Control system, aircraft control method and program

Abstract

To provide a system or method that enables an aircraft to land on water, take off from water, or take corresponding action on water more safely or appropriately.SOLUTION: The present invention is a control system for controlling an aircraft having a thrust generating unit, comprising: a water landing execution determination unit for determining whether or not to execute water landing control to land the aircraft on a water surface from a flight state; a water landing position determination unit for determining the water landing position or a candidate position within the water surface area; and a water landing control unit for controlling the thrust generating unit to perform water landing control to land the aircraft at the water landing position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a technology in which a radar is installed on an unmanned aerial vehicle with a floating body to stabilize its movement on water, and allows the unmanned aerial vehicle to move seamlessly on water and in the air to observe surrounding objects. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-48637 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Systems for flying manned or unmanned aircraft over ocean airspace have been put into practical use or proposed as an effective method for monitoring illegal activities in territorial waters and airspace, searching for missing persons at sea, and collecting environmental information over a wide area. However, when an aircraft is flying over ocean airspace, there is a possibility that it may be unable to continue flying or may need to land temporarily for various reasons. Thus, in order to land an aircraft on water, including the sea, lakes, rivers, and ponds, it is necessary to address the following issues:

[0005] First, when landing an aircraft on water, there is a risk of sinking or colliding with other objects depending on the surrounding environment of the landing location, so it is necessary to avoid such risks and ensure the aircraft lands safely. Furthermore, when flying automatically over an area such as an ocean, it is necessary to appropriately determine whether to land on water based on the state of the aircraft and the surrounding environment to avoid risks such as crashing. Furthermore, if the aircraft is a fixed-wing, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft equipped with a vertical lift generating unit capable of vertical takeoff and landing, it is desirable to be able to select from multiple landing control modes that enable a safer or more efficient landing.

[0006] Furthermore, when an aircraft takes off again from the water after landing (hereinafter also referred to as "takeoff"), there is a risk of the aircraft crashing, tipping over, or sinking depending on the surrounding environment of the takeoff position, so it is necessary to ensure that the aircraft can take off safely even when taking off from water. Furthermore, there is a need for an aircraft body or control technology that can take appropriate action even in situations where the aircraft is likely to sink after landing on water, such as when the surrounding waves are high.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of at least one of the above problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a system or method that enables an aircraft to land on water, take off from water, or take corresponding action on water more safely or appropriately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the present invention, a control system for controlling an aircraft having a thrust generating unit is provided, comprising: a landing execution determination unit for determining whether or not to execute landing control to cause the aircraft to land on the water surface from a flight state; a landing position determination unit for determining the landing position or a candidate position thereof within the area of ​​the water surface; and a landing control unit for controlling the thrust generating unit to perform landing control to cause the aircraft to land on the water surface at the landing position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a system, method, etc. that enables an aircraft to land on water, take off from water, or take corresponding action on water more safely or appropriately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a control system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing how an aircraft 1000 or the like flies over the sea to measure the target sea area or airspace. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of a data acquisition site system 2000. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a functional configuration diagram showing the main functions of the aircraft 1000. [Figure 5] 1 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the appearance of an aircraft 1000. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an air traffic control system 6000. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an external system 4000. [Figure 8] FIG. 22 is a functional block diagram of an aircraft flight operating system 2200. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an aircraft operation system 2200 and the like. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of measurement data acquired by an aircraft information acquisition unit 2211. [Figure 11] 10 is a diagram showing an example of ship information etc. acquired by the marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of registration information registered in a prior information registration unit 2230. [Figure 13] 10 is a diagram showing possible water landing position candidates determined by the possible water landing position determination unit 2241. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a determination condition for permission to execute water landing control by a water landing permission determining unit 2251. [Figure 15]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a determination condition for permission to execute takeoff control by the takeoff permission determination unit 2262. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the control system 1. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the water landing determination unit 2250 for determining whether the flying object 1000 will land on water. FIG. [Figure 18] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when accepting a user's designated input regarding the determination result by the water landing execution determination unit 2250. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the process flow for determining an aircraft action by the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the floating state of the air vehicle 1000 when it lands on water. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the process flow for determining the action of the recording unit by the water landing recording action determination execution unit 2270. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the floating state of the airframe and recording unit 1600 of the flying object 1000 when it has landed on water. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention will be described below with reference to the following embodiments. [Item 1] A control system for controlling an aircraft having a thrust generating unit, a water landing execution determination unit that determines whether or not to execute water landing control to land the aircraft on the water surface from a flight state; a water landing position determination unit that determines a water landing position or a candidate position thereof within the water surface area; a water landing control unit that controls the thrust generating unit to perform water landing control to land the aircraft at the water landing position; A control system comprising: [Item 2] In the control system according to item 1, A control system in which the water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof according to the allowable conditions of the water landing surface, which include at least one of the length, width, area, shape, wave height, flow speed, water surface slope, and wave period of the water surface area on the water, which are set or generated in advance. [Item 3] In the control system according to item 1 or 2, The water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof depending on the presence or position of at least one of a ship and floating objects in the water area. [Item 4] In the control system according to items 1 to 3, The water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof according to allowable conditions for environmental disturbances, including wind speed, in the area on the water. [Item 5] In the control system according to items 1 to 4, A control system in which the landing position determination unit determines the landing position or a candidate position thereof based on the remaining energy of the aircraft. [Item 6] In the control system according to items 1 to 5, the aircraft type of the aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of taxiing takeoff and landing using the fixed wings, or a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit, or a first fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of controlling its water landing in a taxiing water landing mode using the fixed wings and in a vertical water landing mode using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit, or a second fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of controlling its water landing in a vertical water landing mode using the vertical lift generated by the thrust generating unit, without taxiing water landing using the fixed wings; A control system in which the water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof according to determination criteria that vary depending on the aircraft type or the water landing control mode. [Item 7] In the control system according to items 1 to 6, The control system wherein the water landing position determination unit outputs information regarding candidate positions for the determined water landing position to the user, and determines the water landing position based on approval input for the candidate position or designation input for a different water landing position received from the user via the user input receiving unit. [Item 8] In the control system according to items 1 to 7, a control system in which the aircraft type is one of: a fixed-wing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of taxiing takeoff and landing using the fixed wings; a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit; a first fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of taxiing takeoff and landing using the fixed wings and vertical takeoff and landing using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit; or a second fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings but not capable of taxiing landing on water using the fixed wings but capable of controlling landing on water in a vertical landing mode using the vertical lift generated by the thrust generating unit. [Item 9] In the control system according to items 1 to 8, When the aircraft type of the aircraft is the first fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and the aircraft is capable of selecting a water landing control mode from either a running water landing using the fixed wing or a vertical water landing using lift, The water landing control unit determines the water landing control mode to be either the smooth water landing or the vertical water landing based on setting information regarding the previously set water landing control mode or other information, and executes water landing control in the determined water landing control mode. [Item 10] In the control system according to items 1 to 9, When the aircraft type of the aircraft is the first fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and the aircraft is capable of selecting a water landing control mode from either a running water landing using the fixed wing or a vertical water landing using the vertical lift, The water landing control unit executes water landing control in the water landing control mode designated by a user input received via a user input receiving unit. [Item 11] In the control system according to items 1 to 10, A control system in which the water landing execution determination unit determines whether or not to execute water landing control based on the aircraft condition, including at least one of an abnormality, malfunction, or insufficient energy remaining in the aircraft, or the surrounding environmental condition, including at least one of strong winds, radio wave disturbance, rainfall, snowfall, and temperature around the aircraft. [Item 12] In the control system according to items 1 to 11, A control system in which the water landing execution determination unit causes the water landing control unit to execute water landing control when it determines that at least one of avoiding other aircraft approaching the aircraft, avoiding attacks from other aircraft, or waiting on the water until other support aircraft arrives is necessary. [Item 13] In the control system according to items 1 to 12, The water landing execution determination unit causes the water landing control unit to execute water landing control when a command to execute water landing control is input from a user via a user input acceptance unit. [Item 14] In the control system according to items 1 to 13, A control system comprising a water takeoff execution determination unit that determines whether or not water takeoff control can be executed by the water landing control unit to transition the aircraft from a water landing state to a flight state. [Item 15] In the control system according to items 1 to 14, The takeoff execution determination unit determines whether or not to execute the takeoff control when the aircraft is in a water landing state, depending on the water surface conditions around the aircraft, including at least one of wave height, wave period, flow velocity, and water surface slope. [Item 16] In the control system according to items 1 to 15, The takeoff execution determination unit determines whether or not to execute the takeoff control based on the aircraft status, including at least one of an abnormality, malfunction, or insufficient remaining energy of the aircraft, or the surrounding environmental conditions, including at least one of strong winds, radio wave disturbance, rainfall, snowfall, and temperature around the aircraft. [Item 17] In the control system according to items 1 to 16, When the takeoff execution determination unit determines whether to execute the takeoff control depending on the insufficient state of the remaining energy of the aircraft, A control system that predicts the amount of energy required to execute the takeoff control, or the amount of energy required from the time the aircraft takes off from the water until it flies to the return point, and determines whether or not to execute the takeoff control based on the predicted amount of required energy and the remaining energy. [Item 18] In the control system according to items 1 to 17, The takeoff execution determination unit causes the aircraft to execute takeoff control when it determines that it is necessary to avoid at least one of a ship or floating object approaching the aircraft, or an attack from another aircraft. [Item 19] In the control system according to items 1 to 18, The takeoff execution determination unit prohibits the aircraft from executing the takeoff control when it determines that takeoff control cannot be executed. [Item 20] In the control system according to items 1 to 19, A control system comprising a water landing action execution unit that executes the operation of the aircraft when it lands on water. [Item 21] In the control system according to items 1 to 20, The water landing action execution unit deploys a recording unit mounted on the aircraft or an airbag that improves the buoyancy of the aircraft when it determines that the aircraft has completed landing on water or when it determines that the buoyancy of the aircraft is insufficient. [Item 22] In the control system according to items 1 to 21, The water landing action execution unit separates a recording unit mounted on the aircraft from the body of the aircraft before the aircraft has completed landing on water, when it determines that the aircraft has completed landing on water, or when it determines that the buoyancy of the aircraft is insufficient. [Item 23] In the control system according to items 1 to 22, A control system comprising: a float unit in the recording unit that generates buoyancy for the recording unit to float on the water surface when the recording unit is separated from the body of the aircraft. [Item 24] In the control system according to items 1 to 23, A control system in which, when the recording unit is separated from the body of the aircraft, the recording unit transmits a signal regarding at least one of a recovery request and location information to the outside, or emits light or outputs sound. [Item 25] In the control system according to items 1 to 24, A control system in which, when the water landing action execution unit detects that the aircraft has landed on water, it moves the aircraft on the water in the landed state, or transmits a signal to the outside regarding at least one of a towing request, an aircraft recovery request, and aircraft position information, or emits light or outputs sound. [Item 26] In the control system according to items 1 to 25, A control system comprising a float unit on the aircraft body that generates buoyancy for the aircraft to float on the water surface when the aircraft is in a water-landed state. [Item 27] a thrust generating unit that generates thrust; a flight control unit that controls the thrust generating unit to perform flight control; a water landing execution determination unit that determines whether or not to execute water landing control to land the aircraft on water from a flight state; a water landing position determination unit that determines a water landing position or a candidate position thereof within the water area; A flying vehicle comprising: a landing control unit that controls the thrust generating unit to perform landing control to land the flying vehicle at the landing position. [Item 28] A flying object control method for controlling a flying object that flies using thrust generated by a thrust generating unit, The computer A water landing execution determination step for determining whether to execute water landing control to land the flying object from a flight state onto water, A water landing position determination step for determining a water landing position or a candidate position thereof within the water area, A water landing control step for performing water landing control to land the flying object at the water landing position by controlling the thrust generation unit, A flight control method for executing the above. [Item 29] A program for controlling a flying object that flies by thrust generated from a thrust generation unit, Causing a computer to A water landing execution determination command for determining whether to execute water landing control to land the flying object from a flight state onto water, A water landing position determination command for determining a water landing position or a candidate position thereof within the water area, A water landing control command for performing water landing control to land the flying object at the water landing position by controlling the thrust generation unit, A program for causing the above to be executed.

