Unmanned aerial vehicle flight path automatic planning system and method and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle flight path automatic planning system and method and a storage medium, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining the topographic information of a to-be-evidence-collected pattern spot in an order sending task when the order sending task issued by a dispatching center end is received, and the topographic information comprises the shape of the to-be-evidence-collected pattern spot; generating pattern spot waypoints of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the terrain information, wherein the pattern spot waypoints are arranged on turning points of the proof route; and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle to execute the order dispatching task according to the pattern spot waypoint and a preset evidence obtaining action, and sending task data generated when the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to execute the order dispatching task to a dispatching center end in real time. According to the invention, the automation process of satellite film law enforcement is improved, and automatic calculation of route information and automatic display of pattern spot waypoint evidence obtaining actions are realized; and the authenticity and timeliness of the task result are also ensured by the task data returned in real time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) application technology, and in particular to a UAV flight path automatic planning system, method and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In order to improve the land survey, monitoring and statistical system, strengthen the information service of land resources, and meet the needs of economic and social development and land and resources management, it is necessary to provide field evidence for all the plots whose land types are inconsistent with the industry's interpretation, as well as for the new land features that are not reflected in the images and are subject to local supplementary surveys. Obtaining true and accurate field survey data such as plot land types and plot boundaries is an important source and key link for obtaining data in land surveys.

[0003] Traditional law enforcement satellite imagery (law enforcement satellite imagery) relies on manual photography with mobile phones or tablets to verify and present evidence for large and questionable image patches. This often leads to difficulties in accessing homes, confidentiality, limited scenes, and limited information. Drone aerial photography offers an innovative approach that is objective, accurate, timely, and informative. However, drone aerial photography requires manual setting of image patch waypoints along the drone's flight path, a cumbersome, inefficient, and labor-intensive process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main purpose of this invention is to propose an automatic flight path planning method for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to solve the problem of cumbersome route information setting process.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV, referring to Figure 1 , the method comprising:

[0006] Upon receiving a dispatch task issued by the dispatch center, obtaining terrain information of the image spot to be collected in the dispatch task, wherein the terrain information includes the shape of the image spot to be collected;

[0007] Generating a UAV evidence route based on the terrain information and the UAV evidence collection radius, and setting a map waypoint at least at a turning point of the evidence route;

[0008] Control the drone to execute the dispatch task according to the map waypoints and preset evidence collection actions, and send task data generated when controlling the drone to execute the dispatch task to the dispatch center in real time;

[0009] Generating the drone's evidence route based on the terrain information and the drone's evidence collection radius includes:

[0010] Determine whether there is an area in the image patch to be collected that is wider than the diameter of the drone forensics;

[0011] If not, the middle line of the image patch to be collected shall be used as the route for evidence;

[0012] If so, define the area in the image patch whose width exceeds the diameter of the drone evidence as the first area, and define the area that does not exceed the diameter of the drone evidence as the second area. Perform the following operations on the first and second areas:

[0013] Set up multiple evidence collection points in the first area and connect all the evidence collection points to obtain the preliminary evidence collection route of the first area; use the middle line of the second area as the preliminary evidence collection route of the second area, and then connect the preliminary evidence collection routes of the first area and the second area to obtain the evidence collection route of the map area to be collected.

[0014] In some embodiments, the terrain information further includes the coordinates and altitude of the image patch to be obtained, and generating the image patch waypoints of the drone based on the terrain information includes:

[0015] When the image patch to be collected is a planar image patch, the outer boundary line of the planar image patch is set as the evidence route, and a plurality of image patch waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information; and / or,

[0016] When the map patch to be collected for evidence is a planar map patch, the inner boundary line of the planar map patch is set as the evidence route, and a number of map patch waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information.

[0017] In some embodiments, the terrain information further includes the coordinates and altitude of the image patch to be obtained, and generating the image patch waypoints of the drone based on the terrain information includes:

[0018] When the image patch to be collected as evidence is a strip-shaped image patch, the center line of the strip-shaped image patch is set as the evidence route;

[0019] A plurality of map waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information.

