Control System, Control Method, and Program

Abstract

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the effects such as search tasks when searching for an object by a plurality of systems. 【Solution means】The present invention is a control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of mobile bodies, and is obtained from a cooperation system capable of measuring a second area including at least a part of an area outside the first area. Based on the acquired information, an object information interpretation unit that interprets object information regarding an object existing in the second area, and based on the object information, an entry prediction information generation unit that generates entry prediction information regarding the predicted content of the object entering the first area from an area outside the first area, and the entry prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit, or information regarding a mobile body movement command for some or all of the plurality of mobile bodies generated by the mobile body movement determination unit based on the entry prediction information, and an information output unit that performs display output or transmits to the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system, a control method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, the practical application of a system for autonomously moving a plurality of drones to search for a specific object has been studied. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for optimizing the search behavior of a group of drones while each drone constituting the plurality of drones autonomously selects an action. In particular, a tracking operation method and the like after an object is discovered in a search area are disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, Patent Document 1 and the like disclose that after an object is discovered by a plurality of drones in a search target area, a tracking action is performed on a plurality of drones located around the discovered object. However, the cooperation function with other systems other than the drone search system using drones has not been studied.

[0005] The search task of the object can be considered to be carried out in parallel using a plurality of search systems including not only the drone search system using drones but also other search systems such as artificial satellites and airplanes. When searching for an object using such a plurality of search systems, by sharing information on the object discovered in any of the plurality of search systems among the plurality of search systems, the search performance of the entire plurality of search systems and the performance such as tracking after discovery can be improved.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of at least one of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a system, a control method, etc. that can improve the effects such as search tasks when searching for an object by a plurality of systems.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving bodies, based on acquisition information obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a part of an area outside the first area, an object information interpretation unit that interprets object information regarding an object existing in the second area, an object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding the predicted content of the object entering the first area from an area outside the first area based on the object information, and an information output unit that displays and outputs or transmits to the outside information regarding the entry prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit or information regarding a movement instruction for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by a moving body movement determination unit based on the entry prediction information.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the effects such as search tasks when searching for an object by a plurality of systems.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The content of the embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described below. The present invention has the following configuration. [Item 1] A control system that searches for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving bodies, An object information interpretation unit that interprets object information regarding the object existing in the second area based on acquisition information obtained from a cooperation system capable of measuring a second area including at least a part of an area outside the first area, An object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding the prediction content that the object enters the first area from an area outside the first area based on the object information, A control system including an information output unit that displays or transmits information regarding the entry prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit or information regarding a movement command for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by a moving body operation determination unit based on the entry prediction information. [Item 2] In the control system according to Item 1, The object information interpreted by the object information interpretation unit includes at least any one of the presence or absence of detection of the object, the type, size, detection position, detection time, attitude direction, movement direction, movement speed, and movement trajectory of the object. [Item 3] In the control system according to Item 1 or 2, The control system, wherein the mobile object is an unmanned ship capable of moving on the sea and searching for the object using a measurement sensor in the first area on the sea or in the sea. [Item 4] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 3, the cooperation system is a geostationary satellite system capable of acquiring information on the object using a geostationary satellite, a low-earth orbit satellite system capable of acquiring information on the object using a low-earth orbit satellite, an aircraft monitoring system capable of acquiring information on the object using an aircraft, a marine monitoring system capable of acquiring information on the object existing on the sea using a measuring device installed on the sea or in the sea, or a movable ship deployed on the sea, a subsea monitoring system capable of acquiring information on the object existing in the sea using a measuring device installed on the sea or in the sea or on the seabed, or a movable submarine deployed on the sea or in the sea or on the seabed, a ship operation monitoring system for acquiring ship operation information, a control system including at least any one of the above systems. [Item 5] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 4, the cooperation system includes at least two or more of the geostationary satellite system, the low-earth orbit satellite system, the aircraft monitoring system, the marine monitoring system, the subsea monitoring system, and the ship operation monitoring system, the object information interpretation unit interprets the object information including at least any one of the presence or absence of detection of the object, the type, size, position, moving direction, moving speed, and moving trajectory of the object based on the acquired information obtained from two or more of the above systems. [Item 6] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 5, The object information interpretation unit is a control system that changes the system for acquiring the acquired information used for interpreting the object information to another one of the systems according to the shortage state of the acquired information or the environmental disturbance information in the second area. [Item 7] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 6, When the object information cannot be interpreted due to the shortage of the acquired information, the object information interpretation unit is a control system that requests the cooperation system to additionally acquire the acquired information. [Item 8] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 7, The entry prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit includes at least any one of the entry position, entry direction, entry speed into the first area when the object is predicted to enter the first area, the predicted movement path after entering the first area, the predicted target position after entry, the entry probability into the first area, the encounter probability between the object and the moving body in the first area, and the discovery probability that the moving body discovers the object in the first area. [Item 9] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 8, When the object information interpretation unit detects a plurality of the objects, The entry prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit includes the entry area when a plurality of the objects are predicted to enter the first area, or the confluence area when a plurality of the objects are predicted to merge in the first area, or the prediction information on whether at least any one of the plurality of the objects is in an active relationship. [Item 10] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 9, When the object movement prediction unit predicts the entry position or entry area where a single or a plurality of the objects enter the first area, In the information regarding the mobile object operation command generated by the mobile object operation determination unit, operation command information for causing the mobile object to wait at the entry position, or the entry area, or the peripheral area of the entry position or the entry area is included. A control system. [Item 11] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 10, When the object motion prediction unit predicts that a single or a plurality of the objects enter the first area, In the information regarding the mobile object operation command generated by the mobile object operation determination unit, operation command information for a tracking operation of tracking the object within the first area is included. A control system. [Item 12] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 11, When the object motion prediction unit predicts that a single or a plurality of the objects exit from the first area, In the information regarding the mobile object operation command generated by the mobile object operation determination unit, operation command information for a tracking operation of tracking the object near the boundary within the first area following the position of the object moving outside the first area is included. A control system. [Item 13] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 12, When the object motion prediction unit predicts that a single or a plurality of the objects re-enter the first area after exiting from the first area, In the information regarding the mobile object operation command generated by the mobile object operation determination unit, operation command information for causing the mobile object to wait at the re-entry position, or the re-entry area, or the peripheral area of the re-entry position or the re-entry area predicted by the object motion prediction unit at the time of re-entry is included. A control system. [Item 14] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 13, The mobile object motion determination unit is a control system that generates or updates a search plan including at least one of a search target area, search time, number of the mobile objects, arrangement, movement target, target search performance, and measurement sensor by the plurality of mobile objects based on the entry prediction information. [Item 15] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 14, A user input reception unit that receives user-specified information regarding a mobile object motion command for some or all of the plurality of mobile objects is provided, The mobile object motion determination unit is a control system that determines the mobile object motion command based on the received user-specified information. [Item 16] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 15, The object information interpretation unit interprets object information regarding the object existing in the first area based on the information measured by the measurement sensor mounted on the mobile object, The object motion prediction unit generates motion prediction information predicting a future movement path of the object inside or outside the first area based on the object information in the first area that has been interpreted, The mobile object motion determination unit is a control system that generates or updates a mobile object motion command for some or all of the plurality of mobile objects based on the motion prediction information of the object. [Item 17] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 16, The object information interpretation unit interprets object information regarding the object existing in the first area based on the information measured by the measurement sensor mounted on the mobile object, The object motion prediction unit generates exit prediction information predicting at least one of an exit position, exit time, and movement path after exit where the object is predicted to exit from the first area based on the object information in the first area that has been interpreted, The information output unit is a control system that transmits the exit prediction information to the cooperation system. [Item 18] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 17, the mobile object motion determination unit generates or updates a search operation command including at least any one of a search target area, a search time, the number of the mobile objects, an arrangement, a movement target, a target search performance, and a measurement sensor, based on a measurement plan in a second area of the cooperation system. A control system. [Item 19] In the control system according to any one of Items 1 to 18, a user input reception unit that receives a user input regarding at least any one of a measurement plan for the second area by the cooperation system and a search plan for the first area by a plurality of the mobile objects is provided, the mobile object motion determination unit generates or updates a search operation command including at least any one of a search target area, a search time, the number of the mobile objects, an arrangement, a formation number, a movement target, a target search performance, and a measurement sensor, based on the received user input regarding the measurement plan for the second area or the search plan for the first area. A control system. [Item 20] A control method for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of mobile objects, wherein a computer performs an object information interpretation step of interpreting object information regarding the object existing in the second area, based on acquisition information obtained from a cooperation system capable of measuring a second area including at least a part of an area outside the first area; an object motion prediction step of generating entry prediction information regarding a prediction content that the object enters the first area from an area outside the first area, based on the object information; and an information output step of performing display output or transmission to the outside of information regarding the entry prediction information generated based on the object information or information regarding a mobile object motion command for some or all of the plurality of mobile objects generated based on the entry prediction information. A control method. [Item 21] A program that can be used in a control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving bodies, to cause a computer, based on acquisition information obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a part of an area outside the first area, to execute an object information interpretation command for interpreting object information regarding the object existing in the second area, based on the object information, to execute an object motion prediction command for generating entry prediction information regarding prediction content that the object enters the first area from an area outside the first area, a program for causing execution of an information output command for displaying and outputting or transmitting to the outside information regarding the entry prediction information generated based on the object information or information regarding a moving body motion command for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated based on the entry prediction information.

[0011] <A. First Embodiment> Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Further, the following embodiments are merely examples, and other known elements and alternative means can be adopted according to the use, purpose, scale, etc.

[0012] [A. Configuration] (A-1. Overall System Configuration) First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the overall system configuration of a control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0013] (A-1-1. Outline of Overall System Configuration) FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a control system 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "system 1") according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the control system 1 includes an unmanned boat system 1000 and a general control system 2000. Further, the general control system 2000 is configured to be able to communicate with an external cooperation system 5000 and an external system 6000 via an Internet line or the like, and can perform input / output of information. The general control system 2000 can transmit a control command to the unmanned boat system 1000 deployed at sea via a ground base station 4000 and a communication satellite 3000, and can receive the operation status and measurement data of the unmanned boat system 1000. Therefore, the general control system 2000 can navigate and move at sea, and remotely control or autonomously navigate or automatically navigate the operation of the unmanned boat system 1000 having a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 (also referred to as "unmanned ships") equipped with measurement sensors capable of detecting an object 7000, and search for the object 7000 using the measurement sensors in a predetermined area (first area) at sea or in the sea. Here, the predetermined area is an arbitrary area that can be set by the user or set in advance.

[0014] The unmanned boat system 1000 includes a single or a plurality of unmanned boats 1010. When the unmanned boat system 1000 is composed of a plurality of unmanned boats 1010, the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 are connected to each other by wireless communication and can form a communication network. Further, the unmanned boat 1010 has a function of detecting a moving object at sea such as a ship, a drifting object, a drifter, a marine buoy, etc. as the object 7000, or a moving object in the sea such as a diver navigating in the sea or a marine creature (such as a whale) by a measurement sensor (such as a sound wave sensor such as a sonar, an optical camera, an IR camera, a laser sensor such as LiDAR, a radar sensor such as a millimeter wave sensor or a microwave sensor) mounted on the own vehicle.

