An aircraft navigation method and apparatus
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202510449263.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-04-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-20
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of aircraft navigation, and more specifically, to aircraft navigation methods and apparatus. Background Technology
[0002] Aircraft refer to fixed-wing aircraft, rotorcraft (such as helicopters), drones, eVTOL systems, airships, etc. Current aircraft navigation technologies employ a route / flight management approach, requiring pre-application, static allocation, and manual control. In the low-altitude economy, flight density and frequency are orders of magnitude higher than traditional commercial aviation, especially in urban environments where almost all airworthy airspace may be allocated flight missions. This necessitates high levels of pre-application, allocation, and control, requiring significant computing power. Particularly in the initial stages, where experience is lacking, deficiencies in safety systems and traffic regulations make high-density navigation difficult to achieve.
[0003] Existing technologies typically employ active aircraft navigation, utilizing global navigation satellite systems, visual positioning and navigation, millimeter-wave radar, and other technologies installed on aircraft to achieve navigation in urban airspace. However, with the development of the low-altitude economy, drones, urban air traffic, and other low-altitude aircraft are operating simultaneously. Obstacles, signal attenuation, link congestion, electromagnetic interference from humans, and rapidly changing weather conditions place higher demands on the stability, reliability, and real-time performance of communication systems. To ensure safety, active aircraft navigation employs multi-sensor collaboration for precise perception, intelligent decision-making, and rapid response. For example, integrating multiple sensors such as lidar, optical cameras, ultrasonic sensors, GPS, and inertial navigation systems onto the aircraft acts as its "eyes," requiring significant computing power and demanding hardware specifications. Extensive redundancy design, including motor and power supply redundancy, increases the aircraft's load, resulting in larger size, higher energy consumption, and significantly reduced endurance, making it difficult to meet the demands of long-duration, high-load missions. Furthermore, the increased number of sensors on an aircraft raises concerns about public privacy. It is the combination of safety issues, efficiency, and cost factors mentioned above that determines whether aircraft can be scaled up and developed sustainably in the low-altitude economy. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This application provides an aircraft navigation method and apparatus to at least solve the practical application problem of difficult navigation in complex environments in relevant aircraft application scenarios.
[0005] According to one aspect of this application, an aircraft navigation method is provided, comprising: Delineate flight routes within the designated airspace; Available points within the planned route; Send out the available point information for the route; The aircraft selects the available points to operate from, thus achieving navigation.
[0006] Furthermore, the airspace includes: the airspace above a fixed building or a group of buildings of similar height; and the airspace between a fixed building or a group of buildings of similar height and another fixed building or a group of fixed buildings of similar height.
[0007] Furthermore, the air route includes: fixed air routes and / or active air routes, wherein the fixed air route refers to a long-term air route that has been reviewed; and the active air route refers to an air route that requires prior application.
[0008] Furthermore, the fixed route is divided into at least one altitude level; the available points are located at different altitude levels.
[0009] Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, modify, or mark at least one of the available points according to instructions.
[0010] According to another aspect of this application, an aircraft navigation device is also provided, the device comprising: The positioning module determines the airspace range to which the navigation method belongs; The calculation module processes the available points in the navigation method described above. The communication module enables the sending and receiving of information in the navigation method.
[0011] Furthermore, the positioning module is configured to perform at least one of the following: The positioning module is used to achieve at least one of the following; Self-positioning; The location of nearby emergency response points relative to its own location; The positioning of the nearby navigation device relative to its own positioning; The route division range is relative to its own positioning; The positioning of the nearby aircraft relative to its own position.
[0012] Furthermore, the processing module prioritizes the available points adjacent to the aircraft over the other available points.
[0013] Furthermore, the navigation device internally stores the outline information of the building it represents or a group of buildings with similar heights.
[0014] Furthermore, the navigation device also includes a light and sound module that emits light and / or sound.
[0015] Furthermore, the navigation device also includes a meteorological module, which is capable of sensing the real-time weather conditions at the installation location of the navigation device and issuing instructions to the computing module and / or communicating with the aircraft through the communication module.
[0016] According to another aspect of this application, an electronic device is also provided, comprising: A memory and / or a processor; wherein the memory is used to store one or more computer instructions, wherein the one or more computer instructions are executed by the processor to implement the steps of the aircraft navigation method.
