Article delivery drone, and article delivery method

Abstract

To allow a receiver to receive, on the basis of his or her intention, a package delivered by a drone.SOLUTION: A package delivery drone 10 comprises: an irradiation control unit 25 that, when the drone arrives at a destination to which a package is delivered, causes the drone 10 to emit light in which a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by an orderer is superimposed; a release control unit 28 that, when receiving information indicative of an instruction of article release permitted to the terminal device according to that the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device and the delivery code the terminal device acquires through receiving the light irradiated from the drone 10 by the irradiation control unit 25 match with each other, controls a release operation of the package to be performed; and an altitude information acquisition unit 22A that acquires flying altitude information on the drone 10. Therein the irradiation control unit 25 is configured to change an altitude where the light is irradiated based on a weight of the package.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone for delivering articles and an article delivery method.

Background Art

[0002] It has been disclosed to use a drone to deliver articles (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technologies described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, when delivering an article using a drone, there is a risk that the article released from the drone may accidentally fall or the article may be placed in an inappropriate location. Also, depending on the impact resistance of the article, the recipient may want to secure the article by hand. Therefore, it is desired that the release of the article on the drone can be specified by the recipient.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to receive an article delivered by a drone based on the intention of the recipient.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a drone for delivering an article according to the present invention includes an irradiation control unit that irradiates light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by an orderer of the article from the drone when the drone for delivering the article reaches a destination for delivering the article; a release control unit that controls to perform a release operation of the article when receiving information indicating an instruction to release the article permitted to the terminal when the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device matches the delivery code of the light received and acquired by the terminal device from the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit; and an altitude information acquisition unit that acquires flight altitude information of the drone, wherein the irradiation control unit changes an altitude at which the light is irradiated based on the weight of the article.

[0007] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a drone for delivering an article according to another aspect of the present invention includes an irradiation control unit that irradiates light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by an orderer of the article from the drone when the drone for delivering the article reaches a destination for delivering the article; a release control unit that controls to perform a release operation of the article when receiving information indicating an instruction to release the article permitted to the terminal when the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device matches the delivery code of the light received and acquired by the terminal device from the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit; and an altitude information acquisition unit that acquires flight altitude information of the drone, wherein the release control unit changes an altitude at which the release operation of the article becomes effective based on the weight of the article.

[0008] The article delivery method according to the present invention is executed by a drone for article delivery. When the drone for delivering the article reaches the destination for delivering the article, an irradiation step of irradiating light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by the orderer of the article from the drone is performed. When the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device and the delivery code obtained by the terminal device receiving the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit match, and information indicating an instruction to release the article permitted to the terminal is received, a release control step of controlling to perform a release operation of the article is performed, and an altitude information acquisition step of acquiring flight altitude information of the drone is provided. The irradiation control step changes the altitude at which the light is irradiated based on the weight of the article.

[0009] The article delivery method according to another aspect of the present invention is executed by a drone for article delivery. When the drone for delivering the article reaches the destination for delivering the article, an irradiation step of irradiating light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by the orderer of the article from the drone is performed. When the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device and the delivery code obtained by the terminal device receiving the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit match, and information indicating an instruction to release the article permitted to the terminal is received, a release control step of controlling to perform a release operation of the article is performed, and an altitude information acquisition step of acquiring flight altitude information of the drone is provided. The release control step changes the altitude at which the release operation of the article becomes effective based on the weight of the article.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, there is an effect that an article delivered by a drone can be received based on the intention of the receiving side.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 10

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Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the article delivery system and the article delivery method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by the following embodiments.

[0013] [First Embodiment] (Article Delivery System) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an article delivery system 1 according to the first embodiment. The article delivery system 1 is a system that delivers articles using a drone 10. When releasing an article from the drone 10 at the destination, the release of the article is controlled by the recipient. The article delivery system 1 includes a drone 10 and an article delivery control device 50. In this embodiment, the article delivery system 1 includes a drone 10, an article delivery control device 50, and a terminal device 70. The drone 10, the article delivery control device 50, and the terminal device 70 can communicate information via a network.

[0014] (Drone) FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the drone 10. The drone 10 includes a drive unit 15 for flying, a light source unit 14 for performing optical wireless communication, and a release mechanism 16 for releasing the article from the held state. In FIG. 2, a state in which the article 100 is held is shown. The drone 10 is an unmanned flying object that delivers articles to the destination. The drone 10 delivers the article with the delivery designated position information indicating the delivery designated position of the article as the destination. The drone 10 may, for example, fly autonomously to the destination. The drone 10 may fly to the destination by being operated by an operator via a remote controller. The drone 10 may fly to the destination by combining autonomous flight and operation by the operator. In the following description, the drone 10 will be described as flying autonomously to the destination.

[0015] The drone 10 flies to the destination while holding the article on the main body. The article is held, for example, by an arm extending from the main body. The method by which the drone 10 holds the article can use a known method and is not limited. When the drone 10 reaches the destination, it is controlled by the terminal device 70 used by the recipient to release the article.

[0016] The article may be transported by the drone 10 from, for example, the place of origin or the office of the delivery company to the destination. The article may be transported by vehicle from, for example, the office of the delivery company to a point about several kilometers before the destination, and then transported by the drone 10 from that point to the destination.

[0017] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the drone 10. The drone 10 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 11, a camera 13, a light source unit 14, a drive unit 15, a release mechanism 16, a communication unit 19, and a control unit 20. The drone 10 can communicate information with the article delivery control device 50 via a network using the communication unit 19 controlled by the communication control unit 29.

[0018] The GNSS receiver 11 receives GNSS signals from GNSS satellites. The GNSS receiver 11 outputs the received GNSS signals to the position information acquisition unit 21 of the control unit 20. The GNSS receiver 11 is composed of, for example, a GNSS receiving circuit and an antenna capable of receiving GNSS signals.

[0019] The camera 13 is a camera that captures images of the surroundings of the drone 10. The camera 13 captures images of the surroundings of the destination. In this embodiment, the camera 13 captures images used for the autonomous flight control of the drone 10. The camera 13 is mounted on the drone 10. The camera 13 is arranged, for example, downward on the main body of the drone 10. The camera 13 captures images constantly, for example, from the start to the end of the flight of the drone 10. The camera 13 outputs the captured images to the video acquisition unit 23 of the control unit 20.

[0020] The light source unit 14 is a light source for optical wireless communication. The light source unit 14 is, for example, a light source of LED (Light Emitting Diode) light. The light source unit 14 is a light source that irradiates light from the drone 10. More specifically, the light source unit 14 irradiates light (hereinafter referred to as "delivery code superimposed light") with a delivery code superimposed thereon. In the present embodiment, the light source unit 14 irradiates the delivery code superimposed light received from the article delivery control device 50 via the communication control unit 29. The light source unit 14 irradiates light around the drone 10 and downward from the horizontal direction. The light source unit 14 encodes, for example, a delivery code into a signal such as 4 bits or 8 bits in the light emitted from an LED light source. Further, when the light source unit 14 performs PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming of the LED light at, for example, 100 Hz, the delivery code is superimposed on the dimming pulse. The delivery code superimposed light may include header information indicating that the light includes a delivery code.

