Target tracking method, control device, and target tracking system

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring, and discloses a target tracking method, a control device and a target tracking system, the method comprising the following steps: receiving a first position of a to-be-tracked target sent by a detection device; in response to a tracking instruction for the to-be-tracked target, acquiring position and state information of a tracking unmanned aerial vehicle; determining a target tracking unmanned aerial vehicle according to the position and state information of the tracking unmanned aerial vehicle and the first position of the to-be-tracked target; and sending the first position of the to-be-tracked target to the target tracking unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the target tracking unmanned aerial vehicle tracks the to-be-tracked target. Through the above method, the to-be-tracked target can be quickly tracked by the target tracking unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) monitoring technology, specifically to a target tracking method, control device, and target tracking system. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread use of drones, while they provide convenience, illegal drone flights also pose numerous safety hazards, such as endangering public safety, invading privacy, and leaking information in key areas. Therefore, after detecting illegally flying drones, it is necessary to track the drone pilots to obtain evidence of their unauthorized operation, which helps to promote compliance with relevant regulations.

[0003] Currently, evidence of illegal drone flights is primarily obtained through video surveillance systems. Specifically, when detection equipment detects an illegally flying drone and its pilot, data from nearby video surveillance systems is retrieved based on the pilot's location. The pilot is then manually reviewed to track down the illegal drone operator. This method is not only inefficient and resource-intensive, but also requires multiple video surveillance devices working together, often fixed in one location, due to variations in installation angles and environmental conditions. Furthermore, tracking the same target from multiple surveillance cameras is challenging. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, this application provides a target tracking method, control device and target tracking system to solve the problems of low target tracking efficiency, large amount of manpower and material resources required and high difficulty in the prior art.

[0005] According to one aspect of the embodiments of this application, a target tracking method is provided, the method comprising: receiving a first position of a target to be tracked sent by a detection device; in response to a tracking command for the target to be tracked, acquiring the position and status information of a tracking drone; determining a target tracking drone based on the position and status information of the tracking drone and the first position of the target to be tracked; and sending the first position of the target to be tracked to the target tracking drone so that the target tracking drone tracks the target to be tracked.

[0006] In one alternative approach, after sending the first location of the target to be tracked to the target-tracking drone, the method further includes: receiving the second location of the target to be tracked sent by the detection device in real time; if the second location is different from the first location, updating the first location according to the second location, and sending the updated first location to the target-tracking drone, so that the target-tracking drone tracks the target to be tracked according to the updated first location.

[0007] In one alternative approach, the target tracking drone is determined based on the location and status information of the tracking drone and the first location of the target to be tracked. Specifically, if there are multiple tracking drones currently in a usable state, the distance between the first location of the target to be tracked and the location of each tracking drone is calculated to obtain the tracking distance of each tracking drone currently in a usable state; the tracking drone with the shortest tracking distance is determined as the target tracking drone.

[0008] In one optional approach, the tracking drone with the shortest tracking distance is identified as the target tracking drone. Specifically, this includes: if there are multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance, all of them are identified as candidate tracking drones; the flight status and remaining battery power of each candidate tracking drone are obtained based on their status information; the tracking capability information of each candidate tracking drone is determined based on their flight status and remaining battery power; a third position of the target to be tracked is obtained, where the third position is the target's position at a preset time interval from the current time; the relative position information between the target and each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on the first position, the third position, and the positions of each candidate tracking drone; the priority of each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on its tracking capability information and relative position information; and the tracking drone with the highest priority is identified as the target tracking drone.

[0009] In one optional approach, the relative position information between the target to be tracked and each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on the first position, the third position, and the positions of each candidate tracking drone. Specifically, this includes: calculating the distance between the first position and the positions of each candidate tracking drone to obtain a first distance corresponding to each candidate tracking drone; calculating the distance between the third position and the positions of each candidate tracking drone to obtain a second distance corresponding to each candidate tracking drone; and determining the relative position information between the target to be tracked and each candidate tracking drone based on the difference between the first distance and the second distance corresponding to each candidate tracking drone.

[0010] In one optional approach, the tracking capability information includes a first weight value, and the relative position information includes a second weight value. The priority of each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on its tracking capability information and relative position information. Specifically, this includes: calculating the distance between a first position and a third position; determining the movement distance of the target to be tracked within a preset time period; if the movement distance is greater than or equal to the preset distance, setting the first weight value to be less than the second weight value; if the movement distance is less than the preset distance, setting the first weight value to be greater than the second weight value; and calculating the priority of each candidate tracking drone based on the tracking capability information, the first weight value, the relative position information, and the second weight value.

[0011] In one alternative approach, the method further includes: receiving a video stream transmitted in real time from a target tracking drone to display the video stream; if the target tracking drone reaches a first position, in response to a control command for the target tracking drone, sending a control command to the target tracking drone, the control command being used to adjust the shooting area of ​​the target tracking drone so that the video stream includes an image of the target to be tracked; and storing the image of the target to be tracked in the video stream.

[0012] In one optional embodiment, the method further includes: periodically sending a first heartbeat message to a detection device and a target tracking drone, such that the detection device returns a second heartbeat message after receiving the first heartbeat message, and the target tracking drone returns a third heartbeat message after receiving the first heartbeat message; receiving the second heartbeat message returned by the detection device and the third heartbeat message returned by the target tracking drone; if the second heartbeat message is not received within a preset time, re-establishing the first communication channel corresponding to the detection device; if the third heartbeat message is not received within a preset time, re-establishing the second communication channel corresponding to the detection device; if the establishment of the first communication channel or the second communication channel fails, terminating the tracking task for the target to be tracked and indicating tracking failure.