[0012] <A. First Embodiment> Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Further, the embodiments shown below are merely examples, and other known elements and alternative means can be adopted according to the use, purpose, scale, etc.

[0013] [A-1. Configuration] (A-1-1. Overview) Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a control system 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "system 1") according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the control system 1 includes an aircraft 1000, a data acquisition base system 2000, a spatial information data utilization system 3000, an external system 4000, a measurement satellite 5000, and an air traffic control system (such as UAS Traffic Management (hereinafter also referred to as "UTM") and Air Traffic Management (hereinafter also referred to as "ATM")) 6000.

[0014] The flying object 1000 is an aircraft or other flying object. The flying object 1000 has a function of performing aircraft control, including flight control and measurement control, in response to control signals transmitted from the data acquisition base system 2000. The flying object 1000 includes, for example, a flying unit having a flight function, a measurement unit that performs sensing using measurement sensors (optical cameras, IR cameras, sensors including radar sensors such as SAR sensors, LiDAR, other laser sensors, etc.), an operation unit that performs various operations performed when the flying object is in a water landing state, and a communication unit that communicates with the data acquisition base system 2000 via a communication infrastructure management system 2100 (described later).

[0015] The flying object 1000 is equipped with measurement sensors such as optical cameras, infrared cameras, and radar sensors such as SAR sensors, and laser sensors such as LiDAR, and uses the measurement sensors to acquire information on the sea area or airspace that is the measurement target area from the sky as measurement data. The flying object 1000 also wirelessly transmits the measurement data to a data acquisition base system 2000 during flight. Note that the flying object 1000 may have functions not only to acquire information on the measurement target area, but also to acquire weather data and environmental data, monitor and track suspicious ships, and perform other tasks.

[0016] Here, the aircraft 1000 refers to any aircraft, including aircraft with the ability to autonomously control its attitude, regardless of the power source (electric power, prime mover, etc.), the control method (wireless or wired, fully autonomous flight type or partially manual flight type, etc.), and whether it is manned or unmanned. The aircraft 1000 also includes aircraft known as, for example, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), multicopters, remote piloted aircraft systems (RPASs), or unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). Furthermore, the flying object 1000 may be any of a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with fixed wings and capable of gliding takeoff and landing using the fixed wings, a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (including a multicopter) capable of vertical takeoff and landing by generating upward thrust from a thrust generating unit composed of multiple propellers or the like, a first fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of gliding takeoff and landing using fixed wings and vertical takeoff and landing by the lift generated by the thrust generating unit, or a second fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of controlling water landing in a vertical water landing mode using the vertical lift generated by the thrust generating unit, without performing water landing using the fixed wings. Furthermore, the flying object 1000 includes other flying devices that fly in the sky, such as balloons, in addition to the above-mentioned aircraft.

[0017] The data acquisition base system 2000 communicates with the flying object 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000, and acquires measurement data sensed by the flying object 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 using the sensors described above. The data acquisition base system 2000 transmits the acquired measurement data to the spatial information data utilization system 3000. The data acquisition base system 2000 also has a remote control function that remotely controls the flying object 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 by transmitting control commands to the flying object 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000.

[0018] The measurement data acquired by the data acquisition base system 2000 is not limited to image information acquired by a camera or SAR, but may also be point cloud data acquired by other sensors. The data acquisition base system 2000 may be configured as a mobile vehicle, ship, aircraft, or the like, or as a stationary building. The data acquisition base system 2000 may also be provided with a user interface for communication with users such as data acquisition managers.

[0019] The flying object 1000 is an aircraft, a balloon, or other flying object, and has the function of performing aircraft control, including flight control and measurement control, in response to control signals transmitted from the data acquisition base system 2000. The flying object 1000 includes, for example, a flying unit with a flight function, a measurement unit that performs sensing using measurement sensors (optical cameras, IR cameras, sensors including radar sensors such as SAR sensors, LiDAR, other laser sensors, etc.), an operation unit that performs various operations that are performed when the flying object is in a water landing state, and a communication unit that communicates with the data acquisition base system 2000 via a communication infrastructure management system 2100 described later.

[0020] The air traffic control system 6000 is a system that communicates with the aircraft 1000 and other aircraft flying in the same airspace, acquires information about aircraft in the airspace, weather information, and other information, and prevents aircraft accidents by sharing the acquired information with the aircraft 1000 and the data acquisition base system 2000. The air traffic control system 6000 is composed of, for example, a system called an air traffic control system (Air Traffic Management) that controls the operation of manned aircraft, and a system called an unmanned aircraft traffic management system (UAS Traffic Management) that controls the operation of unmanned aircraft.

[0021] The spatial information data utilization system 3000 is connected to the data acquisition base system 2000 via wired or wireless communication and receives measurement data acquired by the aircraft 1000 from the data acquisition base system 2000. The spatial information data utilization system 3000 processes the received measurement data to convert it into data that makes it easier for users to understand the condition of the measurement area and provides the processed data to a user terminal, etc. For example, if the measurement data is images measured with an optical camera or an infrared camera, the system generates a wide-area image by stitching together multiple images, a wide-area orthoimage by stitching together multiple images after orthogonal transformation, or a map image by integrating the wide-area image or wide-area orthoimage with geographic information. Furthermore, if the measurement data is point cloud data acquired by a laser sensor, the system processes the point cloud data to generate three-dimensional spatial data expressed in a digital surface model (DSM) or digital elevation model (DEM), or a map image by integrating the three-dimensional spatial data with geographic information.

[0022] The external system 4000 is a geographic information providing system 4100 that provides geographic information on the sea area below the airspace area in which the aircraft 1000 flies, and a system that provides information related to ships navigating the sea area below the airspace area in which the aircraft 1000 flies, as well as information on sea conditions and other information.

[0023] The measurement satellite 5000 includes a measurement unit that performs sensing using measurement sensors (optical cameras, IR cameras, sensors including radar sensors such as SAR sensors, LiDAR, other laser sensors, etc.), and a communication unit that communicates with the data acquisition base system 2000 via the communication infrastructure management system 2100 described below, and has the function of measuring a predetermined land surface area or sea area using the measurement sensors and transmitting the measurement data to the data acquisition base system 2000. The measurement satellite 5000 may also have the function of performing measurement control and measurement data transmission control in response to control signals transmitted from the data acquisition base system 2000.

[0024] (A-1-2. Acquisition of measurement data using aircraft and measurement satellites) Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing how an aircraft 1000 or the like flies over the sea to measure the sea area or airspace that is the measurement target. Fig. 2 particularly shows an example in which the aircraft 1000 and measurement satellite 5000 acquire measurement data of a monitored ship navigating within the sea area that is a monitoring area, and a monitored aircraft flying within the airspace. In the example shown in Fig. 2, a data acquisition base system 2000 and an air traffic control system 6000 are located on land, and the aircraft 1000 flying in the airspace above the sea performs a measurement flight, and the measurement satellite 5000 performs measurements from a high-altitude position even higher in the sky than the aircraft 1000.

[0025] In this case, the flying object 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 acquire images, videos, or point cloud data of ships to be monitored navigating within the sea area and wake waves of the ships to be monitored. Furthermore, if the airspace is the monitoring area, images, videos, or point cloud data of aircraft to be monitored flying within the airspace that is the monitoring area and contrails of the aircraft to be monitored are acquired. In this way, by monitoring the sea area or airspace that is the monitoring area, it is possible to detect and monitor, for example, suspicious ships or ships in distress in the sea area, or suspicious aircraft in the airspace.

[0026] In addition to monitoring ships and aircraft within the monitoring area as shown in Fig. 2, it is also possible to search for people in distress and detect drifting objects in the target area, which is the sea area. Furthermore, by mounting environmental measurement sensors on the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000, it is also possible to collect environmental information (humidity, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, etc.) in the target area, which is the airspace or sea area.

[0027] (A-1-3. Data Acquisition Center System 2000) 3 is a system configuration diagram of the data acquisition base system 2000. The data acquisition base system 2000 includes a communication infrastructure management system 2100, an aircraft flight operation system 2200, an acquired data management system 2300, an flight management system 2400, and an airspace monitoring system 2500.

[0028] The communication infrastructure management system 2100 has the function of managing the transmission and reception of various data and communication means between each system within the data acquisition base system 2000 (aircraft operation operation system 2200, acquired data management system 2300, operation management system 2400, airspace monitoring system 2500) and the aircraft 1000, measurement satellite 5000, air traffic control system 6000, spatial information data utilization system 3000, and external system 4000 outside the data acquisition base system 2000.

[0029] For example, the communication infrastructure management system 2100 can transmit control commands related to flight control and measurement control generated by the aircraft flight operating system 2200 to the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000. The communication infrastructure management system 2100 can also receive information such as aircraft status information and measurement data from the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000, provide the aircraft status information to the aircraft flight operating system 2200, and provide the measurement data to the aircraft flight operating system 2200 and the acquired data management system 2300. The communication infrastructure management system 2100 can also receive air traffic control information, ship information, and geographic information from the air traffic control system 6000 and the external system 4000, and provide the received information to the aircraft flight operating system 2200 and the flight management system 2400. The communication infrastructure management system 2100 can also transmit the measurement data recorded in the acquired data management system 2300 to the spatial information data utilization system 3000.

[0030] The aircraft flight operating system 2200 acquires flight plans for the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 from the flight management system 2400, and also acquires information regarding the flight status of the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 to determine the flight, movement, measurement, and other operations of the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000. The aircraft flight operating system 2200 is a system that generates control commands related to the operations and transmits the control commands to the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 via the communication infrastructure management system 2100, thereby controlling various operations of the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 that are the targets of operation. The flight mission included in the control command transmitted to the aircraft 1000 is a movement plan including, for example, the movement route and movement speed of the aircraft 1000, and the movement route is generated in an airspace at an altitude of, for example, approximately 100 m to 6000 m.

[0031] The acquired data management system 2300 has a data management function of acquiring and recording various information including measurement data (optical image data, IR image data, SAR image data, point cloud data acquired by laser sensors such as LiDAR, other spatial data, etc.) of the target area sensed by the aircraft 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000 via the communication infrastructure management system 2100. The acquired data management system 2300 also has a function of transmitting the measurement data recorded via the communication infrastructure management system 2100 to an external spatial information data utilization system 3000.

[0032] The flight management system 2400 is a system that makes decisions and commands regarding the operation of the flying body 1000 and the measurement satellite 5000. The flight management system 2400 prepares plans for the operation of the flying body 1000, including, for example, flight, measurement, and other operations, and transmits the plans to the aircraft flight operating system 2200. The flight management system 2400 may prepare plans for multiple flying bodies 1000 and transmit information about the plans to the aircraft flight operating systems 2200 that operate each flying body 1000.

[0033] The airspace monitoring system 2500 is a system that monitors the airspace in which the target aircraft 1000 is flying. The airspace monitoring system 2500 acquires information on the positions of other aircraft from an air traffic control system 6000 that controls the aircraft 1000 and other aircraft flying within the target airspace. The air traffic control system 6000 may be, for example, a drone traffic management system (UTM), an aircraft traffic management subsystem (UASSP), or an air traffic management system (ATM). That is, the airspace monitoring system 2500 measures or acquires information on the environment in the airspace in which the aircraft 1000 is flying, other aircraft, etc., and transmits the information to the flight management system 2400. If there is a problem with the operation plan for the aircraft 1000 based on the information from the airspace monitoring system 2500, the flight management system 2400 changes the operation plan.

