Method and system for managing flight of unmanned aerial vehicle, and managing terminal

Abstract

To provide a method for managing a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle that allows for ensuring the security of a small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle.SOLUTION: A method for managing a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present disclosure includes that, in a system including a managing terminal 20 and a for-identification terminal 30, the managing terminal 20 collates an identification ID obtained from the for-identification terminal 30 with a fuselage ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 to verify the fuselage ID, sends a flight-permission notification entailing a predetermined restriction of a flight to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 if the fuselage ID is authenticated as a result of verification, and sends information indicative of a flight situation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, which is an issuance object of a flight-permission notification, to the for-identification terminal 30 and the for-identification terminal 30 uninterruptedly transmits the flight situation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 sent from the managing terminal 20 to the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle, a flight management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, and a management terminal.

Background Art

[0002] As the application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to industries spreads, security regarding the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles is required. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for identifying a drone using an identification module incorporated in a flight control unit of the drone.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the identification module has weight, it is difficult to mount it on a small unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of ensuring the security of a small unmanned aerial vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle. In a system including a management terminal and an identification terminal, the management terminal verifies the aircraft ID by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle. When the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, the management terminal sends a flight permission notification with predetermined flight restrictions to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and sends information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the target of the flight permission notification, to the identification terminal. The identification terminal continuously transmits externally the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle sent from the management terminal. A flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided, which includes the above steps.

[0007] Further, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a flight management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, including a management terminal and an identification terminal. The management terminal includes a verification unit and a sending unit. The verification unit verifies the aircraft ID by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle. When the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, the sending unit sends a flight permission notification with predetermined flight restrictions to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and sends information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the target of the flight permission notification, to the identification terminal. The identification terminal includes a transmitting unit, and the transmitting unit continuously transmits externally the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle sent from the management terminal. A flight management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided.

[0008] Further, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a management terminal for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The management terminal includes a verification unit and a sending unit. The verification unit verifies the aircraft ID by matching the identification ID obtained from an identification terminal for transmitting externally the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle. When the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, the sending unit sends a flight permission notification with predetermined flight restrictions to the unmanned aerial vehicle, and sends information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the target of the flight permission notification, to the identification terminal. A management terminal is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the security of a small unmanned aerial vehicle can be ensured.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0012] <Overview> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a use case to which a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment is a rotary wing aircraft that obtains lift and thrust by a so-called plurality of rotary wings 3.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is, for example, an unmanned aerial vehicle that flies within or around the space of the facility S1 to be inspected and performs inspections and the like on the facility S1 to be inspected. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may be controlled, for example, by an operation using a control terminal (prop) 40, or may perform autonomous flight.

[0014] From a security perspective, such an unmanned aircraft 1 is required to be a proper unmanned aircraft. A proper unmanned aircraft means, for example, an unmanned aircraft for which it has been verified that the aircraft has been certified by a public agency. If it is an improper unmanned aircraft, for example, the control related to the flight or inspection by the unmanned aircraft may be hacked, or it may not be possible to obtain the log when the unmanned aircraft malfunctions. Therefore, for example, it is required to mount on the unmanned aircraft an identification terminal called "Remote ID" for remotely identifying the unmanned aircraft by a public agency.

[0015] However, when mounting such an identification terminal on an unmanned aircraft, it is necessary to consider the weight of the identification terminal during the flight of the unmanned aircraft. Then, if the identification terminal is mounted on a small unmanned aircraft, the flight performance of the small unmanned aircraft cannot be exerted, and it becomes difficult to perform operations such as inspections in the first place.

[0016] Therefore, in the flight management method (flight management system) of the unmanned aircraft according to the present embodiment, the identification and flight permission of the unmanned aircraft 1 by the identification terminal 30 are realized via the management terminal 20. Although the details will be described later, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to identify and restrict the flight of the unmanned aircraft 1 without mounting the identification terminal 30 on the unmanned aircraft 1. Therefore, even for a small unmanned aircraft 1, it is possible to exert the flight performance of the small unmanned aircraft 1 while realizing the identification process required by a public agency or the like by the identification terminal 30.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1 again, a flight management system 100 that realizes the flight management method of the unmanned aircraft according to the present embodiment includes a management terminal 20 and an identification terminal 30.

