Flight management system, flight management method, and program

Abstract

The equipment to be monitored is preferably monitored using aerial vehicles such as drones. [Solution] The flight management device comprises a management unit that manages the flight of an aircraft that monitors the equipment to be monitored; an acquisition unit that acquires the operating status of the equipment to be monitored; a monitoring plan creation unit that creates an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored to be performed using the aircraft based on the operating status; and a transmission unit that transmits control signals related to monitoring to the management unit based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flight management device, a flight management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, inspections and monitoring of structures such as towers using unmanned aircraft such as drones are becoming increasingly common. In particular, when the inspection or monitoring range is vast, it is useful to perform inspections and monitoring using an unmanned aircraft such as a drone. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for an inspection method using a drone.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, structures such as towers that are inspection targets using drones may be stolen by cutting parts used in equipment such as copper wires and metals. In order to deal with such thefts, it is conceivable to deploy drones and monitor them with autonomous flight. However, drones have problems such as battery issues and are difficult to fly for long periods of time. Also, when the flight time is limited to reduce battery consumption and the drone is flown only during fixed time periods, there is a problem that it is easy for thieves to estimate the monitoring time by the drone.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a flight management device, a flight management method, and a program that can suitably monitor monitoring target equipment by a flying object such as a drone.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a flight management device comprising: a management unit that performs flight management of an aircraft that monitors equipment to be monitored; an acquisition unit that acquires the operating status of the equipment to be monitored; a monitoring plan creation unit that creates an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored to be performed using the aircraft based on the operating status; and a transmission unit that transmits control signals related to monitoring to the management unit based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit. (2) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the flight management device described in (1) above, the acquisition unit acquires the physical values ​​from a measuring instrument that measures physical values ​​related to the operation of the monitored equipment. (3) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the flight management device described in (2) above, the monitoring plan creation unit determines whether or not the equipment to be monitored is operational based on the physical values, and if it determines that the equipment is not operational, it creates an execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment to be monitored. (4) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in the flight management device described in (3) above, the monitoring plan creation unit determines whether or not the monitored equipment is operational based on the result of comparing the physical value with a predetermined threshold. (5) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in any of the flight management devices described in (1) to (4) above, the acquisition unit further acquires the remaining battery level of the aircraft, and the monitoring plan creation unit determines whether the monitored equipment is operational based on whether the remaining battery level of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the equipment is not operational, it creates an execution plan to perform monitoring of the monitored equipment. (6) In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, in any of the flight management devices described in (1) to (5) above, the acquisition unit further acquires information regarding the schedule of the monitor who monitors the monitored equipment, and the monitoring plan creation unit creates an execution plan based on the acquired schedule of the monitor, which stipulates that monitoring of the monitored equipment will be performed during the time when the monitor is not monitoring the monitored equipment. (7) In addition, one aspect of the present invention is a flight management device according to any of (1) to (6) described above, further comprising: a recording unit that records the operational status history of the monitored equipment obtained based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit; and an estimation unit that estimates the non-operating period on a predetermined day based on the operational status history recorded in the recording unit, wherein the monitoring plan creation unit creates the execution plan to perform monitoring of the monitored equipment during the non-operating period estimated by the estimation unit within the time period on a predetermined day. (8) In another aspect of the present invention, in the flight management device described in (7) above, the monitoring plan creation unit refers to the operating status history recorded in the recording unit and creates the execution plan to perform monitoring of the monitored equipment during both operating and non-operating hours, and the monitoring interval performed during non-operating hours is shorter than the monitoring interval performed during operating hours. (9) Another aspect of the present invention is a flight management method performed using a computer, comprising: a management step of performing flight management of an aircraft that monitors equipment to be monitored; an acquisition step of acquiring the operating status of the equipment to be monitored; a monitoring plan creation step of creating an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored to be performed using the aircraft based on the operating status; and a transmission step of transmitting a control signal related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation step. (10) Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute a management step of performing flight management of an aircraft that monitors equipment to be monitored; an acquisition step of acquiring the operating status of the equipment to be monitored; a monitoring plan creation step of creating an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored to be performed using the aircraft based on the operating status; and a transmission step of transmitting a control signal related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flight management device, a flight management method, and a program that can suitably monitor target equipment using an aircraft such as a drone. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating a schematic of a system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a functional configuration diagram showing the functional configuration of the flight management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of how the flight management device according to this embodiment is installed in a port. [Figure 4] This is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of how the flight management device according to this embodiment is installed on a server. [Figure 5] This is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of how the flight management device according to this embodiment may be installed on a drone. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing a series of steps in the flight management method according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a functional configuration diagram showing a modified example of the functional configuration of the flight management system according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the flight management system according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Embodiment] The flight management device, flight management method, and program according to aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings, with reference to preferred embodiments. It should be noted that the aspects of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, and include various modifications and improvements. In other words, the components described below include those that are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially the same, and the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Also, in the following drawings, the scale and number of components in each structure may differ from the scale and number of components in the actual structure in order to make each component easier to understand.

