Information processing device, information processing method, program, and flying object system

Abstract

The present invention provides safe flight for a flight vehicle even in an area where wireless communications and the like including a position report from the flight vehicle are unavailable.　Flight vehicles are controlled with restrictions on the number of flight vehicles entering an exclusively controlled airspace that includes areas in which flight vehicles cannot report the positions thereof. For example, a control unit limits the number of flight vehicles entering the exclusively controlled airspace to one. For example, when receiving an approach request from a flight vehicle entering the exclusively controlled airspace, the control unit transmits an approach clearance to the flight vehicle in the absence of other flight vehicles in the exclusively controlled airspace. In this case, for example, in the presence of other flight vehicles in the exclusively controlled airspace, a standby instruction is transmitted to the flight vehicle.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present technology relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and an aircraft system, and more particularly, to an information processing device and the like that enables an aircraft to fly even in an area with no wireless communication, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a method of controlling drones, which are flying objects, has been considered in which drones under control periodically report their own positions to a control system, which then knows the positions of the drones under control, and if the drones get too close to each other and there is a risk of collision, the control system issues an avoidance command to prevent collisions between the drones. To control with this system, it is necessary to have constant wireless communication between the control system and the drones.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology that prevents an aircraft from being in a wireless blackout while flying by storing location information when radio waves from a base station do not meet a predetermined reception condition and setting that location as a no-fly zone. In this case, it is possible to avoid a situation in which wireless communication between the control system and the drone is no longer possible, but there is the inconvenience that the aircraft cannot fly in the wireless blackout zone, and this wireless blackout zone cannot be used effectively. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-120534 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The purpose of this technology is to enable an aircraft to fly safely even in areas with no radio coverage where it cannot report its own position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The concept of this technology is as follows: The system includes a control unit that controls so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position. Located in an information processing device.

[0007] In this technology, the air traffic control unit controls the airspace so as to limit the number of aircraft entering the exclusive airspace. Here, the exclusive airspace is an airspace including an area where the aircraft cannot report its own position. For example, the special control area may be an airspace including an area where the aircraft cannot wirelessly communicate or an area where the aircraft cannot obtain its own position. In these areas, the aircraft cannot report its own position. Also, for example, the aircraft may be a drone.

[0008] For example, the air traffic control unit may limit the number of flying objects entering the exclusive airspace to one. In this case, for example, when the air traffic control unit receives an entry application from an air vehicle attempting to enter the exclusive airspace, the air traffic control unit may transmit an entry permission to the one flying object when no other flying object is entering the exclusive airspace. In this case, for example, when another flying object is entering the exclusive airspace, the air traffic control unit may transmit a standby instruction to the one flying object.

[0009] In this case, for example, the air traffic control unit may update the information of an aircraft entering the exclusive controlled airspace when it receives an entry application from an aircraft attempting to enter the exclusive controlled airspace and no other aircraft is entering the exclusive controlled airspace, when it transmits an entry permission to the aircraft, or when it receives an entry notification from the aircraft. In this case, for example, the exclusive controlled airspace may be composed of a special control area in which self-location reporting is not possible and an entry / exit control area set around the special control area, and the entry application may be received before the aircraft enters the entry / exit control area and the entry notification may be received after the aircraft enters the entry / exit control area.

[0010] Furthermore, for example, when the air traffic control unit receives an exit request from an air vehicle attempting to exit the exclusive airspace, if there are no other air vehicles around the air vehicle, the air traffic control unit may transmit an exit permission to the air vehicle. In this case, for example, when there are other air vehicles around the air vehicle, the air traffic control unit may transmit a standby instruction to the air vehicle.

[0011] Also, in this case, for example, the air traffic control unit may update the information of the aircraft entering the exclusive airspace when it receives an exit request from an aircraft attempting to exit the exclusive airspace, when it transmits an exit permission to the aircraft, or when it receives an exit notification from an aircraft to which an exit permission has been transmitted. And, in this case, for example, when there are a predetermined number of aircraft waiting to enter, the air traffic control unit may transmit an entry permission to the aircraft that has been waiting the earliest. Also, in this case, for example, the exclusive airspace may be composed of a special control area in which self-location reporting is not possible and an entry / exit control area set around the special control area, and the exit request may be received after an aircraft enters the entry / exit control area, and the exit notification may be received after an aircraft leaves the entry / exit control area.

