Control method and device of inspection system, equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a control method and device of an inspection system, equipment and a storage medium. According to the scheme, the unmanned vehicle moving along with the unmanned aerial vehicle is arranged for the unmanned aerial vehicle. Obtaining the current electric quantity and the current first current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the current second current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a target inspection position on the to-be-inspected line; determining a predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target moment according to the current electric quantity, the first current position, the second current position and the target inspection position; the target moment is a moment when the unmanned aerial vehicle completes a target inspection task at the target inspection position; judging whether the current electric quantity is enough to support the unmanned aerial vehicle to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task according to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position; and if yes, indicating to carry out a target inspection task for the target inspection position. Through cooperative work of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle, overhead line inspection is realized without manual intervention.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of drone control technology, and specifically to a control method and device, equipment and storage medium for an inspection system. Background Art

[0002] Drone overhead line inspection is a method of using advanced drone technology to regularly inspect and maintain overhead lines in the fields of power, communications, etc. This method greatly improves inspection efficiency, reduces the safety risks that may be encountered during manual inspections, and can more accurately identify potential problems on the line through high-definition cameras and other sensors.

[0003] However, due to the limitations of battery life and wireless signal coverage, drones cannot independently undertake the inspection of overhead lines. The flight time of most commercial drones is usually between 30 minutes and 1 hour, which limits the distance that can be covered in a single flight. In addition, in order to ensure high-quality data transmission, the wireless connection between the drone and the ground control station also needs to be kept within a certain distance to avoid signal attenuation or interruption. Therefore, in order to solve these limitations, in practice there is usually a ground vehicle to operate the drone.

[0004] Although the support of ground vehicles has significantly improved the flexibility and safety of drone inspections, this arrangement also brings additional cost burdens. In addition to the initial investment in purchasing special equipment (such as vehicle-mounted relay systems, remote control devices, etc.), there are also fuel costs and labor costs during use. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the present application is committed to providing a control method and device, equipment and storage medium for a patrol inspection system, which can realize the collaborative work of drones and unmanned vehicles, and safely realize overhead line inspection without human intervention, which can not only reduce the patrol inspection cost, but also improve the level of automation of the patrol inspection.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, a control method for an inspection system is provided. The inspection system includes an unmanned vehicle and a drone for performing inspection tasks; the unmanned vehicle is used to accompany the drone in movement and provide power for the drone; the method includes:

[0007] Obtaining the current power and first current position of the drone, the second current position of the unmanned vehicle, and the target inspection position on the route to be inspected;

[0008] Determine the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at a target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position; the target time is the time when the unmanned vehicle completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position;

[0009] According to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position, determining whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task;

[0010] If the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, a first instruction is generated; the first instruction is used to instruct to perform a target inspection task at the target inspection location.

[0011] Optionally, before determining the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time, the method further includes:

[0012] Obtaining the flight speed of the drone and the inspection time required for the drone to perform the target inspection task at the target inspection location;

[0013] Calculating a first flight time required for the UAV to reach the target inspection position according to the flight speed, the first current position and the target inspection position;

[0014] The target time is calculated according to the first flight time and the inspection time.

[0015] Optionally, judging whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task according to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position includes:

[0016] Obtaining the power consumption per unit time of the drone;

[0017] Calculating a second flight time required for the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle according to the flight speed, the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0018] Calculate the total power required for the UAV to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle according to the inspection time, the first flight time, the second flight time, and the power consumption per unit time;

[0019] According to the current power and the total power, it is determined whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

[0020] Optionally, the unmanned vehicle is used to move toward the drone after the target time;

[0021] The step of calculating a second flight time required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle according to the flight speed, the target inspection position, and the predicted position includes:

[0022] Determining a meeting point of the UAV and the unmanned vehicle according to the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0023] The second flight time is calculated according to the target inspection position, the meeting point and the flight speed.

[0024] Optionally, determining the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position includes:

[0025] Generate a tracking motion plan for the unmanned vehicle to move from the second current position to the target inspection position or to track the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

[0026] The predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time is determined according to the target time and the tracking motion plan.

[0027] Optionally, obtaining the flight speed of the drone includes:

[0028] Obtaining the preset speed of the drone and the current wind speed;

[0029] The preset speed is corrected based on the wind speed to obtain the flight speed of the UAV.

[0030] Optionally, obtaining the power consumption per unit time of the drone includes:

[0031] The historical power data of several historical inspection tasks of the UAV are counted to obtain the power consumption per unit time of the UAV; the historical power data of the historical inspection tasks include the task duration and task power consumption of the historical inspection tasks.