[0010] [System Configuration] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to one embodiment. System 1 comprises a drone 10 and a flight management device 30, and monitors equipment 50. For the sake of simplicity, the figure shows one piece of equipment 50, but system 1 may monitor multiple pieces of equipment 50. Also, for the sake of simplicity, the figure shows one drone 10, but multiple drones 10 may be provided. In this case, each of the multiple drones 10 may communicate wirelessly with a common flight management device 30, or each may communicate wirelessly with an independent flight management device 30. That is, the relationship between the flight management device 30 and the drones 10 may be one to N (where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1), or many to N.

[0011] Equipment 50 is the equipment that System 1 monitors. Equipment 50 may be a communication tower (which can also be called a base station) used for wireless communication. Equipment 50 may also be fixed to the ground outdoors, such as a solar power generation facility. Other examples of equipment that System 1 monitors include power lines and towers, as well as bridges, tunnels, industrial facilities, etc. Furthermore, System 1 may be used in areas where some kind of facility exists, such as farmland, forests, rivers, coastlines, etc.

[0012] The flight management device 30 manages the flight of the drone 10. Specifically, the flight management device 30 gives flight instructions to the drone 10 and monitors the facility 50. Monitoring the facility 50 may, for example, involve monitoring to ensure that items provided in the facility 50 are not stolen. Specifically, if the facility 50 is a solar power generation facility, the items provided in the facility 50 may be electric wires, solar panels, etc. In addition to flying around the facility 50, monitoring the facility 50 may include, for example, imaging images around the facility 50 and detecting intruders around the facility 50.

[0013] Based on instructions from the flight management device 30, the drone 10 flies around the facility 50 and conducts monitoring. The drone 10 may, based on instructions from the flight management device 30, image images around the facility 50 or detect intruders around the facility 50. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the drone 10 is capable of flight. In the following description, the drone 10 may sometimes be described as an aircraft.

[0014] [Flight Management Device] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of the flight management device according to this embodiment. An example of the functional configuration of the flight management device 30 will be described while referring to this figure. The flight management device 30 includes an acquisition unit 31, a monitoring plan creation unit 32, a transmission unit 33, a management unit 34, and a storage unit 39. Note that the flight management device 30 does not necessarily have to include the storage unit 39. For example, a configuration in which the storage unit 39 is provided in a server or a space on the cloud may be adopted. In the example shown in the figure, for simplicity of explanation, it will be described as if the flight management device 30 includes the storage unit 39.

[0015] The acquisition unit 31 acquires the operating status of the facility 50 to be monitored (hereinafter, may also be referred to as the monitored facility). The operating status of the facility 50 is the status of whether the facility 50 is operating or not. The acquisition unit 31 may determine whether the facility 50 is operating or not by acquiring some physical value from a measuring instrument that measures a physical value related to the operation of the facility 50. For example, when the facility 50 is a solar power generation facility, the acquisition unit 31 may acquire the current value of the current that only flows during the operation of the facility 50, the voltage value of the voltage that only occurs during the operation of the facility 50, etc., to acquire the operating status of the facility 50. However, this embodiment is not limited to an example of the case based on physical values such as the current value and the voltage value. For example, the acquisition unit 31 may acquire the operating status of the facility 50 by acquiring a digital signal indicating whether it is currently operating from the facility 50.