[0034] (A-1-4. Configuration of Aircraft 1000) Next, the functional configuration and hardware configuration of the flying object 1000 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0035] (A-1-4-1. Functional configuration of the aircraft 1000) 4 is a functional configuration diagram showing the main functions of the flying object 1000. The flying object 1000 includes a flying unit 1100, a measurement unit 1200, an operation unit 1300, a communication unit 1400, a measurement data processing unit 1500, and a recording unit 1600.

[0036] The flight unit 1100 is a functional unit for flying the aircraft, and is a functional unit for taking off and landing on land and on water. The flight unit 1100 includes a thrust generation unit 1110, an aircraft state acquisition unit 1120, and a flight control unit 1130.

[0037] The thrust generating unit 1110 is a functional unit configured with multiple propellers, rocket engines, or other devices capable of generating thrust. The aircraft status acquiring unit 1120 has a function of measuring the status of the aircraft's flight operation, such as its position, speed, acceleration, attitude, angular velocity, and angular acceleration. The aircraft status acquiring unit 1120 also has a function of acquiring temporary abnormal conditions (temperature abnormalities, vibration abnormalities, etc.) of the equipment mounted on the aircraft, the equipment failure status, and the status of the remaining energy of the battery, fuel, etc.

[0038] The method for measuring the position and speed of the aircraft is not particularly limited, but for example, the current position and speed of the aircraft may be measured using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), a Global Positioning System (GPS), or a Real Time Kinematic - Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS). The position information includes at least two-dimensional coordinate information (e.g., latitude and longitude) in a planar view, and preferably includes three-dimensional coordinate information including altitude information. Furthermore, acceleration can be calculated based on the amount of change in the measured speed over time.

[0039] The method for measuring the attitude (orientation) of the aircraft is to measure the current attitude of the aircraft using, for example, a geomagnetic sensor, a GNSS compass, etc. Attitude information includes at least the attitude angle (orientation) in a planar view around the Z axis, and preferably includes attitude information around three axes: the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis. In addition, angular velocity and angular acceleration can be calculated based on the amount of change over time in the measured attitude information.

[0040] The flight control unit 1130 is a functional unit that controls the output from the thrust generation unit 1110 to control the flight operations of the air vehicle 1000. The flight control unit 1130 has a processing unit, also called a flight controller. The processing unit may have one or more processors, such as a programmable processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), an MPU, or a DSP). The processing unit has access to a memory (storage unit). The memory stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that the processing unit can execute to perform one or more steps.

[0041] The processing unit includes a control module configured to control the airframe state of the air vehicle 1000. For example, the control module adjusts the spatial position, velocity, acceleration, attitude angle, angular velocity, and angular acceleration of the air vehicle 1000, which has six degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y, and z, and rotational motion θx, θy, and θz). In other words, the flight control unit 1130 controls the air vehicle 1000 to perform various operations such as liftoff, forward movement, turning, and landing, and controls the flight operations of the air vehicle 1000 from takeoff to flight and landing.

[0042] The flight control unit 1130 can control the flight of the aircraft 1000 based on flight control commands acquired from the aircraft flight operating system 2200 via the control data communication unit 1410, which will be described later, for example. The flight control unit 1130 can also control the flight of the aircraft 1000 by controlling the output of the thrust generation unit 1110 based on various information, such as information on the measurement target area, flight permitted / prohibited areas, and corresponding flight geofences, map information including two-dimensional or three-dimensional map data, and the current position information, attitude information (orientation), speed information, and acceleration information of the aircraft 1000 measured by the aircraft status acquisition unit 1120, as well as any combination of these. Note that if the aircraft 1000 has fixed wings, the flight control unit 1130 controls the operation of ailerons and flaps mounted on the fixed wings in addition to controlling the thrust generation unit 1110.

[0043] Next, the measurement unit 1200 is a functional unit that acquires information on the measurement target area using a measurement sensor 1210. The measurement unit 1200 includes the measurement sensor 1210, a remote control camera 1220, and a sensor control unit 1230.

[0044] The measurement sensor 1210 is configured with, for example, sensors including an optical camera, an infrared camera, a radar sensor such as an SAR sensor, a laser sensor including a LiDAR, etc. The measurement sensor 1210 acquires optical images, infrared images, point cloud data, etc. of the ground surface of the measurement target area from the sky above the measurement target area as measurement data.

[0045] The remote control camera 1220 is a camera that captures images of the air vehicle 1000's surroundings, such as the direction of travel. The images captured by the remote control camera 1220 are transmitted in real time by the control data communication unit 1410 to the air vehicle operation system 2200 of the data acquisition base system 2000.

[0046] The sensor control unit 1230 operates a sensor attitude changing device such as a gimbal that supports the measurement sensor 1210 to control at least one of the attitude angles around the three axes of the measurement sensor 1210 relative to the body of the flying object 1000. The sensor control unit 1230 adjusts the sensor attitude changing device to control the orientation of the measurement sensor 1210 so that the measurement target area can be photographed from the position of the flying object 1000.

[0047] The sensor control unit 1230 can also control measurement parameters of the measurement sensor 1210, such as the timing of data acquisition by the measurement sensor 1210 and the zoom amount. The sensor control unit 1230 controls the measurement sensor 1210 so that an image is captured in accordance with measurement conditions, such as the data acquisition timing and zoom amount, that are set in advance. For example, if the measurement sensor 1210 is an optical camera, the sensor control unit 1230 may control the image acquisition timing, shutter speed, resolution, etc.

[0048] Next, the operating unit 1300 is a functional unit that controls each operation performed when the flying object 1000 is in a water landing state or other state. The operating unit 1300 includes an airbag control unit 1310, a recording unit disconnection control unit 1320, and an on-water movement control unit 1330.

[0049] The airbag control unit 1310 is a functional unit that controls the deployment operation of an airbag mounted on the airframe of the flying object 1000 or on the recording unit 1600 (described later) that can be detached from the airframe. The airbag is deployed to generate buoyancy when the airframe or the recording unit 1600 lands on water, allowing the airframe or the recording unit 1600 to float on the water without sinking. The airbag control unit 1310 deploys the airbag when it determines that the airframe has landed on water, or when it determines that the airframe or the recording unit 1600 is submerged or has insufficient buoyancy, based on the airframe position and speed information acquired from the airframe status acquisition unit 1120 or surrounding images captured by the remote control camera 1220. The airbag control unit 1310 can also deploy the airbag when it receives an airbag deployment command from the airframe operation system 2200 via the control data communication unit 1410.

[0050] The recording unit separation control unit 1320 is a functional unit that controls a separation operation that physically separates and separates the recording unit 1600 (described later) that can be separated from the airframe. The recording unit separation control unit 1320 separates the recording unit 1600 mounted on the airframe from the airframe before the airframe has landed on water, or when it determines that the airframe has landed on water or that the buoyancy of the airframe is insufficient based on the airframe position and speed information acquired from the airframe status acquisition unit 1120. Note that the recording unit separation control unit 1320 can also execute an operation to separate and separate the recording unit 1600 from the airframe when it receives a command to execute the operation to separate the recording unit 1600 from the airframe flight operating system 2200 via the control data communication unit 1410.

[0051] The surface-water movement control unit 1330 is a functional unit that controls the operation of moving the aircraft 1000 on water while the aircraft 1000 is in a water-landed state. When the surface-water movement control unit 1330 determines that the aircraft is in a water-landed state based on the aircraft's position and speed information acquired from the aircraft status acquisition unit 1120, the surface-water movement control unit 1330 controls the thrust generation unit 1110 to move the aircraft 1000 on water. When the surface-water movement control unit 1330 receives a command to execute a surface-water movement operation from the aircraft navigation operating system 2200 via the control data communication unit 1410, the surface-water movement control unit 1330 executes the operation of moving the aircraft 1000 on water.

[0052] Furthermore, when the operating unit 1300 detects that the aircraft has landed on water, it can cause the light-emitting unit mounted on the aircraft to emit light or the audio output unit mounted on the aircraft to output sound.

[0053] Next, the communication unit 1400 is a functional unit that transmits and receives control data related to the aircraft status and control commands, measurement data related to the information acquired by the measurement unit 1200, and other information between the aircraft 1000 and the aircraft flight operating system 2200. It includes a control data communication unit 1410, a measurement data communication unit 1420, and a recovery request transmission unit 1430.

[0054] The control data communication unit 1410 transmits various information related to the aircraft status measured by the aircraft status acquisition unit 1120 and video data acquired by the remote control camera 1220 from the aircraft 1000 to the aircraft flight operating system 2200. It also receives flight mission commands from the flight mission command unit 2280 of the aircraft flight operating system 2200, water landing execution commands from the water landing execution determination unit 2250, action execution commands for various actions from the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260, and memory disconnection commands and memory recovery response commands from the water landing recording action determination execution unit 2270.

[0055] The measurement data communication unit 1420 transmits the measurement data measured by the measurement sensor 1210 and the measurement data recorded in the measurement data recording unit 1610 to the aircraft flight operating system 2200 and the acquired data management system 2300 .

[0056] For example, when the recovery request transmission unit 1430 detects that the aircraft has landed on water, it transmits a signal from the aircraft 1000 to the data acquisition base system 2000 or another external system, which is a request signal for the recovery of the aircraft 1000, such as a towing request, an aircraft recovery request, or aircraft position information.

[0057] Next, the measurement data processing unit 1500 is a functional unit that processes various measurement data acquired by the measurement sensor 1210 and the remote control camera 1220 of the measurement unit 1200. For example, by processing the image data acquired by the measurement sensor 1210 and the remote control camera 1220, it is possible to detect whether the aircraft has landed on water.

[0058] Next, the recording unit 1600 has the function of recording measurement data measured by the measurement unit 1200, and is a unit that is detached from the body of the flying object 1000 by the recording unit detachment control unit 1320. The recording unit 1600 includes a measurement data recording unit 1610, a recording unit state detection unit 1620, an airbag control unit 1630, and an information transmission unit 1640.

[0059] The measurement data recording unit 1610 is a functional unit that records measurement data measured by the measurement sensor 1210, video data captured by the remote control camera, or aircraft status data measured by the aircraft status acquisition unit 1120.

[0060] The recording unit state detection unit 1620 is a functional unit that has a function of detecting the position, speed, and floating state of the recording unit 1600. The airbag control unit 1630 has a function of deploying an airbag when, for example, the recording unit state detection unit 1620 determines that the recording unit 1600 is submerged after being detached. The information transmission unit 1640 has a function of transmitting to an external device the position information detected by the recording unit state detection unit 1620 or a recovery request signal that requests the recovery of the recording unit 1600 when the recording unit 1600 is detached from the body of the flying object 1000 by the recording unit detachment control unit 1320.

[0061] The recording unit 1600 further includes a light-emitting unit and an audio output unit, and can cause the light-emitting unit to emit light or the audio output unit to output audio when the recording unit 1600 is detached from the body of the air vehicle 1000 by the recording unit detachment control unit 1320. The recording unit 1600 can also include a float unit that generates buoyancy to allow the recording unit 1600 to float on the water surface when the recording unit 1600 is detached from the body of the air vehicle 1000 by the recording unit detachment control unit 1320.

