Flight control device, flight control system, flight control method, computer program product, and computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

The invention provides a flight control device, a flight control system, a flight control method, a computer program product, and a computer-readable recording medium. The flight control program can predict or prevent collisions between drones. A flight control program for controlling the flight of drones causes a computer to execute the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step (S41) of setting an occupied airspace of a first drone on the basis of position information of the first drone, and setting an occupied airspace of a second drone on the basis of position information of the second drone; and an interference determination step (S70) of determining an interference state of the occupied airspace of the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the occupied airspace of the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flight control device, a flight control system, a flight control method and a flight control program for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been used for commercial purposes such as logistics / distribution, surveying / aerial photography, and agriculture, as well as for recreational purposes.

[0003] Drones are wirelessly remotely controlled and are easily affected by wind, especially outdoors, so it is difficult to fly along the desired flight path. Therefore, the possibility of a drone colliding with a building or other drones during flight increases.

[0004] In order to avoid such collisions between drones, various collision avoidance methods have been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-196880

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-117129 Summary of the invention

[0009] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0010] However, the collision avoidance system described in Patent Document 1 is a system for fixed structures such as buildings, and in paragraph 0042 of Patent Document 1, it is only described that "based on the surrounding environment information indicating the presence of the drone 2, it is predicted whether the drone 2 has the possibility of colliding with the building 6", but no specific prediction method is disclosed. Therefore, it cannot be directly applied to collision avoidance between drones flying against each other.

[0011] In addition, the control system described in Patent Document 2 uses the color of lighting, flashing patterns, or sound to allow other operators to predict the presence and movement of drones. It is also described that radio waves are sent from a drone to other drones, and radio waves from other drones are received to notify other drones of their approach. However, these methods require the installation of new devices and sensors to avoid collisions, and can be said to have low versatility.

[0012] Therefore, the present invention is completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a flight control device, a flight control system, a flight control method and a flight control program that can predict or prevent collisions between drones.

[0013] Solutions for solving problems

[0014] (1) One method involved in the present invention is a flight control device for controlling the flight of unmanned aerial vehicles, the flight control device comprising: an occupied airspace setting unit, which sets the occupied airspace of the first unmanned aerial vehicle based on the position information of the first unmanned aerial vehicle, and sets the occupied airspace of the second unmanned aerial vehicle based on the position information of the second unmanned aerial vehicle; and an interference determination unit, which determines the interference state between the occupied airspace of the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the occupied airspace of the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0015] (2) In the above aspect (1), when the interference determination unit determines that the airspace occupied by the first drone and the airspace occupied by the second drone are interfering with each other, an alarm may be issued.

[0016] (3) Another embodiment of the present invention is a flight control system, comprising: a flight control device according to claim 2; a first control device, which automatically controls the flight of the first unmanned aerial vehicle; and a second control device, which automatically controls the flight of the second unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the flight control device notifies at least one of the first control device and the second control device of the alarm.

[0017] (4) In the above-mentioned aspect (3), the control device notified of the alarm may perform emergency operation control on the controlled drone.

[0018] (5) In the above-mentioned method (3) or (4), the flight control device may output the occupied airspace of the first UAV to at least the second control device, or may output the occupied airspace of the second UAV to at least the first control device.

[0019] (6) Another embodiment of the present invention is a flight control system, comprising: a flight control device according to claim 2; a first control device that automatically controls the flight of the first unmanned aerial vehicle; and a control device that is used to control the flight of a third unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the second unmanned aerial vehicle is the third unmanned aerial vehicle controlled by an operator, and the flight control device notifies the alarm to at least one of the first control device and a display unit that can be visually confirmed by the operator.

[0020] (7) In the above-mentioned mode (6), the flight control device may output the occupied airspace of the first drone to at least the display unit, or may output the occupied airspace of the third drone to at least the first control device.