[0015] The detection determination results and measurement data of the objects detected by the unmanned boat system 1000, and furthermore, various information on the operation status of each unmanned boat 1010 of the unmanned boat system 1000 are transmitted to the overall control system 2000 via the communication satellite 3000 and the ground base station 4000. Based on the acquired information from the unmanned boat system 1000 and the required information acquired in advance, the overall control system 2000 determines operation commands for the unmanned boat system 1000. Information such as the generated operation commands is transmitted to the user terminal device 8000 and displayed and output to the user. Also, an intervention command regarding an operation command or the like from the user can be acquired via the user terminal device 8000.

[0016] (A-1-2. Example of implementation of control system 1 in the real space) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an implementation image of control system 1 in the real space. In the example shown in FIG. 2, on the ground side shown in the upper right of the drawing, a ground base station 4000 and an overall control system 2000 are provided. Also, on the ground side, a cooperation system 5000, an external system 6000, and a user terminal device 8000 connected to the overall control system 2000 via a network are provided.

[0017] On the other hand, on the ocean side shown on the left of the drawing, the unmanned boat system 1000 is deployed to search for objects 7000 existing in the ocean. The unmanned boat system 1000 has a plurality of groups (1000a, 1000b, 1000c) composed of a master boat and a plurality of slave boats, and can communicate directly or via the communication satellite 3000 between each group.

[0018] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the overall control system 2000 shows an example of being installed in a ground facility, but it is not limited to this. All or part of the functions implemented in the overall control system 2000 shown in this embodiment can be installed on a coastal on-site base provided in a coastal area on the ground side not shown in the drawing or a manned mother ship on the sea side, etc., and it is also possible to operate and manage the unmanned boat system 1000 at the coastal on-site base or the manned mother ship.

[0019] As the configuration of the embodiment described in FIGS. 1 and 2 above, an example of using a non-terrestrial network (Non-Terrestrial Network) using a communication satellite 3000 in a geosynchronous orbit or a low earth orbit as a communication network for transmitting and receiving information between the overall control system 2000 and the unmanned boat system 1000 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a non-terrestrial network using an unmanned aerial vehicle called HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) can also be used. In this case, for example, an unmanned aerial vehicle that orbits at an altitude of about 8 to 50 km can be used. In addition, as a communication network for transmitting and receiving information between the overall control system 2000 and the unmanned boat 1010, it is also possible to use a communication network that directly connects the ground base station 4000 and the unmanned boat 1010 by wireless communication without passing through the communication satellite 3000 or HAPS. Note that the ground base station 4000 is not limited to a fixed immovable base station and may be composed of a movable mobile base station.

[0020] (A-1-3. Overview of the Cooperative System 5000 and the External System 6000) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the cooperative system 5000 and the external system 6000. As shown in FIG. 3, a control system 1 having an unmanned boat system 1000 and an overall control system 2000 is connected to the cooperative system 5000 and the external system 6000 via a network, respectively.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the cooperation system 5000 includes a plurality of heterogeneous systems capable of acquiring information regarding the object 7000 to be searched. For example, the cooperation system 5000 can include a geostationary satellite monitoring system 5100 capable of acquiring optical images, SAR images, and other measurement data measurable from a geostationary satellite (geostationary satellite GEO) using the object 7000. Further, the cooperation system 5000 can include a low-earth orbit satellite monitoring system 5200 capable of acquiring optical images, SAR images, and other measurement data measurable from a low-earth orbit satellite (low-earth orbit satellite LEO) using the object 7000.

[0022] In addition, the cooperation system 5000 can include an aircraft monitoring system 5300 capable of acquiring optical images, SAR images, laser measurement data, radar measurement data, and other measurement data measurable from an aircraft using the object 7000. Note that as the aircraft used in the aircraft monitoring system 5300, various aircraft flying at an altitude lower than the stratosphere, HAPS flying in the stratosphere, and any other aircraft can be applied. Further, an optical image, laser measurement data, radar measurement data, and other measurement data measurable from a ship can be included in a marine monitoring system 5500 capable of acquiring measurement data regarding the object 7000 existing on the sea using a measurement device mounted on a ship moving on the sea, a floating buoy floating on the sea or in the sea.

[0023] In addition, the cooperation system 5000 can include a subsea monitoring system 5600 capable of acquiring measurement information (such as acoustic measurement information) regarding the object 7000 existing in the sea using a measurement device mounted on a submarine capable of moving in the sea, a subsea floating buoy installed in the sea, a sea floating buoy floating on the sea, a dropped buoy dropped from an aircraft or a ship onto the sea or into the sea, or a subsea buoy installed on the seabed. Further, the cooperation system 5000 can include a ship operation monitoring system 5400 (such as an AIS system, etc.) for acquiring identification information and operation status information of a ship navigating in a marine area.

[0024] The external system 6000 is a system including an environmental information providing system that provides weather information (such as information on wind, rain, snow, cloudiness, fog, wave height, etc.) in the area where the unmanned boat system 1000 is deployed and its surrounding areas. The external system 6000 may be, in addition to weather information, an MDA system that provides oceanographic information such as the flow velocity, direction, and position of ocean currents and tides. The external system 6000 may further include information regarding the altitude and position of the sun and the altitude and position of the moon.

[0025] The external system 6000 may include an information providing system such as nautical route information (route position, passage permission information for each time zone, traffic jam prediction information, etc.) in the area including the area to be explored and communication infrastructure information regarding areas connectable to a communication network.

[0026] (A-1-4. Cooperative System 5000) Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the implementation image of the cooperative system 5000 in the real space. As shown in Figure 4, various systems of the cooperative system 5000 can measure areas on the sea or in the sea to obtain measurement data and detect the object 7000.

[0027] In addition, each system of the cooperative system 5000 is a system that can measure the sea or underwater area outside the predetermined exploration area where the unmanned boat system 1000 conducts exploration. Note that for the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100, the low-orbit satellite monitoring system 5200, and the aircraft monitoring system 5300 that measure the sea area from above, the higher the altitude of the measurement position, the wider the measurement range becomes. Also, the measurement range varies depending on the type of measurement sensor used in other systems. Therefore, the measurement area by the cooperative system 5000 may include part or all of the exploration area of the unmanned boat system 1000, but the cooperative system 5000 can measure at least the area outside the exploration area of the unmanned boat system 1000.

[0028] (A-2. Unmanned Boat System 1000) Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7, the system configuration of the unmanned boat system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0029] (A-2-1. Overview of Unmanned Boat System 1000) FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an unmanned boat system 1000 composed of a plurality of unmanned boats. As shown in FIG. 5, the unmanned boat system 1000 is composed of one or more groups (1000a, 1000b), and each group is composed of a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 that can communicate with each other. In addition, the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 constituting each group are configured to serve as a master unit 1001 capable of wireless communication with a communication satellite 3000 or a slave unit 1002 capable of directly or indirectly communicating with the master unit 1001. The master unit 1001 is communicatively connected to the communication satellite 3000, aggregates information collected from a plurality of slave units 1002, and transmits it to the communication satellite 3000. At the same time, the master unit 1001 has a function of directly or indirectly transmitting information regarding operation commands acquired from the communication satellite 3000 or information generated by itself to each slave unit 1002.

[0030] The group 1000a shown in FIG. 5 includes a primary connection slave unit 10021 communicatively connected to the master unit 1001, a secondary connection slave unit 10022 communicatively connected to the primary connection slave unit 10021, and a tertiary connection slave unit 10023 communicatively connected to the secondary connection slave unit 10022. Each slave unit (primary connection slave unit 10021, secondary connection slave unit 10022, tertiary connection slave unit 10023) has a function of relaying information received from other master units 1001 or slave units 1002 to other master units 1001 and slave units 1002, thereby constituting a communication network between the master unit 1001 and the plurality of slave units 1002.

[0031] In FIG. 5, the configuration of a group having a master unit 1001 and slave units 1002 is shown, but it is not limited thereto. The group 1000 of unmanned boats 1010 can be composed of a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 connected by a network capable of directly or indirectly wirelessly communicating with each other.

[0032] (A-2-2. Configuration of Unmanned Boat 1010 Constituting a Group) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the formation of the unmanned boat system 1000 deployed at sea. In the example shown in FIG. 6, when causing a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 to execute exploration according to an exploration plan, the formation and communication connection relationship of the group composed of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 are shown.

[0033] The group 1000a shown in FIG. 6 includes one master boat 1001 and a plurality of slave boats 1002. In addition, between the master boat 1001 and the plurality of slave boats 1002, a wireless communication network at sea is configured by connecting them through wireless communication indicated by a solid line. The slave boat 1002 has a primary connection slave boat 10021 that is wirelessly communication-connected to the master boat 1001, and a secondary connection slave boat 10022 that is wirelessly communication-connected to the primary connection slave boat 10021.

[0034] Note that in the present embodiment, the number of relays by the slave boat 1002 when forming a group is not limited, and a tertiary connection slave boat, a quaternary connection slave boat, or more connection slave boats may be provided. The primary connection slave boat 10021 shown in FIG. 6 has a function of relaying information transmission and reception between the master boat 1001 and the secondary connection slave boat 10022, so that information can be transferred between the master boat 1001 and the plurality of secondary connection slave boats 10022.

[0035] In addition, the number of secondary connection slave boats 10022 wirelessly communication-connected to the primary connection slave boat 10021 is not limited to one. By having a plurality of secondary connection slave boats 10022 wirelessly communication-connected to the primary connection slave boat 10021, a tree-structured communication network in which a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 branch within the group 1000a can be configured. In addition, since there is an upper limit to the communication possible distance at which wireless communication is possible between each unmanned boat 1010, two unmanned boats 1010 capable of wireless communication with each other, for example, the master boat 1001 and the primary connection slave boat 10021, and the primary connection slave boat 10021 and the secondary connection slave boat 10022, the position of at least one of the unmanned boats 1010 is controlled so that the relative distance between the unmanned boats 1010 is maintained within the range of the communication upper limit relative distance included in the monitoring plan as shown in FIG. 11 (for example, about 1.5 km).

[0036] In addition, if the relative distance between the unmanned boats 1010 increases and the communication partner unmanned boat 1010 moves outside the range of the communication distance, mutual wireless communication becomes impossible and control commands from the overall control system 2000 cannot be transmitted. Therefore, it is desirable that the two unmanned boats 1010 connected to each other perform self-position control to maintain the relative distance from the communication partner within the range of the communication distance with a higher priority than other controls.

[0037] On the other hand, there is no need to maintain the relative distance between other unmanned boats 1010 that do not communicate wirelessly with each other. On the other hand, in order to efficiently search for the object 7000 which is the activity purpose of the unmanned boat system 1000, it is more desirable that the measurement ranges of the measurement sensors of the respective unmanned boats 1010 do not overlap or moderately overlap, rather than the state where the respective unmanned boats 1010 are too close and most of the measurement ranges of the measurement sensors overlap. Therefore, regarding the relative distance between the respective unmanned boats 1010 that are not connected by communication, the position of at least one of the unmanned boats 1010 is controlled with a relatively low priority so as to maintain a preset steady-state relative distance (for example, about 1 km). The control for maintaining this steady-state relative distance can apply, for example, control based on the Boids algorithm.

[0038] Furthermore, when there is a possibility that the relative distance between the unmanned boats 1010 is too close and they may collide, in order to avoid the collision and avoid damage to the unmanned boats 1010, position control to increase the relative distance with a relatively high priority can be executed.