[0017] In this embodiment, air routes are defined within the designated airspace; available points within the air routes are planned; the information on the available points along the air routes is sent out; and the aircraft selects an available point to operate from, thus achieving navigation. This application solves the problem of navigation difficulties in complex environments for aircraft applications, expanding the application scope of aircraft in complex environments. Attached Figure Description
[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:
[0019] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an aircraft navigation method according to an embodiment of this application;
[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of airspace division for an aircraft navigation method according to an embodiment of this application;
[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of route division for an aircraft navigation method according to an embodiment of this application;
[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the route altitude layer and available points on the layer for an aircraft navigation method according to an embodiment of this application;
[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an aircraft navigation device according to an embodiment of this application;
[0024] Figure 6 This is a top-down view of an aircraft navigation device according to an embodiment of this application; and,
[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an aircraft navigation device planning adjacent available points according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0026] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0027] It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions, and although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.
[0028] The technologies involved in the following embodiments will be described first.
[0029] Spacetime overlap:
[0030] A point in space is determined by three coordinates, and the position of an aircraft in space can be considered as a point. The concept of spacetime adds a time dimension; whether points in space will coincide on a timeline is called spacetime overlap; two aircraft in space will only have time overlap if they are at the same point in time and at the same coordinates.
[0031] The essence of low-altitude economic applications lies in the utilization of airspace by aircraft, namely, replacing traditional 2D roads with 3D space to address the contradiction between living space for people and the necessary space for service equipment brought about by the increasing number of modern equipment and facilities. The low-altitude economy includes most life application scenarios such as air taxis, freight logistics, medical supply transportation, and emergency rescue, achieving separation of humans and aircraft—people live on the ground, while aircraft are in the sky. This alleviates urban traffic congestion. Although the low-altitude economy industry is developing rapidly, practical factors limit its actual application. According to the inventors' analysis, the main reasons for these limitations are:
[0032] 1. Challenges in aircraft management:
[0033] This manifests in conflicts between commercial aviation, which requires clear airspace, and drones that do not comply with regulations; unauthorized drone flights create a mobile aerial reef in the low-altitude economy, hindering cooperative drone operations due to insufficient monitoring and countermeasures and inadequate infrastructure; and the lack of transparency in flight plans among different companies, preventing real-time communication and coordination. It also involves difficulties in managing no-fly zones.
[0034] 2. Navigation technology challenges for aircraft in complex environments:
[0035] Because flight density and frequency are several orders of magnitude higher than traditional commercial aviation, obstacles, signal attenuation, link congestion, and electromagnetic interference from humans primarily manifest as incomplete or unstable communication signal coverage, potentially causing brief periods of communication loss or loss of control for aircraft. This places higher demands on the stability, reliability, and real-time performance of communication systems, typically requiring aircraft to detect, avoid, and resolve in-flight conflicts and conflicts with the environment, as well as the ability to detect, avoid, and resolve risks to ground targets, presenting significant challenges.
[0036] To address the aforementioned problems, primarily stemming from the excessive freedom of aircraft maneuverability, an alternative solution is provided in the following embodiments. This embodiment proposes an aircraft navigation method and apparatus that employs local airspace navigation. Airspace is divided based on different buildings within a city, and available points for different routes within the airspace are planned according to the characteristics of the buildings. Available coordinates are sent to the aircraft, which then selects an available point for navigation. This avoids the limitations of traditional methods involving pre-application, static allocation, and manual control, which are unsuitable for complex environments and require extensive aircraft computation. It reduces aircraft hardware complexity and computational requirements, lowering costs. Furthermore, by reducing the need for active aircraft sensing, the likelihood of privacy breaches is reduced. The aircraft navigation method and apparatus of this invention grant aircraft sufficient freedom of choice in their routes. Simultaneously, due to the use of airspace-based navigation, various airspace navigation devices can be networked, facilitating long-distance aircraft control.
[0037] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an aircraft navigation method according to an embodiment of this application; the following is a description of... Figure 1 The steps involved in the Chinese method are explained below:
[0038] Step S102: Determine flight routes within the designated airspace;
[0039] Step S104: Plan the available points within the flight route;
[0040] Step S106: Send out the available point information of the route;
[0041] In step S108, the aircraft selects the available point to operate and achieve navigation.
