Control system for flying body, flying body, and control method and program for flying body

Abstract

To provide a control system for a flying body such that control limits can be easily grasped.SOLUTION: There is provided a control system for a flying body. The control system comprises a processor configured to execute the following steps. In an acquisition step, at least one of a current controlled variable for a maximum controlled variable of rotation control over the flying body and a current controlled variable for a maximum controlled variable of altitude control over the flying body is acquired as a controlled margin. In a display control step, the controlled margin is displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft control system, an aircraft, and a control method and program for an aircraft. [Background technology]

[0002] As disclosed in the following documents, in a rotary wing aircraft, attitude control is performed by adjusting the thrust of multiple motors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2023-514309 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In aircraft where the flight controls that control the attitude of the aircraft are mechanically transmitted to the control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, rudder, etc. in fixed-wing aircraft, and slash plates, tail rotors, etc. in rotary-wing aircraft), or in fly-by-wire aircraft where the flight controls and control surfaces are electrically connected, the control limits can be communicated to the operator by mechanical stoppers in the flight controls or control surfaces.

[0005] However, in an aircraft that adjusts the thrust of multiple motors as described above, there are no control surfaces, and it is not possible to provide a mechanical stopper on the control device, so it is not possible to grasp the control margin up to the control limit. Even in an aircraft that has control surfaces, it may not be easy to grasp the control margin until the stopper is activated.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a control system for an aircraft that can easily grasp control limits. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control system for an aircraft, the control system including a processor configured to execute the following steps: In the acquisition step, at least one of a current remaining control amount with respect to a maximum control amount in rotation control of the aircraft and a current remaining control amount with respect to a maximum control amount in altitude control of the aircraft is acquired as a control margin; In the display control step, the control margin is displayed.

[0008] According to this aspect, the current remaining control amount in rotation control or altitude control is displayed as a control margin, so that the pilot can easily grasp the control limit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an aircraft 1. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control box 5. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the aircraft control system 51. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing functions realized by the aircraft control system 51 (processor 513). [Diagram 5] 13 is an example of a display of a control margin by the display control unit 5134. [Figure 6] 13 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. [Figure 7] 13 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. [Figure 8] 13 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. [Figure 9] 13 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. [Figure 10] 13 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. [Figure 11] 10 is a flow diagram showing the flow of information processing (display of control margin) executed by the aircraft control system 51. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Various characteristic features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0011] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or may be provided so as to be downloadable from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0012] In addition, in this embodiment, the term "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In addition, in this embodiment, various information is handled, and this information is represented, for example, by physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit collection consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculation can be performed on the circuit in the broad sense.

[0013] In addition, a circuit in the broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. In other words, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0014] 1. Hardware Configuration This section describes the hardware configuration.

[0015] <Flying Object 1> 1 is a schematic diagram showing an aircraft 1. The aircraft 1 is a rotary-wing manned aircraft or an unmanned aircraft (drone). The aircraft 1 includes a main body 2, a plurality of propellers 3, and a control box 5 (aircraft control system 51).

[0016] <Main body 2> As shown in the plan view of Fig. 1A and the rear view of Fig. 1B, the main body 2 has a fuselage 21, a frame 22, and a skid 23. The fuselage 21 houses or holds various devices including a control box 5. In addition, if the aircraft 1 is a manned aircraft, a cockpit is provided in the fuselage 21.

[0017] The frame 22 is connected to the fuselage 21. The frame 22 holds a plurality of propellers 3. Furthermore, the frame 22 is provided with wings (rudder) for controlling the attitude of the aircraft 1, etc.

[0018] The skid 23 is a leg that touches the ground when the aircraft 1 lands. The skid 23 is attached to the fuselage 21 so as to protrude downward from the fuselage 21. The skid 23 may be configured to be foldable during horizontal flight.

[0019] <Propeller 3> The multiple propellers 3 are each attached to a frame 22. The propellers 3 are rotated by a power source such as a motor, thereby generating buoyancy and thrust for the aircraft 1. The attitude of the aircraft 1 is adjusted by controlling the thrust (rotational speed) of each of the multiple propellers 3. The rotational speed and rotational direction of the propellers 3 are controlled by a control box 5.

[0020] <Control box 5> The control box 5 performs flight control of the aircraft 1. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control box 5. The control box 5 is held in the main body 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the control box 5 has an aircraft control system 51 (information processing device), multiple ESCs 53, and a battery 55.

[0021] The aircraft control system 51 controls the propeller 3 and the like. The configuration of the aircraft control system 51 will be described later. The ESC 53 (electric speed controller) controls the rotation speed of the motor 3A of the propeller 3. One ESC 53 is provided for each of the multiple propellers 3. The battery 55 supplies power to the aircraft control system 51, the motor 3A, and the like.

[0022] The control box 5 receives the output of the camera / sensor 6 of the flying object 1. The control box 5 uses the output received from the camera / sensor 6 for processing by the flying object control system 51, or transmits the output to the transceiver 100.

[0023] <Aircraft Control System 51> The aircraft control system 51 controls the rotation of the propeller 3. The aircraft control system 51 is composed of one or more information processing devices or components. These components will be described below.

