Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D45/00—Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
  • B64U10/00—Type of UAV
  • B64U10/10—Rotorcrafts
  • B64U10/13—Flying platforms
  • B64U10/14—Flying platforms with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
  • B64U2101/00—UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
  • B64U2101/40—UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications for agriculture or forestry operations

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to unmanned aerial vehicles and control systems for unmanned aerial vehicles.
• Unmanned aerial vehicles are aircraft that cannot accommodate people due to their structure, but can fly remotely or automatically.
• Rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles are unmanned aerial vehicles that obtain lift using propellers that rotate around an axis, i.e. rotors.
• Small unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with multiple rotors are also called “drones,” “multirotors,” or “multicopters,” and are widely used for aerial photography, surveying, logistics, and pesticide spraying.
• Patent Document 1 describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (unmanned flying object) that changes its flight position in conjunction with the operation of agricultural machinery.
• a control system that controls an unmanned aerial vehicle so that it can fly efficiently, and an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with such a control system.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating schematic examples of rotary drive devices that rotate rotors in an unmanned aerial vehicle having multiple rotors.
• 1 is a plan view showing a schematic diagram of one basic configuration example of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with multiple rotors.
• 1 is a side view showing a schematic diagram of one basic configuration example of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with multiple rotors.
• FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a schematic diagram of another basic configuration example of an unmanned aerial vehicle having multiple rotors.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a basic configuration of a battery-powered multicopter.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the basic configuration of a series hybrid drive type multicopter.
• FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI displayed on a display device.
• 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a control device according to the present embodiment.
• FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a multicopter, an agricultural machine, a server, and a terminal device are connected via a communication network.
• the first rotary drive device 3A shown in FIG. 1A has a plurality of electric motors (hereinafter referred to as "motors") 14 that rotate a plurality of rotors 2, and a battery 52 that stores power to be supplied to each motor 14.
• the battery 52 is, for example, a secondary battery such as a polymer-type lithium-ion battery.
• Each rotor 2 is connected to the output shaft of the corresponding motor 14 and rotated by the motor 14.
• the storage capacity of the battery 52 can be increased by making the battery 52 larger, but making the battery 52 larger results in an increase in weight.
• the second rotation drive device 3B shown in FIG. 1A has a power transmission system 23 that is mechanically connected to the rotor 2, and an internal combustion engine 7a that provides a driving force (torque) to the power transmission system 23.
• the power transmission system 23 includes mechanical components such as gears or belts, and transmits the torque of the output shaft of the internal combustion engine 7a to the rotor 2.
• the internal combustion engine 7a can efficiently generate mechanical energy by burning fuel. Examples of the internal combustion engine 7a can include a gasoline engine, a diesel engine, and a hydrogen engine.
• the third rotary drive device 3C shown in FIG. 1A has multiple motors 14, a power buffer 9 that stores power to be supplied to each motor 14, a power generator 8 such as an alternator that generates power, and an internal combustion engine 7a that provides mechanical energy for power generation to the power generator 8.
• a typical example of the power buffer 9 is a battery such as a secondary battery, but it may also be a capacitor.
• the power generator 8 generates power using the driving force (mechanical energy) of the internal combustion engine 7a, making it possible to increase the payload and/or flight time.
• This type of drive is called “series hybrid drive”.
• the power generator 8 and internal combustion engine 7a in series hybrid drive are called “range extenders" because they extend the flight distance of the multicopter.
• FIG. 1B is a plan view that shows a schematic example of one basic configuration of multicopter 10.
• the configuration example of FIG. 1B includes a first rotation drive device 3A shown in FIG. 1A as the rotation drive device 3. That is, the rotation drive device 3 (3A) in this example includes a motor 14 and a battery 52.
• FIG. 1C is a side view that shows a schematic example of multicopter 10.
• the working machine 200 can also transport agricultural materials or harvested products over a wide area.
• the multicopter 10 may suspend and tow the work machine 200 by a cable.
• the work machine 200 towed by the multicopter 10 may perform ground work while being towed while the multicopter 10 is flying or hovering.
• the work machine 200 during work may be in the air or on the ground.
• FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing an example of the basic configuration of a battery-powered multicopter 10.
• the control device 4a controls the multicopter 10 so that the multicopter 10 flies within the geofence 72. For example, in an autonomous driving mode, if a preset target route includes a portion that extends outside the changed geofence 72, the control device 4a changes the target route to fit within the geofence 72, or causes the multicopter 10 to hover and wait at a point within the geofence 72. The control device 4a may reduce the speed of the multicopter 10 when the multicopter 10 approaches the geofence 72.
• the control system displays the geofence on the display device used by the user.
• the area of the field F1 may be displayed together with the geofence displayed on the display device.
• FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI displayed on the user's display device. The area of the field F1 owned by the user, the geofence 72, and the current position of the multicopter 10 are displayed together.
• the geofence 72 displayed on the display device is also changed accordingly.
• the notification 78a in FIG. 8 when the geofence 72 is changed, the user may be notified that the geofence 72 has been changed.
• the notification 78b in FIG. 8 when the multicopter 10 approaches the geofence 72, the user may be notified that the multicopter 10 is approaching the geofence 72.
• FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 4a.
• the control device 4a includes a processor 34, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 35, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 36, a storage device 37, and a communication I/F 38. These components are interconnected via a bus 39.
• An agricultural machine 700 such as a tractor may be connected to such a communication network N, and communication may be performed between the multicopter 10 and the agricultural machine 700.
• a part of the data used in the processing of the control device 4a and a control signal for the multicopter 10 may be given from the agricultural machine 700 to the multicopter 10 via the communication network N.
• the control device in the dynamic geofence mode, When the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying with a payload connected to the airframe, the unmanned aerial vehicle acquires at least one of data on the weight and the position of the center of gravity of the payload;
• the control system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a control unit for controlling the geofence based on the acquired data of the load.
• the control device includes: 14. The control system of any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a fixed geofence mode that fixes the geofence to a pre-set boundary while the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying over a field.
• a control system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, a plurality of rotors controlled by the control system;
• An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
• a first rotary drive device that drives a plurality of first rotors included in the plurality of rotors; a second rotary drive device that drives at least one second rotor included in the plurality of rotors; Further equipped with the first rotation drive device includes a plurality of electric motors that drive the plurality of first rotors, respectively; Item 16.
• the unmanned aerial vehicle disclosed herein can be widely used not only for aerial photography, surveying, logistics, and pesticide spraying, but also for ground work related to agricultural work, transporting harvested products and agricultural materials, etc.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=91716729

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (1)

Citations (4)

• 2022
  • 2022-12-27 WO PCT/JP2022/048190 patent/WO2024142247A1/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2022-12-27 JP JP2024567030A patent/JPWO2024142247A1/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events