[0020] In some embodiments, it further includes:

[0021] The evidence route is displayed on a user graphical interface and a map waypoint adding and deleting operation interface is provided for the user to add and delete the map waypoints.

[0022] In some embodiments, the mission data includes at least two of the following information: the UAV's flight attitude, location information, processed photos, real-time image transmission, and evidence route information; the mission data generated when controlling the UAV to perform the dispatch mission and sending it to the dispatch center in real time includes:

[0023] Sending the task data to the dispatch center;

[0024] The dispatch center parses the task data according to preset rules and displays the task data on a user graphical interface.

[0025] In some embodiments, the sending of task data generated when controlling the drone to perform the dispatch task to the dispatch center in real time includes:

[0026] When the drone is located between two of the map waypoints, the video captured by the drone is sent to the dispatch center in real time;

[0027] When the UAV reaches the map waypoint, the photos taken by the UAV are sent to the dispatch center in real time.

[0028] In some embodiments, the map waypoint is set at a turning point of the evidence route; and\or,

[0029] The map waypoints are arranged at intervals on the evidence route, and the distance between two adjacent map waypoints is 50m to 500m.

[0030] In some embodiments, controlling the drone to execute the dispatch task according to the map waypoints and preset evidence collection actions includes:

[0031] Adjusting the pitch angle of the drone at each of the map waypoints according to the terrain information;

[0032] The drone is controlled to shoot in at least one of the four directions of front, rear, middle and vertical downward at each of the map waypoints.

[0033] The present invention further proposes an automatic flight path planning system for a UAV, comprising:

[0034] A terminal, the terminal comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the method according to any one of the aforementioned embodiments;

[0035] A dispatch center end, which is used to send dispatch tasks to the terminals and receive the task data sent by the terminals in real time;

[0036] A drone, wherein the drone is used to perform the dispatching task under the control of the terminal.

[0037] The present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of the aforementioned embodiments is implemented.

[0038] The present invention uses the terminal to automatically plan the evidence route, map waypoints and evidence collection actions according to the terrain information of the map to be collected, thereby improving the automation process of satellite image law enforcement, realizing the automatic setting of route information, and greatly reducing the user's workload; the real-time return of task data also ensures the authenticity and timeliness of the task results. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for automatically planning a flight path for a UAV according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV according to the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV according to the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV according to the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV according to the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV according to the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a flow chart of another embodiment of the method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV according to the present invention;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a practical flow chart of an embodiment of a method for automatically planning a flight path for a UAV according to the present invention;

[0047] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a planar pattern in accordance with an embodiment of a method for automatically planning a flight path for a UAV according to the present invention;

[0048] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a strip pattern in accordance with an embodiment of a method for automatically planning a flight path for a UAV according to the present invention;

[0049] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the automatic flight path planning system for unmanned aerial vehicles of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings to clearly and completely describe the 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 making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0052] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the fact that they can be implemented by ordinary technicians in this field. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0053] The present invention proposes a method for automatically planning the flight path of a UAV, referring to Figure 1 , the method comprising:

[0054] Step S100: upon receiving a dispatch task issued by the dispatch center, obtaining terrain information of the image spot to be collected in the dispatch task, the terrain information including the shape of the image spot to be collected.

[0055] Users can receive dispatch tasks issued by the dispatch center through any terminal. The dispatch center and terminals can specifically include but are not limited to: smart phones, tablets, laptops, smart wearable devices such as smart bracelets and smart watches, and other computer devices that can process data on the move, or desktop computers, servers, and other computer devices that cannot process data on the move.

[0056] A distributed client program may be preset in the terminal, which may perform at least one of the following operations, for example: task viewing, order acceptance, task execution status query, task data download, task retrieval, task synchronization (task information download), file transfer with the dispatch center, standard action instruction interaction with the dispatch center, and task data return.