[0021] The delivery code is a code that uniquely identifies an order of an article, and may include delivery designated position information indicating a delivery designated position of the article. The delivery designated position is indicated by, for example, latitude and longitude. The delivery code may include information indicating at least one of a recipient and a delivery date and time, for example. The delivery code may include, for example, the weight, size, and type of the article. The delivery designated position is the destination of the drone 10.

[0022] The drive unit 15 is a motor that flies the drone 10. The drive unit 15 is, for example, a motor that controls the rotation of the propeller of the drone 10. The rotation of the drive unit 15 is controlled by a control signal from the drive control unit 27 of the control unit 20. By controlling the rotation of the drive unit 15, the drone 10 performs various flight operations such as takeoff and landing, forward movement, turning, ascending, descending, and hovering.

[0023] The release mechanism 16 is a drive mechanism including an actuator or a motor that operates a holding part holding an article of the drone 10. The release mechanism 16 is, for example, an actuator that operates an arm holding an article of the drone 10. The release mechanism 16 is controlled by a control signal from the release control unit 28 of the control unit 20. By controlling the release mechanism 16, the holding and release of the article are switched.

[0024] The communication unit 19 is a communication unit that performs wide-area wireless communication. The communication unit 19 communicates information with the article delivery control device 50 via a network, for example. The network is, for example, the Internet, but is not limited thereto. The communication unit 19 is composed of, for example, a wide-area wireless communication module for a mobile phone network. The communication unit 19 may be composed of a communication module such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and may realize wide-area wireless communication by connecting to an arbitrary access point or another smartphone.

[0025] (Control unit) The control unit 20 is an arithmetic processing device (control device) composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 20 loads a stored program into a memory and executes instructions included in the program. The control unit 20 includes an internal memory (not shown), and the internal memory is used for temporary storage of data in the control unit 20. The control unit 20 controls the drone 10. The control unit 20 includes a position information acquisition unit 21, an image acquisition unit 23, an article weight acquisition unit 24, an irradiation control unit 25, an autonomous flight control unit 26, a drive control unit 27, a release control unit 28, a communication control unit 29, and a storage unit 31.

[0026] The position information acquisition unit 21 calculates the current position information of the drone 10 by a known method based on the radio wave received by the GNSS reception unit 11.

[0027] The video acquisition unit 23 acquires the video captured by the camera 13. The video acquisition unit 23 outputs the acquired video to the irradiation control unit 25 and the autonomous flight control unit 26. The video acquisition unit 23 may store the acquired video in a storage device (not shown) or output it to an external device such as a remote monitoring facility of a delivery company.

[0028] The article weight acquisition unit 24 acquires the weight of the article held by the drone 10. The article weight acquisition unit 24 may acquire the weight of the article from, for example, a weight sensor (not shown) disposed around the release mechanism 16. The article weight acquisition unit 24 may acquire the weight of the article together with a delivery code from, for example, a delivery company.

[0029] The irradiation control unit 25 irradiates light from the drone 10. More specifically, when the drone 10 reaches the destination, the irradiation control unit 25 irradiates the delivery code superimposed light acquired from the article delivery control device 50 via the communication control unit 29 from the light source unit 14 of the drone 10.

[0030] When the drone 10 reaches the destination and image processing is performed on the video captured by the camera 13 to recognize the terminal device 70 or a person, the irradiation control unit 25 may irradiate the delivery code superimposed light from the drone 10. A process of recognizing an object such as the terminal device 70 or a person from the video can use known techniques and is not limited.

[0031] The autonomous flight control unit 26 controls the drone 10 to autonomously fly with the designated delivery position of the item as the destination based on the position information of the current position of the drone 10 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 21. More specifically, when the autonomous flight control unit 26 receives information indicating a delivery instruction from the item delivery control device 50, it starts autonomous flight to the destination. First, the autonomous flight control unit 26 acquires the designated delivery position of the item from, for example, the delivery code acquired from the item delivery control device 50 via the communication control unit 29. The autonomous flight control unit 26 explores, for example, a flight route from the current position to the destination based on map information (not shown). The autonomous flight control unit 26 outputs a control signal to the drive control unit 27 so that the drone 10 autonomously flies to the destination along the explored flight route. The autonomous flight control unit 26 outputs, for example, a control signal including the explored flight route and flight altitude to the drive control unit 27.

[0032] When the drone 10 reaches the destination, the autonomous flight control unit 26 transmits information indicating that the handover - possible condition is satisfied to the item delivery control device 50 via the communication control unit 29. More specifically, the autonomous flight control unit 26 determines whether or not the handover - possible condition is satisfied based on the current position of the drone 10 and the designated delivery position. The autonomous flight control unit 26 determines that the drone 10 has reached the destination, in other words, that the handover - possible condition is satisfied, when the position information of the drone 10 matches the designated delivery position information indicating the latitude and longitude of the destination based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 21 and the designated delivery position information.

[0033] In addition to the position information, the autonomous flight control unit 26 may control the autonomous flight to the destination based on the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 23. For example, when the autonomous flight control unit 26 performs image processing on the video and an obstacle is recognized on the flight path of the drone 10, it outputs a control signal to control the avoidance of the obstacle. For example, when an obstacle is recognized from the video, the autonomous flight control unit 26 outputs a control signal to control the drone 10 to turn, ascend, or descend.

[0034] In this embodiment, the autonomous flight control unit 26 may fly the drone 10 slowly while turning it around in the vicinity of the destination so as to detect the terminal device 70. More specifically, when it is determined that the drone 10 has reached the destination, the autonomous flight control unit 26 outputs a control signal for controlling the drone 10 to fly slowly while turning around the vicinity of the destination.

[0035] In this embodiment, the autonomous flight control unit 26 may hover the drone 10 or lower it to about 1 to 3 meters above the ground in order to irradiate the terminal device 70 with delivery code superimposed light at the destination. Further, when it is determined that the terminal device 70 has been recognized by performing image processing on the video acquired by the video acquisition unit 23, the autonomous flight control unit 26 outputs a control signal for hovering the drone 10 above the terminal device 70 or a control signal for lowering the drone 10 to a height of about 1 m from the terminal device 70.

[0036] In this embodiment, when the autonomous flight control unit 26 acquires operation information from the terminal device 70 via the communication control unit 29 from the article delivery control device 50, the autonomous flight control unit 26 performs control by adding the operation information from the terminal device 70 to the control of the autonomous flight by the drone 10.

