Aircraft

Abstract

To provide an aircraft capable of capturing images during flight while suppressing adverse effects caused by external environments such as weather. [Solution] The flying object UAV is equipped with an imaging device 3 capable of imaging during flight. The flying object UAV is equipped with a storage section 10 capable of storing the imaging device 3, and the imaging device 3 is capable of imaging the outside of the storage section 10 while stored in the storage section 10 during flight, and is also capable of imaging while exposed to the outside from the storage section 10. Furthermore, in the flying object UAV, the storage section 10 has an opening 11 formed at the bottom, and the imaging device 3 descends from the opening 11 of the storage section 10 to be exposed to the outside from the storage section 10, and ascends to be stored through the opening 11 of the storage section 10.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application discloses an air vehicle equipped with an imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles, which are called drones or the like, are used for various purposes such as measurement, surveying, monitoring, and investigation. In particular, unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with a camera and capturing images of a target from the air are used in various situations. However, when an unmanned aerial vehicle is used outdoors, the imaging process using the unmanned aerial vehicle is strongly affected by weather such as rainfall and snowfall. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with an aerial camera, in which a control circuit board that is vulnerable to rainwater is housed in a housing, and measures are taken against heat generation of the housed control circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-022134 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the unmanned aerial vehicle proposed in Patent Document 1 takes into consideration failures of the control circuit board, it does not take into consideration problems caused by the aerial camera being exposed to raindrops.

[0005] The present application has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to disclose an aircraft capable of suppressing adverse effects on an imaging device caused by external environments such as weather. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the flying body disclosed in the present application is an flying body equipped with an imaging device capable of capturing images, and is equipped with a storage section capable of storing the imaging device, and is characterized in that the imaging device is capable of capturing images of an external imaging target while stored in the storage section during flight, and is also capable of capturing images of the imaging target while exposed to the outside from the storage section.

[0007] The flying object is further characterized in that it is provided with a support section that supports the imaging device so that it can be inserted into and removed from the storage section, and the imaging device transitions between a state in which it is stored in the storage section and a state in which it is exposed to the outside from the storage section by moving while supported by the support section.

[0008] In addition, in the flying object, the storage section has a window section that transmits light, and the imaging device is capable of capturing images of an external imaging target through the window section when stored in the storage section.

[0009] In addition, in the flying object, the storage section has an opening formed at the bottom, and the imaging device is exposed to the outside from the storage section by descending through the opening of the storage section, and is stored through the opening of the storage section by rising.

[0010] The aircraft may further include legs that support the entire aircraft, and the imaging device may be accommodated in the accommodation section, allowing the imaging device to be placed in a state supported by the legs. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The flying object disclosed herein is capable of taking the imaging device in and out of the storage section. Moreover, the flying object disclosed herein is capable of taking images with the imaging device stored in the storage section, and also capable of taking images with the imaging device exposed to the outside from the storage section. As a result, the flying object disclosed herein can take the imaging device in and out of the storage section and take images according to the external environment, such as the weather, and thus has excellent effects such as being able to suppress adverse effects caused by the external environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic external view showing an example of an aircraft disclosed herein. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic external view showing an example of an aircraft disclosed herein. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic external view showing an example of an aircraft disclosed herein. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of the interior of an aircraft disclosed herein. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an aircraft disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The flying object disclosed in the present application is an unmanned flying object called a drone, a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), a multicopter, etc. In the following, the flying object UAV shown in the drawings will be described as an example with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0014] 1 to 3 are schematic external views showing an example of an air vehicle UAV disclosed in the present application. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the air vehicle UAV disclosed in the present application. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view from diagonally above the front, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic perspective views from diagonally below the front. The air vehicle UAV disclosed in the present application includes various configurations such as a main unit 1 that accommodates various mechanisms, and a flight mechanism 2 for flying. Furthermore, the air vehicle UAV includes an imaging device 3, and the main unit 1 includes a storage section 10 capable of accommodating the imaging device 3.

[0015] The structure of the flying object UAV will be described in more detail. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the imaging device 3 is housed in the housing section 10, and FIG. 3 shows a state in which the imaging device 3 is exposed to the outside from the housing section 10. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the flying object UAV, showing the general shape of the inside other than the housing section 10. The front side of the inside of the main body device 1 is the housing section 10, and the rear side of the inside houses various components such as the control device 4 described later. The housing section 10 has an opening 11 formed at the bottom, and the imaging device 3 can be inserted and removed from the housing section 10 through the opening 11. It is also possible to configure the housing section 10 to have a lid that covers the opening 11 when the imaging device 3 is housed in the housing section 10. The front lower part of the main body device 1 is a closed window section 12 that transmits light, such as a transparent acrylic plate. It is possible to use various materials such as plate glass, a lens for magnification, and glass that transmits only light of a specific wavelength, in addition to the acrylic plate, as the closed member that constitutes the window section 12. Furthermore, the window portion 12 can also be formed as an open aperture.