[0057] The dispatch task includes all task-related information. In addition to terrain information, it may also include, but is not limited to, any combination of one or more of the following: task ID (identification information), task execution time, and specific content of task execution. It is worth mentioning that terrain information is usually obtained in the form of KML (Keyhole Markup Language) files or SHP (Shapefile) files, which is convenient for downloading, mapping, and spatial analysis.

[0058] Furthermore, when a user receives an order dispatching task issued by the dispatching center, he or she can choose to accept or reject it. If the user chooses to accept, a response message of accepting the task will be sent to the dispatching center based on the user's order acceptance operation based on the order dispatching information, and the execution status of the order dispatching task will be updated to the accepted status. Correspondingly, if the user refuses to accept the order based on the order dispatching information, a response message of rejecting the task will be sent to the dispatching center, and the execution status will be updated to the rejected status.

[0059] Step S200: Generate the drone's evidence route based on the terrain information and the drone's evidence collection radius, with the image patch waypoints set at the turning points of the evidence route;

[0060] Automatically generate a collection route based on terrain information, allowing the drone to collect evidence along the collection route in the area of the image patch to be collected. The generation of the collection route can be set according to preset rules, which are generally determined based on the area of the image patch to be collected and the collection radius of the drone. Specifically, generating the drone collection route based on the terrain information and the collection radius of the drone includes:

[0061] Determine whether there is an area in the image patch to be collected that is wider than the diameter of the drone forensics;

[0062] If not, the middle line of the image patch to be collected shall be used as the route for evidence;

[0063] If so, define the area in the image patch whose width exceeds the diameter of the drone evidence as the first area, and define the area that does not exceed the diameter of the drone evidence as the second area. Perform the following operations on the first and second areas:

[0064] Set up multiple evidence collection points in the first area and connect all the evidence collection points to obtain the preliminary evidence collection route of the first area; use the middle line of the second area as the preliminary evidence collection route of the second area, and then connect the preliminary evidence collection routes of the first area and the second area to obtain the evidence collection route of the map area to be collected. For example, if the evidence collection radius of the drone is 500m, it is possible to confirm whether there is an area with a width exceeding 1000m in the map to be collected. If there is no area with a width exceeding 1000m, the middle line of the map to be collected can be used as the evidence route; if the width of some areas exceeds 1000m, the map to be collected can be divided into a first area and a second area, where the first area is an area with a width exceeding 1000m, and multiple evidence collection points can be set in the first area (the number of evidence collection points is related to the size of the area, the larger the area, the more evidence collection points there are). The line connecting these evidence points is the preliminary evidence route for the first area, and the middle line is still used as the preliminary evidence route for the second area. The preliminary evidence route of the two areas is then connected to obtain the evidence route of the map to be collected; if the map to be collected has more areas with a width exceeding 1000m, the map to be collected can be cut into several smaller maps to be collected, and an evidence route can be planned for each smaller map to be collected separately.

[0065] Alternatively, the image to be collected can be divided into a regular grid, with the size of the grid smaller than the drone's shooting range. Then, within each grid, a shooting point is set (usually the grid's centerline). The route formed by connecting these points in sequence is the evidence route. Furthermore, optimization algorithms (such as genetic algorithms and particle swarm optimization) can be used to further optimize the connection of the shooting points to ensure that the resulting evidence route is the shortest possible.

[0066] The spot waypoints are the points where the drone stops and takes photos for evidence collection. The turning points of the evidence route are where the route direction changes, and usually mark the boundaries of different shooting areas. Taking photos at the turning points of the evidence route can ensure that there is sufficient overlap between the images of the various shooting areas, thereby avoiding blind spots in evidence collection. Therefore, in this embodiment, the spot waypoints are set at the turning points of the evidence route. This not only reduces the burden on the terminal to calculate how to set the spot waypoints, but also enables the drone to better treat the evidence spots for evidence collection, reducing the probability of omissions. In addition, when the drone flies to the turning point, it also needs to slow down and change the flight direction. Setting the spot waypoints at the turning point also facilitates the drone to quickly turn after the shooting is completed, thereby improving the efficiency of evidence collection.

