Flight control system

Abstract

To provide a flight control system that enables safe manual control of an aircraft without requiring advanced piloting skills. [Solution] The flight control system according to the present invention comprises a control device and an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a propulsion mechanism including a plurality of rotors, a position estimation unit for estimating the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, an attitude estimation unit for estimating the attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a speed estimation unit for estimating the speed of movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a flight control unit for controlling the propulsion mechanism based on information including the current position, attitude, and speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the flight control unit controls the propulsion mechanism to fly along a virtual flight line set in advance on map data based on a control signal transmitted from the control device in response to a one-axis operation of an operation input unit by the pilot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flight control system for a flying object.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various services such as image capturing from above using flying objects including drones (Drone) and rotary-wing aircraft, which are used for various applications, are provided. V:Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) are utilized. Various services such as image capturing from above are provided.

[0003] As methods for flight control of flying objects, for example, a method of manually operating using a control device such as a so-called "prop" and a method of autonomously flying according to a preset flight plan are known. (See Patent Document 1). (See Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] <00​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The purpose is to provide stems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present invention, a control device having an operation input unit, and based on the control signal from the control device Equipped with an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of flight control, The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle A propulsion mechanism including multiple rotor blades, A position estimation unit for estimating the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, An attitude estimation unit for estimating the attitude of the aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle, A speed estimation unit for estimating the movement speed of the aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle, Based on information including the current position, attitude, and speed of the aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle, the propulsion mechanism It has a flight control unit that controls the aircraft, The flight control unit responds to the pilot's operation of the control input unit in one axis direction to the control system Based on the control signals transmitted from the station, a virtual flight line is set up in advance on the map data. A flight control system is obtained that is characterized by controlling the propulsion mechanism to fly along a specific path. It is possible. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to safely manually control an aircraft without requiring advanced piloting skills. We can provide a control system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the flight control system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the flying object. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the control system. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing an example of a flight path. [Figure 5]It is a plan view showing another example of a flight line. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing still another example of a flight line.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The content of the embodiment of the present invention will be listed and described. The flight control system according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. It includes the following. [Item 1] A control device having an operation input unit, and a drone capable of flight control based on a control signal from the control device. The drone includes a propulsion mechanism including a plurality of rotary wings, a position estimation unit for estimating the position of the drone, an attitude estimation unit for estimating the attitude of the drone, a speed estimation unit for estimating the moving speed of the drone, and a flight control unit for controlling the propulsion mechanism based on the current position, attitude, and speed of the drone. The flight control unit controls the propulsion mechanism to fly along a virtual flight line set in advance on map data based on a control signal transmitted from the control device in response to an operation in a uniaxial direction of the operation input unit by the operator. A flight control system characterized by this. [Item 2] The control device or the drone has a flight line setting unit for setting the flight line based on the position information of two points on the map data corresponding to both ends of the flight line, and the flight control system according to Item 1. [Item 3] The drone has a direction estimation unit for estimating the heading direction of the drone. The flight control unit controls the propulsion mechanism based on the current heading direction. A flight control system as described in item 1 or 2. [Item 4] The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle An imaging unit capable of capturing images, A shooting direction estimation unit that estimates the shooting direction of the imaging unit, Controlling the heading direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle or the direction of the gimbal supporting the imaging unit. The device has a shooting direction control unit that changes the shooting direction by operating it, as described in item 3. The flight control system. [Item 5] The aforementioned flight line is a straight line overall, according to any of the flight control systems described in items 1 to 4. Tem. [Item 6] The aforementioned flight line has a bent or curved section, and is a flight control according to any one of items 1 to 4. system.

[0011] <Details of embodiments according to the present invention> The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The form of implementation is merely an example; other known elements may be used depending on the purpose, objective, or scale. Alternatively, alternative methods can be adopted.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the system 1 according to the present invention includes a control device 10 operated by an operator and The system comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle 20 capable of flying based on control signals transmitted from a control device 10. In this system 1, the pilot can manually control the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 and control By operating the operation input unit 13 of the device 10 in a uniaxial direction, a preset virtual space can be created. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be flown along the flight line FL inside. In terms of configuration, in addition to the above configuration, the control device 10 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 are connected to a network. It may also have management terminals, relay devices, etc., that are connected via it.