[0012] Also, for example, when an aircraft without the ability to avoid other aircraft enters an exclusive control airspace, the air traffic control unit may limit the number of aircraft entering the exclusive control airspace to one while other aircraft without the ability to avoid other aircraft are present.

[0013] Furthermore, for example, when an air vehicle capable of avoiding other aircraft has entered the exclusive controlled airspace, the air traffic control unit may permit the air vehicle capable of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive controlled airspace. In this case, for example, when the number of the air vehicles capable of avoiding other aircraft that have entered the exclusive controlled airspace is the upper limit number, the air traffic control unit may not permit the air vehicle capable of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive controlled airspace.

[0014] Furthermore, for example, when an air vehicle capable of avoiding other aircraft has entered the exclusive controlled airspace, the air traffic control unit may not permit an air vehicle without the ability to avoid other aircraft to enter the exclusive controlled airspace. In this case, for example, the air traffic control unit may not permit an air vehicle without the ability to avoid other aircraft to enter the exclusive controlled airspace until all air vehicles that have entered the exclusive controlled airspace have exited it.

[0015] In this way, this technology controls the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace that includes an area where self-location reporting is not possible, making it possible to fly aircraft safely in this exclusive airspace and making it possible to use this exclusive airspace effectively.

[0016] Another concept of the present technology is A control system and a predetermined number of flying objects present in a controlled airspace of the control system, An exclusive airspace is set including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position to the air traffic control system, When the aircraft passes through the exclusive airspace, the aircraft transmits an entry application and an exit application to the air traffic control system; The control system controls the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace so as to limit the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace based on the entry application and the exit application transmitted from the flying object. In the air vehicle system.

[0017] This technology includes a control system and a predetermined number of flying objects in the controlled airspace of the control system. An exclusive controlled airspace is set, which includes an area in which flying objects cannot report their own positions to the control system. When flying objects pass through the exclusive controlled airspace, an entry application and an exit application are transmitted to the control system. The control system controls the number of flying objects entering the exclusive controlled airspace based on the entry application and the exit application transmitted from the flying objects.

[0018] In this way, in this technology, the control system controls the number of aircraft entering the exclusive airspace based on the entry and exit requests sent from the aircraft to the control system, making it possible for aircraft to fly safely in this exclusive airspace and enabling the exclusive airspace to be used effectively. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an aircraft system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the setting of special control areas and entry / exit control areas when expressed on a grid map. [Diagram 3] This figure shows an example of setting up special control areas and entry / exit control areas in cases where there is a large area where communication is difficult, such as mountainous regions, and making the entire area exclusive would significantly reduce the efficiency of airspace utilization. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of setting special control areas and entry / exit control areas when it is difficult to close off areas where communication is difficult, such as when flying from land to sea. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the control performed by the control system on drones passing through exclusive airspace. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system. [Figure 7] A figure showing an example of approaching drone information managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit. [Figure 8] A figure showing an example of drone information for which an entry application has been applied for managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a drone. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the approximate locations of each waypoint set on a drone's flight path that intersects with exclusive control airspace. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a list of waypoint types. [Figure 12]FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the control sequence when a drone passes through an exclusive airspace. [Figure 13] This is a sequence diagram showing the process by which two drones under the control of the surveillance system pass through an exclusive control airspace. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the control sequence when a drone passes through an exclusive airspace. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the control sequence when a drone passes through an exclusive airspace. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of the control system when an entry application is received. [Figure 17] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the control system when an entry notification is received. [Figure 18] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the control system when an exit application is received. [Figure 19] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the control system when an exit notification is received. [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a drone capable of avoiding other drones. [Figure 21] A figure showing an example of approaching drone information managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit. [Figure 22] A figure showing an example of drone information for which an entry application has been applied for managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit. [Figure 23] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of the control system when an entry application is received. [Figure 24] 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure of the control system when an exit notification is received. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiments") will be described in the following order. 1. First embodiment 2. Second embodiment 3. Variations

[0021] <1. First embodiment> "Example of aircraft system configuration" 1 shows an example of the configuration of an aircraft system 10 according to a first embodiment. This aircraft system 10 includes a control system 100 and a predetermined number of drones 200 (three drones in this case) that exist in the airspace controlled by the control system 100. Here, the drones 200 constitute an aircraft.