[0016] The monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan for monitoring based on the operating status acquired by the acquisition unit 31. The execution plan for monitoring is a plan indicating how the drone 10 will fly for the facility 50 to be the target of monitoring using the drone 10. Specifically, when the facility 50 is not operating, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 performs monitoring by flying the drone 10 around the facility 50. The execution plan for monitoring may also include other flight routes and the like according to the operating status.

[0017] Here, depending on the facility 50, it may be stolen by cutting parts used in the facility 50 such as copper wires and metals. Since there is a possibility of an abnormal alarm being activated or electric shock when cutting parts while the facility 50 is operating, theft is less likely. On the other hand, when cutting parts while the facility 50 is not operating, the abnormal alarm does not activate and the risk of electric shock is also low, so it tends to be easily stolen. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in order to reduce the theft risk when the facility 50 is not operating, in particular, when the facility 50 is not operating, the drone 10 performs monitoring by flying around the facility 50. ​​The monitoring plan creation unit 32 may determine whether or not the equipment 50 is operational based on some physical value acquired by the acquisition unit 31. Specifically, if the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines that the equipment 50 is not operational, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 may create an execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment 50. Alternatively, if the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines that the equipment 50 is operational, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 may create an execution plan to not perform monitoring of the equipment 50. The determination of whether or not the equipment is operational based on the physical value may be performed by comparing the physical value with a predetermined threshold. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 may determine whether or not the equipment 50 is operational based on the result of the comparison.

[0019] Furthermore, the operational status of the equipment 50 acquired by the acquisition unit 31 may include information on which parts of the equipment 50 are operational. In other words, the degree of operation may be indicated. For example, if the equipment 50 is located over a wide area, it may be operational in only a portion of the area, while other areas are not. In such cases, the risk of theft increases in the areas that are not operational. Therefore, by acquiring information on which parts of the equipment 50 are operational, the acquisition unit 31 can enable the monitoring plan creation unit 32 to create an execution plan for monitoring the drone 10, which will monitor the areas that are not operational.

[0020] The transmission unit 33 transmits control signals related to monitoring to the management unit 34 based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit 32. The control signals related to monitoring may include whether or not there is a flight, the flight path, and whether or not imaging or intruder detection is performed during the flight. If the relationship between the flight management device 30 and the drones 10 is one to many, the control signals may include instructions for each of the multiple drones 10.

[0021] The control unit 34 manages the flight of the drones 10 that monitor the equipment 50. Specifically, flight management may include transmitting control signals to the drones 10. Control signals to the drones 10 range from those that transmit the flight path to those that specify which motors to drive and with what force. If the relationship between the flight management device 30 and the drones 10 is one to many, the control unit 34 may manage the flights of multiple drones 10.

[0022] As another example, the flight management device 30 could also perform control based on the remaining charge of the battery installed in the drone 10, which is used for the drone's flight. In this case, the acquisition unit 31 further acquires information regarding the remaining charge of the battery installed in the drone 10. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 may determine (or estimate) whether the equipment 50 is operational based on whether the remaining charge of the drone 10 exceeds a predetermined value, and if it determines that the equipment 50 is not operational, it may create an execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment 50.

[0023] Another example is the process when the schedule of the monitor who monitors the equipment 50 is available in advance. If the schedule is available in advance, the process should be carried out based on that schedule. In this case, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information about the schedule that has been set in advance by the monitor. Preferably, the information about the schedule includes at least the time and information on whether the equipment is operational or not at that time. The information about the schedule may also include more detailed information, such as the operational parts and the extent of that operation. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 should create an execution plan based on the acquired schedule, which will perform monitoring of the equipment 50 during the time when the monitor is not monitoring the equipment 50.

[0024] The flight management device 30 according to this embodiment may be installed on the port 40 where the drone 10 takes off and lands, on the server 70, or on the drone 10 itself. The flight management device 30 may also be installed in other locations. Below, with reference to Figures 3 to 5, an example of the functional configuration when the flight management device 30 is installed on the port 40, the server 70, or the drone 10 will be described.

[0025] [If a flight control system is installed on the port] Figure 3 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of how the flight management device according to this embodiment is installed in a port. The figure also includes an image illustrating, as an example, a drone 10 taking off and landing from port 40.