[0021] (8) Another embodiment of the present invention is a flight control method for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle in a computer, the flight control method comprising the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step, setting the occupied airspace of the first unmanned aerial vehicle based on the position information of the first unmanned aerial vehicle, and setting the occupied airspace of the second unmanned aerial vehicle based on the position information of the second unmanned aerial vehicle; and an interference determination step, determining the interference status between the occupied airspace of the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the occupied airspace of the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0022] (9) Another method involved in the present invention is a flight control program for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the flight control program causes a computer to execute the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step, setting the occupied airspace of the first unmanned aerial vehicle based on the position information of the first unmanned aerial vehicle, and setting the occupied airspace of the second unmanned aerial vehicle based on the position information of the second unmanned aerial vehicle; and an interference determination step, determining the interference status between the occupied airspace of the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the occupied airspace of the second unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0023] Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, a flight control device, a flight control system, a flight control method, and a flight control program that can predict or prevent collisions between drones can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a flight control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing the flight control method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing the range of occupied airspace.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing a control (operation) screen in which an occupied airspace is set.

[0029] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing a flight control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the entire embodiment, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0031] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing a flight control system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] The flight control system 1 controls the flights of the first and second UAVs D1 and D2. The flight control system 1 includes: a first control device 10, which automatically controls the flight of the first UAV D1; a second control device 20, which automatically controls the flight of one or more second UAVs D2; and a flight control device 100, which can communicate with these first control devices 10 and second control devices 20.

[0033] The first drone D1 is a mobile body equipped with a propeller or other propulsion device, and can fly freely in a three-dimensional space by remote control or automatic control. The second drone D2 is also similar, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0034] The drone D1, for example, has a position detection device for detecting its own position (latitude, longitude and altitude), a wireless communication device (including an antenna) capable of communicating with the control devices 10 and 20, an obstacle sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a power source (battery).

[0035] The position detection device includes: an antenna that receives radio waves from a satellite positioning system (GNSS) (including ground reference stations (RTK)); and a processing unit (CPU) that detects its own position based on the received radio waves. In addition, the obstacle sensor is composed of, for example, a camera, a laser sensor for distance measurement, etc., and detects various structures such as surrounding buildings. In addition, the processing unit (CPU) also controls the thrusters, etc. according to the received flight control commands.

[0036] Furthermore, the drone D1 can transmit aircraft identification information (remote ID) to the flight control device 100. The remote ID is associated with aircraft information (type, manufacturer, model, manufacturing number, etc.) and operator information (name, skill certificate, etc.) through other systems.

[0037] The first control device 10 is composed of a personal computer, etc., and has a processing unit, a storage unit, a communication unit, an input unit, a display unit, etc. The first control device 10 sends flight control commands such as take-off / landing, ascent / descent, forward / backward, acceleration / deceleration, and steering to the processing unit of the drone D1 to automatically control the flight speed and flight direction of the drone D1.

[0038] In addition, the first control device 10 receives position information from the drone D1. In addition, the first control device 10 sometimes corrects the position information received from the drone D1 based on information from the ground reference station of the satellite positioning system. In addition, in the case of indoor flight, the drone D1 sometimes measures its own position by photographing one or more marks indicating position information.

[0039] In this way, the first control device 10 can cause the drone D1 to fly along a planned flight (predetermined) route. The second control device 20 has the same structure as the first control device 10 except that the second drone D2 is controlled, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0040] The flight control device 100 controls the controlled airspace of a predetermined area where the drones D1 and D2 fly. The flight control device 100 is composed of a personal computer or the like, and includes a processing unit 110, a storage unit 120, a communication unit 130, an input unit 140, a display unit 150, and the like.

[0041] The processing unit 110 is constituted by a CPU, and also functions as an occupied airspace setting unit, an interference determination unit, a notification unit, and the like, which will be described later.

[0042] The storage unit 120 stores, for example, a program (application program) executed by the processing unit 110 and data (file) to be referred to. Examples of the program include a file operation program and a flight control program described later.

