Flight vehicle control apparatus

Abstract

To provide a program, a communication device, an information processing system, and an information processing method capable of more reliably providing a wireless communication environment to a device to which a priority is assigned.SOLUTION: An aerial vehicle control device that guides an aerial vehicle to a landing port includes a direction information acquisition unit that acquires, during flight of the aerial vehicle, first direction information indicating a direction of the landing port and second direction information indicating a direction detection result by a direction detection unit provided in the aerial vehicle as information indicating the direction of the landing port, the first direction information and the second direction information being acquired from a captured image of a marker disposed on the landing port in a captured image captured by an imaging unit provided in the aerial vehicle, a direction priority being set in advance for the first direction information and the second direction information, and a direction identification unit that identifies the direction of the landing port based on information having the highest direction priority among information acquired by the direction information acquisition unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, unmanned aerial vehicles without a human on board have been used for various purposes, such as spraying pesticides, aerial photography, high-altitude inspections, and transportation. When such an aerial vehicle lands, a landing port is used. A marker is displayed on the landing port, and the aerial vehicle moves to the landing point based on an image captured by the marker. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the aerial vehicle is moved to the landing port based on the signal strength of a signal transmitted from a signal oscillator installed in the landing port, and then lands based on the marker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7130210 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there is a problem that the position of the landing port cannot be correctly recognized, for example, if the marker becomes dirty or if the marker cannot be photographed at night.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a technique that can accurately control the landing of an aircraft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is an aircraft control device that guides an aircraft to a landing port, and includes an orientation information acquisition unit that acquires, during the flight of the aircraft, information indicating the orientation of the landing port, including first orientation information indicating the orientation of the landing port identified from an image of a marker placed on the landing port taken by an imaging unit provided on the aircraft, and second orientation information indicating the orientation detection result by an orientation detection unit provided on the landing port, and orientation priorities are set in advance for the first orientation information and the second orientation information, and the device includes an orientation identification unit that identifies the orientation of the landing port based on the information with the highest orientation priority among the information that the orientation information acquisition unit has been able to acquire. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the aircraft control device of the present invention, the landing of an aircraft can be controlled with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the landing surface of a landing port. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a port management device and an aircraft. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a detailed functional configuration diagram of the landing control unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of position priority. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of orientation priority. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a landing control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] This embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft system 1 according to this embodiment. The aircraft system 1 includes an aircraft 10 and a landing port 20. The aircraft 10 of this embodiment lands using the landing port 20. Note that the landing port 20 may also be a takeoff and landing port that can be used during takeoff.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the landing surface 200 of the landing port 20. The landing surface 200 is provided in a substantially square shape. Four markers 201a to 201d are arranged on the landing surface 200. All four markers 201a to 201d are assumed to have the same pattern. Furthermore, each of the markers 201a to 201d is assumed to be an image whose captured image allows the orientation of the landing port to be identified. For example, shapes that are line-symmetric with respect to two orthogonal axes, such as a rectangle or a circle, are not suitable as the markers 201a to 201d because their orientation cannot be identified from the shape. In other words, the markers 201a to 201d are assumed to be shapes other than shapes that are line-symmetric with respect to two orthogonal axes. Furthermore, the number of markers displayed on the landing surface 200 may be one to three, or may be five or more.

[0011] Furthermore, an IR light emitter 202 is arranged on the landing surface 200, inside the markers 201a to 201d. In this embodiment, the IR light emitter 202 is an IR beacon that emits infrared light. More specifically, the IR light emitter 202 is an LED light that flashes infrared light.

[0012] Furthermore, two GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers 203a and 203b are arranged around the markers 201a to 201d on the landing surface 200. The GNSS receivers 203a and 203b receive GNSS signals transmitted from the GNSS satellite system. The position of the landing port 20 can be identified based on the GNSS signals. Here, the GNSS satellite system is an example of a satellite positioning system.

[0013] Furthermore, two compasses 204a and 204b are arranged around the markers 201a to 201d on the landing surface 200. The compasses 204a and 204b identify the orientation of the landing port 20. Here, the compasses 204a and 204b are an example of an orientation detection unit.