[0062] (A-1-4-2. Hardware configuration of the flying object 1000) Fig. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram showing the external appearance of the flying body 1000. Fig. 5 particularly shows an example of the hardware configuration of a fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing aircraft that is capable of running take-off and landing using fixed wings and vertical take-off and landing using vertical lift generated by the thrust generating unit.

[0063] The aircraft 1000 comprises a central body, fixed wings consisting of right and left wings on either side of the central body, and a fixed-wing flight propeller attached to the rear end of the central body. The fixed-wing flight propeller generates thrust to propel the aircraft forward, and the fixed wings provide vertical lift, enabling fixed-wing flight. The aircraft 1000 also has a right frame connected to the right wing and a left frame connected to the left wing, and the right and left frame sections each have two propellers for thrust takeoff and landing, enabling vertical takeoff and landing. A tail wing is attached to the rear end of the aircraft, connecting the right and left frame sections.

[0064] The right wing is provided with a right outer aileron, a right flap, and a right inner aileron, in that order from the outside of the aircraft, and the left wing is similarly provided with a left outer aileron, a left flap, and a left inner aileron, in that order from the outside of the aircraft. The operation of these ailerons and flaps is controlled by flight control unit 1130.

[0065] The flying vehicle 1000 is provided with float units in the central body, right frame, left frame, left wing, or right wing, etc., that generate buoyancy for the flying vehicle 1000 to float on the water surface when the flying vehicle 1000 has landed on water. The float units can be provided inside the central body, right frame, or left frame shown in FIG. 5. Alternatively, the float units can be provided as additional structures outside the central body, right frame, or left frame shown in FIG. 5. The float units are provided as an integrated structure with the aircraft. The flying vehicle 1000 is also provided with airbags that increase the buoyancy of the aircraft when it has landed on water. For example, the airbags can be provided in the right frame and left frame.

[0066] Furthermore, the aforementioned recording unit 1600 can be provided on the upper surface side of the central main body, and by being detached from the aircraft by the recording unit detachment control unit 1320, even if the buoyancy of the aircraft 1000 is small and it is submerged, the recording unit 1600 equipped with a float unit can float on the water surface.

[0067] (A-1-5. Air Traffic Control System 6000) Next, a description will be given of the air traffic control system 6000. Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the air traffic control system 6000. The air traffic control system 6000 includes a control communication unit 6100 and an operation control unit 6200.

[0068] The control communication unit 6100 is a functional unit equipped with a radio wave communication module capable of radio wave communication, and transmits and receives information necessary for traffic control within the airspace controlled by the air traffic control system 6000 to and from aircraft (including flying vehicle 1000) flying in the airspace controlled by the air traffic control system 6000.

[0069] The flight control unit 6200 is a functional unit that acquires information and generates commands necessary for traffic control within the controlled airspace. The flight control unit 6200 includes an aircraft status acquisition unit 6210 and a control command generation unit 6220. The aircraft status acquisition unit 6210 acquires information regarding the flight status (position, altitude, speed, acceleration, planned flight path, planned landing position, etc.) of the flying object 1000 and other flying objects flying within the controlled airspace, as well as other aircraft status (flight distance, presence or absence of aircraft abnormalities, manned / unmanned identification information, etc.). The control command generation unit 6220 generates control commands for each flying object based on the acquired status information of the flying object within the controlled airspace. Here, control commands include, for example, a command to change the planned flight path or a command to change the planned landing position.

[0070] (A-1-6. External System 4000) Next, a description will be given of the external system 4000. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the external system 4000. The external system 4000 includes a geographic information providing system 4100 and a marine vessel information providing system 4200.

[0071] The geographic information providing system 4100 is a system that provides marine geographic information and terrestrial GIS geographic information related to the ocean to the data acquisition base system 2000. The marine geographic information includes, for example, information on marine areas including territorial waters, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and high seas, as well as areas of activity for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard, fishing areas for fishing boats, navigation areas such as regular routes for civilian ships, leisure areas for swimming and diving, and sea route area information such as regular shipping routes. The terrestrial GIS geographic information includes, for example, base maps, polygon geographic information, elevation information, transportation network information such as roads and railway tracks, facility information, land use information (farmland, housing, commercial facilities, factories, etc.), administrative district information (prefectures, cities, towns, villages, etc.), and population information.

[0072] The marine vessel information providing system 4200 is equipped with an automatic vessel identification system 4210, a coastal area information providing system 4220, and a Japan Coast Guard information providing system 4230, and is a system that provides information on marine vessels and the like to the data acquisition base system 2000.

[0073] The automatic identification system 4210 is an AIS (Automatic Identification System) that transmits and receives information between ship stations or between ship stations and ground stations, such as ship information such as call signs, ship names, positions, courses, speeds, and destinations, warnings for ships including whether they are entering an area and evacuation advisories and calls for cautious navigation, marine accident information including the positions, areas, and scales of marine accidents and their status, and information on the surrounding environment including information on natural disasters such as tsunamis and volcanic eruptions and areas affected by damage, etc. The automatic identification system 4210 can provide the data acquisition base system 2000 with various types of information, such as the above-mentioned ship information, warnings for ships, marine accident information, and surrounding environment information.

[0074] The coastal area information providing system 4220 is a system that transmits information such as local weather and sea conditions, such as wind speed, wind direction, and wave height observed at lighthouses in various locations, and the status of offshore construction work, to operators of pleasure boats, recreational fishing boats, and other vessels and those involved in marine leisure activities via the Internet, etc. Furthermore, the coastal area information providing system 4220 can provide various information such as the weather and sea conditions and the status of offshore construction work to the data acquisition base system 2000.

[0075] The Japan Coast Guard information provision system 4230 is a system that provides the data acquisition base system 2000 with various information collected by the Japan Coast Guard, such as the security situation in the sea area (information on deteriorating security, fires, etc.), the status of maritime accidents, the status of navigation traffic (the density of shipping routes, congestion on shipping routes, etc.), and the status of navigation infrastructure (the status of anchorage ports, etc.).

[0076] (A-1-7. Aircraft Operation System 2200) 8 is a functional block diagram of an aircraft flight operating system 2200. The aircraft flight operating system 2200 includes an information import unit 2210, a user interface unit 2220, a prior information registration unit 2230, a water landing position search unit 2240, a water landing execution determination unit 2250, a water landing aircraft action determination and execution unit 2260, a water landing recording action determination and execution unit 2270, and a flight mission command unit 2280.

[0077] (A-1-7-1. Information import unit 2210) The information import unit 2210 has a function of acquiring various information used in the processing executed by the aircraft operation system 2200. The information import unit 2210 includes an aircraft information acquisition unit 2211, a marine geographic information acquisition unit 2212, a marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213, and an aircraft operation information acquisition unit 2214.

[0078] The aircraft information acquisition unit 2211 has a function of acquiring measurement data acquired by a measurement sensor of the aircraft 1000 or the measurement satellite 5000, and information related to the aircraft status of the aircraft 1000. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of measurement data acquired by the aircraft information acquisition unit 2211. The example shown in Fig. 10 shows an example of measurement data acquired by the aircraft information acquisition unit 2211 when an optical image of the sea surface in a specified sea area is acquired as measurement data by an optical camera mounted on the aircraft 1000 or the measurement satellite 5000. In the case shown in Fig. 10, the measurement data includes images of ships sailing in the sea area of ​​the measurement area, wake waves (also called wake waves) generated on the sea surface by the sailing of the ships, and waves on the sea surface.

[0079] The aircraft information acquisition unit 2211 acquires aircraft status related to flight operations such as the aircraft's position, speed, acceleration, attitude, angular velocity, and angular acceleration acquired by the aircraft status acquisition unit 1120 of the aircraft 1000, as well as aircraft status including temporary abnormal conditions (temperature abnormalities, vibration abnormalities, etc.) of equipment installed in the aircraft, equipment failure conditions, and remaining energy levels of batteries, fuel, etc.

[0080] The marine geographic information acquisition unit 2212 has a function of acquiring geographic information related to the ocean from the geographic information providing system 4100 of the external system 4000. As described above, the marine geographic information provided by the geographic information providing system 4100 includes information on marine areas including, for example, territorial waters, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and high seas.

[0081] The marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213 has a function of acquiring various types of operation information related to ships, such as ship information, warning information for ships, marine disaster information, and surrounding environment information, from the marine vessel information providing system 4200 of the external system 4000. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the ship information etc. acquired by the marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213.

[0082] The acquired information shown in FIG. 11 includes ship information, ship warning information, surrounding environment information, and marine disaster information. The ship information includes dynamic information, static information, and navigation-related information. Dynamic ship information includes, for example, the ship's position, movement speed, course over the ground, heading, ROT (rate of turn), navigation status, and UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). Static information includes the ship's IMO number (ship identification number), call sign (e.g., Maritime Mobile Service Identity), ship name, captain, width, ship type, maximum speed performance, maximum acceleration performance, maximum ROT performance, and positioning antenna location. Navigation-related information includes the ship's draft, presence or absence of dangerous cargo, cargo type, destination, planned route, estimated time of arrival at the destination, and information on navigation safety. Here, ROT (rate of turn) is an abbreviation for Rate of Turn, and refers to the angle of rotation of the ship's bow per unit time, and is measured in units of "deg / s."

[0083] Next, the warning information includes grounding warning information, dragging anchor warning information, and cargo shift warning information generated by the automatic vessel identification system 4210. Grounding warning information is, for example, information transmitted to a vessel navigating near a grounding prevention line based on the vessel's position and previously determined information on shallow water areas where there is a risk of grounding and grounding prevention lines. Dragging anchor warning information is, for example, information that warns of the risk of running aground in shallow water due to dragging anchor, based on the vessel's position, wind direction and speed, and shallow water area information. Cargo shift warning information is, for example, information that prompts a cargo vessel or the like to check the lashing status based on wind direction and speed.

[0084] Next, surrounding environment information includes weather information and natural disaster information. Weather information includes information on typhoons, rain, wind, lightning, and other weather and sea conditions, while natural disaster information includes information on natural disasters related to the sea, such as tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

[0085] Next, the marine disaster information includes marine disaster warning information about ships that have suffered marine disasters, such as drifting ships, capsized ships, collided ships, grounded ships, ships on fire, and sunken ships, rescue work warning information about sea areas where rescue work is being carried out at sea, diving work warning information about sea areas where diving work is being carried out, and spilled oil warning information about sea areas where oil such as petroleum has spilled onto the sea. Furthermore, the marine disaster warning information may include information about the area of ​​the sea where the marine disaster occurred, the status of the marine disaster, whether it is possible to enter the sea area where the marine disaster occurred, evacuation advice from the sea area, and calls for careful operation.

[0086] The marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213 may further have a function to acquire various information such as meteorological and sea conditions, and the status of marine construction work, from a coastal area information provision system 4220 of the external system 4000. The marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213 may further have a function to acquire various information such as the security situation in the sea area (information on deterioration of security, fires, etc.), the status of marine accidents, the navigation traffic situation (the density of sea routes, sea route congestion, etc.), and the status of navigation infrastructure (the status of anchoring ports, etc.) collected by the Japan Coast Guard from a Japan Coast Guard information provision system 4230 of the external system 4000.

[0087] The aircraft operation information acquisition unit 2214 has the function of acquiring aircraft operation information related to the aircraft from the air traffic control system 6000, such as the position of the aircraft within the airspace, movement speed, movement acceleration, movement trajectory, ground course direction, heading direction, turning radius, aircraft identification number, aircraft name, maximum speed performance, aircraft length, aircraft width, estimated destination, estimated time of arrival at the estimated destination, and aircraft type.

[0088] (A-1-7-2. User interface unit 2220) The user interface unit 2220 is a functional unit having an input / output function that outputs display information and audio information to a user who pilots the aircraft 1000, which is the target of piloting, via the aircraft flight operating system 2200, and receives input information from the user. The user interface unit 2220 includes a display unit 2221 and a user input receiving unit 2222.