[0024] 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the flying object control system 51. The flying object control system 51 includes a communication bus 510, a communication unit 511, a storage unit 512, and a processor 513. The communication unit 511, the storage unit 512, and the processor 513 are electrically connected via the communication bus 510 inside the flying object control system 51.

[0025] <Communication Unit 511> The communication unit 511 is preferably a wired communication means such as USB, IEEE1394, Thunderbolt (registered trademark), wired LAN network communication, etc., but may also include wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as 3G / LTE / 5G, BLUETOOTH (registered trademark) communication, etc. as necessary. In other words, it is more preferable to implement it as a collection of multiple communication means. In other words, the aircraft control system 51 may communicate various information from the outside via the communication unit 511 and the network.

[0026] <Storage section 512> The memory unit 512 stores various information defined in the above description. This can be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs and the like related to the aircraft control system 51 executed by the processor 513, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to the program calculations. The memory unit 512 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the aircraft control system 51 executed by the processor 513.

[0027] <Processor 513> The processor 513 processes and controls the overall operation related to the aircraft control system 51. The processor 513 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The processor 513 realizes various functions related to the aircraft control system 51 by reading out a predetermined program stored in the memory unit 512. That is, information processing by software stored in the memory unit 512 can be specifically realized by the processor 513, which is an example of hardware, and executed as each functional unit included in the processor 513. These will be described in more detail in the next section. The processor 513 is not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple processors 513 for each function. Also, a combination of these may be used.

[0028] The aircraft control system 51 may be an on-premise type or a cloud type. As the cloud type aircraft control system 51, for example, the above-mentioned functions and processes may be provided in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud computing.

[0029] 2. Functional configuration In this section, the functional configuration of the present embodiment will be described. Information processing by software stored in the storage unit 512 is specifically realized by the processor 513, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the processor 513.

[0030] 4 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the flying object control system 51 (processor 513). Specifically, the flying object control system 51 (processor 513) includes a transceiver 5131, a flight control unit 5132, an acquisition unit 5133, and a display control unit 5134.

[0031] <Transmitter / receiver 5131> The transceiver 5131 is configured to transmit and receive data to and from the transceiver 100 (proportional system) shown in Fig. 2. Transmission and reception between the transceiver 5131 and the transceiver 100 is performed by wireless communication. When the aircraft 1 is an unmanned aerial vehicle, data sent from the transceiver 100 to the transceiver 5131 includes operation commands instructing the operation of the aircraft 1 (ascent, descent, horizontal flight, hovering, etc.). In addition, data sent from the transceiver 5131 to the transceiver 100 includes the control status of the aircraft 1, images captured by a camera of the aircraft 1, data acquired by a sensor, etc.

[0032] <Flight Control Unit 5132> The flight control unit 5132 is configured to control the rotation speed and rotation direction of each of the multiple propellers 3. Specifically, the flight control unit 5132 controls the motor 3A of each propeller 3 based on an operation command, thereby controlling the rotation speed and rotation direction of each propeller 3. Under the control of the flight control unit 5132, the flying object 1 performs operations such as ascent, descent, horizontal flight, and hovering based on the operation command.

[0033] <Acquisition part 5133> The acquisition unit 5133 is configured to acquire at least one of the current control residual amount with respect to the maximum control amount in rotation control of the flying object 1 and the current control residual amount with respect to the maximum control amount in altitude control of the flying object 1 as a control margin. Here, "rotation control" refers to control for adjusting any of the roll angle, pitch angle, and yaw angle of the flying object 1 by rotating the flying object 1 on its axis. "Altitude control" refers to control for adjusting the altitude of the flying object 1 relative to the ground by ascending or descending the flying object 1.

[0034] The "control amount" means, for example, the differential value of the change amount of the roll angle, pitch angle, or yaw angle per unit time (i.e., angular acceleration), and the differential value of the change amount of the altitude per unit time (i.e., acceleration). The control amount is determined by the flight control unit 5132 based on an operation command from the pilot of the aircraft 1 input to the control box 5. The aircraft control system 51 determines the allocation of the thrust (rotation speed and rotation direction) of the motor 3A of each propeller 3 based on the control amount. The "maximum control amount" is the maximum value of each control amount. The maximum control amount is determined by the maximum output of the motor 3A of each propeller 3, the flight balance of the aircraft 1, etc. The aircraft control system 51 does not accept the input of a control amount that exceeds the maximum control amount.

[0035] The "control residual amount" is the value obtained by subtracting the currently input control amount from the maximum control amount for each control. Therefore, when the control amount is zero (for example, when the flying object 1 is rotating at a constant angular velocity, or when the flying object 1 is ascending or descending at a constant speed), the control residual amount is equal to the maximum control amount. Also, when the control residual amount is the maximum control amount, the control residual amount is zero.

[0036] Specifically, the acquisition unit 5133 acquires, as the control margin, a rotation control margin which is a current control residual amount relative to a maximum control amount in rotation control, and an altitude control margin which is a current control residual amount relative to a maximum control amount in altitude control. More specifically, the acquisition unit 5133 acquires, as the rotation control margin, a roll control margin which is a current control residual amount relative to a maximum control amount in rolling control of the aircraft 1, a pitch control margin which is a current control residual amount relative to a maximum control amount in pitching control of the aircraft 1, and a yaw control margin which is a current control residual amount relative to a maximum control amount in yawing control of the aircraft 1. Here, the "rolling control" refers to control for adjusting the roll angle of the aircraft 1 by rotating the aircraft 1 around the roll axis. The "pinching control" refers to control for adjusting the pitch angle of the aircraft 1 by rotating the aircraft 1 around the pitch axis. The "yawing control" refers to control for adjusting the yaw angle of the aircraft 1 by rotating the aircraft 1 around the yaw axis.