[0067] It is understandable that in addition to setting up map waypoints at the turning points of the evidence route, if the evidence route does not turn over a long distance, then additional map waypoints are required on that section of the evidence route. Specifically, the setting of map waypoints is related to the model and performance of the drone (or the model and performance of the camera carried by the drone). If the evidence collection radius of the drone is 500m, and the length of the straight section in the evidence route is less than or equal to 500m, then there is no need to set up map waypoints on that section of the evidence route; if the length of the straight section is greater than 500m, then a number of map waypoints can be added to the straight section, and the specific number depends on the specific length of the straight section.

[0068] The present invention uses the terminal to automatically plan the evidence route, map waypoints and evidence collection actions according to the terrain information of the map to be collected, thereby improving the automation process of satellite image law enforcement, realizing the automatic setting of route information, and greatly reducing the user's workload; the real-time return of task data also ensures the authenticity and timeliness of the task results.

[0069] Step S300: Control the drone to execute the dispatch task according to the map waypoints and preset evidence collection actions, and send the task data generated when controlling the drone to execute the dispatch task to the dispatch center in real time.

[0070] After generating the waypoints for the image patch, flight control commands can be sent to the drone, manipulating the drone to collect evidence within the image patch according to the waypoints. During the drone's evidence collection process, mission data, including the drone's current location, the execution status of the evidence collection action, and images or videos captured by the camera, are transmitted to the dispatch center in real time. It is understood that before saving the mission data, project folders can be created according to a preset numbering scheme, and the mission data can be stored in the corresponding folders to facilitate subsequent processing by the user. There are various preset numbering schemes, such as by date, mission type, or mission location, and the present invention is not limited to this. Optionally, mission data can also be stored in a database preset by the distributed client program to ensure that data is not lost during the evidence collection process. Since some scenes may require manual photography for evidence collection, such as interior photography of greenhouses and agricultural land with facilities, which can only be obtained by the user using a handheld camera, after the drone evidence collection is completed, the user can upload the mission data saved by the drone and the manually collected mission data to the dispatch center for easy review.

[0071] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the terrain information also includes the coordinates and altitude of the image patch to be collected, and generating the image patch waypoints of the drone based on the terrain information includes:

[0072] Step S210a: When the image patch to be collected as evidence is a planar image patch, the outer boundary line of the planar image patch is set as the evidence route, and a number of image patch waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information.

[0073] Step S220a: When the image patch to be collected as evidence is a planar image patch, the inner boundary line of the planar image patch is set as the evidence route, and a number of image patch waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information.

[0074] Topographic information usually also includes the coordinates and altitude of the image area to be collected, making it easier for users to select the appropriate model of drone to take photos and collect evidence.

[0075] The evidence route is the flight path of the drone. If the patch to be collected is a planar patch, the outer boundary line surrounding the patch can be used as the evidence route. This not only reduces the computing power requirements of the terminal, making the setting of the evidence route more convenient and quick, but also makes the drone's evidence collection of boundaries clearer, which is of great significance for land ownership disputes and the demarcation of environmental protection zones. Furthermore, if the patch to be collected is annular (that is, the patch to be collected has a hole inside), its internal boundary line can also be used as the evidence route, further improving the comprehensiveness of evidence collection and accurately demarcating the boundary of the patch to be collected.

[0076] The placement of image patch waypoints depends on the model and performance of the drone (or the model and performance of the camera it carries). If the drone's evidence collection radius is 500 meters, a pattern patch waypoint can be set every 500 meters along the evidence collection route, ensuring that the drone can collect evidence for the entire image patch. Furthermore, since the boundary line is used as the evidence collection route in this embodiment, when the drone takes pictures of the side, it only needs to select an angle facing the inside of the image patch to be collected.