[0018] The management terminal 20 is provided to be communicable with the identification terminal 30 and the unmanned aircraft 1, and is a terminal for verifying the unmanned aircraft 1 and performing flight management. For example, the management terminal 20 verifies the identification ID associated with the aircraft ID obtained from the identification terminal 30 and the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft 1. If the verification result is authenticated, the management terminal 20 sends a flight permission notice to the unmanned aircraft 1 and sends the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 (for example, information such as in flight) to the identification terminal 30. Further, the management terminal 20 communicates with the control terminal 40 as necessary, and the management terminal 20 may transmit information for controlling the unmanned aircraft 1 to the control terminal 40, or the management terminal 20 may perform a process of controlling the flight and operation of the unmanned aircraft 1 via the control terminal 40. The necessity here means, for example, a case where the unmanned aircraft 1 is urgently braked based on a signal or information received from the identification terminal 30 described later.

[0019] The identification terminal 30 is a terminal for identifying the unmanned aircraft 1 and monitoring the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1, such as the above-described remote ID. For example, the identification terminal 30 sends an identification ID (the same as or associated with the aircraft ID according to the standard) to the management terminal 20. Further, the identification terminal 30 receives information including the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 (for example, aircraft ID, position information, time information, authentication information, etc.) from the management terminal 20 and transmits it to an external device (for example, a device of a public institution such as an aviation bureau). Such an identification terminal 30 is not mounted on the unmanned aircraft 1 in the present embodiment, and can realize the identification of the unmanned aircraft 1 and the monitoring of the flight status even if it is not mounted on the unmanned aircraft 1.

[0020] Here, the aircraft ID is an identification number of the aircraft assigned in advance by the manufacturing company of the unmanned aircraft 1 or the like, and can be, for example, the aircraft manufacturing number of the unmanned aircraft 1. The identification ID is an identification number of the aircraft assigned in advance by a public institution such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to the unmanned aircraft 1, and can be, for example, the aircraft registration number assigned to the unmanned aircraft 1 registered with the public institution. In a predetermined standard, the aircraft ID and the identification ID may be the same.

[0021] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0022] First, the hardware configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes a main body portion 2, a rotary wing 3, a motor 4, and a camera / sensor 5. Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 includes a flight controller 11, a battery 14, an ESC (Electric Speed Controller) 15, and a transceiver 16 in the main body portion 2. Note that the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and a rotary wing aircraft having a configuration different from the main body portion 2 shown in FIG. 2 may also be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0023] The main body portion 2 is formed by a frame or the like that constitutes the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The material constituting the main body portion 2 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, carbon fiber resin, glass fiber resin, magnesium, magnesium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, steel, titanium, or other materials. The rotary wing 3 is attached to the motor 4. The rotary wing 3 generates lift (thrust) for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by rotating itself due to the rotation of the motor 4. The rotary wing 3 and the motor 4 are an example of a thrust generation unit. Note that in the present embodiment, the rotary wings 3 are provided at four locations, front, rear, left, and right, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The number of rotary wings 3 provided can be appropriately changed according to the structure, shape, equipment, size, etc. of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1.

[0024] The flight controller 11 can have one or more processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a programmable processor such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The flight controller 11 has a memory 12 and can access the memory 12. The memory 12 stores logic, code, and / or program instructions executable by the flight controller 11 to perform one or more steps. The flight controller 11 is an example of a control device.

[0025] The memory 12 may include a separable medium such as an SD card or a random access memory (RAM), or an external storage device. The data acquired from the camera / sensor 5 may be directly transmitted to and stored in the memory 12. For example, still image / moving image data captured by the camera 5 may be recorded in the built-in memory or the external memory.