[0014] UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) transmitters 205a to 205d are arranged at the four corners of the landing surface 200. The UWB transmitters 205a to 205d transmit UWB signals.

[0015] 3 is a configuration diagram of the port management device 210 that manages the landing port 20 and the aircraft 10. The port management device 210 is provided as part of the landing port 20, integrated with the landing surface 200. Note that the port management device 210 may be provided separately from the landing port 20.

[0016] The port management device 210 includes a control unit 211, a storage unit 212, a battery 213, and a communication unit 214. The control unit 211 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. (not shown), and controls each unit of the landing port 20 by the CPU executing various programs recorded in the ROM, etc. The control unit 211 may be configured with a single chip or multiple chips. Furthermore, an ASIC may be used in place of the CPU in the control unit 211. Furthermore, in the control unit 211, the CPU may operate in cooperation with other processing circuits, such as an ASIC or a GPU.

[0017] The memory unit 212 is, for example, a hard disk, and stores various information and programs. The battery 213 supplies power to each component of the landing port 20. The communication unit 214 communicates with the flying object 10 via wireless communication.

[0018] The aircraft 10 includes a main unit 100 and a control unit 110. The main unit 100 includes a flight control unit 101, a battery 102, a compass 103, and a GNSS receiver 104. The flight control unit 101 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown), and controls the flight of the aircraft 10 by the CPU executing various programs recorded in the ROM, etc. The battery 102 supplies power to each component of the aircraft 10. The compass 103 determines the orientation of the aircraft 10. The GNSS receiver 104 receives GNSS signals transmitted from a GNSS satellite system. The position of the aircraft 10 can be determined based on the GNSS signals.

[0019] The control unit 110 includes a communication unit 111, a landing control unit 112, a memory unit 113, UWB receiving units 114a and 114b, an RGB camera 115, and an IR camera 116. Here, the control unit 110 is an example of an aircraft control device.

[0020] The communication unit 111 communicates with the landing port 20 via wireless communication. The landing control unit 112 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown), and controls the landing of the aircraft 10 when the aircraft 10 lands on the landing port 20 by the CPU executing various programs recorded in the ROM, etc.

[0021] During landing control, the aircraft 10 is guided to the landing port 20. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a charging terminal (not shown) for the battery 102 of the aircraft 10 is provided at the landing port 20, and during landing, the charging terminal is aligned with the charging terminal on the aircraft 10 side. When these controls are performed, the position and orientation of the landing port 20 are referenced.

[0022] The storage unit 113 is, for example, a hard disk, and stores various information and programs. The UWB receivers 114a and 114b each receive a UWB signal transmitted from the UWB transmitters 205a to 205d provided on the landing surface 200 of the landing port 20.

[0023] The RGB camera 115 is positioned facing downward while the flying object 10 is flying, and captures images of the Earth's surface. When the flying object 10 approaches the landing port 20, the RGB camera 115 can capture images of the markers 201a to 203d on the landing surface 200. The RGB camera 115 is an example of an imaging unit.

[0024] The IR camera 116 is positioned facing downward to capture images of the Earth's surface while the flying vehicle 10 is flying. When the flying vehicle 10 approaches the landing port 20, the IR camera 116 captures infrared light emitted by the IR light emitter 202 on the landing surface 200.

[0025] As described above, the control unit 110 includes two UWB receivers 114a and 114b, and the landing control unit 112 can identify the position of the landing port 20 based on the UWB signals transmitted from the UWB transmitters 205a to 205d of the landing port 20. The process for identifying the position of the landing port 20 can use AoA (Angle of Arrival) and TDoA (Time Difference Of Arrival).

[0026] Furthermore, if the RGB camera 115 is able to capture an image of at least one of the markers 201a to 203d, the landing control unit 112 performs image recognition of the markers 201a to 203d in the RGB captured image of the markers 201a to 203d. This allows the landing control unit 112 to identify the position and orientation of the landing port 20. Furthermore, if the IR camera 116 is able to capture an image of infrared light emitted by the IR light emitter 202, the landing control unit 112 can identify the position of the landing port 20 based on the position of the infrared light in the IR captured image. Here, the IR captured image is an example of the detection result of the light emitter.