[0026] The port 40 shown in the figure has a structure that allows the drone 10 to be stored inside the port 40 by opening and closing the lid of the port 40. However, the structure of the port 40 is not limited to this example, and this embodiment can be applied to various ports 40 having other structures. For example, as another example of the port 40, there is a structure in which the storage area has a roof, and the drone 10 enters from the entrance and is housed in the storage area with the roof.

[0027] Port 40 comprises a port control device 41 and a flight management device 30. In the example shown in the figure, the port control device 41 and the flight management device 30 are described as separate and independent components, but the port control device 41 and the flight management device 30 may exist inseparably as substantially identical components. Furthermore, the flight management device 30 may be incorporated into the port control device 41, or the port control device 41 may be incorporated into the flight management device 30.

[0028] The port control device 41 controls the port. Specifically, when the drone 10 takes off, the port control device 41 opens the cover, making the drone 10 ready to fly. After the drone 10 has taken off, the port control device 41 closes the cover. Furthermore, when the drone 10 lands, the port control device 41 opens the cover again, making the drone 10 ready to land. The opening and closing of the cover may be controlled based on instructions from the flight management device 30 or from the drone 10, or based on the detection of signs of the drone 10 taking off or landing by a sensor (not shown).

[0029] In addition, the port control device 41 may perform wireless and wired communication with the drone 10. Furthermore, the port control device 41 may supply power to the drone 10 (charge the battery), etc.

[0030] The flight management device 30 has the functional configuration described with reference to Figure 2. The flight management device 30 may indirectly manage the flight of the drone 10 via the port control device 41, or it may directly manage the flight of the drone 10.

[0031] [When the flight management system is installed on the server] Figure 4 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of how the flight management device according to this embodiment is installed on a server. An example of how the flight management device 30 is installed on a server 70 will be described with reference to this figure. When the flight management device 30 is installed on a server 70, it is preferable that the system 1 includes multiple drones 10. In the figure, drone 10-1 and drone 10-2 are shown as examples of multiple drones 10. However, this embodiment is not limited to this example, and the system 1 may include multiple (many) drones 10.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the flight management device 30 is provided on the server 70. The server 70 communicates information with multiple drones 10 via a predetermined communication network NW. The flight management device 30 provided on the server 70 transmits flight management information to each of the multiple drones 10 via the communication network NW. The flight management information transmitted to each of the multiple drones 10 may be the same or different. When the flight management information is the same, it may include flight paths, etc., for multiple drones 10. When the flight management information is different, it may include only the flight paths, etc., for the target drone 10.

[0033] The case where the flight management information transmitted to each of the multiple drones 10 is different from one another is, for example, when the area of ​​the facility 50 is vast and multiple drones 10 share the task of monitoring it. In this case, the flight management device 30 can set different flight ranges for each drone 10. By setting different flight ranges for each drone 10, the multiple drones 10 can monitor the facility 50 as a whole.

[0034] [When a flight control system is installed on the drone] Figure 5 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of how the flight management device according to this embodiment can be installed in a drone. Referring to the figure, an example of how the flight management device 30 can be installed in a server 70 will be described. As shown in the figure, the flight management device 30 may be installed inside the drone 10. The drone 10 includes a drone control device 11 and a flight management device 30.

[0035] The drone control device 11 controls the drone 10. Specifically, the drone control device 11 controls the flight of the drone 10 by driving motors, sensors, etc. (not shown) that are equipped on the drone 10. The flight path and flight timing are based on flight management information obtained from the flight management device 30.

[0036] The flight management device 30 has the functional configuration described with reference to Figure 2. The flight management device 30 may indirectly manage the flight of the drone 10 via the drone control device 11, or it may directly manage the flight of the drone 10.

[0037] [Flight management method] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the sequence of steps in the flight management method according to this embodiment. The sequence of steps in the process performed using the flight management device 30 described above will be explained with reference to this figure.

[0038] (Step S11) First, the flight management device 30 acquires the operating status of the equipment 50 to be monitored. Specifically, the flight management device 30 may acquire the operating status of the equipment 50 by acquiring some physical quantity such as current value from the equipment 50. This process may also be called the acquisition process or acquisition step.