[0089] The display unit 2221 is a functional unit that displays and outputs to the user the results of each judgment made by the water landing position search unit 2240, water landing execution determination unit 2250, water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260, water landing recording action determination execution unit 2270, and flight mission command unit 2280, which will be described later.

[0090] The user input receiving unit 2222 is a functional unit that receives input from the user, such as pre-registration information input to the pre-information registration unit 2230, input for executing water landing, input for specifying the water landing position, input for specifying the water landing control mode, and input for executing operations in the water landing state.

[0091] (A-1-7-3. Advance information registration unit 2230) The advance information registration unit 2230 is a functional unit that pre-registers the conditions required for the water surface area to search for a landing position when landing the aircraft 1000 on a water surface area, and priority desired information to determine the landing control mode. The advance information registration unit 2230 includes a vertical landing registration unit 2231, a sliding landing registration unit 2232, and a preferred landing method registration unit 2233.

[0092] The vertical landing registration unit 2231 is a functional unit that registers the conditions required for the water surface area at the landing point when the flying object 1000 makes a vertical landing on water using the vertical lift generated by the thrust generation unit 1110.

[0093] The registration unit for taxiing on water 2232 is a functional unit that registers the conditions required for the water surface area at the landing site when the flying object 1000 performs a taxiing on water using fixed wings.

[0094] The preferred water landing method registration unit 2233 is a functional unit that registers a preferred water landing control mode to select either the vertical water landing mode or the gliding water landing mode when the flying object 1000 performs a water landing.

[0095] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of registration information registered in the advance information registration unit 2230. In the example shown in Fig. 12, the registration information registered in the vertical water landing registration unit 2231 includes the required area of ​​the water surface area required for the water landing location when performing water landing control in vertical water landing mode, the required shape (circular, rectangular, etc.), the required dimensions (length, width, depth), the allowable wave height (not more than a predetermined height), the allowable wave period (outside a predetermined period range), the allowable flow speed (not more than a predetermined speed), the allowable tilt angle (not more than a predetermined angle), the wind speed (not more than an allowable wind speed), etc.

[0096] In addition, in the example shown in Figure 12, the registration information registered in the planing landing registration unit 2232 includes the required area of ​​the landing surface required for the water surface area at the landing point when performing land-on-water control in planing landing mode, the required shape (circular, rectangular, etc.), the required dimensions (length, width, depth), the allowable wave height (below a specified height), the allowable wave period (outside the specified period range), the allowable flow velocity (below a specified speed), the allowable tilt angle (below a specified angle), and the wind speed (below the allowable wind speed).

[0097] In addition, since the conditions required for safely landing the aircraft 1000 on the water surface are different between the vertical landing mode and the gliding landing mode, the various conditions registered in the vertical landing registration unit 2231 and the gliding landing registration unit 2232 are significantly different.

[0098] In the example shown in FIG. 12, either the vertical landing mode or the gliding landing mode is registered in the landing mode preference registration unit 2233 as the landing control mode when the flying object 1000 performs a water landing.

[0099] (A-1-7-4. Landing position search unit 2240) The landing position search unit 2240 is a functional unit that searches for candidate areas on water where landing is possible, based on measurement data acquired by the measurement sensor of the flying body 1000 or the measurement satellite 5000. The landing position search unit 2240 includes a possible landing position determination unit 2241 and a possible landing position display command unit 2242.

[0100] The possible water landing location determination unit 2241 determines the current flight position of the flying object 1000 using the flying object information acquisition unit 2211, and determines whether the flying object 1000 is flying in an area above water based on geographic information acquired by the marine geographic information acquisition unit 2212. If the flying object 1000 is flying in an area above water, the possible water landing location determination unit 2241 further estimates the positions of ships and floating objects in the water surface area, wave height, wave period, wave current speed, water surface slope, etc., by analyzing measurement data acquired by measurement sensors on the flying object 1000 or the measurement satellite 5000. In addition, the possible water landing location determination unit 2241 acquires information such as the ship's position, heading relative to the ground, and ground speed acquired by the marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213, as well as water depth information included in the marine geographic information acquired by the marine geographic information acquisition unit 2212. The possible water landing location determination unit 2241 searches for one or more candidate locations where the air vehicle 1000 can safely land on water, based on the estimated information about the water surface area described above, the acquired information about ships, floating objects, and marine geography, and the condition information for safely landing the air vehicle 1000 on the water surface that is registered in advance in the vertical water landing registration unit 2231 and the taxiing water landing registration unit 2232. The possible water landing location determination unit 2241 may also determine the possibility of the air vehicle 1000 capsizing just before landing and the possibility of capsizing after landing, based on the condition information registered in advance in the vertical water landing registration unit 2231 and the taxiing water landing registration unit 2232, and search for one or more locations based on the determination result.

[0101] The possible water landing location determination unit 2241 can search for one or more candidate water landing locations depending on the information on the remaining energy of the air vehicle 1000 acquired by the air vehicle information acquisition unit 2211. That is, it predicts the amount of energy required for maneuvering to the water landing location, and also predicts the amount of energy required for landing control by vertical or sliding water landing, and determines a candidate water landing location that is within the range that can be flown with the remaining energy and for which water landing control can be executed within the remaining energy range. It is also possible to predict the amount of energy required for takeoff control after landing and determine a candidate water landing location that has enough energy remaining to enable takeoff control.

[0102] The possible water landing location display command unit 2242 is a functional unit that outputs and displays on the display unit 2221 the candidate positions of the possible water landing locations determined by the possible water landing location determination unit 2241 .

[0103] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing candidate water landing positions determined by the candidate water landing position determination unit 2241. In the example shown in Fig. 13, three circular candidate water landing areas have been determined as candidate water landing positions in the vertical water landing mode, and one rectangular candidate water landing area has been determined as a candidate water landing position in the planing water landing mode. All of these candidate positions are areas on water that satisfy various conditions such as the height of waves on the water surface and do not interfere with ships or the like.

[0104] (A-1-7-5. Water landing execution determination unit 2250) The water landing execution determination unit 2250 is a functional unit that determines whether or not to execute water landing control to land the flying object 1000 on water from a flight state, the water landing position, the water landing control mode, etc., and outputs a water landing execution command. The water landing execution determination unit 2250 includes a water landing possibility determination unit 2251, a water landing position determination unit 2252, a water landing control mode determination unit 2253, and a water landing execution command unit 2254.

[0105] The water landing feasibility determination unit 2251 is a functional unit that determines whether or not to execute water landing control, which lands the flying object 1000 on water from a flying state. As an example, the water landing feasibility determination unit 2251 determines whether or not to execute water landing control based on the aircraft status including at least one of an aircraft abnormality, malfunction, and insufficient remaining energy obtained from the aircraft status acquisition unit 1120 of the flying object 1000, or the surrounding environmental status including at least one of strong winds, radio wave disturbance, rainfall, snowfall, and temperature around the flying object obtained from an external weather or sea condition information providing system or the flying object 1000.

[0106] As another example, the water landing possibility determination unit 2251 determines whether or not it is necessary to avoid other aircraft approaching the aircraft 1000 based on information regarding the flight status of other aircraft (position, altitude, speed, acceleration, planned flight route, planned landing location, etc.) and other aircraft status (flight distance, presence or absence of aircraft abnormalities, manned / unmanned identification information, etc.) obtained from the air traffic control system 6000, and if it determines that avoidance is necessary, outputs a water landing execution command from the water landing execution command unit 2254 described below.

[0107] As another example, the water landing possibility determination unit 2251 also outputs a water landing execution command from the water landing execution command unit 2254 described below when it determines that it is necessary to avoid attacks from other aircraft such as other aircraft or other ships, or when it determines that it is necessary to wait on the water until other support aircraft arrive.

[0108] As another example, when a command to execute water landing control is input from the user via the user input receiving unit 2222, the water landing possibility determination unit 2251 causes a water landing execution command unit 2254, described later, to output a water landing execution command.

[0109] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the determination conditions under which the water landing possibility determination unit 2251 permits execution of water landing control. The information on the determination conditions for determining whether water landing is possible shown in Fig. 14 can be registered in advance by the user. The determination conditions shown in Fig. 14 include conditions related to the aircraft state, the surrounding environment, and the external environment, and the aircraft state can permit execution of water landing control if the aircraft has a malfunction, an abnormality, or insufficient remaining energy.

[0110] In addition, if the surrounding environment includes wind speed, rainfall, and snowfall levels that are greater than predetermined values, or if the temperature is outside a predetermined allowable range, or if radio disturbance is greater than a permitted value, execution of water landing control can be permitted. In addition, if the external environment includes determining that another flying object is approaching, that there is an attack or a risk of being attacked by another enemy aircraft, or that waiting on water until a support aircraft arrives, execution of water landing control can be permitted.

[0111] The water landing position determination unit 2252 is a functional unit that determines a water landing position within an area on the water. The water landing position determination unit 2252 determines one water landing position from one or more candidate water landing positions determined by the water landing position search unit 2240, depending on the allowable conditions of the water landing surface, including at least one of the length, width, area, shape, wave height, flow speed, water surface slope, and wave period of the water surface area on the water that is pre-registered or generated in the advance information registration unit 2230.

[0112] As another example, the landing position determination unit 2252 determines one landing position from one or more candidate landing positions determined by the landing position search unit 2240, based on the position of the ship or floating objects in the water surface area estimated by analyzing the acquired measurement data, or information such as the ship's position, ground heading, and ground speed in the water surface area acquired by the marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213.

[0113] As another example, the water landing position determination unit 2252 determines one water landing position from one or more candidate water landing positions determined by the water landing position search unit 2240 based on an analysis of the acquired measurement data, environmental disturbances including wind speed in the water surface area acquired from an external weather information system, and tolerance conditions for environmental disturbances including wind speed pre-registered or generated in the advance information registration unit 2230.

[0114] As another example, the landing position determination unit 2252 determines one landing position from one or more candidate landing positions that are located within the range in which the aircraft 1000 can fly with the remaining energy determined by the landing position search unit 2240 and where landing control can be performed within the range of the remaining energy, based on the information on the remaining energy of the aircraft 1000 acquired by the aircraft information acquisition unit 2211.

[0115] When determining one water landing position from the multiple possible water landing position candidates described above, the water landing position determination unit 2252 can determine one water landing position from the multiple candidate positions, but it is also possible to display one or multiple candidate water landing positions on the display unit 2221 via the possible water landing position display command unit 2242, and receive from the user input acceptance input of one candidate water landing position or designation input of a specific water landing position from the multiple candidate positions via the user input receiving unit 2222, and determine the water landing position based on the designated input information.

[0116] The water landing control mode determination unit 2253 can determine the water landing control mode from the vertical water landing mode and the glide landing mode according to the priority information of the water landing control mode pre-registered in the water landing method priority registration unit 2233. As another example, if the water landing candidate locations determined by the water landing position search unit 2240 as possible for water landing are only those possible for the vertical water landing mode or only those possible for the glide landing mode, the water landing control mode determination unit 2253 selects the water landing control mode that is possible for the water landing candidate location, regardless of the priority information of the water landing control mode pre-registered.

[0117] As another example, the water landing control mode determination unit 2253 can receive a designation input of one of the water landing control modes from the user via the user input receiving unit 2222, and determine the water landing control mode based on the designation input information.

[0118] The water landing execution command unit 2254 transmits a water landing execution command to the aircraft 1000 to cause the aircraft 1000 to land on the water landing position determined by the water landing position determination unit 2252 in the water landing control mode determined by the water landing control mode determination unit 2253.