[0026] The flight controller 11 includes a control module configured to control the state of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. For example, the control module controls the motor 4, which is a propulsion mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, via the ESC 15 in order to adjust the spatial arrangement, speed, and / or acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 having six degrees of freedom (translational motions x, y, and z, and rotational motions θx, θy, and θz). The rotation of the rotor 3 by the motor 4 generates lift for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The flight controller 11 can control the rotation speed of the motor 4 (the rotation speed also means the number of rotations per predetermined time) to adjust the thrust by the rotor 3.

[0027] The flight controller 11 is communicable with a transmission / reception unit 16 configured to transmit and / or receive data from one or more external devices (for example, the control terminal 17). The transmission / reception unit 16 can use any suitable communication means such as wired communication or wireless communication. The transmission / reception unit 16 can utilize, for example, one or more of any communication methods such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared, wireless, WiFi, a point-to-point (P2P) network, a telecommunications network, and cloud communication. The transmission / reception unit 16 can communicate with, for example, the management terminal 20 described later, either wired or wirelessly.

[0028] The transmission / reception unit 16 can transmit and / or receive one or more of the data acquired by the sensor 5, the processing result generated by the flight controller 11, predetermined control data, a user command from a terminal or a remote controller, and the like. The information obtained by the sensor 5 may be output to the control terminal 40 or the like via the transmission / reception unit 16.

[0029] The control terminal 40 is a device for controlling the flight of the unmanned aircraft 1. The flight of the unmanned aircraft 1 may be controlled by the operation of an operator on the ground or the like, or may be controlled by automatic or manual operation based on a flight route information or an autonomous flight program by sensing (for example, GCS (Ground Control Station)). The control terminal 40 may be, for example, a terminal such as a transceiver (prop), a smartphone, or a tablet. The control terminal 40 can send flight control instruction information to the flight controller 11.

[0030] The sensor 5 according to the present embodiment may include, for example, an inertial sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a GPS sensor, a wind sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, an altitude sensor, a proximity sensor such as LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), or a vision / image sensor other than a camera. Further, the sensor 5 may be mounted on the flight controller 11 or may be provided outside the flight controller 11. When the camera 5 is provided, such a camera may be any camera. For example, in addition to a general camera, the camera 5 may be an infrared camera, a stereo camera, or the like.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management terminal 20 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the management terminal 20 includes a control unit 21.

[0032] The processor 21a is an arithmetic device that controls the operation of the control unit 21 and performs processes such as control of data transmission and reception between each element and processes necessary for program execution. In the present embodiment, this processor 21a is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes a program stored in a storage 21c described later and expanded in a memory 21b to perform each process.

[0033] The memory 21b includes a main memory composed of a volatile memory device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary memory composed of a non-volatile memory device such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disc Drive). This memory 21b is used as a working area for the processor 21a, while storing a bootloader executed at the startup of the control unit 21 and various setting information, etc.

[0034] The storage 21c stores programs and information used for various processes, etc. For example, the storage 21c may store a program for displaying the flight status and inspection status of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0035] The transceiver unit 21d connects the control unit 21 to a network such as the Internet network, and may be equipped with a communication interface such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared, wireless, WiFi, a point-to-point (P2P) network, a telecommunications network, cloud communication, LTE, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). Also, the transceiver unit 21d may be equipped with a communication interface for wired communication. In this case, the transceiver unit 21d may include, for example, a communication terminal 204 described later. The device that realizes the communication terminal 204 and the standard of the communication terminal 204 are not particularly limited.

[0036] The input / output unit 21e is an interface to which input / output devices are connected. In this embodiment, for example, a display device may be connected.

[0037] The bus 21f transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals among the connected processor 21a, memory 21b, storage 21c, transceiver unit 21d, and input / output unit 21e.

[0038] Note that since the configuration of the identification terminal 30 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the management terminal 20, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the management terminal 20 and the identification terminal 30 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the management terminal 20 may include an acquisition unit 201, a verification unit 202, a transmission unit 203, and a communication terminal 204. Further, the identification terminal 30 may include a communication unit 301 and an identification / aircraft DB (database) 302. Note that the identification / aircraft DB 302 may be provided in the identification terminal 30, or may be provided in an external server and accessible to the identification / aircraft DB via the communication unit 301. The acquisition unit 201, the verification unit 202, and the transmission unit 203 can be realized by the processor 21a reading out a program stored in the storage 21c to the memory 21b and executing it. The communication terminal 204 can be realized by, for example, the input / output unit 21e. The communication unit 301 can be realized by, for example, the processor and the input / output unit constituting the identification terminal 30. The identification / aircraft DB 302 can be stored, for example, in the storage 21c, an external storage, or a cloud server.