[0027] When the aircraft 10 lands, the landing control unit 112 guides the aircraft 10 to the landing port 20 based on this information and lands the aircraft 10 on the landing surface 200 of the landing port 20.

[0028] 4 is a detailed functional configuration diagram of the landing control unit 112. The landing control unit 112 includes a position information acquisition unit 121, a position identification unit 122, an orientation information acquisition unit 123, an orientation identification unit 124, and a landing guidance unit 125. The position information acquisition unit 121, the position identification unit 122, the orientation information acquisition unit 123, the orientation identification unit 124, and the landing guidance unit 125 are functional units realized by the landing control unit 112 executing a program. Below, the processing described as being performed by each functional unit is processing performed by the landing control unit 112 executing a program stored in a ROM or the like.

[0029] The position information acquisition unit 121 acquires position information indicating the position of the landing port 20. Specifically, the position information acquisition unit 121 acquires position information of the landing port 20 obtained from an RGB captured image in which a marker is captured. The position information acquisition unit 121 also acquires position information of the landing port 20 obtained from an IR captured image in which infrared rays are captured. The position information acquisition unit 121 also acquires position information of the landing port 20 obtained from a UWB signal.

[0030] Furthermore, the location information acquisition unit 121 acquires the GNSS signals received by the GNSS receivers 203a and 203b of the landing port 20 from the port management device 210 via the communication unit 111, and acquires the location information of the landing port 20 from the GNSS signals.

[0031] As another example, in the port management device 210, the position of the landing port 20 may be identified from the GNSS signals received by the GNSS receivers 203a and 203b of the landing port 20, and position information indicating the identified position may be transmitted to the aircraft 10 via the communication unit 214. In this case, the position information acquisition unit 121 acquires the position information of the landing port 20 identified by the GNSS signals from the port management device 210 via the communication unit 111.

[0032] Hereinafter, the position information obtained from the RGB captured image will be referred to as RGB position information. The position information obtained from the IR captured image will be referred to as IR position information. The position information obtained from the UWB signal will be referred to as UWB position information. The position information obtained from the GNSS signal will be referred to as GNSS position information.

[0033] The position identification unit 122 identifies the position of the landing port 20 based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 121 .

[0034] The orientation information acquisition unit 123 acquires orientation information indicating the orientation of the landing port 20. Specifically, the orientation information acquisition unit 123 acquires the orientation information of the landing port 20 obtained from an RGB photographed image in which the marker is photographed. The orientation information acquisition unit 123 also acquires orientation information indicating the orientation of the landing port 20 obtained from the orientation detection result by at least one of the compasses 204a, 204b of the landing port 20 from the port management device 210 via the communication unit 111. The orientation information acquisition unit 123 also acquires the orientation information of the landing port 20 obtained from the UWB signal.

[0035] Hereinafter, the orientation information obtained from the RGB photographed image will be referred to as RGB orientation information. Also, the orientation information determined from the compasses 204a, 204b of the landing port 20 will be referred to as compass orientation information. The orientation information obtained from the UWB signal will be referred to as UWB orientation information.

[0036] The orientation identification unit 124 identifies the orientation of the landing port 20 based on the orientation information acquired by the orientation information acquisition unit 123.

[0037] The landing guidance unit 125 guides the aircraft 10 to land at the landing port 20 based on the position and orientation of the landing port 20. During guidance, the position and orientation of the aircraft 10 are also referenced as appropriate. Here, the position of the aircraft 10 is determined based on the GNSS signal received by the GNSS receiving unit 104 of the aircraft 10, and the orientation of the aircraft 10 is determined by the compass 103.

[0038] As described above, the position information acquisition unit 121 can acquire four types of position information: IR position information, RGB position information, UWB position information, and GNSS position information. Also, the orientation information acquisition unit 123 can acquire three types of orientation information: RGB orientation information, compass orientation information, and UWB orientation information.