[0077] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the terrain information also includes the coordinates and altitude of the image patch to be collected, and generating the image patch waypoints of the drone based on the terrain information includes:

[0078] Step S210b: When the image patch to be collected is a strip-shaped image patch, the center line of the strip-shaped image patch is set as the evidence route;

[0079] Step S220b: setting a number of map waypoints on the evidence route according to the terrain information.

[0080] If the image patch to be collected is a strip, since strips are typically long, the center line of the strip will be used as the evidence route. If the image patch to be collected is circular, the evidence route will also be the center line of the circular pattern. The setting of the image patch waypoints is similar to the previous embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0081] like Figure 5As shown, in some embodiments, it also includes:

[0082] Step S400: Displaying the evidence route on the user graphical interface and providing a map waypoint addition and deletion operation interface for the user to add or delete the map waypoints.

[0083] A user graphical interface is set up in the distributed client program of the terminal to display the planned evidence route for user viewing. Furthermore, the flight status of the drone can be updated in real time on the user graphical interface, including one or more combinations of the drone's position, altitude, flight speed, etc., to facilitate users to understand the drone's evidence collection situation.

[0084] The map waypoint addition and deletion operation interface is a secondary sub-page of the user graphical interface, which allows users to set the number and location of map waypoints. Specifically, when the user clicks on a map waypoint, the map waypoint addition and deletion operation interface pops up on the user graphical interface, prompting the user whether to delete this map waypoint. If the user selects "Yes", the map waypoint will be deleted and the map waypoint addition and deletion operation interface will be exited; if the user selects "No", the map waypoint addition and deletion operation interface will be directly exited. Similarly, when the user clicks on other locations on the evidence route, the map waypoint addition and deletion operation interface pops up on the user graphical interface, prompting the user whether to add this map waypoint. I will not go into details here.

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments, the mission data includes at least two of the following information: the UAV's flight attitude, location information, processed photos, real-time image transmission, and evidence route information; the mission data generated when controlling the UAV to perform the dispatch mission and sending it to the dispatch center in real time includes:

[0086] Step S310: Sending task data to the dispatch center;

[0087] Step S320: The dispatch center parses the task data according to preset rules and displays the task data on the drone monitoring interface.

[0088] After receiving the task data sent in real time by the distributed client program, the dispatch center parses and visualizes the task data. The task data parsing includes importing the route information set by the "distributed client program" into the preset drone monitoring webpage, marking the evidence route and map waypoints, and displaying the specific location of the drone flight in real time. For example, a "five-pointed star" represents the drone, and the position of the "five-pointed star" on the evidence route represents the actual location of the drone. Furthermore, the pictures taken by the drone are processed in real time, and users can click on the map waypoints to display the photos taken at that location. A secondary video playback page can also be set on the drone monitoring webpage to display the video being shot by the drone in real time, so as to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the drone's status.

[0089] like Figure 7 As shown, in some embodiments, sending task data generated when controlling a drone to perform a dispatch task to a dispatch center in real time includes:

[0090] Step S310a: When the UAV is located between two map waypoints, the video captured by the UAV is sent to the dispatch center in real time;

[0091] Step S310b: When the UAV reaches the map waypoint, the video and photos taken by the UAV are sent to the dispatch center in real time.

[0092] The drone continuously records video throughout the evidence collection process and maintains a continuous connection with the dispatch center, enabling real-time monitoring. When at a waypoint, the drone simultaneously records video and takes photos, sending both videos and photos to the dispatch center.

[0093] In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent map waypoints is 50m to 500m.

[0094] As the location where drones take photos and collect evidence, the way in which they are set up plays a vital role in satellite image law enforcement. In order to ensure that the drone takes enough pictures, a threshold can be preset to keep the distance between the waypoints within an appropriate range to avoid the situation where the distance between two adjacent waypoints is too far, resulting in no evidence in the middle part, or the distance between two adjacent waypoints is too close, resulting in repeated evidence collection, which affects the efficiency of the drone's evidence collection. In this embodiment, the distance between adjacent waypoints is controlled to be in the range of 50m to 500m. If the distance between two adjacent waypoints is less than 50m, one of the waypoints is deleted; if the distance between two adjacent waypoints is greater than 500m, a waypoint is added in the middle. It is understandable that after adding or deleting waypoints, the distance between the waypoints can be updated and checked. If the distance between the two adjacent waypoints after the update still does not meet the requirements, the addition or deletion operation is performed again until it meets the requirements.