[0037] The drive control unit 27 outputs a control signal for controlling the drive unit 15. More specifically, the drive control unit 27 outputs a control signal for controlling the rotation of the propellers of the drone 10. Based on the control signal from the autonomous flight control unit 26, the drive control unit 27 controls the drive unit 15 so that autonomous flight or the like is performed up to the position information indicating the latitude and longitude of the address of the destination.

[0038] In this embodiment, the drive control unit 27 flies the drone 10 to the destination. More specifically, based on the control signal from the autonomous flight control unit 26, the drive control unit 27 outputs a control signal for flying the drone 10 to the destination to the drive unit 15. Based on the control signal from the autonomous flight control unit 26, the drive control unit 27 outputs a control signal for controlling the drive unit 15 to turn, ascend, or descend the drone 10.

[0039] Alternatively, in this embodiment, based on the control signal from the autonomous flight control unit 26, the drive control unit 27 slowly flies the drone 10 while turning it so that the terminal device 70 can easily receive the delivery code superimposed light around the destination. More specifically, based on the control signal from the autonomous flight control unit 26, the drive control unit 27 outputs a control signal to the drive unit 15 to control the drone 10 to slowly fly around the destination while turning.

[0040] In this embodiment, based on the control signal from the autonomous flight control unit 26, the drive control unit 27 hovers the drone 10 in order to irradiate the terminal device 70 with the delivery code superimposed light at the destination. More specifically, based on the control signal from the autonomous flight control unit 26, the drive control unit 27 outputs a control signal to the drive unit 15 to hover the drone 10 above the terminal device 70 or a control signal to lower it.

[0041] The release control unit 28 causes the release mechanism 16 to hold the article while the drone 10 flies to the destination. When the release control unit 28 receives operation information instructing the release operation of the article from the terminal device 70 via the article delivery control device 50, it controls to perform the release operation of the article.

[0042] When the release control unit 28 acquires the operation information of the release operation from the terminal device 70 via the communication control unit 29 from the article delivery control device 50, it outputs a control signal for controlling the release mechanism 16. More specifically, when the release control unit 28 acquires the operation information of the release operation from the terminal device 70 via the communication control unit 29 from the article delivery control device 50, for example, it outputs a control signal for switching between holding and releasing the article to the actuator that operates the arm for holding the article of the drone 10. In the present embodiment, when the release control unit 28 acquires the operation information of the release operation from the terminal device 70 via the communication control unit 29 from the article delivery control device 50, it outputs a control signal for releasing the article to the release mechanism 16. The release control unit 28 outputs a control signal for releasing the article to the actuator that operates the arm for holding the article of the drone 10, for example.

[0043] When the release control unit 28 receives the operation information indicating the fine adjustment operation of the article delivery position from the terminal device 70, it controls to perform the fine adjustment of the article delivery position and then perform the release operation.

[0044] The communication control unit 29 controls the communication unit 19 to control the communication with the article delivery control device 50. In the present embodiment, the communication control unit 29 receives the delivery code from the article delivery control device 50. When the preparation for delivering the article is completed, the communication control unit 29 transmits the delivery preparation completion information indicating that the delivery preparation is completed to the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 29 receives the information indicating the delivery instruction from the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 29 transmits the information indicating that the delivery possible condition is satisfied to the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 29 receives the operation information input in the terminal device 70 from the article delivery control device 50, for example, the operation information indicating the instruction of the release operation.

[0045] The storage unit 31 is a storage device that stores programs, data, etc. used by the control unit 20. The storage unit 31 uses at least one of non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memories such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM, for example.

[0046] (Goods Delivery Control Device) FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the goods delivery control device 50. The goods delivery control device 50 is a server device managed or used by an operator conducting e-commerce or a goods delivery operator, etc., and may be composed of a plurality of server devices. The goods delivery control device 50 can communicate information with the drone 10 and the terminal device 70 via a network. The goods delivery control device 50 performs an order receiving process for goods delivery and a handover process for goods. The goods delivery control device 50 includes a communication unit 59 and a control unit 60.

[0047] The communication unit 59 is a communication unit that performs wide-area wireless communication. The communication unit 59 communicates information with the drone 10 and the terminal device 70 via a network, for example. The network is, for example, the Internet, but is not limited thereto. The communication unit 59 is composed of a wide-area wireless communication module for a mobile phone network, for example. The communication unit 59 may be composed of a communication module such as Wi-Fi and connect to an arbitrary access point or another smartphone, etc. to realize wide-area wireless communication.

[0048] (Control Unit) The control unit 60 is an arithmetic processing device (control device) composed of a CPU, etc., for example. The control unit 60 loads the stored program into the memory and executes the instructions included in the program. The control unit 60 includes an internal memory (not shown), and the internal memory is used for temporary storage of data in the control unit 60. The control unit 60 controls the goods delivery control device 50. The control unit 60 includes an order receiving processing unit 61, a delivery code generation unit 62, a drone control unit 63, a storage unit 68, and a communication control unit 69.

[0049] The order processing unit 61 receives an order for the delivery of goods from, for example, the terminal device 70 or an external device. At the time of receiving the order, the order processing unit 61 acquires delivery designated position information indicating the delivery designated position of the goods from the terminal device 70 or an external device. At the time of receiving the order, the order processing unit 61 may acquire information indicating at least any one of, for example, the recipient of the goods, the delivery date and time, the weight of the goods, the size, and the type of the goods from the terminal device 70 or an external device together with the delivery designated position information.

[0050] The delivery code generation unit 62 generates a delivery code after receiving an order for the delivery of goods by the order processing unit 61. The delivery code generated by the delivery code generation unit 62 is transmitted to the drone 10 that performs the delivery of the goods and the terminal device 70 designated by the orderer of the goods via the communication control unit 69.

[0051] The drone control unit 63 outputs information indicating a delivery instruction to the designated drone 10 at the start of the delivery of the goods.

[0052] At the time of delivery of the goods, the drone control unit 63 transmits a deliverable notification indicating that delivery is possible to the terminal device 70 via the communication control unit 69. When the drone control unit 63 receives information indicating that the deliverable conditions are satisfied from the drone 10 via the communication control unit 69, the drone control unit 63 transmits a deliverable notification to the terminal device 70.

[0053] The drone control unit 63 grants the release right to the terminal device 70 when delivering an item. In the present embodiment, when the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 being transmitted by the communication control unit 69 matches the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 receiving the light irradiated from the drone 10, the drone control unit 63 permits the terminal device 70 to perform a release operation of the item by the drone 10, and based on the information indicating the release operation of the item from the terminal device 70, instructs the drone 10 to release the item. More specifically, when the delivery code acquired by the drone control unit 63 from the terminal device 70, which is the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 from the item delivery control device 50, matches the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 via the light reception control unit 81, the drone control unit 63 transmits release operation permission information indicating that the terminal device 70 is granted the release right of the item. When the two delivery codes acquired by the drone control unit 63 from the terminal device 70 match, the drone control unit 63 transmits release operation permission information to the terminal device 70.