[0013] <Configuration of the control system> The control device 10 has the functional blocks shown in Figure 2. The control device 10 includes a control unit. 11, Memory unit 12, Operation input unit 13, Transmit / receive unit 14, Display unit 15, Flight line setting unit 16 It is equipped with the above. Note that the functional block in Figure 2 is a reference configuration, and the control device 10 may be other than those described above. It may also include other components (for example, operating parts such as buttons).

[0014] The control unit 11 includes, for example, a processor. The control unit 11 controls the operation of each part of the control device 10. Signal processing (generation, output, transmission / reception) to control and manage the entire system, and data between other parts. It performs input / output processing, data calculation processing, and data storage processing. The control unit 11 controls the operator's controls Based on the operation of the input unit 13, the system refers to the information stored in the memory unit 12 as appropriate, and then operates the unmanned aircraft. The control unit 11 can generate control signals to control the flight of the aircraft 20. The control signals are transmitted to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (via the transceiver 14) to remotely control the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. It can be controlled. This allows the control device 10 to remotely control the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. It can be controlled. The control device 10 sends signals to change the flight direction, flight speed, flight acceleration, etc., to the unmanned aircraft. It can be transmitted to the airborne aircraft 20.

[0015] The memory unit 12 stores, for example, data such as programs and setting values ​​that define the operation of the control device 10. The stored ROM and various information and data used during processing by the control unit 11 are temporarily stored. It may have RAM. The storage unit 12 may include memory other than ROM and RAM. The memory unit 12 may be located inside the control device 10, or it may be removable from the control device 10. It may be provided in the function. The memory unit 12 can store information about the flight line FL. ru.

[0016] The transmitting / receiving unit 14 includes a transmitting unit that transmits control signals and the like based on operation input to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, The system has an integrated receiving unit that receives signals from unmanned aerial vehicles, etc., but the transmitting unit and the receiving unit The two may be provided separately. The transmitting / receiving unit 14 may be any suitable wired communication or wireless communication. Communication means can be used. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 25 can use a local area network. LAN, Wide Area Network (WAN), Infrared, Wireless, WiFi, Point Two-point (P2P) networks, telecommunications networks, cloud communications, etc. One or more of these can be used. The transmitting / receiving unit 25 uses Bluetooth (registered trademark). ) and short-range communication interfaces such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) It may also be equipped with a [specific feature].

[0017] The display unit 15 displays various information acquired by the control device 10 (for example, information received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 20) It displays images, flight data, etc. The display unit 15 is installed inside or outside the control device 10. It may be attached to the control device 10, or it may be detachably mounted. The display unit 15 may be various It may also consist of a touch panel capable of accepting input.

[0018] The operation input unit 13 accepts operation input from the operator. The operation input unit 13 accepts at least It is also configured to allow single-axis operation input. Single-axis operation input refers to the middle This includes an operation input to one side from a standing position, and an operation input to the other side. In the input section 13, one side and the other side in the uniaxial direction are the flight lines of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, respectively. Corresponds to the flight directions on one side and the other side along the flight line (FL).

[0019] The control input section 13 includes a control stick that can be tilted left and right, and a pair of left and right push buttons (cross It consists of (including left and right buttons on the character keys, etc.) or a rotary dial, etc., but is not particularly limited It is not something that is done. For example, if the control input unit 13 is a control stick, the neutral position of the upright posture From this state, by tilting to one side and the other side in the left-right direction, one side in the uniaxial direction And it is possible to input operations to the other side. This allows the transmitting unit (transmitting and receiving) of the control device 10 to make the input. Based on the input from the signal box 14) to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to one side and the other side in one axis direction A control signal is then transmitted. Note that one axis of the control input unit 13 is, for example, left-right or front-back. This can be a direction, or an up-and-down direction (push-pull direction), etc., but is not particularly limited. do not have.

[0020] The operation input unit 13 is preferably limited to the single axis direction in which it can be operated. However, this is not the only example. The operation input unit 13 in this example is operated only in the left and right directions. Because the input is limited, the operation is not complicated, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be easily manually controlled. It is possible.

[0021] Furthermore, the control device 10 is equipped with a flight start button and the like for sending a request to start flight. It may be done. When the flight start button is pressed, for example, the control unit 11 of the control device 10 will Referencing memory unit 12, it outputs a control signal instructing flight to a predetermined position, and the control signal is The unmanned aerial vehicle 20, which is stationary on the ground, transmits the control signal. Upon receiving the signal, the aircraft will autonomously fly to a predetermined aerial position (a predetermined latitude, longitude, and altitude), and It hovers in that position.