[0032] Optionally, the determining whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission includes:

[0033] Based on the standard temperature, current temperature, and temperature correction coefficient of the battery at the drone, the current power is corrected to obtain a corrected current power;

[0034] Determine whether the corrected current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

[0035] According to a second aspect of the present application, a control device for an inspection system is provided, wherein the inspection system comprises an unmanned vehicle and a drone for performing inspection tasks; the unmanned vehicle is used to accompany the drone in movement and provide power for the drone; the device comprises:

[0036] An acquisition module, used to acquire the current power and the first current position of the drone, the second current position of the unmanned vehicle, and the target inspection position on the route to be inspected;

[0037] A position determination module, used to determine the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at a target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position; the target time is the time when the unmanned vehicle completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position;

[0038] A judgment module, configured to judge whether the current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task according to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0039] The instruction module is used to generate a first instruction if the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task; the first instruction is used to instruct to perform a target inspection task at the target inspection position.

[0040] According to a third aspect of the present application, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; and the processor is used to execute the method described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0041] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, wherein the storage medium stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to execute the method described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0042] The present application provides a control method and device, equipment and storage medium for an inspection system, in which an unmanned vehicle is provided for a drone to move with it. The current power of the drone and the first current position where it is currently located, the second current position where the unmanned vehicle is currently located, and the target inspection position on the line to be inspected are obtained; based on the current power, the first current position, the second current position and the target inspection position, the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time is determined; the target time is the time when the drone completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position; based on the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position, it is determined whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task; if so, an instruction is given to perform the target inspection task at the target inspection position. Through the collaborative work of drones and unmanned vehicles, overhead line inspection can be achieved without human intervention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of an implementation environment provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Figure 2The figure is a flow chart of a control method of an inspection system provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 3 Shown is a block diagram of a control device of an inspection system provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 4 Shown is a structural block diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] Application Overview

[0049] Currently, drones face two major challenges when performing overhead line inspections: battery life and limited wireless signal coverage. These limitations prevent drones from completing long-distance inspections alone, as they need to return to their starting point before their batteries run out, and wireless signal coverage also limits the flight distance and communication capabilities of drones.

[0050] To overcome these limitations, the industry has proposed two solutions: one is to deploy special inspection vehicles, and the other is to establish multiple drone airports. Inspection vehicles can follow the movement of drones and provide the necessary power support and communication relay, but this method requires additional equipment and personnel, which increases costs. The establishment of multiple drone airports can provide drones with mid-course charging and maintenance services, but it also requires large investments and maintenance costs. Although both methods can realize drone inspections of overhead lines to a certain extent, the costs are relatively high.

[0051] In order to solve the above problems, the present application sets up an unmanned vehicle to accompany the drone. The unmanned vehicle can serve as a mobile charging station and data relay station for the drone, ensuring that the drone will not fall or interrupt the inspection due to insufficient power when performing tasks, while also ensuring the stability and real-time nature of data transmission. In this way, when the drone's power is sufficient to complete the overhead line inspection task and return safely to the unmanned vehicle, the drone can be dispatched to perform the overhead line inspection task. Through the collaborative work of drones and unmanned vehicles, overhead line inspections can be safely implemented without human intervention, which can not only reduce inspection costs, but also improve the level of automation of inspections.

[0052] After introducing the basic principles of the present application, various non-limiting embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Exemplary Systems

[0054] Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic diagram of an implementation environment provided by an embodiment of the present application. The implementation environment includes a drone 110, an unmanned vehicle 120 and a computing device 130. The drone 110 is used to perform inspection tasks and collect inspection data. The drone 110 can be connected to the unmanned vehicle 120 through a communication network. The computing device 130 can be connected to the unmanned vehicle 120 through a communication network. The computing device 130 can obtain inspection data from the drone 110 through the unmanned vehicle 120. Optionally, the communication network is a wired network or a wireless network.

[0055] The drone 110 may be equipped with high-precision equipment such as high-definition cameras, infrared thermal imagers, and multi-spectral sensors, which are used to conduct detailed observation and data collection on targets such as overhead lines and power towers, and transmit the collected inspection data to the unmanned vehicle 120 in real time.

[0056] As a mobile drone airport, the unmanned vehicle 120 can not only provide power support and maintenance for the drone 110, but also serve as a relay station to enhance the communication connection between the drone and the computing device 130. The unmanned vehicle 120 can move on the ground to adapt to different inspection needs, ensuring that the drone 110 can obtain continuous communication and power support when performing tasks.

[0057] The computing device 130 may be a general-purpose computer or a computer device composed of a dedicated integrated circuit, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. For example, the computing device 130 may be a mobile terminal device such as a tablet computer, or may also be a personal computer (PC), such as a laptop computer and a desktop computer, etc. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the number of the computing devices 130 may be one or more, and the types thereof may be the same or different. For example, the computing device 130 may be one, or the computing device 130 may be dozens or hundreds, or more. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the number and device type of the computing devices 130.