[0022] In this aircraft system 10, the drones 200 under control periodically report their own positions to the control system 100, so that the control system 100 knows the positions of the drones 200 under its control. If the drones 200 get too close to each other and there is a risk of collision, the control system 100 issues an avoidance command to the drone 200 and controls the drones 200 to avoid collisions between them.

[0023] Furthermore, in this aircraft system 10, the control system 100 controls so that only one drone 200 enters an exclusive controlled airspace that includes an area where the drone 200 cannot report its own position to the control system 100. By controlling in this manner, it becomes possible to fly an aircraft safely even in this exclusive controlled airspace, and this special controlled area can be used effectively.

[0024] Here, the area in which the drone 200 cannot report its own position is an area in which the drone 200 cannot communicate wirelessly, or an area in which the drone 200 cannot acquire its own position. In these areas, the drone 200 cannot report its own position to the control system 100. When multiple drones 200 enter this area, the control system 100 cannot grasp the position of each drone 200, and therefore cannot issue instructions to avoid collisions between the drones 200. Note that the above-mentioned areas in which wireless communication is not possible also include areas in which wireless communication is extremely unstable.

[0025] When the control system 100 receives an entry application from a drone 200 attempting to enter a special controlled area, if no other drones 200 are entering the special controlled area, the control system 100 transmits an entry permission to the drone 200 that made the entry request, and, on the other hand, if another drone 200 is entering the special controlled area, transmits a standby instruction to the drone 200 that made the entry request. In addition, when transmitting the entry permission, the control system 100 updates the information of drones entering the exclusive controlled airspace.

[0026] In addition, when the control system 100 receives an exit request from a drone 200 attempting to exit an exclusive controlled airspace, if there are no other drones 200 in the vicinity of the drone 200 that made the exit request, the control system 100 sends an exit permission to the drone 200 that made the exit request, and on the other hand, if there are other drones 200 in the vicinity of the drone 200 that made the exit request, the control system 100 sends a standby instruction to the drone 200 that made the exit request.

[0027] Furthermore, when the control system 100 receives an exit notification from the drone 200 to which exit permission has been transmitted, the control system 100 updates the information on drones entering the exclusive airspace. In this case, when there are a predetermined number of flying objects waiting to enter, the control system 100 transmits entry permission to the drone 200 that has been waiting for the longest time.

[0028] In this embodiment, the exclusive airspace is made up of a special control area in which self-location reporting is not permitted and an entry / exit control area set around the special control area. In other words, the exclusive airspace is made up of two areas: the special control area and the entry / exit control area.

[0029] As described above, the special control area is an area where the drone 200 cannot perform wireless communication (including areas where wireless communication is extremely unstable) or where the drone 200 cannot obtain its own position, and where the control system 100 cannot perform normal control. This special control area is acquired by a means such as flying a separate drone and taking measurements. Note that information on this special control area may be created and updated by having the drone 200 under control report to the control system 100 the airspace where communication was not possible or where the drone 200 was unable to obtain its own position.

[0030] The entry / exit control area is an area that is set around the special control area and is used to control the drones 200 that enter and exit the special control area. Unlike the special control area, the entry / exit control area is an area in which the drones 200 can report their own positions to the control system 100.