[0043] Examples of data include map (building) information of the controlled airspace, location information described later, etc. In addition, the map information may also be stored in a storage unit of a server different from the flight control device 100. In this case, various data may also be received from different servers and temporarily stored in the storage unit 120 (as a cache).

[0044] The communication unit 130 transmits and receives data with external devices such as the control devices 10 and 20 by wire or wirelessly. In addition, the communication unit 130 may also directly receive data (for example, position information, remote ID, etc.) from the drones D1 and D2.

[0045] The input unit 140 is composed of, for example, a mouse and a keyboard, and is used by the operator to give instructions to the flight control device 100 (processing unit 110 ).

[0046] The display unit 150 is composed of a monitor and displays various data, operation screens, and display images as needed. For example, the display unit 150 displays occupied airspaces A1 and A2 and the positions of drones D1 and D2 described later so that the operator can visually check them.

[0047] Furthermore, the flight control device 100 is constituted by a printer, and may include a printing unit for printing various data, displaying images, etc., as necessary.

[0048] The flight control device 100 of the flight control system 1 stores part of the following steps as a flight control program in the storage unit 120, and implements the functions of the steps in the processing unit 110 etc. by executing the flight control program. Next, the flight control method in the flight control system 1 will be described.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a flowchart showing the flight control method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing the range of the occupied airspace A1. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a control (operation) screen in which occupied airspaces A1 and A2 are set. Figure 4 In the figure, reference symbol B represents a building that the drones D1 and D2 cannot invade.

[0050] First, the processing in the drones D1 and D2 and the control devices 10 and 20 will be described. However, the processing in the drones D1 and D2 and the control devices 10 and 20 is the same except that the control objects are different, so the description of the drone D2 and the control device 20 is appropriately omitted.

[0051] In the flight control of the drone D1 by the control device 10 , when a certain timing is reached, the drone D1 executes the positioning step S10 .

[0052] In the positioning step S10, the drone D1 measures and determines its own position (latitude, longitude and altitude) using a satellite positioning system, and then stores its own position information (X, Y, Z) in a storage unit of the drone D1.

[0053] In the position information transmission step S20, the drone D1 transmits its own position information to the control device 10, and receives a notification of reception completion from the control device 10 in the transmission and reception completion step S23. Alternatively, the drone D1 may repeatedly transmit the position information until receiving a notification of reception completion from the control device 10.

[0054] When the control device 10 receives the first position information of the drone D1 in the position information receiving step S21 (step S21-Yes), it sends a notification of reception completion to the drone D1 in the reception completion sending step S22. The first position information received in the position information receiving step S21 is stored in the storage unit of the control device 10 as the first flight information together with the flight speed and flight direction used by the control device 10 for flight control of the drone D1.

[0055] In the flight information sending step S30, the control device 10 sends the first flight information to the flight control device 100, and receives a notification of the completion of reception from the flight control device 100 in the sending and receiving completion step S33. In addition, the flight information may be repeatedly sent until a notification of the completion of reception is received from the flight control device 100. The positioning step S10 to the flight information sending step S30 so far is performed for the controlled objects controlled by the flight control device 100, including all the second drones D2. In addition, when the first position information of the drone D1 is not received in the position information receiving step S21 (step S21-No), the occupied airspace receiving step S51 is entered.

[0056] Next, the process moves to the internal processing of the flight control device 100 .

[0057] When the flight control device 100 receives the first flight information via the communication unit 130 in the flight information receiving step S31 (step S31-Yes), it transmits a reception completion notification to the control device 10 in the reception completion transmission step S32. The first flight information received in the flight information receiving step S31 is stored in the storage unit 120.

