or more). The operation unit group OPS is operated by an operation unit other than the left control lever 53L, the right control lever 53R, the power button B1, and the RTH button B2 shown in FIG. 3 (for example, for assisting the transmitter 50 to remotely drive the unmanned aircraft 100). The various operating units of the control are configured. The various operation units referred to here correspond to, for example, a button for instructing still image shooting using the image pickup device 220 of the unmanned aircraft 100, and a start and end of moving image recording of the image pickup device 220 using the unmanned aircraft 100. A button for instructing, a dial for adjusting the inclination of the universal joint 200 (see FIG. 2) of the unmanned aircraft 100, a button for switching the flight mode of the unmanned aircraft 100, and the unmanned aircraft 100 are provided. The set dial of the camera 220.

The vibrator 67 vibrates in accordance with an instruction from the transmitter control unit 61, and notifies the user hm of information such as completion of rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100.

The GPS receiver 68 receives a plurality of signals indicating time and position (coordinates) of each GPS satellite transmitted from a plurality of navigation satellites (i.e., GPS satellites). The GPS receiver 68 calculates the position of the GPS receiver 68 (i.e., the position of the transmitter 50) based on the received plurality of signals. The GPS receiver 68 outputs the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 to the transmitter control unit 61.

Since the remote state display unit L1 and the battery remaining amount display unit L2 have been described with reference to FIG. 4, they will not be described again.

The transmitter control unit 61 is constituted by a processor (for example, a CPU, an MPU, or a DSP). The transmitter control unit 61 performs signal processing for overall controlling the operation of each part of the transmitter 50, input/output processing of data with other parts, arithmetic processing of data, and storage processing of data. The transmitter control unit 61 is an example of a processing unit.

The transmitter control unit 61 can acquire the data of the captured image captured by the imaging device 220 of the unmanned aircraft 100 by the wireless communication unit 63 and store the data in a memory (not shown), and output it to the portable terminal 80 via the interface unit 65. In other words, the transmitter control unit 61 can display the data of the aerial image captured by the imaging device 220 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 on the portable terminal 80. Thereby, the aerial image captured by the imaging device 220 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can be displayed on the portable terminal 80.

The transmitter control unit 61 can generate an instruction signal for controlling the flight of the unmanned aircraft 100 designated by the operation by the operation of the left control lever 53L and the right control lever 53R by the operator. The transmitter control unit 61 can remotely control the unmanned aircraft 100 by transmitting the instruction signal to the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2. Thereby, the transmitter 50 can remotely control the movement of the unmanned aircraft 100.

The wireless communication unit 63 is connected to the two antennas AN1 and AN2. The wireless communication unit 63 performs transmission and reception of information and data using a predetermined wireless communication method (for example, Wifi (registered trademark)) with the unmanned aircraft 100 via the two antennas AN1 and AN2.

The interface unit 65 performs input and output of information and data between the transmitter 50 and the portable terminal 80. The interface unit 65 may be, for example, a USB port (not shown) provided on the transmitter 50. The interface unit 65 may be an interface other than the USB port.

The magnetic compass 66 detects the orientation in which the transmitter 50 is oriented, and outputs the detection result to the transmitter control unit 61. The orientation in which the transmitter 50 is oriented may be, for example, a forward operation direction of the left control lever 53L and the right control lever 53R, and a direction in which the antennas AN1, AN2 extend when the antennas AN1, AN2 are extended.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing one example of the hardware configuration of the portable terminal 80. The mobile terminal 80 may include a terminal control unit 81, an interface unit 82, an operation unit 83, a wireless communication unit 85, a memory 87, and a display unit 88. The portable terminal 80 is an example of a display device.

The terminal control unit 81 is configured by, for example, a CPU, an MPU, or a DSP. The terminal control unit 81 performs signal processing for overall controlling the operation of each part of the portable terminal 80, input/output processing of data with other parts, arithmetic processing of data, and storage processing of data.

The terminal control unit 81 can acquire data and information from the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 85. The terminal control unit 81 can acquire data and information from the transmitter 50 via the interface unit 82. The terminal control unit 81 can acquire data and information input through the operation unit 83. The terminal control unit 81 can acquire data and information stored in the memory 87. The terminal control unit 81 can transmit data and information to the display unit 88, and display display information based on the data and information on the display unit 88.

The terminal control section 81 can execute an application for instructing control of the unmanned aircraft 100. The terminal control unit 81 can generate various data used in the application.

The interface unit 82 performs input and output of information and data between the transmitter 50 and the portable terminal 80. The interface unit 82 may be, for example, a USB connector (not shown) provided in the portable terminal 80. The interface unit 65 may be an interface other than the USB connector.