[0039] As described above, the control to maintain the relative distance between the unmanned boats 1010 that communicate wirelessly with each other within the range of the communication distance, and the avoidance control to avoid collision with other unmanned boats approaching at a short distance are executed with a relatively high priority. On the other hand, the control to maintain the normal relative distance can be executed with a relatively low priority for the relative distance between the unmanned boats 1010 that do not communicate wirelessly with each other.

[0040] (A-2-3. Configuration of Unmanned Boat 1010) FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the unmanned boat 1010. In FIG. 7, the functional block diagram of the unmanned boat 1010 is described. However, the master unit 1001 and the slave units 1002 of the unmanned boat 1010 can all implement functions similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 7. The unmanned boat 1010 includes a measurement unit 1100, a self-state determination unit 1200, a navigation unit 1300, a communication unit 1400, a determination unit 1500, and a recording unit 1600.

[0041] The measurement unit 1100 is a functional unit that detects an object 7000 existing within the measurable range of the sea or the sea around the unmanned boat 1010 by the measurement sensor 1110 and acquires measurement information regarding the object 7000. The measurement unit 1100 includes a measurement sensor 1110 and a measurement control unit 1120.

[0042] The measurement sensor 1110 may include one (monocular) or a plurality of electro-optical sensors (Electro-Optical sensors), optical cameras, infrared sensors (IR sensors), optical sensors such as stereo cameras, which acquire image data on the sea or in the sea, a laser sensor such as LiDAR that acquires point cloud data, an optical ranging sensor such as a ToF sensor (Time of Flight sensor), and a radar sensor that detects millimeter waves and microwaves. The measurement sensor 1110 acquires measurement data of the object 7000 existing within the measurable range of the two-dimensional plane on the sea by measuring the periphery of the unmanned boat 1010. In addition, each of the above sensors can be used as a ranging sensor that measures the distance to the object based on the measurement data.

[0043] In addition to the above-described sensors, the measurement sensor 1110 may include an acoustic wave sensor (also referred to as an acoustic wave measurement unit) such as a sonar that uses acoustic waves such as ultrasonic waves. The acoustic wave sensor can acquire measurement data of the object 7000 existing within the measurable range of the three-dimensional space in water. Moreover, it can be used not only in water but also in the air above water. When the acoustic wave sensor is used in the air, by measuring the acoustic wave that is generated and reflected back by the object, it can be used as a distance measurement sensor for measuring the distance to the object to be measured. Further, when the acoustic wave sensor is used in water, the acoustic wave sensor may be either an active sonar that generates an acoustic wave and measures the acoustic wave that resonates with an object in water or a passive sonar that measures the sound generated from an object in water. The active sonar can be composed of, for example, a side scan sonar, a multi-beam sonar, or a single-beam sonar. Also, the acoustic wave sensor may be composed of a USBL transceiver, an acoustic communication modem, or the like.

[0044] In addition, the measurement control unit 1120 operates a sensor attitude change device capable of changing the attitude of the measurement sensor 1110 to control at least one of the attitude angles around the three axes of the measurement sensor 1110 with respect to the unmanned boat 1010. Also, for example, when the measurement sensor is an optical sensor, the measurement control unit 1120 can adjust the frame rate, shutter speed, etc. When the measurement sensor is a laser sensor, the measurement control unit 1120 can adjust the output of the irradiated laser. When the measurement sensor is a radar sensor, the measurement control unit 1120 can adjust the output of millimeter waves or microwaves. Also, the measurement control unit 1120 can adjust the measurement sensitivity of the measurement sensor to an arbitrary control amount. When the measurement sensor is an optical sensor, the measurement control unit 1120 can change the zoom amount and resolution of the optical sensor to an arbitrary control amount.

[0045] Next, the own-ship state determination unit 1200 includes a navigation state determination unit 1210, an internal state determination unit 1220, and an external state determination unit 1230, and is a functional unit that determines the navigation state, internal and external states of the unmanned boat 1010. The navigation state determination unit 1210 determines state quantities related to the position (two-dimensional or three-dimensional) of the own-ship, moving speed, bow azimuth, moving direction, moving acceleration / deceleration, turning speed, and other navigation states. The internal state determination unit 1220 determines the remaining energy of the battery mounted on the own-ship, remaining fuel, movable distance calculable based on the remaining energy and remaining fuel, temporary abnormal states (such as temperature abnormality, communication abnormality, etc.) of the devices mounted on the own-ship, and the failure states of the devices.

[0046] In addition, the external state determination unit 1230 can determine the communication quality states such as the communication intensity (dB value, etc.), communication speed, and communication delay of wireless communication with other unmanned boats 1010 in the unmanned boat system 1000 or wireless communication with the overall control system 2000 via the communication satellite 3000 or the ground base station 4000, or the sea state around the own-ship (wave height, wave speed, sea current speed, sea current direction, tidal current speed, tidal current direction), weather state (wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, humidity), weather condition (fog, thunder, rainfall, snowfall, hail, sleet, cloudiness, etc.), seawater state (seawater temperature, seawater density, salinity concentration, Ph value, presence or absence of algal beds, etc.), sun-related information (sun position (altitude, azimuth, trajectory), backlight, front light, solar radiation amount), and other states (moon position (altitude, azimuth, trajectory, moon age), ionospheric disturbance (such as solar flare)).

[0047] The method for the navigation state determination unit 1210 to determine the position, moving speed, moving direction, and acceleration / deceleration of the own aircraft is not particularly limited. For example, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), GPS (Global Positioning System), RTK-GNSS (Real Time Kinematic - Global Navigation Satellite System), etc. can be used to determine the position, moving speed, and moving direction of the own aircraft at the current time. Here, the own position information includes at least two-dimensional coordinate information (e.g., latitude, longitude) in a plan view, and preferably includes three-dimensional coordinate information including altitude information. Also, the acceleration / deceleration can be calculated based on the amount of change in the determined moving speed over time.

[0048] Also, the method for measuring the heading direction of the own aircraft is, for example, using a geomagnetic sensor, a GNSS compass, a SLAM technology using the seabed shape, etc. to determine the heading direction of the own aircraft at the current time. The heading direction includes at least the attitude angle (azimuth) in a plan view around the Z-axis, and preferably may be attitude information around the three axes of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. Also, the turning speed can be calculated based on the amount of change in the determined heading direction information over time.

[0049] Next, the navigation unit 1300 includes a thrust generation unit 1310, an attitude control mechanism 1320, and a navigation control unit 1330, and is a functional unit that navigates the own aircraft in an arbitrary direction according to the operation command received via the communication unit 1400. The thrust generation unit 1310 can apply any means capable of generating thrust. As an example, it can be composed of a propeller driven by using the power of an engine or an electric motor. Also, the thrust generation unit 1310 can be composed of a sail that generates thrust by receiving wind, or can be composed of a wave glider that generates thrust by receiving wave power.

[0050] The attitude control mechanism 1320 is composed of a rudder plate provided on the airframe, a propeller attitude change mechanism capable of changing the attitude angle of the propeller (mainly the yaw angle around the Z axis), etc. By changing these angles, the nose direction (yaw angle) of the own aircraft can be controlled. Also, with a center-of-gravity position change mechanism that changes the position of a heavy object in the airframe by an actuator, the attitude angles of the roll angle around the X axis and the pitch angle around the Y axis of the airframe can also be controlled.

[0051] Also, the navigation control unit 1330 is a functional unit that controls the navigation operation of the own aircraft by controlling the thrust generation unit 1310 and the attitude control mechanism 1320. The navigation control unit 1330 has one or more processors such as a programmable processor (for example, a central processing unit (CPU), MPU, or DSP), and includes a processing unit capable of accessing a memory (storage unit). The memory stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that are executable by the processing unit to perform one or more processing steps.

[0052] The processing unit includes a control module configured to control the navigation state of the own aircraft. For example, the control module adjusts the position of the own aircraft on the sea surface, the moving speed, the moving acceleration and deceleration, the nose azimuth, the turning speed, and the attitude angles around the three axes. That is, the navigation control unit 1330 controls the navigation operation of the own aircraft by causing the own aircraft to perform operations such as forward movement, backward movement, acceleration, deceleration, and turning.

[0053] Next, the communication unit 1400 includes an inter-unmanned-boat communication unit 1410 and a centralized control communication unit 1420, and is a functional unit that communicates with other unmanned boats 1010 and the centralized control system 2000 within the unmanned boat system 1000. The inter-unmanned-boat communication unit 1410 is equipped with a communication antenna used for a marine wireless communication network and communicates with other unmanned boats 1010 within the unmanned boat system 1000. The centralized control communication unit 1420 is equipped with a satellite communication antenna capable of communicating with the communication satellite 3000 or a communication antenna capable of communicating with the ground base station 4000, and communicates with the centralized control system 2000 via the communication satellite 3000 or the ground base station 4000. In addition to the above-described communication units, the communication unit may be equipped with an AIS antenna and a VHF antenna, and may be equipped with a communication unit that communicates with an external monitoring ship or an AIS base station.

[0054] Next, the determination unit 1500 is a functional unit that performs data processing such as primary processing and data compression of the measurement data acquired by the measurement sensor 1110. The determination unit 1500 can perform, for example, primary processing of the raw data (measurement data) after measurement acquired by the measurement sensor 1110 to generate transmission data to be wirelessly transmitted from the unmanned boat system 1000 to the centralized control system 2000. Further, the determination unit 1500 can perform data compression processing to compress the raw data (measurement data) after measurement to generate transmission data so that the transmission load when wirelessly transmitting the transmission data from the unmanned boat system 1000 to the centralized control system 2000 is reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, the determination unit 1500 can interpret the state of the object 7000 by performing primary processing on the measurement data, and can interpret the presence or absence of the detected object, the size of the detected object, etc. Also, according to the interpretation result, it may have a function of determining whether to transmit the measurement data or the transmission data from the unmanned boat system 1000 to the centralized control system 2000, or selecting the data to be transmitted.

[0056] Next, the recording unit 1600 includes a measurement data recording unit 1610, a own-ship state recording unit 1620, and a determination information recording unit 1630. The measurement data recording unit 1610 records the measurement data measured by the measurement unit 1100. The own-ship state recording unit 1620 records various state information regarding the own ship determined by the own-ship state determination unit 1200. Further, the determination information recording unit 1630 records various determination information determined by the determination unit 1500.

[0057] (A-3. Description of the overall control system 2000) Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, the overall control system 2000 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0058] (A-3-1. Overview of the overall control system 2000) First, with reference to FIG. 8, the functions and contents of the overall control system 2000 will be described. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the overall control system 2000. As shown in FIG. 8, the overall control system 2000 includes a heterogeneous system overall management unit 2100, an unmanned boat system management unit 2200, a user interface unit 2300, a data transmission / reception management unit 2400, a data recording management unit 2500, and a maintenance operation management unit 2600.

[0059] (A-3-1-1. Heterogeneous system overall management unit 2100) The heterogeneous system overall management unit 2100 is a functional unit that overall manages a plurality of heterogeneous systems such as the unmanned boat system 1000 and the cooperation system 5000, and is a functional unit that acquires various information such as measurement data and operation states from the plurality of heterogeneous systems and manages the operations of each system. The functions of the heterogeneous system overall management unit 2100 will be described later.

[0060] (A-3-1-2. Unmanned boat system management unit 2200) The unmanned boat system management unit 2200 has a function of generating in advance or updating during the execution of the exploration work a detailed exploration plan by the unmanned boat 1010 such as the formation and operation of the unmanned boat system 1000 before executing the exploration.