[0040] The acquisition unit 201 has a function of acquiring information from the unmanned aircraft 1 and the identification terminal 30. For example, the acquisition unit 201 can acquire information about the unmanned aircraft 1 from the unmanned aircraft 1. More specifically, the acquisition unit 201 can acquire the aircraft ID, which is the identification information of the unmanned aircraft 1. Further, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information regarding the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 from the unmanned aircraft 1. The information regarding the flight status may include, for example, information on whether it is in flight, information on the flight position, information on the flight time of the unmanned aircraft 1, information on the aircraft status of the unmanned aircraft 1, and the like. When the management terminal 20 is connected to the unmanned aircraft 1 via the communication terminal 204 by wire, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information (such as the aircraft ID) from the unmanned aircraft 1 via the communication terminal 204. In addition to wire communication, a wireless communication method such as BLE, which is a short-range communication and enables estimation of the terminal position, may be used. Thereby, even in the case of wireless communication, communication with the same level of quality and security as wire communication can be ensured.

[0041] Further, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information for identifying the unmanned aircraft 1 from the identification terminal 30. For example, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire an identification ID from the identification terminal 30. The identification ID is the same as or associated with the aircraft ID of the unmanned aircraft 1. When the identification ID and the aircraft ID are not the same but are managed by association, the acquisition unit 201 may, in addition to the identification ID, also acquire information on the aircraft ID associated with the identification ID.

[0042] The verification unit 202 has a function of verifying the aircraft ID by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal 30 with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft 1. Specifically, the verification unit 202 can verify whether the aircraft ID acquired by the acquisition unit 201 from the unmanned aircraft 1 is the aircraft ID associated with (or the same as) the identification ID acquired from the identification terminal. The specific algorithm for verification is not particularly limited. If it is found as a result of verification that the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft 1 corresponds to the identification ID, the unmanned aircraft 1 can be authenticated as an unmanned aircraft registered with a public agency, and flight permission can be granted. In this case, as will be described later, the flight of the unmanned aircraft 1 can be permitted as an unmanned aircraft registered with a public agency.

[0043] The transmission unit 203 has a function of transmitting information to the unmanned aircraft 1 or the identification terminal 30. For example, when the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of verification by the verification unit 202, the transmission unit 203 can transmit a flight permission notification to the unmanned aircraft 1 that is the transmission target. At this time, the flight permission may be accompanied by a predetermined restriction on the flight of the unmanned aircraft 1. If the predetermined restriction on the flight is exceeded, for example, flight control becomes impossible, or the unmanned aircraft 1 can perform a process of invalidating the flight ability of the unmanned aircraft 1, such as automatically flying back to the takeoff location or its vicinity.

[0044] Predetermined restrictions on flight may include, for example, restrictions on the flight time of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Also, the predetermined restrictions on flight may include, for example, restrictions on the flightable area A1 (see Fig. 1) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Thereby, the flightable area of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can be physically restricted, making it difficult to fly to a distant place or the like due to unauthorized use. Note that the restriction on flight time can be, for example, setting a timer function in the flight controller 11 to issue an alarm when a predetermined time is reached, performing control to automatically return to the takeoff location or its vicinity, or performing processing such as automatically stopping. Also, the restriction on the flightable area can be performed, for example, by identifying the flight position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 using self-position estimation technologies such as GPS (Global Positioning System), beacon, LiDAR, and SLAM, and determining whether such a position is within the restricted area. When the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 exceeds the restricted area, for example, processing such as automatically stopping the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 or autonomously flying it back into the restricted area can be performed.