[0039] Here, the GNSS receiver 104 of the aircraft 10 can always receive GNSS signals. Therefore, when the aircraft 10 approaches the landing port 20 from a location away from the landing port 20, the position information acquirer 121 can first acquire GNSS position information. Similarly, the compasses 204a, 204b of the landing port 20 can always detect their orientation, so the orientation information acquirer 123 can first acquire compass orientation information.

[0040] Then, when the distance between landing port 20 and flying body 10 becomes several tens of meters to about 100 meters, UWB receivers 114a and 114b become able to receive UWB signals transmitted from UWB transmitters 205a to 205d of landing port 20. That is, position information acquirer 121 becomes able to acquire UWB position information, and orientation information acquirer 123 becomes able to acquire UWB orientation information.

[0041] Then, as the flying object 10 approaches further toward the landing port 20, it becomes possible to capture RGB images of the markers 201a to 201d and infrared IR images of the IR emitter 202. This enables the position information acquisition unit 121 to acquire RGB position information and IR position information, and the orientation information acquisition unit 123 to acquire RGB orientation information.

[0042] Furthermore, depending on the communication environment, the communication unit 111 of the flying object 10 may not be able to receive the GNSS signals received by the GNSS receiving unit 203 of the landing port 20 or the orientation information obtained by the compasses 204a, 204b of the landing port 20. Furthermore, the UWB receiving units 114a, 114b may not be able to receive UWB signals.

[0043] If the communication unit 111 cannot receive the GNSS signal, the location information acquisition unit 121 cannot acquire the GNSS location information. Also, if the UWB receiving units 114a and 114b cannot receive the UWB signal, the location information acquisition unit 121 cannot acquire the UWB location information.

[0044] Furthermore, if communication unit 111 cannot receive orientation information obtained by compasses 204a and 204b, orientation information acquisition unit 123 cannot acquire compass orientation information. Furthermore, if UWB receiving units 114a and 114b cannot receive UWB signals, orientation information acquisition unit 123 cannot acquire UWB orientation information. Furthermore, there are cases where the corresponding location information or orientation information cannot be acquired due to a malfunction of each device.

[0045] Furthermore, even if the flying object 10 approaches the landing port 20 to a position where the markers 201a-201d can be photographed, image recognition of the markers 201a-201d cannot be performed from the photographed image of the markers 201a-201d due to reasons such as the markers 201a-201d being dirty, it being nighttime, rain or snow, etc. In this case, the position information acquisition unit 121 may not be able to acquire the RGB position information, and the orientation information acquisition unit 123 may not be able to acquire the RGB orientation information.

[0046] As such, the location information acquisition unit 121 may not always be able to acquire all of the location information. Therefore, in this embodiment, the location information acquisition unit 121 is configured to acquire multiple types of location information. More specifically, during the process of landing of the aircraft 10 on the landing port 20, after the aircraft 10 has approached the landing port 20 to a certain extent, multiple types of location information are always acquired.

[0047] Here, the type of location information refers to the type of source of the location information, and in this embodiment, there are four types: GNSS location information from GNSS signals, UWB location information from UWB signals, RGB location information from RGB captured images, and IR location information from IR captured images.

[0048] In this embodiment, the detection range of the landing port 20 using the UWB signal and the detection range using the RGB captured image are assumed to overlap. Furthermore, the detection range using the RGB captured image and the detection range using the IR captured image are assumed to overlap. As a result, even if one type of location information cannot be acquired, the position of the landing port 20 can be identified based on other types of location information that have been acquired. Note that the GNSS receivers 203a and 203b of the landing port 20 can always receive GNSS signals, but since the GNSS location information using the GNSS signals has low position accuracy, other location information is assumed to take priority.

[0049] The position accuracy of not only GNSS position information but also the type of position information varies. The position accuracy increases in the order of GNSS position information, UWB position information, RGB position information, and IR position information. To more accurately identify the position of the landing port 20, it is preferable to use position information with higher position accuracy. In contrast, in this embodiment, a position priority is assigned to the position information that the position identification unit 122 refers to when identifying the position of the landing port 20. When multiple types of position information are obtained by the position information acquisition unit 121, the position of the landing port 20 is identified based on the type of position information with the highest position priority.