[0095] In some embodiments, controlling the drone to execute a dispatch task according to the map waypoints and preset evidence collection actions includes:

[0096] Adjust the pitch angle of the drone when shooting at each map point according to the terrain information;

[0097] The drone is controlled to shoot at each of the image spot waypoints in at least one of the five directions of the front, rear, left, right and vertically downward of the drone's flight direction.

[0098] Among them, the pitch angle of the drone during shooting is determined according to the acquired terrain information and the shooting performance of the drone. When the image area to be collected is large, the lens on the drone is controlled to face farther to obtain a larger shooting range, reduce the number of image area waypoints, and thus improve the efficiency of evidence collection; when the image area to be collected is small, the lens on the drone is controlled to face closer to improve the shooting accuracy.

[0099] Moreover, when the terminal sets the map spot waypoints, it also sets the shooting direction of the drone at each map spot waypoint. For example, if the map spot waypoint is inside the map spot to be collected, the drone is made to shoot in the five directions of the front, back, left, right, and vertically downward in the direction of the drone's flight; if the map spot waypoint is at the boundary of the map spot to be collected, the drone is made to shoot in the front, back, vertically downward, and toward the inside of the map spot to be collected. It is understandable that if the map spot waypoint is located at the turning point of the evidence route, the direction in which the drone flies to the turning point can be used as the basis for setting the direction. Furthermore, the user can also edit the evidence collection action in the user graphical interface of the terminal, including adding and deleting shooting directions, and adjusting the pitch angle of the drone when taking pictures, so as to facilitate the user to make appropriate adjustments according to the actual situation and improve the accuracy and efficiency of evidence collection.

[0100] In order to more clearly express the specific application of the method of the present invention, it is described in detail with reference to the following examples.

[0101] Example 1: The pattern to be collected for evidence is a planar pattern.

[0102] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, first, a dispatch task is received, the terrain information of the patch to be evidenced in the dispatch task is obtained, and the patch to be evidenced is determined to be a planar patch. The boundary line of the planar patch is set as the evidence route. Since the planar patch has a hole inside, the outer boundary line is used as the first evidence route, and the inner boundary line is used as the second evidence route.

[0103] Secondly, an appropriate number of waypoints are selected along the two evidence routes to ensure that sufficient information is collected and the accuracy of satellite image enforcement is guaranteed. Turning points on the evidence routes are used as waypoints. When the drone passes through a waypoint, it stops and collects evidence. If the distance between two adjacent waypoints exceeds a certain threshold, a number of waypoints are evenly added between the two wayspoints to ensure that the distance between adjacent waypoints is within the threshold.

[0104] It is worth mentioning that the starting and ending points of the two evidence routes can be set as needed: if the drone returns after collecting evidence on the first evidence route and then collects evidence on the second evidence route, the starting and ending points of the evidence route can be set according to the user's preferences. If the drone completes two evidence routes at once, the closest map point between the two evidence routes is selected, for example Figure 8 The spot waypoint A and spot waypoint B in the first evidential route are used as the end point of the first evidential route. At this time, the spot waypoint adjacent to spot waypoint A on the first evidential route (usually two, any one of them can be selected) is used as the starting point; the spot waypoint B on the second evidential route is used as the starting point of the second evidential route. At this time, the spot waypoint adjacent to spot waypoint B on the second evidential route (usually two, any one of them can be selected) is used as the end point;

[0105] Finally, plan the evidence collection action when the drone flies to the pattern waypoint. There are four default evidence collection actions, which are shooting in the front, back, middle and vertical angles to ensure that the photos taken can cover the entire surface pattern. It can be understood that the vertical angle is facing the ground; since the pattern waypoint is usually set at the turning point of the evidence route, the front angle and the back angle form an angle, and the middle angle is usually set on the angle bisector of the side of the angle facing the surface pattern. Figure 8 If the evidence route is the outer boundary line of the surface pattern, the middle viewing angle is toward the inside of the evidence route; if the evidence route is the inner boundary line of the surface pattern, the middle viewing angle is toward the outside of the evidence route.