[0045] The flightable time can be set based on various information. For example, the flightable time may be set based on the airframe performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The airframe performance may include, for example, the endurance time and / or flight speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Also, the flightable time may be, for example, a time predetermined by the identification terminal 30. Such a time may be determined by, for example, laws and regulations. Also, the flightable time may be, for example, the time required to complete the inspection of the area to be inspected. The calculation of such a time can be performed based on the above-described airframe performance and the like.

[0046] Incidentally, the flyable area may be determined based on, for example, the communication range of the identification terminal 30. This is based on the communication range of the information transmitted from the communication unit 301 of the identification terminal 30, which will be described later, when the identification terminal 30 is mounted on the unmanned aircraft 1. That is, by determining the size of the flyable area based on the communication range of the identification terminal 30, it may be equivalent to imposing the same restrictions on the flyable area as when the identification terminal 30 is mounted on the unmanned aircraft 1. In this way, by providing predetermined restrictions, it is possible to more reliably ensure security while reducing the cost in monitoring the flight, not just authenticating the unmanned aircraft 1 alone. Further, the flyable area may be set based on, for example, the aircraft performance of the unmanned aircraft 1 as described above. Also, the flyable area may be set based on, for example, the area to be inspected of the inspection target.

[0047] In addition, the sending unit 203 sends information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1, which is the target of sending the flight permission notification, to the identification terminal 30. For example, when the unmanned aircraft 1 is in flight, the sending unit 203 may send information indicating "in flight" to the identification terminal 30.

[0048] Also, when the flight of the unmanned aircraft 1 is completed, the sending unit 203 may send information for canceling the flight permission based on the information related to such completion. Such information may be sent to the unmanned aircraft 1. By performing such processing, the flight of the unmanned aircraft 1 itself can be restricted. Further, the sending unit 203 may send information for controlling the unmanned aircraft 1 and / or information for controlling the flight and operation of the unmanned aircraft 1 to the control terminal 40. By such processing, flight control of the unmanned aircraft 1 can be enabled from the management terminal 20 via the control terminal 40. The processing related to the intervention in such a control terminal 40 may be performed, for example, when the management terminal 20 receives information regarding the detection from the identification terminal 30 that has detected a suspicious signal or the like.

[0049] The communication unit 301 is an example of a transmission unit and has a function for transmitting and receiving information between the identification terminal 30 and other devices. The communication unit 301 can communicate with, for example, the management terminal 20. The communication unit 301 may send, for example, the identification ID obtained from the identification / aircraft DB 302 to the management terminal 20. Further, the communication unit 301 may obtain information regarding the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 from the transmission unit 203. Then, the communication unit 301 has a function of transmitting the obtained flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 to the outside. Information about such a flight status can be continuously transmitted to the outside. The outside can be, for example, a terminal of an organization that operates or manages the unmanned aircraft 1 such as a smartphone or a server, or a public agency such as an aviation authority or the police. Through such a terminal, it is possible to monitor the flight status of the unmanned aircraft.

[0050] The identification / aircraft DB 302 is a database that stores pre-registered identification IDs. Such an identification ID is, for example, an ID corresponding to the aircraft ID of an unmanned aircraft previously notified to a public agency or the like. For example, the identification ID may be the same as the aircraft ID. Thereby, in the verification in the verification unit 202, it is possible to match the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal 30 with the aircraft ID directly obtained from the unmanned aircraft 1.

[0051] <Flight management method> Next, a series of processes of the flight management method of the unmanned aircraft 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the flight management method of the unmanned aircraft 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0052] First, the management terminal 20 connects to the identification terminal 30 and starts communication (step S101). Then, the acquisition unit 201 of the management terminal 20 acquires the identification ID from the identification terminal 30 (step S103).

[0053] Next, the management terminal 20 connects to the unmanned aircraft 1 and starts communication (step S105). At this time, the management terminal 20 can be connected to the unmanned aircraft 1 by wire via the communication terminal 204. The acquisition unit 201 of the management terminal 20 acquires the aircraft ID from the unmanned aircraft 1 (step S107).

