Control map generation device, control device, control system, and control method
The control system divides airspace into convex closed regions to manage diverse aircraft, addressing fragmentation and complexity, ensuring safer and more efficient flight control.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024083946
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing air traffic control systems struggle to safely and efficiently manage diverse unmanned autonomous drones and manned aircraft with different flight performances in the same airspace, leading to airspace fragmentation and computational complexity that overwhelms human controllers.
A control system that divides airspace into convex closed regions, classifies them into merging, branching, translational, and impenetrable regions, and uses directed graphs to manage aircraft movements, ensuring exclusive control and safety through a wide-area control management table and radar monitoring.
Enables safer and more efficient control of aircraft in complex airspace by reducing computational complexity and ensuring safety through automated conflict resolution and real-time flight plan management.
Smart Images

Figure 2025177276000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a control map creation device, a control device, a control system, and a control method. [Background technology]
[0002] By introducing unmanned autonomous drones for logistics between bases instead of logistics using trucks, various problems such as the impact of road conditions, delivery speed limitations due to truck speed limits (80 km / h), and labor shortages are being solved.
[0003] Unmanned autonomous drones include both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Aircraft with different flight performance will coexist at takeoff and landing ports and in flight airspace. The problem of how to control these diverse drones and build a network between air bases remains unsolved.
[0004] Existing air traffic control for large manned passenger and cargo aircraft targets aircraft with similar flight and turning capabilities. Dividing the airspace into separate areas to accommodate aircraft with different flight performance results in fragmentation of the airspace, making exclusive control so complex that it becomes impossible for human controllers to grasp the situation.
[0005] As a conventional technique relating to path planning for an autonomous moving body, for example, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.
[0006] Patent Document 1 discloses a route search device that finds a travel route from a start position to a target position within a movable area, the route search device comprising: a tentative route search unit that searches for a tentative route from the start position to the target position in a graph structure having nodes corresponding to each of a plurality of partial areas obtained by dividing the movable area and edges connecting the nodes of adjacent partial areas; a search target area setting unit that selects one of the plurality of partial areas as a search target area in which to search for a travel route based on the tentative route; and a travel route search unit that searches for a travel route in a graph structure having nodes corresponding to each of a plurality of second partial areas, which are a plurality of partial areas obtained by further dividing the partial area selected as the search target area, and edges connecting the nodes of adjacent second partial areas. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-152476 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0008] However, since Patent Document 1 deals with a single planning problem, it does not take into consideration a mechanism for resolving conflicts when multiple mobile objects operate in parallel, nor a mechanism for exclusive control for resolving conflicts.
[0009] Furthermore, in order to ensure safety, aircraft control must confirm whether the aircraft will operate without any problems at the flight planning stage before takeoff. However, Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration whether the amount of calculation required for judgment with respect to the number of aircraft will be combinatorially explosive.
[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a control map creation device, a control device, a control system, and a control method that enable safer control of aircraft in controlled airspace and easier safety confirmation of aircraft flights. [Means for solving the problem]
[0011] The present application includes multiple means for solving the above-mentioned problems, and one example thereof is an input unit that inputs a controlled airspace map showing the airspace in which an aircraft flies, a division unit that divides the controlled airspace map into a plurality of convex closed regions, a classification unit that classifies each of the plurality of convex closed regions divided by the division unit into one or more of a merging convex closed region, a branching convex closed region, a translational convex closed region, a takeoff / landing convex closed region, and an impenetrable convex closed region, and an output unit that outputs a controlled airspace map that reflects the classification results of the convex closed regions. [Effects of the Invention]
[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to more safely control aircraft in controlled airspace and more easily confirm the safety of the flight of an aircraft. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of a control system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration for achieving redundancy in the observation data system of the control system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of division of a three-dimensional controlled airspace into convex closed regions. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a top view schematically illustrating an example of a 3D intersection. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an example of a three-dimensional structure of a 3D intersection. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a flight route passing through each convex closed area of the controlled airspace. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control state management table showing aircraft occupancy status for each convex closed region. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a flight plan, schematically illustrating a controlled airspace divided into convex closed regions and a tree structure. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing contents in a takeoff and landing port control system related to takeoff and landing of an aircraft. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the aircraft operator related to the operation of the aircraft. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing contents in a wide-area control device for wide-area control of flying objects. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS.
[0015] In this embodiment, a control system, a control device, and a control method for controlling an air vehicle will be described. Examples of the air vehicle to be controlled include an unmanned autonomous flying drone and a fixed-wing aircraft.
[0016] <Overall configuration: control system> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the control system.
[0017] The control system shown in Figure 1 realizes a wide-area control system for flight plans of aircraft, and is composed of a wide-area control device 702 that updates the wide-area control management table 701, a wide-area control operator 711 who manages it, an aircraft operator 703 for the aircraft (aircraft) 710, takeoff and landing port control systems 704A to 704D (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as takeoff and landing port control systems 704) installed in each takeoff and landing convex and closed area, radar monitoring systems 705A to 705C (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to as radar monitoring systems 705) installed in 3D intersection convex and closed areas, an air traffic control data center 706, a wide-area weather information observation provider 707 that provides weather conditions for each convex and closed area, which is a component of the wide-area control management table 701, and a wide-area data communication provider 708 that provides communication conditions for each convex and closed area, which is a component of the wide-area control management table, interconnected by a wide-area communication network 709.
[0018] Each takeoff and landing port, such as takeoff and landing ports VP42, VP119, VP19, and VP52, is usually equipped with an attached radar monitoring system and is equipped with takeoff and landing port control systems 704A to 704D (takeoff and landing control devices) that capture and guide surrounding aircraft, set spatial separation boundaries, set and control takeoff and landing routes and retention areas, and ensure safe takeoffs and landings.The basic method of control, which allocates takeoff and landing times in real time for each slot that can take off and land one vehicle at a time, and ensures exclusive exclusive control, inherits the method of using the wide-area control management table described below (see Figure 7 below).
[0019] Radar monitoring systems 705A to 705C installed next to each 3D intersection convex and closed area, such as 3D intersection convex and closed areas RA132, RA76, and RA49 (see Figure 5 below), notify the wide-area control system of the ID of the approaching aircraft, the time of entry, and the time of departure. The wide-area control system determines whether the aircraft is operating within the range registered in the wide-area control management table shown in Figure 7, and notifies the wide-area control operator if there is an unregistered aircraft. If the aircraft is as registered, it notifies the aircraft operator 703 that it has passed through the 3D intersection convex and closed area.