[0037] <Display control unit 5134> The display control unit 5134 is configured to display the control margin acquired by the acquisition unit 5133 on a display, a proportional system, or the like provided in the cockpit. Specifically, the display control unit 5134 displays the rotation control margin and the altitude control margin. This allows the pilot to grasp the control margins for both the rotation control and the altitude control. More specifically, the display control unit 5134 displays the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, the yaw control margin, and the altitude control margin. This allows the pilot to grasp the control margins for both the rotation control of each of the three axes and the altitude control.

[0038] FIG. 5 is an example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. The first axis A1, the second axis A2, the third axis A3, and the fourth axis A4 in FIG. 5A are bar-shaped figures each showing the maximum control amount of the corresponding control by its length. Also, the first arrow B1, the second arrow B2, the third arrow B3, and the fourth arrow B4 in FIG. 5A show the corresponding current control amount by its length. That is, the display control unit 5134 displays the control margin by a combination of an object showing the maximum control amount and an arrow showing the current control amount by its length. This allows the operator to visually grasp the control margin by the distance (difference) between the end of the object showing the maximum control amount (the first axis A1, the second axis A2, the third axis A3, and the fourth axis A4) and the tip of the first arrow B1, the second arrow B2, the third arrow B3, and the fourth arrow B4.

[0039] The first axis A1 is a straight bar-like object that indicates the maximum control amount of the rolling control. One end (right end) of the first axis A1 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (angular acceleration) in the positive direction, and the other end (left end) of the first axis A1 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (angular acceleration) in the negative direction. The second axis A2 is a straight bar-like object that indicates the maximum control amount of the pitching control. One end (upper right end) of the second axis A2 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (angular acceleration) in the positive direction, and the other end (lower left end) of the second axis A2 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (angular acceleration) in the negative direction. The third axis A3 is an arc-like bar-like object that indicates the maximum control amount of the yawing control. In addition, the third axis A3 is curved so as to be convex upward. One end (right end) of the third axis A3 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (angular acceleration) in the positive direction, and the other end (left end) of the third axis A3 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (angular acceleration) in the negative direction. The fourth axis A4 is a straight bar-like object indicating the maximum control amount of altitude control. One end (top end) of the fourth axis A4 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (acceleration) for ascent, and the other end (bottom end) of the fourth axis A4 indicates the maximum value of the control amount (acceleration) for descent.

[0040] The first axis A1, the second axis A2, and the fourth axis A4 are overlapped so that their respective origins O coincide. The origin O is the point where the control amount is zero. Specifically, the first axis A1 is arranged so as to be parallel to the left-right direction. The fourth axis A4 is arranged so as to be parallel to the up-down direction. The second axis A2 is arranged so as to extend from the upper right (first quadrant) to the lower left (third quadrant) in the coordinate plane formed by the first axis A1 and the fourth axis A4. In addition, the third axis A3 is arranged at a position that does not overlap with the first axis A1, the second axis A2, and the fourth axis A4. Specifically, the third axis A3 is arranged above the first axis A1, the second axis A2, and the fourth axis A4. This makes it possible to visually display the four maximum control amounts when the aircraft 1 is viewed from the rear.

[0041] The display control unit 5134 may display an object representing the current attitude of the aircraft 1 so as to overlap with the origin O of the first axis A1, the second axis A2, and the fourth axis A4. The display control unit 5134 may also display the object at a position other than the origin O. Furthermore, the display of the coordinate axes is optional.

[0042] The first arrow B1 is a straight arrow indicating the current control amount (angular acceleration) of the rolling control. The first arrow B1 extends from the origin O of the first axis A1 in parallel with the axial direction of the first axis A1. The first arrow B1 extends to the right when the control amount is positive, and extends to the left when the control amount is negative. The second arrow B2 is a straight arrow indicating the current control amount (angular acceleration) of the pitching control. The second arrow B2 extends from the origin O of the second axis A2 in parallel with the axial direction of the second axis A2. The second arrow B2 extends to the upper right when the control amount is positive, and extends to the lower left when the control amount is negative. The third arrow B3 is a curved (arc-shaped) arrow indicating the current control amount (angular acceleration) of the yawing control. The third arrow B3 extends from the center of the third axis A3 in parallel with the axial direction of the third axis A3. The third arrow B3 extends to the lower right when the control amount is positive, and extends to the lower left when the control amount is negative. The fourth arrow B4 is a straight arrow indicating the current control amount (acceleration) of the altitude control. The fourth arrow B4 extends from the origin O of the fourth axis A4 in parallel with the axial direction of the fourth axis A4. The fourth arrow B4 extends downward when the control direction is downward, and extends upward when the control direction is upward.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 5B and Fig. 5C, the display control unit 5134 changes the length and direction of the first arrow B1, the second arrow B2, the third arrow B3, and the fourth arrow B4 in real time according to the change in the control amount in each control. The display control unit 5134 may change the color or size (thickness) of each arrow according to the magnitude of the control amount. For example, the display control unit 5134 may change the color of the arrow from blue to yellow (amber) to red as the current control amount increases (i.e., as the control margin decreases). The color of the arrow may change stepwise based on a threshold value (for example, a condition such as the current control amount being xx% or more with respect to the maximum control amount), or may change continuously with gradation according to the control amount.