The operation unit 83 accepts data and information input by the operator of the portable terminal 80. The operation unit 83 may include a button, a button, a touch display screen, a microphone, and the like. Here, it is mainly shown that the operation portion 83 and the display portion 88 are constituted by a touch display screen. In this case, the operation unit 83 can accept a touch operation, a click operation, a drag operation, and the like.

The wireless communication unit 85 communicates with the unmanned aircraft 100 by various wireless communication methods. The wireless communication method may include, for example, communication via a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), short-range wireless communication, or a public radio network.

The memory 87 may have, for example, a ROM that stores data specifying a program and a setting value for the operation of the mobile terminal 80, and a RAM that temporarily stores various information and data used when the terminal control unit 81 performs processing. The memory 87 may include memory other than the ROM and the RAM. The memory 87 can be disposed inside the portable terminal 80. The memory 87 can be set to be detachable from the portable terminal 80. The program can include an application.

The display unit 88 is configured by, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various kinds of information and data output from the terminal control unit 81. The display unit 88 can display data of an aerial image captured by the imaging device 220 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100.

Further, the flight system 10 may not include the portable terminal 80. In addition, the transmitter 50 may also have the function of the portable terminal 80.

The action of the flight system 10 having the above structure is shown. Here, the front direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is a direction in which the unmanned aircraft 100 moves forward by the forward and backward operations of the transmitter 50, for example, the left control lever 53L. Further, the front direction of the unmanned aircraft 100 can be used as the imaging direction of the reference of the imaging device 220 mounted on the unmanned aircraft 100. The front direction of the transmitter 50 is a direction in which the left control lever 53L of the transmitter 50 is pushed forward. Further, the front direction of the transmitter 50 may be the direction in which the antennas AN1 and AN2 are mounted, or the direction in which the radio waves emitted from the antenna have directivity, as the front direction.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining an outline of an operation of matching the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 with the front direction d1 of the transmitter 50.

Before the user hm presses the orientation alignment button B3 of the transmitter 50, the unmanned aircraft 100 is in a state where the front direction d2 of the unmanned aircraft 100 is flying at a predetermined inclination with respect to the front direction d1 of the transmitter 50. When the user hm presses the orientation alignment button B3, the unmanned aircraft 100 rotates (rotates) with the center of the body as a rotation axis, so that the front direction d2 of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the front direction d1 of the transmitter 50. At this time, the unmanned aircraft 100 can rotate in a direction in which the amount of rotation is small. As a result, the orientation of the front direction of the transmitter 50 coincides with the orientation of the front direction of the unmanned aircraft 100. The orientation can be, for example, an orientation such as east, west, north, and south.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation procedure for causing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 to coincide with the front direction of the transmitter 50.

In the transmitter 50, the transmitter control unit 61 accepts depression (T1) by the user hm toward the alignment button B3. When the orientation toward the alignment button B3 is pressed, the transmitter control portion 61 starts the alignment processing so that the front direction d2 of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the front direction d1 of the transmitter 50. The transmitter control unit 61 acquires the information of the orientation (the orientation of the transmitter 50) detected by the magnetic compass 66 as the front direction d1 (T2) of the local (transmitter 50).

The transmitter control unit 61 transmits information on the orientation of the transmitter 50 and information on the alignment instruction to the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2 (T3). The information indicating the orientation indication may include content indicating the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 to make the orientation (front direction) of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincide with the orientation (front direction) of the transmitter 50.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, when the information of the orientation of the transmitter 50 and the information toward the alignment instruction are received from the unmanned aircraft 100 through the communication interface 150, the UAV control section 110 performs the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. The orientation control (T4) coincides with the front direction of the transmitter 50. In this orientation control, the UAV control unit 110 acquires information on the orientation detected by the magnetic compass 260 as the front direction of the local (unmanned aircraft 100). The UAV control unit 110 calculates the rotation angle of the local machine based on the acquired orientation of the local machine and the received orientation of the transmitter 50.

When calculating the rotation angle of the own machine, the UAV control unit 110 can calculate both the rotation angle when rotating to the right (clockwise) and the rotation angle when rotating to the left (counterclockwise). The UAV control section 110 can determine a rotation direction and a rotation angle in which the amount of rotation is small. The UAV control unit 110 drives the rotor mechanism 210 based on the determined rotation direction and rotation angle to rotate the unmanned aircraft 100 such that the front direction d2 of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the front direction d1 of the transmitter 50.

When the unmanned aircraft 100 rotates and reaches the determined rotation angle, the UAV control section 110 notifies the transmitter 50 of the completion of the rotation through the communication interface 150 (T5). The notification of completion of this rotation is an example of control completion information of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100.