[0013] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a control device is provided, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the target tracking method described in any of the above claims.

[0014] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a target tracking system is provided. The system includes a detection device, the aforementioned control device, and a tracking drone. The control device is communicatively connected to both the detection device and the tracking drone. The detection device is used to detect the position of the target to be tracked and send the position of the target to be tracked to the control device. The control device is used to receive the position of the target to be tracked and, in response to a tracking command for the target to be tracked, obtain the position and status information of the tracking drone. The control device is also used to determine the target tracking drone based on the position and status information of the tracking drone and the position of the target to be tracked, and send the position of the target to be tracked to the target tracking drone. The tracking drone is used to receive the position of the target to be tracked and track the target.

[0015] This application embodiment receives the first location of the target to be tracked from the detection device, and then, in response to a tracking command for the target, determines the target tracking drone based on the location and status information of the tracking drone. This ensures that the target tracking drone can respond quickly and increases its speed in reaching the target's location. Finally, after the detection device detects the target, the control device can automatically schedule the tracking drone based on the target's first location, enabling the drone to automatically plan its flight path to track the target, making target tracking faster and simpler to operate. Furthermore, it fully utilizes the flexibility of the target tracking drone. During evidence collection, a single drone can collect all the features of the target, eliminating the need for multiple video surveillance devices or identifying the same target from data from multiple devices. Evidence collection is more convenient and accurate, and the drone can also lock onto the target, effectively preventing target loss.

[0016] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of the embodiments of this application and to implement them in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of this application more obvious and understandable, specific implementation methods of this application are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 The diagram illustrates an application scenario of the target tracking method provided in this application embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the target tracking method provided in the first embodiment of this application is shown;

[0020] Figure 3 This illustration shows the relative positions of the target to be tracked and the candidate tracking drone provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the target tracking method provided in the second embodiment of this application is shown;

[0022] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the target tracking method provided in the third embodiment of this application is shown;

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the target tracking device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of the control device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0026] With the development of drone technology, drones have been widely used in various industries, such as crop monitoring, variable-rate fertilization and irrigation, fire monitoring, architectural design and planning, and aerial photography. Drones have brought great convenience to people, improving efficiency and reducing costs. However, illegally flying drones can bring many safety hazards, such as endangering public safety (especially drones flying near airports pose a threat to aviation safety), spying on privacy (illegally monitoring or infringing on the privacy of others), and leaking information in key areas (especially drones flying near government or military bases pose a risk to national security).

[0027] Therefore, in order to safeguard public safety, personal privacy, national security, and maintain good aviation order, it is necessary to strictly manage and supervise drone flights. For example, when illegally flying drones are detected, video surveillance systems can be used to track the drone pilots, obtain and provide evidence of illegal drone flights to law enforcement agencies, and effectively deal with the offending pilots, thereby reducing illegal drone flights at the source.

[0028] However, obtaining evidence of illegal drone flights through video surveillance systems requires accessing the system to collect evidence and identifying the drone pilot. This method not only necessitates manual review of the surveillance footage, but also fails to automatically collect evidence based on drone detection results, leading to inefficiency and significant resource consumption. Furthermore, evidence collection via video surveillance systems requires multiple devices to track the drone pilot, and the varying installation angles and environmental conditions of these devices increase the difficulty of tracking the same target across different surveillance feeds.

[0029] Therefore, to track illegally flying drone pilots more quickly and accurately, this application provides a target tracking method. Utilizing the flexibility and efficiency of drones, when a target to be tracked (e.g., an illegally flying drone pilot) is detected, the location of the target is sent to the tracking drone, enabling it to track the target using its onboard cameras, sensors, and other equipment. When tracking an illegally flying drone pilot is required, the detection equipment, under the control of the control equipment, detects the illegal drone pilot. Simultaneously, the control equipment can automatically dispatch the tracking drone based on the illegal drone pilot's location. The tracking drone can respond quickly, and by fully utilizing its flexibility, only one tracking drone is needed to acquire all the characteristics of the target (e.g., the drone pilot's facial features, body features, etc.) during evidence collection, eliminating the need for multiple video surveillance devices to track the same target, effectively improving the efficiency of target tracking.

[0030] Specifically, when the control device detects an illegal drone pilot using the detection device, it first receives the location of the illegal drone pilot sent by the detection device, then responds to the tracking command for the illegal drone pilot, obtains the location and status information of the tracking drone, and determines the target tracking drone based on the location and status information of the tracking drone and the location of the illegal drone pilot. Finally, it sends the location information of the illegal drone pilot to the target tracking drone so that the target tracking drone can track the illegal drone pilot.

[0031] The target tracking method disclosed in this application can be used not only to track drone pilots operating illegally, but also to track targets such as animals and vehicles. This application only uses the example of a drone pilot operating illegally to be tracked for illustration.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1The illustration shows an application scenario diagram of the target tracking method provided in the embodiments of this application. The embodiments of this application provide a target tracking system, which includes a detection device, a tracking drone, and a control device.

[0033] The control device is communicatively connected to both the detection device and the tracking drone. Specifically, the communication connection can be established via wireless communication methods such as 5G or WIFI. On one hand, the control device connects to the detection device to control it and receive detection signals sent by the detection device. The control device identifies and displays the detected targets based on the detection signals. On the other hand, the control device also connects to the tracking drone to schedule and control it. By sending commands to the tracking drone, the control device controls the tracking drone to perform operations such as flight and shooting, and receives shooting signals sent by the tracking drone for identification and display.