[0054] The drone control unit 63 may grant the terminal device 70 the right to finely adjust the position of the drone 10 in addition to the release right of the item. In the present embodiment, when the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 being transmitted by the communication control unit 69 matches the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 receiving the light irradiated from the drone 10, the drone control unit 63 permits the terminal device 70 to perform an operation to finely adjust the delivery position of the item by the drone 10.

[0055] The drone control unit 63 transmits a control signal for controlling the drone 10 to the drone 10 that delivers the item. When the drone control unit 63 receives operation information from the terminal device 70 via the communication control unit 69, it transmits the operation information to the drone 10 via the communication control unit 69.

[0056] The drone control unit 63 may transmit information indicating an instruction for a release operation under specified conditions to the drone 10 via the communication control unit 69.

[0057] The specified conditions are the conditions for performing a predetermined release operation. For example, when the delivery to the recipient of the article is not specified, etc., when the drone 10 arrives at the delivery designated position which is the destination, and the altitude of the drone 10 at the destination becomes, for example, 50 cm above the ground, it is the condition for releasing the article, etc.

[0058] The storage unit 68 is a storage device that stores programs, data, etc. used by the control unit 60. The storage unit 68 uses, for example, at least one of non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memories such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, and magnetic disks.

[0059] The communication control unit 69 controls the communication unit 59 to control the communication with the drone 10 and the terminal device 70. More specifically, in the present embodiment, when receiving an order for the delivery of an article by the order receiving processing unit 61, the communication control unit 69 acquires delivery designated position information and various information from the terminal device 70 or an external device.

[0060] The process performed by the communication control unit 69 when receiving an order for the delivery of an article will be described. When the communication control unit 69 receives an order for the delivery of an article by the order receiving processing unit 61 or after receiving the order, it transmits a delivery code to the terminal device 70 designated by the order placer of the article. The terminal device 70 designated by the order placer of the article may be the terminal device where the order for the article was placed. When the communication control unit 69 receives an order for the delivery of an article by the order receiving processing unit 61 or after receiving the order, it transmits a delivery code to the drone 10 designated for delivery.

[0061] The processing performed by the communication control unit 69 during the delivery of an item will be described. The communication control unit 69 receives delivery preparation completion information from the drone 10 designated for delivery. The communication control unit 69 transmits information indicating a delivery instruction to the drone 10 designated for delivery. The communication control unit 69 receives information indicating that the handover - possible condition is satisfied from the drone 10. When the communication control unit 69 receives information indicating that the handover - possible condition is satisfied from the drone 10, it transmits a handover - possible notification to the terminal device 70. The communication control unit 69 receives, from the terminal device 70, information indicating whether the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 from the item delivery control device 50 matches or does not match the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 via the light receiving control unit 81. The communication control unit 69 transmits release operation permission information indicating that the terminal device 70 is granted the right to release the item. The communication control unit 69 receives, from the terminal device 70, for example, an instruction for a release operation as operation information. The communication control unit 69 transmits, as operation information from the drone control unit 63, for example, operation information indicating an instruction for a release operation to the drone 10. When the handover process of the item is completed, the communication control unit 69 transmits a delivery completion notification to the terminal device 70.

[0062] (Terminal device) FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the terminal device 70. More specifically, the terminal device 70 is a terminal device operated by a recipient who receives an item at the destination. The terminal device 70 is, for example, a portable electronic device such as a smartphone. When the terminal device 70 receives a handover - possible notification for an item, it becomes possible to receive the item. The terminal device 70 is operable to control the drone 10 when receiving the item. More specifically, when receiving the item, the terminal device 70 is granted the right to release the item. In the present embodiment, in addition to the right to release the item, the terminal device 70 may be granted the right to finely adjust the position of the drone 10. The terminal device 70 can communicate information with the item delivery control device 50 via a network. The terminal device 70 includes a light receiving unit 71, a display unit 72, an operation unit 73, a communication unit 79, and a control unit 80.

[0063] The light receiving unit 71 is a light receiving unit for optical wireless communication. The light receiving unit 71 receives, for example, LED light. The light receiving unit 71 receives the light irradiated from the drone 10. More specifically, the light receiving unit 71 receives the delivery code superimposed light. The light receiving unit 71 may be a camera provided in the terminal device 70.

[0064] The display unit 72 is a display including, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display unit 72 displays an image based on the video signal output from the display control unit 82 of the control unit 80. The display unit 72 displays, for example, a release instruction screen of the drone 10 when the release right of an article is granted.

[0065] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the release instruction screen 110 displayed on the display screen. The release instruction screen shown in FIG. 6 enables fine adjustment of the position of the drone 10. The release instruction screen 110 includes, for example, a horizontal arrow image 111 for operating fine adjustment of the position of the drone 10 in the horizontal plane, a vertical arrow image 112 for operating fine adjustment of the position in the vertical direction, and a release button image 113 for operating the release of the article. The horizontal arrow image 111 is an image of an arrow indicating east, west, south, and north. When moving the drone 10 in a predetermined direction in the horizontal direction, touch-operate the moving direction in the horizontal arrow image 111. The vertical arrow image 112 is an image of an arrow indicating up and down. When moving the drone 10 in the vertical direction, touch-operate the moving direction in the vertical arrow image 112. When releasing an article from the drone 10, touch-operate the release button image 113.

[0066] The operation unit 73 is, for example, a touch panel provided in the display unit 72 when the right to release an article is granted. The operation unit 73 can receive various operations for remotely operating the drone 10. For example, the operation unit 73 can receive an operation to move the drone 10 in a predetermined direction in the horizontal direction. For example, the operation unit 73 can receive an operation to move the drone 10 in the vertical direction. For example, the operation unit 73 can receive an operation to release an article from the drone 10. The operation unit 73 outputs operation information to the operation control unit 83 of the control unit 80.

[0067] The recipient of the article operates the drone 10 via the release instruction screen displayed on the display unit 72 to move it onto the article placement area and then operates to release the article.

[0068] The adjustment range of the drone 10 by the terminal device 70 is limited, for example, to less than 1 m in the horizontal direction and less than 1 m in the vertical direction. Naturally, collision prevention by the camera 13 of the drone 10 and an altitude sensor (not shown) takes precedence.

[0069] The communication unit 79 is a communication unit that performs wide-area wireless communication. The communication unit 79 communicates information with the article delivery control device 50 via, for example, a network. The network is, for example, the Internet, but is not limited thereto. The communication unit 79 is composed of, for example, a wide-area wireless communication module for a mobile phone network. The communication unit 79 may be composed of a communication module such as Wi-Fi and connect to an arbitrary access point or another smartphone to realize wide-area wireless communication.