In the transmitter 50, when the notification of the completion of the rotation is received from the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1, AN2, the transmitter control unit 61 activates the vibrator 67, and applies vibration to the transmitter 50 to the user. Hm reports the completion of the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 (T6).

In addition, it is possible to notify the user hm of the completion of the rotation without vibrating the transmitter 50, and to prompt the information of the completion of the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 by various presentation methods. For example, the transmitter control unit 61 can notify the completion of the rotation by causing a display (for example, an LED) to be displayed in a predetermined display manner. Further, the transmitter control unit 61 can display a message such as "rotation completed" on the screen of the portable terminal 80 via the interface unit 65. Further, when the speaker or the buzzer is mounted, the transmitter control unit 61 can notify the completion of the rotation by the sound. In this case, in addition to a simple sound, a sound such as a "rotation completion" message can be issued. Such a prompt for completion of the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 is an example of presenting information indicating that the control of the orientation is completed.

Further, the terminal control unit 81 of the portable terminal 80 can acquire the position information of the transmitter 50 and the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 via the interface unit 82 and the wireless communication unit 85. In addition, the terminal control unit 81 can acquire map information. The geographic extent of the map information includes the location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 and the location of the transmitter 50. The terminal control unit 81 can store the map information in the memory 87 and acquire it from the memory 87. The terminal control unit 81 can acquire map information from an external server or the like having a map database via the wireless communication unit 85.

The terminal control unit 81 can display the acquired map information on the display unit 88. The terminal control unit 81 can superimpose and display the position of the transmitter 50 and the position of the unmanned aircraft 100 on the map information. Further, the terminal control unit 81 can superimpose and display the information indicating the orientation of the transmitter 50 and the information indicating the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 on the map information. The information indicating the orientation of the transmitter 50 may be, for example, an image of the transmitter 50 that expresses the orientation of the transmitter 50. The information indicating the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 may be, for example, an image of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 indicating the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. At this time, the operator of the transmitter 50 confirms the display unit 88 of the mobile terminal 80, and can visually confirm the orientation of the transmitter 50 and the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 (for example, before the alignment and after the alignment), and can intuitively The orientation of the transmitter 50 and the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 are grasped.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the transmitter 50 and the unmanned aircraft 100 held by the user hm when viewed from above when the orientation of the front direction of the unmanned aircraft 100 is completed. .

When the orientation of the front direction of the unmanned aircraft 100 is aligned, in the case where the unmanned aircraft 100 is flying at the front position F1 of the user hm, if the user hm pushes down the left lever 53L of the transmitter 50, there is no The human-driven aircraft 100 flies forward to move away from the user hm. On the other hand, in the case where the orientation of the front direction is performed, in the case where the unmanned aircraft 100 is flying at the rear position R1 of the user hm, if the user hm pushes down the left lever 53L of the transmitter 50, the driverless The aircraft 100 flies forward to approach the user hm.

The transmitter 50 can add a command for aligning the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on the orientation of the transmitter 50, and if necessary, instruct the rotation to the direction of the unmanned aircraft to coincide with the orientation of the transmitter 50. Further, in order to move the unmanned aircraft 100 to the target position, the operator of the transmitter 50 does not need to grasp the current orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 by visual observation or the like, and can easily move the unmanned aircraft 100. In addition, even if the operator of the transmitter 50 is away from the unmanned aircraft 100 or the weather is bad, the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 can be grasped.

In this way, the transmitter 50 includes the transmitter control unit 61 (an example of the processing unit) and instructs the control of the flight of the unmanned aircraft 100. The transmitter control unit 61 detects whether or not the orientation guide button B3 for instructing the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 is pressed (an example of acquisition operation information). When the transmitter control unit 61 detects that the orientation button B3 has been pressed, the information of the orientation of the transmitter 50 is acquired by the magnetic compass 66. The transmitter control unit 61 instructs control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on the orientation of the transmitter 50.

Thereby, the simple operation of the user pressing the alignment button B3 allows the transmitter 50 to specify the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on the orientation of the transmitter 50. Therefore, the transmitter 50 can make the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 an intuitive and understandable orientation of the user. Thereby, the transmitter 50 can adjust the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100, and the movement operation of the unmanned aircraft 100 using the transmitter 50 can be facilitated. Further, even in the case where it is difficult for the user to directly confirm the unmanned aircraft 100 by visual observation, the transmitter 50 can improve the operational accuracy of the moving operation of the unmanned aircraft 100.

The transmitter control unit 61 can instruct the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 such that the orientation of the transmitter 50 and the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 are in the same direction.