[0034] Detection equipment is used to detect targets to be tracked. It typically includes antennas or radar, and under the control of control equipment, scans a specific area. It identifies and locates the target by scanning the target's wireless signals. It can track and locate drone signals or drone pilot remote control signals, identifying the target's position signal. Detection equipment can be installed at a high point in the monitored area or in open airspace, and can also be mobile, ensuring it can cover a large airspace and accurately obtain the location of the target.

[0035] Tracking drones are commonly used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) devices. They are used to track targets under the scheduling and control of control equipment. They can be equipped with navigation systems (such as GPS) and automatic flight systems. After receiving the location of the target, they automatically plan a flight path and fly towards the target. The control equipment is used to obtain the location of the target detected by the detection equipment and to schedule the tracking drone to automatically track the target.

[0036] The target tracking system proposed in this application allows the control device to schedule the tracking drone in real time when it receives the location of the target to be tracked from the detection device. The location of the target to be tracked is sent to the appropriate tracking drone. After receiving the tracking command, the tracking drone can automatically track the target to be tracked according to the location of the target to be tracked sent by the control device and send the captured information to the control device. The control device can then collect evidence in a timely manner. In this way, the real-time performance and convenience of monitoring the target to be tracked are improved, and the monitoring efficiency is greatly improved.

[0037] Specifically, based on the aforementioned target tracking system, this application also provides a target tracking method, which is applied to the aforementioned target tracking system. Specifically, the method runs on the control device and interacts with the detection device and the tracking drone through the control device to realize the detection and tracking of the target to be tracked.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the target tracking method provided in the first embodiment of this application is shown. This method is executed by a control device. The control device can be a terminal device such as a mobile phone, tablet, or computer, or a server device, such as a local server or a cloud server. Figure 2 As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0039] Step S110: Receive the first location of the target to be tracked sent by the detection device.

[0040] The detection equipment is used to monitor drone activity in the airspace in real time to obtain drone flight information, including the drone's location (latitude and longitude), flight altitude, and the drone pilot's location (latitude and longitude). The detection equipment can be radar equipment, GPS tracking equipment, spectrum analyzers, etc. When the detection equipment detects an illegally flying drone in its monitored airspace, it automatically acquires the drone's flight information, identifies the drone pilot's (the target to be tracked) initial location, and then reports the drone pilot's initial location to the control equipment.

[0041] After receiving the first location of the target to be tracked, the control device can display the target's location on a display device. This display device can be the control device's own screen (e.g., a mobile phone, tablet, computer), or another independent display device (e.g., a separate monitor) that is communicatively connected to the control device. In other words, after receiving the first location of the target, the control device sends the target's first location to the display device, so that the display device shows the target's location on the display interface. Furthermore, the control device can also send the drone's flight information obtained by the detection device to the display device, so that the display device displays the drone's location using a drone icon on the display interface. This allows the user to click the drone icon on the display interface and obtain the drone's flight information from a pop-up drone details page.

[0042] Step S120: In response to a tracking command for the target to be tracked, obtain the location and status information of the tracking drone.

[0043] The tracking command is used to track the target. This tracking command can be automatically generated by the control equipment. For example, assuming the target to be tracked is an illegally flying drone pilot, when an illegally flying drone appears in the airspace monitored by the detection equipment, the danger level of the drone can be obtained. When the danger level of the drone is relatively high (for example, when the drone has entered the no-fly zone of airports, government agencies, strategic facilities, etc.), the tracking command for tracking the drone pilot is automatically generated. That is, the tracking command for the target to be tracked (i.e., the drone pilot of the drone) is used to automatically dispatch the tracking drone to track the target.

[0044] The tracking command can also be generated based on user actions. For example, assuming the target to be tracked is an illegally flying drone pilot, a button (such as a "Catch Pilot" button) can be set on the drone's details page. When the user views the drone's details page, clicking the button generates a tracking command for the target. The control device responds to this tracking command to obtain the drone's location and status information, automatically scheduling the drone to track the target. The drone's status information can include its flight status, remaining battery power, and idle / non-idle status.

[0045] Step S130: Determine the target tracking drone based on the location and status information of the tracking drone and the first location of the target to be tracked.

[0046] In determining the target tracking drone, if the control device manages only one tracking drone, that drone is directly identified as the target tracking drone. If the control device manages multiple tracking drones, the target tracking drone can be determined based on the status information of the tracking drones. For example, first, the location and status information of the tracking drone are used to determine whether it is in an available state, and then the target tracking drone is selected from the drones in an available state.

[0047] It is important to note that determining whether a tracking drone is available can be based on its location or a specific data point in its status information. For example, the drone is considered available when the target is within its tracking range (e.g., the tracking range is defined as a radius of 10 kilometers around the drone's location). Alternatively, it is considered available when the drone is idle (i.e., not currently performing a tracking task). Alternatively, it can be determined based on both the drone's location and multiple status parameters. For instance, the drone is considered available only when the target is within its tracking range and the drone is idle; or, it is considered available only when the drone is idle and its remaining battery level is greater than a predetermined level (e.g., 60%).

[0048] If only one tracking drone is currently available, then that drone will be directly designated as the target tracking drone. If multiple tracking drones are currently available, then one target tracking drone can be randomly selected from among the multiple tracking drones, or the target tracking drone can be selected based on the distance between the currently available tracking drone and the target to be tracked.

[0049] Specifically, step S130 may include the following steps (steps S131 to S132):

[0050] Step S131: If there are multiple tracking drones currently in an available state, calculate the distance between the first position of the target to be tracked and the position of each tracking drone to obtain the tracking distance of each tracking drone currently in an available state.

[0051] Step S132: Identify the tracking drone with the shortest tracking distance as the target tracking drone.