[0020] As the number of aircraft flying in the controlled airspace increases, the amount of communication traffic and the read and write accesses to the air traffic control management table increase, so in order to divide the read access load, which is mainly represented by the calculation of flight plans and the reference of detected aircraft from the radar monitoring system, an air traffic control data center 706 is installed, and a copy of the latest wide-area air traffic control management table 701 is placed there to distribute the load in response to the increase in read access. The wide-area air traffic control device 702 centrally manages write access related to air traffic control and maintains data consistency.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration for achieving redundancy in the observation data system of the control system.
[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the wide-area control device 702 includes an input unit that inputs a 3D controlled airspace map showing the airspace in which aircraft fly; a division unit that divides the 3D controlled airspace map into multiple convex closed regions; a classification unit that classifies each of the multiple convex closed regions divided by the division unit into one or more of a merging convex closed region, a branching convex closed region, a translational convex closed region, a takeoff and landing convex closed region, and an impassable convex closed region; a passability assignment unit that assigns at least one of a passable surface and an impassable surface to each face of the multiple convex closed regions; a directed graph assignment unit that assigns directed graphs between the multiple convex closed regions of the 3D controlled airspace map based on the classification results of the classification unit and the assignment results of the passability assignment unit; and an output unit that outputs a 3D controlled airspace map that reflects the directed graphs and the classification results of each convex closed region. As described above, the classification of each convex closed region by the classification unit includes cases where a single convex closed region is classified into, for example, both a takeoff / landing convex closed region and a branching convex closed region. In this embodiment, a case where the classification unit classifies a single convex closed region into any one of a merging convex closed region, a branching convex closed region, a translational convex closed region, a takeoff / landing convex closed region, and an impenetrable convex closed region will be described as an example.
[0023] The wide area control device 702 also includes various functional units such as a 3D intersection creation unit, a flight plan calculation unit, a position acquisition unit, a position information assignment unit, an aircraft information collection unit, and a consistency determination unit.
[0024] The 3D intersection creation unit creates a 3D intersection by combining a merging convex closed area, a branching convex closed area, and a translational convex closed area on the 3D controlled airspace represented in the 3D controlled airspace map, and the output unit outputs a 3D controlled airspace map that reflects the 3D intersection.
[0025] The flight plan calculation unit calculates a series of convex closed regions that the aircraft will pass through from the takeoff and landing convex closed region at the start of its flight route to the takeoff and landing convex closed region at the end, based on a 3D controlled airspace map that reflects each convex closed region divided by the division unit and the classification results of each convex closed region.
[0026] The position acquisition unit acquires the position of an aircraft flying in the 3D controlled airspace, the position information assignment unit assigns the aircraft position acquired by the position acquisition unit to the 3D controlled airspace map, and the output unit outputs the 3D controlled airspace map with the aircraft position information assigned.
[0027] The aircraft information collection unit sends a command to all aircraft flying within each convex closed region to return the time-stamped coordinate position and aircraft number of the aircraft observed during flight, and the consistency determination unit compares the time-stamped coordinate position collected from the aircraft during flight with the time-stamped coordinate position output by the position acquisition unit to detect data inconsistencies in the aircraft's coordinate position. If the time-stamped coordinate position of the aircraft is abnormal, the consistency determination unit sends a flight plan control command to head toward the extended flight route.
[0028] The wide-area control device 702 periodically searches for aircraft (e.g., flying vehicle 710 in Figures 1 and 2) scheduled to arrive for each 3D intersection convex closed area (e.g., convex closed area P2 in Figure 2), and transmits the entry and departure time limits for the aircraft ID listed in the wide-area control management table 701 to each radar monitoring system 705.
[0029] The radar monitoring system 705 communicates bidirectionally with aircraft flying in the monitored airspace, and acquires an aircraft ID from the aircraft 710 via a transponder. The radar monitoring system 705 also generates an aircraft coordinate sequence (a time-stamped aircraft coordinate sequence including the intrusion and departure times) consisting of a coordinate sequence indicating the aircraft's entry time and departure time into the monitored airspace (a convex closed area) and the aircraft's position, and returns this to the wide-area control device 702. Even when it detects an aircraft that is inconsistent with the flight plan or is unregistered, it acquires the aircraft ID and notifies the wide-area control device 702. When it cannot acquire the aircraft ID, it photographs the aircraft and similarly notifies the wide-area control device 702, and the wide-area control device 702 notifies the wide-area control operator 711 of this as warning information. For example, the radar monitoring system 705 has both a transponder function that receives signals emitted by the aircraft's ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast) and a literal radar function that emits radar waves and detects reflected waves, and confirms that an aircraft that has detected an intrusion into the monitored airspace is an aircraft that is scheduled to pass through, and returns a time-stamped aircraft coordinate string related to the detected aircraft to the wide-area control device 702. Note that if the wide-area control device 702 receives information from the aircraft's ADS-B that includes an aircraft ID that is different from the planned one, the wide-area control device 702 will invoke exception processing for when an aircraft off the planned route is detected.
[0030] The flying object 710 calculates its own position based on radio waves received from multiple GPS satellites 712, and periodically transmits its own position with time stamp to the aircraft's operator 703 and wide-area control device 702 via the wide-area communication network 709. If, while flying within a 3D intersection convex closed area, the aircraft passes or overtakes a parallel flying object within the range detectable by the aircraft's external measurement system, the time of occurrence and relative coordinates may be additionally returned and used to check the consistency of data in the radar monitoring system.
[0031] The wide-area control device 702 determines the consistency between the approach and departure time limits described in the flight plan, the aircraft observation time and coordinate position acquired by the radar monitoring system 705 installed in the 3D intersection convex and closed area, and the self-coordinates and transmission time transmitted from the aircraft. If a data consistency error is detected, the device notifies the wide-area control operator 711 so that the abnormality can be handled. There are various methods for handling the abnormality, but for example, if the coordinate position notified by the aircraft is abnormal, the device issues a flight plan control command to the aircraft operator 703 to head towards the departure route in accordance with the approved flight plan.
[0032] Here, we will explain a method for dividing an N-dimensional space into convex closed regions. First, we consider a set of N representative points mathematically arranged in a space of any dimension, and set a perpendicular bisecting plane between one selected representative point and the remaining N-1 points. Next, we define a convex closed region as the intersection of the open regions inside a half-plane containing the representative point. This allows us to associate one representative point with a convex closed region. Finally, by performing this process for all representative points, we can divide the entire space into convex closed regions without overlapping. This makes it possible to associate any point in space with a convex closed region that contains it. This type of region division is called Voronoi division in two dimensions. On the other hand, there is no common term for region division in three or more dimensions. Therefore, in this embodiment, the above-described region division in three or more dimensions is called convex closed region division.