[0031] The width W of the airspace set as the entry / exit control area is determined taking into consideration the average movement speed of the drone 200 and the interval at which communication is attempted with the control system 100. For example, if the expected movement speed is 10 [m / s], the communication attempt interval is 1 [s], and it takes three attempts from entering an area where communication is possible until communication is established, the width W is determined as shown in the following formula (1). W = 10[m / s] × 1[s] × 3[times] = 30[m] ···(1)

[0032] When managing airspace in a grid-like form, such as 3 m square, grids where communication is known to be difficult can be defined as special control areas, and the entire special control area can be set as an exclusive control airspace, with the area increased by the expansion process as the entry / exit control area, for example, by performing expansion processing in image processing until it meets the required width of the entry / exit control area.

[0033] Figure 2 shows an example of the settings of special control areas and entry / exit control areas when expressed on a grid map. In this example, the grid size is 3m square, and the entry / exit control area has a width of 2 grids = 6m.

[0034] In addition, when managing airspace in vector format, areas where communication is known to be difficult can be set as special control areas, and an exclusive control airspace can be set as the Minkowski sum of that area and a circle with a radius the width of the above-mentioned entry / exit control area.

[0035] In addition, there may be cases where the area where communication is difficult, such as mountainous regions, is vast, and if the entire area is made exclusive, the efficiency of airspace utilization may drop significantly. In such cases, as shown in Fig. 3, an area with a sufficient width that takes into account the effects of weather and the performance of drone 200 on the route of drone 200 based on the flight plan of drone 200 may be set as a special control area, and an exclusive control airspace may be set in which entry and exit control areas are placed before and after the special control area on the route of the flight plan.

[0036] In addition, it may be difficult to close off an area where communication is difficult, such as when flying from land to sea. In such cases, as shown in Fig. 4, an exclusive airspace may be established in which an area cut out in a strip or radial shape with a sufficient width considering the effects of weather and the performance of the drone from the route based on the flight plan of the drone 200 is set as a special control area, and an entry / exit control area is placed on the side entering and leaving the area (the land side in this case).

[0037] "Overview of Air Traffic Control in Exclusive Control Airspace" 5 shows an overview of the control performed by the control system 100 on the drones 200A and 200B passing through the exclusive controlled airspace. In this case, it is assumed that an exclusive controlled airspace exists on the routes of the drones 200A and 200B, the drone 200A is flying closer to the exclusive controlled airspace than the drone 200B, and the drone 200A is in a state of entering the exclusive controlled airspace at an earlier stage than the drone 200B.

[0038] First, before entering the exclusive controlled airspace, drone 200A transmits an entry application to control system 100. In response, control system 100 transmits entry permission to drone 200A because no other drones are entering the exclusive controlled airspace. When transmitting the entry permission, control system 100 adds information about drone A to the entering drone information so as to indicate that drone 200A is entering the exclusive controlled airspace.

[0039] The drone 200A that receives entry permission from the control system 100 enters the exclusive airspace and flies along the flight path. When the drone 200A enters the entry / exit controlled area, it transmits an entry notification to the control system 100. The drone 200A then enters the special control area and flies along the flight path.

[0040] The control system 100, which has received the entry notification from the drone 200A, updates the information about the drones entering the special control area. For example, in this case, the entry notification time of the drone A is added.

[0041] Next, while drone 200A is in the exclusive airspace, drone 200B transmits an entry application to control system 100 before entering the exclusive airspace. In response to this, control system 100 transmits a standby instruction to drone 200B, since drone 200A is in the exclusive airspace. Drone 200B, which has received the standby instruction from control system 100, waits without entering the exclusive airspace.

[0042] Next, before leaving the exclusive airspace, the drone 200A, while flying in the entry / exit control area, transmits an exit request to the control system 100. In response to this, the control system 100 transmits an exit permission to the drone 200A, since there are no other drones in the vicinity of the drone 200A.

[0043] The drone 200A that has received the exit permission from the control system 100 exits the exclusive airspace and flies along the flight path. When the drone 200A leaves the exclusive airspace, it transmits an exit notification to the control system 100.

[0044] The control system 100, which has received the exit notification from the drone 200A, deletes the information of drone A from the entering drone information so as to indicate that the drone 200A has exited the exclusive controlled airspace. At this time, the drone 200B is in a standby state, so the control system 100 transmits an entry permission to the drone 200B. When transmitting the entry permission, the control system 100 adds the information of drone B to the entering drone information so as to indicate that the drone 200B is entering the exclusive controlled airspace.