[0050] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the position priority of the position information. As shown in FIG. 5, the highest position priority "1" is assigned to the IR position information. The next highest position priority "2" is assigned to the RGB position information. Similarly, position priorities "3" and "4" are assigned to the UWB position information and the GNSS position information, respectively. In this way, the position priority is assigned according to the position accuracy. Note that the IR light emitter 202 is also positioned inside the markers 201a to 201d, which also results in higher position accuracy of the IR position information.

[0051] Similarly, the orientation information acquisition unit 123 may not always be able to acquire all orientation information. Therefore, in this embodiment, the orientation information acquisition unit 123 is configured to acquire multiple types of orientation information. More specifically, during the process of landing of the aircraft 10 on the landing port 20, after the aircraft 10 has approached the landing port 20 to a certain extent, multiple types of orientation information are always acquired.

[0052] Here, the type of orientation information is the type of detection source of the orientation information, and in this embodiment, there are three types: UWB orientation information, RGB orientation information, and compass orientation information.

[0053] The orientation accuracy also differs depending on the type of orientation information. The orientation accuracy increases in the order of compass orientation information, UWB orientation information, and RGB orientation information. In order to more accurately identify the orientation of the landing port 20, it is preferable to use orientation information with higher orientation accuracy. In contrast, in this embodiment, an orientation priority is assigned to the orientation information that the orientation identification unit 124 refers to when identifying the orientation of the landing port 20. When multiple types of orientation information are obtained by the orientation information acquisition unit 123, the orientation of the landing port 20 is identified based on the orientation information with the highest orientation priority.

[0054] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of orientation priorities of orientation information. As shown in FIG. 6, the highest orientation priority "1" is assigned to RGB orientation information. The next highest orientation priority "2" is assigned to UWB orientation information. The next highest orientation priority "3" is assigned to compass orientation information. In this way, orientation priorities are assigned according to orientation accuracy.

[0055] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing landing control processing by the landing control unit 112. It is assumed that the port management device 210 periodically transmits to the flying object 10 the GNSS signals received by the GNSS receivers 203a and 203b of the landing port 20 and the orientation information determined by the compasses 204a and 204b. It is also assumed that the UWB transmitters 205a to 205d of the landing port 20 periodically transmit UWB signals. It is also assumed that the IR emitter 202 repeatedly flashes infrared light. It is also assumed that the flying object 10 periodically receives UWB signals and periodically receives the GNSS signals transmitted from the port management device 210 and the orientation information determined by the compasses 204a and 204b. It is also assumed that the RGB camera 115 and the IR camera 116 of the flying object 10 periodically capture images.

[0056] In the landing control process, first, the position information acquisition unit 121 acquires position information (step S100). Next, the position identification unit 122 identifies the position of the landing port 20 based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 121 (step S102). When the position information acquisition unit 121 acquires only one type of position information, the position identification unit 122 identifies the position of the landing port 20 based on the acquired position information.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above, the position information acquisition unit 121 may acquire multiple types of position information. In this way, when multiple types of position information are acquired, the position identification unit 122 identifies one type of position information with the highest position priority from all of the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 121, and identifies the position of the landing port 20 based on this position information. In this way, when multiple types of position information are identified, the position information with the highest position priority is referenced, thereby making it possible to identify the position of the landing port 20 with greater accuracy at each position of the aircraft 10.

[0058] Next, the orientation information acquisition unit 123 acquires orientation information (step S104). Next, the orientation identification unit 124 identifies the orientation of the landing port 20 based on the orientation information acquired by the orientation information acquisition unit 123 (step S106). When the orientation information acquisition unit 123 acquires only one type of orientation information, the orientation identification unit 124 identifies the orientation of the landing port 20 based on the acquired orientation information.

[0059] Furthermore, as described above, the orientation information acquisition unit 123 may acquire multiple types of orientation information. In this way, when multiple types of orientation information are acquired, the orientation identification unit 124 identifies one type of orientation information with the highest orientation priority from all of the orientation information acquired by the orientation information acquisition unit 123, and identifies the orientation of the landing port 20 based on this orientation information. In this way, when multiple types of orientation information are identified, the orientation information with the highest orientation priority is referenced, thereby making it possible to more accurately identify the orientation of the landing port 20 at each position of the aircraft 10.