[0016] The storage section 10 is provided with a support section 13 that supports the imaging device 3 so that it can be inserted and removed from the storage section 10. The support section 13 is a columnar member that extends vertically. The imaging device 3 includes an imaging section 30 using an imaging element that detects light and generates an image, an imaging housing 31 that houses the imaging section 30, and a connecting mechanism 32 that connects the support section 13 and the imaging housing 31 while being supported by the support section 13. The imaging element used in the imaging section 30 has a function of detecting light of various wavelengths such as infrared light, visible light, and ultraviolet light. The connecting mechanism 32 can change the imaging direction and imaging range by moving the imaging housing 31 that is connected to it, thereby making it possible to track the imaging target. In addition, when the imaging housing 31 is located in the storage section 10 of the main unit 1, the imaging section 30 of the imaging device 3 is located at a position corresponding to the window section 12 of the main unit 1, and it is possible to capture an imaging target outside the flying object UAV through the window section 12.

[0017] Furthermore, a plurality of protruding legs 14 extending downward are provided on the bottom surface of the main unit 1. The tips of the legs 14 are located below the bottom surface of the main unit 1.

[0018] The flight mechanism 2 includes various configurations such as six arms 20 extending laterally from the main body 1 and rotors 21 attached near the tips of the arms 20. Each arm 20 is foldable, and for example, the arm 20 can be folded during transportation to reduce the overall size. The rotors 21 attached near the tips of the arms 20 rotate with built-in rotors. The rotation of each rotor 21 causes the flying object UAV to control flight and flight attitude. In this application, a hexacopter having six pairs of rotors 21 is described as an example, but the flying object UAV according to this application can be realized as various flying objects UAV, such as a quadcopter having four pairs of rotors 21 and an octocopter having eight pairs of rotors 21.

[0019] Next, a functional configuration example of the flying object UAV disclosed in the present application will be described. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the flying object UAV disclosed in the present application. The flying object UAV includes various components such as a control device 4, the above-mentioned flight mechanism 2, a power unit 5, the above-mentioned imaging device 3, an elevation drive unit 6, a position information acquisition unit 7, and a communication unit 8.

[0020] The control device 4 is a device that controls the entire flying object UAV, and is configured using a computer such as a microcomputer and a memory that stores various information. The control device 4 is equipped with sub-processors (coprocessors) such as a flight control unit 40 that controls flight and an imaging control unit 41 that controls imaging. The flight control unit 40 mainly controls the flight of the flying object UAV by controlling the flight mechanism 2 and the power unit 5. The imaging control unit 41 mainly controls the imaging of the flying object UAV by controlling the imaging device 3 and the elevation drive unit 6.

[0021] The power unit 5 is a mechanism that includes a power source such as electricity or an engine, and drives various mechanisms such as the flight mechanism 2. The elevation drive unit 6 is a mechanism that raises and lowers the imaging device 3 supported by the support unit 13.

[0022] The location information acquisition unit 7 has an antenna that communicates with artificial satellites such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites, and is a mechanism that acquires and processes location information indicating the position of the flying object UAV based on communication with the GNSS satellite.

[0023] The communication unit 8 is a circuit for communicating with an operation device (not shown) operated by an operator. The flying object UAV transmits various information such as flight position, flight state, and image data obtained by imaging with the imaging device 3 from the communication unit 8 to the operation device. In addition, the operator can operate the operation device to transmit various commands, thereby controlling the flying object UAV, which receives commands via the communication unit 8. Note that various information such as image data captured by the imaging device 3 may be stored in a memory unit provided in the imaging control unit 41, and may be obtained from the memory unit after the flying object UAV is collected.