[0052] Among them, such as Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 This illustration shows the relative positions of a target to be tracked and candidate tracking drones according to an embodiment of this application. Assuming the gray dot C represents the first position of the target, and that tracking drones A and B are currently available, the distance L1 between tracking drone A and the first position C of the target (i.e., the tracking distance of tracking drone A is L1), and the distance L2 between tracking drone B and the first position C of the target (i.e., the tracking distance of tracking drone B is L2) can be calculated. Figure 3As can be seen, the distance L2 between the tracking drone B and the first position C of the target to be tracked is greater than the distance L1 between the tracking drone A and the first position C of the target to be tracked. This results in the tracking drone B taking more time to reach the first position C of the target to be tracked, while the tracking drone A takes less time to reach the first position C of the target to be tracked.

[0053] Therefore, when identifying a target tracking drone, the drone with the shorter tracking distance can be selected as the target tracking drone. This allows the target tracking drone to reach the location of the target more quickly, resulting in better real-time target tracking. Especially when tracking a moving target, it can effectively prevent the target from being lost.

[0054] Furthermore, when there is only one tracking drone with the shortest tracking distance, that drone can be directly designated as the target tracking drone. If there are multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance, one of them can be randomly selected as the target tracking drone. Alternatively, the tracking drone's status information, such as its remaining battery power and whether it is in flight, can be used to determine its priority, and the drone with the highest priority can be designated as the target tracking drone. Specifically, step S132 may include the following steps (steps S133 to S139):

[0055] Step S133: If there are multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance, then all of these multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance are identified as candidate tracking drones.

[0056] Step S134: Obtain the flight status and remaining battery power of each candidate tracking drone based on the status information of each candidate tracking drone.

[0057] Step S135: Determine the tracking capability information of each candidate tracking drone based on the flight status and remaining battery power of each candidate tracking drone.

[0058] The flight status is used to characterize whether the tracking drone is currently in flight. For example, a tracking drone that has completed a mission and is returning to its nest can be marked as "in flight" or "returning"; a tracking drone waiting for a mission in its nest can be marked as "standing still" or "waiting"; and a tracking drone currently performing a mission can be marked as "on mission" or "tracking". Compared to tracking drones waiting for missions in their nests, tracking drones that have completed missions and are returning to their nests can directly change their flight path to track the target when they receive a new tracking mission. Tracking drones waiting for missions in their nests, on the other hand, need to take some time to take off before tracking the target. Therefore, tracking drones that have completed missions and are returning to their nests can reach the location of the target much faster.

[0059] Remaining battery power characterizes the endurance of a tracking drone, specifically the duration of continuous flight. A drone with more remaining battery power can fly for a longer time and cover a greater distance. This is especially important when tracking moving targets, as the target's location can change at any time, meaning the distance the drone needs to travel to complete the tracking task is often unpredictable. Therefore, ensuring the drone has sufficient battery power is crucial for successful tracking. Consequently, a drone with more remaining battery power exhibits stronger tracking capabilities.

[0060] Of course, other data from the drone's status information can also be combined to determine its tracking capability information, such as the drone's flight speed and weight. Furthermore, different data have varying degrees of influence on the drone's tracking capability; therefore, different weights can be assigned to different data points when determining the tracking capability information to more accurately assess the drone's tracking ability.

[0061] Step S136: Obtain the third position of the target to be tracked. The third position is the position of the target to be tracked at a preset time interval from the current time point.

[0062] Step S137: Calculate the relative position information between the target to be tracked and each candidate tracking drone based on the first position, the third position and the position of each candidate tracking drone.

[0063] In addition to identifying the target drone, the system can also obtain the target's position at a preset time interval from the current point in time, determine the target's trajectory, and predict the target's subsequent direction of movement based on the trajectory. Specifically, for example... Figure 3As shown, assuming the position D of the black dot is the first position of the target to be tracked, and the position C of the gray dot is the third position of the target to be tracked, it means that the target to be tracked was at the third position C before the current time point by a preset time, and after the preset time, it moved from the third position C to the first position D, and the target to be tracked may continue to move in the same direction.

[0064] Relative position information can be determined by the direction of movement of the target and the direction of the tracking drone relative to the target. For example, if the direction of movement of the target is closer to the direction of the tracking drone relative to the target, it can be determined that the target is moving in the direction of the tracking drone. Based on the possibility that the target may continue to move in the same direction, the tracking drone can track the target more quickly.

[0065] Specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the trajectory vector of the target to be tracked can be determined based on the first position C and the second position D of the target. The orientation vector of the tracking drone A is determined based on the first position C of the target to be tracked and the position of the tracking drone A. The orientation vector of the tracking drone B is determined based on the first position C of the target to be tracked and the position of the tracking drone B. Then calculate the trajectory vector. The direction of the trajectory vector is closer to the direction of the azimuth vector of which tracking drone. This can be determined by directly calculating the trajectory vector. and tracking the azimuth vector of drone A The included angle e between them, the trajectory vector and tracking the azimuth vector of drone B The smaller the angle f between the two vectors, the closer their directions are; or the cosine of the angle e and the angle f are calculated separately, the closer the cosine is to 1, the closer the directions of the two vectors are.

[0066] Furthermore, as the target moves toward the direction of a tracking drone, the distance between the target and that drone decreases, and the closer the target moves to a particular tracking drone, the greater the distance between that drone and the target decreases. Therefore, to more easily obtain the relative position information between the target and each candidate tracking drone, step S137 may include the following steps (steps S137a to S137c):

[0067] Step S137a: Calculate the distance between the first position and the position of each candidate tracking drone to obtain the first distance corresponding to each candidate tracking drone.