[0022] The entirety or part of the control device 10 is, for example, a smartphone with a touch panel screen. It may also consist of an information processing device such as a tablet terminal. In that case, a touch panel The image icons of the control sticks and other controls displayed on the screen constitute the control input section. Tap (touch the screen with your finger) or slide (the screen) on the indicated input area. (To slide your finger in any direction while keeping it in contact with the surface.) This allows you to perform various operations and inputs.

[0023] The operator performs a control operation such as tilting the control input unit 13 to one side or the other side in one axis direction. Then, the control unit 11 of the control device 10 outputs a control signal corresponding to the operation input, and the unmanned aerial vehicle Transmitted to machine 20. The control signal includes information about the direction (one side or the other side) and the degree of operation. Information regarding (angle of tilt of the control stick, distance moved of operation icons on the touch panel) (etc.) are included. Based on the direction information in the control signals, the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is The flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is controlled based on information regarding the degree of operation in the control signals. The speed is controlled. In other words, the control device 10 controls the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 along the flight line FL. It can output a signal indicating the direction of movement (horizontal movement direction) and transmit it to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. Furthermore, the control device 10 in this example transmits a signal that instructs the flight speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. It is possible to do so. The control device 10 also provides instructions regarding the flight altitude of the unmanned aircraft 20 and instructions for takeoff. Display, landing instructions, hovering (stopping in the air) instructions, change of camera 26 orientation (shooting direction) It outputs control signals indicating instructions, instructions to change the aircraft's orientation (heading direction), etc., for unmanned aerial vehicles. It may be possible to enable transmission to 20. By controlling the gimbal 27 of camera 26, the shooting method You can change the direction, or you can change the shooting direction by changing the orientation of the aircraft. You can do that.

[0024] The transmitting / receiving unit 14 can receive signals from the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. This allows, for example, For example, images taken by the camera 26 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 and audio acquired by the microphone are used in the control system. The display unit 15 (monitor, etc.) of the unit 10 can be used to display the information, or the information can be output from the speaker. can.

[0025] The control device 10 includes a flight line setting unit 16 for setting the flight line FL. The flight line setting unit 16, for example, sets the positions of two points corresponding to both ends of the flight line FL. Based on location information and the shape information of the line connecting the two points, a flight line FL of any shape is stored. It can be set on the map data stored in the unit. The flight line setting unit 16 has two points Based solely on the location information, a straight line (line segment) connecting those two points is set as the flight line FL. This is possible. In addition, shape information of lines other than straight lines can be entered by the user via a touch panel or similar input device. Input can be done by drawing through the unit, etc. Specifically, Flight line setting unit 1 6 is a 2D planar map displayed on a touch panel, etc., on which the operator or other user inputs (draws, selects) Based on the shape and position information of a single line, the flight line FL can be set.

[0026] The flight line setting unit 16 may be installed on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, or it may be accessed via a network. It may be installed in the control device 10 or a management terminal connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle. The management terminal is, for example, For example, it can exchange information with one or more unmanned aerial vehicles simultaneously. It can manage the flight of human-powered aircraft. The management terminal is connected to a database, for example. The management terminal is a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or personal computer. It could be a computer, or it could be logically realized through cloud computing. It may also be used. The management terminal may include, for example, a processor, memory, storage, transceiver, input / output. It is equipped with various components, which are electrically connected to each other via a bus.

[0027] <Configuration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles> In this embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 UAVs are aerial vehicles, drones, and multi-rotor aircraft. opter), RPAS (remote piloted aircraft syst) EMS, or UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems), etc. They are sometimes called.

[0028] The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has the functional blocks shown in Figure 3. The configuration shown is a sample and can be changed as needed. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is a flight controller. Ra 21 (Flight Control Unit), Memory 22 (Storage Unit), Sensors 23, Battery 24, Transmitter / Receiver Unit 25, camera 26 (imaging unit), gimbal 27, ESC 29, motor 30, and propeller It is equipped with 31 (rotor wings). Furthermore, without a gimbal 27, the main body of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is equipped with a rotor. The camera 26 may be fixed in place. By providing the gimbal 27, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 The orientation of the camera 26 relative to the main body can be changed.