[0033] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the division of a three-dimensional controlled airspace into convex closed regions. Figure 3 shows a 3D controlled airspace map in which the three-dimensional controlled airspace is divided into convex closed regions and classification information is assigned to each convex closed region. A three-dimensional controlled airspace is also called a 3D controlled airspace. Note that although the convex closed region division in Figure 3 targets a three-dimensional space, altitude information is omitted for convenience of illustration.
[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the separating half-planes that define the separation boundary of a convex closed domain are either passable or impassable. Passable separating half-planes are either entry routes or exit routes, preventing multiple aircraft from passing each other by flying opposite directions across a single separating half-plane. Because the convex closed domain segmentation algorithm is performed mechanically, any surface other than the explicitly selected entry and exit surfaces may be impassable.
[0035] A flight route is represented by a directed graph between convex closed regions, with entry routes and exit routes corresponding to connections between nodes. To classify convex closed regions, at least branching convex closed regions, merging convex closed regions, no-entry convex closed regions, and takeoff and landing convex closed regions that include land or facilities where takeoff and landing is possible (e.g., takeoff and landing ports) are required to represent a flight route. A branching convex closed region is a convex closed region that divides routes from an entry surface to multiple exit surfaces, and a merging convex closed region is a convex closed region that merges routes from multiple entry surfaces to the same exit surface. Furthermore, no-entry convex closed regions are regions where aircraft are prohibited from entering (entering), and takeoff and landing convex closed regions are regions where aircraft can take off and land. Note that areas with takeoff and landing ports may also be considered takeoff and landing convex closed regions.
[0036] Using the relationship between the number of entry routes and the number of departure routes as a criterion, we can first define a merging convex closed region where (number of entry routes > number of departure routes). Similarly, we can define a diverging convex closed region where (number of entry routes) < (number of departure routes). We can also define a translational convex closed region where the number of entry routes and the number of departure routes are one and one. By restricting the flight direction to one direction, translational convex closed regions also prevent multiple aircraft from passing each other when flying in opposite directions. By combining these, we can define a 3D intersection where multiple aircraft enter a convex closed region and head towards their respective departure planes (see Figure 4 below).
[0037] There are various factors that determine whether a convex closed region is inaccessible. The Tokyo metropolitan area is home to military bases, airports, high-density residential areas, and commercial districts, and the airspace above certain surrounding areas has been designated as no-fly zones. Furthermore, drones, which have a maximum flight altitude of around 150m, do not set flight routes over mountainous areas, so they must be inaccessible. Areas where communication failures occur and aircraft cannot maintain a safe and stable command and control link must also be inaccessible.
[0038] When an aircraft communicates via satellite, the geographical constraints of the flight path and communication quality are independent. However, when communicating with a ground base station while flying in mountainous areas, the terrain and distance from the base station must be taken into consideration. Therefore, communication quality is basically interrelated with other intrusion factors. Furthermore, the feasibility of selecting a flight route may depend on whether the aircraft's ODD (Operating Domain Definition) is met.
[0039] From the above points of view, it is necessary to classify impenetrable convex closed regions into categories such as communication-denied areas, restricted areas such as bases and airports, mountainous areas, and urban areas.
[0040] Similar to the classification criteria based on communication conditions, it is also possible to define no-entry zones that take into account adverse weather conditions, which affect the suitability of aircraft flight limits. For example, an aircraft with a flight limit of approximately 150 meters flies under rain clouds, so the classification criteria must be expanded to include wind conditions such as thunderclouds, rain, strong winds, and turbulence as suitability criteria. The ODD of the aircraft being controlled is referenced in the process of determining suitability for each convex closed region that constitutes a designated flight route. Therefore, the classification criteria must be comprehensive, including at least decision variables related to the suitability of the aircraft ODD, so that the suitability of an aircraft for flight can be determined for each convex closed region.
[0041] There are various ways to set representative points when dividing a convex closed area. It is best to mechanically divide areas by determining areas with airports or military bases, or impenetrable convex closed areas (urban areas) on a city block basis, and then add auxiliary points to shape the detailed entry and exit surfaces.
[0042] Each convex closed region inherits the geometric structure of being composed of perpendicular bisecting planes of adjacent representative points. By utilizing this, auxiliary representative points can be added when cutting out flight routes below the upper flight altitude limit, when accurately cutting out uneven terrain or non-convex boundary shapes, or when cutting out city blocks with complex shapes.
[0043] For fixed-wing aircraft, which have long flight distances but limited turning performance, a flight route with a small turning angular velocity must be selected, and the cutting out of a geometric convex closed region sequence must be considered taking flight performance into account. Furthermore, since aircraft cannot stay airborne, landing routes at takeoff and landing ports are significantly restricted, so airspace around takeoff and landing ports must be designed to suit the fixed-wing aircraft's ODD. Particularly around takeoff and landing ports, it is necessary to select an intrusion route that takes into account the aircraft's ODD, and auxiliary representative points can be added to aid in the calculation of the appropriateness determination.
[0044] This makes it easier to subtract space in units of convex closed regions, and also makes it possible to exclude areas surrounding high-rise buildings around takeoff and landing ports. These are consistent with the workflow for limiting entry routes according to the type of aircraft and designing exit routes after takeoff.
[0045] A statically divided convex closed area map of the airspace to be controlled is used as the approval target for the wide-area air traffic control system.
[0046] Fig. 4 is a top view schematically showing an example of a 3D intersection, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the three-dimensional structure of the 3D intersection.
[0047] A 3D intersection is a combination of a branching convex closed region that divides the routes from the entry surface to multiple exit surfaces, an intersection area, and a merging convex closed region that merges the routes from multiple entry surfaces to each exit surface, and a translational convex closed region that connects them. When actually dividing the convex closed region, impassable surfaces of the convex closed region appear depending on the installation location, but basically, surfaces other than the entry surface and exit surface can be considered impassable.
[0048] In FIG. 4, an example will be described in which a convex closed region containing a 3D intersection with incoming routes COL[0], COL[2], and COL[4] and outgoing routes COL[1], COL[3], and COL[5] is used.
[0049] If the turning radius of a 3D intersection is set to be large enough, around 500m, so that fixed-wing aircraft flying at speeds of around 200km / h can pass through without any problems, then the lead flight distance L must be extended to, for example, around 2000m. Furthermore, the two opposing routes (entry route and departure route) are spatially separated, a separation distance r is taken, and each is made into a one-way traffic flow as a translational convex closed domain. Note that the entry route COL[0] and the departure route COL[5] do not actually need to be parallel; it is sufficient that the two translational convex closed domains are spatially separated.
[0050] Figure 5 shows a 3D intersection in which the lead flight area continuing from the entry surface is a subspace of a branching convex closed domain, passing through an intersection area where a change of direction takes place and heading towards the departure surface.