[0061] The unmanned boat system management unit 2200 is, for example, a functional unit that generates a detailed search plan such as the formation and operation of the unmanned boat system 1000 before executing a search based on the overall search plan received from the heterogeneous system integrated management unit 2100. Note that the detailed search plan can include not only the search for objects in the sea area but also the search plan for the object 7000 in the underwater area.

[0062] In addition, the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 controls the operation of the unmanned boat system 1000 to search for an object. When an object is discovered, it can record the measurement data of the object and notify the user. Further, the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 can control not only the search operation for discovering an object in the target area but also the actions such as tracking after the object is discovered.

[0063] Furthermore, when the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 receives the updated overall search plan from the heterogeneous system integrated management unit 2100, it can update the detailed search plan such as the formation and operation of the unmanned boat system 1000 during the execution of the search work based on the updated overall search plan. Also, the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 can grasp the progress status of the search results for the detailed search plan based on the information received from the unmanned boat system 1000. The detailed functions of the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 will be described later.

[0064] (A-3-1-3. User Interface Unit 2300) The user interface unit 2300 has a function of displaying and outputting various information generated by the heterogeneous system integrated management unit 2100 and the unmanned boat system management unit 2200, various information transmitted and received by the data transmission / reception management unit 2400, and various information recorded in the data recording management unit 2500 to the user, and receiving input information from the user. The user interface unit 2300 includes a display output unit 2310 and a user input reception unit 2320.

[0065] The display output unit 2310 is a functional unit that displays and outputs various information generated by the heterogeneous system integration management unit 2100, the unmanned boat system management unit 2200, various information transmitted and received by the data transmission / reception management unit 2400, and various information recorded in the data recording management unit 2500 to the user. The user input reception unit 2320 is a functional unit that receives input information from the user.

[0066] (A-3-1-4. Data Transmission / Reception Management Unit 2400) The data transmission / reception management unit 2400 is a functional unit that transmits and receives information between the integrated control system 2000 and the outside. The data transmission / reception management unit 2400 includes an unmanned boat operation command transmission unit 2410, an external information transmission unit 2420, an unmanned boat information reception unit 2430, and an external information reception unit 2440.

[0067] The unmanned boat operation command transmission unit 2410 is a functional unit that transmits an operation command for the unmanned boat system 1000 generated by the integrated control system 2000. The external information transmission unit 2420 is a functional unit that transmits various information to the external cooperation system 5000 and other systems. The unmanned boat information reception unit 2430 is a functional unit that receives information regarding measurement data, operation status, etc. by the unmanned boat 1010 from the unmanned boat system 1000. The external information reception unit 2440 is a functional unit that receives various information from the external cooperation system 5000 and other systems.

[0068] (A-3-1-5. Data Recording Management Unit 2500) The data recording management unit 2500 is a functional unit that records and manages various information generated by the heterogeneous system integration management unit 2100 or the unmanned boat system management unit 2200, or information on decision results, or various information transmitted or received by the data transmission / reception management unit 2400, or information displayed and output by the user interface unit 2300, or information received from the user.

[0069] The data recording and management unit 2500 can record, in particular, the discovery history information of objects obtained from past explorations by the unmanned boat system 1000, the measurement data acquired from the unmanned boat system 1000, and the statistical processing results of the discovery history information of objects processed by the unmanned boat system management unit 2200, etc.

[0070] (A-3-1-6. Maintenance and operation management unit 2600) The maintenance and operation management unit 2600 is a functional unit that manages maintenance including the maintenance, diagnosis, repair, etc. of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 and other devices that make up the unmanned boat system 1000. Also, the maintenance and operation management unit 2600 may have a resource management function that not only performs maintenance, etc., but also grasps the current status of resources such as equipment, personnel, and facilities necessary for the operation of the unmanned boat system 1000 and gives arrangement instructions. Further, the maintenance and operation management unit 2600 may have an operation monitoring function that grasps the operation status of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 of the unmanned boat system 1000 and gives instructions regarding operation.

[0071] Also, the maintenance and operation management unit 2600 may have a function of managing operations including pre-operation and post-operation work necessary for the operation of the unmanned boat system 1000, such as arranging, transporting, recovering malfunctioning aircraft, repairing, storing, replenishing batteries, etc., and collecting measurement data.

[0072] (A-3-2. Configuration of the heterogeneous system integration management unit 2100) Next, the heterogeneous system integration management unit 2100 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the heterogeneous system integration management unit 2100. As shown in FIG. 9, the heterogeneous system integration management unit 2100 includes a pre-information acquisition unit 2110, an overall pre-plan determination unit 2120, an object information interpretation unit 2130, an object motion prediction unit 2140, and an overall plan update unit 2150.

[0073] (A-3-2-1. Pre-information acquisition unit 2110) The pre-information acquisition unit 2110 is a functional unit that pre-acquires various search conditions when searching for the target object 7000 and information regarding heterogeneous systems used in the search. Hereinafter, the pre-information will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the pre-information acquired by the pre-information acquisition unit 2110.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 11, the pre-information acquired by the pre-information acquisition unit 2110 includes search conditions and identification information of the cooperation system. Note that the search conditions can be received from the user via the user terminal device 8000 or the user interface unit 2300.

[0075] The search conditions include information regarding the target object 7000 searched by the cooperation system 5000 and the unmanned boat system 1000, information regarding the search target area, information regarding the search time, and information regarding the search target. The information regarding the target object 7000 includes information such as ships and divers as information capable of identifying the type of the target object 7000. In addition, the information regarding the target area includes information capable of specifying the two-dimensional or three-dimensional position and range of the search target area in the sea or underwater.

[0076] The search time includes information capable of identifying the date and time, period, time zone, start and end times, etc. when the search is executed. The information regarding the search target includes information capable of defining search target values such as a search rate indicating the ratio of the searched area to the search target area.

[0077] Next, as the identification information of the cooperation system, a geostationary satellite monitoring system 5100 (geostationary earth orbit satellite GEO), a low earth orbit satellite monitoring system 5200 (low earth orbit satellite LEO), an aircraft monitoring system 5300 (including unmanned aircraft), a ship operation monitoring system 5400 (including ASI system), a marine monitoring system 5500, and an underwater monitoring system 5600 are included.

[0078] (A-3-2-2. Overall Pre-planning Determination Unit 2120) Next, the overall pre-planning determination unit 2120 is a functional unit that determines the pre-exploration plan for the entire heterogeneous system including the unmanned boat system 1000 and the cooperation system 5000. Hereinafter, the overall pre-planning will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

[0079] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the overall pre-planning determined by the overall pre-planning determination unit 2120. As shown in FIG. 12, the overall pre-planning includes information regarding the exploration plans of each heterogeneous system including the unmanned boat system 1000 and the cooperation system 5000. In the example shown in FIG. 12, for each of the heterogeneous systems, information on the exploration area, exploration time, and types of measurement sensors to be used is included.

[0080] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the exploration area included in the overall pre-planning determined by the overall pre-planning determination unit 2120. In FIG. 13, in particular, the positions and ranges of the areas where the unmanned boat system 1000 and each of the plurality of cooperation systems 5000 (high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100, low-orbit satellite monitoring system 5200, aircraft monitoring system 5300, maritime monitoring system 5500, underwater monitoring system 5600) conduct exploration are shown in map form. As shown in FIG. 13, the measurement area or exploration area (hereinafter, also referred to as the "second area") of each cooperation system 5000 is set as an area that at least partially includes an area outside the exploration target area (hereinafter, also referred to as the "first area") by the unmanned boat system 1000. Therefore, each cooperation system 5000 can acquire measurement data of the object 7000 existing in the area outside the exploration target area by the unmanned boat system 1000.

[0081] In the example shown in FIG. 13, for example, the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100 uses high-orbit satellites to acquire measurement data. Therefore, its measurement range is wider than that of other systems, and it acquires measurement data of a wide-area including the measurement ranges of other systems. However, since the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100 performs measurements from a position at a higher altitude than other monitoring systems, the resolution of the measurement data is relatively low. In addition, the low-orbit satellite monitoring system 5200 can measure an area at sea along the orbit of the low-orbit satellite. Further, the other aircraft monitoring system 5300 can monitor any area at sea by changing the flight area of the aircraft. Also, the sea monitoring system 5500 and the unmanned boat system 1000 can monitor any area at sea. Additionally, the underwater monitoring system 5600 can also monitor any underwater area.

[0082] Also, it is possible to receive user-specified inputs regarding the content of the overall advance plan shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 via the user interface unit 2300 or the user terminal device 8000. In that case, an overall business plan corresponding to the user-specified input is generated. Further, via the user interface unit 2300 or the user terminal device 8000, it has functions to receive various command inputs such as cooperation in exploration by multiple cooperative systems, tracking cooperation of the object 7000, reporting cooperation of the detection state of the object 7000, direct operation of the unmanned boat 1010, and maintaining the relative distance between the mother ship on which the user boards and the unmanned boat 1010 directly operated within a predetermined distance range. Based on the received command inputs, the overall advance plan may be determined.

[0083] (A-3-2-3. Object Information Interpretation Unit 2130) Next, the object information interpretation unit 2130 is a functional unit that performs detection determination of an object based on the measurement data acquired from the cooperative system 5000. The object information interpretation unit 2130 includes a heterogeneous system measurement data acquisition unit 2131, an environmental disturbance information acquisition unit 2132, an object detection determination unit 2133, and an object detection confirmation unit 2134.

[0084] The heterogeneous system measurement data acquisition unit 2131 is a functional unit that acquires measurement data and the like from various systems included in the cooperation system 5000. The heterogeneous system measurement data acquisition unit 2131 acquires measurement data and the like from, for example, the heterogeneous systems (high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100, low-orbit satellite monitoring system 5200, aircraft monitoring system 5300, ship operation monitoring system 5400, marine monitoring system 5500, underwater monitoring system 5600) shown in FIG. 12. That is, the heterogeneous system measurement data acquisition unit 2131 can acquire measurement data regarding an object 7000 existing in an area outside the search target area (first area) by the unmanned boat system 1000 for each cooperation system 5000.

[0085] Here, the information acquired by the heterogeneous system measurement data acquisition unit 2131 may be measurement data measured by each cooperation system, post-processed data obtained by processing the measurement data, or detection determination information obtained by performing a detection determination on the object 7000. Note that the detection determination information includes, for example, the type of the object, the detection position, the detection time, the moving direction, the moving speed, and the like.

[0086] The environmental disturbance information acquisition unit 2132 is a functional unit that acquires environmental disturbance information in the measurement target area (second area) by each cooperation system 5000 and the search target area (first area) by the unmanned boat system 1000 in advance or in real time. The environmental disturbance information includes, for example, disturbance information that may affect wireless communication and GNSS carrier wave transmission, such as clouds, fog, high waves, rainfall, snowfall, solar radiation, seawater temperature, and air temperature.

[0087] In addition, the environmental disturbance information may include environmental disturbances (wave height, wave speed, the speed and direction of ocean currents or tides, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure, humidity, seawater density, salinity concentration, magnesium concentration, Ph value, presence or absence of algae, concentration of plankton, etc.) that apply external forces affecting the power performance of the unmanned boat 1010.