[0024] The flying object UAV disclosed in the present application configured as described above accommodates the imaging device 3 in the accommodation section 10 secured in the main body device 1, and the imaging device 3 can be inserted and removed from the accommodation section 10. Specifically, the flying object UAV can expose the imaging device 3 supported by the support section 13 to the outside of the main body device 1 by moving (lowering) it downward from the opening 11 formed at the bottom of the accommodation section 10. The flying object UAV disclosed in the present application can also insert and remove the imaging device 3 during flight under the control of the imaging control section 41. For example, in the case of fine weather, the flying object UAV can capture an image of an external imaging target by the imaging device 3 exposed to the outside during flight. The imaging device 3 exposed to the outside can capture an image while tracking the imaging target by the function of the connecting mechanism 32 based on the control of the imaging control section 41. Also, for example, in the case of rainy weather, the flying object UAV can capture an image of an external imaging target through the window section 12 by the imaging device 3 accommodated in the accommodation section 10 during flight. Furthermore, for example, in the case of rainy weather, the flying object UAV can capture an image of an object below through the opening 11 by directing the imaging direction of the imaging device 3 stored in the storage section 10 downward. Therefore, even in rainy weather, particularly in stormy weather with heavy rainfall, the flying object UAV can capture images of a disaster site where damage such as overflow has occurred while preventing the imaging device 3 from being exposed to raindrops. As described above, the flying object UAV disclosed in the present application has excellent effects such as being able to capture images while suppressing adverse effects caused by the external environment such as weather.

[0025] In addition, with the imaging device 3 housed in the housing section 10, the flying object UAV disclosed herein can be placed on an appropriate mounting location with the entire object supported by the legs 14 extending downward from the bottom surface of the main body device 1. Furthermore, the flying object UAV disclosed herein can fold the arm section 20 and can be placed in that state, making it highly convenient for transportation and storage.

[0026] As described above, the flying object UAV disclosed in the present application includes a storage section 10 capable of storing the imaging device 3, and the imaging device 3 moves while supported by the support section 13 in the storage section 10, thereby transitioning between a state in which it is stored in the storage section 10 and a state in which it is exposed to the outside from the storage section 10. The flying object UAV can capture an image of an external imaging target whether the imaging device 3 is stored in the storage section 10 or exposed from the storage section 10. This allows the flying object UAV disclosed in the present application to achieve excellent effects, such as being able to capture images while minimizing adverse effects caused by the external environment, such as weather.

[0027] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various other forms. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as being restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and is not restricted in any way by the text of the specification. Furthermore, all modifications and changes within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

[0028] For example, in the above embodiment, the flying object UAV disclosed in the present application has been shown to have the imaging device 3 inserted and removed downward from the bottom of the main body device 1, but is not limited to this. The flying object UAV disclosed in the present application can be deployed in various forms, such as a form in which the imaging device 3 is inserted and removed in a direction other than downward, such as forward.

[0029] Also, for example, in the embodiment, the flying object UAV disclosed herein has been shown to have the imaging device 3 supported by the columnar support 13 and moved up and down to be inserted or removed from the main body device 1, but this is not limited thereto. The flying object UAV disclosed herein can be deployed into various forms, such as a form in which the imaging device 3 can be inserted or removed by using a foldable arm as the support 13 and folding or extending the support 13. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] UAV flying vehicle 1. Main unit 10 Storage section 11 Opening 12 Window section 13 Support part 14 Legs 2 Flight mechanism 20 Arm section 21 Rotor 3. Imaging device 30 Imaging unit 31 Imaging unit 32 Connection mechanism 4. Control device 40 Flight control unit 41 Imaging control unit 5 Power section 6 Lifting drive unit 7 Location information acquisition section 8. Communications Department

Claims

1. An aircraft equipped with an imaging device capable of imaging, a housing section capable of housing the imaging device; The imaging device is removable from the housing, The storage section includes: a window portion that transmits light from a direction different from a direction in which the imaging device is inserted and removed; The imaging device, during flight, The imaging device is capable of imaging an external imaging target while being accommodated in the accommodation section, and is also capable of imaging an imaging target while being exposed to the outside from the accommodation section, When the device is housed in the housing, it is possible to capture an image of an external object through the window. An aircraft characterized by:

2. An aircraft as described in claim 1, a support section that supports the imaging device so that the imaging device can be inserted into and removed from the housing section, The imaging device moves while being supported by the support section, and thereby transitions between a state in which the imaging device is accommodated in the accommodation section and a state in which the imaging device is exposed to the outside from the accommodation section. An aircraft characterized by:

3. An aircraft as described in claim 1, The storage section includes: There is an opening at the bottom, The imaging device includes: The container is exposed to the outside by descending through an opening of the container, By rising, the container is received through the opening of the container. An aircraft characterized by:

4. An aircraft as described in claim 3, Further comprising legs for supporting the entire aircraft; By storing the imaging device in the storage section, it is possible to place the imaging device in a state in which it is supported by the legs. An aircraft characterized by:

Images