[0051] First, two vertical separation planes are set in the intersection area, dividing the interior of the 3D intersection convex closed area by 20m above and below the reference altitude Lv1 = 120, and three layers are prepared: Lv2 = 140m and LV0 = 100m. After passing through the intrusion route, the aircraft adjusts its altitude over a lead distance of approximately L = 2000m to reach the intersection area, passes through one of the spatially divided LV0, LV1, or LV2, and after leaving the intersection area, readjusts its altitude to correspond to the departure route, and the flight routes of aircraft arriving from multiple intrusion routes are merged in the merged convex closed area.
[0052] When entering from the entry route COL[0] and leaving to the departure route COL[1], the altitude increases to Lv2 = 140 m to reach the intersection area, turns to port, and then descends to Lv1 = 120 m in the lead distance L = 2000 m section to reach the merged convex closed area and leave the 3D intersection convex closed area.
[0053] When multiple aircraft enter a 3D intersection convex closed region from different entry planes, the opposing flight routes are spatially separated in the intersection area. An aircraft entering from entry route COL[4] and leaving from exit route COL[5] passes through the intersection area at Lv1=100, so an aircraft heading from entry route COL[0] to exit route COL[1] does not intersect with the flight route of an aircraft passing through Lv2=140m.
[0054] At 3D intersections, aircraft with imperfect altitude control can pose a risk of collision. Therefore, to monitor whether this spatial separation in the vertical direction is being carried out properly, a radar monitoring system is installed directly below the intersection area to monitor altitude. The system constantly references the entry and exit time limits for the merging convex closed area and the branching convex closed area assigned to each aircraft. If the radar detects an aircraft not flying at the specified flight altitude, an alert is sent to aircraft flying within the same 3D intersection convex closed area and aircraft planning to enter. This makes it possible to automate the process of taking measures such as blocking the intersection area for aircraft that are not able to follow the flight route.
[0055] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a flight route passing through each convex closed area of the controlled airspace.
[0056] In Figure 6, a number (e.g., P1 to P19) is assigned to each convex closed region in the controlled airspace, and an approach route and a departure route are set to show a flight route in which the aircraft takes off from the convex closed region for takeoff and landing P0, passes over the adjacent convex closed region for takeoff and landing P1, passes through the 3D intersection convex closed region P2, heads toward the adjacent 3D intersection convex closed regions P10 and P3, and heads toward the destination convex closed region for takeoff and landing P4. The 3D intersection convex closed region can be entered from the convex closed region for takeoff and landing P1, and can be departed from either the convex closed region for takeoff and landing P16 or the 3D intersection convex closed region P10. A route is set for the 3D intersection convex closed region P3, entering from either the 3D intersection convex closed region P10 or P19, and departing to the convex closed region for takeoff and landing P4.
[0057] The aircraft operator sets entry and exit time limits for each convex enclosed area, verifies the feasibility of flight, and then transmits a flight plan to the wide-area control center. If the exclusive control constraints of the entry and exit time limits can be met, permission to fly is issued.
[0058] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a control status management table indicating the aircraft occupancy status for each convex closed area, which is disclosed to the aircraft operators by the wide-area control system.
[0059] In Figure 7, convex closed regions shown in Figure 3 are used as basic units to assign convex closed region IDs, and attribute information is expanded as appropriate, such as the coordinates of the representative point, classification, a list of convex closed region IDs adjacent to the entry route, a list of convex closed region IDs on the departure side, the upper limit on the number of aircraft that can stay within a convex closed region, the entry time limit and departure time limit for each aircraft in real time determined by compiling the flight plans of approved aircraft, the weather conditions of the convex closed region, and the communication status.
[0060] Wind conditions, rain, thundercloud conditions, etc. may be added as factors that limit the flight possibility of an aircraft passing through the target convex closed area. Furthermore, it is preferable that the weather conditions and communication conditions are not indicated by a binary value of "OK" indicating weather conditions that allow flight or communication, or "NG" indicating weather conditions that prevent flight or communication, but rather be expressed in an expanded manner that contributes to determining whether or not the ODD of the aircraft to be controlled is applicable.
[0061] The communication status may also be detailed for each channel in the physical layer and for each protocol in the logical layer. In fact, command and control communications involve multiplexing routes, using different redundancy methods for the uplink and downlink, and determining whether the combination satisfies the aircraft's flight clearance requirements. This inherently involves combinatorial complexity. Therefore, it is desirable to have a level of detail that contributes to determining whether the aircraft meets the ODD requirements.
[0062] If the upper limit on the number of aircraft that can remain within a convex closed area is set to 1, then a controlled navigation rule that ensures complete occupancy and exclusivity will be imposed; if the upper limit is set to a small number greater than 2, then exclusive control using semaphores will be imposed.
[0063] The operator of each aircraft refers to this control status management table, enters the combination of the entry plane and entry time limit of the convex closed area, and the departure plane and departure time limit into the flight plan, and requests flight permission. The wide-area control operator issues flight permission after processing such as authenticating the connection between the convex closed areas that make up the flight route, determining whether the weather conditions and communication status match the ODD for each aircraft type, and checking the consistency of the flight time and flight speed from entry to departure.
[0064] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a flight plan, which is diagrammatically showing a controlled airspace divided into convex closed regions and a tree structure.
[0065] The flight plan shown in Figure 8 shows an example of a flight route obtained as a result of searching for a route for a controlled aircraft to take off from takeoff and landing port VP42 and head toward takeoff and landing port VP19. In this flight plan, the aircraft takes off from takeoff and landing port VP42 via approach route C184, passes through 3D intersection convex closed area RA132, heads toward departure route C319, and heads toward departure route C97 via 3D intersection convex closed area RA22 directly above takeoff and landing port VP119. The aircraft then heads toward departure route C35 via 3D intersection convex closed area RA76, arrives at 3D intersection convex closed area RA18 where takeoff and landing port VP19 is located, and lands at VP19 after receiving landing clearance. Entry and departure time limits are set for each convex closed area, and a takeoff time limit is set instead of an entry time limit at the takeoff port, and a landing time limit is set instead of a departure time limit at the landing port.
[0066] In the tree structure shown in Figure 8, the normal flight route is represented by a transition to the bottom right, and the departure route is represented by a transition to the bottom left. If a problem occurs during takeoff at port VP42, the aircraft returns to port VP42. At port VP42, the aircraft takes off from takeoff slot number 3 (SlotID = 3), with the takeoff time limit from (time_bgn = 2023 / 02 / 27 14:10) to (time_end = 2023 / 02 / 27 14:12), during which time the aircraft is in exclusive occupancy. A route to departure from port VP119 is set at 3D intersection convex closed area RA22, near the midpoint of the entire flight route. Finally, if a problem occurs during the landing process at the destination port, particularly a port closure, the aircraft heads to the adjacent 3D intersection convex closed area RA49 and lands at port VP52.