[0042] In the above steps, the purpose of the airspace is to determine the navigation jurisdiction, divide the airways within the jurisdiction, and reduce the amount of computation and technical difficulty. Since the amount of computation is relatively reduced, the planning algorithm for points within the airways in complex environments is easier to implement. Then, the available point coordinate information is sent to the aircraft, reducing the amount of data sent and improving real-time performance. It is worth noting that since the coordinate information sent is the available coordinates in the current time and space of the area, the navigation device avoids the time and space overlap in the area, and the aircraft only needs to select available points to achieve navigation.
[0043] The spatial domain determination methods include the following divisions:
[0044] 1. Determine the coordinates of the airspace boundary through a satellite positioning system to achieve demarcation, such as the boundary area formed by latitude and longitude points;
[0045] 2. Using multiple reference points, divide the space based on distance. For example, a certain point in the middle of the line connecting two reference points can be used as the boundary for the airspace division. The boundaries in different directions constitute the airspace range.
[0046] 3. Alternatively, it can be preset manually using polar coordinates. For example, a preset airspace distance to the positioning device can be stored in the positioning device, and combined with different angles (with the geomagnetic pole as 0 degrees), the angular distance coordinate range becomes the airspace boundary.
[0047] After defining the airspace boundaries, the route delineation within the airspace follows the same principle, except that the route boundaries are 3D shapes. Typically, two boundaries, inner and outer, are defined by altitude coordinates. These altitude coordinates are obtained from altitude sensors installed on the aircraft, or the boundaries can be calculated using multiple positioning devices through a triangulation method. Route elevation differences caused by terrain variations can be memorized through internal algorithms, or route optimization can be achieved using barometric pressure sensors.
[0048] The planning of available points along a flight route can be achieved in the following ways:
[0049] 1. With a single reference point, the point is determined by setting the distance from the reference point as the radius of the sphere, and then combining the corresponding height coordinates, magnetic field orientation coordinates, and three other parameters.
[0050] 2. By using multiple reference points in coordination and employing triangulation algorithms, the coordinates of available points can be determined;
[0051] 3. Available points can be preset and changed by humans, such as through remote control; or they can be planned by the navigation device itself through its own algorithm, such as machine learning and AI algorithms, to find the best available points for the route.
[0052] Since the airspace's flight paths are planned as discrete, available points, aircraft control is achieved simply by managing these available points. The availability of these points, approved by the navigation device, ensures their safety. Aircraft only need to select available points for flight, avoiding the need for active identification of air and regional conflicts, thus reducing aircraft complexity. Even if signal interference or other factors cause signal loss, resulting in the loss of some available point coordinates, it does not affect aircraft operation and will not lead to accidents. For example, if a large temporary crowd or area occupancy occurs, creating an electronic fence, all available points in that area will not be planned. Since no points are available, aircraft cannot fly, thus solving the problem of unauthorized flights. Simultaneously, aircraft no longer need to actively perceive, such as visual perception, thus resolving personal privacy issues.
[0053] Navigation devices can be interconnected, and controlling an aircraft only requires providing the coordinates of available points. The control process is simple and suitable for controlling aircraft over long distances. For example, by linking the controller to the nearest navigation device, commands can be sent to a distant navigation device because the navigation devices are networked. The distant navigation device can then change the available points for the aircraft's operation, thus enabling remote control of the aircraft.
[0054] The information of available points may include: point coordinates, point time attributes, point prompts, and marking information. Point coordinates can be absolute coordinates, i.e., relative to the Earth, such as latitude, longitude, and altitude; or relative coordinates, such as coordinates relative to a navigation device or aircraft. Relative coordinates can also be polar coordinates, i.e., expressed as angle, distance, and altitude. Time attributes can be represented as the corresponding passable time period. Point prompts may include normal points, temporary points, warning points, danger points, and emergency response points. The information can be transmitted via wireless networks, such as 4G, 5G, 6G networks, Wi-Fi, and satellite communication.
[0055] Furthermore, the airspace in the aircraft navigation method includes: the airspace above a fixed building or a group of buildings at similar heights; and the airspace between a fixed building or a group of buildings at similar heights and another fixed building or a group of fixed buildings at similar heights. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of airspace division according to an embodiment of the aircraft navigation method of this application. Buildings in a city can be divided into individual buildings and building groups based on their characteristics, such as... Figure 2The buildings in this area are grouped as follows: Building Group 3, Building Group 4, Building 5, Building 6, Building 10, and Building Group 11. Building Group 3 consists of two buildings, such as a double-row office building with a height of about 100m in the city; Building Group 4 consists of multiple buildings, such as a small residential complex with a height of nearly 60m in the city; Building 5 is a standalone building, such as an elevated highway; Building 6 is a standalone building, such as a shopping mall with a height of about 20m; Building 10 is a standalone building, such as a landmark building; and Building Group 11 consists of many buildings, such as residential buildings.