[0068] Step S137b: Calculate the distance between the third position and the position of each candidate tracking drone to obtain the second distance corresponding to each candidate tracking drone.

[0069] Step S137c: Determine the relative position information between the target to be tracked and each candidate tracking drone based on the difference between the first distance and the second distance corresponding to each candidate tracking drone.

[0070] The first distance is the distance between the target object and each candidate tracking drone at the current time, and the second distance is the distance between the target object and each candidate tracking drone after a preset time interval from the current time. By calculating the difference between the first and second distances, it can be determined whether the distance between the target object and each candidate tracking drone has shortened or lengthened. Specifically, the smaller the difference between the first and second distances, the faster the tracking drone can track the target object. For example, ... Figure 3 As shown, after the target to be tracked moves from the third position C to the first position D, the distance between the tracking drone A and the target to be tracked changes from L1 to L, while the distance between the tracking drone B and the target to be tracked changes from L2 to L. Moreover, the difference between L and L2 is smaller than the difference between L and L1. Therefore, it can be determined that the direction of movement of the target to be tracked is more inclined towards the tracking drone B.

[0071] Steps S137a to S137c above calculate the distance between the target to be tracked and each candidate tracking drone before and after the target moves, and determine the relative position information between the target to be tracked and each candidate tracking drone based on the distance difference before and after the movement. The acquisition of relative position information is more convenient, which can speed up the process of determining the target tracking drone and thus improve the real-time performance of the target tracking method.

[0072] After step S137, step S138 is executed: calculate the priority of each candidate tracking drone based on the tracking capability information and relative position information of each candidate tracking drone.

[0073] The priority of each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on its tracking capability information and relative position information. The higher the priority of the tracking drone, the faster it can track the target. The tracking capability information and relative position information can be directly converted into specific parameters and added together to obtain the priority of each candidate tracking drone. Weights can also be set for the tracking capability information and relative position information to calculate the priority of each candidate tracking drone more accurately.

[0074] Furthermore, the targets to be tracked in different scenarios have different characteristics. For example, assuming the target is a drone pilot illegally flying a drone, when the drone is flying in an open area, the pilot will typically remain in one position to control it. However, when the drone is flying in an area with many obstacles, the pilot will usually move along the drone's flight path to more easily observe its flight status. Therefore, when calculating the priority of each candidate drone to be tracked, different weights can be assigned to tracking capability information and relative position information based on the characteristics of the target. For instance, for targets that move frequently, a higher weight can be assigned to relative position information, while for targets that are stationary, a higher weight can be assigned to tracking capability information.

[0075] Specifically, the tracking capability information includes a first weight value, the relative position information includes a second weight value, and step S138 may include the following steps (steps S138a to S138d):

[0076] Step S138a: Calculate the distance between the first position and the third position to determine the distance the target to be tracked has moved within a preset time period.

[0077] Specifically, the distance the target moves within the preset time period is obtained by calculating the distance between the target's current position and its position at a preset time interval.

[0078] Step S138b: If the moving distance is greater than or equal to the preset distance, then set the first weight value to be less than the second weight value.

[0079] Step S138c: If the moving distance is less than the preset distance, then set the first weight value to be greater than the second weight value.

[0080] If the movement distance is relatively large, it means that the position of the target to be tracked changes more frequently. In this case, the second weight value of the relative position information can be set higher to give higher priority to the candidate tracking drones located in the direction of movement of the target to be tracked. If the movement distance is relatively small, it means that the position of the target to be tracked does not change much. In this case, the first weight value of the tracking capability information can be set higher.

[0081] Specifically, when adjusting the first and second weight values, the sum of the first and second weight values ​​can be kept constant (e.g., the sum of the first and second weight values ​​is always equal to 1), and the first and second weight values ​​can be adjusted according to the ratio between the moving distance and the preset distance. For example, when the moving distance is greater than the preset distance, the larger the ratio of the moving distance to the preset distance, the greater the increase in the second weight value, so that relative position information can occupy a higher weight when calculating the priority of each candidate tracking drone; when the moving distance is less than the preset distance, the smaller the ratio of the moving distance to the preset distance, the greater the increase in the first weight value, so that tracking capability information can occupy a higher weight when calculating the priority of each candidate tracking drone.

[0082] Step S138d: Calculate the priority of each candidate tracking drone based on the tracking capability information, the first weight value, the relative position information, and the second weight value.

[0083] The process involves first calculating the product of tracking capability information and the first weight value, and then calculating the product of relative position information and the second weight value. Finally, mathematical operations (such as addition and multiplication) are used to calculate the priority of each candidate tracking drone.

[0084] Steps S138a to S138d above determine the characteristics of the target to be tracked (i.e., whether the target to be tracked moves frequently or is in a fixed position) by calculating the distance the target moves within a preset time period, and adjust the first weight value and the second weight value according to the characteristics of the target to be tracked, so that the priority of each candidate tracking drone is more accurate.

[0085] After step S138, proceed to step S139: identify the highest priority tracking drone as the target tracking drone.

[0086] Among them, the higher the priority of the tracking drone, the better it can perform the task of tracking the target (for example, the higher the priority of the tracking drone, the faster it can reach the location of the target). Therefore, the tracking drone with the highest priority is identified as the target tracking drone.

[0087] Steps S133 to S139 above first determine the tracking capability information of each candidate tracking drone by tracking the drone's flight status and remaining circuitry. Then, the relative position information between the target and each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on the first and third positions of the target and the positions of each candidate tracking drone. Finally, the priority of each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on the tracking capability information and the relative position information. By using data from multiple aspects of the tracking drone to calculate the priority of each candidate tracking drone, the accuracy of the priority is effectively improved. This makes the target tracking drone determined according to the priority more capable of tracking the target, indirectly improving the efficiency of target tracking.