[0029] The flight controller 21 is a so-called processing unit. The processing unit is programmer One of the main processors (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), MPU, or DSP) The processing unit may have the above processors. The processing unit has access to memory 22. Yes. Memory 22 is a memory that a processing unit can execute to perform one or more steps. It stores the code and / or program instructions. Memory 22 is, for example, , a separable medium such as an SD card or random access memory (RAM) or an external memory It may include a memory device. Data acquired from cameras and sensors 23 is stored in memory 22. It may be transmitted and stored directly. For example, still images and videos taken with camera 26, etc. The data is recorded in internal or external memory.

[0030] The processing unit includes a control module configured to control the state of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. It includes, for example, a control module with 6 degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y, and z, as well as rotation). motion θ x , θ y and θ z The spatial arrangement, speed, and / or of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 having ) To adjust the acceleration, the propulsion mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 (ESC29, motor 30, and pro It controls the propeller (31, etc.). The control module controls one of the states of the mounted section and sensors (23). The above can be controlled. The flight controller 21 receives control signals from the control device 10. Based on the code, the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be controlled. Ra21 includes map information, including 2D or 3D map data stored in the memory unit, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Based on the current position information, attitude information, speed information, and acceleration information of aircraft 20, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) The flight controller 21 can control the flight of aircraft 20. The flight controller 21 receives the above information and Based on the received control signals, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 will move along the flight line FL to one side or the other. The propulsion system can be controlled to fly in one direction. Also, Flight Controller 2 Regardless of the heading direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, if the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is on the flight line FL The propulsion system is designed to move along the flight path (to prevent the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 from deviating from the flight line FL). The configuration can be controlled. In that case, the flight controller 21 controls the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 Obtain the current heading direction information, and based on that heading direction information, The flight controller 21 controls the rotation speed of the propeller 31, etc. When aircraft 20 moves along the flight line FL, the heading direction is kept constant and unchanging. It is also possible to control its flight.

[0031] The processing unit connects to one or more external devices (e.g., terminals, display devices, or other remote devices). Transceiver 25 configured to transmit and / or receive data from the distance controller. It can communicate with any suitable communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication. The transmitting / receiving unit 25 can communicate with any suitable communication method. A stage can be used. For example, the transmitting / receiving unit 25 is a local area network (L AN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Infrared, Wireless, WiFi, Point-to-Point One of the following: point (P2P) networks, telecommunications networks, cloud communications, etc. One or more can be used. The transmitting / receiving unit 25 uses Bluetooth (registered trademark) and Short-range communication interfaces such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) It may be provided. The transmitting / receiving unit 25 receives and processes data acquired by the camera 26 and sensors 23. The processing results generated by the unit, predetermined control data, and data from the control device 10 or management terminal, etc. Sending and / or receiving one or more user commands (control signals), etc. can.

[0032] The sensors 23 in this embodiment include inertial sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope), GPS sensors, proximity sensors (e.g., LiDAR), or vision / image sensors (e.g.) For example, it could include a camera.

[0033] The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has a position estimation unit for estimating the current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The position estimation unit obtains data from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) such as GPS. Based on latitude and longitude coordinate information, altitude information obtained from a barometric pressure sensor, etc., memory 22 On map data such as a two-dimensional planar map or a three-dimensional spatial map stored in a memory unit, The flight controller 21 estimates the current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. Based on its current position, the propulsion system is controlled to keep the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 on its flight path. It is possible.

[0034] The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has an attitude estimation unit that estimates the current attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The estimation unit determines the current attitude (tilt) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 based on information obtained from the inertial sensor, etc. We estimate (k).

[0035] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has a speed estimation unit that estimates the current speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The velocity estimation unit estimates the velocity based on data obtained, for example, from an inertial sensor. .

[0036] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 estimates its current orientation (heading direction). It has a direction estimation unit. The direction estimation unit is provided, for example, on the airframe (main body) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. Based on directional data obtained from sensors such as a compass, the heading direction is estimated. ru.

[0037] Furthermore, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has a shooting direction estimation unit that estimates the shooting direction of the imaging unit. The direction estimation unit uses, for example, a camera 26, a gimbal 27, or a compass provided on the aircraft. The shooting direction is estimated based on directional data obtained from the sensor.