Thereby, the transmitter 50 can make the orientation of the transmitter 50 coincide with the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. Therefore, when the user confirms the orientation of the transmitter 50, the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 can be grasped, and the movement operation of the unmanned aircraft 100 can be easily performed.

The transmitter control unit 61 can instruct the unmanned aircraft 100 to rotate in a rotational direction in which the amount of rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 is small in a clockwise rotation direction and a counterclockwise rotation direction.

Thereby, the unmanned aircraft 100 can reduce the amount of rotation as much as possible, and the time required for the rotation can be shortened. Therefore, the user hm can perform the desired moving operation earlier based on the orientation of the adjusted unmanned aircraft 100.

The transmitter control unit 61 can receive the notification of completion of the rotation from the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2. The transmitter control unit 61 can prompt the completion of the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 by performing display of the display, vibration of the vibrator, and sound output based on the notification of completion of the rotation.

Thereby, for example, even in the case where it is difficult to visually confirm the completion of the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100, the user hm can easily recognize the completion of the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. Thereby, after confirming that the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 is completed, the user hm can perform a desired moving operation and can improve the accuracy of the moving operation.

Further, the unmanned aircraft 100 controls the flight based on the instruction of the transmitter 50 to control the flight, and includes the UAV control unit 110 (an example of the processing unit). The UAV control unit 110 receives an instruction of the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 from the transmitter 50 via the communication interface 150. The UAV control unit 110 controls the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on this instruction.

Thereby, the unmanned aircraft 100 receives an instruction to control the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 from the transmitter 50, and can easily control the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100.

In the present embodiment, the case where the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the front direction of the transmitter 50 is shown, but the transmitter control unit 61 may also make the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 relative to the transmitter. The direction in which the front direction of 50 is inclined is the same as the direction of the predetermined angle. For example, the transmitter control unit 61 may rotate the unmanned aircraft so as not to coincide with the front direction of the transmitter 50, but with the right side direction (direction rotated 90 degrees from the front direction), left side The side direction (the direction rotated 90 degrees to the left from the front direction) and the back direction (the direction rotated 180 degrees from the front direction) match. Further, although the transmitter control unit 61 matches the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 when the vehicle is pressed toward the align button B3, the transmitter control unit 61 may automatically make the directions coincide with each other at the initial stage of the flight system 5.

Further, the transmitter control unit 61 can instruct the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 without detecting the predetermined event based on the detection of the depression of the alignment button B3.

For example, the transmitter control unit 61 can acquire the current time by a timer or the like, and instructs the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 when the current time is included in the predetermined time period. Thereby, the transmitter 50 can adjust the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 without performing special operations, for example, in the case where the manual flight control by the transmitter 50 is predetermined within a predetermined period of time, and can be made in manual flight control. Mobile operations are easy.

For example, the transmitter control unit 61 may instruct control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 upon detecting that the unmanned aircraft 100 has entered a predetermined area. Thereby, the transmitter 50 can adjust the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 without performing a special operation, for example, in the case where the manual flight control by the transmitter 50 is predetermined in a predetermined flight area, and the manual flight control can be performed. Mobile operations are easy.

For example, the transmitter control unit 61 can set the flight control mode and store the setting information in a memory (not shown). In the case where the flight control mode is switched from the first flight control mode in which the automatic flight control is performed to the second flight control mode in which the manual flight control is performed, the transmitter control portion 61 can instruct the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. Thereby, when the manual flight control is started, the transmitter 50 can adjust the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 without performing a special operation, and the movement operation in the manual flight control can be facilitated.

Further, instead of the transmitter 50 (proportional controller), the portable terminal 80 may also instruct control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. At this time, the orientation alignment button B3 may be provided as a part of the operation portion 83. Further, the terminal control unit 81 performs various processes (for example, processing of the transmitter 50 shown in FIG. 8) instead of the transmitter control unit 61. The portable terminal 80 is an example of a transmitter that instructs control of flight of a flying body.

(Second embodiment)

In the first embodiment, the case where the unmanned aircraft 100 rotates when the direction toward the alignment button B3 is pressed to make the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincide with the front direction of the transmitter 50 is shown. In the second embodiment, it is shown that the unmanned aircraft 100 rotates when the orientation toward the alignment button B3 is pressed, so that the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 is relative to the position of the unmanned aircraft 100 and the transmitter 50. The line of the position (hereinafter referred to as the axis) coincides with the direction of the axis from the position of the transmitter 50 toward the position of the unmanned aircraft 100.

The flight system 5 of the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

FIG. 10 is a view for explaining an outline of an operation of causing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 in the second embodiment to coincide with the axial direction.