[0070] (Control Unit) The control unit 80 is an arithmetic processing unit (control device) composed of, for example, a CPU or the like. The control unit 80 loads the stored program into the memory and executes the instructions included in the program. The control unit 80 includes an internal memory (not shown), and the internal memory is used for temporarily storing data in the control unit 80. The control unit 80 controls the terminal device 70. The control unit 80 has a light reception control unit 81, a display control unit 82, an operation control unit 83, a storage unit 88, and a communication control unit 89.

[0071] The light reception control unit 81 causes the light reception unit 71 to receive the light irradiated from the drone 10. More specifically, the light reception control unit 81 causes the light reception unit 71 to receive the delivery code superimposed light from the drone 10. The light reception control unit 81 acquires the delivery code from the delivery code superimposed light received by the light reception unit 71.

[0072] The display control unit 82 controls the display of the video on the display unit 72 of the display unit 72. The display control unit 82 outputs a video signal for outputting the video to the display unit 72. More specifically, the display control unit 82 outputs a video signal for displaying an image of a screen for performing an order processing when placing an order for the delivery of an article.

[0073] When the release right of the article is granted, the display control unit 82 outputs a video signal for displaying a release instruction screen for instructing the release of the article from the drone 10 on the display unit 72. When the delivery code acquired from the article delivery control device 50 matches the delivery code acquired by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 via the light reception control unit 81, the display control unit 82 outputs a video signal for displaying a release instruction screen for instructing the release of the article when the release right of the article is granted. In the present embodiment, when the release right of the article is granted from the article delivery control device 50, the display control unit 82 outputs a video signal for displaying a release instruction screen for instructing the release of the article.

[0074] When the delivery code acquired by the display control unit 82 from the article delivery control device 50 matches the delivery code acquired by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 via the light reception control unit 81, the position fine adjustment right of the drone 10 may be granted, and a release instruction screen for finely adjusting the position may be output to the display unit 72 as a video signal. In the present embodiment, when the position fine adjustment right of the drone 10 is granted from the article delivery control device 50, the display control unit 82 may output a video signal for displaying a release instruction screen capable of finely adjusting the position of the drone 10.

[0075] The operation control unit 83 receives an operation for performing an order process when an order for article delivery is placed. In the present embodiment, the operation control unit 83 receives, for example, an operation for inputting delivery designated position information and various types of information.

[0076] When the delivery code acquired by the operation control unit 83 from the article delivery control device 50 matches the delivery code acquired by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 via the light reception control unit 81, the operation control unit 83 receives an operation for instructing a release operation of an article by the drone 10 in the terminal device 70. In the present embodiment, when the article release right is granted from the article delivery control device 50, the operation control unit 83 receives an operation for instructing a release operation of an article by the drone 10 in the terminal device 70.

[0077] In the present embodiment, when the position fine adjustment right of the drone 10 is granted from the article delivery control device 50, the operation control unit 83 may acquire operation information indicating an operation for finely adjusting the position. More specifically, the operation control unit 83 may acquire operation information indicating, for example, a fine adjustment operation in the horizontal plane for moving the drone 10 to the article release position and a fine adjustment operation in the vertical direction, and output a control signal.

[0078] The operation control unit 83 outputs the acquired operation information as a control signal. The operation information acquired by the operation control unit 83 is output from the terminal device 70 to the article delivery control device 50.

[0079] The storage unit 88 is a storage device that stores programs, data, etc. used by the control unit 80. The storage unit 88 uses, for example, at least one of non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memories such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, EPROM, and EEPROM.

[0080] The communication control unit 89 controls the communication unit 79 to control communication with the article delivery control device 50. In the present embodiment, at the time of ordering the delivery of an article, the communication control unit 89 transmits various information such as delivery designated position information and article information to the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 89 receives a delivery code from the article delivery control device 50. When the delivery code acquired from the article delivery control device 50 by the communication control unit 89 matches the delivery code obtained by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 via the light receiving control unit 81, the communication control unit 89 transmits information indicating that they match. The communication control unit 89 receives a handover possible notification from the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 89 receives release operation permission information from the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 89 transmits the operation information acquired by the operation control unit 83 to the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 89 transmits, for example, the operation information acquired by the operation control unit 83 to the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 89 transmits, for example, operation information indicating an instruction for a release operation to the article delivery control device 50. The communication control unit 89 transmits, for example, operation information indicating a fine adjustment operation to the article delivery control device 50. When the handover process of the article is completed, the communication control unit 89 receives a delivery completion notification from the article delivery control device 50.

[0081] (Information Processing in the Article Delivery System) Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11, information processing in the article delivery system 1 will be described. First, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the order processing and order receiving processing of articles will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the flow of order processing in a terminal device 70 that places an order for an article with the article delivery control device 50 of the article delivery system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0082] The terminal device 70 places an order for the delivery of an item (step S101). More specifically, the control unit 80 causes the display control unit 82 to display, on the display unit 72, an image of a screen for performing an order placement process. The control unit 80 receives, via the operation control unit 83, an operation for performing an order placement process. The control unit 80 receives, via the operation control unit 83, an operation for inputting, for example, delivery designated position information and various types of information. When placing an order for the delivery of an item, the control unit 80 transmits, via the communication control unit 89, various types of information such as delivery designated position information and item information to the item delivery control device 50. The control unit 80 proceeds to step S102.

[0083] The terminal device 70 receives and stores a delivery code from the item delivery control device 50 that has received the order placed in step S101 (step S102). More specifically, the terminal device 70 receives, from the item delivery control device 50, a delivery code that can uniquely identify the order details.

[0084] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the flow of an order reception process in the item delivery control device 50 of the item delivery system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0085] The control unit 60 determines whether an order has been received (step S201). More specifically, the control unit 60 determines, via the communication control unit 69, whether it has acquired various types of information such as delivery designated position information and item information from the terminal device 70. When the control unit 60 has acquired various types of information such as delivery designated position information and item information from the terminal device 70, or when an online order reception process or the like has been performed, the control unit 60 determines that an order has been received. When the control unit 60 determines that an order has been received (Yes in step S201), the control unit 60 proceeds to step S202. When the control unit 60 determines that an order has not been received (No in step S201), the process ends.

[0086] When an order has been received (Yes in step S201), the control unit 60 transmits the delivery code to the terminal device 70 of the order placer (step S202). More specifically, the control unit 60 transmits the delivery code to the terminal device 70 of the order placer via the communication control unit 69. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S203.

[0087] The control unit 60 transmits the destination information and the delivery code to the drone 10 designated for delivery (step S203). More specifically, the control unit 60 transmits the delivery code to the drone 10 designated for delivery by the communication control unit 69. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S204.