[0088] After step S130, step S140 is executed: the first position of the target to be tracked is sent to the target tracking drone so that the target tracking drone can track the target to be tracked.

[0089] The control equipment sends the initial location of the target to the target-tracking drone, enabling the drone to automatically take off and navigate to the target's location for tracking. Furthermore, while tracking the target, the drone can activate its onboard camera to record video streams of the target and capture its features.

[0090] In the above embodiments, by receiving the first location of the target to be tracked from the detection device, and then responding to the tracking command for the target, the target tracking drone is determined based on the location and status information of the tracking drone. This ensures that the target tracking drone can respond quickly and improves the speed at which it reaches the location of the target. Finally, after the detection device detects the target, the control device can automatically schedule the tracking drone based on the first location of the target, enabling the target tracking drone to automatically plan its flight path to track the target, making the target tracking faster and the process simpler and easier to operate. In addition, the flexibility of the target tracking drone is fully utilized. During evidence collection, all features of the target can be collected using only one target tracking drone, without the need for multiple video surveillance devices or the need to identify the same target from data from multiple video surveillance devices. Evidence collection is more convenient and accurate. The target can also be locked using the target tracking drone, effectively preventing target loss.

[0091] Furthermore, if the target to be tracked can change position, then the target (human or animal, etc.) or its operator (vehicle driver, etc.) will change position upon realizing they are being tracked to avoid being tracked. For example, if the target is an illegally flying drone pilot, they will constantly change position to avoid being tracked, or quickly move away from the scene upon realizing they are being tracked. Therefore, to better track the target, such as... Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 The flowchart of the target tracking method provided in the second embodiment of this application is shown. After step S140, the method further includes the following steps:

[0092] Step S150: Receive the second location of the target to be tracked from the detection device in real time.

[0093] Step S160: If the second position is different from the first position, the first position is updated according to the second position, and the updated first position is sent to the target tracking drone so that the target tracking drone can track the target to be tracked according to the updated first position.

[0094] The tracking system uses a detection device to acquire the real-time location of the target (i.e., the second location). When the second location differs from the first location, it indicates that the target has moved and its location has changed. In this case, the destination of the target-tracking drone needs to be updated so that the drone can successfully track the target. Specifically, the first location can be updated based on the second location, and the updated first location can be sent to the target-tracking drone. When the second location is the same as the first location, it indicates that the target's location has not changed, and the drone can continue flying towards the first location to successfully track the target.

[0095] In the above embodiments, by acquiring the second location of the target to be tracked in real time and updating the first location and sending it to the target tracking drone promptly when the target's location changes, the target tracking drone can replan its flight path based on the updated first location, effectively preventing the target from being lost and increasing the probability of successfully tracking the target. Furthermore, updating the first location and sending it to the target tracking drone only when the target's location changes, rather than sending the second location to the target tracking drone in real time, avoids the target tracking drone frequently replanning its flight path, thus saving the target tracking drone's computing resources.

[0096] Furthermore, to more conveniently acquire and save the features of the target being tracked, such as... Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating the target tracking method provided in the third embodiment of this application is shown. The method further includes the following steps:

[0097] Step S170: Receive the video stream transmitted in real time by the target tracking drone and display the video stream.

[0098] The target tracking drone can be equipped with camera equipment (e.g., a high-definition camera) to acquire images. Once the target tracking drone receives the first location, it automatically plans its flight path and activates its onboard camera to transmit the captured video stream in real time. The control device receives the video stream transmitted in real time from the target tracking drone and can display it on a display device for the user to view in real time.

[0099] Step S180: If the target tracking drone reaches the first position, in response to the control command for the target tracking drone, a control command is sent to the target tracking drone. The control command is used to adjust the shooting area of ​​the target tracking drone so that the video stream includes the image of the target to be tracked.

[0100] Once the target tracking drone reaches the first position, the user can view the video stream to determine whether the characteristics of the target to be tracked have been successfully captured. If the target tracking drone does not show an image of the target to be tracked in the transmitted video, the user can send control commands (such as left turn, right turn, backward, forward, lens up, lens down, etc.) to the target tracking drone to adjust its shooting area, thereby making the target to be tracked appear in the target tracking drone's shooting area and thus acquiring an image of the target to be tracked.

[0101] Furthermore, when it is necessary to acquire certain specific features of the target to be tracked (such as a human face), even if the target to be tracked has already appeared in the shooting area of ​​the target tracking drone, control commands can be sent to the target tracking drone to adjust the shooting angle of the target tracking drone, thereby successfully acquiring clear images of certain specific parts of the target to be tracked.

[0102] Step S190: Store the image of the target to be tracked in the video stream.

[0103] The process involves saving images of the target being tracked, such as images of the pilot of an illegally flying drone, as evidence of illegal drone operation for subsequent investigations by law enforcement agencies. When storing images of the target, the entire video stream can be saved, or images and videos of the target can be extracted from the stream and saved. Finally, the video stream or extracted images and videos are uploaded to a server (either a local server or a cloud server). Furthermore, the images of the target can be encrypted before being transmitted to cloud storage to ensure data security and integrity.

[0104] The above embodiments ensure clear images of the target by receiving real-time video streams from the target-tracking drone and sending control commands to it. Users can view the video stream in real-time on a display device and take screenshots or record at any time, facilitating the complete preservation of the target's image. Finally, the target's image from the video stream is stored for later use.