[0088] In addition, the environmental disturbance information may include environmental disturbances (such as seawater temperature, solar radiation amount, weather, air temperature, humidity, wind speed, etc.) that affect the body temperature of the unmanned boat. Further, the environmental disturbance information may include environmental disturbances (such as solar altitude, azimuth, moon altitude, azimuth, moon age, backlight, front light, weather, solar radiation amount, etc.) that affect the optical sensors mounted on the unmanned boat 1010.

[0089] The environmental disturbance information acquisition unit 2132 can acquire the above-described environmental disturbance information from the external system 6000, but is not limited thereto, and may acquire the above-described environmental disturbance information by interpreting based on the information acquired from the unmanned boat system 1000. Also, the past history of each of the above-described environmental disturbances and its statistical information may be acquired.

[0090] The object detection determination unit 2133 is a functional unit that interprets object information regarding an object 7000 existing in the measurement target area (second area) by each cooperation system 5000 based on the measurement data acquired from each cooperation system 5000. Hereinafter, the object information determined by the object detection determination unit 2133 will be described with reference to FIG. 14.

[0091] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of object information determined by the object detection determination unit 2133. In the example shown in FIG. 14, the object detection determination unit 2133 determines object information including the presence or absence of detection of the object 7000, the type, size, detection position, detection time, attitude direction, moving speed, moving direction, moving trajectory, etc. of the object 7000. Note that the detection position includes, for example, information on two-dimensional or three-dimensional position coordinates on the sea or in the sea in the measurement area of the cooperation system 5000. Also, the detection time includes the date and time when the object 7000 is detected.

[0092] As the object detection method by the object detection determination unit 2133, various calculation methods can be applied. For example, the object detection determination unit 2133 can have a function of switching the cooperative system 5000, which is the acquisition source of the measurement data used for the object detection process, according to the external disturbance information obtained by the external disturbance information acquisition unit 2132. For example, when information about clouds floating at a high altitude above the target measurement area is obtained as external disturbance information, instead of the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100 and the low-orbit satellite monitoring system 5200 that perform measurements from a high altitude, the cooperative system 5000, which is the acquisition source of the measurement data, can be switched to obtain measurement data from the aircraft monitoring system 5300 that performs measurements from a low altitude or the maritime monitoring system 5500 that performs measurements by ships or marine floating buoys at sea. As another example, when it is obtained as external disturbance information that the waves in the target measurement area are high, the cooperative system 5000, which is the acquisition source of the measurement data, can be switched from the maritime monitoring system 5500 that is affected by the wave height to the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100, the low-orbit satellite monitoring system 5200, the aircraft monitoring system 5300, etc. that are less affected by the wave height.

[0093] As another example of the object detection method by the object detection determination unit 2133, when the object detection determination unit 2133 cannot interpret the object information due to insufficient measurement data obtained from any of the systems in the cooperative system 5000, it can have a function of requesting the cooperative system 5000 to re-acquire the measurement data. For example, among the determination items of the object shown in FIG. 14, although the determination of the detection of the object has been made, if it is impossible to make determinations about other determination items such as other types and sizes due to blurring of the measurement image of the measurement data, data shortage, insufficient resolution, etc., it is possible to request the cooperative system 5000 to additionally acquire the measurement data.

[0094] Next, the object detection determination unit 2134 is a functional unit that determines the object information interpreted by the object detection judgment unit 2133. The object detection determination unit 2134 can determine the determination items of the object information by using measurement data acquired from a heterogeneous system different from the cooperative system 5000 used for the object detection determination by the object detection judgment unit 2133. For example, an initial determination of the object information is made based on the measurement data acquired from the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100 in the object detection judgment unit 2133, and in the object detection determination unit 2134, based on the measurement data acquired from a heterogeneous system such as the maritime monitoring system 5500, a detailed determination is made on the determination items of the object information determined by the initial determination or the determination items of the object information that were indeterminate by the initial determination, and the object information can be determined based on the content of the detailed determination result. In this way, the initial determination by the object detection judgment unit 2133 and the detailed determination by the object detection determination unit 2134 can be respectively implemented based on the measurement data acquired from heterogeneous systems.

[0095] Also, as another example, the object detection determination unit 2134 can determine the object information shown in FIG. 14 based on measurement data respectively obtained from a plurality of different types of systems included in the cooperative system 5000 or from a plurality of different types of heterogeneous systems. In this way, when determining the object information based on the measurement data respectively obtained from a plurality of types of systems, for example, the object information is interpreted based on the measurement data respectively obtained from heterogeneous systems such as the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100 and the maritime monitoring system 5500, and the determination items whose interpretation results match can be determined by comparing the interpretation results.

[0096] Next, the object motion prediction unit 2140 is a functional unit that generates entry prediction information regarding the prediction content of the object 7000 entering the first area from the area outside the first area, which is the search area by the unmanned boat system 1000, based on the object information determined by the object information interpretation unit 2130. The object motion prediction unit 2140 includes an object motion prediction unit 2141, an unmanned boat system area entry prediction unit 2142, and an unmanned boat system area exit prediction unit 2143.

[0097] The object motion prediction unit 2141 is a functional unit that predicts the future motion of the object 7000 according to the moving object information determined by the object information interpretation unit 2130. For example, the object motion prediction unit 2141 can predict the motion such as the future movement trajectory of the object 7000 according to the static state, dynamic state, and history information of the moving object information shown in FIG. 14. Note that the prediction of the motion such as the future movement trajectory is not limited to the static state, dynamic state, and history information. Since it is assumed that the future movement trajectory and the like will change depending on the type and size of the object, it is possible to predict the future movement trajectory and the like in consideration of the type and size of the object 7000 included in the moving object information. The type of the object can include types such as ships and divers, and further can include type information indicating the ship type of the ship.

[0098] Next, the unmanned boat system area entry prediction unit 2142 is a functional unit that compares the predicted future motion of the object 7000 with the position and range of the search area of the unmanned boat system 1000, and predicts and calculates entry prediction information regarding area entry such as the entry position, entry direction, and entry speed into the search area. Also, the unmanned boat system area exit prediction unit 2143 is a functional unit that compares the predicted future motion of the object 7000 with the position and range of the search area of the unmanned boat system 1000, and predicts and calculates information at the time of and after exiting the search area. Hereinafter, the entry prediction information will be described with reference to FIG. 15. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the entry prediction information determined by the object motion prediction unit 2140.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 15, when it is predicted that the object 7000 will enter the first area, the object motion prediction unit 2140 predicts and calculates entry prediction information including the state at the time of entry into the first area, the state after entry, and the probability state regarding entry. The state at the time of entry includes, for example, the entry position of the object 7000 into the first area, the entry direction, and the entry speed. Further, the state after entry includes the predicted movement path of the object 7000 after entering the first area and the predicted target position after entry. Also, the probability state regarding entry includes the entry probability of the object 7000 into the first area, the encounter probability of the object 7000 and the unmanned boat 1010 encountering in the first area, or the discovery probability that the unmanned boat 1010 detects and discovers the object 7000 in the first area.

[0100] Note that FIG. 15 shows the predicted result of the future motion of the single object 7000 when detected, but there may be cases where the object information interpretation unit 2130 detects a plurality of objects 7000. In such cases, the object motion prediction unit 2140 can predict and calculate, as the entry prediction information, the entry area (an area that can be defined within a certain range rather than a specific point position) when it is predicted that a plurality of objects 7000 will enter the first area, or the confluence area when it is predicted that a plurality of objects 7000 will merge in the first area, or whether at least any one of the plurality of objects is in an active relationship.

[0101] Also, as shown in FIG. 15, the unmanned boat system area exit prediction unit 2143 predicts and calculates information including the state at the time of exit from the first area and the state after exit when it is predicted that the object 7000 will exit the first area. The state at the time of exit includes the exit position of the object 7000 from the first area, the exit direction, and the exit speed. Further, the state after exit includes the predicted movement path outside the first area after exiting the first area, the re-entry position into the first area, the re-entry direction, and the re-entry speed when re-entry into the first area is predicted.

[0102] (A-3-2-4. Overall Plan Update Unit 2150) Next, the overall plan update unit 2150 is a functional unit that updates the pre-exploration plan for the entire heterogeneous system including the unmanned boat system 1000 and the cooperation system 5000 determined by the overall pre-plan determination unit 2120. For example, the overall plan update unit 2150 updates the exploration plan for the entire heterogeneous system shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 according to the object information of the object 7000 predicted by the object motion prediction unit 2140, the future entry prediction information, and the like.

[0103] Note that the updated exploration plan is displayed and output on the display output unit 2310 of the user interface unit 2300, and is also transmitted to each cooperation system by the external information transmission unit 2420 of the data transmission / reception management unit 2400.

[0104] (A-3-3. Configuration of Unmanned Boat System Management Unit 2200) Next, the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the unmanned boat system management unit 2200. As shown in FIG. 10, the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 includes an information acquisition unit 2210, an environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220, an unmanned boat motion determination unit 2230, an object detection unit 2240, and an information output unit 2250.

[0105] (A-3-3-1. Information Acquisition Unit 2210) The information acquisition unit 2210 is a functional unit that acquires the exploration plan for the entire heterogeneous system including the unmanned boat system 1000 and the cooperation system 5000 determined or updated by the heterogeneous system integrated management unit 2100, and prediction information such as entry prediction information. The information acquisition unit 2210 includes an overall plan acquisition unit 2211, an entry prediction information acquisition unit 2212, and a performance information acquisition unit 2213.

[0106] The overall plan acquisition unit 2211 has a function of acquiring the information of the overall pre-plan determined by the overall pre-plan determination unit 2120 or the information of the overall pre-plan updated by the overall plan update unit 2150.

[0107] The approach prediction information acquisition unit 2212 is a functional unit that acquires approach prediction information as shown in FIG. 15 calculated by the object motion prediction unit 2140 and the like.

[0108] The performance information acquisition unit 2213 is a functional unit that acquires information regarding the performance specifications of the unmanned boat system 1000. The performance information acquisition unit 2213 acquires, for example, information regarding the power performance of the unmanned boat 1010 such as the movable distance, moving speed, turning speed, and moving acceleration, information regarding the communication performance regarding the communication available distance and communication performance (communication speed, communication strength, etc.) between the unmanned boats 1010, measurement performance regarding the measurable distance by the measurement sensor, exploration performance of the exploration rate (or it may be the coverage rate, surveillance density distribution, etc.), and other information regarding failures and abnormalities.

[0109] In addition, the performance information acquisition unit 2213 can acquire information regarding system resources such as the number of available unmanned boats 1010 and battery capacity, not limited to the various performances described above.

[0110] (A-3-3-2. Environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220) The environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220 is a functional unit that determines the influence on the performance of the unmanned boat system 1000 acquired by the performance information acquisition unit 2213 according to the environmental disturbance information acquired by the environmental disturbance information acquisition unit 2132. The environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220 can determine the presence or absence of the influence of environmental disturbances on the various performances of the unmanned boat system 1000 described above, the performance items affected by the environmental disturbances, the degree of influence on the performance items affected, and the achievable performance considering the degree of influence according to the latest environmental disturbance information.

[0111] For example, the environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220 can determine the currently achievable performance according to environmental disturbances that affect the available energy state of the battery or the body temperature of the unmanned boat regarding the movable distance, moving speed, turning speed, moving acceleration, communication available distance between unmanned boats, communication speed, and communication strength.