[0088] The control unit 60 determines whether it has acquired the delivery preparation completion information (step S204). The control unit 60 determines whether it has received the delivery preparation completion information from the drone 10 designated for delivery by the communication control unit 69. Delivery preparation completion means a state in which the article to be delivered to the drone 10 is held and delivery is possible. When the control unit 60 determines that it has acquired the delivery preparation completion information (Yes in step S204), it proceeds to step S205. When the control unit 60 determines that it has not acquired the delivery preparation completion information (No in step S204), it executes the process of step S204 again.

[0089] When the delivery preparation of the drone 10 designated for delivery is completed, the control unit 60 gives a delivery instruction (step S205). More specifically, the control unit 60 transmits information indicating a delivery instruction to the drone 10 designated for delivery by the communication control unit 69. The delivery instruction is an instruction for the drone 10 to start flying to the destination.

[0090] Next, the handover process will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the flow of the handover process in the terminal device 70 that placed an order for an article with the article delivery control device 50 of the article delivery system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0091] The control unit 80 receives the deliverable notification (step S111). More specifically, the control unit 80 receives the deliverable notification from the article delivery control device 50 through the communication control unit 89. The deliverable notification is transmitted from the article delivery control device 50 to the terminal device 70 when the drone 10 arrives at or near the destination. When the user of the terminal device 70 receives the deliverable notification, the user checks the drone 10 at the delivery designated position that is the destination of the drone 10, and turns the terminal device 70 towards the drone 10 so that the terminal device 70 can receive the delivery code superimposed light. The deliverable notification may include, in addition to the notification indicating that the drone 10 has arrived at or near the delivery designated position, a notification indicating a request to receive the delivery code superimposed light. The control unit 80 proceeds to step S112.

[0092] The control unit 80 determines whether it has received the delivery code superimposed light (step S112). More specifically, the control unit 80 confirms that the received light contains the delivery code through the light receiving control unit 81, and determines that it has received the delivery code superimposed light when the delivery code is included. The control unit 80 proceeds to step S113.

[0093] The control unit 80 acquires and transmits the delivery code (step S113). More specifically, the control unit 80 acquires the delivery code by decoding the delivery code superimposed light received by the light receiving control unit 81. After acquiring the delivery code from the delivery code superimposed light, the control unit 80 compares it with the delivery code transmitted from the article delivery control device 50 to determine whether they match. When the delivery code acquired from the article delivery control device 50 matches the delivery code acquired by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10, the control unit 80 transmits, through the communication control unit 89, information indicating that they match to the article delivery control device 50. The control unit 80 proceeds to step S114.

[0094] The control unit 80 displays a release instruction screen (step S114). More specifically, the control unit 80 outputs a video signal for displaying on the display unit 72 a release instruction screen that instructs the release operation of the article from the drone 10 by the display control unit 82. If the delivery code acquired from the article delivery control device 50 does not match the delivery code acquired by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10, the control unit 80 does not display the release instruction screen. The control unit 80 proceeds to step S115.

[0095] The control unit 80 determines whether the release operation has been executed (step S115). More specifically, when the operation control unit 83 receives an operation that supports the release operation of the article by the drone 10, the control unit 80 determines that the release operation has been executed. When the control unit 80 determines that the release operation has been executed (Yes in step S115), it proceeds to step S116. When the control unit 80 determines that the release operation has not been executed (No in step S115), it executes the process of step S115 again.

[0096] The control unit 80 transmits an instruction for the release operation (step S116). More specifically, the control unit 80 transmits, by the communication control unit 89, for example, operation information indicating an instruction for the release operation to the article delivery control device 50. The control unit 80 proceeds to step S117.

[0097] The control unit 80 receives a delivery completion notification (step S117). More specifically, the control unit 80 receives the delivery completion notification from the article delivery control device 50 by the communication control unit 89.

[0098] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the flow of the delivery process in the article delivery control device 50 of the article delivery system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0099] The control unit 60 determines whether the position information of the drone 10 satisfies the transferable condition (step S211). More specifically, when the communication control unit 69 receives information indicating that the transferable condition is satisfied from the drone 10, the control unit 60 determines that the transferable condition is satisfied. When the control unit 60 determines that the transferable condition is satisfied (Yes in step S211), it proceeds to step S212.

[0100] The control unit 60 transmits a transferable notification (step S212). More specifically, the control unit 60 causes the communication control unit 69 to transmit a transferable notification to the terminal device 70. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S213.

[0101] The control unit 60 receives information indicating that the delivery codes match (step S213). More specifically, the control unit 60 causes the communication control unit 69 to receive from the terminal device 70 information indicating that the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 from the article delivery control device 50 matches the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 by receiving the light irradiated by the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 via the light reception control unit 81. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S214. In step S213, the control unit 60 may receive from the terminal device 70 the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 from the article delivery control device 50 and the delivery code acquired by receiving the light irradiated by the drone 10, and determine in the control unit 60 whether the two delivery codes match.

[0102] The control unit 60 transmits release operation permission information (step S214). More specifically, the control unit 60 causes the communication control unit 69 to transmit release operation permission information indicating that the terminal device 70 is granted the right to release the article. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S215.

[0103] The control unit 60 determines whether or not an instruction for a release operation has been received (step S215). More specifically, the control unit 60 determines, via the communication control unit 69, whether or not an instruction for a release operation has been received as operation information from the terminal device 70. When the control unit 60 determines that an instruction for a release operation has been received (Yes in step S215), it proceeds to step S216. When the control unit 60 determines that an instruction for a release operation has not been received (No in step S215), it proceeds to step S217. The process of step S215 may be a determination as to whether or not an instruction for a release operation has been received within a predetermined time, such as 60 seconds, after the release operation permission information was transmitted in step S214.

[0104] When it is determined that an instruction for a release operation has been received (Yes in step S215), the control unit 60 transmits an instruction for a release operation (step S216). More specifically, the control unit 60 transmits, via the communication control unit 69, operation information indicating an instruction for a release operation, for example, as operation information from the drone control unit 63 to the drone 10. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S218.

[0105] When it is determined that an instruction for a release operation has not been received (No in step S215), the control unit 60 transmits an instruction for a release operation under specified conditions (step S217). More specifically, the control unit 60 transmits, via the communication control unit 69, operation information indicating an instruction for a release operation to the drone 10 as operation information from the drone control unit 63, for example, on the condition that specified conditions are satisfied. The control unit 60 proceeds to step S218.

[0106] The control unit 60 transmits a delivery completion notice (step S218). More specifically, the control unit 60 transmits a delivery completion notice to the terminal device 70 via the communication control unit 69.