[0058] Exemplary Methods

[0059] Figure 2 It is a flow chart of a control method of an inspection system provided in one embodiment of the present application. Figure 2The method is performed by a drone, an unmanned vehicle, or a computing device connected to the data of the drone or the unmanned vehicle, and the present application embodiment does not limit this. The inspection system includes an unmanned vehicle and a drone for performing inspection tasks; the unmanned vehicle is used to accompany the drone to move and increase the power of the drone;

[0060] like Figure 2 As shown, the method includes the following contents:

[0061] Step S210: Obtain the current power level and the first current position of the drone, the second current position of the unmanned vehicle, and the target inspection position on the route to be inspected.

[0062] In the embodiments of the present application, the UAV is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which refers to an unmanned aircraft controlled by a radio remote control device and a self-contained program control device, or is completely or intermittently autonomously operated by an onboard computer. UAV is actually a general term for unmanned aerial vehicles, including unmanned fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft, unmanned airships, unmanned helicopters, unmanned multi-rotor aircraft, unmanned paragliders, etc.

[0063] In an embodiment of the present application, the drone may be equipped with inspection equipment such as a high-definition camera, an infrared thermal imager, a multi-spectral sensor, etc., for inspecting inspection points and collecting data.

[0064] In the embodiments of the present application, the unmanned vehicle, also known as an automatic driving vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, a computer-driven vehicle or a wheeled mobile robot, is an intelligent vehicle that mainly relies on an intelligent driving instrument based on a computer system in the vehicle to achieve unmanned driving. It can sense the surrounding environment through various sensors equipped with itself (such as cameras, laser radars, millimeter-wave radars, GPS, inertial sensors, etc.) without human manipulation, identify the surrounding environment and state of the vehicle, and autonomously make analysis and judgment based on the obtained environmental information (including road information, traffic information, vehicle location and obstacle information, etc.), thereby autonomously controlling the movement of the vehicle and finally achieving unmanned driving.

[0065] In the embodiment of the present application, the unmanned vehicle can provide additional power for the drone, and the way of providing additional power may include: charging through a power cord, wireless charging and replacing batteries. The unmanned vehicle may be provided with a drone airport for charging or replacing batteries for the drone; the drone airport includes not only the airport warehouse, the upper cover door, the lifting platform, and the mechanical structure for fixing the drone, but also an automatic charging system, an automatic battery replacement system, etc.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present application, the unmanned vehicle can be used to move toward the drone after the drone takes off and before it lands to reduce the distance between the two, so as to reduce the probability of the drone falling due to insufficient power and communication failure.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, the line to be inspected may be a line that needs to be inspected, such as an overhead line, an underground pipeline, a railway, etc., or a pressure pipeline such as an oil pipeline, a gas pipeline, a thermal pipeline, etc.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the inspection point location can be a location on the line to be inspected, and the line to be inspected is divided into multiple task segments, such as towers on overhead lines and railways, equipment locations, intersections, and bifurcations on underground pipelines and pressure pipes.

[0069] In the embodiment of the present application, the target inspection position may be the next inspection point that the drone will inspect or is inspecting. Specifically, the target inspection position may refer to the inspection point on the line to be inspected that has not yet been inspected and is closest to the drone.

[0070] Step S220: Determine the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at a target time based on the second current position and the target inspection position; the target time is the time when the unmanned vehicle completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position.

[0071] In an embodiment of the present application, the predicted position may refer to the position of the unmanned vehicle when the unmanned aerial vehicle completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present application, the target inspection task is the inspection task that needs to be performed at the target inspection location, for example, the inspection task for overhead lines and towers on railways.

[0073] In the embodiment of the present application, the target time is the time when the drone completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position, which can be based on the time required for the drone to fly to the target inspection position and complete the target inspection task.

[0074] Step S230: Based on the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position, determine whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task.

[0075] In an embodiment of the present application, judging whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task based on the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position includes: calculating the total power required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task based on the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position; judging whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task based on the current power and the total power.

[0076] It should be specially noted that the UAV does not have to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission, but must have the ability to return to the UAV after completing the target inspection mission.

[0077] Step S240: If the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, a first instruction is generated; the first instruction is used to instruct to perform a target inspection task at the target inspection location.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present application, the process of determining whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission can be repeated multiple times before the drone goes to the target inspection location, during the process of going to the target inspection location, and during the process of performing the target inspection mission at the target inspection location.

[0079] In an embodiment of the present application, if the current power is insufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission, a second instruction is generated; the first instruction is used to instruct the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle.

[0080] In an embodiment of the present application, an unmanned vehicle is provided for the drone to move with it. The current power of the drone and the first current position where it is currently located, the second current position where the unmanned vehicle is currently located, and the target inspection position on the line to be inspected are obtained; based on the current power, the first current position, the second current position and the target inspection position, the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time is determined; the target time is the time when the drone completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position; based on the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position, it is determined whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task; if the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, an instruction is given to perform the target inspection task at the target inspection position. The drone and the unmanned vehicle work together to ensure that the drone will not fall or interrupt the inspection due to insufficient power when performing the task, and the overhead line inspection can be safely realized without human intervention, which can not only reduce the inspection cost, but also improve the automation level of the inspection.