[0112] In addition, the environmental disturbance impact determination unit 2220 can determine the currently achievable performance regarding the communication range, communication speed, and communication strength between unmanned boats according to various disturbance information that may affect wireless communication and GNSS carrier wave transmission.

[0113] In addition, the environmental disturbance impact determination unit 2220 can determine the currently achievable performance regarding the travelable distance, travel speed, turning speed, and travel acceleration of the unmanned boat 1010 according to the environmental disturbances that exert external forces affecting the power performance of the unmanned boat.

[0114] In addition, the environmental disturbance impact determination unit 2220 can determine the currently achievable performance regarding the measurable distance by the measurement sensor according to the environmental disturbances that affect the measurement of the optical system measurement sensor.

[0115] (A-3-3-3. Unmanned Boat Operation Decision Unit 2230) The unmanned boat operation decision unit 2230 has a function of determining operation commands for some or all of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 included in the unmanned boat system 1000. Here, the unmanned boat operation decision unit 2230 is not limited to operation commands for a single group as shown in FIG. 6, and may generate operation commands for a squadron composed of a plurality of groups. The unmanned boat operation decision unit 2230 includes a search operation decision unit 2231, an entry response operation decision unit 2232, a post-entry operation decision unit 2233, and an unmanned boat operation confirmation unit 2234.

[0116] The search operation decision unit 2231 has a function of determining a search operation command in the first area by the unmanned boat system 1000. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the content of the search operation command determined by the search operation decision unit 2231.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 16, the operation command determined by the search operation determination unit 2231 includes information regarding the search target area, search time, number of unmanned boats 1010, arrangement of unmanned boats 1010 (including the formation of multiple unmanned boats 1010 and deployment area), movement target of unmanned boats 1010 (including target movement speed, target turning speed, target movement direction, target movement route, target straight - ahead time, mooring plan, etc.), mooring plan, search performance target, measurement sensors to be used, and the like. Note that the search performance target of the search operation command can be defined by a target value such as a search rate, for example.

[0118] Each item of the above - described search operation command can be generated or updated based on the information of the overall pre - plan (including the search plan of the unmanned boat system 1000 and the measurement plan of the cooperation system 5000) acquired by the overall plan acquisition unit 2211. Also, each item of the search operation command can be generated or updated based on a user - specified input regarding the content of the overall pre - plan (including the search plan of the unmanned boat system 1000 and the measurement plan of the cooperation system 5000) received via the user interface unit 2300 or the user terminal device 8000.

[0119] Furthermore, each item of the above - described search operation command can also receive a specified input from the user via the user interface unit 2300 or the user terminal device 8000.

[0120] Also, each item of the above - described search operation command can be calculated based on the object information of the object 7000 (for example, various information shown in FIG. 14) and entry prediction information (for example, various information shown in FIG. 15).

[0121] In addition, each item of the above-described search operation command can be calculated based on the achievable performance information considering the environmental disturbance determined by the environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220 and the performance specification information of the unmanned boat system 1000 acquired by the performance information acquisition unit 2213. In this case, the target movement route included in the movement target of the unmanned boat 1010 is set within the range of the achievable performance of the movable distance. As another example, the arrangement of the unmanned boats 1010 (including the formation of a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 and the deployment area) is set so that each unmanned boat 1010 is located within the range of the communicable distance of communication between the unmanned boats 1010. As another example, the target value of the search rate is calculated based on the measurable distance by the measurement sensor.

[0122] In addition, the search operation determination unit 2231 may be an operation command for recovering the performance degraded by the environmental disturbance based on the achievable performance information considering the environmental disturbance determined by the environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220. For example, the movement route, the measurement direction by the measurement sensor, the speed command, the turning speed command, and the acceleration command can be readjusted. In this case, for example, the movement route can be readjusted to be a route that utilizes the ocean current and the wind flow or a movement route that preferentially passes through an area with a low search rate.

[0123] In addition, the search operation determination unit 2231 readjusts, for example, the target movement route, the distance between the aircraft, and the command for increasing or decreasing the number of aircraft based on the achievable performance information of the movable distance. Also, based on the achievable performance information of the speed, the distance between the aircraft and the speed command value are readjusted. Also, based on the achievable performance information of the turning speed, the speed command value and the turning speed command are readjusted. Also, based on the achievable performance information of the acceleration, the distance between the aircraft, the acceleration command value, and the command for increasing or decreasing the number of aircraft are readjusted. Also, based on the achievable performance information of the communicable distance, the distance between the aircraft, the target movement route, the acceleration command, and the command for increasing or decreasing the number of aircraft are readjusted. Also, based on the achievable performance information of the communication speed and the communication intensity, the command for the distance between the aircraft can be readjusted. Also, based on the achievable performance information of the measurable distance by the measurement sensor, the target movement route, the measurement direction command, and the command for increasing or decreasing the number of aircraft can be readjusted.

[0124] In addition to the above, when a remote control command is sent to the unmanned boat 1010 and the operator remotely controls the unmanned boat 1010 from a control base provided on land or on the mother ship, and there are restrictions on the distance between the operator and the unmanned boat to be controlled due to laws and regulations, etc., the arrangement of the unmanned boat 1010 can be set so that the unmanned boat 1010 does not go outside the range of the distance restriction.

[0125] The entry response operation determination unit 2232 has a function of determining an entry response operation to be executed before the object 7000 enters the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000 based on the entry prediction information acquired by the entry prediction information acquisition unit 2212.

[0126] In this case, for example, when the unmanned boat system area entry prediction unit 2142 predicts the entry position or entry area where the single or multiple objects 7000 enter the first area, the entry response operation determined by the entry response operation determination unit 2232 includes operation command information for an entry standby deployment operation in which the unmanned boat 1010 waits at the entry position or entry area or the peripheral area of the entry position or entry area.

[0127] Next, the post-entry operation determination unit 2233 has a function of determining a post-entry operation to be executed after the object 7000 enters the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000 based on the entry prediction information acquired by the entry prediction information acquisition unit 2212.

[0128] In this case, for example, when the unmanned boat system area entry prediction unit 2142 predicts that the single or multiple objects 7000 enter the first area, the post-entry operation determined by the post-entry operation determination unit 2233 includes operation command information for a tracking operation of tracking the object 7000 within the first area.

[0129] Further, the post-entry operation determination unit 2233 may have a function of determining a post-exit operation to be executed after the object 7000 exits from the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000 based on the entry prediction information acquired by the entry prediction information acquisition unit 2212 and the like.

[0130] In this case, for example, when the unmanned boat system area exit prediction unit 2143 predicts that a single or a plurality of objects 7000 will exit from the first area, the post-exit operation determined by the post-entry operation determination unit 2233 includes operation command information for a tracking operation of tracking the object 7000 near the boundary within the first area following the position of the object 7000 moving outside the first area.

[0131] As another example in this case, when the unmanned boat system area exit prediction unit 2143 predicts that a single or a plurality of objects 7000 will re-enter the first area after exiting from the first area, the post-exit operation determined by the post-entry operation determination unit 2233 includes operation command information for a re-entry corresponding operation of making the unmanned boat 1010 wait at the re-entry position, or the re-entry area, or the peripheral area of the re-entry position or the re-entry area when re-entering the first area predicted by the unmanned boat system area exit prediction unit 2143.

[0132] Next, the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2234 is a functional unit that determines the operation commands determined by the above-described search operation determination unit 2231, entry corresponding operation determination unit 2232, and post-entry operation determination unit 2233. For example, user designation information regarding operation commands for some or all of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 can be received from the user interface unit 2300 or the user terminal device 8000, and the operation commands can be determined by the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2234 based on the received user designation information.

[0133] Note that the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2234 proposes and displays the operation commands determined by the exploration operation determination unit 2231, the entry response operation determination unit 2232, and the post-entry operation determination unit 2233 on the user interface unit 2300 and the user terminal device 8000, and accepts user-specified information such as approval or a request for correction regarding the content of the proposed display from the user, and can also determine the operation command by the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2234 based on the accepted user-specified information.

[0134] (A-3-3-4. Object Detection Unit 2240) Next, the object detection unit 2240 is a functional unit that detects the object 7000 based on the measurement information acquired from the unmanned boat system 1000 and performs operations such as predicting the movement of the detected object 7000. The object detection unit 2240 includes an unmanned boat measurement information acquisition unit 2241, an object detection determination unit 2242, and an object movement prediction unit 2243.

[0135] The unmanned boat measurement information acquisition unit 2241 is a functional unit that acquires in real time the measurement data measured by the measurement unit 1100 from the unmanned boat system 1000 or the information on the determination result by the determination unit 1500.

[0136] The object detection determination unit 2242 detects the object 7000 existing in the first area based on the measurement data newly acquired by the unmanned boat measurement information acquisition unit 2241 or the determination result information of the determination unit 1500, and updates and determines various determination items regarding the object 7000 as shown in FIG. 14 (presence or absence of detection of the object 7000, type of the object 7000, size, detection position, detection time, attitude direction, movement speed, movement direction, movement trajectory, etc.).

[0137] The object movement prediction unit 2243 is a functional unit that predicts the future movement of the object 7000 inside and outside the first area of the object 7000 based on the determination results of various determination items regarding the object 7000 updated and determined by the object detection determination unit 2242. As the future movement prediction of the object 7000, the object movement prediction unit 2243 can calculate prediction information such as the future predicted movement path, predicted passing position, and predicted target position of the object 7000, for example.

[0138] In addition, the object motion prediction unit 2243 compares the predicted future motion of the object 7000 with the position and range of the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000, and generates or updates exit prediction information including the exit position, exit time, or movement route after exiting from the first area.

[0139] When the object detection unit 2240 performs the above-described detection determination, motion prediction, exit prediction, etc. of the object 7000, the unmanned boat motion determination unit 2230 described above can generate or update motion commands for some or all of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 based on these determination results and prediction information.

[0140] (A-3-3-5. Information output unit 2250) Next, the information output unit 2250 is a functional unit that performs display output or external transmission of information regarding the entry prediction information generated by the object motion prediction unit 2140 or motion commands for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by the unmanned boat motion determination unit 2230 based on the entry prediction information or the like. The information output unit 2250 includes an information display output command unit 2251, a motion command output unit 2252, and an information transmission command unit 2253.

[0141] The information display output command unit 2251 has a function of issuing a display output command for causing the display output unit 2310 or the user terminal device 8000 to perform display output of each information acquired by the information acquisition unit 2210, the environmental disturbance information determined by the environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220, the information regarding the motion command determined by the unmanned boat motion determination unit 2230, and various information detected by the object detection unit 2240.

[0142] The motion command output unit 2252 is a functional unit that performs a motion command output for causing the unmanned boat motion command transmission unit 2410 of the data transmission / reception management unit 2400 to transmit the motion command determined by the unmanned boat motion determination unit 2230 to some or all of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 constituting the unmanned boat system 1000.

[0143] The information transmission instruction unit 2253 is a functional unit that issues an information transmission instruction to transmit, via the external information transmission unit 2420 of the data transmission / reception management unit 2400, the various information acquired by the information acquisition unit 2210, the environmental disturbance information determined by the environmental disturbance influence determination unit 2220, the information related to the operation instruction determined by the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2230, and the various information detected by the object detection unit 2240 to the cooperation system 5000. In particular, when the object operation prediction unit 2243 predicts at least any one of the exit position, exit time, and movement route after exit when the object is predicted to exit from the first area, the information transmission instruction unit 2253 can cause the external information transmission unit 2420 of the data transmission / reception management unit 2400 to transmit the exit prediction information to the cooperation system 5000.