[0106] Example 2: The pattern to be collected for evidence is a strip pattern.

[0107] like Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, first, a dispatch task is received, the terrain information of the patch to be evidenced in the dispatch task is obtained, and the patch to be evidenced is determined to be a strip patch. The center line of the strip patch is set as the third evidence route. In fact, since strip patches are usually irregular in shape, it is only necessary to ensure that the center line is roughly in the middle of the strip patch. It can be understood that the strip patch has branches, so the center line of the branch is used as the fourth evidence route.

[0108] Next, set several waypoints based on the distance between the starting and ending points of the strip. The distance between two adjacent waypoints is 300 meters (this distance can be determined based on the drone's camera parameters and user needs). The drone stops and collects evidence when passing through a waypoint. Of the two endpoints of the third evidence route, one serves as the starting point and the other as the end point. The starting point of a branch can be the intersection of the two evidence routes, in which case the end point is the other endpoint of the fourth evidence route. Alternatively, the intersection of the two evidence routes can be the end point, with the other endpoint of the fourth evidence route serving as the starting point. The choice can be based on actual circumstances.

[0109] Finally, plan the evidence collection actions when the drone flies to the patch waypoint. There are four default evidence collection actions, which are shooting from the front, rear, middle, and vertical perspectives to ensure that the captured photos can cover the entire strip of pattern. Preferably, the front and rear perspectives form an angle, and the middle perspective is set on the bisector of the angle. Therefore, the middle perspective has two opposite directions. When setting the evidence collection actions, the middle perspectives of two adjacent patch waypoints are set in opposite directions when collecting evidence, which facilitates capturing more images of the strip of pattern.

[0110] It is worth mentioning that some of the patches to be collected for evidence are a combination of planar patches and strip patches. In this case, the setting method of the evidence route is similar to the above embodiment. After setting the evidence routes of the planar patches and strip patches, the two nearest patch waypoints can be connected.

[0111] The technical solution of the present invention improves the automation process of satellite image law enforcement by using the terminal to automatically plan the evidence route, map waypoints and evidence collection actions according to the terrain information of the map to be collected, realizes the automatic calculation of route information and the automatic display of map waypoint evidence collection actions, and greatly reduces the user's workload; the real-time return of task data also ensures the authenticity and timeliness of the task results.

[0112] The present invention further proposes an automatic flight path planning system for unmanned aerial vehicles, referring to Figure 11 ,include:

[0113] A terminal, the terminal including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the method of any one of the aforementioned embodiments;

[0114] The dispatch center is used to send dispatch tasks to the terminal and receive task data sent by the terminal in real time;

[0115] Drone, the drone is used to perform dispatching tasks under the control of the terminal.

[0116] It should be understood that the processor may be a central processing unit (CPU), or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0117] The present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the method of any one of the aforementioned embodiments is implemented.

[0118] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or some of the steps, systems, and functional modules / units in the methods disclosed above may be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and appropriate combinations thereof. In a hardware implementation, the division between the functional modules / units mentioned in the above description does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, a physical component may have multiple functions, or a function or step may be performed by several physical components in cooperation. Some or all physical components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, or a microprocessor, or may be implemented as hardware, or may be implemented as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software may be distributed on a computer-readable storage medium, which may include a computer-readable storage medium (or a non-transitory medium) and a communication medium (or a temporary medium).