[0039] (Step S12) Next, the flight management device 30 creates an execution plan for monitoring the equipment 50 using the drone 10, based on the operating status acquired in the acquisition process. This execution plan includes the flight path of the drone 10, the timing of takeoff and landing, etc. This process may also be called the monitoring plan creation process or monitoring plan creation step.

[0040] (Step S13) Next, the flight management device 30 transmits control signals related to monitoring based on the execution plan created in the monitoring plan creation process. This process may also be referred to as the transmission process or transmission step.

[0041] (Step S14) Finally, the flight management device 30 performs flight management of the drone 10 that monitors the equipment 50. This process may also be referred to as the management process or management step.

[0042] [Differentiation] Figure 7 is a functional configuration diagram showing a modified example of the functional configuration of the flight management device according to this embodiment. The functional configuration of the flight management device 30A will be described with reference to the same figure. The flight management device 30A is a modified example of the flight management device 30. In the description of the flight management device 30A, components similar to those of the flight management device 30 may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. The flight management device 30A differs from the flight management device 30 in that it further includes a recording unit 35 and an estimation unit 36.

[0043] The recording unit 35 records the operating history of the equipment 50. In the example shown in the figure, the recording unit 35 is assumed to be configured to include a hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), flash memory, ROM (read-only memory), etc. However, the recording unit 35 does not necessarily have to be included in the flight management device 30A; for example, it may be stored in an external storage device by a recording control unit (not shown) provided in the flight management device 30A.

[0044] The operating status history of the equipment 50 recorded by the recording unit 35 is obtained based on information acquired by the acquisition unit 31. If the acquisition unit 31 directly acquires the operating status schedule, the recording unit 35 may record that schedule. Also, if the acquisition unit 31 acquires some physical quantity, such as the current value of the equipment 50, the recording unit 35 may record the operating status of the equipment 50 estimated from the acquired physical quantity.

[0045] The estimation unit 36 ​​estimates the non-operating time period on a given day based on the past operating status history recorded by the recording unit 35. For example, if the equipment 50 is non-operating during a predetermined time period every day, it is highly likely that it will also be non-operating during that time period on future dates. Therefore, the estimation unit 36 ​​estimates future non-operating time periods based on the past operating status history.

[0046] Furthermore, the estimation unit 36 ​​may estimate the non-operating time period on a given day based on environmental information such as weather, temperature, and humidity. For example, if the equipment 50 is likely to be non-operating in the event of rain, the future non-operating time period may be estimated based on the current weather or future weather conditions.

[0047] In the flight management device 30A, by providing a recording unit 35 and an estimation unit 36, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 can create a plan for drone 10 to perform monitoring of the equipment 50 during non-operational periods estimated by the estimation unit 36 ​​within a predetermined time period on a given day.

[0048] Here, we can consider a scenario where the non-operating period is extremely short compared to the operating period. In such a case, it is preferable to perform monitoring during the operating period as well. That is, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 may refer to the operating status history recorded in the recording unit 35 and create an execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment 50 during both the operating and non-operating periods. In that case, it is preferable that the monitoring interval performed during the non-operating period be shorter than the monitoring interval performed during the operating period.

[0049] [Internal structure] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a flight management system according to this embodiment. The computer shown in the figure represents an example of a specific hardware configuration for realizing the flight management system 30. The computer consists of a central processing unit (processor) 901, RAM 902, input / output ports 903, input / output devices 904 and 905, etc., and a bus 906. The computer itself can be realized using existing technology. The central processing unit 901 executes instructions contained in programs read from RAM 902, etc. The central processing unit 901 writes data to RAM 902, reads data from RAM 902, and performs arithmetic and logical operations according to each instruction. RAM 902 stores data and programs. Each element contained in RAM 902 has an address and can be accessed using that address. RAM stands for "Random Access Memory". Input / output ports 903 are ports for the central processing unit 901 to exchange data with external input / output devices, etc. Input / output devices 904 and 905 are input / output devices. Input / output devices 904 and 905 exchange data with the central processing unit 901 via input / output ports 903. Bus 906 is a common communication channel used within the computer. For example, the central processing unit 901 reads and writes data to RAM 902 via bus 906. Also, for example, the central processing unit 901 accesses input / output ports via bus 906. Furthermore, all or part of the flight management system 30 may be implemented using hardware such as ASICs, PLDs, or FPGAs. Furthermore, all or part of each functional unit may be implemented by a combination of software and hardware.