[0119] (A-1-7-6. Water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260) The water landing aircraft action determination and execution unit 2260 is a functional unit that determines and executes various actions of the flying body 1000 in a water landing state. The water landing aircraft action determination and execution unit 2260 includes a buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2261, a takeoff possibility determination unit 2262, a water action determination unit 2263, a water surface re-takeoff prohibition command unit 2264, and an action execution command unit 2265.

[0120] The buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2261 is a functional unit that determines whether or not it is necessary to deploy an airbag mounted on the airframe of the flying object 1000 or an airbag mounted on the recording unit 1600 that can be detached from the airframe. If it determines that the flying object has landed on water based on the airframe position and speed information acquired from the airframe status acquisition unit 1120 or the surrounding image captured by the remote control camera 1220, or if it determines that the airframe or recording unit 1600 is submerged or has insufficient buoyancy, it determines that it is necessary to deploy an airbag.

[0121] The takeoff feasibility determination unit 2262 is a functional unit that determines whether or not takeoff control can be executed, which operates the flight unit 1100 to transition the flying body 1000 from a water landing state to a flight state. The takeoff feasibility determination unit 2262 can use, for example, the water surface state, the aircraft state, the surrounding environmental state, and other external environmental states as criteria for determining whether or not takeoff control can be executed. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the determination conditions for the takeoff feasibility determination unit 2262 to permit takeoff control execution.

[0122] When the water surface condition is used as the criterion for determining whether or not to execute takeoff control, for example, when the aircraft 1000 is in a water landing state, the takeoff possibility determination unit 2262 can determine whether or not to execute takeoff control based on criteria related to the water surface condition, including at least one of the wave height, wave period, flow velocity, and water surface slope of the water surface around the aircraft 1000.

[0123] In the example shown in Figure 15, the conditions for determining whether takeoff is permitted are that the wave height at the water surface is equal to or less than a predetermined allowable height, the wave period is outside a predetermined dangerous period range, the water surface flow velocity is equal to or less than a predetermined allowable speed, and the water surface inclination is equal to or less than a predetermined allowable angle. Note that the above-mentioned conditions are an example of a determination criterion based on whether takeoff control can be performed safely. However, if it is determined that there is a high risk of the aircraft sinking if the water landing state is continued, it may be determined that takeoff control should be performed even under adverse conditions. In such a case, the conditions for determining whether takeoff is permitted may be that the wave height at the water surface is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable height, the wave period is within a predetermined dangerous period range, the water surface flow velocity is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable speed, or the water surface inclination is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable angle.

[0124] Furthermore, when the aircraft state is used as the criterion for determining whether or not to execute takeoff control, for example, the takeoff feasibility determination unit 2262 can determine whether or not to execute takeoff control according to criteria related to the aircraft state, including at least one of an abnormality, a malfunction, and a lack of remaining energy of the aircraft. Here, particularly when determining whether or not to execute takeoff control according to the state of a lack of remaining energy of the aircraft, the amount of energy required to execute takeoff control or the amount of energy required from taking off from the aircraft 1000 to flying to a specified return point can be predicted, and whether or not to execute takeoff control can be determined according to the predicted amount of required energy and the remaining energy.

[0125] Furthermore, when the surrounding environmental conditions are used as the criteria for determining whether or not to execute takeoff control, for example, the takeoff feasibility determination unit 2262 can determine whether or not to execute takeoff control based on criteria related to the surrounding environmental conditions, including at least one of strong winds, radio wave disturbance, rainfall, snowfall, and temperature around the aircraft 1000.

[0126] In the example shown in Figure 15, the conditions for determining whether to allow takeoff are that the wind speed is smaller than the allowable value, the amount of rainfall is smaller than the allowable value, the amount of snowfall is smaller than the allowable value, the temperature is within the allowable range, and radio wave disturbance is smaller than the allowable value.

[0127] Furthermore, when the external environmental conditions are used as the criterion for determining whether or not to execute takeoff control, for example, if the takeoff feasibility determination unit 2262 determines that at least one of the following is necessary: ​​there is a ship or floating object approaching the aircraft 1000 and it is necessary to avoid these; there is an attack from another aircraft such as another aircraft or another ship, or there is a risk of an attack and it is necessary to avoid the attack, the operation execution command unit 2265 sends a command to the aircraft 1000 to execute takeoff control.

[0128] The water action determination unit 2263 is a functional unit that determines the action of the air vehicle 1000 on water when the air vehicle 1000 is in a water-landed state. When the water action determination unit 2263 detects that the air vehicle 1000 is in a water-landed state, it determines the action from at least one of water movement, which moves the air vehicle 1000 on the water while maintaining the water-landed state, a tow request, a request to recover the air vehicle, external transmission of a signal related to air vehicle position information, or light emission or sound output.

[0129] When the water action determination unit 2263 determines that movement on the water should be performed, it transmits an execution command for movement on the water to the flying object 1000 via the action execution command unit 2265, causing the flying object 1000 to perform movement on the water. When it determines that transmission of a tow request, an aircraft recovery request, or a signal related to aircraft position information should be performed, it transmits each signal to the outside via the action execution command unit 2265. When it determines that light should be emitted or sound should be output from the flying object 1000, it transmits an execution command for light emission or sound output to the flying object 1000 via the action execution command unit 2265.

[0130] The water surface re-takeoff prohibition command unit 2264 is a functional unit that, when the takeoff feasibility determination unit 2262 determines that takeoff control cannot be executed, sends a control command to the aircraft 1000 prohibiting the execution of takeoff control, thereby prohibiting the execution of takeoff control by the aircraft 1000. For example, when it is determined that takeoff will not be permitted because it is difficult to safely execute takeoff control due to the water surface conditions, aircraft conditions, or surrounding environmental conditions as shown in Fig. 15, or when a takeoff prohibition command is input by user input, the execution of takeoff control is prohibited to prevent the aircraft 1000 from mistakenly taking off from water.

[0131] The action execution command unit 2265 is a functional unit that transmits an execution command for the action determined by each determination unit of the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260 to the flying object 1000, etc.

[0132] (A-1-7-7. Water landing recording unit action determination execution unit 2270) The water landing recording action determination execution unit 2270 is a functional unit that determines and executes various operations of the recording unit 1600 when the flying object 1000 has landed on water. The water landing recording action determination execution unit 2270 includes a memory disconnection necessity determination unit 2271 and a buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2272.

[0133] The memory detachment necessity determination unit 2271 determines that the recording unit mounted on the aircraft 1000 should be separated from the aircraft body 1000's body if it determines that the aircraft 1000 has completed landing on water before the aircraft 1000 has completed landing on water, or if it determines that the aircraft 1000's buoyancy is insufficient, and sends a command to the aircraft 1000 to detach the recording unit.

[0134] The memory separation necessity determination unit 2271 may further transmit a signal regarding at least one of a request to retrieve the recording unit and location information to the outside when the recording unit is separated from the body of the flying object 1000.

[0135] When the buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2272 determines that the flying object 1000 has completed landing on water or that the buoyancy of the flying object 1000 is insufficient, it determines to deploy the airbag mounted on the recording unit and sends a command to the flying object 1000 to deploy the airbag of the recording unit.

[0136] (A-1-7-8. Flight Mission Command Center 2280) The flight mission command unit 2280 is a functional unit that generates a flight mission, which is flight target information for the flying object 1000, and transmits a flight mission command to the flying object 1000. The flight mission command unit 2280 includes a flight plan acquisition unit 2281, a flight mission generation unit 2282, and a command transmission unit 2283.

[0137] The flight plan acquisition unit 2281 is a functional unit that acquires a flight plan generated by the flight management system 2400.

[0138] The flight mission generation unit 2282 is a functional unit that generates a flight mission, which is flight target information to be executed by the flying object 1000, based on a flight plan.

[0139] The command transmission unit 2283 is a functional unit that transmits the generated command information of the flight mission to the flying object 1000.

[0140] (A-1-8. Hardware configuration) 9 is a hardware configuration diagram of the aircraft operation system 2200 and the like. Here, the data acquisition base system 2000, the spatial information data utilization system 3000, the external system 4000, and the air traffic control system 6000, which constitute the control system 1 of the present invention, are information processing devices such as a server device and a PC. As shown in the figure, the data acquisition base system 2000, the spatial information data utilization system 3000, the external system 4000, and the air traffic control system 6000 each include an input device 100, an output device 200, a processing device 300, a main memory device 400, an auxiliary memory device 500, a communication device 600, and a bus 700 that electrically connects these devices.

[0141] The input device 100 is a device that allows a user to input information and instructions to the control system 1. Specifically, the input device 100 is, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, or an audio input device such as a microphone.

[0142] The output device 200 is a device that outputs information generated by the control system 1. Specifically, the output device 200 is a display unit 2221 (including eyewear, AR, VR display devices, etc.), a printer, or a speaker.

[0143] The processing device 300 is, for example, a device that performs arithmetic processing. Specifically, the processing device 300 is, for example, a CPU, a microprocessor, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or other semiconductor devices capable of performing arithmetic processing.

[0144] The main storage device 400 is a memory device such as a RAM that temporarily stores various types of read information and a ROM that stores programs, application programs, and other various information executed by the processing device 300. The auxiliary storage device 500 is a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory that can store digital information.

[0145] The communication device 600 is a device that performs wireless or wired information communication with an external device.

[0146] Some of the functions of the aircraft operation system 2200 shown in Figure 8 above can be implemented in the aircraft 1000, and in particular, the functions of the water landing position search unit 2240, the water landing execution determination unit 2250, the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260, and the water landing recording unit action determination execution unit 2270 may be implemented in the aircraft 1000.

[0147] (A-1-9. Control flow of control system 1) Next, a description will be given of the overall control flow of the control system 1. Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the control system 1.

[0148] First, the pre-registration information is acquired by the pre-registration information registration unit 2230 (step 101). In this step, for example, the pre-registration information shown in FIG.

[0149] Next, the flight of the flying object 1000 is controlled in accordance with the flight mission generated by the flight mission command unit 2280, causing it to take off from the landing position and begin flying (step 102).

[0150] Next, the landing position search unit 2240 searches for potential landing positions during flight (step 103).

[0151] Next, the water landing execution determination unit 2250 determines whether to execute water landing during flight (step 104). Details of this step will be described later.

[0152] Next, water landing control of the flying object 1000 is executed based on the water landing execution command transmitted from the water landing execution determination unit 2250 to the flying object 1000 (step 105).

[0153] Next, the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260 and the water landing recorder action determination execution unit 2270 determine the action of the flying object 1000 in the water landing state (step 106). Details of this step will be described later.

[0154] Next, the action of the flying object 1000 is executed based on the operation execution command sent to the flying object 1000 from the water landing aircraft action determination and execution unit 2260 and the water landing recorder action determination and execution unit 2270 (step 107).

[0155] (A-1-10. Water landing determination process) Next, the water landing determination process of the flying object 1000 in step 104 shown in FIG. 16 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0156] (A-1-10-1. Processing flow of water landing determination processing) 17 is a flowchart showing the processing flow of the water landing determination of the flying object 1000 by the water landing execution determination unit 2250. In the processing flow shown in Fig. 17, first, the user input receiving unit 2222 receives a water landing command from the user (step 201).

[0157] Next, the water landing possibility determination unit 2251 determines whether or not to land the flying object 1000 on water (step 202). In this step, a determination is made to land on water if a water landing command is input from the user via the user input receiving unit 2222 in step 201. Also, even if a water landing command is not input from the user, the water landing possibility determination unit 2251 can automatically determine whether or not to land on water.

