Flight control platform of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle swarm system

Abstract

The invention discloses a flight control platform for an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle swarm system, belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and aims at solving the problem that the cooperative operation and flight safety of an unmanned aerial vehicle swarm are influenced by inaccurate positioning caused by the fact that a GPS signal is easily interfered or shielded, and the flight control platform comprises a control center used for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle swarm to fly to a predetermined airspace and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle swarm to fly to the predetermined airspace. The control center is used for receiving the state information of the unmanned aerial vehicle nodes sent by the aerial base station and determining the control information of the position, the posture and the mode of the unmanned aerial vehicle swarm in real time, the control center comprises a formation module, a track module, a parameter control module, a wireless connection unit and a data processing unit, and the aerial base station is used for receiving the control information sent by the control center; according to the invention, through a wireless communication networking positioning method, accurate position positioning of each unmanned aerial vehicle node in an unmanned aerial vehicle swarm is realized, a complex flight task can be efficiently and accurately completed, and the safety and reliability of the task are ensured under the support of real-time state monitoring and dynamic adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular relates to a flight control platform for an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle swarm system. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of drone technology, the research on drone swarm technology has gradually attracted widespread attention. At present, manufacturers and researchers are exploring various forms and application scenarios of drone swarms, covering various fields such as military, civilian, and commercial. In the military field, drone swarms can realize joint operations, reconnaissance and surveillance, strike attacks and other tasks, and improve combat efficiency and battlefield survivability. For example, drone swarms can be used for target search, identification and tracking, and collaboratively complete complex combat tasks to reduce the risk of casualties. In the civilian field, drone swarms can be applied to disaster monitoring, environmental protection, resource surveying and other aspects. For example, after a natural disaster occurs, drone swarms can quickly obtain information about the disaster area and provide data support for rescue operations; in environmental monitoring, drone swarms can collaboratively complete large-scale monitoring tasks and achieve comprehensive monitoring of the environment. In the commercial field, drone swarms also have broad application prospects. For example, in logistics distribution, drone swarms can achieve efficient cargo transportation and improve distribution speed and efficiency; in the agricultural field, drone formations can be used for monitoring and spraying of farmland crops to improve the level of intelligence in agricultural production.

[0003] With the rapid development of drone technology, drone swarm systems have shown great application potential in many fields. However, the positioning of drones in existing technologies mainly relies on satellite navigation systems such as GPS, but in complex environments such as urban canyons and forested areas, GPS signals are easily interfered or blocked, resulting in inaccurate positioning, which in turn affects the collaborative operation and flight safety of drone swarms.

[0004] Therefore, an autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform is needed to solve the problem in the existing technology that GPS signals are easily interfered or blocked, resulting in inaccurate positioning, which in turn affects the collaborative operation and flight safety of the UAV swarm. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform, comprising:

[0007] The control center is used to control the drone swarm to fly to the predetermined airspace, receive the status information of the drone nodes sent by the aerial base station, and determine the control information of the position, posture, and mode of the drone swarm in real time, including the formation module, trajectory module, parameter control module, wireless connection unit, and data processing unit;

[0008] The drone swarm includes multiple drone nodes. The drone nodes form a network through wireless communication modules to achieve data interaction and location information sharing, and feedback the location and status information of the drone nodes to the air base station in real time. The drone nodes include wireless communication modules, signal processing modules, flight control modules and positioning sensors.

[0009] The aerial base station is used to receive the control information sent by the control center, and send control instructions to the drone swarm through the base station communication module, receive the status information of each drone node in the drone swarm, and forward it to the control center, which includes a base station communication module and a data processing module.

[0010] It should be noted in the scheme that the formation module in the control center is used to design the formation form of the drone cluster system, the trajectory module is used to design the motion trajectory of the drone cluster system, the parameter control module is used to set the parameters for controlling the flight of the drone, the wireless connection unit is used to wirelessly connect the drone swarm and the aerial base station, and the data processing unit is used to receive and analyze data information from the aerial base station.

[0011] It is further worth noting that the wireless communication module in the drone node is used for wireless connection between the drone node and the control center and the aerial base station, and is responsible for transmitting key information such as control instructions, location information, and status data. The signal processing module is responsible for receiving data information from the wireless communication module, positioning sensor, etc., and performing pre-processing and analysis. The flight control module is used to calculate the flight trajectory and attitude control parameters of the drone based on the instructions of the control center and the data provided by the signal processing module. The positioning sensor is a key device for the drone node to obtain its own position information, and it can measure the position between drones by utilizing internal sensors.

[0012] It should be further explained that the base station communication module is used to send positioning signals to the drone node and receive returned location information data, and the data processing module is used to process the received data information, calculate the distance between the aerial base station and the drone node, and at the same time feedback the strength of the received signal to the control center.