[0105] Furthermore, when the target to be tracked is an illegally flying drone pilot, this method can automatically identify the illegally flying drone and track the pilot, forming a complete chain of evidence by recording images of the pilot and the drone's flight data (e.g., time, location, flight trajectory). This automates evidence collection, reduces human intervention, and improves the efficiency and accuracy of evidence gathering. Moreover, it can generate corresponding violation reports, providing clear evidence for law enforcement agencies and helping to improve law enforcement efficiency.

[0106] Furthermore, to ensure communication stability, the method includes the following steps:

[0107] Step S210: Periodically send first heartbeat information to the detection device and the target tracking drone, so that the detection device returns second heartbeat information after receiving the first heartbeat information, and the target tracking drone returns third heartbeat information after receiving the first heartbeat information.

[0108] Step S220: Receive the second heartbeat information returned by the detection device and the third heartbeat information returned by the target tracking drone.

[0109] Step S230: If the second heartbeat information is not received within the preset time, the first communication channel corresponding to the detection device is re-established.

[0110] Step S240: If no third heartbeat information is received within a preset time, the second communication channel corresponding to the detection device is re-established.

[0111] Step S250: If the establishment of the first communication channel or the second communication channel fails, the tracking task for the target to be tracked ends and a tracking failure message is displayed.

[0112] In the above embodiments, the control device periodically sends first heartbeat information to the detection device and the target tracking drone to verify whether the detection device and the target tracking drone are operating normally. If the detection device or the target tracking drone malfunctions, the control device re-establishes the communication channel to ensure the stability of communication between the control device and the detection device and the target tracking drone. Furthermore, if the communication channel fails to be established, the tracking task for the target is terminated promptly to prevent the detection device or the target tracking drone from becoming uncontrollable, thus ensuring the stability of target tracking.

[0113] According to another aspect of the embodiments of this application, a target tracking device is also provided, such as... Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the target tracking device provided in an embodiment of this application is shown. The target tracking device 1 includes: a receiving module 11, an acquisition module 12, a determining module 13, and a sending module 14.

[0114] The receiving module 11 is used to receive the first position of the target to be tracked sent by the detection device. The acquiring module 12 is used to acquire the position and status information of the tracking drone in response to the tracking command for the target to be tracked. The determining module 13 is used to determine the target tracking drone based on the position and status information of the tracking drone and the first position of the target to be tracked. The sending module 14 is used to send the first position of the target to be tracked to the target tracking drone so that the target tracking drone can track the target to be tracked.

[0115] In the above embodiments, by receiving the first location of the target to be tracked from the detection device, and then responding to the tracking command for the target, the target tracking drone is determined based on the location and status information of the tracking drone. This ensures that the target tracking drone can respond quickly and improves the speed at which it reaches the location of the target. Finally, after the detection device detects the target, the control device can automatically schedule the tracking drone based on the first location of the target, enabling the target tracking drone to automatically plan its flight path to track the target, making the target tracking faster and the process simpler and easier to operate. In addition, the flexibility of the target tracking drone is fully utilized. During evidence collection, all features of the target can be collected using only one target tracking drone, without the need for multiple video surveillance devices or the need to identify the same target from data from multiple video surveillance devices. Evidence collection is more convenient and accurate. The target can also be locked using the target tracking drone, effectively preventing target loss.

[0116] Figure 7 The diagram shows a schematic of the control device provided in an embodiment of this application. The specific embodiments of this application do not limit the specific implementation of the control device.

[0117] like Figure 7 As shown, the control device 2 may include a processor 21 and a memory 22.

[0118] The memory 22 is used to store the computer program 23. The memory 22 may include high-speed RAM, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device. The computer program 23 may include computer-executable instructions.

[0119] The processor 21 is used to execute the computer program 23 to implement the above-described target tracking method embodiment.

[0120] The processor 21 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of this application. The control device 2 includes one or more processors, which may be processors of the same type, such as one or more CPUs; or processors of different types, such as one or more CPUs and one or more ASICs.

[0121] This application also provides a target tracking system, which includes a detection device, a control device as described in the above embodiments, and a tracking drone. The control device is communicatively connected to both the detection device and the tracking drone. The detection device detects the location of the target to be tracked and sends the location of the target to the control device. The control device receives the location of the target to be tracked and, in response to a tracking command for the target, obtains the location and status information of the tracking drone. The control device further determines the target tracking drone based on the location and status information of the tracking drone and the location of the target to be tracked, and sends the location of the target to the target tracking drone. The tracking drone receives the location of the target to be tracked and tracks the target.

[0122] In the above embodiments, by receiving the first location of the target to be tracked from the detection device, and then responding to the tracking command for the target, the target tracking drone is determined based on the location and status information of the tracking drone. This ensures that the target tracking drone can respond quickly and improves the speed at which it reaches the location of the target. Finally, after the detection device detects the target, the control device can automatically schedule the tracking drone based on the first location of the target, enabling the target tracking drone to automatically plan its flight path to track the target, making the target tracking faster and the process simpler and easier to operate. In addition, the flexibility of the target tracking drone is fully utilized. During evidence collection, all features of the target can be collected using only one target tracking drone, without the need for multiple video surveillance devices or the need to identify the same target from data from multiple video surveillance devices. Evidence collection is more convenient and accurate. The target can also be locked using the target tracking drone, effectively preventing target loss.

[0123] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described target tracking method embodiment.

[0124] This application provides a computer program that can be executed by a processor to implement the target tracking method described above.

[0125] This application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described target tracking method embodiment.