[0045] The drone 200B that receives entry permission from the control system 100 enters the exclusive airspace and flies along the flight path. Although detailed explanations are omitted, the subsequent operations of the drone 200B and the control system 100 are the same as those of the drone 200A described above.

[0046] "Control system configuration example" 6 shows an example of the configuration of the control system 100. A part or all of the processing of each unit in the control system 100 can be performed by software processing using a computer. The control system 100 has a communication unit 101, an exclusive airspace management unit 102, an exclusive airspace entry management unit 103, and a control unit 104.

[0047] The communication unit 101 communicates with the drone 200 under the control of the control system 100. The exclusive airspace management unit 102 stores and manages information related to the definition of the exclusive airspace (hereinafter referred to as "controlled airspace information" as appropriate). This controlled airspace information includes information on special controlled areas and information on entry / exit controlled areas (see FIG. 5).

[0048] The special control area is acquired in advance, for example, by flying a separate drone to measure, and is updated as needed based on report information from the drone 200 under control. Then, the entry / exit control area is set based on the special control area (see the explanation of the case where the airspace is managed in a grid pattern or in vector format above).

[0049] The exclusive airspace management unit 102 may store and manage only information on the special control area, and may set an entry / exit control area around the special control area as necessary to generate an exclusive airspace.

[0050] The exclusive airspace entry management unit 103 manages drones 200 that are entering or pending an entry application (a state in which the drone is waiting after receiving a waiting instruction in response to an entry application) for each exclusive airspace. In other words, the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103 manages information on drones entering and drones pending an entry application.

[0051] The approaching drone information includes information on the approaching drone 200 for each exclusive airspace, such as its individual identification number, the approach permission time, the approach notification time, and the planned exit time. The planned exit time is set from a flight plan submitted to the airspace control system 100 in advance, or is set mechanically by the airspace control system 100 to a time obtained by adding a certain time to the approach permission time. FIG. 7 shows an example of the approaching drone information managed by the exclusive airspace approach management unit 103. In this example, it can be seen that a drone 200 with an individual identification number of "1234-5678-1201" is approaching the exclusive airspace-1, and a drone 200 with an individual identification number of "5703-2341-3410" is approaching the exclusive airspace-3. In addition, in this example, it can be seen that no drone 200 has entered the exclusive airspace-2.

[0052] The information on drones applying for entry includes, for each exclusive airspace, information on the drones 200 applying for entry, such as the individual identification number and the time of the application for entry. In this case, for each exclusive airspace, information on each drone 200 is managed in a FIFO (First-In First-Out) queue, making it easy to allow drones 200 that applied first to enter the exclusive airspace first.

[0053] FIG. 8 shows an example of drone information for which an entry application has been applied for, which is managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103. In this example, it can be seen that three drones 200 with individual identification numbers "2345-1890-2305", "7823-7832-3583", and "3511-0273-7835" are waiting in this order in the exclusive controlled airspace-1. It can also be seen that no drones 200 are waiting in the exclusive controlled airspace-2. It can also be seen that two drones 200 with individual identification numbers "1345-1890-2306" and "6823-7832-3584" are waiting in the exclusive controlled airspace-3, in this order.

[0054] In the above description, it is assumed that each drone 200 has an individual identification number (aircraft number). However, the control system 100 is required to perform similar control over drones 200 that do not have individual identification numbers. For drones 200 that do not have individual identification numbers, the control system 100 may perform individual identification using, for example, an ID number recorded on a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card instead of the individual identification number.

[0055] Based on applications and notifications received from drones 200 under its control via the communication unit 101, the control control unit 104 communicates with the exclusive controlled airspace management unit 102 and the exclusive controlled airspace entry management unit 103 to make decisions such as whether or not to enter the exclusive controlled airspace or whether or not to exit the exclusive controlled airspace, and transmits the results to the drone 200 via the communication unit 101.