[0013] As a preferred implementation, the positioning sensor is a key device for the drone node to obtain its own position information. It can measure the relative position between drones by using internal sensors, wherein the method of measuring the relative position includes:

[0014] Assume that the positioning sensor in drone node A sends a signal of its own position to drone node B through the wireless communication module. The signal processing module of drone node B receives the signal and calculates the relative distance between the drone nodes based on the time difference between the transmission and reception of both parties:

[0015] d=c×(T 2 -T 1 )

[0016] Where d is the distance between drone A and drone B, c is the speed of signal propagation in the air (approximately the speed of light), T2 is the timestamp when drone B sends the signal, and T1 is the timestamp when drone A receives the signal.

[0017] The relative distance is sent to the control center, which compares the formation and movement trajectory of the drones. The control center can monitor the movement trajectory of the drone swarm in real time to ensure the accurate arrangement and positioning of the drone swarm.

[0018] As a preferred implementation, the wireless communication module utilizes the propagation characteristics of wireless signals, and the drone node can communicate with the air base station, receive and apply absolute position calibration information, and realize accurate calibration of its own position, including:

[0019] Construct a three-dimensional spatial map of the site and determine the locations of known aerial base stations. The number of aerial base stations is no less than three. Assume that the locations of the three aerial base stations A, B, and C are A(x A ,y A ,z A ), B(x B ,y B ,z B ),C(x C ,y C ,z C ), the position of drone P is P(x P ,y P ,z P );

[0020] The drone node P sends signals to three aerial base stations A, B, and C simultaneously through the wireless communication module. The time when the signals arrive is t A , t B , t C ;

[0021] The time difference, Δt, is calculated by the data processing moduleAB =t B -t A ,Δt AC =t C -t A ,Δt BC =t C -t B ,

[0022] Construct the hyperbolic equation,

[0023]

[0024] By reasoning from this, two other hyperbolic equations can be constructed for the time difference between aerial base stations A and C, and aerial base stations B and C,

[0025] According to the three hyperbolic equations constructed, they intersect at one point in three-dimensional space, which is the position P(x P ,y P ,z P ).

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform provided by the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0027] Through the positioning method of wireless communication networking, the precise position of each member in the UAV swarm is achieved, which can efficiently and accurately complete complex flight missions, and with the support of real-time status monitoring and dynamic adjustment, the safety and reliability of the mission are ensured. At the same time, the aerial base station serves as a communication relay and positioning reference point, which effectively solves the limitations of ground base stations or satellite positioning in complex environments, realizes accurate calibration of its own position, improves the robustness of the system, ensures low latency and high reliability of data transmission, and meets the high real-time requirements of the UAV swarm system; the system architecture is flexible, and it is easy to adjust the scale and configuration of the UAV swarm according to mission requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a structural block diagram of the flight control platform of the autonomous UAV swarm system of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides an autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform, comprising:

[0032] The control center is used to control the drone swarm to fly to the predetermined airspace, receive the status information of the drone nodes sent by the aerial base station, and determine the control information of the position, posture, and mode of the drone swarm in real time, including the formation module, trajectory module, parameter control module, wireless connection unit, and data processing unit;

[0033] The drone swarm includes multiple drone nodes. The drone nodes form a network through wireless communication modules to achieve data interaction and location information sharing, and feedback the location and status information of the drone nodes to the air base station in real time. The drone nodes include wireless communication modules, signal processing modules, flight control modules and positioning sensors.

[0034] The aerial base station is used to receive the control information sent by the control center, and send control instructions to the drone swarm through the base station communication module, receive the status information of each drone node in the drone swarm, and forward it to the control center, which includes a base station communication module and a data processing module.

[0035] It can be understood that the formation module in the control center is used to design the formation form of the drone cluster system, the trajectory module is used to design the motion trajectory of the drone cluster system, the parameter control module is used to set the parameters for controlling the flight of the drone, the wireless connection unit is used to wirelessly connect the drone swarm and the aerial base station, and the data processing unit is used to receive and analyze data information from the aerial base station.

[0036] It can be understood that the wireless communication module in the drone node is used for wireless connection between the drone node and the control center and the aerial base station, and is responsible for transmitting key information such as control instructions, location information, and status data. The signal processing module is responsible for receiving data information from the wireless communication module, positioning sensor, etc., and performing pre-processing and analysis. The flight control module is used to calculate the flight trajectory and attitude control parameters of the drone based on the instructions of the control center and the data provided by the signal processing module. The positioning sensor is a key device for the drone node to obtain its own position information, and it can measure the position between drones by utilizing internal sensors.

[0037] It can be understood that the base station communication module is used to send positioning signals to the drone node and receive returned location information data, and the data processing module is used to process the received data information, calculate the distance between the aerial base station and the drone node, and at the same time feedback the strength of the received signal to the control center.