[0058] At this time, the flight control device 100 is in a standby state (step S31-No) before receiving the flight information in the flight information receiving step S31, and in addition to the flight information of the first drone D1, it also obtains flight information about all flight control objects including the second drone D2. The reception timing of these flight information is sufficient as long as it is until the interference determination step S70 described later. Moreover, the following occupied airspace calculation step S40 to occupied airspace sending step S50 can be performed in sequence at the timing of each flight information received, or it can be performed collectively after all flight information is received.

[0059] In the occupied airspace calculation step S40, the range of the occupied airspace A1 of the drone D1 is calculated based on the data of the outer dimensions of the drone D1 acquired in advance based on the remote ID, etc., and the first flight information acquired in the flight information receiving step S31. The occupied airspace A1 is a flight airspace that a drone (such as D1) can exclusively occupy, and can be called a virtual defense shield to prevent another drone (such as D2) from intruding.

[0060] The range of the occupied space A1, that is, the shape of the occupied space A1 is not particularly limited, and may be a three-dimensional shape such as an ellipsoid, a cuboid, or a cube. However, a spherical shape is preferred in order to reduce the amount of calculation.

[0061] Therefore, when the range of the occupied airspace A1 is set to be spherical, the radius R1 of the occupied airspace A1 can be calculated as shown in formula (1) by adding the radius d1 of the circumscribed circle that can accommodate the drone D1 to the moving distance L1 per unit time and the safety distance M1 including the measurement error (see Figure 3 ).

[0062] Formula (1) R1 = (d1 + L|1 + M1)

[0063] In addition, instead of the safety distance M1, a safety factor K1 may be multiplied as in the formula (2).

[0064] Formula (2) R1 = (d1 + L1) × K1

[0065] The safety distance M1 or the safety factor K1 may be appropriately selected based on the dimensions, weight, (average) flight speed, number of drones flying simultaneously, etc. of the drone D1.

[0066] In addition, the movement distance L1 per unit time can be calculated by the processing unit 110 of the flight control device 100 based on the first flight information as in the present embodiment, but may also be calculated by the processing unit of the control device 10 .

[0067] Next, in the occupied airspace setting step S41, the flight control device 100 sets the controlled airspace to be controlled. At this time, the set occupied airspace A1 (see Figure 4 ).

[0068] In the occupied airspace sending step S50, the flight control device 100 sends the information of the occupied airspace A2 (A1) of at least another drone D2 (D1) among all the occupied airspaces A1 and A2 obtained by calculation and setting to the control device 10 (20) controlling the flight of the drone D1 (D2). In addition, it is more preferred that the information of all the occupied airspaces A1 and A2 obtained by calculation and setting is sent to the control devices 10 and 20 respectively. Then, in the sending and receiving completion step S53, a notification of reception completion is received from the control devices 10 and 20. In addition, the flight control device 100 may also repeatedly send the occupied airspace information until a notification of reception completion is received from the control devices 10 and 20.

[0069] Thereafter, the process is transferred again to the internal processing of the control devices 10 and 20 .

[0070] When the control device 10 receives at least the information of the occupied airspace A2 of another drone D2 in the occupied airspace receiving step S51 (step S51-Yes), it sends a notification of the completion of reception to the flight control device 100 in the reception completion transmission step S52. The occupied airspace A2 received in the occupied airspace receiving step S51 is stored in the storage unit of the control device 10. On the other hand, when no occupied airspace is received in the occupied airspace receiving step S51 (step S51-No), the process proceeds to the alarm receiving step S81.

[0071] In the next occupied airspace setting step S60, the control device 10 sets the occupied airspace A2 based on the occupied airspace A2 (refer to Figure 4 ).

[0072] Here, we return to the internal processing of the flight control device 100 for explanation.

[0073] At the same time as the occupied airspace sending step S50 or before and after it, the interference determination step S70 is performed. In the interference determination step S70, the interference determination unit (processing unit) 110 determines whether one occupied airspace A1 and another occupied airspace A2 are in an interference state of contact or intersection or above, or in a non-interference state, for example, by comparing the center coordinates and radius of the occupied airspace A1 with the coordinates of the outer surface of the occupied airspace A2.