[0054] Next, the verification unit 202 of the management terminal 20 verifies the aircraft ID by matching the aircraft ID acquired from the unmanned aircraft 1 with the identification ID acquired from the identification terminal 30 (step S109). As a result of the verification, when the aircraft ID is authenticated as corresponding to the identification ID, the transmission unit 203 of the management terminal 20 sends a flight permission notification to the unmanned aircraft 1 (step S111). The sending of such a flight permission notification may be performed, for example, when the wired connection between the management terminal 20 and the unmanned aircraft 1 is released (disconnected). When the predetermined flight restrictions include a flight time limit, such a flight permission notification may include information such as a countdown start time of the flight time limit. Thereby, the time difference from the sending of the flight permission notification to the start of the flight of the unmanned aircraft 1 can be considered.

[0055] In addition, the transmission unit 203 of the management terminal 20 sends information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 to the identification terminal 30 (step S113). The identification terminal 30 transmits information indicating the flight status to the outside (step S115). Thereby, it becomes possible to grasp the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1.

[0056] The unmanned aircraft 1 that has received the flight permission notification can fly within a predetermined limit (step S117). When a flight control signal or a work control signal obtained from an input to the control terminal 40 is transmitted to the unmanned aircraft 1, the unmanned aircraft 1 flies according to such a flight control signal, and various inspections and the like can be performed based on the work control signal and the like (step S119).

[0057] When the operation by the operation terminal 40 ends (step S121), the unmanned aircraft 1 is connected to the management terminal 20 (step S123). After that, the acquisition unit 201 of the management terminal 20 communicates with the unmanned aircraft 1 by wire to acquire the aircraft ID (steps S125, S127). Therefore, the verification unit 202 of the management terminal 20 verifies the aircraft ID by matching the aircraft ID with the identification ID acquired previously (step S129). Such an identification ID may be acquired again from the identification terminal 30. In step S125, the management terminal 20 and the unmanned aircraft 1 may be connected by wireless communication instead of wire communication. In this case, for example, a short-range communication such as BLE and a communication method capable of estimating the terminal position are used, so that communication with the same level of quality and security as wire communication becomes possible.

[0058] Here, when the flight by the unmanned aircraft 1 is completed, the transmission unit 203 of the management terminal 20 transmits information for canceling the flight permission to the unmanned aircraft 1 (step S131). Then, the management terminal 20 disconnects the communication with the identification terminal 30 (step S133). When flying again, after the verification in step S129, it is possible to perform the processes according to steps S111 and S113 again.

[0059] As described above, in the flight management method of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to monitor the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by the identification terminal 30 without loading the identification terminal 30 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. That is, by verifying the aircraft ID of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the identification ID registered in advance in the identification terminal 30 via the management terminal 20, and applying a predetermined flight restriction to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, it is possible to ensure the security of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 without loading the identification terminal 30 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Thereby, it is possible to ensure security even for a small unmanned aerial vehicle. Further, by providing a predetermined restriction temporally / spatially, it is possible to perform the same monitoring as when the identification terminal 30 is loaded on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Further, by connecting the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the management terminal 20 by wire and performing processes related to verification and flight permission, the risk of wireless communication hacking by a third party can be reduced, and the security strength can be enhanced.

[0060] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modification examples or correction examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and it is naturally understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0061] Further, the effects described in this specification are merely illustrative or exemplary and not limiting. That is, the technology according to the present disclosure can exhibit other effects obvious to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification, together with or instead of the above effects.