[0107] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the flow of the handover process in the drone 10 of the article delivery system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0108] The control unit 20 determines whether the handover possible condition is satisfied based on the current position and the delivery designated position (step S301). More specifically, the control unit 20, based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 21 by the autonomous flight control unit 26 and the delivery designated position information included in the delivery code, when the position information of the drone 10 matches the delivery designated position information indicating the latitude and longitude of the destination, it determines that the drone 10 has reached the destination, in other words, that the handover possible condition is satisfied. When the control unit 20 determines that the current position and the delivery designated position satisfy the handover possible condition (Yes in step S301), it proceeds to step S302. When the control unit 20 determines that the current position and the delivery designated position do not satisfy the handover possible condition (No in step S301), it executes the process of step S301 again.

[0109] The control unit 20 transmits information indicating that the handover possible condition is satisfied (step S302). More specifically, the control unit 20 transmits, by the communication control unit 29, information indicating that the handover possible condition is satisfied to the article delivery control device 50.

[0110] The control unit 20 starts irradiating the delivery code superimposed light (step S303). More specifically, the control unit 20 causes the delivery code superimposed light to be irradiated from the light source unit 14 of the drone 10 by the irradiation control unit 25. The control unit 20 proceeds to step S304.

[0111] The control unit 20 determines whether an instruction for a release operation has been received (step S304). More specifically, the control unit 20 determines, by the communication control unit 29, whether operation information input at the terminal device 70 from the article delivery control device 50, for example, operation information indicating an instruction for a release operation, has been received. When the control unit 20 determines that an instruction for a release operation has been received (Yes in step S304), it proceeds to step S305. When the control unit 20 determines that an instruction for a release operation has not been received (No in step S304), it proceeds to step S306.

[0112] The control unit 20 determines whether or not an instruction for a release operation under specified conditions has been received (step S305). When the control unit 20 determines that an instruction for a release operation under specified conditions has been received (Yes in step S305), it proceeds to step S306. When the control unit 20 determines that an instruction for a release operation under specified conditions has not been received (No in step S305), it executes the process of step S304 again.

[0113] The control unit 20 releases the article (step S306). More specifically, the control unit 20 controls the release control unit 28 to perform a release operation of the article based on operation information indicating the received instruction for the release operation.

[0114] (Effect) As described above, in the present embodiment, when the delivery code acquired by the terminal device 70 from the article delivery control device 50 matches the delivery code acquired by receiving the light irradiated by the drone 10, the terminal device 70 can receive an operation instruction for the release operation of the article by the drone 10. According to the present embodiment, the article delivered by the drone 10 can be received based on the intention of the receiving side via the terminal device 70. The present embodiment can suppress the article released from the drone 10 from accidentally falling or being placed in an inappropriate location. In the case where the impact resistance of the article is low, etc., the receiving side can secure the article in a safe place such as in a human hand in the present embodiment.

[0115] In the present embodiment, together with an operation for instructing a release operation of the article by the drone 10 in the terminal device 70, an operation for fine adjustment of the delivery position of the article can be received. According to the present embodiment, the position can be finely adjusted to receive the article at an appropriate position.

[0116] [Second Embodiment] With reference to FIG. 12, the article delivery system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the drone 10A according to the second embodiment. The basic configuration of the drone 10A in the second embodiment is the same as that of the drone 10 in the first embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals or corresponding reference numerals are assigned to the components similar to those of the drone 10 in the first embodiment, and the detailed description thereof is omitted. The drone 10A differs from the first embodiment in that it includes an altitude sensor 12A and an altitude information acquisition unit 22A, and in the processing in the irradiation control unit 25A and the release control unit 28A.

[0117] The altitude sensor 12A is a sensor that detects the flight altitude of the drone 10A from the ground. The altitude sensor 12A is, for example, a sensor such as ultrasonic waves or infrared rays arranged facing downward of the drone 10A. The altitude sensor 12A may also be used as a sensor for detecting the flight altitude of the light source unit 14. The altitude sensor 12A outputs the detected sensor data to the altitude information acquisition unit 22A.

[0118] The altitude information acquisition unit 22A acquires the flight altitude information of the drone 10A. More specifically, the altitude information acquisition unit 22A acquires sensor data from the altitude sensor 12A. The altitude information acquisition unit 22A may acquire the flight altitude, for example, from the reflection time of ultrasonic waves or infrared rays emitted toward the ground. The altitude information acquisition unit 22A may acquire the flight altitude, for example, from the reflection time of the delivery code superimposed light irradiated from the light source unit 14.

[0119] The irradiation control unit 25A changes the altitude at which light is irradiated based on the weight of the article acquired by the article weight acquisition unit 24A. When the weight of the article is heavy, the irradiation control unit 25A causes the delivery code superimposed light to be irradiated from the light source unit 14 of the drone 10A at a lower flight altitude than when the weight is light. For example, when the weight of the article is less than 1 kg, the irradiation control unit 25A causes the delivery code superimposed light to be irradiated from the light source unit 14 of the drone 10A with the flight altitude of the drone 10A being 150 cm. For example, when the weight of the article is 1 kg or more and less than or equal to the drone deliverable weight, the irradiation control unit 25A causes the delivery code superimposed light to be irradiated from the light source unit 14 of the drone 10A with the flight altitude of the drone 10A being 50 cm.

[0120] The release control unit 28A changes the altitude at which the release operation of the article becomes effective based on the weight of the article acquired by the article weight acquisition unit 24A. When the weight of the article is heavy, can the article be released at a lower flight altitude than when the weight is light? For example, when the weight of the article is less than 1 kg, the release control unit 28A does not validate the release operation until the flight altitude becomes 150 cm even if a release operation is received at a flight altitude above 150 cm of the drone 10A, and validates the release operation when the flight altitude becomes 150 cm or less. For example, when the weight of the article is 1 kg or more and less than or equal to the drone deliverable weight, the release control unit 28A does not validate the release operation until the flight altitude becomes 50 cm even if a release operation is received at a flight altitude above 50 cm, and validates the release operation when the flight altitude becomes 50 cm or less.

[0121] As described above, in the present embodiment, the altitude at which the delivery code superimposed light is irradiated can be changed based on the weight of the article. According to the present embodiment, the package can be received more safely according to the weight of the article.

[0122] In the present embodiment, the altitude at which the release operation of the article becomes effective can be changed based on the weight of the article. According to the present embodiment, the package can be received more safely according to the weight of the article.

[0123] [Third Embodiment] In the above-described first and second embodiments, as an example of the article delivery system 1 according to the present invention, the configuration and processing of the article delivery system 1 including the drone 10 and the article delivery control device 50 have been described. The processing according to the above-described first and second embodiments can also have the article delivery control device 50 as the subject of the processing.