[0044] In the example of FIG. 5A, the display control unit 5134 displays the roll control margin, pitch control margin, and altitude control margin by combining linear axes (first axis A1, second axis A2, and fourth axis A4) indicating the maximum control amount with linear arrows (first arrow B1, second arrow B2, and fourth arrow B4) indicating the current control amount, and displays the yaw control margin by combining an arc-shaped axis (third axis A3) indicating the maximum control amount with an arc-shaped arrow (third arrow B3) indicating the current control amount. In addition, the display control unit 5134 further displays the axes (first axis A1, second axis A2, and fourth axis A4) of the roll control margin, pitch control margin, and altitude control margin in a crossed manner. This allows the pilot to check the four control margins simultaneously on one screen (display area), thereby improving the visibility of the control margin.

[0045] FIG. 6 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. In FIG. 6, the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 in FIG. 5 are overlapped so that their origins O coincide (the diagram on the right side of FIG. 6). The second axis A2 is arranged so as to be parallel to the up-down direction (i.e., perpendicular to the first axis A1). This allows visual display of the two maximum control amounts when the aircraft 1 is viewed from above. The display control unit 5134 may display an object representing the current attitude of the aircraft 1 so as to overlap the origins O of the first axis A1 and the second axis A2. Moreover, the display of the coordinate axes is arbitrary.

[0046] On the other hand, in FIG. 6, the fourth axis A4 in FIG. 5 is not overlapped with the first axis A1 and the second axis A2, but is overlapped with the third axis A3 in FIG. 5 (the left diagram in FIG. 6). The fourth axis A4 overlaps with the third axis A3 so as to pass through the center of the third axis A3. In addition, the third axis A3 is disposed above the origin O of the fourth axis A4. This allows visual display of the two maximum control amounts when the aircraft 1 is viewed from behind. The display control unit 5134 may display an object representing the current attitude of the aircraft 1 so as to overlap with the origin O of the fourth axis A4. In addition, the display of the coordinate axes is arbitrary.

[0047] In the example of FIG. 6, the display control unit 5134 displays the roll control margin, pitch control margin, and altitude control margin by combining linear axes (first axis A1, second axis A2, and fourth axis A4) indicating the maximum control amount with linear arrows (first arrow B1, second arrow B2, and fourth arrow B4) indicating the current control amount, and displays the yaw control margin by combining an arc-shaped axis (third axis A3) indicating the maximum control amount with an arc-shaped arrow (third arrow B3) indicating the current control amount. Furthermore, the display control unit 5134 further displays the axes (first axis A1 and second axis A2) of the altitude control margin and the yaw control margin in a crossed manner, and displays the axes (third axis A3 and fourth axis A4) of the roll control margin and the pitch control margin in a crossed manner. This makes it possible to easily grasp the individual control margins while consolidating a plurality of control margins. The arrangement of the diagram combining the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 and the diagram combining the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4 can be set arbitrarily, and they may be arranged vertically next to each other.

[0048] FIG. 7 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. In FIG. 7, the third axis A3 in FIG. 6 is displayed as a linear bar-shaped object, not an arc-shaped object (the diagram on the left side of FIG. 7). In FIG. 7, the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4 are overlapped so that their origins O coincide. In addition, the third axis A3 is arranged so as to be parallel to the left-right direction (i.e., perpendicular to the fourth axis A4). This allows visual display of the two maximum control amounts when the aircraft 1 is viewed from the rear. The display control unit 5134 may display an object representing the current attitude of the aircraft 1 so as to overlap the origins O of the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4. In addition, the display of the coordinate axes is arbitrary. The diagram on the right side of FIG. 7 is the same as the diagram on the right side of FIG. 6.

[0049] In the example of FIG. 7, the display control unit 5134 displays the roll control margin, pitch control margin, yaw control margin, and altitude control margin by combining linear axes (first axis A1, second axis A2, third axis A3, and fourth axis A4) indicating the maximum control amount with linear arrows (first arrow B1, second arrow B2, third arrow B3, and fourth arrow B4) indicating the current control amount. Furthermore, the display control unit 5134 further displays the axes (first axis A1 and second axis A2) of the altitude control margin and the yaw control margin crossing each other, and displays the axes (third axis A3 and fourth axis A4) of the roll control margin and the pitch control margin crossing each other. As a result, all four control margins are displayed as straight lines, which increases the degree of freedom in the display format of the control margins (the arrangement of each axis). The arrangement of the diagram combining the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 and the diagram combining the third axis A3 and the fourth axis A4 can be set arbitrarily, and they may be arranged vertically next to each other.