Before the user hm presses the orientation of the transmitter 50 toward the alignment button B3, the unmanned aircraft 100 is in a state of flying in the same orientation as the first embodiment. When the user hm presses the orientation alignment button B3, the unmanned aircraft 100 rotates the orientation of the body so as to be relative to the position (center position, center of gravity position, etc.) of the unmanned aircraft 100 and the position of the position of the transmitter 50. AX coincides with the direction from the transmitter 50 toward the unmanned aerial vehicle 100. At this time, the unmanned aircraft 100 can rotate in a direction in which the amount of rotation is small. As a result, the orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 coincides with the direction (axial direction) from the transmitter 50 toward the axis AX of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100.

Here, the axial direction from the transmitter 50 toward the unmanned aircraft 100 is referred to as a positive axis direction, and the axial direction from the unmanned aircraft 100 toward the transmitter 50 is referred to as a negative axis direction. Here, although the case where the transmitter 50 rotates the unmanned aircraft 100 in the normal axis direction is shown, it may rotate in the negative axis direction. Further, the orientation alignment button B3 may be the same button as the first embodiment, but may be a different button.

FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of an operation procedure for causing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 to coincide with the axial direction.

The transmitter control unit 61 accepts that the user hm is pressed toward the alignment button B3 (T11). When the orientation toward the alignment button B3 is pressed, the transmitter control portion 61 starts the alignment processing so that the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the direction of the positive axis. The transmitter control unit 61 acquires the position information detected by the GPS receiver 68 as the position of the local device, that is, the transmitter 50 (T12).

The transmitter control unit 61 transmits a request for the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 to the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2 (T13).

In the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, when a request for positional information from the transmitter 50 is received through the communication interface 150, the UAV control section 110 acquires positional information detected by the GPS receiver 240. The UAV control unit 110 transmits (responds to) the detected position information of the own device to the transmitter 50 via the communication interface 150 (T14).

In the transmitter 50, the transmitter control unit 61 receives (acquires) the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2 (T15). The transmitter control unit 61 calculates the axis AX based on the position information of the own device and the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 (T16). An axis AX that is a line connecting the center of the transmitter 50 and the center of the unmanned aircraft 100 is an example of a line connecting the transmitter 50 and the unmanned aircraft 100. This straight line is not limited to the line connecting the centers, and may be a line connecting a position at a predetermined distance from the center position of the transmitter 50 and a position at a predetermined distance from the center position of the unmanned aircraft 100.

The transmitter control unit 61 notifies the unmanned aircraft 100 of the calculated information on the axis AX via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2 (T17). Further, in this notification, the transmitter control unit 61 instructs the unmanned aircraft 100 to rotate the unmanned aircraft 100 such that the orientation (front direction) of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the information of the axis AX.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, when the information of the axis AX is received through the communication interface 150, the UAV control unit 110 performs the orientation control (T18) of making the orientation of the own machine coincide with the direction of the axis AX. In this orientation control, the UAV control unit 110 calculates the rotation angle based on the angle of the front direction d2 of the machine and the direction of the axis AX.

When calculating the rotation angle of the own machine, the UAV control unit 110 can calculate both the rotation angle in the case of the rightward (clockwise) rotation and the rotation angle in the case of the leftward (counterclockwise) rotation. The UAV control section 110 can determine a rotation direction and a rotation angle in which the amount of rotation is small. The UAV control unit 110 drives the rotor mechanism 210 based on the determined rotation direction and rotation angle to rotate the unmanned aircraft 100 such that the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the axial direction.

When the unmanned aircraft 100 rotates and the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 reaches the determined rotation angle, the UAV control section 110 notifies the transmitter 50 of the completion of the rotation via the communication interface 150 (T19).

In the transmitter 50, when the notification of the completion of the rotation is received from the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1, AN2, the transmitter control unit 61 activates the vibrator 67, and applies vibration to the transmitter 50 to the user. Hm reports the completion of the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 (T20). Further, the report of the completion of the rotation may be similar to that of the first embodiment, and other presentation methods may be used instead of the vibration of the vibrator 67 (for example, display and sound output).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the transmitter 50 held by the user hm and the unmanned aircraft 100 in the case where the alignment in the axial direction is completed.

When the orientation in the axial direction is aligned, in the case where the unmanned aircraft 100 is flying at the front position F1 of the user hm, if the user hm pushes down the left lever 53L of the transmitter 50, the unmanned aircraft 100 faces forward. Fly away from the user hm. On the other hand, when the unmanned aircraft 100 is flying at the rear position R1 of the user hm while the orientation operation in the axial direction is being performed, if the user hm pushes down the left control lever 53L of the transmitter 50, there is no The human-driven aircraft 100 now also flies backwards away from the user hm. That is, if the transmitter 50 indicates the movement in the forward direction, the unmanned aircraft 100 is away from the transmitter 50, and if the transmitter 50 indicates the movement in the backward direction, the unmanned aircraft 100 approaches the transmitter 50.