[0081] based on Figure 2 The method in this specification also provides some specific implementation plans of the method, which are described below.

[0082] Optionally, before determining the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time, the method further includes:

[0083] Obtaining the flight speed of the drone and the inspection time required for the drone to perform the target inspection task at the target inspection location;

[0084] Calculating a first flight time required for the UAV to reach the target inspection position according to the flight speed, the first current position and the target inspection position;

[0085] The target time is calculated according to the first flight time and the inspection time.

[0086] In the embodiment of the present application, the inspection time may refer to the time required for the drone to perform the target inspection task at the target inspection location. The inspection time may be determined according to the type of the target inspection task. For example, the target inspection task is to inspect the pole towers of overhead lines. The time required for photographing and inspecting each pole tower is roughly similar, so the inspection time required for the pole tower inspection can be estimated.

[0087] In an embodiment of the present application, the first flight time is the flight time required for the drone to travel to the target inspection position. Calculating the first flight time may include: calculating a first flight distance required for the drone to travel to the target inspection position based on the first current position and the target inspection position; and calculating the quotient of the first flight distance and the flight speed to obtain the first flight time.

[0088] In the embodiment of the present application, the process of the drone going to the target inspection location can be to take photos and inspect the inspection route according to the inspection requirements, or it can be a simple movement process.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present application, the target time may be a time after the first flight time and the inspection time starting from the current time.

[0090] In an embodiment of the present application, the first flight time required for the UAV to reach the target inspection position is calculated based on the flight speed, the first current position and the target inspection position; the target time is accurately calculated based on the first flight time and the inspection time, which helps to accurately infer the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time and prevent the UAV from accidentally crashing due to insufficient power.

[0091] Optionally, judging whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task according to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position includes:

[0092] Obtaining the power consumption per unit time of the drone;

[0093] Calculating a second flight time required for the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle according to the flight speed, the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0094] Calculate the total power required for the UAV to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle according to the inspection time, the first flight time, the second flight time, and the power consumption per unit time;

[0095] According to the current power and the total power, it is determined whether the current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present application, the power consumption per unit time may be the power consumption per unit time of the drone. If the power consumption rates of the drone during movement and inspection are similar, the power consumption per unit time in each process may be considered the same.

[0097] In the embodiment of the present application, the second flight time is the flight time required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle. When the drone returns to the unmanned vehicle, if the unmanned vehicle waits for the drone to return at the original location, calculating the first flight time may include: calculating the second flight distance required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle based on the second current position and the target inspection position; calculating the quotient of the second flight distance and the flight speed to obtain the second flight time.

[0098] In some cases, if the unmanned vehicle has traveled to the target inspection position at the target time, that is, the target inspection position and the predicted position coincide with each other, then the second flight time may be approximately zero.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present application, the total power is the power required for the drone to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle. If the total time required for the drone to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle (the sum of the inspection time, the first flight time and the second flight time) is taken, the total power is the product of the total time and the power consumption per unit time.

[0100] In the embodiment of the present application, if the current power is greater than the total power, and if the current power minus the reserved power is still greater than the total power, then the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission. Otherwise, the current power is insufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

[0101] In the embodiment of the present application, the first flight time required for the drone to go to the target inspection location and the second flight time required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle are calculated; then the total power required for the drone to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle is calculated through the inspection time, the first flight time, the second flight time and the power consumption per unit time. In this way, it is accurately determined whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, thereby preventing the drone from accidentally crashing due to insufficient power.

[0102] Optionally, the unmanned vehicle is used to move toward the drone after the target time; and the calculating, based on the flight speed, the target inspection position and the predicted position, a second flight time required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle includes:

[0103] Determining a meeting point of the UAV and the unmanned vehicle according to the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0104] The second flight time is calculated according to the target inspection position, the meeting point and the flight speed.

[0105] In the embodiment of the present application, the meeting point is the location where the drone and the unmanned vehicle meet.

[0106] In this embodiment of the present application, the second flight time is the flight time required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle.

[0107] In an embodiment of the present application, when the drone returns to the unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle can wait in situ. In this case, the meeting point is the predicted position.

[0108] In an embodiment of the present application, when the drone returns to the unmanned vehicle, the unmanned vehicle may also move toward the drone to reduce the flight distance of the drone.

[0109] For example, determining the meeting point of the drone and the unmanned vehicle based on the target inspection position and the predicted position includes: with the goal of minimizing the second flight time, generating a meeting motion plan for the drone and the unmanned vehicle to move toward each other based on the target inspection position and the predicted position, and obtaining the meeting point.