[0126] In the several embodiments provided in this application, any function, if implemented as a software functional module / unit and sold or used as an independent product, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, part or all of the technical solutions of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or other control device) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing computer program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0127] The algorithms or displays provided herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system, or other device. Various general-purpose systems can also be used in conjunction with the teachings herein. The required structure for constructing such systems is apparent from the above description. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application are not directed to any particular programming language. It should be understood that the content of this application described herein can be implemented using various programming languages, and the above description of specific languages ​​is for the purpose of disclosing the best mode of implementation of this application.

[0128] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of this application and not restrictive, and those skilled in the art can devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. This application can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In claims enumerating several means, several units or modules of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names. The steps in the above embodiments, unless otherwise specified, should not be construed as limiting the order of execution.

[0129] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A target tracking method, characterized in that, The method includes: Receive the first location of the target to be tracked from the detection equipment; In response to a tracking command for the target to be tracked, the location and status information of the tracking drone are obtained; If there are multiple tracking drones currently in an available state, the distance between the first position of the target to be tracked and the position of each tracking drone is calculated to obtain the tracking distance of each tracking drone currently in an available state. If there are multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance, then all of the multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance are identified as candidate tracking drones. The flight status and remaining battery power of each candidate tracking drone are obtained based on the status information of each candidate tracking drone. The tracking capability information of each candidate tracking drone is determined based on the flight status and remaining battery power of each candidate tracking drone; Obtain the third position of the target to be tracked, wherein the third position is the position of the target to be tracked at a preset time interval from the current time point; The movement trajectory of the target to be tracked is determined based on the first position and the third position, and the subsequent movement direction of the target to be tracked is predicted based on the movement trajectory. The relative position information between the target to be tracked and each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on the position of each candidate tracking drone. The relative position information is determined by the direction of movement and the direction of each candidate tracking drone relative to the target to be tracked. The priority of each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on the tracking capability information and the relative position information of each candidate tracking drone; The highest priority candidate tracking drone is identified as the target tracking drone; The first location of the target to be tracked is sent to the target tracking drone so that the target tracking drone can track the target to be tracked.

2. The target tracking method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After sending the first location of the target to be tracked to the target tracking drone, the method further includes: The second location of the target to be tracked is received in real time from the detection device. If the second position is different from the first position, the first position is updated according to the second position, and the updated first position is sent to the target tracking drone so that the target tracking drone can track the target to be tracked according to the updated first position.

3. The target tracking method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tracking capability information includes a first weight value, and the relative position information includes a second weight value; The step of calculating the priority of each candidate tracking drone based on the tracking capability information and the relative position information of each candidate tracking drone specifically includes: Calculate the distance between the first position and the third position to determine the distance the target to be tracked has moved within the preset time period; If the moving distance is greater than or equal to the preset distance, then the first weight value is set to be less than the second weight value; If the moving distance is less than the preset distance, then the first weight value is set to be greater than the second weight value; The priority of each candidate tracking drone is calculated based on the tracking capability information, the first weight value, the relative position information, and the second weight value.

4. The target tracking method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the video stream transmitted in real time by the target tracking drone, and display the video stream; If the target tracking drone reaches the first position, then in response to the control command for the target tracking drone, the control command is sent to the target tracking drone, the control command being used to adjust the shooting area of ​​the target tracking drone so that the video stream includes the image of the target to be tracked; Store the image of the target to be tracked in the video stream.

5. The target tracking method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: The detection device and the target tracking drone periodically send a first heartbeat message, so that the detection device returns a second heartbeat message after receiving the first heartbeat message, and the target tracking drone returns a third heartbeat message after receiving the first heartbeat message; Receive the second heartbeat information returned by the detection device and the third heartbeat information returned by the target tracking drone; If the second heartbeat information is not received within a preset time, the first communication channel corresponding to the detection device is re-established; If the third heartbeat information is not received within the preset time, the second communication channel corresponding to the detection device is re-established. If the establishment of the first communication channel or the second communication channel fails, the tracking task for the target to be tracked will be terminated, and a tracking failure message will be displayed.

6. A control device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that, The processor executes the computer program to implement the target tracking method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A target tracking system, characterized in that, The system includes a detection device, a control device as described in claim 6, and a tracking drone; The control device is communicatively connected to both the detection device and the tracking drone. The detection device is used to detect the first position of the target to be tracked and send the first position of the target to be tracked to the control device; The control device is used to receive the first position of the target to be tracked, and in response to the tracking command for the target to be tracked, to obtain the position and status information of the tracking drone; The control device is also used to calculate the distance between the first position of the target to be tracked and the position of each of the tracking drones when there are multiple tracking drones currently in an available state, to obtain the tracking distance of each of the tracking drones currently in an available state, and when there are multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance, to determine the multiple tracking drones with the shortest tracking distance as candidate tracking drones. The control device is also used to obtain the flight status and remaining power of each candidate tracking drone based on the status information of each candidate tracking drone, and to determine the tracking capability information of each candidate tracking drone based on the flight status and remaining power of each candidate tracking drone. The control device is also used to acquire the second position of the target to be tracked, the second position being the position of the target to be tracked at a preset time distance from the current time point, and to determine the movement trajectory of the target to be tracked based on the first position and the second position, and to predict the subsequent movement direction of the target to be tracked based on the movement trajectory; The control device is also used to calculate the relative position information between the target to be tracked and the candidate tracking drones based on the positions of each candidate tracking drone. The relative position information is determined by the direction of movement and the direction of each candidate tracking drone relative to the target to be tracked. The control device is also used to calculate the priority of each candidate tracking drone based on the tracking capability information and the relative position information of each candidate tracking drone, and to determine the candidate tracking drone with the highest priority as the target tracking drone; The control device is also used to send the first location of the target to be tracked to the target tracking drone; The target tracking drone is used to receive the first location of the target to be tracked and to track the target.

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