[0074] If the result of the determination is a non-interference state (step S70-No), there is no intrusion by another drone D2, and it can be said that the possibility of collision is low. Therefore, the flight can continue until the next unit time passes.

[0075] On the other hand, if the result of the determination is an interference state (step S70-Yes), there is an intrusion of another drone D2, and it can be said that the risk of collision is high.

[0076] In addition, when there are two drones D1 and D2 that are controlled, since the interference between the occupied airspace A1 and the occupied airspace A2 is in a relative relationship, it is sufficient to determine at least one drone (for example, D1). In addition, when there are n drones D1, D2, etc. that are controlled, it is sufficient to determine at least "n×(n-1) / 2" combinations.

[0077] Then, if the result of the determination in the interference determination step S70 is an interference state (step S70-Yes), the flight control device 100 executes the alarm notification step S80. In the alarm notification step S80, the notification unit (processing unit) 110 notifies or outputs an alarm.

[0078] The destination for notification or output of the alarm can be set to at least one, preferably two (all) of the control devices 10 and 20. In addition, the alarm can also be displayed as an alarm display on the display unit 150 of the flight control device 100. In the sending and receiving completion step S83, a notification of reception completion is received from the control device 10 and 20. In addition, the notification or output of the alarm can be repeated until a notification of reception completion is received from the control device 10 and 20. In addition, when the result of the judgment of the interference judgment step S70 is a non-interference state (step S70-No), or when a notification of reception completion is received in the sending and receiving completion step S83, the flight information reception step S31 is entered.

[0079] Returning to the internal processing of the control devices 10 and 20, the internal processing of the control devices 10 and 20 is the same except that the control targets are different drones D1 and D2, so the control device 10 notified of the alarm will be described using these as representatives.

[0080] When receiving the alarm notified from the flight control device 100 in the alarm receiving step S81 (step S81 —Yes), the control device 10 transmits a reception completion notification to the flight control device 100 in the reception completion transmission step S82 .

[0081] Then, the control device 10 receiving the alarm instructs the drone D1 to perform emergency operation in the emergency operation instruction step S84, and receives a notification of reception completion from the drone D1 in the transmission and reception completion step S87. In addition, the control device 10 may repeatedly send the emergency operation instruction until receiving a notification of reception completion from the drone D1.

[0082] When the drone D1 receives the emergency operation command in the emergency operation reception step S85 (step S85 —Yes), it transmits a reception completion notification to the control device 10 in the reception completion transmission step S86 , and the process proceeds to the next emergency operation step S88 .

[0083] When the process is transferred to the emergency operation step S88, at least one of the drones D1 and D2 performs an emergency operation of landing or hovering (air stop) according to the emergency operation control of the corresponding control device 10 or 20. Then, after the emergency operation step S88 is completed, or when the drone D1 does not receive the emergency operation command in the emergency operation receiving step S85 (step S85-No), the process enters the positioning step S10.

[0084] Here, the alarm of the interference state can be set to multiple stages such as the first alarm and the second alarm according to the size of the interference amount. It can also be that when the interference amount is small, the first emergency operation instruction for hovering is performed with the first alarm, and when the interference amount becomes larger, the second emergency operation instruction for landing is performed with the second alarm.

[0085] Returning to the interference determination step S70, when the determination result is a non-interference state and the alarm notification step S80 is not executed (that is, when no alarm is received in the alarm receiving step S81) (step S81-No), the control devices 10 and 20 enter the position information receiving step S21 after executing the flight airspace inspection step S90.