[0038] It can be understood that the positioning sensor is a key device for the drone node to obtain its own position information. It can measure the relative position between drones by using internal sensors, wherein the method of measuring the relative position includes:

[0039] Assume that the positioning sensor in drone node A sends a signal of its own position to drone node B through the wireless communication module. The signal processing module of drone node B receives the signal and calculates the relative distance between the drone nodes based on the time difference between the transmission and reception of both parties:

[0040] d=c×(T 2 -T 1 )

[0041] Where d is the distance between drone A and drone B, c is the speed of signal propagation in the air (approximately the speed of light), T2 is the timestamp when drone B sends the signal, and T1 is the timestamp when drone A receives the signal.

[0042] The relative distance is sent to the control center, which compares the formation and movement trajectory of the drones. The control center can monitor the movement trajectory of the drone swarm in real time to ensure the accurate arrangement and positioning of the drone swarm.

[0043] TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival) is a technology commonly used in wireless positioning systems to determine the location of signal sources, such as radio transmitters, mobile phones, drones, etc. This technology is based on the difference in the time required for a signal to propagate from the source to multiple receivers.

[0044] In a TDOA system, multiple receivers (at least three) are distributed at different locations and synchronously record the arrival time of the signal from the signal source. Due to the different distances between the receivers and the signal source, the time it takes for the signal to arrive at each receiver will also be different. By measuring these time differences and combining the fact that the signal propagates in the medium at a speed close to the speed of light, the distance difference between the signal source and each receiver can be calculated.

[0045] These distance differences can be used to construct a series of hyperbolas with the receivers as foci. Each hyperbola represents a possible location of the signal source, because they represent all points where the distance from the source to the two receivers is equal. The intersection of multiple hyperbolas is the actual location of the signal source.

[0046] The wireless communication module utilizes the propagation characteristics of wireless signals, and the drone node can communicate with the air base station, receive and apply absolute position calibration information, and realize accurate calibration of its own position, including:

[0047] Construct a three-dimensional spatial map of the site and determine the locations of known aerial base stations. The number of aerial base stations is no less than three. Assume that the locations of the three aerial base stations A, B, and C are A(x A ,y A ,z A ), B(x B ,y B ,z B ),C(x C ,y C ,z C ), the position of drone P is P(x P ,y P ,z P );

[0048] The drone node P sends signals to three aerial base stations A, B, and C simultaneously through the wireless communication module. The time when the signals arrive is t A , t B , t C ;

[0049] The time difference, Δt, is calculated by the data processing module AB =t B -t A ,Δt AC =t C -t A ,Δt BC =t C -t B ,

[0050] Construct the hyperbolic equation,

[0051]

[0052] By reasoning from this, two other hyperbolic equations can be constructed for the time difference between aerial base stations A and C, and aerial base stations B and C,

[0053] According to the three hyperbolic equations constructed, they intersect at one point in three-dimensional space, which is the position P(x P ,y P ,z P ).

[0054] Reference Figure 2 As shown, the use process of the above autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform is as follows:

[0055] Step 1: The control center performs initial configuration of the drone swarm, including designing the formation of the drone swarm through the formation module, planning the movement trajectory of the drone swarm through the trajectory module, and controlling the setting of flight parameters of the drone swarm through the parameter control module;

[0056] Step 2: Deploy the aerial base station to the predetermined location and ensure smooth communication between the aerial base station and the control center;

[0057] Step 3: The drone nodes are started through their respective wireless communication modules and form a network with each other to achieve data interaction and location information sharing;

[0058] Step 4: The drone node establishes a connection with the aerial base station through the wireless communication module and sends location and status information to the aerial base station in real time;

[0059] Step 5: The control center sends control information to the air base station through the wireless connection unit according to the mission requirements, including the flight instructions, formation mode, trajectory adjustment, etc. of the drone swarm;

[0060] Step 6: After receiving the command from the control center, the aerial base station sends specific control commands to each drone node in the drone swarm through the base station communication module;

[0061] Step 7: The drone node obtains its own location information in real time through the positioning sensor, and sends the location and status information to the air base station through the wireless communication module;

[0062] Step 8: The data processing module of the aerial base station receives and processes the data from the drone node, calculates the distance between the drone and the base station, and forwards it to the control center;

[0063] Step 9: The control center analyzes the data received in real time through the data processing unit and adjusts the formation, trajectory or flight parameters of the drone swarm when necessary to ensure the smooth progress of the mission;

[0064] Step 10: The relative positions between drone nodes are measured through positioning sensors and wireless communication modules, and sent to the control center for comparison and real-time monitoring;

[0065] Step 11: The drone node uses communication with the aerial base station to receive absolute position calibration information, and determines its own precise position by building a three-dimensional spatial map and calculating the time difference, thereby improving the accuracy of the position.

[0066] Step 12: When the drone swarm completes the designated mission, it returns to the preset landing point.