[0144] (A-3-4. Processing Flow of the Overall Control System 2000) Next, the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 of the overall control system 2000 will be described with reference to FIG. 17. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the overall control system 2000. Among the plurality of processing steps shown in FIG. 17, steps 101 to 103 show the pre-preparation processing before executing the measurement operation of the object 7000 for the entire heterogeneous system, and steps 104 to 110 show the processing during the execution of the measurement operation of the object 7000 for the entire heterogeneous system.

[0145] First, the pre-information acquisition unit 2110 acquires pre-information (step 101). In this step, for example, various search conditions when searching for the object 7000 and information related to the heterogeneous systems used for the search are acquired in advance.

[0146] Next, the overall pre-operation plan determination unit 2120 determines the pre-operation plan for the entire heterogeneous system including the unmanned boat system 1000 and the cooperation system 5000 (step 102).

[0147] Next, the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2230 determines the operation instruction for the unmanned boat system (step 103).

[0148] Next, the target object information interpretation unit 2130 performs a detection determination of the target object based on the measurement data acquired from the cooperation system 5000 (step 104). Details of this step will be described later.

[0149] Next, the target object motion prediction unit 2140 performs motion prediction in the areas outside and inside the first area, which is the search area by the unmanned boat system 1000, based on the target object information determined by the target object information interpretation unit 2130 (step 105). Details of this step will be described later.

[0150] Next, the overall plan update unit 2150 updates the prior search plan for the entire heterogeneous system including the unmanned boat system 1000 and the cooperation system 5000 determined by the overall prior plan determination unit 2120 according to the target object information of the target object 7000 predicted by the target object motion prediction unit 2140 and future entry prediction information, etc. (step 106).

[0151] Next, the unmanned boat motion determination unit 2230 determines operation commands for some or all of the plurality of unmanned boats 1010 included in the unmanned boat system 1000 (step 107). Details of this step will be described later.

[0152] Next, the target object detection unit 2240 detects the target object 7000 based on the measurement information acquired from the unmanned boat system 1000, and performs motion prediction, etc. of the detected target object 7000 (step 108). Details of this step will be described later.

[0153] Next, the unmanned boat motion determination unit 2230 updates the operation commands for the unmanned boat system 1000 based on the determination results and prediction information in the target object detection unit 2240 (step 109).

[0154] (A-3-5. Processing Flow of Target Object Information Interpretation Unit 2130) Next, with reference to FIG. 18, the processing flow of the detection determination of the object 7000 by the object information interpretation unit 2130 of the heterogeneous system integrated management unit 2100 will be described. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the detection determination of the object 7000 by the object information interpretation unit 2130. In particular, FIG. 18 shows the detailed processing flow of step 104 in the flowchart of FIG. 17.

[0155] First, the heterogeneous system measurement data acquisition unit 2131 acquires measurement data from each of the plurality of heterogeneous systems included in the cooperative system 5000 (step 201).

[0156] Next, the environmental disturbance information acquisition unit 2132 acquires environmental disturbance information in the measurement target area (second area) by each cooperative system 5000 or the search target area (first area) by the unmanned boat system 1000 in advance or in real time (step 202).

[0157] Next, the object detection determination unit 2133 performs detection determination of the object 7000 based on the measurement data acquired from any one of the plurality of cooperative systems 5000 (for example, the high-orbit satellite monitoring system 5100) (step 203).

[0158] Next, according to whether the object 7000 is detected in step 203, the next transition processing step is determined (step 204). In this step, if it is determined that the object 7000 is not detected, the process is transitioned to step 201, and on the other hand, if it is determined that the object 7000 is detected, the process is transitioned to step 205.

[0159] Next, if it is determined in step 204 that the object 7000 is detected, the object detection determination unit 2133 determines the object information (step 205). The object information determined in this step is, for example, various information shown in FIG. 14.

[0160] Next, the object detection determination unit 2133 performs detection determination of the object 7000 based on measurement data acquired from another cooperation system 5000 different from the cooperation system 5000 that is the acquisition source of the measurement data used in step 203 (for example, the aircraft monitoring system 5300) (step 206).

[0161] Next, in steps 205 and 206, object information is determined based on the object information determined based on the measurement data of different heterogeneous systems respectively (step 207).

[0162] (A-3-6. Operation prediction determination result of object 7000) Next, with reference to FIG. 19, the future operation prediction determination result of the object 7000 by the object operation prediction unit 2140 will be described. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the future operation prediction result of the object 7000 by the object operation prediction unit 2140.

[0163] In the example shown in FIG. 19, the object 7000 is discovered within the measurement area of the aircraft monitoring system 5300, and the result of predicting the future operation of the object 7000 by the object operation prediction unit 2140 is shown in the situation where the object 7000 has moved to the current position shown within the measurement area of the aircraft monitoring system 5300.

[0164] In the operation prediction result shown in FIG. 19, on a map showing the positions and ranges of the search areas of the aircraft monitoring system 5300, the maritime monitoring system 5500, the underwater monitoring system 5600, which are multiple cooperation systems, and the unmanned boat system 1000, the initial discovery position of the object 7000 shown within the measurement area of the aircraft monitoring system 5300, the current position of the object 7000, the movement route from the initial discovery position to the current position (actual combat arrow), and the predicted movement route of the future object 7000 (dotted arrow) are respectively shown.

[0165] In the operation prediction result shown in FIG. 19, furthermore, on the path of the predicted movement route (dotted arrow) of the object 7000, an entry prediction position for entering the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000 and an exit prediction position for exiting from the search target area (first area) are shown.

[0166] (A-3-7. Operation Command for Unmanned Boat 1010) Next, with reference to FIG. 20, the operation command for the unmanned boat 1010 by the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2230 will be described. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of display information indicating the operation command for the unmanned boat 1010 determined by the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2230.

[0167] In FIG. 20, in particular, based on the operation prediction result shown in FIG. 19, the operation command for the unmanned boat 1010 determined by the unmanned boat operation determination unit 2230 is shown. Also, in the operation command shown in FIG. 20, an entry corresponding operation to be executed before the object 7000 enters the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000, an operation after entry to be executed after the object 7000 enters the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000, and an operation after exit to be executed after the object 7000 exits from the search target area (first area) of the unmanned boat system 1000 are respectively shown.

[0168] As the entry corresponding operation, the operation type, deployment position, deployment deadline time, etc. are set. In the example shown in the map format on the upper side of FIG. 20, an entry standby deployment operation of deploying a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 in the peripheral area of the predicted entry position of the object 7000 and waiting until the predicted entry time is set as the entry corresponding operation.

[0169] Also, as the operation after entry, the operation type, deployment position, etc. are set. In the example shown in FIG. 20, a tracking operation of tracking by the unmanned boat 1010 along the vicinity of the predicted movement route of the object 7000 is set as the operation after entry.

[0170] In addition, as post-exit operations, operation types, deployment positions, etc. are set. In the example shown in FIG. 20, a re-entry standby deployment operation in which a plurality of unmanned boats 1010 are deployed and made to wait near the predicted exit position of the object 7000 is set as a post-exit operation.

[0171] Note that the display information shown in FIG. 20 can include button displays for "operation approval" to approve the displayed operation command and "correction input" to correct the content of the operation command. The display information can be displayed on the display output unit 2310 of the user interface unit 2300 or on the user terminal device 8000, and the user can be made to receive the operation of the above-described buttons.

[0172] (A-3-8. Processing Flow of Object Detection Unit 2240) Next, with reference to FIG. 21, the processing flow of the detection determination of the object 7000 by the object detection unit 2240 of the unmanned boat system management unit 2200 will be described. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow of the detection determination and operation prediction of the object 7000 by the object detection unit 2240. In particular, FIG. 21 shows the detailed processing flow of step 108 in the flowchart of FIG. 17.

[0173] First, the unmanned boat measurement information acquisition unit 2241 acquires the measurement data measured by the measurement unit 1100 from the unmanned boat system 1000 (step 301).

[0174] Next, the object detection determination unit 2242 performs a detection determination of the object 7000 existing within the first area (step 302).

[0175] Next, depending on whether or not the object 7000 is detected in step 302, the next transition processing step is determined (step 303). In this step, if it is determined that the object 7000 is not detected, the process is transitioned to step 301, and on the other hand, if it is determined that the object 7000 is detected, the process is transitioned to step 304.

[0176] Next, when it is determined in step 303 that the object 7000 has been detected, the object detection determination unit 2242 determines the current state of the object and generates object information (step 304). The object information determined in this step is, for example, various information shown in FIG. 14.

[0177] Next, the object motion prediction unit 2243 predicts the future motion of the object 7000 (step 305).

[0178] (A-4. Hardware Configuration) FIG. 22 is a hardware configuration diagram of the overall control system 2000. Here, the overall control system 2000 in the present invention is an information processing device such as a server device or a PC. As shown in the figure, the overall control system 2000 includes an input device 100, an output device 200, a processing device 300, a main memory device 400, an auxiliary storage device 500, a communication device 600, and a bus 700 that electrically connects these devices.

[0179] The input device 100 can constitute the user input reception unit 2320 of the user interface unit 2300 and is a device for the user to input information and instructions to the overall control system 2000. Specifically, the input device 100 is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, or a voice input device such as a microphone.

[0180] The output device 200 is a device that outputs various information generated by the overall control system 2000 and can constitute the display output unit 2310 of the user interface unit 2300. Specifically, the output device 200 can constitute the display output unit 2310 with a display device for eye wear, AR, VR, etc., and can also be a printer or a speaker.

[0181] The processing device 300 is, for example, a device that performs arithmetic processing. Specifically, the processing device 300 is, for example, a CPU, a microprocessor, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or other semiconductor devices capable of performing arithmetic operations, etc.

[0182] The main memory device 400 is a memory device including a RAM and a ROM that perform reading and temporary writing without requiring a waiting time depending on an access pattern, etc. for storage elements at arbitrary addresses during processing. For example, the RAM is temporarily written and read during programs and application programs executed by the processing device 300 and other various processes. Also, the ROM is a non-volatile memory in which recorded information is not lost even when the power of the device is lost. The auxiliary storage device 500 is a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory capable of storing digital information.

[0183] The communication device 600 is a device that performs information communication wirelessly or by wire between the overall control system 2000 and the outside.

[0184] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the unmanned boat 1010 is applied as an example of a moving body that performs search has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any moving body such as a submarine that navigates in the sea, an aircraft that flies in the air, or a vehicle that travels on land can be applied.

[0185] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not for limiting the interpretation of the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be changed and improved without departing from its gist, and equivalents of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0186] [A-2. Effects of this Embodiment] According to the above-described embodiments, it is possible to improve the effects of search tasks and the like when searching for an object by a plurality of systems. As an example, by generating entry prediction information for the search area of a moving object such as an unmanned boat and using it for display output to the user or for generating operation commands for the moving object, the search for an object by a plurality of systems can be performed more effectively.