[0110] In an embodiment of the present application, calculating the second flight time may include: calculating the distance between the target inspection position and the meeting point to obtain the second flight distance required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle; calculating the quotient of the second flight distance and the flight speed to obtain the second flight time.

[0111] In the embodiment of the present application, the meeting point of the drone and the unmanned vehicle is determined according to the target inspection position and the predicted position; and then the second flight time is calculated according to the target inspection position, the meeting point and the flight speed. By accurately calculating the second flight time of the drone returning to the unmanned vehicle when the drone and the unmanned vehicle are traveling in opposite directions, it is helpful to accurately determine whether the drone can return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, thereby preventing the drone from accidentally crashing due to insufficient power.

[0112] Optionally, determining the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position includes:

[0113] Generate a tracking motion plan for the unmanned vehicle to move from the second current position to the target inspection position or to track the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

[0114] The predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time is determined according to the target time and the tracking motion plan.

[0115] In an embodiment of the present application, the tracking motion plan is used to instruct the unmanned vehicle to move from the second current position to the target inspection position. The tracking motion plan includes at least path planning and may also include trajectory planning. The tracking motion plan may also be used to limit the maximum distance between the unmanned vehicle and the drone. The end point of the tracking motion plan may be the closest drivable position of the unmanned vehicle to the target inspection position.

[0116] In an embodiment of the present application, the predicted position may be the position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time if the unmanned vehicle moves according to the tracking motion plan.

[0117] In an embodiment of the present application, by generating a tracking motion plan for the unmanned vehicle to move from the second current position to the target inspection position or to track the movement of the drone, the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time can be accurately estimated, which helps to accurately determine whether the drone can return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, thereby preventing the drone from accidentally crashing due to insufficient power.

[0118] Optionally, obtaining the flight speed of the drone includes:

[0119] Obtaining the preset speed of the drone and the current wind speed;

[0120] The preset speed is corrected based on the wind speed to obtain the flight speed of the UAV.

[0121] In the embodiment of the present application, the preset speed may be a preset moving speed of the drone, such as the endurance speed or long-range speed of the drone. The maximum-endurance (ME) speed is the flight speed corresponding to the longest flight time of the drone, that is, the flight speed at which the drone consumes the least power per unit time. The maximum-range (MR) speed is the flight speed at which the drone consumes the least power per unit time.

[0122] speed) is the flight speed of the UAV when the flight distance is the longest, that is, the flight speed of the UAV with the lowest power consumption per unit distance.

[0123] In the embodiment of the present application, the wind speed can be determined by an anemometer on the unmanned vehicle. The wind speed may include a wind speed value and a wind direction.

[0124] In an embodiment of the present application, the pre-set speed is corrected based on the wind speed to obtain the flight speed of the UAV, including: speed synthesis based on the pre-set speed and the wind speed to obtain the flight speed of the UAV.

[0125] In the embodiment of the present application, the speed synthesis may also include: segmenting the flight path of the drone based on the flight direction; performing speed correction on each flight path to obtain the flight speed of the drone in each flight path. In the absence of obstacles, the flight path of the drone may at least include: a first path for the drone to move from the first current position to the target inspection position, and a second flight path for the drone to return from the target inspection position to the unmanned vehicle.

[0126] Optionally, obtaining the power consumption per unit time of the drone includes:

[0127] The historical power data of several historical inspection tasks of the UAV are counted to obtain the power consumption per unit time of the UAV; the historical power data of the historical inspection tasks include the task duration and task power consumption of the historical inspection tasks.

[0128] In an embodiment of the present application, the historical inspection tasks can be a specified number of historical inspection tasks that are closest (latest) to the current moment, or they can be historical inspection tasks that are no more than a preset time (within one day, within 3 hours, or within 1 hour) from the current moment.

[0129] In actual applications, the use environment of drones generally does not change suddenly, and the inspection tasks performed are also similar;

[0130] The power consumption per unit time obtained by counting the historical power data of the most recent historical inspection tasks is closer to the actual power consumption of the drone, which helps to accurately determine whether the drone can return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, and prevent the drone from accidentally crashing due to insufficient power.

[0131] Optionally, the determining whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission includes:

[0132] Based on the standard temperature, current temperature, and temperature correction coefficient of the battery at the drone, the current power is corrected to obtain a corrected current power;

[0133] Determine whether the corrected current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

[0134] In the embodiment of the present application, the current power is corrected based on the following formula: Eactual = E×(1+α(T-T0)), where Eactual is the corrected current power; T is the current temperature (unit: ℃), T0 is the standard temperature (for example, 25℃), and α is the temperature correction coefficient, which can be obtained through experiments.

[0135] In actual applications, cold weather may cause the performance of the drone battery to decline, and the drone's battery level display may be inaccurate. In the embodiment of the present application, the current battery level of the drone is corrected according to the current temperature, and the corrected current battery level is used to determine whether the drone can return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission, which helps to improve the reliability of the judgment result and prevent the drone from accidentally crashing due to insufficient battery.