[0038] In this embodiment, the data obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 includes positional information (altitude). (Including information), posture information, speed information, battery level, signal strength, camera image information, Camera direction (shooting direction), zoom in / zoom out, etc., the features of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 Any data can be obtained from the sensor. Flight information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, and the data obtained. The data may be transmitted to the control device 10, or, if necessary, to the management terminal via a relay device or the like. It may be transmitted. Also, the control device 10 will take a picture with the camera based on the operator's input. Control actions such as starting / stopping shadows, changing camera direction (shooting direction), zooming in / out, etc. It can generate a signal and transmit it to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

[0039] <Setting the flight line> The following is an example of how to set up the flight line FL. The configuration method is not limited to this example and can be done via the control device 10, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, or a network. The settings can be configured using any method with the connected management terminal, etc. The flight line FL is connected via the control device 10, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, or the network. It is stored in the memory unit (12, 22, etc.) of the management terminal, etc. The flight line FL is in the air. This refers to a virtually defined linear flight range at a constant altitude, and the entire area is continuous. It consists of a single line. The flight line FL is pre-set before the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 begins flight. The flight line FL is a single linear structure that continues from one end to the other (Figure 1, Figure 1). 4. (See Figure 5) It can be configured as a ring shape consisting of a single line (see Figure 6).

[0040] Figure 1 shows the area above one sideline SL on a sports field such as soccer. The set flight line FL is shown. Note that the soccer field shown in Figure 1 is a plan view. It is rectangular, with a pair of sidelines SL (touchlines) forming the longer sides, and the shorter sides forming... It has a pair of goal lines GL.

[0041] The flight line setting unit 16 includes, for example, two points P1 and P located at both ends of the side line SL. The location information of point 2 is acquired, and a flight line FL is established based on the location information of these two points P1 and P2. It can be determined. For example, one end of the sideline SL (intersection with the goal line GL). An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 20 is positioned at point P1, and the positional information obtained from the GPS of the UAV 20 is By transmitting the information to the control device 10, the flight line setting unit 16 determines the latitude and longitude of point P1 Obtain the information. Similarly, obtain the latitude and longitude of point P2 at the other end of sideline SL. The flight line setting unit 16 sets a straight line (line segment) connecting the two points, and then... It can be set as the flight line FL on the original planar map. Also, the height of the flight line FL The altitude (ground altitude or sea level altitude) is predetermined and stored in the memory unit 12, etc. (For example, 10m, etc.) Alternatively, the pilot may set the flight line FL. When setting it, it may be possible to set it to any height. The altitude of the flight line FL is the same as the whole. It may be set to a fixed height, or it may be set to partially different heights.

[0042] When the pilot or other operator sets the height of the flight line FL, for example, a touch is provided on the control device 10. The altitude value (m) can be entered from an input section such as a control panel, or it can be set in advance. The user should select an altitude from a set of options (e.g., 5m, 10m, 20m, etc.). That's fine.

[0043] The flight line FL is not limited to being a straight line as in this example, but is not limited to curved shapes such as arcs. It may have a section or a bent section that bends at a predetermined angle (acute, right, or obtuse angle), or the whole The body or a part thereof may have any curved shape. The flight line setting section 16 may have curved or bent sections. The starting point (one end), ending point (the other end), center of curvature, radius of curvature, bending angle, and position of the corner (bending point) of the section. The flight line FL can be set based on input information such as location information.

[0044] Furthermore, the flight line setting unit 16 receives information (latitude) of one point corresponding to one end of the flight line FL. (Coordinate information of longitude) and the distance from that point to the point corresponding to the other end of the flight line FL. It is also possible to set the flight line FL based on (m) and direction (direction) information. ru.

[0045] Here, Figures 4, 5, and 6 are plan views illustrating the flight line FL. The flight shown in Figure 4 The row line FL has a wavy structure in which roughly arc-shaped curves are arranged alternately from one end to the other. Yes. In the case of Figure 4, when the operator operates the control input unit 13 to one side or the other side in one axis direction, The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 will move along the wavy flight line FL in one direction (towards one end) or It flies in the other direction (towards the other end). Note that the pilot operates the control input unit 13. When not in use, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 hovers on the flight line FL.

[0046] The flight line FL shown in Figure 5 has four bends between one end and the other. The setting unit 16, for example, stores positional information for six points corresponding to one end, the other end, and four bends. Based on the information about the shape of the lines connecting them (five straight lines in this example), the flight path In the case of Figure 5, as in the case of Figure 4, unmanned flight The aircraft 20 moves along the curved flight line FL, either to one side or to the other.