[0158] Next, the next processing step to transition to is determined depending on whether or not the water landing determination unit 2251 has determined that water landing should be performed (step 203). If a determination has been made in this step that water landing should be performed, the processing transitions to step 204, whereas if a determination has not been made that water landing should be performed, the processing transitions to step 201.

[0159] Next, the water landing position determining unit 2252 determines the water landing position from one or more water landing position candidates (step 204).

[0160] Next, the water landing control mode determination unit 2253 determines the water landing control mode (step 205).

[0161] Next, the determination results from steps 204 and 205 are displayed on the display unit 2221, and user-specified input regarding the water landing position and water landing control mode is accepted from the user input accepting unit 2222 (step 206). By accepting user-specified input regarding the water landing position and water landing control mode in this step, the aircraft can be controlled based on the water landing position and water landing control mode intended by the user. The accepting screen for user-specified input in this step will be described with reference to FIG. 18.

[0162] (A-1-10-2. User-specified input reception screen for water landing judgment processing) Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen when accepting a user's designated input regarding the determination result by the water landing execution determination unit 2250. In the example shown in Fig. 18, a sea map acquired by the marine geographic information acquisition unit 2212 or a measurement image acquired by the aircraft information acquisition unit 2211 is displayed. In addition, information on the position and orientation of the ship in the water area detected based on the measurement data acquired by the aircraft information acquisition unit 2211 or the ship information acquired by the marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213 is displayed on the sea map or the measurement image. In addition, details of the ship information acquired by the marine vessel information acquisition unit 2213 (position, ground speed, course over the ground, ROT, IMO number, call sign, ship type) are displayed.

[0163] Furthermore, the multiple water landing candidate positions generated by the water landing position search unit 2240 and the water landing positions determined by the water landing position determination unit 2252 are displayed on a map of the sea or a measured image. Note that the water landing candidate positions may be displayed in both vertical water landing mode and planing water landing mode. The example shown in FIG. 18 illustrates a display example in which one of the water landing candidate positions in vertical water landing mode, enclosed in bold, is determined by the water landing position determination unit 2252. The user can select any water landing position from the multiple water landing candidate positions by selecting and inputting the multiple displayed water landing candidate positions.

[0164] The display screen also has an item for specifying and inputting the water landing control mode for the flying object 1000, allowing the user to select and input either the vertical water landing mode or the gliding water landing mode. In the example shown in Figure 18, the vertical water landing mode is shown to have been selected.

[0165] Furthermore, the display screen can also display sea state conditions at each position on the sea defined by a mesh or the like on a sea map or measured image. For example, the user can select any item from the tidal current (speed, direction), wave (speed, direction), wind (speed, direction), and wave height displayed in the lower left of the display screen shown in Fig. 18, and the sea state conditions for the selected item are displayed on the sea map or measured image. Mesh positions shown in dark colors in Fig. 18 have high wave heights, and mesh positions shown in light colors have low wave heights.

[0166] Furthermore, the display screen has an input button for permission to land on water, and if the user is happy to land on water at the selected landing location using the selected landing control mode, the user can operate the button for permission to land on water to send a command to the flying object 1000 to land on water.

[0167] (A-1-11. Aircraft action determination when landing on water) Next, the process of determining the aircraft action of the flying object 1000 in the water landing state by the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260 in step 106 shown in FIG. 16 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0168] (A-1-11-1. Processing flow for determining aircraft action when landing on water) FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the process flow for determining an aircraft action by the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260.

[0169] First, the buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2261 determines the floating state of the aircraft 1000 (step 301). For example, it detects whether the buoyancy of the aircraft is insufficient based on the aircraft's position and speed information acquired from the aircraft state acquisition unit 1120, or the surrounding image captured by the remote control camera 1220.

[0170] Next, the next processing step to transition to is determined depending on whether or not the buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2261 detects insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft (step 302). If insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft is detected in this step, the processing transitions to step 303, whereas if insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft is not detected, the processing transitions to step 304.

[0171] Next, if insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft is detected in step 302, the buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2261 determines that it is necessary to perform a buoyancy addition operation, and the operation execution command unit 2265 outputs an instruction to deploy an airbag provided on the aircraft to the aircraft 1000, causing the airbag to be deployed (step 303). Note that, although this flowchart shows an example in which an airbag is deployed when insufficient buoyancy is detected in step 302, if it is possible to predict in advance that the buoyancy of the aircraft will be insufficient, the condition for determining airbag deployment may be detection of completion of water landing of the aircraft 1000 instead of detection of insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft.

[0172] Next, the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260 determines whether emergency movement is required for the air vehicle 1000 that has landed on water (step 304). In this step, it can be determined that emergency movement is required, for example, when it is detected that a ship or floating object on the water surface is approaching the air vehicle 1000, or when it is detected that there is an attack or a risk of an attack from another aircraft such as another aircraft or another ship.

[0173] Next, the next processing step to transition to is determined depending on whether or not the water landing aircraft action determination execution unit 2260 has determined that emergency movement of the aircraft 1000 is necessary (step 305). If it is determined in this step that emergency movement of the aircraft 1000 is necessary, the processing step transitions to step 306, whereas if it is determined that emergency movement of the aircraft 1000 is not necessary, the processing transitions to step 307.

[0174] Next, if it is determined in step 305 that emergency movement of the aircraft 1000 is necessary, a water movement command is sent to the aircraft 1000 to move the aircraft 1000 on the water surface while remaining in the water-landed state (step 306). Here, the movement on the water surface can be achieved by, for example, moving the aircraft 1000 using thrust generated by a fixed-wing flight propeller shown in FIG.

[0175] Next, the takeoff possibility determination unit 2262 determines whether or not to take off the aircraft (step 307). In this step, the takeoff possibility determination unit 2262 can determine whether or not to take off the aircraft based on the determination conditions of the water surface state, aircraft state, surrounding environment, and external environment, for example, as shown in Fig. 15.

[0176] Next, the takeoff possibility determination unit 2262 determines the next processing step to transition to depending on whether or not the aircraft will take off (step 308). If it is determined in this step that the aircraft will take off, the processing step transitions to step 309, and on the other hand, if it is determined that the aircraft will not take off, the processing transitions to step 311.

[0177] Next, if it is determined in step 307 that the aircraft will take off, the determination result that the aircraft will take off is displayed on the display unit 2221, and a takeoff approval input is received from the user via the user input receiving unit 2222 (step 309). In this step, the takeoff determination result displays information on whether the takeoff control mode will be vertical takeoff mode or taxiing takeoff mode, allowing the user to select the desired takeoff control mode. The takeoff determination result may also include information on the landing position after takeoff, allowing the user to specify and input the desired landing position.

[0178] Next, the operation execution command unit 2265 transmits a command to execute takeoff control to the flying object 1000 (step 310).

[0179] If it is determined in step 307 that the aircraft will not take off from the water, an interlock command prohibiting the execution of takeoff control is sent to the aircraft 1000 (step 311). In this step, particularly when it is determined that the aircraft will not take off from the water because it is difficult to safely execute takeoff control due to the water surface conditions, aircraft conditions, or surrounding environmental conditions as shown in Fig. 15, or when a takeoff prohibition command is input by user input, the execution of takeoff control is prohibited to prevent the aircraft 1000 from taking off by mistake.

[0180] Next, the water action determination unit 2263 determines whether to execute another action in the water landing state (step 312). The action determined in this step is, for example, movement on the water, notification of a towing request, notification of a recovery request, transmission of position coordinates, or determination of takeoff by releasing the takeoff interlock.

[0181] Next, the determination result of the water action is displayed on the display unit 2221, and an approval input for the execution of the action is received from the user via the user input receiving unit 2222 (step 313).

[0182] Next, the action execution command unit 2265 transmits an execution command for the determined action to the flying object 1000 (step 314).

[0183] (A-1-11-2. Aircraft floating state upon landing on water) 20 is a diagram showing the floating state of the air vehicle 1000 when it has landed on water, particularly showing the floating state of the air vehicle before and after the buoyancy addition operation (airbag deployment operation) performed in step 303 shown in FIG.

[0184] The upper diagram in Figure 20 shows the positional relationship between the airframe of aircraft 1000 and the water surface before the airbag deployment operation, and the lower diagram shows the positional relationship between the airframe of aircraft 1000 and the water surface after the airbag deployment operation. In the upper diagram in Figure 20, although the airbag has not been deployed, the airframe's central main body, right frame, left frame, left wing, or right wing has an integral floatation structure that generates buoyancy for aircraft 1000 to float on the water surface, so the aircraft does not sink but floats on the water surface, but most of the central main body is submerged below the water surface.

[0185] The lower view of Figure 20 shows airbags deployed below the right and left frame sections of the aircraft, and the buoyancy generated by the airbags raises the entire aircraft above the water surface compared to before the airbags were deployed. This protects electronic devices installed inside the central main body, right frame section, left frame section, left wing, or right wing from water.

[0186] (A-1-12. Variation of aircraft action judgment when landing on water) Next, the action determination process of the recording unit 1600 in the water landing state by the water landing recording action determination execution unit 2270 in step 106 shown in FIG. 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. FIG.

[0187] (A-1-12-1. Other processing flows for determining aircraft action upon landing) FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing the process flow of determining the action of the recording unit by the water landing recording action determination execution unit 2270.

[0188] First, the buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2261 determines the floating state of the aircraft 1000 (step 401). For example, it detects whether the buoyancy of the aircraft is insufficient based on the aircraft's position and speed information acquired from the aircraft state acquisition unit 1120, or the surrounding image captured by the remote control camera 1220.

[0189] Next, the next processing step to transition to is determined depending on whether or not the memory disconnection necessity determination unit 2271 has detected insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft (step 402). If insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft is detected in this step, the processing transitions to step 403, whereas if insufficient buoyancy of the aircraft is not detected, the processing transitions to step 404.

[0190] Next, if insufficient buoyancy of the airframe is detected in step 402, the memory disconnection necessity determination unit 2271 determines that it is necessary to disconnect the recording unit 1600 from the airframe, and outputs a command to execute recording unit disconnection to the operation unit 1300 of the flying object 1000 to disconnect the recording unit from the airframe (step 403). This flowchart shows an example in which the recording unit 1600 is disconnected from the airframe when insufficient buoyancy of the airframe is detected, but the recording unit 1600 may also be disconnected from the airframe after landing on water is complete. Alternatively, if it is determined that the airframe will execute water landing control, the recording unit 1600 may be detached from the airframe and dropped onto the water before executing water landing control.

[0191] Next, the buoyancy addition necessity determining unit 2272 acquires information on the floating state of the recording unit 1600 from the recording unit 1600 and determines whether the recording unit 1600 has insufficient buoyancy (step 404).

[0192] Next, the next processing step to transition to is determined depending on whether or not insufficient buoyancy of the recording unit 1600 is detected (step 405). In this step, if insufficient buoyancy of the recording unit 1600 is detected, the processing transitions to step 406, whereas, if insufficient buoyancy of the recording unit 1600 is not detected, the processing transitions to step 407.

[0193] Next, if insufficient buoyancy of the recording unit 1600 is detected in step 405, an instruction to deploy an airbag is sent to the recording unit 1600 of the flying object 1000 (step 406).

[0194] Next, the water landing recording unit action determination and execution unit 2270 determines whether to execute another action (step 407). The action determined in this step may be, for example, a recovery request notification, transmission of position coordinates, or light emission or sound output to assist in discovery.

[0195] Next, a command to execute the action determined in step 407 is sent to the recording unit 1600 (step 408).

[0196] (A-1-11-2. Floating state of the aircraft and recording unit upon landing on water) 22 is a diagram showing the floating state of the airframe and recording unit 1600 of the flying object 1000 when it has landed on water. In particular, the floating state of the airframe and recording unit 1600 before and after the separation operation of the recording unit 1600 performed in step 403 shown in FIG.