[0136] Optionally, the unmanned aerial vehicle is a rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle; and determining the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position includes:

[0137] Determine the accessible position of the unmanned vehicle closest to the target inspection position to obtain the predicted position;

[0138] Generate a tracking motion plan for the unmanned vehicle to move from the second current position to the predicted position, and obtain the target time; the target time is the time when the unmanned vehicle arrives at the predicted position;

[0139] Before generating the first instruction, the method further includes:

[0140] Calculate the first flight time required for the drone to reach the target inspection location according to the target time and the inspection time required for the drone to perform the target inspection task;

[0141] The target flight speed of the UAV in the process of heading to the target inspection position is determined according to the first flight time, the first current position and the target inspection position; the first instruction is also used to instruct the UAV to head to the target inspection position at the target flight speed.

[0142] In actual applications, the power consumption per unit time of a rotary-wing UAV first decreases with the increase of moving speed to the power consumption per unit time corresponding to the long-flight speed, and then increases continuously with the increase of moving speed. That is, the power consumption per unit time corresponding to the long-flight speed is less than the power consumption per unit time when hovering; and the power consumption per unit time corresponding to the long-flight speed is less than the power consumption per unit time of the long-flight speed.

[0143] In addition, the moving speed (average speed or long-distance speed) of the drone is generally greater than the moving speed of the unmanned vehicle; the distance between the drone and the unmanned vehicle also needs to be less than the maximum communication distance between the two. Therefore, the movement of the drone and the unmanned vehicle needs to be coordinated and controlled, that is, at the target moment, the drone completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position, and the unmanned vehicle arrives at the target inspection position (the target inspection position and the predicted position coincide). The total flight time of the drone (including the inspection time, the first flight time, and the second flight time) depends on the time required for the slower unmanned vehicle to reach the target inspection position. In the case where the total flight time of the drone cannot be shortened, it can be approximately determined that the total amount of electricity required for the drone to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle is proportional to the flight speed of the drone. In order to maximize the inspection efficiency of the drone, the moving speed of the drone can be set as close to the long-flight speed as possible.

[0144] The step of determining the target flight speed of the UAV in the process of heading to the target inspection position according to the first flight time, the first current position and the target inspection position includes:

[0145] Calculating a first distance between the UAV and the target inspection position according to the first current position and the target inspection position;

[0146] Calculating a quotient of the first distance and the first flight time to obtain a first flight speed of the UAV;

[0147] If the first flight speed is greater than the long-distance cruising speed of the UAV, the long-distance cruising speed is determined as the target flight speed;

[0148] If the first flight speed is between the long-term flight speed and the long-term flight speed of the UAV, the first flight speed is determined as the target flight speed;

[0149] If the first flight speed is not greater than the long-term flight speed of the UAV, the long-term flight speed is determined as the target flight speed.

[0150] In the embodiment of the present application, the first flight speed is greater than the long-distance speed of the UAV, which is actually the case where the unmanned vehicle moves faster; that is, the unmanned vehicle arrives at the target inspection position before the target time. In this case, determining the long-distance speed as the target flight speed helps to increase the range (maximum flight distance) of the UAV, thereby improving the inspection efficiency of the UAV.

[0151] In the embodiment of the present application, the situation where the first flight speed is less than the long-term flight speed of the drone is actually the situation where the unmanned vehicle moves slowly; that is, the unmanned vehicle cannot reach the target inspection position before the target time. In this case, the long-term flight speed is determined as the target flight speed. Even if the drone returns to the unmanned vehicle to perform the next inspection task, it can still reduce the total power required for the drone to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle by reducing the power consumption per unit time, thereby helping to increase the drone's hovering time (maximum flight time), thereby improving the drone's inspection efficiency.

[0152] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first flight speed is between the long-term flight speed and the long-distance flight speed of the UAV, the first flight speed is determined as the target flight speed, so that the UAV completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position at the target time, and the unmanned vehicle arrives at the target inspection position at the same time, thereby taking into account the flight speed and power consumption per unit time of the UAV, thereby improving the inspection efficiency of the UAV.

[0153] Optionally, judging whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task according to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position includes:

[0154] Obtaining the power consumption per unit time corresponding to the target flight speed and the moving time required for the unmanned vehicle to reach the target inspection position;

[0155] Calculating a second flight time required for the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle according to the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0156] According to the moving time and the power consumption per unit time, the total power required for the UAV to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle is calculated;

[0157] According to the current power and the total power, it is determined whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

[0158] Exemplary Devices

[0159] The device embodiments of the present application can be used to execute the method embodiments of the present application. For details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present application, please refer to the method embodiments of the present application.