[0050] FIG. 8 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. In FIG. 8, a first circle C1, which is a circular object indicating the maximum control amount of yawing control and the maximum control amount of altitude control, and a second circle C2, which is a circular object indicating the maximum control amount of rolling control and the maximum control amount of pitching control, are arranged. The first circle C1 is arranged in an orthogonal coordinate system with the horizontal axis representing the control amount of yawing control and the vertical axis representing the control amount of altitude control. The center P of the first circle C1 coincides with the origin of the coordinate system. The second circle C2 is arranged in an orthogonal coordinate system with the horizontal axis representing the control amount of rolling control and the vertical axis representing the control amount of pitching control. The center P of the second circle C2 coincides with the origin of the coordinate system.

[0051] A first composite arrow B11 obtained by combining the current control amount in the yawing control and the current control amount in the altitude control is displayed within the first circle C1. The first composite arrow B11 represents a two-dimensional vector whose components are a value obtained by normalizing the control amount of the yawing control according to the radius (length in the vertical axis direction) of the first circle C1 and a value obtained by normalizing the control amount of the altitude control according to the radius (length in the horizontal axis direction) of the first circle C1. The first composite arrow B11 extends from the origin O of the first circle C1 in a direction according to the positive and negative of the two control amounts. The left-right position (horizontal axis coordinate) of the tip of the first composite arrow B11 indicates the ratio of the current control amount to the maximum control amount of the yawing control, and the up-down position (vertical axis coordinate) of the tip of the first composite arrow B11 indicates the ratio of the current control amount to the maximum control amount of the altitude control. This makes it possible to visually display the two maximum control amounts when the aircraft 1 is viewed from behind.

[0052] A second composite arrow B12 obtained by combining the current control amount in the rolling control and the current control amount in the pitching control is displayed within the second circle C2. The second composite arrow B12 represents a two-dimensional vector whose components are a value obtained by normalizing the control amount of the rolling control according to the radius (length in the vertical axis direction) of the second circle C2 and a value obtained by normalizing the control amount of the pitching control according to the radius (length in the horizontal axis direction) of the second circle C2. The second composite arrow B12 extends from the origin O of the second circle C2 in a direction according to the positive and negative of the two control amounts. The left-right position (horizontal axis coordinate) of the tip of the second composite arrow B12 indicates the ratio of the current control amount to the maximum control amount of the rolling control, and the up-down position (vertical axis coordinate) of the tip of the second composite arrow B12 indicates the ratio of the current control amount to the maximum control amount of the pitching control. This makes it possible to visually display the two maximum control amounts when the aircraft 1 is viewed from above.

[0053] The display control unit 5134 may display an object representing the current attitude of the aircraft 1 so as to overlap with the origin O of each of the first circle C1 and the second circle C2. Furthermore, the display control unit 5134 may display the object at a position other than the origin O. Furthermore, the display of the coordinate axes is optional. Furthermore, the first circle C1 and the second circle C2 may be perfect circles or ellipses.

[0054] 8, the display control unit 5134 displays the control margin by combining an object (first circle C1 and second circle C2) indicating the maximum control amount with a vector (first composite arrow B11 and second composite arrow B12) obtained by combining two or three of the current control amounts in the rolling control, pitching control, yawing control, and altitude control, respectively. This allows multiple control amounts to be grasped simultaneously from one vector.

[0055] Specifically, in the example of Fig. 8, the display control unit 5134 displays the control margin by a combination of a first circle C1 indicating the maximum control amount of each of the yawing control and the altitude control, a first composite arrow B11 arranged within the first circle C1 and indicating a vector obtained by combining the current control amounts of each of the yawing control and the altitude control, a second circle C2 indicating the maximum control amount of each of the rolling control and the pitching control, and a second composite arrow B12 arranged within the second circle C2 and indicating a vector obtained by combining the current control amounts of each of the rolling control and the pitching control. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of information displayed regarding the control margin. The arrangement of the first circle C1 and the second circle C2 can be set arbitrarily, and they may be arranged vertically side by side.

[0056] Fig. 9 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. In Fig. 9, a cylinder D1 that is a cylindrical object indicating the maximum control amount of rolling control, the maximum control amount of pitching control, and the maximum control amount of altitude control, as well as the third axis A3 (an object indicating the maximum control amount of yawing control) and the third arrow B3 (an arrow indicating the current control amount of yawing control) in Fig. 5 are displayed.

[0057] The cylinder D1 is arranged in a Cartesian coordinate system in which the first axis is the control amount of the rolling control, the second axis perpendicular to the first axis is the control amount of the pitching control, and the third axis perpendicular to the first and second axes is the control amount of the altitude control. The central axis of the cylinder D1 is parallel to the third axis and passes through the origin of the coordinate system.

[0058] A third composite arrow B31 is displayed inside the cylinder D1, which is obtained by combining the current control amount in the rolling control, the current control amount in the pitching control, and the current control amount in the altitude control. The third composite arrow B31 represents a three-dimensional vector whose components are a value obtained by normalizing the control amount in the rolling control according to the radius of the cylinder D1 (length in the first axis direction), a value obtained by normalizing the control amount in the pitching control according to the radius of the cylinder D1 (length in the second axis direction), and a value obtained by normalizing the control amount in the altitude control according to the height of the cylinder D1 (length in the third axis direction). The third composite arrow B31 extends from the origin O of the cylinder D1 in a direction according to the positive and negative of the three control amounts. The position of the tip of the third composite arrow B31 in the first axis direction (first axis coordinate) indicates the ratio of the current control amount to the maximum control amount of rolling control, the position of the tip of the third composite arrow B31 in the second axis direction (second axis coordinate) indicates the ratio of the current control amount to the maximum control amount of pitching control, and the position of the tip of the third composite arrow B31 in the third axis direction (third axis coordinate) indicates the ratio of the current control amount to the maximum control amount of altitude control.