[0119] As is well known to those skilled in the art, the term computer-readable storage medium includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Computer-readable storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVDs) or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, as is well known to those skilled in the art, communication media generally contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transmission mechanism, and can include any information delivery medium. Exemplarily, the computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the network management device of the aforementioned embodiment, such as a hard disk or memory of the network management device. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the network management device, such as a plug-in hard disk equipped on the network management device, a smart media card (SMC), a secure digital (SD) card, a flash memory card, etc.

[0120] The above are only some or preferred embodiments of the present invention. Neither the text nor the drawings can limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made by using the contents of the present invention description and drawings under the overall concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect application in other related technical fields are included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for automatically planning a flight path for an unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that: The method comprises: Upon receiving a dispatch task issued by the dispatch center, obtaining terrain information of the image spot to be collected in the dispatch task, wherein the terrain information includes the shape of the image spot to be collected; Generating a UAV evidence route based on the terrain information and the UAV evidence collection radius, and setting a map waypoint at least at a turning point of the evidence route; Control the drone to execute the dispatch task according to the map waypoints and preset evidence collection actions, and send task data generated when controlling the drone to execute the dispatch task to the dispatch center in real time; Generating the drone's evidence route based on the terrain information and the drone's evidence collection radius includes: Determine whether there is an area in the image patch to be collected that is wider than the diameter of the drone forensics; If not, the middle line of the image patch to be collected shall be used as the route for evidence; If so, define the area in the image patch whose width exceeds the diameter of the drone evidence as the first area, and define the area that does not exceed the diameter of the drone evidence as the second area. Perform the following operations on the first and second areas: Set up multiple evidence collection points in the first area and connect all the evidence collection points to obtain the preliminary evidence collection route of the first area; use the middle line of the second area as the preliminary evidence collection route of the second area, and then connect the preliminary evidence collection routes of the first area and the second area to obtain the evidence collection route of the map area to be collected.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The terrain information also includes the coordinates and altitude of the image patch to be collected. The method of generating the image patch waypoints of the drone based on the terrain information includes: When the image patch to be collected is a planar image patch, the outer boundary line of the planar image patch is set as the evidence route, and a plurality of image patch waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information; and / or, When the map patch to be collected for evidence is a planar map patch, the inner boundary line of the planar map patch is set as the evidence route, and a number of map patch waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The terrain information also includes the coordinates and altitude of the image patch to be collected for evidence. The process of generating the drone's evidence route based on the terrain information includes: When the image patch to be collected as evidence is a strip-shaped image patch, the center line of the strip-shaped image patch is set as the evidence route; A plurality of map waypoints are set on the evidence route according to the terrain information.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that Also includes: The evidence route is displayed on a user graphical interface and a map waypoint adding and deleting operation interface is provided for the user to add and delete the map waypoints.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The mission data includes at least two of the following information: the UAV’s flight attitude, location information, processed photos, real-time image transmission, and evidence route information; The sending of task data generated when controlling the drone to execute the dispatch task to the dispatch center in real time includes: Sending the task data to the dispatch center; The dispatch center parses the task data according to preset rules and displays the task data on the drone monitoring interface.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The sending of task data generated when controlling the drone to execute the dispatch task to the dispatch center in real time includes: When the drone is located between two of the map waypoints, the video captured by the drone is sent to the dispatch center in real time; When the drone arrives at the map waypoint, the video and photos taken by the drone are sent to the dispatch center in real time.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The distance between two adjacent map waypoints is 50m to 500m.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The controlling the drone to execute the dispatching task according to the map waypoints and the preset evidence collection action includes: Adjusting the pitch angle of the drone when shooting at each of the map waypoints according to the terrain information; The drone is controlled to shoot at each of the image spot waypoints in at least one of the five directions of the front, rear, left, right and vertically downward of the drone's flight direction.

9. An automatic flight path planning system for unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that: include: A terminal, the terminal comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, the processor being configured to execute the computer program to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A dispatch center end, which is used to send dispatch tasks to the terminals and receive the task data sent by the terminals in real time; A drone, wherein the drone is used to perform the dispatching task under the control of the terminal.

10. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is implemented.

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