[0056] In this case, for example, when an application for entry into an exclusive controlled airspace is received from a certain drone 200, the control control unit 104 determines whether or not another drone 200 is entering the exclusive controlled airspace based on the entering drone information (see Figure 7) managed by the exclusive controlled airspace entry management unit 103.

[0057] When it is determined that another drone 200 is not entering, the control control unit 104 sends an entry permission to the drone 200 that sent the entry request. When sending the entry permission, the control control unit 104 adds information about that drone 200 to the entering drone information so as to indicate that the drone 200 is entering. After that, when the control control unit 104 receives an entry notification from that drone 200, it updates the entering drone information by adding the entry notification time to the information about that drone 200.

[0058] On the other hand, when it is determined that another drone 200 is entering, the air traffic control unit 104 sends a standby command to the drone 200 that sent the entry application. Then, the air traffic control unit 104 adds information about that drone 200 to the drone information (see FIG. 8) that is being managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103, and updates it to indicate that this drone 200 is applying for entry.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, when a request to exit from an exclusive airspace is received from a certain drone 200, the air traffic control unit 104 determines whether or not there is another drone 200 in the vicinity of the drone 200. When it is determined that there is another drone 200 in the vicinity, it sends a standby instruction to the drone 200.

[0060] On the other hand, when it is determined that there are no other drones 200 in the vicinity, the control unit 104 sends an exit permission to the drone 200 that sent the exit request or the waiting instruction. After that, when the control unit 104 receives an exit notification from that drone 200, it deletes the information of that drone 200 from the entering drone information (see FIG. 7) managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103, and updates the entering drone information to indicate that there are no entering drones 200.

[0061] The width W of the airspace referred to here as the "periphery" may be determined taking into consideration the average movement speed of the drone 200, the average movement speed of the other drones 200, and the interval at which communication is attempted with the control system 100. For example, if the expected movement speed of the drone 200 and the other drones 200 is 10 [m / s], the communication attempt interval is 1 [s], and it takes three attempts to establish communication within the airspace referred to as the "periphery," then the width W is determined as shown in the following formula (2). W = 10[m / s] ×1[s] × 3[times] = 30[m] (2)

[0062] In addition, when an exit notification is received from the drone 200 that has sent an exit request, the control control unit 104 determines whether or not there is a drone 200 that has requested entry based on the drone information (see Figure 8) that is currently requesting entry managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103, and if there is, sends entry permission to the drone 200 that has been in standby mode for the longest time.

[0063] If the drone 200 enters the exclusive airspace without an entry application from the drone 200 or entry permission from the control system 100, the control system 100 may transmit a warning or a forced landing signal to the drone 200. The drone 200 periodically reports its own position to the control system 100, and based on the self-position report of the drone 200 made while flying in the entry / exit controlled area, the control system 100 can know that the drone 200 has entered the exclusive airspace without permission.

[0064] In addition, after the drone 200 enters the exclusive airspace, it is possible that an exit request or exit notice will not reach the airspace control system 100 for a longer period of time than the exclusive airspace due to the occurrence of a problem, etc. As a countermeasure for such a case, if an exit request or exit notice does not arrive even after a certain time has elapsed since the entry notice, for example, the flight time of the drone 200 (notified to the airspace control system when applying for a flight plan), the control system 100 may determine that the drone 200 is no longer flying in the exclusive airspace and may perform control to allow entry again.

[0065] "Drone configuration example" 9 shows a configuration example of the drone 200. A part or all of the processing of each unit in the drone 200 can be performed by software processing by a computer. The drone 200 has a communication unit 201, a self-position estimation unit 202, a controlled airspace storage unit 203, a flight plan storage unit 204, a flight control unit 205, and an aircraft control unit 206.

[0066] The communication unit 201 communicates with the control system 100. This communication unit 201 transmits data requested by an internal block and receives data sent from the control system 100. In this case, communication with the control system 100 may be performed directly with the control system 100, or may be performed via a base station, a ground line such as a public line, or the Internet. This communication unit 201 also communicates with a control terminal that allows an operator of the drone 200 to operate the drone.