[0060] Next, the landing guidance unit 125 of the landing control unit 112 guides the aircraft 10 to land at the landing port 20 (step S108). Next, the landing control unit 112 determines whether the aircraft 10 has landed at the landing port 20, and if it has not landed (N in step S110), proceeds to step S100. Thereafter, it continues to guide the aircraft 10 while periodically identifying the position and orientation of the landing port. On the other hand, if the aircraft 10 has landed (Y in step S110), the landing control unit 112 ends the landing control process.

[0061] Note that the timing of the sequence of position processing including the position information acquisition process (step S100) and the subsequent position identification process (step S102) and the sequence of orientation processing including the orientation information acquisition unit (step S104) and the subsequent orientation identification process (step S106) is not limited to the embodiment. As another example, the position processing and the orientation processing may be performed simultaneously or in parallel. As another example, the orientation processing may be performed after the position processing.

[0062] As described above, in the aircraft system 1 according to this embodiment, the orientation information and position information are selected according to the orientation priority and position priority, respectively, so that the orientation and position of the aircraft 10 can be determined more accurately. Therefore, by utilizing these orientations and positions, the landing of the aircraft 10 can be controlled with precision. Furthermore, even when an RGB image of the marker cannot be obtained, the landing of the aircraft 10 can be controlled with precision. Specifically, even when an RGB image of the marker cannot be obtained, if, for example, UWB position information or IR position information is available, the position identification unit 122 can identify the position of the landing port 20 based on this information. Furthermore, even when an RGB image of the marker cannot be obtained, if, for example, UWB orientation information or compass information is available, the orientation identification unit 124 can identify the orientation of the landing port 20 based on this information.

[0063] The above embodiment is one example of how the present invention can be implemented, and various other embodiments are possible. For example, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention as defined in the claims, such as applying one modified example to another modified example.

[0064] As a first modification, the control unit 110 of the flying object 10 as a flying object control device may not include the UWB receivers 114a and 114b, the RGB camera 115, and the IR camera 116. As another example, the control unit 110 may include the compass 103 and the GNSS receiver 104. The flying object control device as the control unit 110 may be provided as a device separate from the flying object 10.

[0065] As a second modification, the wireless communication mechanism for identifying the position of the landing port 20 is not limited to UWB. As another example, it may be short-range wireless communication based on the Wi-Fi standard.

[0066] As a third modification, the landing port 20 may have at least one UWB transmitter, and the number is not limited to that in the embodiment. From the viewpoint of redundancy, that is, if one UWB transmitter fails, the other UWB transmitters can still transmit UWB signals, it is desirable for the landing port 20 to have multiple UWB transmitters.

[0067] As a fourth modification, the landing port 20 may be provided with a UWB receiver instead of the UWB transmitter, and the flying object may be provided with a UWB transmitter instead of the UWB receiver. In this case, it is still possible to identify the position of the landing port 20. The UWB receiver and the UWB transmitter are both examples of a UWB device, and the UWB device is an example of a position detector.

[0068] As a fifth modification, the position priority of the position information can be set arbitrarily, and the priority of the position information is not limited to the embodiment. Also, the orientation priority of the orientation information can be set arbitrarily, and the priority of the orientation information is not limited to the embodiment.

[0069] A sixth modified example will be described. In this embodiment, an IR beacon is arranged inside the marker on the landing surface 200 of the landing port 20. However, as long as a light emitter is arranged inside the marker, the type of light emitter is not limited to an IR beacon. As another example, a light emitter that emits visible light may also be used.

[0070] As a seventh modification, the landing port 20 may be a portable port. The landing port 20 is, for example, loaded onto a transport vehicle, transported to a location desired by the user, and installed. In such a landing port 20, the landing control unit 112 of the aircraft 10 may acquire position information and orientation information of the landing port 20 when the landing port 20 is installed, and store this information in the memory unit 113 as landing port information. This allows the landing port information to be automatically registered in the aircraft 10.