Explanation of Signs

[0187] 1…Control system (system) 100…Input device 200…Output device 300…Processing device 400…Main storage device 500…Auxiliary storage device 600…Communication device 700…Bus 1000…Unmanned boat system 1001…Master unit 1002…Slave unit 10021…Primary connected slave unit 10022…Secondary connected slave unit 10023…Tertiary connected slave unit 1010…Unmanned boat 1100…Measurement unit 1110…Measurement sensor 1120…Measurement control unit 1200…Self-state determination unit 1210…Navigation state determination unit 1220…Internal state determination unit 1230…External state determination unit 1300…Navigation unit 1310…Thrust generation unit 1320…Attitude control mechanism 1330…Navigation control unit 1400…Communication unit 1410…Inter-unmanned boat communication unit 1420…Overall control communication unit 1500…Determination unit 1600…Recording unit 1610…Measurement data recording unit 1620…Self-state recording unit 1630…Determination information recording unit 2000…Overall control system 2100…Heterogeneous system overall management unit 2110…Prior information acquisition unit 2120…Overall prior plan determination unit 2130…Object information interpretation unit 2131…Heterogeneous system measurement data acquisition unit 2132…External disturbance information acquisition unit 2133…Object detection and determination unit 2134…Object detection confirmation unit 2140…Object movement prediction unit 2141…Object movement prediction unit 2142…Unmanned boat system area entry prediction unit 2143…Unmanned boat system area exit prediction unit 2150…Overall plan update unit 2200…Unmanned boat system management unit 2210…Information acquisition unit 2211…Overall plan acquisition unit 2212…Entry prediction information acquisition unit 2213…Performance information acquisition unit 2220…External disturbance impact determination unit 2230…Unmanned boat movement decision unit 2231…Search movement decision unit 2232…Entry response movement decision unit 2233…Post-entry movement decision unit 2234…Unmanned boat movement confirmation unit 2240…Object detection unit 2241…Unmanned boat measurement information acquisition unit 2242…Object detection and determination unit 2243…Object movement prediction unit 2250…Information output unit 2251…Information display output command unit 2252…Movement command output unit 2253…Information transmission command unit 2300…User interface unit 2310…Display output unit 2320…User input reception unit 2400…Data transmission and reception management unit 2410…Unmanned boat movement command transmission unit 2420…External information transmission unit 2430…Unmanned boat information reception unit 2440…External information reception unit 2500…Data recording management unit 2600…Maintenance and operation management unit 3000…Communication satellite 4000…Ground base station 5000…Cooperative system 5100…High-orbit satellite monitoring system 5200…Low-orbit satellite monitoring system 5300…Aircraft monitoring system 5400…Ship navigation monitoring system 5500…Maritime monitoring system 5600…Underwater monitoring system 6000…External system 7000…Object 8000…User terminal device

Claims

1. A control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, an object information interpretation unit that interprets object information regarding the object present in the second area based on measurement data of the second area, including at least one of an optical image, an SAR image, laser measurement data, radar measurement data, and acoustic measurement information, obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a part of an area outside the first area, or acquired information including processed data obtained by processing the measurement data; an object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; A control system comprising an information output unit that displays or transmits to the outside the intrusion prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit, or information regarding mobile body movement commands for some or all of the multiple moving bodies generated by a mobile body movement determination unit based on the intrusion prediction information.

2. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system in which the object information read by the object information reading unit includes at least one of the presence or absence of detection of the object, the type, size, detection position, detection time, posture direction, movement direction, movement speed, and movement trajectory of the object.

3. A control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, an object information reading unit that reads object information about the object present in the second area based on acquired information obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a portion of an area outside the first area; an object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; an information output unit that displays or transmits to an outside the approach prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit, or information related to a moving body movement command for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by the moving body movement determination unit based on the approach prediction information; A control system, wherein the mobile body is an unmanned vessel capable of moving on the sea and searching for the target object using a measurement sensor in the first area on or underwater.

4. 4. The control system of claim 3, The cooperative system includes: a high-orbit geostationary satellite system capable of acquiring information about the object using a high-orbit geostationary satellite; a low-earth orbit satellite system capable of acquiring information about the object using a low-earth orbit satellite; an aircraft surveillance system capable of acquiring information about the target object using an aircraft; A maritime monitoring system capable of acquiring information on the object present on the sea using a measuring device installed on or under the sea, or a movable ship deployed on the sea; an underwater monitoring system capable of acquiring information about the object existing in the sea by using a measuring device installed on the sea, underwater or on the seabed, or a mobile submarine deployed on the sea, underwater or on the seabed; A ship operation monitoring system that acquires ship operation information; A control system including at least one of the above systems.

5. 5. The control system of claim 4, the cooperative system includes at least two or more of the high-orbit geostationary satellite system, the low-orbit satellite system, the aircraft monitoring system, the maritime monitoring system, the undersea monitoring system, and the ship traffic monitoring system; A control system in which the object information interpretation unit interprets the object information including at least one of whether the object was detected, the type, size, position, movement direction, movement speed, and movement trajectory of the object, based on the acquired information obtained from two or more types of the systems.

6. 5. The control system of claim 4, A control system in which the object information interpretation unit changes the system from which the acquired information used to interpret the object information is obtained to another system depending on a state in which the acquired information is insufficient or environmental disturbance information in the second area.

7. 3. The control system of claim 2, A control system, wherein the object information interpretation unit requests the cooperative system to acquire additional acquired information when the object information cannot be interpreted due to a lack of acquired information.

8. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system in which the entry prediction information generated by the object operation prediction unit includes at least any one of prediction information regarding the entry position, entry direction, and entry speed into the first area when the object is predicted to enter the first area, the predicted path of movement after entry into the first area, the predicted destination position after entry, the probability of entry into the first area, the probability of encounter between the object and the moving body in the first area, and the probability of the moving body discovering the object in the first area.

9. 2. The control system of claim 1, When the object information reading unit detects a plurality of objects, A control system in which the entry prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit includes an entry area when multiple objects are predicted to enter the first area, or a meeting area when multiple objects are predicted to meet in the first area, or prediction information as to whether at least one of the multiple objects is a diversionary force.

10. 2. The control system of claim 1, When the object movement prediction unit predicts an entry position or an entry area where a single or multiple objects enter the first area, A control system, wherein the information regarding the mobile body operation command generated by the mobile body operation determination unit includes operation command information to cause the mobile body to wait at the entry position, or the entry area, or an area surrounding the entry position or the entry area.

11. 2. The control system of claim 1, When the object movement prediction unit predicts that one or more of the objects will enter the first area, A control system, wherein the information regarding the moving object operation command generated by the moving object operation determination unit includes operation command information for a tracking operation to track the target object within the first area.

12. A control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, comprising: an object information reading unit that reads object information about the object present in the second area based on acquired information obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a portion of an area outside the first area; an object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; an information output unit that displays or transmits to an outside the approach prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit, or information related to a moving body movement command for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by the moving body movement determination unit based on the approach prediction information; When the object movement prediction unit predicts that one or more of the objects will exit the first area, A control system, wherein the information regarding the mobile object operation command generated by the mobile object operation determination unit includes operation command information regarding a tracking operation that tracks the position of the object moving outside the first area and tracks the object near the boundary of the first area.

13. 2. The control system of claim 1, When the object movement prediction unit predicts that one or more of the objects will re-enter the first area after exiting the first area, A control system, wherein the information regarding the mobile body operation command generated by the mobile body operation determination unit includes operation command information to cause the mobile body to wait at a re-entry position or re-entry area at the time of re-entry predicted by the object operation prediction unit, or in a surrounding area of ​​the re-entry position or the re-entry area.

14. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system in which the moving body operation determination unit generates or updates a search plan based on the approach prediction information, the search plan including at least one of the target area to be searched by multiple moving bodies, search time, number of moving bodies, placement, moving target, target search performance, and measurement sensor.

15. 2. The control system of claim 1, a user input receiving unit that receives user-specified information regarding a moving object operation command for a part or all of the plurality of moving objects; The moving object operation determination unit determines the moving object operation command based on the received user-specified information.

16. 2. The control system of claim 1, The object information interpretation unit interprets object information related to the object present in the first area based on information measured by a measurement sensor mounted on the moving body, The object movement prediction unit generates movement prediction information predicting a future movement path of the object inside or outside the first area based on the object information in the first area that has been interpreted, The moving object movement determination unit generates or updates moving object movement commands for some or all of the multiple moving objects based on movement prediction information of the target object.

17. A control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, comprising: an object information reading unit that reads object information about the object present in the second area based on acquired information obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a portion of an area outside the first area; an object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; an information output unit that displays or transmits to an outside the approach prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit, or information related to a moving body movement command for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by the moving body movement determination unit based on the approach prediction information; The object information interpretation unit interprets object information related to the object present in the first area based on information measured by a measurement sensor mounted on the moving body, the object movement prediction unit generates exit prediction information that predicts at least one of an exit position, an exit time, and a movement path after the exit of the object when the object is predicted to exit the first area, based on the object information in the first area that has been deciphered; The information output unit transmits the exit prediction information to the cooperative system.

18. A control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, comprising: an object information reading unit that reads object information about the object present in the second area based on acquired information obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a portion of an area outside the first area; an object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; an information output unit that displays or transmits to an outside the approach prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit, or information related to a moving body movement command for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by the moving body movement determination unit based on the approach prediction information; A control system in which the mobile body operation determination unit generates or updates a search operation command including at least one of the target area to be searched by the multiple mobile bodies, search time, number of the mobile bodies, placement, moving target, target search performance, and measurement sensor based on a measurement plan for the second area of ​​the cooperative system.

19. A control system for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, comprising: an object information reading unit that reads object information about the object present in the second area based on acquired information obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a portion of an area outside the first area; an object movement prediction unit that generates entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; an information output unit that displays or transmits to an outside the approach prediction information generated by the object movement prediction unit, or information related to a moving body movement command for some or all of the plurality of moving bodies generated by the moving body movement determination unit based on the approach prediction information; a user input receiving unit that receives user input related to at least one of a measurement plan for the second area by the cooperative system and a search plan for the first area by the plurality of moving objects; A control system in which the mobile body operation determination unit generates or updates a search operation command including at least one of the target area to be searched by multiple mobile bodies, search time, number of mobile bodies, arrangement, number of formations, moving target, target search performance, and measurement sensor based on the received measurement plan for the second area or the user input regarding the search plan for the first area.

20. A control method for searching for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, comprising: The computer an object information interpretation step of interpreting object information regarding the object present in the second area based on measurement data of the second area, including at least one of an optical image, an SAR image, laser measurement data, radar measurement data, and acoustic measurement information, obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a part of an area outside the first area, or acquired information including processed data obtained by processing the measurement data; an object movement prediction step of generating entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; A control method that executes an information output step of displaying or transmitting to the outside the intrusion prediction information generated based on the object information, or information regarding mobile body operation commands for some or all of the multiple mobile bodies generated based on the intrusion prediction information.

21. A program usable for a control system that searches for an object in a predetermined first area using a plurality of moving objects, On the computer, an object information interpretation command for interpreting object information regarding the object present in the second area based on measurement data of the second area, including at least one of an optical image, an SAR image, laser measurement data, radar measurement data, and acoustic measurement information, obtained from a cooperative system capable of measuring a second area including at least a portion of an area outside the first area, or acquired information including processed data obtained by processing the measurement data; an object movement prediction command for generating entry prediction information regarding a predicted entry of the object from an area outside the first area into the first area based on the object information; A program that executes an information output command to display or transmit to the outside the approach prediction information generated based on the object information, or information regarding mobile body operation commands for some or all of the multiple moving bodies generated based on the approach prediction information.

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