[0056] Due to differences in communication technology and regional signal interference, different airspace ranges can be determined based on the current level of communication technology. For example, a city may have too many buildings, resulting in a large coverage area. If the current communication transmission distance is insufficient to cover the entire area, not all available points can be transmitted, thus preventing the achievement of the optimal path. Therefore, buildings of similar height can be grouped to form different airspace divisions. For landmark buildings, which often have large heights and surrounding distances, it is more reasonable to divide the airspace as a single building. Airspace is also divided into overhead airspace and intermediate airspace, determined by the degree of openness. Overhead airspace, located above buildings, offers greater freedom and is relatively safer. Intermediate airspace involves interference from multiple directions, requiring more precise navigation to prevent conflicts. In this embodiment, the buildings in the area are grouped as follows: Building Group 3, Building Group 4, Building 5, Building 6, Building 10, and Building Group 11. By dividing the area into multiple airspaces, the difficulty of planning available points in the space is reduced, making navigation in complex environments easier.
[0057] When the technology is not yet mature, each building area can be divided to achieve denser navigation. For example, in this embodiment, the building areas are grouped as follows: Building Group 3, Building Group 4, Building 5, Building 6, Building 10, and Building Group 11. Using multiple airspaces reduces the navigation planning space and lowers the technical difficulty. When the technology is more advanced, a single area can be divided, such as the area in this embodiment being treated as a single airspace. Since airspace division is closely related to activities within the corresponding area, maintenance can be handled by the corresponding area's property management or professional maintenance personnel, making it highly feasible. Figure 2 The airspace above building group 3 is designated as Airspace 2, the airspace above building group 4 as Airspace 7, and the airspace above building 9 as Airspace 9; the airspace between building group 3 and building group 4 is designated as Airspace 1; and the airspace between building group 4 and building 10 is designated as Airspace 8. Based on this airspace division, each building's management personnel can manage its own airspace. For example, Airspace 2 and Airspace 1 can be managed by the property management of building group 3, simplifying the management process. Since the personnel within building group 3 require aircraft services, the airspace under the responsibility of building group 3 can be well managed by the property management of building group 3.
[0058] Furthermore, the routes in the aircraft navigation method include fixed routes and / or active routes, wherein the fixed routes refer to long-term routes that have been reviewed; and the active routes refer to routes that require prior application. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of route division for an aircraft navigation method according to an embodiment of this application. Routes are designated within the airspace corresponding to buildings, and available points are located along the routes. Aircraft select available points within the routes for operation. Route division is necessary because aircraft types and purposes differ, as do noise levels, speeds, and hazards. The division of routes within a corresponding airspace is analogous to the distinction between expressways and regular roads. Fixed routes, similar to expressways, are used for frequent, repetitive air activities, such as air logistics and air traffic. Because fixed routes are reviewed and approved, they offer higher safety and have less impact on people's lives. Figure 3 Fixed routes 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 exist within the airspace of Building Group 3, Building Group 4, Building 10, Building Group 11, and Building 6, respectively. The activity areas outside these fixed routes can be used for temporary routes such as sightseeing and emergency response. These activity routes do not interfere with the fixed routes and work together to achieve navigation in complex environments. Fixed routes between buildings, such as fixed route 15 in airspace 1 managed by Building Group 3, avoid intersections with buildings, thus mitigating the risk of accidents such as collisions and can be used for main logistics routes. Air routes above buildings, such as fixed air route 15 in the airspace above 2 managed by building group 3, are slightly more dangerous due to their intersection with the building group. They can be used for activities such as logistics delivery of small aircraft, with less noise and less danger. Similarly, air route planning can greatly reduce the danger. For example, the angle between the fixed air route 15 in the airspace above 2 and the outline of the building can be controlled. When the angle is greater than 30°, the overlap distance can be minimized as much as possible to avoid aircraft collisions with buildings.