[0067] The operator of the aircraft (aircraft) requests approval of this combination of the departure route and the regular route as a flight plan, and once he / she confirms that the exclusive control constraints regarding the entry time limit and departure time limit are met, he / she updates the operation management table (see Figure 7) and registers the flight plan together with the aircraft ID.
[0068] According to the above embodiment, the operator of the wide area control can make it his job to periodically check the consistency of the operation management table (see FIG. 7) and confirm that there are no abnormalities.
[0069] If a port must be temporarily closed due to takeoff or landing problems, the operators of aircraft that have already taken off and have the port in their flight plan will be notified of the closure and asked to change their flight plans, and the results of the changes will be compiled.
[0070] Figures 9 to 11 are flowcharts showing the flow of processing in the control system, with Figure 9 showing processing in a takeoff and landing port control system related to takeoff and landing of aircraft, Figure 10 showing processing in an aircraft operator related to operation of the aircraft, and Figure 11 showing processing in a wide-area control device related to wide-area control of aircraft. Note that the processing shown in the flowcharts of Figures 9 to 11 is linked to each other.
[0071] 9 to 11, the aircraft operator 703 first waits for a flight request (step S200) and determines whether a flight request has been received (step S210), and continues the wait-for-reception state of step S200 until a flight request is received.
[0072] Furthermore, when the aircraft operator 703 receives a flight request from the aircraft 710 (YES in step S210), it accepts the flight from the takeoff port to the destination port (step S211). Next, it searches for a flight route (step S220), calculates a flight plan in the format shown in Fig. 8 (step S230), adds an escape route in case of an abnormality (step S240), and requests flight permission from the wide-area control device 702 (step S250).
[0073] While waiting to receive a flight plan (step S300), the wide-area control device 702 determines whether or not it has received a flight plan from the aircraft operator (step S310), and continues to wait to receive the flight plan in step S300 until it receives the flight plan.
[0074] Furthermore, when the wide-area control device 702 receives the flight plan (if YES in step S310), it determines whether the aircraft conforms to the ODD (Operating Domain Definition) for each convex closed region (step S320). Next, if the aircraft has limitations on flight altitude or flight capability but has selected a flight route that exceeds those limitations, it identifies an incompatible convex closed region (if YES in step S330), and then sets this as a reason for non-approval, returns a flight permission non-approval notice to the aircraft operator 703 (step S331), and terminates the processing of the wide-area control device.
[0075] If there are no non-compliant convex closed regions (NO in step S330), it is determined whether the entry and departure time limits specified for each pair of adjacent convex closed regions that make up the flight route conform to the ODD related to the flight performance of the aircraft (step S340). If the entry and departure routes of the pair of adjacent convex closed regions exceed the flight performance of the aircraft described in the flight plan (YES in step S350), this is deemed a reason for non-approval, a flight permission non-approval notice is sent to the aircraft operator 703 (step S351), and the processing of the wide-area control device is terminated.
[0076] If it is determined in the flight plan review process up to this point that flight is permitted (NO in step S350), a conflict determination with a parallel aircraft is performed (step S360). The convex closed areas described in the flight plan are selected in order, and it is determined whether there are any aircraft in the wide-area control management table 701 whose designated entry and departure time limits overlap, and whether the aircraft under review can be registered under the constraints of the maximum number of designated aircraft and the constraints regarding the degree of deviation between the entry and departure time limits of the parallel aircraft.
[0077] If there is already an aircraft traveling alongside that conflicts with the specified entry and departure times and sufficient deviation cannot be met (YES in step S370), this is used as the reason for non-approval, a flight permission non-approval notice is sent back to the aircraft operator 703 (step S371), and processing by the wide-area control system is terminated.
[0078] If there is no convex closed region that conflicts with the parallel aircraft (NO in step S370), approval is returned to the aircraft operator 703 (step S380). At this point, the availability of the takeoff and landing port has not been determined, so the system waits for the aircraft operator 703 to confirm or cancel the reviewed flight plan.
[0079] The aircraft operator 703 determines whether flight permission has been granted (step S260), and if it has been denied (NO), recalculates the flight plan to resolve the reasons for the denial (step S261), and again requests flight permission from the wide-area control system (steps S230 to S250).
[0080] If flight permission is obtained (YES in step S260), a request for flight permission is made to all takeoff and landing ports (takeoff and landing port control systems 704A to 704D) involved in the flight plan (step S270).
[0081] Each takeoff and landing port control system 704, while waiting for a takeoff or landing request (step S100), determines whether or not it has received a takeoff or landing request from the aircraft operator (step S110), and continues to wait for a takeoff or landing request in step S100 until it receives one.
[0082] In addition, when the takeoff / landing port control system 704 receives a takeoff / landing request (YES in step S110), it determines whether it is takeoff or landing, and if it is takeoff, it obtains the aircraft ID, takeoff time limit, and departure time limit, and if it is landing, it obtains the approach time limit and landing time limit, and searches for an available takeoff / landing slot during that period (step S120).
[0083] Next, it is checked whether other aircraft have already determined their takeoff and landing time limits and whether takeoff route conflicts or landing route conflicts will occur (step S130). If there is a conflict (YES), the aircraft operator is notified of the reason for rejecting the takeoff and landing request (step S141), and the takeoff and landing port control system processing is terminated.
[0084] If there is an available slot within the specified takeoff and landing time limit (YES in step S140), a reservation is made along with the aircraft ID, and takeoff and landing permission is returned to the aircraft operator (step S150), and the process ends.
[0085] If the aircraft operator 703 is not granted takeoff or landing permission (NO in step S280), the aircraft operator 703 requests the wide area control system to cancel the flight plan (step S290), corrects it using the takeoff or landing denial factors (step S291), and recalculates the flight plan (steps S230 to S270).
[0086] Furthermore, if takeoff and landing permission is obtained (YES in step S280), the aircraft operator 703 notifies the wide-area control device 702 that the flight plan has been finalized (step S281), and ends the process.
[0087] If the flight plan is confirmed, the wide-area control device 702 registers it in the wide-area control management table, and if it is canceled, it deletes the flight plan (step S390), and the processing of the wide-area control device ends.
[0088] The effects of the present embodiment configured as above will be described below.