[0047] The flight line FL shown in Figure 6 is a rectangular shape with four bends. Flight line setting Section 16, for example, contains positional information for four points corresponding to four bends, and the lines connecting them (main In this example, the flight line FL can be set based on the shape information of the four straight lines. In the case of Figure 6, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 also flies along the annular flight line FL on one side or It moves in a circular motion to the other side. Note that the circular flight line FL is rectangular in plan view. The composition is not limited to squares or other polygonal shapes, and it may also be circular, elliptical, etc. Furthermore, if the flight line FL is circular, for example, the position information of the center of the circle and the radius (diameter) information... Based on the information, the flight line FL can be set, and in the case of an ellipse, for example, within the ellipse. The flight line FL can be set based on the position information of the heart and the information of the major and minor axes. ru.

[0048] The flight line FL is transmitted to the memory unit 12 of the control device 10 and / or to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The data is stored in the memory 22 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. Flight controller of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 21 is information about the flight line FL on map data such as a 2D map or a 3D map, and unmanned Based on information such as the aircraft's current position, attitude, and speed, two unmanned aircraft are placed on the flight line FL. The propulsion mechanisms, such as each propeller 31, can be controlled to keep the value at 0. Furthermore, based on information about the heading direction and acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, The propulsion mechanism may also be controlled.

[0049] <Control Example 1> An example of flight control according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 1. This section explains the case of using the camera 26 of an unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to film soccer matches and other games. The flight line (FL) is set in advance before the start of flight using the methods described above.

[0050] For example, the pilot can control the automatic lift-off button of the control device 10 while the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is on the ground. Select and input the following. This will transmit the flight line FL from the control device 10 to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. A signal is transmitted instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to automatically take off. Upon receiving this signal, the UAV 20 will The Itocontroller 21 controls the propulsion mechanism, automatically raising the altitude to a preset level. Then, it hovers on the flight line FL. When placing the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 on the ground, It is preferable to place it on the ground line corresponding to the row line FL (in this example, the side line SL). By doing this, simply by making the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 float straight up, the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 0 can be moved onto the flight line FL. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 at point 1 in Figure 1. If the automatic ascent button is selected and input while the device is positioned at point P3, which is midway between point P1 and point P2, then It hovers at the center of the flight line FL directly above it.

[0051] The pilot inputs controls in one axis direction (left or right, etc.) to the control input unit 13, and aligns the flight path F The direction of movement, speed, etc., of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 along L can be controlled. The operator may control the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 while visually observing it, or by displaying it on the monitor screen of the control device 10. While looking at the displayed image (real-time video captured by camera 26 of unmanned aerial vehicle 20) You may perform the piloting operations.

[0052] The operator operates the control input unit 13 of the control device 10, and the control input on one side of the axial direction is Then, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 moves to one side along the flight line FL (for example, horizontal flight) When an input is made to control the other side in one axis direction, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 moves along the flight line FL. Move to the other side. One side and the other side in the axial direction of the operation input unit 13 are, respectively, flight lines. It corresponds to one side and the other side along the FL. For example, one axis of the operation input unit 13 is left If the direction is to the right, tilting the operation input unit 13 to the left will cause the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to fly. Move along the INFL to one side, and tilt the operation input unit 13 to the right, and the unmanned aircraft 20 moves to the other side along the flight line FL.

[0053] While the pilot is operating the control input unit 13 of the control device 10 to one side, the unmanned aircraft 2 Based on the control signal from the control device 10, 0 moves towards one end along the flight line FL. It continues to move. However, once the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 reaches one end of the flight line FL, the pilot controls Even if the operation input unit 13 of the vertical device 10 is operated to one side, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 will not operate any further. Instead of continuing to move, it hovers at one end. In other words, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 follows the flight path. The aircraft is controlled to remain on the flight line. The pilot controls the control input unit 13 of the control device 10 to the other side. The same applies when inputting controls; until the other end of the flight line FL is reached, the flight line F It moves along L towards the other end, and once it reaches the other end, it stops moving and hovers. In this way, while achieving simple manual control using the control device 10, the pre-set flight path can be used. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be controlled to automatically remain on line FL.