[0059] Furthermore, the fixed route is divided into at least one altitude level; the available points are located at different altitude levels. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the route altitude layers and available points on each layer according to an embodiment of the aircraft navigation method of this application. The purpose of this embodiment is to ensure the standardization of the route. Since the route is a 3D channel or conduit in the airspace, certain rules are required to avoid excessive computing power for the aircraft. Because taking off is relatively difficult but landing is relatively easy, and because aircraft are designed with smaller height dimensions than other dimensions, and airspace between buildings is often limited, altitude layering is chosen due to fewer restrictions on altitude distribution. Setting different altitude layers allows aircraft to operate at corresponding altitude layers, reducing the hardware requirements of the aircraft and making the process more orderly. Figure 4In this embodiment, the fixed flight paths in the airspace of building group 3 are divided into three levels: altitude 25, altitude 26, and altitude 27. Altitude levels 25, 26, and 27 are all on fixed flight paths 15 within the same airspace, but at different altitudes. Available points are distributed at each altitude level, such as... Figure 4 Available points are: 28 on altitude layer 25, 29 on altitude layer 26, and 30 on altitude layer 27. On fixed routes 16 within the airspace of building group 10, available points are: 35 on altitude layer 38, 36 on altitude layer 39, and 37 on altitude layer 40. Compared to complex 3D urban airspace navigation, separating altitude layers and distributing available points within each layer facilitates navigation in complex environments. Altitude layers are implemented by comparing the aircraft's altitude sensor with the set altitude layer height. When the aircraft's altitude is below the set altitude layer height, it ascends; when it is above, it descends. Compared to complex 3D urban airspace navigation, separating altitude layers and distributing available points within each layer allows the aircraft to select points within the corresponding altitude layer, reducing the difficulty of multi-dimensional planning and facilitating navigation in complex environments.
[0060] Furthermore, the aircraft navigation method can, according to instructions, add, delete, modify, or mark at least one of the available points. The aforementioned airspace division achieves route and altitude layering and the planning of available points. In multi-aircraft operation scenarios, due to overlapping time and space conditions, and unpredictable weather conditions and obstacles, simple navigation can be achieved by simply adding, deleting, modifying, or marking available points. For example: if an aircraft arrives at an available point ahead, the corresponding arrival point is deleted, resulting in no available points ahead and preventing flight, thus avoiding conflict; if an aircraft departs, the corresponding departure point is added as an available point; when crosswinds cause lateral displacement of the aircraft, the coordinates of available points are correspondingly shifted to ensure a safe distance; if a sudden situation occurs in a certain area, or if the aircraft enters a no-fly zone, such as sensitive routes near schools, hospitals, military facilities, or nature reserves, point marking can be implemented to indicate that the aircraft should leave the area quickly, and so on. By adding, deleting, modifying, and marking available points within air routes, aircraft conflict control, flight area management, and the protection of people's lives and property can be easily achieved. Modifications include changing the coordinates of available points, changing the altitude layer of available points, changing the number of available points at each altitude layer, changing the permitted operating time period for available points, and changing air route boundary points. Markings include marking the hazard level of available points, airspace boundaries, air route boundaries, emergency response points, airspace demarcation points, destination points, and service points.
[0061] As an optional implementation, this application also provides an aircraft navigation device, which includes: a positioning module for determining the airspace range to which the navigation method belongs; a calculation module for processing the available points of the navigation method; and a communication module for transmitting and receiving information of the navigation method. The device enables communication to identify the aircraft, locate the aircraft, route, available points, etc., performs flight process control through calculations, and then sends corresponding data to achieve navigation.
[0062] Furthermore, the positioning module is used to achieve at least one of the following: self-positioning; positioning of nearby emergency response points relative to the self-positioning; positioning of nearby navigation devices relative to the self-positioning; positioning of the route division area relative to the self-positioning; and positioning of nearby aircraft relative to the self-positioning. The purpose is to fully realize the necessary positioning relationship information for the closed-loop navigation process, while also considering emergency response, etc.
[0063] The self-coordinate positioning can be determined by satellite positioning, manually input coordinates, or by relative coordinate calculations from multiple reference points. The positioning of nearby emergency response points, nearby navigation devices, aircraft, etc., can also be calculated using algorithms from multiple reference points or by combining the azimuth angles with the distance between them to the radius of a sphere and the azimuth angle of the location.
[0064] The calculation module processes points, including point-related coordinate calculations, and uses instructions to add, delete, modify, and mark available points; it also determines whether an aircraft's position is dangerous or airworthy.