[0050] [Summary of Embodiments] According to the embodiment described above, the flight management device 30 comprises a management unit 34, an acquisition unit 31, a monitoring plan creation unit 32, and a transmission unit 33. The management unit 34 performs flight management of the aircraft that monitors the equipment to be monitored. The acquisition unit 31 acquires the operating status of the equipment to be monitored. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored using the aircraft, based on the operating status. The transmission unit 33 transmits control signals related to monitoring to the management unit 34 based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit 32.

[0051] By adopting this configuration, the flight management device 30 can monitor the equipment 50 based on its operating status. However, depending on the type of equipment 50 being monitored, it may be stolen by cutting parts used in the equipment, such as copper wire or metal. When the equipment 50 is in operation, cutting parts may trigger an alarm or cause electric shock, making theft less likely. On the other hand, when the equipment 50 is not in operation, cutting parts does not trigger an alarm and the risk of electric shock is low, making theft more likely. According to this embodiment, since the equipment 50 can be monitored based on its operating status, the risk of theft when the equipment 50 is not in operation can be reduced, and the equipment 50 to be monitored can be suitably monitored by an aircraft such as a drone.

[0052] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the operating status of the monitored equipment by acquiring physical values ​​(for example, current values, voltage values, etc.) related to the operation of the equipment 50 from a measuring instrument that measures such physical values. By adopting this configuration, the flight management device 30 can easily detect whether or not the equipment 50 is in operation.

[0053] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines whether the monitored equipment is operational based on the acquired physical values, and if it determines that the equipment is not operational, it creates an execution plan to perform monitoring of the monitored equipment. By adopting this configuration, the flight management device 30 can reduce the risk of theft when the equipment 50 is not operational.

[0054] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines whether or not the monitored equipment is operational based on the result of comparing the acquired physical value with a predetermined threshold. For example, if the acquired voltage value is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage value, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines that the monitored equipment is operational. By adopting such a configuration, the flight management device 30 can easily detect whether or not the equipment 50 is operational.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the acquisition unit 31 further acquires the remaining battery level of the aircraft, and the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines whether the monitored equipment is operational based on whether the remaining battery level of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined value. If it determines that the equipment is not operational, it creates an execution plan to perform monitoring of the monitored equipment. In other words, according to this embodiment, the decision of whether or not to perform monitoring is made according to the remaining battery level of the aircraft. According to this embodiment, it becomes possible to monitor the equipment 50 based on the remaining battery level of the aircraft, thus enabling the monitoring of the equipment 50 to be suitably performed.

[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the acquisition unit 31 further acquires information regarding the schedule of the monitor who monitors the monitored equipment, and the monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan based on the acquired monitor's schedule, which involves monitoring the monitored equipment during times when the monitor is not monitoring the equipment. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if physical quantities such as voltage values ​​and current values ​​cannot be obtained from the equipment 50, the equipment 50 can be monitored based on its operating status, thereby reducing the risk of theft when the equipment 50 is not in operation, and allowing the equipment 50 to be monitored more effectively by an aerial vehicle such as a drone.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the system further comprises a recording unit 35 and an estimation unit 36. The recording unit 35 records the operating status history of the monitored equipment obtained based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 31. The estimation unit 36 ​​estimates the non-operating time period on a predetermined day based on the operating status history recorded in the recording unit 35. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan to perform monitoring of the monitored equipment during the non-operating time period estimated by the estimation unit 36 ​​within the time period on a predetermined day. By adopting such a configuration, the flight management device 30 can estimate future operating schedules and create an execution plan for monitoring.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 refers to the operating status history recorded in the recording unit 35 and creates an execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment to be monitored during both operating and non-operating hours, and the monitoring interval performed during non-operating hours is shorter than the monitoring interval performed during operating hours. In other words, according to this embodiment, monitoring is performed even when the equipment 50 is in operation, but monitoring is performed more frequently (more thoroughly) when it is not in operation. By adopting such a configuration, according to this embodiment, the risk of theft when the equipment 50 is not in operation can be reduced, and the equipment 50 to be monitored can be suitably monitored by an aerial vehicle such as a drone.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to "suitably monitor the equipment to be monitored using an aerial vehicle such as a drone." The equipment to be monitored according to this embodiment is, for example, equipment used in a wireless communication network. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and expand innovation."