[0160] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device of an inspection system provided by an embodiment of the present application. The inspection system includes an unmanned vehicle and a drone for performing inspection tasks; the unmanned vehicle is used to accompany the drone in movement and provide power to the drone; Figure 3 As shown, the device 300 includes:

[0161] The acquisition module 310 is used to acquire the current power and the first current position of the drone, the second current position of the unmanned vehicle, and the target inspection position on the inspection route;

[0162] A position determination module 320 is used to determine the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at a target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position; the target time is the time when the unmanned vehicle completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position;

[0163] A judgment module 330 is used to judge whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task according to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0164] The instruction module 340 is used to generate a first instruction if the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task; the first instruction is used to instruct to perform a target inspection task at the target inspection position.

[0165] Optionally, the acquisition module 310 is further used to acquire the flight speed of the drone and the inspection time required for the drone to perform the target inspection task at the target inspection position;

[0166] The device 300 further includes:

[0167] A flight time calculation module, used for calculating a first flight time required for the UAV to travel to the target inspection position according to the flight speed, the first current position and the target inspection position;

[0168] The target time calculation module is used to calculate the target time according to the first flight time and the inspection time.

[0169] Optionally, the judging module 330 includes:

[0170] A power consumption acquisition unit, used to acquire the power consumption per unit time of the drone;

[0171] a flight time calculation unit, configured to calculate a second flight time required for the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle according to the flight speed, the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0172] a total power calculation unit, configured to calculate the total power required for the UAV to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle according to the inspection time, the first flight time, the second flight time, and the power consumption per unit time;

[0173] A judgment unit is used to judge whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task based on the current power and the total power.

[0174] Optionally, the unmanned vehicle is used to move toward the drone after the target time;

[0175] The flight time calculation unit is specifically used for:

[0176] Determining a meeting point of the UAV and the unmanned vehicle according to the target inspection position and the predicted position;

[0177] The second flight time is calculated according to the target inspection position, the meeting point and the flight speed.

[0178] Optionally, the location determination module 320 is specifically configured to:

[0179] Generate a tracking motion plan for the unmanned vehicle to move from the second current position to the target inspection position or to track the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

[0180] The predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time is determined according to the target time and the tracking motion plan.

[0181] Optionally, the acquisition module 310 is further configured to:

[0182] Obtaining the preset speed of the drone and the current wind speed;

[0183] The preset speed is corrected based on the wind speed to obtain the flight speed of the UAV.

[0184] Optionally, the power consumption acquisition unit is specifically used to:

[0185] The historical power data of several historical inspection tasks of the UAV are counted to obtain the power consumption per unit time of the UAV; the historical power data of the historical inspection tasks include the task duration and task power consumption of the historical inspection tasks.

[0186] Optionally, the judging module 330 is specifically configured to:

[0187] Based on the standard temperature, current temperature, and temperature correction coefficient of the battery at the drone, the current power is corrected to obtain a corrected current power;

[0188] Determine whether the corrected current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

[0189] Exemplary Electronic Devices

[0190] Below, reference Figure 4 To describe an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 A block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application is illustrated.

[0191] like Figure 4 As shown, electronic device 400 includes one or more processors 410 and memory 420 .

[0192] The processor 410 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or other forms of processing units having data processing capabilities and / or instruction execution capabilities, and may control other components in the electronic device 400 to perform desired functions.

[0193] The memory 420 may include one or more computer program products, and the computer program product may include various forms of computer-readable storage media, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. The volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory (cache), etc. The non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. One or more computer program instructions may be stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor 410 may run the program instructions to implement the control method of the inspection system of each embodiment of the present application described above and / or other desired functions. Various contents such as category correspondences may also be stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

[0194] In one example, the electronic device 400 may further include: an input device 430 and an output device 440 , and these components are interconnected via a bus system and / or other forms of connection mechanisms (not shown).

[0195] In addition, the input device 430 may also include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The output device 440 may output various information to the outside. The output device 440 may include, for example, a display, a speaker, a printer, a communication network and a remote output device connected thereto, etc.

[0196] Of course, to simplify, Figure 4 Only some of the components related to the present application in the electronic device 400 are shown, and components such as a bus, an input / output interface, etc. are omitted. In addition, according to specific application conditions, the electronic device 400 may also include any other appropriate components.

[0197] Exemplary computer program products and computer-readable storage media

[0198] In addition to the above-mentioned methods and devices, an embodiment of the present application may also be a computer program product, which includes computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, enable the processor to execute the steps of the control method of the inspection system according to various embodiments of the present application described in the above-mentioned "Exemplary Method" section of this specification.

[0199] The computer program product may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​to write program codes for performing the operations of the embodiments of the present application, including object-oriented programming languages, such as Java, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages, such as "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as an independent software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0200] In addition, an embodiment of the present application may also be a computer-readable storage medium on which computer program instructions are stored. When the computer program instructions are executed by a processor, the processor executes the steps of the control method of the inspection system according to various embodiments of the present application described in the above "Exemplary Method" section of this specification.