[0059] The third axis A3 and the third arrow B3 are arranged at a position where they do not overlap at least the third composite arrow B31. Specifically, the third axis A3 and the third arrow B3 are arranged so as to overlap the upper surface portion of the cylinder D1. This allows visual display of the four maximum control amounts when the aircraft 1 is viewed from behind. The display control unit 5134 may display an object representing the current attitude of the aircraft 1 so as to overlap the origin O of the cylinder D1. In addition, the display of the coordinate axes is optional. Furthermore, the third axis A3 and the third arrow B3 may be in the form of a circular arc or a straight line.

[0060] In the example of FIG. 9, the display control unit 5134 displays the control margin by combining a cylinder D1 indicating the maximum control amount of each of the rolling control, pitching control, and altitude control, a third composite arrow B31 that is arranged in the cylinder D1 and indicates a vector obtained by combining the current control amounts in each of the rolling control, pitching control, and altitude control, a third axis A3 indicating the maximum control amount of the yawing control, and a third arrow B3 indicating the current control amount in the yawing control. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of information displayed regarding the control margin while saving space in the display area. In particular, in the example of FIG. 9, the control margins of the rolling control, pitching control, and altitude control related to the motion of the aircraft can be grasped by one arrow. Note that the third axis A3 does not necessarily need to be arranged on the upper surface of the cylinder D1.

[0061] Fig. 10 is another example of the display of the control margin by the display control unit 5134. In Fig. 10, a first circle C1, a second circle C2, a first composite arrow B11, and a second composite arrow B12 are displayed, similarly to Fig. 8. However, the first composite arrow B11 and the second composite arrow B12 in Fig. 10 are arrows with fixed size and direction, and are fixed objects unrelated to (not reflecting) the current control amount.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 10B, the shape of the first circle C1 changes so that the length along the horizontal axis indicates the magnitude of the control margin in the rolling control, and the length along the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the control margin in the pitching control. The magnitude of the control margin is expressed by the distance between the first composite arrow B11 and the first circle C1. That is, the larger the control margin in the rolling control, the larger the horizontal distance between the first composite arrow B11 and the first circle C1, and the larger the control margin in the pitching control, the larger the vertical distance between the first composite arrow B11 and the first circle C1. The length along the horizontal axis of the first circle C1 is calculated from the maximum control amount and the current control amount in the rolling control. The length along the vertical axis of the first circle C1 is calculated from the maximum control amount and the current control amount in the pitching control.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 10B, the shape of the second circle C2 changes so that the length along the horizontal axis indicates the magnitude of the control margin in the yaw control, and the length along the vertical axis indicates the magnitude of the control margin in the altitude control. The magnitude of the control margin is expressed by the distance between the second composite arrow B12 and the second circle C2. That is, the larger the control margin in the yaw control, the larger the horizontal distance between the second composite arrow B12 and the second circle C2, and the larger the control margin in the altitude control, the larger the vertical distance between the second composite arrow B12 and the second circle C2. The length along the horizontal axis of the second circle C2 is calculated from the maximum control amount and the current control amount in the yaw control. The length along the vertical axis of the second circle C2 is calculated from the maximum control amount and the current control amount in the altitude control.

[0064] In the example of FIG. 10, the display control unit 5134 displays geometric figures (first circle C1 and second circle C2) whose shapes change according to the magnitude of the control margin. The geometric figures have axes whose lengths change according to two or three of the current remaining control amounts of the rolling control, pitching control, yawing control, and altitude control. This makes it easier to visually grasp the sizes of multiple control margins. Note that the remaining control amounts of the rolling control, pitching control, and altitude control may be displayed using cylinders whose axes have varying lengths instead of circles.

[0065] 3. Control method of the flying object This section describes a method for controlling an aircraft using the aircraft control system 51. In this method for controlling an aircraft, each unit of the aircraft control system 51 is executed as each step by a computer.

[0066] Specifically, the method for controlling an aircraft includes an acquisition step and a display control step. In the acquisition step, at least one of a current remaining control amount with respect to a maximum control amount in rotation control of the aircraft 1 and a current remaining control amount with respect to a maximum control amount in altitude control of the aircraft 1 is acquired as a control margin. In the display control step, the control margin is displayed.

[0067] 11 is a flow diagram showing the flow of information processing (display of control margin) executed by the aircraft control system 51. This flow is started when the aircraft control system 51 is flying. First, the aircraft control system 51 acquires the current remaining control amount for each of the rolling control, pitching control, yawing control, and altitude control by calculation based on signals from the motors, etc. (step S110). Next, the aircraft control system 51 creates a display screen for the control margin using the acquired remaining control amount (step S120).