[0086] In the flight airspace inspection step S90, the occupied airspaces A1 and A2 of one party set in the occupied airspace setting step S60 are compared with the planned flight paths of the other drones D1 and D2, for example, to investigate whether the planned flight path of the drone D1 (and the occupied airspace A1) passes through (intersects with) the occupied airspace A2. In the case where the result of the investigation is that the planned flight path of the drone D1 (and the occupied airspace A1) passes through the occupied airspace A2, the control device 10 can correct the planned flight path of the drone D1 based on the position of the occupied airspace A2 in a manner that does not change the final destination and does not invade the occupied airspace A2. In addition, the correction of the planned flight path can also be performed by the operator.

[0087] In this way, the control device 10 corrects the planned flight path of the controlled object so that the other drone D1 does not fly over the occupied airspace A2 set in the occupied airspace setting step S60.

[0088] Afterwards, the flight control system 1 repeatedly executes the positioning step S10 to the flight airspace inspection step S90 every unit time, thereby controlling the flights of multiple drones D1 and D2, and avoiding and preventing collisions between the drones D1 and D2.

[0089] Next, a flight control system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0090] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram showing a flight control system 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] The flight control system 1 of the second embodiment includes: a first control device 10, which automatically controls the flight of the first unmanned aerial vehicle D1; a second control device 20, which automatically controls the flight of the second unmanned aerial vehicle D2; a third operating device 30, which is used to remotely control the flight of one or more third unmanned aerial vehicles D3; and a flight control device 100, which can communicate with these first control devices 10 and third operating devices 30.

[0092] In addition, there may be multiple drones D1, D2, and D3, and there may be multiple corresponding control devices 10, 20, and operating devices 30. In addition, the second drone D2 can be renamed as the first drone D1 in that it is automatically controlled by the control device 20. Therefore, the relationship between the drones D1 and D2 is the same as in the first embodiment, and the relationship between the drones D2 and D3 is the same as that between the drones D1 and D3, so their descriptions are omitted.

[0093] The operating device 30 is composed of a so-called proportional controller having a transmitting and receiving antenna, an operating lever for XYZ axis operation, and buttons so as to be operable by the operator.

[0094] The operator of the drone D3 is provided with an auxiliary device 31 having a display unit such as a monitor in addition to the control device 30. The auxiliary device 31 is composed of a personal computer or the like, and is connected to the drone D3, the control device 30, and the flight control device 100 in a manner that allows wireless or wired communication. In addition, the display unit of the auxiliary device 31 may also be a head-mounted display, and the control device 30 and the auxiliary device 31 may also be integrated.

[0095] The flight control method in the flight control system 1 of the second embodiment will be described. The flight control method of the second embodiment is substantially the same as the flight control method of the first embodiment except for the following points.

[0096] In the position information sending step S20 , the position information of the drone D3 obtained by positioning itself can be sent directly from the drone D3 to the flight control device 100 , or sent to the flight control device 100 via the operating device 30 or the auxiliary device 31 .

[0097] When the information or instruction sent from the flight control device 100 in the occupied airspace receiving step S51 or the alarm receiving step S81 is directed to the drone D3, the support device 31 receives it. When it is directed to the drones D1 and D2, it is the same as the first embodiment.

[0098] At this time, for example, if the flight control device 100 outputs the information of the occupied airspace A1 of another drone D1 to at least the auxiliary device 31, the operator can continue the flight of the drone D3 while performing collision avoidance or detour evasion operations of the other occupied airspace A1. Alternatively, if the flight control device 100 outputs the information of the occupied airspace A3 of the drone D3 to at least the control device 10, the control device 10 can perform evasive flight control in a manner that the drone D1 does not invade the occupied airspace A3.

[0099] However, for greater safety, the information of occupied airspace A1 and occupied airspace A3 may be output to the control device 10 and the auxiliary device 31, respectively.

[0100] Similarly, the flight control device 100 only needs to output an alarm to at least one of the control device 10 and the support device 31 , and may output an alarm to both for greater safety.