[0201] The computer readable storage medium can adopt any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium can be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium can include, for example, but is not limited to, a system, device or device of electricity, magnetism, light, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor, or any combination of the above. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of readable storage media include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0202] The basic principles of the present application are described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, strengths, effects, etc. mentioned in the present application are only examples and not limitations, and it cannot be considered that these advantages, strengths, effects, etc. are required by each embodiment of the present application. In addition, the specific details disclosed above are only for the purpose of illustration and ease of understanding, not for limitation, and the above details do not limit the present application to being implemented by adopting the above specific details.

[0203] The block diagrams of the devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems involved in this application are only illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, and configured in the manner shown in the block diagram. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as "including", "comprising", "having", etc. are open words, referring to "including but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with them. The words "or" and "and" used here refer to the words "and / or" and can be used interchangeably with them, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The words "such as" used here refer to the phrase "such as but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with them.

[0204] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, device and method of the present application, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined. Such decomposition and / or recombination should be regarded as equivalent solutions of the present application.

[0205] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0206] It should be understood that the qualifiers "first", "second", "third", "fourth", "fifth" and "sixth" used in the description of the embodiments of the present application are only used to more clearly explain the technical solutions and cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0207] The above description has been given for the purpose of illustration and description. In addition, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application to the forms disclosed herein. Although multiple example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, changes, additions and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A control method for an inspection system, characterized in that: The inspection system includes an unmanned vehicle and a drone for performing inspection tasks; the unmanned vehicle is used to accompany the drone in movement and provide power for the drone; the method includes: Obtaining the current power and first current position of the drone, the second current position of the unmanned vehicle, and the target inspection position on the route to be inspected; Determine the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at a target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position; the target time is the time when the unmanned vehicle completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position; According to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position, determining whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task; If the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task, a first instruction is generated; the first instruction is used to instruct to perform a target inspection task at the target inspection location.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before determining the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time, the method further includes: Obtaining the flight speed of the drone and the inspection time required for the drone to perform the target inspection task at the target inspection location; Calculating a first flight time required for the UAV to reach the target inspection position according to the flight speed, the first current position and the target inspection position; The target time is calculated according to the first flight time and the inspection time.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The determining, based on the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position, whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task includes: Obtaining the power consumption per unit time of the drone; Calculating a second flight time required for the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle according to the flight speed, the target inspection position and the predicted position; Calculate the total power required for the UAV to complete the target inspection task and return to the unmanned vehicle according to the inspection time, the first flight time, the second flight time, and the power consumption per unit time; According to the current power and the total power, it is determined whether the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that: The unmanned vehicle is used to move toward the unmanned aerial vehicle after the target time; The calculating, according to the flight speed, the target inspection position and the predicted position, a second flight time required for the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle comprises: Determining a meeting point of the UAV and the unmanned vehicle according to the target inspection position and the predicted position; The second flight time is calculated according to the target inspection position, the meeting point and the flight speed.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The step of determining the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position includes: Generate a tracking motion plan for the unmanned vehicle to move from the second current position to the target inspection position or to track the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle; The predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at the target time is determined according to the target time and the tracking motion plan.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The obtaining the flight speed of the UAV includes: Obtaining the preset speed of the drone and the current wind speed; The preset speed is corrected based on the wind speed to obtain the flight speed of the UAV.

7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The obtaining of the power consumption per unit time of the drone includes: The historical power data of several historical inspection tasks of the UAV are counted to obtain the power consumption per unit time of the UAV; the historical power data of the historical inspection tasks include the task duration and task power consumption of the historical inspection tasks.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining whether the current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task includes: Based on the standard temperature, current temperature, and temperature correction coefficient of the battery at the drone, the current power is corrected to obtain a corrected current power; Determine whether the corrected current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection mission.

9. A control device for a patrol inspection system, characterized in that: The inspection system includes an unmanned vehicle and a drone for performing inspection tasks; the unmanned vehicle is used to accompany the drone in movement and provide power for the drone; the device includes: An acquisition module, used to acquire the current power and the first current position of the drone, the second current position of the unmanned vehicle, and the target inspection position on the route to be inspected; A position determination module, used to determine the predicted position of the unmanned vehicle at a target time according to the second current position and the target inspection position; the target time is the time when the unmanned vehicle completes the target inspection task at the target inspection position; A judgment module, configured to judge whether the current power is sufficient to support the UAV to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task according to the first current position, the target inspection position and the predicted position; The instruction module is used to generate a first instruction if the current power is sufficient to support the drone to return to the unmanned vehicle after completing the target inspection task; the first instruction is used to instruct to perform a target inspection task at the target inspection position.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: processor; a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; The processor is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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