In addition, the transmitter control unit 61 of the transmitter 50 may acquire the position information (for example, the position information of the transmitter 50 and the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100) as a basis for calculating the axis AX, or may be periodically ( For example, always) to get. When only the position information is acquired once, the transmitter control unit 61 also performs calculation of the axis AX only once. Therefore, since the orientation of the axis AX does not change, the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 does not change. Therefore, when the transmitter control unit 61 acquires the movement operation in the left-right direction from the left control lever 53L or the right control lever 53R, the unmanned aircraft 100 flies in a straight line in the left-right direction. On the other hand, when the position information is periodically acquired, the transmitter control unit 61 periodically calculates the axis AX. Therefore, the direction of the axis AX periodically changes, and the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 also periodically changes. Therefore, when the positional information is always acquired, when the transmitter control unit 61 acquires the movement operation in the left-right direction from the left control lever 53L or the right control lever 53R, it flies in a clockwise or counterclockwise circle.

According to the transmitter 50, a command for changing the direction of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on the relative position of the transmitter 50 and the unmanned aircraft 100 can be added, and if necessary, the instruction is rotated to match the direction of the axis AX.

As described above, in the transmitter 50, the transmitter control unit 61 detects whether or not the orientation align button B3 for instructing the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 is pressed. In the case where it is detected that the orientation button B3 has been pressed, the transmitter control section 61 acquires the position information of the transmitter 50 through the GPS receiver 68. Further, the transmitter control unit 61 acquires the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2. The transmitter control unit 61 calculates the axis AX based on the position of the transmitter 50 and the position of the unmanned aircraft 100. The transmitter control unit 61 notifies the unmanned aircraft 100 of the calculated axis AX information by the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2, and instructs the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 to be aligned with the axis AX. The direction is the same.

Thereby, the simple operation of pressing the user toward the alignment button B3 by the user hm allows the transmitter 50 to specify the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on the position of the transmitter 50. Therefore, the transmitter 50 can make the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 an intuitive and understandable orientation of the user hm. Thereby, the transmitter 50 can adjust the orientation of the reference of the unmanned aircraft 100, and the movement operation of the unmanned aircraft 100 using the transmitter 50 can be facilitated. In addition, even in the case where it is difficult for the user hm to directly confirm the unmanned aircraft 100 by visual observation, the transmitter 50 can improve the operation accuracy of the movement operation of the unmanned aircraft 100, particularly, the operation close to or away from the user hm.

Further, when the user hm performs the moving operation of the unmanned aircraft 100, it is easy to move in the direction in which the unmanned aircraft 100 is flying. In this case, the unmanned aircraft 100 can be confirmed on the front side, and thus it is easy to perform. Move operation. Therefore, the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 is specified by the transmitter 50 with respect to the direction from the transmitter 50 toward the unmanned aircraft 100, and the user hm can easily visually recognize the orientation of the transmitter 50.

The transmitter control unit 61 can instruct the rotation of the unmanned aircraft 100 such that the direction of the axis AX is in the same direction as the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100.

Thereby, for example, the forward direction indicated by the transmitter 50 becomes the direction in which the unmanned aircraft 100 is away from the transmitter 50, and the backward direction indicated by the transmitter 50 becomes the direction in which the unmanned aircraft 100 approaches the transmitter 50. Therefore, the user hm can easily and intuitively recognize the orientation of the transmitter 50. Additionally, the transmitter 50 can pull the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 in a straight line below the transmitter 50. For example, in the case where the battery remaining amount is reduced, the transmitter 50 can return the unmanned aircraft 100 at the shortest distance. Additionally, the transmitter 50 can move the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 away from the transmitter 50 in a straight line. For example, when the unmanned aircraft 100 is made to a desired destination, the transmitter 50 can easily reach the destination with a shortest distance visually by merely making the orientation of the transmitter 50 coincide with the destination.

In the present embodiment, the transmitter control unit 61 has shown that the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the direction from the transmitter 50 toward the axis of the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, but it may be made to be relative to the axis AX. The direction in which the predetermined angle is tilted is uniform. For example, the transmitter control unit 61 may be aligned with the direction from the unmanned aircraft 100 toward the transmitter 50, or may be aligned with the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Here, the transmitter control unit 61 may cause the directions of the unmanned aircraft 100 to coincide when the align button B3 is pressed, but may automatically match the flight system 5 at the initial stage of starting.