[0068] After creating the display screen, the aircraft control system 51 outputs the display screen and displays it on a display or the like (step S130). After displaying the display screen, the aircraft control system 51 determines whether or not a termination condition for the control margin display process is satisfied (step S140). The termination condition is, for example, the stopping of the aircraft 1, or the pilot stopping the control margin display function. If the termination condition is not satisfied (S140: NO), the aircraft control system 51 repeats the process from obtaining the remaining control amount (S110). On the other hand, if the termination condition is satisfied (S140: YES), the aircraft control system 51 terminates the process.

[0069] 4. Effect The current remaining control amount in rotation control or altitude control is displayed as a control margin, so the pilot can easily understand the control limits.

[0070] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical concept of the invention.

[0071] 5.Other The aspect of this embodiment is not limited to the flying object control system 51, and may be a flying object control method or a program. The flying object control method includes each step executed by the flying object control system 51. The program causes a computer to function as the flying object control system 51.

[0072] The aircraft control system 51 does not necessarily have to display all of the control margins for the rolling control, the pitching control, the yawing control, and the altitude control. In other words, the aircraft control system 51 may display only one, two, or three of the control margins for the rolling control, the pitching control, the yawing control, and the altitude control.

[0073] The aircraft control system 51 does not necessarily have to be installed in the aircraft 1. For example, the aircraft control system 51 may be configured with an information processing device installed in a facility or the like outside the aircraft 1.

[0074] It may be provided in any of the following ways:

[0075] (1) A control system for an aircraft comprising a processor configured to execute each of the following steps: in an acquisition step, acquiring at least one of a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in rotation control of the aircraft and a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in altitude control of the aircraft as a control margin; and in a display control step, displaying the control margin.

[0076] (2) In the control system for an aircraft described in (1) above, in the acquisition step, a rotation control margin, which is the current control remaining amount with respect to the maximum control amount in the rotation control, and an altitude control margin, which is the current control remaining amount with respect to the maximum control amount in the altitude control, are acquired as the control margin, and in the display control step, the rotation control margin and the altitude control margin are displayed.

[0077] (3) In the control system for an aircraft described in (2) above, the acquisition step acquires, as the rotation control margin, a roll control margin which is the current control remaining amount with respect to a maximum control amount in rolling control of the aircraft, a pitch control margin which is the current control remaining amount with respect to a maximum control amount in pitching control of the aircraft, and a yaw control margin which is the current control remaining amount with respect to a maximum control amount in yawing control of the aircraft, and the display control step displays the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, the yaw control margin, and the altitude control margin.

[0078] (4) A control system for an aircraft described in any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the display control step displays the control margin by combining an object indicating a maximum control amount and an arrow whose length represents the current control amount.

[0079] (5) In the control system for an aircraft described in (3) above, in the display control step, the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, and the altitude control margin are each displayed by a combination of a straight axis indicating the maximum control amount and a straight arrow representing the current control amount, the yaw control margin is displayed by a combination of an arc-shaped axis indicating the maximum control amount and an arc-shaped arrow representing the current control amount, and the roll control margin, pitch control margin, and altitude control margin are further displayed by intersecting their respective axes.

[0080] (6) In the control system for an aircraft described in (3) above, in the display control step, the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, and the altitude control margin are each displayed by a combination of a straight axis indicating the maximum control amount and a straight arrow indicating the current control amount, and the yaw control margin is displayed by a combination of an arc-shaped axis indicating the maximum control amount and an arc-shaped arrow indicating the current control amount, and further, the axes of the altitude control margin and the yaw control margin are displayed crossing each other, and the axes of the roll control margin and the pitch control margin are displayed crossing each other.

[0081] (7) In the control system for an aircraft described in (3) above, in the display control step, the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, the yaw control margin, and the altitude control margin are each displayed by a combination of a linear axis indicating a maximum control amount and a linear arrow indicating a current control amount, and further, the axes of the altitude control margin and the yaw control margin are displayed crossed, and the axes of the roll control margin and the pitch control margin are displayed crossed.

[0082] (8) In the control system for an aircraft described in (3) above, in the display control step, the control margin is displayed by combining an object indicating a maximum control amount with a vector that is a composite of two or three of the current control amounts in each of the rolling control, the pitching control, the yawing control, and the altitude control.

[0083] (9) In the control system for an aircraft described in (8) above, in the display control step, the control margin is displayed by a combination of a first circle indicating the maximum control amount of each of the yawing control and the altitude control, a first arrow that is placed within the first circle and represents a vector that is a combination of the current control amounts of each of the yawing control and the altitude control, a second circle indicating the maximum control amount of each of the rolling control and the pitching control, and a second arrow that is placed within the second circle and represents a vector that is a combination of the current control amounts of each of the rolling control and the pitching control.

[0084] (10) In the control system for an aircraft described in (8) above, in the display control step, the control margin is displayed by a combination of a cylinder indicating the maximum control amount of each of the rolling control, the pitching control, and the altitude control, a first arrow arranged within the cylinder and representing a vector that combines the current control amounts in each of the rolling control, the pitching control, and the altitude control, an axis indicating the maximum control amount of the yawing control, and a second arrow indicating the current control amount in the yawing control.