[0101] Here, if the display unit of the auxiliary device 31 is a head mounted display worn by the operator, it is possible to virtually add (decorate) a display such as the flight control system 100 in the actual flight space that the operator can see by using augmented reality (AR) technology. Figure 4 In addition, if the display unit is a general monitor, the occupied airspaces A1, A2 (, A3) can be displayed superimposed on the real-time images from the camera of the drone D3 or the fixed camera as the background.

[0102] As described above, the flight control device 100 of the first and second embodiments involved in the present invention is a flight control device 100 for controlling the flights of drones D1, D2, and D3, and comprises: an occupied airspace setting unit (processing unit) 110, which sets the occupied airspace A1 of the first drone D1 based on the position information of the first drone D1, and sets the occupied airspaces A2 and A3 of the second drones D2 and D3 based on the position information of the second drones D2 and D3; and an interference determination unit (processing unit) 110, which determines the interference status between the occupied airspace A1 of the first drone D1 and the occupied airspaces A2 and A3 of the second drones D2 and D3.

[0103] This makes it possible to determine the interference state between the occupied airspaces A1, A2, A3 of the drones D1, D2, D3. Therefore, it is possible to predict or prevent a collision between the drones D1, D2, D3.

[0104] The flight control device 100 of the first and second embodiments notifies an alarm when the interference determination unit 110 determines that the occupied airspace A1 of the first drone D1 and the occupied airspaces A2 and A3 of the second drones D2 and D3 are in an interference state. Thus, the danger of collision between the drones D1, D2, and D3 can be notified as an alarm.

[0105] The flight control system 1 of the first embodiment includes a first control device 10 and a second control device 20, and the flight control device 100 notifies an alarm to at least one of the first control device 10 and the second control device 20. Thus, it is possible to select an avoidance behavior in an interference state according to the flight priorities of the plurality of drones D1 and D2.

[0106] In the flight control system 1 of the first embodiment, the control devices 10 and 20 notified of the alarm perform emergency operation control on the controlled drones D1 and D2. Thus, it is possible to perform emergency operation control only on the selected drones D1 and D2.

[0107] In the flight control system 1 of the first embodiment, (information of) the first occupied airspace A1 is output to at least the second control device 20, or (information of) the second occupied airspace A2 is output to at least the first control device 10. Thus, at least one of the control devices 10 and 20 can select an evasive action of the interference state for the drones D1 and D2, thereby avoiding a collision between the drones D1 and D2.

[0108] The flight control system 1 of the second embodiment includes a first control device 10 and a control device 30 for controlling the flight of the third drone D3 by the operator, and the flight control device 100 outputs an alarm to at least one of the first control device 10 and the display unit of the auxiliary device 31 that can be visually confirmed by the operator. Thus, the avoidance behavior of the interference state can be selected according to the flight priority of the plurality of drones D1 and D3.

[0109] In the flight control system 1 of the second embodiment, (information of) the first occupied airspace A1 is output to at least the display unit of the auxiliary device 31, or (information of) the third occupied airspace A3 is output to at least the first control device 10. This allows the operator who controls the drone D3 to recognize the occupied airspace A1 of the drone D1, or the control device 10 can perform emergency operation control on the drone D1, thereby avoiding a collision between the drones D1 and D3.

[0110] The flight control method of the first and second embodiments of the present invention is a flight control method for controlling the flight of drones D1, D2, and D3 in a computer, and includes the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step S41, setting the occupied airspace A1 of the first drone D1 based on the position information of the first drone D1, and setting the occupied airspaces A2 and A3 of the second drones D2 and D3 based on the position information of the second drones D2 and D3; and an interference determination step S70, determining the interference state between the occupied airspace A1 of the first drone D1 and the occupied airspaces A2 and A3 of the second drones D2 and D3. Thus, the same effect as the flight control device 100 is achieved.