[0089] Conventional air traffic control for autonomous aircraft has the following problems:
[0090] (First Challenge) The complexity of simultaneously controlling different types of aircraft with significantly different flight performance in the same airspace can be easily understood by comparing it to railway traffic control, which guarantees temporal and spatial exclusive control in a two-dimensional space that combines one-dimensional rails and time. Two-dimensional traffic control diagrams are expressed on a two-dimensional plane that humans can perceive, and it is visually clear that two vehicles do not exist in the same space at the same time. However, when it comes to a method of exclusive control when multiple aircraft flying in three-dimensional space exist in a controlled airspace, it is not self-evident how a controller can specifically recognize, judge, and control them.
[0091] (Second issue) The flight plan is expressed as a four-dimensional line that combines 3D and time. In railway traffic management, overtaking areas are defined on the rails, and exclusive control based on spatial division during overtaking is used as the basis for safety. However, as long as 3D line-following aircraft guidance is used, it is necessary to coordinate the timed 3D line pairs of aircraft within the flight airspace to satisfy safety constraints. However, calculating the minimum intersection distance of the timed 3D line pairs results in combinatorial complexity. Heterogeneous aircraft cannot share the airspace, and the computational complexity of overtaking makes safety assessment difficult at the time of flight path authentication. However, introducing a mechanism for coordination during flight would render pre-takeoff authentication meaningless. Furthermore, expanding safety margins such as aircraft distances would dramatically reduce airspace availability and make route deviation detection difficult, leading to a chain reaction of problems.
[0092] (Third issue) It becomes difficult to maintain the safety justification for flight routes while adapting to a combination of time-varying communication conditions, weather, airspace regulations, city divisions, and 3D terrain. The ODD (Operating Domain Definition) differs significantly between fixed-wing aircraft, which excel at straight-line flight and can fly long distances, and rotary-wing aircraft, which excel at takeoff and landing, and the feasibility of flight is particularly affected by wind conditions.
[0093] (Fourth challenge) The system must instruct the aircraft to safely navigate a safe escape route while responding to changes in weather, wind, and communication conditions that were difficult to predict at the time of takeoff. Weather, airspace restrictions, city boundaries, terrain, and communication impacts are represented in a continuous 3D space. The 3D flight route is also represented in a continuous 3D space. Safety constraints are defined per aircraft pair. As the number of aircraft increases, the computational complexity becomes unmanageable. The complexity must be concentrated in the decision-making process for the controller issuing the instructions, who must review and approve any revised flight plans calculated for hundreds of aircraft in flight. This is practically impossible. In particular, the aircraft must be guided within computational complexity constraints that satisfy real-time constraints without changing the certified motion plan on the control and aircraft side. However, the difficulty lies in the fact that it is impossible to determine whether the aircraft can actually perform a satisfactory flight after takeoff.
[0094] To address the above-mentioned problems, the present embodiment employs the following configuration.
[0095] First, we clearly define the smallest spatial unit within the flight airspace that is subject to exclusive control. We place a representative point cloud in the 3D airspace and divide it into convex closed regions. We then divide each separating half-plane of adjacent convex closed regions into passable and impassable surfaces.
[0096] Passable surfaces are further designated as either entry or exit routes to prevent multiple aircraft from passing each other by simultaneously entering or leaving a single separation half-plane. Impassable surfaces are designated as blocked routes.
[0097] Each convex closed region is classified into at least one of the following: a merging convex closed region, a branching convex closed region (number of entry routes < number of departure routes), a translational, takeoff / landing, or an inaccessible convex closed region.
[0098] Secondly, instead of expressing the flight plan with 3D lines, the flight route is expressed as a smallest airspace unit, which is a convex closed area obtained by discretizing the flight airspace.Furthermore, the flight plan is created by setting entry and exit time limits for the convex closed area.
[0099] The basic representation format of flight plans and flight routes can be unified into a directed graph between adjacent convex closed regions. If it becomes difficult to take off from the departure point, fly to the destination, or land at the destination, an extended flight plan can be added that departs to a convex closed region for takeoff and landing that is different from the destination midway along the flight route.
[0100] By discretizing the range of influence of communications, weather, and airspace regulations, which are dynamic factors that change the flight route after takeoff clearance, using convex closed regions as basic units, the computer can easily select navigable airspace that suits the aircraft's flight performance and set additional constraints on entry and departure times when calculating the flight plan.
[0101] Third, exclusive control is performed by assigning time-limited occupancy rights to each convex closed region, preventing combinatorial explosion in the amount of calculation required to calculate a flight plan that takes into account safety margins between aircraft.
[0102] Applying a complete exclusion rule that allows only one aircraft to exist in a convex closed region is equivalent to installing an exclusion control mechanism with a semaphore count of 1. If flight plans are created so that only a maximum of one aircraft can exist in each convex closed region at any given time, the worst-case computational complexity can be significantly reduced. First, it is limited to the number of flight routes connecting the convex closed region containing the departure point to the convex closed region containing the destination. Second, the computational complexity issue is resolved by reducing the problem to solving a scheduling problem that calculates a flight plan that avoids the entry and exit deadlines for each convex closed region that makes up the flight route, which are publicly available to all aircraft operators.
[0103] If you want to improve the availability of flight airspace by setting a wide convex closed area and allowing more than one aircraft to coexist, you can equip the convex closed area with an external measurement system that detects nearby aircraft within the external measurement range, provide minimum avoidance capabilities through priority control, and separate the entry and departure times to avoid space-time conflicts in the airspace within the convex closed area. When two or more aircraft with different flight capabilities coexist in a single convex closed area, separating the entry and departure times will enable them to overtake with just one communication between the aircraft as they pass each other. If two aircraft with similar flight performance have different entry times, then the departure times will also differ, and overtaking will not occur.
[0104] The number of semaphores can be increased beyond one for each classification of convex closed regions. When multiple aircraft enter a branching convex closed region from the same entry surface, no conflicts will occur if the entry time limits are diverged. When multiple aircraft leave a merging convex closed region from the same exit surface, no conflicts will occur between the aircraft if the exit time limits are diverged. As long as exclusive control based on this argument holds, the number of aircraft coexisting in a convex closed region can be increased. The limit on the number of aircraft depends on whether or not a large margin of difference can be set between the entry time limits of multiple aircraft passing through the entry surface and the exit time limits of multiple aircraft passing through the exit surface.
[0105] When multiple aircraft plan flight routes for any pair of convex closed regions, an area is required where multiple aircraft can pass each other and where signals cannot be installed or where aircraft cannot remain stationary. A 3D intersection is created by combining merging convex closed regions and branching convex closed regions, which is a three-dimensional extension of a structure equivalent to a roundabout on land. A branching convex closed region with multiple entry and exit surfaces that branches from one entry route to multiple exit routes, a translational convex closed region that guarantees direction changes without the presence of oncoming aircraft, and a merging convex closed region that bundles flight routes from multiple entry routes to a single exit route are combined.