[0065] Furthermore, the computation module prioritizes adjacent available points over other available points. Since computation takes time, excessive computation can lead to delays, causing problems during flight. A priority algorithm mitigates computational delays while avoiding the aircraft's own decision-making complexity. The priority can be implemented by adding or subtracting coordinates in each direction from the aircraft's current coordinates (already implemented in the positioning module), fitting the data to available points based on their distances; the fitted available points are then considered nearby. Alternatively, the coordinates of the current point can be compared using a squeeze method to identify nearby points, thus prioritizing nearby available points.
[0066] Optionally, the navigation device stores the outline information of a building or a group of buildings of similar height. This outline information serves as a final safety constraint, allowing the navigation device to determine the aircraft's position relative to it. This determines whether the aircraft will collide with a building, causing personal injury or property damage. Position determination can be achieved using methods such as magnetometers or multiple reference points. The outline information can be a broad range, such as the circumcircle of the building outline including a safety distance; when the aircraft enters the outline area, it indicates safety. The outline information can also be expressed using polar coordinates, combining the geomagnetic azimuth angle with the coordinates of the distance between the building outline point and the navigation device. Alternatively, it can be a limitation on a specific coordinate value, such as a minimum X / Y / Z coordinate value. This ensures the determination of the building or group of buildings' outlines, serving as a red line for aircraft operation and guaranteeing safe operation.
[0067] Furthermore, the navigation device also includes a light and sound module capable of emitting light and / or sound. The light module emits light, and the sound is used for prompting and / or navigation. Light navigation is achieved through the boundary of a focused light source; if the aircraft exceeds the light source boundary, it must immediately correct its course. In emergencies, it can also provide warnings about nearby airspace, or serve as a prompt to the aircraft under normal circumstances. Sound can disperse aerial interference, such as birds and insects, and can also serve as a safety warning to nearby workers. The navigation device is installed at a high position within a building or a group of buildings of similar height; this facilitates light and sound prompts while minimizing disruption to people's lives. The light can be invisible and / or visible light. The sound can be ultrasonic or normal sound; invisible light or ultrasonic waves are chosen to avoid interference with people, minimizing the impact when sound and light are invisible; the light or sound used for prompting people must be normal light or sound.
[0068] As another optional implementation, the aircraft navigation device also includes a meteorological module. This module can sense real-time weather conditions at the installation location of the navigation device, issue commands to the computing module, and / or communicate with the aircraft via the communication module. Due to the variability of weather conditions, large-scale weather monitoring followed by notification suffers from poor accuracy and time delays. The insufficient granularity of ground weather station data can be addressed by using a navigation device equipped with a meteorological module to monitor the climate of the corresponding airspace in real time, ensuring more accurate aircraft navigation. Weather sensing includes wind force, wind direction, visibility, rainfall, hail, dust storms, and lightning. Wind force sensing can be achieved through various methods such as blade rotation speed and heat loss detection. For example, anemometers detect wind speed by measuring the speed of rotation, while temperature sensors detect wind speed by detecting voltage fluctuations caused by higher wind speeds. Wind direction is detected using force sensors or encoders; changes in force due to wind blowing from different directions indicate wind direction. Visibility and lightning can be detected using photoresistors; rainfall is detected by capacitance changes; and dust storms and hail are detected using vibration sensors.
[0069] The aircraft navigation device described in the above embodiments will now be described in its entirety.
[0070] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an aircraft navigation device according to an embodiment of this application; as shown Figure 5 The aircraft navigation device in this embodiment includes a positioning module, a computing module, a communication module, a meteorological module, and a light and sound module. The positioning module determines the airspace range to which the navigation method pertains; the computing module processes the available points of the navigation method; and the communication module transmits and receives information for the navigation method. It identifies the aircraft, locates the aircraft, its route, and available points, performs comprehensive calculations based on information from the meteorological module to control the flight process, then issues corresponding available point information to achieve navigation, and provides prompts through lights and sounds.
[0071] Figure 6 This is a top-down view of an aircraft navigation device according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 The airspace around Building Group 3 has an emergency response point 45, a navigation device installation point 46, and the outline of Building Group 3 47; the airspace around Building Group 4 has a navigation device installation point 48; the airspace around Building 10 has an emergency response point 49; the airspace around Building 6 has an emergency response point 51 and a navigation device installation point 52; and Building 5 has a navigation device installation point 53. The emergency response points and installation points were determined in advance.