[0111] The flight control program of the first and second embodiments of the present invention is a flight control program for controlling the flight of drones D1, D2, and D3, and is used to make a computer execute the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step S41, setting the occupied airspace A1 of the first drone D1 based on the position information of the first drone D1, and setting the occupied airspaces A2 and A3 of the second drones D2 and D3 based on the position information of the second drones D2 and D3; and an interference determination step S70, determining the interference state between the occupied airspace A1 of the first drone D1 and the occupied airspaces A2 and A3 of the second drones D2 and D3. Thus, the same effect as the flight control device 100 is achieved.

[0112] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0113] (Variation Example)

[0114] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the flight control device 100 and the control devices 10 and 20 that automatically control the flight of the drones D1 and D2 are different devices, but the flight control device 100 may also automatically control the flight of the drones D1 and D2. In addition, the control devices 10 and 20 may only automatically control the flight of the drones D1 and D2, and assign the position information receiving step S21 to the flight airspace inspection step S90 to the defense device provided as another device capable of communicating with the control devices 10 and 20.

[0115] In the above-mentioned embodiments, the drones D1, D2, and D3 avoid collisions based on occupying the airspaces A1, A2, and A3, but obstacle sensors may also be used to avoid collisions.

[0116] Description of Reference Numerals

[0117] 1: flight control system; 10: control device; 20: control device; 30: operating device; 31: auxiliary device; 100: flight control device; 110: processing unit; 120: storage unit; 130: communication unit; 140: input unit; 150: display unit; D1, D2, D3: drones; A1, A2, A3: occupied airspace; B: building.

Claims

1. A flight control device for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the flight control device is characterized in that: an occupied airspace setting unit that sets an occupied airspace of the first drone based on the position information of the first drone, and sets an occupied airspace of the second drone based on the position information of the second drone; and The interference determination unit determines an interference state between the airspace occupied by the first drone and the airspace occupied by the second drone.

2. The flight control device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the interference determination unit determines that the airspace occupied by the first drone and the airspace occupied by the second drone are in an interfering state, an alarm is notified.

3. A flight control system, comprising: The flight control device according to claim 2; a first control device, which automatically controls the flight of the first UAV; as well as a second control device, which automatically controls the flight of the second UAV, The flight control system is characterized in that: The flight control device notifies at least one of the first control device and the second control device of the alarm.

4. The flight control system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The control device notified of the alarm performs emergency operation control on the controlled drone.

5. The flight control system according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The flight control device outputs the occupied airspace of the first UAV to at least the second control device, or outputs the occupied airspace of the second UAV to at least the first control device.

6. A flight control system comprising: The flight control device according to claim 2; a first control device, which automatically controls the flight of the first UAV; as well as a control device, which is used to control the flight of the third UAV, The flight control system is characterized in that: The second drone is the third drone operated by the operator, The flight control device notifies the alarm to at least one of the first control device and a display unit that can be visually confirmed by the operator.

7. The flight control system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The flight control device outputs the occupied airspace of the first drone to at least the display unit, or outputs the occupied airspace of the third drone to at least the first control device.

8. A flight control method for controlling the flight of a drone in a computer, the flight control method comprising the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step, setting the occupied airspace of the first drone based on the position information of the first drone, and setting the occupied airspace of the second drone based on the position information of the second drone; as well as The interference determination step determines the interference state between the occupied airspace of the first UAV and the occupied airspace of the second UAV.

9. A computer program product comprising a flight control program for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the flight control program causes a computer to perform the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step, setting the occupied airspace of the first drone based on the position information of the first drone, and setting the occupied airspace of the second drone based on the position information of the second drone; and The interference determination step determines the interference state between the occupied airspace of the first UAV and the occupied airspace of the second UAV.

10. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a flight control program for controlling the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the flight control program causes a computer to execute the following steps: an occupied airspace setting step, setting the occupied airspace of the first drone based on the position information of the first drone, and setting the occupied airspace of the second drone based on the position information of the second drone; and The interference determination step determines the interference state between the occupied airspace of the first UAV and the occupied airspace of the second UAV.

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