Further, as in the first embodiment, the transmitter control unit 61 may perform control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 without detecting the predetermined event based on the detection of the depression of the alignment button B3. Instructions. The predetermined event may include: the current time is included in the predetermined time period, the unmanned aircraft 100 enters the predetermined area, switches from the first flight control mode in which automatic flight control is performed to the second flight control mode in which manual flight control is performed, and the like. .

Further, instead of the transmitter 50 (proportional controller), the portable terminal 80 may also instruct control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. At this time, the orientation alignment button B3 may be provided as a part of the operation portion 83. Further, the terminal control unit 81 performs various processes (for example, processing of the transmitter 50 shown in FIG. 11) instead of the transmitter control unit 61. The portable terminal 80 is an example of a transmitter that instructs control of flight of a flying body.

In addition, a part of the process related to the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 performed by the transmitter 50 may be performed by the unmanned aircraft 100.

FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing another example of an operation procedure for causing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 to coincide with the axial direction. Incidentally, the same steps as those in FIG. 11 are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

In the transmitter 50, the transmitter control unit 61 performs processing of T11 and T12. The transmitter control unit 61 transmits the position information of the transmitter 50 and the depression information indicating that the alignment button B3 is pressed to the unmanned aircraft 100 via the wireless communication unit 63 and the antennas AN1 and AN2 (T21). This pressed information becomes indication information indicating the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, when the position information of the transmitter 50 and the pressed information are received from the transmitter 50 through the communication interface 150, the UAV control section 110 acquires the position information detected by the GPS receiver 240 (T22).

The UAV control unit 110 calculates the axis AX based on the position information of the transmitter 50 and the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 (T23).

The UAV control unit 110 performs orientation control (T24) of matching the orientation of the unit with the direction of the axis AX. In this orientation control, the UAV control unit 110 calculates the rotation angle based on the angle of the front direction d2 of the machine and the direction of the axis AX. The UAV control unit 110 can calculate both the right-handed (clockwise) rotation angle and the left-handed (counterclockwise) rotation angle when calculating the rotation angle of the machine. The UAV control section 110 can determine a rotation direction and a rotation angle in which the amount of rotation is small. The UAV control unit 110 drives the rotor mechanism 210 based on the determined rotation direction and rotation angle to rotate the unmanned aircraft 100 such that the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 coincides with the axial direction.

Next, the unmanned aircraft 100 performs the processing of T19, and the transmitter 50 performs the processing of T20.

As described above, in the unmanned aerial vehicle 100, the UAV control section 110 receives the depression information (an example of the operation information) and the transmitter 50 for the alignment button B3 for instructing the control of the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. Location information. The UAV control unit 110 acquires the position information of the unmanned aircraft 100 upon receiving the pressing information toward the align button B3. The UAV control unit 110 calculates the axis AX that connects the position of the transmitter 50 and the position of the unmanned aircraft 100. The UAV control unit 110 controls the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on the orientation of the straight line.

Thereby, the simple operation of the user pressing the alignment button B3 allows the unmanned aircraft 100 to specify the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 based on the orientation of the transmitter 50. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can make the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100 an intuitive and understandable orientation of the user. Thereby, the unmanned aircraft 100 can adjust the orientation of the reference of the unmanned aircraft 100, and the movement operation of the unmanned aircraft 100 using the transmitter 50 can be facilitated. In addition, even in the case where it is difficult for the user to directly confirm the unmanned aircraft 100 by visual observation, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 can improve the operational accuracy of the moving operation of the unmanned aircraft 100. In addition, the processing from the orientation control (T24) to the orientation control (T24) of FIG. 13 is less than that of the orientation control (T18) of FIG. 11, and is directed by the transmitter 50 to indicate the orientation of the unmanned aircraft 100. In contrast, the unmanned aerial vehicle 100 is able to accomplish the orientation alignment of the unmanned aircraft 100 more quickly.

The present disclosure has been described above using the embodiments, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the above described embodiments. It is to be understood that the modifications and improvements may be included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

The order of execution of the processes, the procedures, the steps, the stages, and the like in the devices, the systems, the procedures, and the steps in the claims, the description, and the drawings, unless specifically stated as "before", "previously" "etc., and as long as the previously processed output is not used in subsequent processing, it can be implemented in any order. The operation flow in the claims, the description, and the drawings has been described using "first", "continued", etc. for convenience, but it does not mean that it must be implemented in this order.

In the above-described embodiment, the transmitter control unit 61 is exemplified by rotating the unmanned aircraft 100 so that the transmitter 50 and the unmanned aircraft 100 have the same orientation, that is, the two-dimensional planes are aligned, but also The orientation of the transmitter 50 and the unmanned aircraft 100 can be made uniform in three dimensions.