[0072] Assume aircraft 50 is currently on fixed route 16 of building group 4, flying towards fixed route 15 of building group 3. Navigation devices on the rooftops of buildings 3 and 4 within this airspace delineate their respective fixed routes 15 and 16. These navigation devices continuously broadcast emergency response points 45, route boundary coordinates, and hazard point coordinates on the outline 47 of building group 3. The aircraft has established communication with the navigation device installed on the rooftop of building group 3, reporting its identity information, current altitude, and its objective of free flight within the fixed routes. The navigation device's positioning module achieves coordinate positioning between itself and the aircraft.
[0073] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an aircraft navigation device planning adjacent available points according to an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 7 The navigation devices of building group 3 and building group 4 jointly determined the available point 60 from fixed route 16 to fixed route 15. The coordinates of these available points are transmitted to the aircraft via the communication module of the aircraft navigation device, prioritizing the transmission of available points 60 adjacent to the aircraft with higher priority. Figure 7 Available points 60 are provided in the foreground, background, top, bottom, and left sides. Since these available points have been reviewed, conflicts with the outline 47 of building group 3 are avoided, as are conflicts with other aircraft at that moment. Aircraft can choose their desired path points and report to the airspace navigation device; the airspace navigation device will then remove the available point from the available coordinates of other aircraft, preventing other aircraft from entering and causing conflicts.
[0074] If the weather module of the airspace navigation device in Building Group 3 detects a northerly crosswind, the aircraft will move northward. Therefore, the aircraft will make minor adjustments to the coordinates of the available points sent to it to ensure its safety. It will also mark available points for other aircraft within this range to warn them of potential danger. For example, it will mark available point 60 near the outline 47 of Building Group 3 as a danger point, and aircraft choosing to enter this marked available point should proceed with caution.
[0075] If the navigation device in Building Group 3 of the current aircraft's location detects the aircraft but does not respond, it may lose contact. In this case, navigation devices near Building Group 3 will use their light and sound modules to guide the aircraft to land at nearby emergency response points 45, 51, or 49; and will also alert nearby people and aircraft with lights and / or sounds. The process includes:
[0076] 1. Mark available points near the hazardous area;
[0077] 2. The coordinates of the emergency response point will be continuously broadcast, the emergency navigation lights will be turned on, and a warning sound will be emitted;
[0078] 3. Record emergency information;
[0079] 4. Continue to wait for the aircraft to land.
[0080] The above implementation method solves the problem of navigation difficulties in complex environments in aircraft application scenarios; and provides an aircraft navigation device that is easier to use, safer, and more interactive.
[0081] The above are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.
Claims
1. An aircraft navigation method, characterized in that, include: Delineate flight routes within the designated airspace; Available points within the planned route; Send out the available point information for the route; The aircraft selects the available points to operate from, thus achieving navigation.
2. The navigation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airspace includes: the airspace above a fixed building or a group of buildings of similar height; and the airspace between a fixed building or a group of buildings of similar height and another fixed building or a group of fixed buildings of similar height.
3. The navigation method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air routes include fixed air routes and / or active air routes, wherein fixed air routes refer to long-term air routes that have been reviewed; and active air routes refer to air routes that require prior application.
4. The navigation method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fixed route is divided into at least one altitude level; the available points are located at different altitude levels.
5. The navigation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, It can add, delete, modify, or mark at least one of the available points according to instructions.
6. An aircraft navigation device, characterized in that, include: The positioning module determines the airspace range to which the navigation method belongs according to any one of claims 1 to 5; The calculation module implements the processing of available points in the navigation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5; The communication module enables the information transmission and reception of the navigation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. The navigation device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning module is used to achieve at least one of the following; Self-positioning; The location of nearby emergency response points relative to its own location; The positioning of the nearby navigation device relative to its own positioning; The route division range is relative to its own positioning; The positioning of the nearby aircraft relative to its own position.
8. The navigation device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The processing module prioritizes the available points adjacent to the aircraft over the other available points.
9. The navigation device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The navigation device stores the outline information of a building it represents or a group of buildings with similar heights.
10. The navigation device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, It also includes a light and sound module, which is capable of emitting light and / or sound.
11. The navigation device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, It also includes a meteorological module, which can sense the real-time weather conditions at the installation location of the navigation device, issue instructions to the computing module, and / or communicate with the aircraft through the communication module.
12. An electronic device comprising a memory and / or a processor; wherein, The memory is used to store one or more computer instructions, wherein the one or more computer instructions are executed by the processor to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.