[0085] (11) In the control system for an aircraft described in (3) above, in the display control step, a geometric figure whose shape changes depending on the size of the control margin is displayed, and wherein the geometric figure has axes whose lengths change depending on two or three of the current control remaining amounts of each of the rolling control, the pitching control, the yawing control, and the altitude control.

[0086] (12) An aircraft comprising an information processing device as a control system for the aircraft described in any one of (1) to (11) above.

[0087] (13) A method for controlling an aircraft, comprising steps executed by a control system for an aircraft described in any one of (1) to (11) above.

[0088] (14) A program for causing a computer to function as a control system for an aircraft described in any one of (1) to (11) above. Of course, this is not the case.

[0089] Finally, although various embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1: Flying object 2: Main unit 3: Propeller 3A: Motor 5: Control box 6: Sensor 21: Torso 22: Frame 23: Skid 51: Aircraft control system 53: ESC 55: Battery 100: Transmitter / Receiver 510: Communication bus 511: Communications Department 512: Storage section 513: Processor 5131: Transmitter / receiver 5132: Flight control unit 5133: Acquisition Department 5134: Display control unit

Claims

1. 1. A control system for an air vehicle, comprising: A processor configured to perform the steps of: In the acquisition step, at least one of a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in rotation control of the flying object and a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in altitude control of the flying object is acquired as a control margin; In the display control step, the control system of the aircraft displays the control margin.

2. 2. The flying object control system according to claim 1, In the obtaining step, a rotation control margin which is a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in the rotation control and an advanced control margin which is a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in the advanced control are obtained as the control margin, A control system for an aircraft, wherein the display control step displays the rotation control margin and the altitude control margin.

3. 3. The flying object control system according to claim 2, In the obtaining step, a roll control margin which is a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in rolling control of the aircraft, a pitch control margin which is a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in pitching control of the aircraft, and a yaw control margin which is a current control residual amount with respect to a maximum control amount in yawing control of the aircraft are obtained as the rotation control margin, The control system for an aircraft, in the display control step, displays the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, the yaw control margin, and the altitude control margin.

4. 2. The flying object control system according to claim 1, In the display control step, the control margin is displayed by a combination of an object indicating a maximum control amount and an arrow indicating the current control amount by its length.

5. 4. The flying object control system according to claim 3, In the display control step, The roll control margin, the pitch control margin, and the altitude control margin are displayed by a combination of a linear axis indicating a maximum control amount and a linear arrow indicating a current control amount, and the yaw control margin is displayed by a combination of an arc-shaped axis indicating a maximum control amount and an arc-shaped arrow indicating a current control amount, Further, the control system of the aircraft displays the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, and the altitude control margin by intersecting their respective axes.

6. 4. The flying object control system according to claim 3, In the display control step, The roll control margin, the pitch control margin, and the altitude control margin are displayed by a combination of a linear axis indicating a maximum control amount and a linear arrow indicating a current control amount, and the yaw control margin is displayed by a combination of an arc-shaped axis indicating a maximum control amount and an arc-shaped arrow indicating a current control amount, The control system for an aircraft further displays the altitude control margin and the yaw control margin with their respective axes crossed, and displays the roll control margin and the pitch control margin with their respective axes crossed.

7. 4. The flying object control system according to claim 3, In the display control step, displaying the roll control margin, the pitch control margin, the yaw control margin, and the altitude control margin by a combination of a linear axis indicating a maximum control amount and a linear arrow indicating a current control amount; The control system for an aircraft further displays the altitude control margin and the yaw control margin with their respective axes crossed, and displays the roll control margin and the pitch control margin with their respective axes crossed.

8. 4. The flying object control system according to claim 3, In the display control step, the control margin is displayed by combining an object indicating a maximum control amount with a vector that is a composite of two or three of the current control amounts in each of the rolling control, the pitching control, the yawing control, and the altitude control.

9. 9. The control system for an aircraft according to claim 8, In the display control step, the control margin is displayed by a combination of a first circle indicating a maximum control amount for each of the yawing control and the altitude control, a first arrow that is placed within the first circle and represents a vector that combines the current control amounts for each of the yawing control and the altitude control, a second circle indicating a maximum control amount for each of the rolling control and the pitching control, and a second arrow that is placed within the second circle and represents a vector that combines the current control amounts for each of the rolling control and the pitching control.

10. 9. The control system for an aircraft according to claim 8, In the display control step, the control margin is displayed by a combination of a cylinder indicating the maximum control amount for each of the rolling control, the pitching control, and the altitude control, a first arrow placed within the cylinder and representing a vector that combines the current control amounts in each of the rolling control, the pitching control, and the altitude control, an axis indicating the maximum control amount for the yawing control, and a second arrow indicating the current control amount in the yawing control.

11. 4. The flying object control system according to claim 3, A control system for an aircraft, wherein the display control step displays a geometric figure whose shape changes depending on the size of the control margin, and wherein the geometric figure has axes whose lengths change depending on two or three of the current control remaining amounts of the rolling control, the pitching control, the yawing control, and the altitude control.

12. An aircraft comprising an information processing device as a control system for the aircraft according to claim 1.

13. A method for controlling an aircraft, comprising: A method for controlling an aircraft, comprising steps executed by a control system for an aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

14. A program, A program for causing a computer to function as the control system for an aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

Images