[0197] The upper diagram in Figure 22 shows the positional relationship between the airframe and recording unit of air vehicle 1000 and the water surface before the recording unit detachment operation, and the lower diagram shows the positional relationship between the airframe and recording unit of airframe 1000 and the water surface after the recording unit detachment operation. In the upper diagram in Figure 22, although float units that generate buoyancy to keep airframe 1000 afloat on the water surface are integrally provided in the central main body, right frame, left frame, left wing, or right wing of the airframe, most of the airframe is submerged below the water surface, and there is a risk of water entering the recording unit.

[0198] In the lower diagram of Figure 22, the recording unit installed in the central main body of the drone is detached and floating on the water surface, and the buoyancy generated by the float unit installed integrally with the recording unit keeps the recording unit afloat. This protects the electronic equipment installed inside the recording unit from water and ensures that the data recorded in the recording unit is stored without being destroyed.

[0199] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0200] [A-2. Effects of this embodiment] The above-described embodiment enables an aircraft to land on water, take off from water, or take appropriate action on water more safely or appropriately. As an example, the aircraft can be landed on water more safely while avoiding risks such as sinking or collision with other objects. Furthermore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to land on water, or to appropriately determine the water landing control mode. Furthermore, the aircraft can be safely taken off even when taking off from the water surface after landing. Furthermore, after landing, appropriate action can be taken even in situations where there is a high possibility of the aircraft sinking, such as when the surrounding waves are high. [Explanation of symbols]

[0201] 1...Information control system (system) 100...input device 200...output device 300...Processing device 400...Main storage device 500...Auxiliary storage device 600...Communication device 700...bus 1000...Flying object 1100...Flight section 1110...Thrust generation section 1120: Aircraft status acquisition unit 1130: Flight control unit 1200...Measuring unit 1210...Measuring sensor 1220... Remotely controlled camera 1230... Sensor control unit 1300: Operating unit 1310: Airbag control unit 1320... Recording unit disconnection control unit 1330... Water movement control unit 1400...Communication unit 1410...Control data communication unit 1420: Measurement data communication unit 1430: Collection request transmission unit 1500: Measurement data processing section 1600: Recording unit 1610: Measurement data recording unit 1620: Recording unit state detection unit 1630: Airbag control unit 1640...Information transmission unit 2000...Data acquisition base system 2100...Communication Infrastructure Management System 2200...Aircraft Operation System 2210...information import unit 2211...aircraft information acquisition unit 2212…Marine geographic information acquisition department 2213…Marine vessel information acquisition department 2214…Aircraft Operation Information Acquisition Department 2220...User interface unit 2221...Display unit 2222...User input reception section 2230... Advance information registration section 2231... Vertical landing registration section 2232...Tasking water landing registration section 2233...Preferred water landing method registration section 2240... Water landing position search unit 2241... Water landing possible location determination unit 2242…Possible water landing location display command unit 2250... Water landing execution determination unit 2251... Water landing possibility determination unit 2252...Water landing position determination unit 2253...Water landing control mode determination unit 2254…Water Landing Command Center 2260…Water landing unit action judgment execution unit 2261...Buoyancy addition necessity judgment section 2262...Separation possibility judgment section 2263... Water action judgment unit 2264... Takeoff control prohibition command unit 2265...Operation Execution Command Center 2270…Water landing recording unit Action decision execution unit 2271...Memory disconnection necessity determination unit 2272...Buoyancy addition necessity determination unit 2280: Flight Mission Command 2281: Flight Plan Acquisition 2282...Flight mission generation unit 2283...Command transmission unit 2300...Acquisition data management system 2400...Flight management system 2500...Airspace monitoring system 3000…Spatial information data utilization system 4000…External system 4100...Geographical Information System 4200…Marine Vessel Information System 4210…Automatic Identification System 4220: Coastal Area Information System 4230: Japan Coast Guard Information System 5000…Measuring satellite 6000...Air Traffic Control System 6100...Control and Communications Department 6200: Flight Control Unit 6210: Aircraft Status Acquisition Unit 6220…Control command generation unit

Claims

1. A control system for controlling an aircraft having a thrust generating unit, a water landing execution determination unit that determines whether or not to execute water landing control to land the aircraft on the water surface from a flight state; a water landing position determination unit that determines a water landing position or a candidate position thereof within the water surface area; a water landing control unit that controls the thrust generating unit to perform water landing control to land the aircraft at the water landing position; A control system comprising:

2. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system in which the water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof according to the allowable conditions of the water landing surface, which include at least one of the length, width, area, shape, wave height, flow speed, water surface slope, and wave period of the water surface area on the water, which are set or generated in advance.

3. 2. The control system of claim 1, The water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof depending on the presence or position of at least one of a ship and floating objects in the water area.

4. 2. The control system of claim 1, The water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof according to allowable conditions for environmental disturbances, including wind speed, in the area on the water.

5. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system in which the landing position determination unit determines the landing position or a candidate position thereof based on the remaining energy of the aircraft.

6. 2. The control system of claim 1, the aircraft type of the aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of taxiing takeoff and landing using the fixed wings, or a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit, or a first fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of controlling its water landing in a taxiing water landing mode using the fixed wings and in a vertical water landing mode using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit, or a second fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of controlling its water landing in a vertical water landing mode using the vertical lift generated by the thrust generating unit, without taxiing water landing using the fixed wings; A control system in which the water landing position determination unit determines the water landing position or a candidate position thereof based on different determination criteria depending on the aircraft type or the water landing control mode.

7. 2. The control system of claim 1, The control system wherein the water landing position determination unit outputs information regarding candidate positions for the determined water landing position to the user, and determines the water landing position based on approval input for the candidate position or designation input for a different water landing position received from the user via the user input receiving unit.

8. 2. The control system of claim 1, a control system in which the aircraft type is one of: a fixed-wing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of taxiing takeoff and landing using the fixed wings; a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit; a first fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings and capable of taxiing takeoff and landing using the fixed wings and vertical takeoff and landing using the lift generated by the thrust generating unit; or a second fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft having fixed wings but not capable of taxiing landing on water using the fixed wings but capable of controlling landing on water in a vertical landing mode using the vertical lift generated by the thrust generating unit.

9. 9. The control system of claim 8, When the aircraft type of the aircraft is the first fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and the aircraft is capable of selecting a water landing control mode from either a running water landing using the fixed wing or a vertical water landing using lift, The water landing control unit determines the water landing control mode to be either the smooth water landing or the vertical water landing based on setting information regarding the previously set water landing control mode or other information, and executes water landing control in the determined water landing control mode.

10. 9. The control system of claim 8, When the aircraft type of the aircraft is the first fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and the aircraft is capable of selecting a water landing control mode from either a running water landing using the fixed wing or a vertical water landing using the vertical lift, The water landing control unit executes water landing control in the water landing control mode designated by a user input received via a user input receiving unit.

11. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system in which the water landing execution determination unit determines whether or not to execute water landing control based on the aircraft condition, including at least one of an abnormality, malfunction, or insufficient energy remaining in the aircraft, or the surrounding environmental condition, including at least one of strong winds, radio wave disturbance, rainfall, snowfall, and temperature around the aircraft.

12. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system in which the water landing execution determination unit causes the water landing control unit to execute water landing control when it determines that at least one of avoiding other aircraft approaching the aircraft, avoiding attacks from other aircraft, or waiting on the water until other support aircraft arrives is necessary.

13. 2. The control system of claim 1, The water landing execution determination unit causes the water landing control unit to execute water landing control when a command to execute water landing control is input from a user via a user input acceptance unit.

14. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system comprising a water takeoff execution determination unit that determines whether or not water takeoff control can be executed by the water landing control unit to transition the aircraft from a water landing state to a flight state.

15. 15. The control system of claim 14, The takeoff execution determination unit determines whether or not to execute the takeoff control when the aircraft is in a water landing state, depending on the water surface conditions around the aircraft, including at least one of wave height, wave period, flow velocity, and water surface slope.

16. 15. The control system of claim 14, The takeoff execution determination unit determines whether or not to execute the takeoff control based on the aircraft status, including at least one of an abnormality, malfunction, or insufficient remaining energy of the aircraft, or the surrounding environmental conditions, including at least one of strong winds, radio wave disturbance, rainfall, snowfall, and temperature around the aircraft.

17. 15. The control system of claim 14, When the takeoff execution determination unit determines whether to execute the takeoff control depending on the insufficient state of the remaining energy of the aircraft, A control system that predicts the amount of energy required to execute the takeoff control, or the amount of energy required from the time the aircraft takes off from the water until it flies to the return point, and determines whether or not to execute the takeoff control based on the predicted amount of required energy and the remaining energy.

18. 15. The control system of claim 14, The takeoff execution determination unit causes the aircraft to execute takeoff control when it determines that it is necessary to avoid at least one of a ship or floating object approaching the aircraft, or an attack from another aircraft.

19. 15. The control system of claim 14, The takeoff execution determination unit prohibits the aircraft from executing the takeoff control when it determines that takeoff control cannot be executed.

20. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system comprising a water landing action execution unit that executes the operation of the aircraft when it lands on water.

21. 21. The control system of claim 20, The water landing action execution unit deploys a recording unit mounted on the aircraft or an airbag that improves the buoyancy of the aircraft when it determines that the aircraft has completed landing on water or when it determines that the buoyancy of the aircraft is insufficient.

22. 21. The control system of claim 20, The water landing action execution unit separates a recording unit mounted on the aircraft from the body of the aircraft before the aircraft has completed landing on water, when it determines that the aircraft has completed landing on water, or when it determines that the buoyancy of the aircraft is insufficient.

23. 23. The control system of claim 22, A control system comprising: a float unit in the recording unit that generates buoyancy for the recording unit to float on the water surface when the recording unit is separated from the body of the aircraft.

24. 23. The control system of claim 22, A control system in which, when the recording unit is separated from the body of the aircraft, the recording unit transmits a signal regarding at least one of a recovery request and location information to the outside, or emits light or outputs sound.

25. 21. The control system of claim 20, A control system in which, when the water landing action execution unit detects that the aircraft has landed on water, it moves the aircraft on the water in the landed state, or transmits a signal to the outside regarding at least one of a towing request, an aircraft recovery request, and aircraft position information, or emits light or outputs sound.

26. 2. The control system of claim 1, A control system comprising a float unit on the aircraft body that generates buoyancy for the aircraft to float on the water surface when the aircraft is in a water-landed state.

27. a thrust generating unit that generates thrust; a flight control unit that controls the thrust generating unit to perform flight control; a water landing execution determination unit that determines whether or not to execute water landing control to land the aircraft on water from a flight state; a water landing position determination unit that determines a water landing position or a candidate position thereof within the water area; A flying vehicle comprising: a landing control unit that controls the thrust generating unit to perform landing control to land the flying vehicle at the landing position.

28. A flying object control method for controlling a flying object that flies using thrust generated by a thrust generating unit, The computer a water landing execution determination step for determining whether or not to execute water landing control for landing the aircraft on water from a flight state; a water landing position determination step of determining a water landing position or a candidate position thereof within the water area; a water landing control step of performing water landing control by controlling the thrust generating unit to land the aircraft at the water landing position; A method for controlling an aircraft.

29. A program for controlling an aircraft that flies using thrust generated by a thrust generating unit, On the computer, a water landing execution determination command for determining whether or not to execute water landing control to land the aircraft on water from a flight state; a water landing position determination command for determining a water landing position or a candidate water landing position within the water area; a water landing control command to control the thrust generating unit to perform water landing control to land the aircraft at the water landing position; A program that executes the following.

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