[0054] In this way, the pilot can control the flight line FL using only one-axis operation of the control input unit 13. The position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be easily adjusted. As a result, the control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 Even inexperienced pilots can easily use the camera 26 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to film a soccer match. It is possible to take photographs such as the following. For example, when taking photographs with an unmanned aerial vehicle 20, the person being photographed By adjusting the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 on the flight line FL according to the position of objects and other items, This makes it possible to properly photograph the subject. Also, the flight control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 The Lola 21 automatically controls the flight path so that the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 stays on the flight line FL. Therefore, if the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 flies in an unintended direction due to pilot error, etc. There is no risk of injury, and safety can be significantly improved. Therefore, according to this system 1, This allows for safe manual control of the aircraft without requiring advanced piloting skills.

[0055] The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 includes a shooting direction estimation unit that estimates the shooting direction of the imaging unit, and a unit that controls the shooting direction. It may have a shooting direction control unit for determining the shooting direction. The shooting direction estimation unit may be, for example, an unmanned aerial vehicle. Information regarding the heading direction of the aircraft 20, the orientation of the gimbal 27, and the images captured by the camera 26. The shooting direction is estimated based on at least one piece of information, such as video footage. , control of the gimbal 27 supporting the camera 26, and / or the heading of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 The shooting direction can be controlled by controlling the direction of the image. With this configuration, imaging Depending on the unit, the accuracy of photographing the subject can be improved.

[0056] The flight control method for the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 according to the present invention is performed by the flight line setting unit 16, using a map A flight line setting step in which a virtual flight line is set on the data, and the pilot's operation Based on the control signal transmitted from the control device 10 in response to the uniaxial operation of the input unit 13 The flight control unit 21 controls the unmanned aircraft to fly along the flight line. Includes steps and

[0057] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. This invention is not intended to be interpreted in that way. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from its spirit. It is possible to do so, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

[0058] For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may perform some of the functions of the control device 10, or unmanned The control system 10 may perform some of the functions of the aircraft 20.

[0059] Furthermore, the control device 10 controls the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to move only along the flight line FL. There is a specific control mode for flight control and a normal mode that is not limited to movement along the flight line FL. It may have a changeover switch for switching between the two. In that case, the control device 10 The unit 11 and / or the flight controller 21 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 have a specific control motor. A mode switching unit is provided to switch between the normal mode and the default mode. When switched to a specific control mode, as described above, the range of movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 becomes, It is restricted to the row line FL only. For example, during a specific control mode, the operation of the control device 10 is restricted. Input is limited to one axis only, or control is transmitted from the control device 10 to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The signal may be limited to control signals in one axis direction only. Also, during normal mode, The aforementioned restrictions are lifted, and multi-axis operation input becomes possible via the operation input unit 13 of the control device 10. This makes it possible to transmit control signals in multiple axes from the control device 10 to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. With this configuration, for example, when used by a pilot with extensive flight experience, the normal mode and This allows the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to be freely manually controlled regardless of the flight line FL. Furthermore, when used by pilots with little piloting experience, switching to a specific control mode makes it easy. Furthermore, it allows for safe manual control, specifically movement along the flight line (FL). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10 Control devices 20 Unmanned aerial vehicle 21 Flight Control Unit

Claims

1. A control device having an input unit, and capable of flight control based on control signals from the control device. Equipped with an unmanned aerial vehicle, The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle A propulsion mechanism including multiple rotor blades, A position estimation unit for estimating the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, An attitude estimation unit for estimating the attitude of the aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle, A speed estimation unit for estimating the movement speed of the aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle, Based on information including the current position, attitude, and speed of the aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle, the propulsion mechanism It has a flight control unit that controls the aircraft, The flight control unit responds to the pilot's operation of the control input unit in one axis direction to the control system Based on the control signals transmitted from the station, a virtual flight line is set up in advance on the map data. A flight control system characterized by controlling the propulsion mechanism to fly along a specific path.

2. The control device or the unmanned aerial vehicle is the map data corresponding to both ends of the flight line. A flight line setting unit sets the flight line based on the positional information of two points on the data. The flight control system according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle It has a direction estimation unit that estimates the heading direction of the aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle, The flight control unit controls the propulsion mechanism based on the current heading direction. A flight control system as described in item 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned unmanned aerial vehicle An imaging unit capable of capturing images, A shooting direction estimation unit that estimates the shooting direction of the imaging unit, Controlling the heading direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle or the direction of the gimbal supporting the imaging unit. Claim 3 comprises a shooting direction control unit which changes the shooting direction by controlling it The onboard flight control system.

5. The flight line is entirely in a straight line, according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Stem.

6. The flight line has a bent portion or a curved portion, according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Your system.

Images