[0060] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and design modifications and the like are also included within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0061] Alternatively, computer programs for realizing the functions of each of the above-mentioned devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed. Note that the term "computer system" here may include hardware such as an operating system and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to writable non-volatile memory such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, and flash memory, portable media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems.

[0062] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" also includes volatile memory (e.g., DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) within a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which retains the program for a certain period of time. In addition, the above program may be transmitted from the computer system that stores the program in a storage device, etc., to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. Furthermore, the above program may be for the purpose of realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions. Moreover, it may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1...System, 10...Drone, 30...Flight management device, 50...Equipment, 40...Port, 70...Server, 31...Acquisition unit, 32...Monitoring plan creation unit, 33...Transmission unit, 34...Management unit, 39...Storage unit, 35...Recording unit, 36...Estimation unit, 41...Port control device, 11...Drone control device

Claims

1. The management department is responsible for managing the flight of aircraft that monitor the equipment under surveillance, An acquisition unit that acquires the operating status of the monitored equipment, A monitoring plan creation unit creates an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored using the aircraft, based on the aforementioned operating status. A transmission unit transmits control signals related to monitoring to the management unit based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit, A flight management system equipped with the following features.

2. The acquisition unit acquires the physical values ​​from a measuring instrument that measures physical values ​​related to the operation of the monitored equipment. The flight management device according to claim 1.

3. The monitoring plan creation unit determines whether the equipment to be monitored is in operation based on the physical values, and if it determines that the equipment is not in operation, it creates an execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment to be monitored. The flight management device according to claim 2.

4. The monitoring plan creation unit determines whether the monitored equipment is in operation based on the result of comparing the physical value with a predetermined threshold. The flight control device according to claim 3.

5. The acquisition unit further acquires the remaining battery level of the aircraft, The monitoring plan creation unit determines whether the equipment to be monitored is operational based on whether the remaining battery level of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined value, and if it determines that the equipment is not operational, it creates the execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment to be monitored. The flight control device according to claim 1.

6. The acquisition unit further acquires information regarding the schedule of the monitor who monitors the equipment under surveillance. The monitoring plan creation unit creates the execution plan based on the acquired schedule of the monitor, stipulating that monitoring of the monitored equipment will be performed during the time when the monitor is not monitoring the equipment. The flight management device according to claim 1.

7. A recording unit records the operating status history of the monitored equipment obtained based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, An estimation unit estimates the non-operating period on a predetermined day based on the operating status history recorded in the recording unit, It further possesses, The monitoring plan creation unit creates the execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment to be monitored during the non-operating time period estimated by the estimation unit within the time period of a predetermined day. A flight control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The monitoring plan creation unit refers to the operating status history recorded in the recording unit and creates the execution plan to perform monitoring of the equipment to be monitored during both operating and non-operating hours. The monitoring interval performed during non-operating hours is shorter than the monitoring interval performed during operating hours. The flight management device according to claim 7.

9. A flight management method that is performed using a computer, A management process for managing the flight of an aircraft that monitors the equipment under surveillance, The acquisition process involves obtaining the operating status of the monitored equipment, A monitoring plan creation step, which involves creating an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored using the aircraft, based on the aforementioned operating status, A transmission step that transmits control signals related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created in the monitoring plan creation step, A flight management method having the following characteristics.

10. On the computer, A management step for managing the flight of an aircraft that monitors the equipment under surveillance, The acquisition step involves obtaining the operating status of the monitored equipment, A monitoring plan creation step involves creating an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored using the aircraft, based on the aforementioned operating status. A transmission step that transmits control signals related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created in the monitoring plan creation step, A program that executes the command.

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