Symbol Description

10 flight system

50 transmitter

50B housing

53L left joystick

53R right lever

61 Transmitter Control

63 Wireless Communication Department

65 interface department

66 magnetic compass

67 vibrator

68 GPS receiver

80 portable terminal

81 Terminal Control Department

82 interface department

83 Operation Department

85 Wireless Communication Department

87 memory

88 display

100 unmanned aircraft

102 UAV body

103 battery

110 UAV Control Department

150 communication interface

160 memory

2 million joints

210 rotor mechanism

211 rotor

212 drive motor

213 current sensor

220 camera

240 GPS receiver

250 inertial measurement device

260 magnetic compass

270 barometer

280 ultrasonic sensor

290 laser measuring instrument

AN1, AN2 antenna

AX axis

B1 power button

B2 RTH button

B3 orientation button

D1, d2 front direction

F1 front position

Hm user

L1 remote status display

L2 battery remaining amount display

OPS Operations Group

R1 rear position

Claims (16)

1. A transmitter for indicating control of flight of a flying body, characterized in that

   With a processing department,

   The processing unit acquires operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body,

   Obtaining the orientation or position of the transmitter when the operation information is obtained,

   And controlling the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter.
2. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit instructs rotation of the flying body such that an orientation of the transmitter and a direction of the flying body are in the same direction.
3. The transmitter according to claim 1, wherein said processing section acquires position information of said transmitter, acquires position information of said flying body, and calculates a position connecting said transmitter and a position of said flying body A straight line is used to indicate the control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation of the straight line.
4. The transmitter according to claim 3, wherein the processing unit instructs rotation of the flying body such that an orientation of the straight line and a direction of the flying body are in the same direction.
5. The transmitter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processing unit instructs the flying body to rotate in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction in which the amount of rotation of the flying body is small. Rotate in the direction of rotation.
6. The transmitter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processing unit acquires completion information of control of the orientation of the flying body, and presents a direction indicating the flying body based on the completion information The control has completed the information.
7. A flight body that controls flight based on an indication of a transmitter's control of flight, characterized in that

   With a processing department,

   The processing unit receives, from the transmitter, operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body and position information of the transmitter,

   Obtaining location information of the flying body when the operation information is acquired,

   Calculating a line connecting the position of the transmitter and the position of the flying body,

   And controlling the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation of the straight line.
8. A flight control indication method in a transmitter for indicating control of flight of a flying body, characterized by having:

   Obtaining operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body;

   Obtaining information of the orientation or location of the transmitter;

   The step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter when the operation information is acquired.
9. The flight control instructing method according to claim 8, wherein said step of indicating control of an orientation of said flying body includes indicating rotation of said flying body such that an orientation of said transmitter and said flying body The orientation of the orientation becomes the same direction.
10. The flight control instructing method according to claim 8, wherein

    Further comprising: a step of acquiring location information of the flying body, and

    Calculating a step of connecting a line connecting the position of the transmitter and the position of the flying body,

    The step of acquiring information of an orientation or a position of the transmitter includes the step of acquiring location information of the transmitter,

    The step of indicating control of the orientation of the flying body includes the step of indicating control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation of the straight line.
11. The flight control instructing method according to claim 10, wherein said step of instructing control of an orientation of said flying body includes indicating rotation of said flying body such that an orientation of said straight line is opposite to said flying body The steps toward the same direction.
12. The flight control instructing method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the step of indicating the control of the orientation of the flying body includes indicating a direction of rotation of the flying body clockwise and counterclockwise The step of rotating in the rotation direction in which the amount of rotation of the flying body is small in the rotation direction.
13. The flight control instructing method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising: a step of acquiring control completion information of an orientation of the flying body;

    Based on the completion information, a step of presenting information indicating that the control of the orientation of the flying body has been completed is presented.
14. A flight control method in a flying body based on an indication of a transmitter's control of flight, characterized in that it has:

    Receiving, from the transmitter, operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body and position information of the transmitter;

    Obtaining, when the operation information is received, the location information of the flying body;

    Calculating a step of connecting a line connecting the position of the transmitter to the position of the flying body;

    The step of controlling the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation of the straight line.
15. A program characterized in that a transmitter for instructing control of flight of a flying body performs the following steps:

    Obtaining operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body;

    a step of acquiring information of an orientation or a position of the transmitter when the operation information is acquired;

    A step of indicating control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter.
16. A recording medium characterized by being a computer readable recording medium and recording a program for causing a transmitter for instructing flight of a flying body to perform the following steps:

    Obtaining operation information for indicating control of the orientation of the flying body;

    a step of acquiring information of an orientation or a position of the transmitter when the operation information is acquired;

    A step of indicating control of the orientation of the flying body based on the orientation or position of the transmitter.

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