[0124] Specifically, when the drone 10 reaches the destination, the drone control unit 63 of the article delivery control device 50 may determine that the drone 10 has reached the destination based on the position information and destination information of the drone 10, and cause the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 to irradiate the delivery code superimposed light from the drone 10 by instructing the irradiation control unit 25 of the drone 10 to irradiate the delivery code superimposed light from the drone 10.

[0125] Further, by the article delivery control device 50 acquiring the flight altitude information acquired by the altitude information acquisition unit 22A of the drone 10, the drone control unit 63 of the article delivery control device 50 can change the altitude at which the delivery code superimposed light is irradiated based on the weight of the article, or perform control to change the altitude at which the release operation becomes effective.

[0126] As described above, by setting the execution entity of the process as the article delivery control device 50, the article delivery control device 50 according to the present embodiment is configured as follows. It includes a communication control unit 69 that controls communication between a terminal device 70 designated by an orderer who orders the delivery of an article and a drone 10 that delivers the article, and a drone control unit 63 that controls the operation of the drone 10 through communication by the communication control unit 69. When receiving an order for the delivery of an article, the communication control unit 69 transmits a delivery code including the article delivery designated position information to the terminal device 70 designated by the article orderer. When the drone 10 that delivers the article reaches the destination based on the article delivery designated position information, the drone control unit 63 causes the drone 10 to irradiate light with the delivery code superimposed thereon. When information indicating that the delivery code obtained by the terminal device 70 through transmission by the communication control unit 69 matches the delivery code obtained by the terminal device 70 by receiving the light irradiated from the drone 10 is acquired, the terminal device 70 is permitted to perform an article release operation by the drone 10, and based on the information indicating the article release operation from the terminal device 70, control is performed to instruct the drone 10 to perform the article release operation.

[0127] As another configuration, in the above-described article delivery control device 50, the drone control unit 63 performs control to change the flight altitude at which the drone 10 irradiates light with the delivery code superimposed thereon based on the weight of the article being delivered by the drone 10. Alternatively, in the above-described article delivery control device 50, the drone control unit 63 performs control to change the flight altitude at which the article release operation of the article being delivered by the drone 10 becomes effective based on the weight of the article being delivered by the drone 10.

[0128] As yet another configuration, when the delivery code obtained by the terminal device 70 through transmission by the communication control unit 29 matches the delivery code obtained by the terminal device 70 by receiving the light irradiated from the drone 10, the drone control unit 63 permits the terminal device 70 to perform an operation for fine adjustment of the article handover position by the drone 10, and based on the information indicating the operation for fine adjustment of the handover position received from the terminal device 70, performs control to instruct the drone 10 to perform fine adjustment of the article handover position and then perform the release operation.

[0129] Each component of the illustrated article delivery system is conceptually functional and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. That is, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown, and all or part of it may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit according to the processing load of each device, usage situation, etc.

[0130] The configuration of the article delivery system is realized, for example, as software by a program loaded into a memory or the like. In the above embodiment, it has been described as a functional block realized by the cooperation of these hardware or software. That is, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by only hardware, only software, or a combination thereof.

[0131] The components described above include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be combined as appropriate. Also, various omissions, substitutions, or changes in the configuration are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0132] For example, each part of the control unit 60 of the article delivery control device 50 may be distributed and mounted on the drone 10 and the terminal device 70. More specifically, each part of the control unit 60 of the article delivery control device 50 may have a part provided in the control unit 20 of the drone 10 and the remainder provided in the control unit 80 of the terminal device 70.

[0133] In the above, the drone 10 has been described as being capable of autonomous flight. However, when it is operated by a pilot, the pilot may watch the video taken by the camera 13 provided on the drone 10 and operate a remote controller to fly it to the destination.

[0134] This disclosure includes matters that contribute to the realization of "Build the foundation of industry and technological innovation" of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and contribute to value creation by IoT solutions.

Description of Symbols

[0135] 1 Article Delivery System 10 Drone 11 GNSS Receiver 13 Camera 14 Light Source Unit 15 Driving Unit 16 Release Mechanism 19 Communication Unit 20 Control Unit 21 Position Information Acquisition Unit 23 Video Acquisition Unit 24 Article Weight Acquisition Unit 25 Irradiation Control Unit 26 Autonomous Flight Control Unit 27 Driving Control Unit 28 Release Control Unit 29 Communication Control Unit 50 Article Delivery Control Device 59 Communication Unit 60 Control Unit 61 Order Processing Unit 62 Delivery Code Generation Unit 63 Drone Control Unit 68 Memory Unit 69 Communication Control Unit 70 Terminal Device 71 Light Receiving Unit 72 Display Unit 73 Operation Unit 79 Communication Unit 80 Control Unit 81 Light Receiving Control Unit 82 Display Control Unit 83 Operation Control Unit 88 Memory Unit 89 Communication Control Unit

Claims

1. An irradiation control unit that causes a drone for delivering an item to irradiate light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by the orderer of the item when the drone reaches the destination for delivering the item; A release control unit that controls to perform a release operation of the item when information indicating an instruction to release the item permitted to the terminal is received by matching the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device with the delivery code obtained by the terminal device receiving the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit; An altitude information acquisition unit that acquires altitude information of the drone; Comprising: The irradiation control unit changes the altitude at which the light is irradiated based on the weight of the item. Drone for item delivery.

2. An irradiation control unit that causes a drone for delivering an item to irradiate light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by the orderer of the item when the drone reaches the destination for delivering the item; A release control unit that controls to perform a release operation of the item when information indicating an instruction to release the item permitted to the terminal is received by matching the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device with the delivery code obtained by the terminal device receiving the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit; An altitude information acquisition unit that acquires altitude information of the drone; Comprising: The release control unit changes the altitude at which the release operation of the item becomes effective based on the weight of the item. Drone for item delivery.

3. An irradiation step of causing a drone for delivering an item to irradiate light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by the orderer of the item when the drone reaches the destination for delivering the item; A release control step of controlling to perform a release operation of the item when information indicating an instruction to release the item permitted to the terminal is received by matching the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device with the delivery code obtained by the terminal device receiving the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit; An altitude information acquisition step of acquiring altitude information of the drone; Comprising: The irradiation control step changes the altitude at which the light is irradiated based on the weight of the item. Item delivery method executed by a drone for item delivery.

4. An irradiation step of irradiating light superimposed with a delivery code transmitted to a terminal device designated by an orderer of the article from the drone when the drone delivering the article reaches the destination for delivering the article; A release control step of controlling to perform a release operation of the article when information indicating an instruction to release the article permitted to the terminal is received by matching the delivery code transmitted to the terminal device with the delivery code obtained by the terminal device receiving the light irradiated from the drone by the irradiation control unit; An altitude information acquisition step of acquiring flight altitude information of the drone; Comprising; The release control step changes an altitude at which the release operation of the article becomes effective based on the weight of the article. An article delivery method executed by a drone for article delivery.

Images