[0071] During landing guidance, the landing guidance unit 125 guides the aircraft 10 while referring to the landing port information. During landing guidance, the position of the landing port 20 identified by the position identification unit 122 and the orientation of the landing port 20 identified by the orientation identification unit 124 are referenced, but depending on the situation, it may not be possible to obtain the position information or orientation information. In such cases, the landing port information can be useful information.

[0072] Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied as a program or method. The above-described systems, programs, and methods may be realized as standalone devices or may be realized using shared components, and include various other aspects. For example, it is possible to provide a method or program realized by the above-described system. The invention can also be implemented as a recording medium for a program that controls a device. The software recording medium may be a magnetic recording medium or a semiconductor memory, and any recording medium developed in the future can be considered to be equivalent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1. Air Vehicle Systems 10 Flying Objects 20 Landing Port 100 Main unit 101 Flight control unit 102 Battery 103 Compass 104 GNSS receiver 110 control unit 111 Communications Department 112 Landing Control Unit 113 Storage section 114a, 114b UWB receiving unit 115 RGB camera 116 IR camera 121 Location information acquisition unit 122 Location identification part 123 Orientation information acquisition unit 124 Orientation Identification Unit 125 Landing Guidance Section 201a~201d markers 202 IR emitter 203a, 203b GNSS receiver 204a, 204b Compass 205a~205d UWB transmitter

Claims

1. A flight control device that guides a flight object to a landing port, an orientation information acquisition unit that acquires, during the flight of the aircraft, as information indicating the orientation of the landing port, first orientation information indicating the orientation of the landing port identified from an image of a marker placed on the landing port captured by an image capture unit provided on the aircraft, and second orientation information indicating an orientation detection result by an orientation detection unit provided on the landing port; An orientation priority is set in advance for the first orientation information and the second orientation information, An aircraft control device comprising an orientation identification unit that identifies the orientation of the landing port based on the information with the highest orientation priority among the information acquired by the orientation information acquisition unit.

2. a position information acquisition unit that acquires first position information indicating the position of the landing port identified from the photographed image and second position information indicating a position detection result by a position detection unit provided in the landing port, a location priority is set in advance for the first location information and the second location information, 2. The aircraft control device according to claim 1, further comprising a position identification unit that identifies the position of the landing port based on the information with the highest position priority among the information that the position information acquisition unit has been able to acquire.

3. The aircraft control device according to claim 2 , wherein the position detection unit is a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) device.

4. the position information acquisition unit further acquires, as third position information, a signal from a satellite positioning system received by a receiving unit provided in the landing port; the location priority is set in advance in the third location information, 4. The aircraft control device described in claim 3, wherein the position identification unit identifies the position of the landing port based on the information with the highest position priority among the first position information, the second position information, and the third position information that can be obtained.

5. The aircraft control device according to claim 4 , wherein the position priority becomes higher in the order of the first position information, the second position information, and the third position information.

6. The position information acquisition unit further acquires a detection result of a light-emitting body arranged in the landing port as fourth position information, The location priority is set in advance in the fourth location information, 5. The aircraft control device described in claim 4, wherein the position identification unit identifies the position of the landing port based on the information with the highest position priority among the first position information, the second position information, the third position information, and the fourth position information that has been obtained.

7. the location priority becomes higher in the order of the first location information, the second location information, the third location information, and the fourth location information; The aircraft control device according to claim 6 , wherein the light emitter is positioned inside the landing port relative to the marker.

8. the direction of the landing port identified by the direction detection result by the direction detection unit and the position of the landing port identified by a signal from a satellite positioning system are stored in a storage unit as landing port information; a landing guidance unit that guides the aircraft to land on the landing port based on the orientation of the landing port and the position of the landing port; The landing guidance unit includes: When the orientation information acquisition unit cannot acquire information during the flight of the aircraft, the aircraft is guided by referring to the orientation of the landing port indicated in the landing port information stored in the storage unit; 3. An aircraft control device as described in claim 2, wherein, when the position information acquisition unit is unable to acquire information during the flight of the aircraft, the aircraft is guided by referring to the position of the landing port indicated in the landing port information stored in the memory unit.

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