[0067] To sum up, the advantages of the present invention are: through the positioning method of wireless communication networking, the precise position of each member in the UAV swarm is realized, and complex flight missions can be completed efficiently and accurately. With the support of real-time status monitoring and dynamic adjustment, the safety and reliability of the mission are ensured. At the same time, the aerial base station serves as a communication relay and positioning reference point, which effectively solves the limitations of ground base stations or satellite positioning in complex environments, realizes accurate calibration of its own position, improves the robustness of the system, ensures low latency and high reliability of data transmission, and meets the high real-time requirements of the UAV swarm system; the system architecture is flexible, and it is easy to adjust the scale and configuration of the UAV swarm according to mission requirements.

[0068] The above shows and describes the basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions only describe the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be subject to various changes and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. These changes and improvements fall within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection claimed by the present invention is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. Autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform, It is characterized in that include: The control center is used to control the drone swarm to fly to the predetermined airspace, receive the status information of the drone nodes sent by the aerial base station, and determine the control information of the position, posture, and mode of the drone swarm in real time, including the formation module, trajectory module, parameter control module, wireless connection unit, and data processing unit; The drone swarm includes multiple drone nodes. The drone nodes form a network through wireless communication modules to achieve data interaction and location information sharing, and feedback the location and status information of the drone nodes to the air base station in real time. The drone nodes include wireless communication modules, signal processing modules, flight control modules and positioning sensors. The aerial base station is used to receive the control information sent by the control center, and send control instructions to the drone swarm through the base station communication module, receive the status information of each drone node in the drone swarm, and forward it to the control center, which includes a base station communication module and a data processing module.

2. The autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform according to claim 1, Features: The formation module in the control center is used to design the formation form of the drone cluster system, the trajectory module is used to design the motion trajectory of the drone cluster system, the parameter control module is used to set the parameters for controlling the flight of the drone, the wireless connection unit is used to wirelessly connect the drone swarm and the aerial base station, and the data processing unit is used to receive and analyze data information from the aerial base station.

3. The autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform according to claim 1, Features: The wireless communication module is used for wireless connection between the drone node and the control center and the aerial base station, and is responsible for transmitting key information such as control instructions, location information, and status data. The signal processing module is responsible for receiving data information from the wireless communication module, positioning sensor, etc., and performing preprocessing and analysis. The flight control module is used to calculate the flight trajectory and attitude control parameters of the drone based on the instructions of the control center and the data provided by the signal processing module. The positioning sensor is a key device for the drone node to obtain its own location information, and it can measure the position between drones by utilizing internal sensors.

4. The autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform according to claim 1, Features: The base station communication module is used to send positioning signals to the drone node and receive returned location information data. The data processing module is used to process the received data information, calculate the distance between the aerial base station and the drone node, and at the same time feedback the strength of the received signal to the control center.

5. The autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform according to claim 4, Features: The positioning sensor is a key device for the drone node to obtain its own position information. It can measure the relative position between drones by using internal sensors. The method of measuring the relative position includes: Assume that the positioning sensor in drone node A sends a signal of its own position to drone node B through the wireless communication module. The signal processing module of drone node B receives the signal and calculates the relative distance between the drone nodes based on the time difference between the transmission and reception of both parties: d=c×(T 2 -T 1 ) Where d is the distance between drone A and drone B, c is the speed of signal propagation in the air (approximately the speed of light), T2 is the timestamp when drone B sends the signal, and T1 is the timestamp when drone A receives the signal. The relative distance is sent to the control center, which compares the formation and movement trajectory of the drones. It can monitor the movement trajectory of the drone swarm in real time to ensure the accurate arrangement and positioning of the drone swarm.

6. The autonomous UAV swarm system flight control platform according to claim 5, Features: The wireless communication module uses the propagation characteristics of wireless signals, and the drone node can communicate with the air base station, receive and apply absolute position calibration information, and realize accurate calibration of its own position, including: Construct a three-dimensional spatial map inside the site and determine the locations of known aerial base stations. The number of aerial base stations is no less than three. Assume that the locations of the three aerial base stations A, B, and C are A(x A ,y A ,z A ), B(x B ,y B ,z B ),C(x C ,y C ,z C ), the position of drone P is P(x P ,y P ,z P ); The drone node P sends signals to three aerial base stations A, B, and C simultaneously through the wireless communication module. The time when the signals arrive is t A , t B , t C ; The time difference, Δt, is calculated by the data processing module AB =t B -t A ,Δt AC =t C -t A ,Δt BC =t C -t B , Construct the hyperbolic equation, By reasoning from this, two other hyperbolic equations can be constructed for the time difference between aerial base stations A and C, and aerial base stations B and C, According to the three hyperbolic equations constructed, they intersect at one point in three-dimensional space, which is the position P(x P ,y P ,z P ).

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