[0106] Fourth, at the pre-takeoff flight plan approval stage, we extend the time-bounded directed graph between adjacent convex closed domains to specify flight routes using a tree structure of pairs of adjacent convex closed domains, thereby integrating dynamic airspace management and aircraft guidance and control, and separating them in time and space.
[0107] If the takeoff point convex closed region is placed at the top of the tree structure, the normal destination adjacent convex closed region is placed at the bottom right, and the evacuation destination convex closed region is placed at the bottom left in case of an abnormality, the bottom right entry will be the destination convex closed region. If landing at the final destination is difficult, an alternative route will be set in the bottom right convex closed region.
[0108] If the weather or communication conditions of the destination convex closed region change midway through the sequence of adjacent convex closed regions, which is the regular flight route approved before takeoff, causing the aircraft to deviate from its ODD (Operating Domain Definition), the aircraft is notified of this after takeoff and changes to the convex closed region of the departure route (bottom left of the tree structure) before the convex closed region in question.
[0109] With the above-described configuration, the present invention can achieve the following effects.
[0110] In other words, by using the convex closed area as the basic unit of exclusive control, the computer can easily add or subtract the controlled airspace in units of convex closed areas.
[0111] It is possible to extract a flyable area that satisfies the aircraft's ODD from non-convex and complex terrain in urban areas, mountainous regions, etc. The effects of poor weather and communication failures that occur dynamically in 3D space can be binarized in units of convex closed regions, making it possible to change control rule settings in units of convex closed regions, automate departure decisions from pre-takeoff flight plans, and automatically reset flight routes.
[0112] It also enables the definition of a basic format for flight plans that is consistent with the exclusive control of flight airspace, and eliminates the computational complexity of aircraft when re-planning routes during flight after takeoff clearance.
[0113] In addition, even if multiple aircraft have the right to occupy a time-limited convex closed area, they will be able to overtake each other. It will also be possible to establish a necessary structure, a 3D intersection, where multiple aircraft can pass each other. Combined, this will improve the overall airspace availability rate when multiple aircraft are operating in parallel, compared to when conservative safe navigation rules that provide complete exclusive control on a convex closed area basis are applied.
[0114] Furthermore, the computational load of the flight motion planning section of the aircraft during flight, which must satisfy real-time constraints, is not affected by changes to the flight plan. This can be achieved by following the sequence of adjacent convex closed regions that make up the flight route connecting the convex closed region where the takeoff port is located to the convex closed region where the landing port is located, in order, and inheriting the motion planning section that guides the transitions between adjacent convex closed regions.
[0115] Meeting the worst-case computational load and real-time constraints is an essential requirement for obtaining design-time certification of the aircraft's control processing, but this is difficult in designs that require trajectory recalculation depending on the number of surrounding aircraft.
[0116] In particular, if there are no other aircraft in the same convex closed region, the processing of the aircraft-side motion planning section remains unchanged. Even if the number of semaphores assigned to a convex closed region during flight is two or more and there is an aircraft flying parallel to it, evasive action only needs to be taken once when the aircraft approaches. The event-driven interrupt processing only needs to be increased once, and real-time trajectory replanning needs to be performed temporarily. Alternatively, if the space is divided vertically and separated, each aircraft will essentially be assigned to a convex closed region with a semaphore number of one, making this trajectory replanning unnecessary. Note that by adding a separating half-plane inside the convex closed region, the property that both the front and back of it are also convex closed regions is inherited.
[0117] <Additional Notes> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and combinations within the scope of the gist thereof. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to those including all of the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, and includes those in which some of the configurations are omitted. Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in part or in whole by designing them as, for example, integrated circuits. Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, etc. may be realized in software by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes each function. [Explanation of symbols]
[0118] 701...wide area control management table, 702...wide area control device, 703...aircraft operator, 704, 704A, 704B, 704C, 704D...takeoff and landing port control system, 705, 705A, 705B, 705C...radar monitoring system, 706...air traffic control data center, 707...wide area weather information observation company, 708...wide area data communication company, 709...wide area communication network, 710...aircraft (aircraft), 711...wide area control operator, 712...GPS satellite
Claims
1. an input unit for inputting a controlled airspace map indicating the airspace in which the aircraft will fly; a dividing unit that divides the control target airspace map into a plurality of convex closed regions; a classification unit that classifies each of the plurality of convex closed regions divided by the division unit into one or more of a merging convex closed region, a branching convex closed region, a translational convex closed region, a takeoff / landing convex closed region, and an impenetrable convex closed region; A control map creation device comprising an output unit that outputs a control airspace map that reflects the classification results of the convex closed region.
2. 2. The control map creation device according to claim 1, The control map creation device is characterized in that the input unit inputs a 3D control airspace map as the control airspace map.
3. 3. The control map creation device according to claim 2, a passability assigning unit that assigns passability information indicating at least one of a passable surface and an impassable surface to each surface of the plurality of convex closed regions; a directed graph assigning unit that assigns directed graphs between the plurality of convex closed regions of the 3D control target airspace map based on the classification result of the classifying unit and the assignment result of the passability assigning unit, The control map creation device is characterized in that the output unit is configured to output a 3D control target airspace map that reflects the directed graph and the passability information.
4. 4. The control map creation device according to claim 3, a 3D intersection creation unit that creates a 3D intersection by combining the merged convex closed region, the branched convex closed region, and the translational convex closed region on the 3D control target airspace represented by the 3D control target airspace map, The control map creation device is characterized in that the output unit outputs a 3D controlled airspace map that reflects the 3D intersection.
5. 4. The control map creation device according to claim 3, A control map creation device, characterized in that the passable surface has at least one of an entry surface and an exit surface.
6. 2. The control map creation device according to claim 1, The control map creation device is characterized in that the dividing unit divides the space into a group of convex closed regions that do not overlap each other and encompass the entire space, and places one representative three-dimensional coordinate point inside each convex closed region.
7. 2. The control map creation device according to claim 1, The classification unit classifies each divided convex closed area based on a decision variable related to the suitability of flight for each aircraft type, or the communication status with the aircraft subject to control, or the weather condition, or the shape of the terrain, or the city division.
8. 4. The control map creation device according to claim 3, The control map creation device is characterized in that the passable / non-passable areas are assigned based on a decision variable related to the feasibility of flight for each aircraft type, or the communication status with the aircraft subject to control, or the weather conditions, or the shape of the terrain, or the city division.
9. a storage unit that stores a 3D controlled airspace map that indicates the airspace in which aircraft fly, the controlled airspace map being divided into a plurality of convex closed regions, each of which is classified as a merging convex closed region, a branching convex closed region, a translational convex closed region, a takeoff / landing convex closed region, or an impassable convex closed region, and each side of each convex closed region is assigned at least one of a passable surface and an impassable surface; A control device characterized by comprising a flight plan calculation unit that calculates a series of convex closed regions that a flight route will pass through from the start point to the end point using the 3D control airspace map stored in the memory unit.