[0062] Note that the following configurations also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. (Item 1) A flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle, in a system including a management terminal and an identification terminal, wherein the management terminal, Verifying by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft; When the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, sending a flight permission notice with a predetermined flight restriction to the unmanned aircraft; Sending information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft, which is the target of the flight permission notice, to the identification terminal; including; the identification terminal; continuously transmitting externally the flight status of the unmanned aircraft sent from the management terminal; A method for flight management of an unmanned aircraft, including. (Item 2) The identification terminal is not provided on the unmanned aircraft, and the method for flight management of the unmanned aircraft according to Item 1. (Item 3) The predetermined flight restriction includes a restriction on the flightable time of the unmanned aircraft, and the method for flight management of the unmanned aircraft according to Item 1 or 2. (Item 4) The predetermined flight restriction includes a restriction on the flightable area of the unmanned aircraft, and the method for flight management of the unmanned aircraft according to any one of Items 1 to 3. (Item 5) The flightable area is determined based on the communication range of the identification terminal, and the method for flight management of the unmanned aircraft according to Item 4. (Item 6) Based on information related to the completion of the flight of the unmanned aircraft, the management terminal sends information for canceling the flight permission, and the method for flight management of the unmanned aircraft according to any one of Items 1 to 5. (Item 7) In the verification by the management terminal, The management terminal performs the verification in a state where the management terminal and the unmanned aircraft are connected by wired communication, and the method for flight management of the unmanned aircraft according to any one of Items 1 to 6. (Item 8) The flight management method for a drone according to item 7, wherein after the verification, the management terminal sends the flight permission notice to the drone based on an operation of releasing the wired communication connection between the management terminal and the drone. (Item 9) A flight management system for a drone, comprising a management terminal and an identification terminal, the management terminal comprising a verification unit and a sending unit, the verification unit verifies by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with the aircraft ID obtained from the drone, the sending unit, when the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, sends a flight permission notice with a predetermined restriction on flight to the drone, sends information indicating the flight status of the drone, which is the target of the flight permission notice, to the identification terminal, the identification terminal comprises a transmitting unit, the transmitting unit continuously transmits the flight status of the drone sent from the management terminal to the outside, A flight management system for a drone. (Item 10) A management terminal for flight management of a drone, the management terminal comprising a verification unit and a sending unit, the verification unit verifies by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal for transmitting the flight status of the drone to the outside with the aircraft ID obtained from the drone, the sending unit, when the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, sends a flight permission notice with a predetermined restriction on flight to the drone, sends information indicating the flight status of the drone, which is the target of the flight permission notice, to the identification terminal, Management terminal.

Explanation of Signs

[0063] 1 Drone 20 Management terminal 30 Identification Terminal 201 Acquisition Unit 202 Verification Unit 203 Transmission Unit 301 Communication Unit 302 Identification / Aircraft DB

Claims

1. A method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising: in a system including a management terminal and an identification terminal, the management terminal verifying the aircraft ID by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle; when the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, sending a flight permission notification with a predetermined restriction on flight to the unmanned aerial vehicle; sending information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the target of the flight permission notification, to the identification terminal; including the identification terminal continuously transmitting externally the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle sent from the management terminal; A method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle, including the above.

2. The method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the identification terminal is not provided on the unmanned aerial vehicle.

3. The method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined restriction on flight includes a restriction on the flightable time of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined restriction on flight includes a restriction on the flightable area of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. The method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the flightable area is determined based on the communicable distance of the identification terminal.

6. The method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the management terminal sends information for canceling the flight permission based on information related to the completion of the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. In the verification by the management terminal, the management terminal performs the verification in a state where the management terminal and the unmanned aerial vehicle are connected by wired communication. The method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The method for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the management terminal sends the flight permission notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle based on an operation of releasing the wired communication connection between the management terminal and the unmanned aerial vehicle after the verification.

9. An unmanned aerial vehicle flight management system, comprising: a management terminal and an identification terminal, the management terminal includes a verification unit and a sending unit, the verification unit verifies the aircraft ID by matching the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle, the sending unit As a result of the verification, a flight permission notice with a predetermined flight restriction is sent to the unmanned aerial vehicle for which the aircraft ID has been verified. Information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the target of the flight permission notice, is sent to the identification terminal. The identification terminal includes a transmitting unit. The transmitting unit continuously transmits the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle sent from the management terminal to the outside. A flight management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle.

10. A management terminal for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle, The management terminal includes a verification unit and a transmitting unit. The verification unit verifies the aircraft ID by comparing the identification ID obtained from an identification terminal for transmitting the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the outside with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle. The transmitting unit is When the aircraft ID is verified as a result of the verification, a flight permission notice with a predetermined flight restriction is sent to the unmanned aerial vehicle. Information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle, which is the target of the flight permission notice, is sent to the identification terminal. Management terminal.

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