10. 10. The control device according to claim 9, the controlled airspace map is a 3D controlled airspace map, a 3D intersection combining the merged convex closed area, the branched convex closed area, and the translational convex closed area is created in the 3D control target airspace represented by the 3D control target airspace map; a radar monitoring system is disposed at the 3D intersection, and the radar monitoring system tracks an aircraft entering or leaving a convex enclosed area including the 3D intersection and acquires the aircraft number; A control device receives a time-stamped aircraft coordinate sequence including the time of entry and departure and the aircraft number acquired and transmitted by the radar monitoring system.
11. 10. The control device according to claim 9, the controlled airspace map is a 3D controlled airspace map, a dividing unit that divides the 3D control target airspace map into a plurality of convex closed regions; A control device characterized by comprising a flight plan calculation unit that calculates a series of convex closed areas that the aircraft will pass through from the takeoff and landing convex closed area at the starting point of its flight route to the takeoff and landing convex closed area at the end point, based on a 3D controlled airspace map that reflects each convex closed area divided by the division unit and the classification results of each convex closed area.
12. The control device according to claim 11, The flight plan calculation unit is a control device characterized in that, when it becomes difficult to take off from the departure point, fly to the destination, or land at the destination, it adds an extended flight route that departs into a convex / closed area for takeoff and landing that is different from the destination midway through the flight route.
13. The control device according to claim 11, The flight plan calculation unit calculates a flight plan that includes entry and exit time limits for each convex closed region from the start point of the flight route of the aircraft to the end point of the convex closed region of the flight route.
14. 14. The control device according to claim 13, a storage unit that stores a control management table that registers an entry time limit and a departure time limit for each convex closed region that constitutes the flight plan of an aircraft in a controlled airspace; The flight plan calculation unit uses the control management table to determine whether the approach or departure time limits of the aircraft differ from those of other aircraft, and notifies the aircraft of permission to fly or the reason for non-approval based on the determination result.
15. The control device according to claim 11, The flight plan calculation unit transmits a flight plan control command to the aircraft when it becomes difficult to take off from the departure point, fly to the destination, or land at the destination, and the aircraft that receives the flight plan control command changes the takeoff and landing convex closed area at the end point, and changes the series of convex closed areas that the aircraft passes through from the takeoff and landing convex closed area at the start point of its flight route to the takeoff and landing convex closed area at the end point.
16. 10. The control device according to claim 9, the controlled airspace map is a 3D controlled airspace map, a position acquisition unit that acquires the position of an aircraft flying in a controlled airspace; a position information assigning unit that assigns the position of the aircraft acquired by the position acquisition unit to the 3D control target airspace map; A control device characterized by comprising an output unit that outputs a 3D controlled airspace map to which the position information of the aircraft is added.
17. 10. The control device according to claim 9, the controlled airspace map is a 3D controlled airspace map, A control device characterized in that the 3D controlled airspace represented by the 3D controlled airspace map is an airspace in which aircraft fly horizontally and take off and land.
18. 10. The control device according to claim 9, the controlled airspace map is a 3D controlled airspace map, A control device characterized by having an output unit that outputs a 3D controlled airspace map having the position of the aircraft, each convex closed area divided into at least one of a merging convex closed area, a branching convex closed area, a translational convex closed area, a takeoff and landing convex closed area, and an impenetrable convex closed area, and a directed graph indicating the passability of each convex closed area.
19. 17. The control device according to claim 16, a dividing unit that divides the 3D control target airspace map into a plurality of convex closed regions; an aircraft information collection unit that sends a command to all aircraft flying within each convex closed region to return the time-stamped coordinate position and aircraft number of the aircraft observed during flight; a consistency determination unit that compares the time-stamped coordinate positions collected from the flying object during flight with the time-stamped coordinate positions output by the position acquisition unit to detect data inconsistencies in the coordinate positions of the flying object; a flight plan calculation unit that calculates a series of convex closed regions that the aircraft will pass through from a takeoff and landing convex closed region at the start point of the flight route to a takeoff and landing convex closed region at the end point, based on a 3D controlled airspace map that reflects each convex closed region divided by the division unit and the classification results of each convex closed region, and adds an extended flight route that departs into a takeoff and landing convex closed region different from the destination midway through the flight route if it becomes difficult to take off from the departure point, fly to the destination, or land at the destination, A control device characterized in that the consistency determination unit transmits a flight plan control command to head toward the extended flight route if the time-stamped coordinate position of the aircraft is abnormal.
20. The control device according to claim 9 ; the controlled airspace map is a 3D controlled airspace map, a radar monitoring system that tracks an aircraft that enters or leaves a convex closed region having a 3D intersection created by combining the merged convex closed region, the branched convex closed region, and the translational convex closed region; A control system characterized in that the radar monitoring system acquires the aircraft number of the aircraft and transmits the time of entry and departure and the aircraft number to the control device.
21. The control device according to claim 9 ; the controlled airspace map is a 3D controlled airspace map, an aircraft having a communication device that communicates with the control device; the communication device transmits a takeoff or landing request; A control system characterized in that the control device determines whether the aircraft can take off or land based on the 3D controlled airspace map in response to a takeoff or landing request from the aircraft, and transmits the determination result to the communication device of the aircraft.
22. The control device according to claim 9 ; a storage device for storing a wide-area air traffic control management table that registers an entry time limit and a departure time limit for each convex closed area that constitutes a flight plan of an aircraft in an airspace subject to air traffic control; The control device has a passage permission granting unit that determines whether the entry or exit time limit of the aircraft is different from that of other aircraft, and notifies the aircraft of flight permission or the reason for non-approval via an output unit based on the determination result of the passage permission granting unit.
23. An input procedure for inputting a 3D controlled airspace map showing the airspace in which the aircraft will fly; a division step of dividing the 3D control target airspace map into a plurality of convex closed regions; a classification step of classifying each of the plurality of convex closed regions divided by the division step into one of a merging convex closed region, a branching convex closed region, a translational convex closed region, a takeoff / landing convex closed region, and an impenetrable convex closed region; a passability assignment step of assigning at least one of a passable surface and an impassable surface to each face of each of the plurality of convex closed regions; a directed graph assignment step of assigning directed graphs between the plurality of convex closed regions of the 3D control target airspace map based on the classification result of the classification step and the assignment result of the passability assignment step; and an output procedure for outputting the 3D control target airspace map that reflects the directed graph and the classification results of each convex closed region.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Route search device, route search method, and route search program
JP2022152476A