[0067] The self-position estimation unit 202 measures the self-position of the drone 200. For example, a global positioning system (GPS) or an electronic compass is used to measure the self-position. The self-position measured by the self-position estimation unit 202 is reported to the control system 100 via the communication unit 201 periodically, for example, at one-second intervals.

[0068] The controlled airspace storage unit 203 stores controlled airspace information such as exclusive airspace. This controlled airspace information may be received from the exclusive airspace management unit 102 of the control system 100 via the communication unit 201 or via another communication means such as the Internet. In addition, the information may be downloaded from the Internet or the like to a PC or the like and stored in a storage medium such as an SD card, which may then be mounted inside the drone 200 for use.

[0069] The flight plan storage unit 204 stores a flight plan (flight route) set by the operator of the drone 200, and a route that has been modified by adding a waypoint to the flight plan by the flight control unit 205. Here, a waypoint is composed of location information such as latitude, longitude, and altitude, and attribute information indicating the type of the waypoint.

[0070] A flight plan consists of a chronological list of waypoints, and when a waypoint is added to the flight plan, it is inserted immediately after the waypoint that was just passed, so that the chronological order of the waypoints in the list is maintained.

[0071] Types of waypoints include a start, a goal, and a waypoint to be passed between the start and the goal. These waypoints are set by the operator of the drone 200. In other words, these waypoints are included in the flight plan (flight route) set by the operator.

[0072] Also, the types of waypoints include an approach application point, an approach waiting point, an approach notification point, an exit application point, and an exit notification point for exclusive airspace. An approach application point is a point where an application for entry into an exclusive controlled airspace is made to the airspace control system 100. An approach waiting point is a point where an aircraft waits when instructed to wait by the airspace control system 100 in response to an application for entry into an exclusive controlled airspace. An approach notification point is a point where an application is made to the airspace control system 100 to exit an exclusive controlled airspace. An exit application point is a point where an application is made to the airspace control system 100 to exit from an exclusive controlled airspace. An exit notification point is a point where an application is made to the airspace control system 100 to exit from an exclusive controlled airspace.

[0073] The waypoints for the exclusive airspace are set by the flight control unit 205 after cross-checking and the like is performed based on the flight plan (flight route) set by the operator and the exclusive airspace received from the air traffic control system 100. This setting is updated when the flight plan (flight route) and the exclusive airspace are updated. Note that the air traffic control unit 104 of the air traffic control system 100 may set the waypoints for the exclusive airspace when the flight plan is submitted by the drone 200, and may return the changed flight plan to the drone 200.

[0074] FIG. 10 shows the approximate locations of the approach application point, approach waiting point, approach notification point, exit application point, and exit notification point that are set on the flight path of drone 200 that intersects with the exclusive controlled airspace.

[0075] The approach holding point is set to a position on the flight plan route just before entering the exclusive airspace. The approach application point is set to a position on the flight plan route just before the approach holding point, taking into consideration the distance that the drone 200 can decelerate and stop and the response time of the control system 100 to the approach application.

[0076] The entry notification point is set to a position within the entry / exit control area on the route of the flight plan immediately after entering the exclusive airspace. As described above, in this entry / exit control area, the drone 200 can communicate with the control system 100 and can report its own position to the control system 100.

[0077] The exit application point is set to a location on the flight plan route within the entry / exit controlled area immediately prior to leaving the exclusive airspace. The exit notification point is set to a location on the flight plan route immediately prior to leaving the exclusive airspace.

[0078] 11 shows a list of the types of waypoints. The start, goal, and waypoint waypoints are set by the operator when setting the flight plan as described above. Also, the approach application point, approach waiting point, approach notification point, exit application point, and exit notification point waypoints for exclusive airspace are set by the system (the flight control unit 205 of the drone 200 or the air traffic control unit 104 of the air traffic control system 100) when setting the flight plan as described above.

[0079] The flight control unit 205 executes the flight plan and manages the progress of the flight plan. The flight control unit 205 checks whether or not the route set by the flight plan enters the exclusive airspace based on the flight plan read from the flight plan storage unit and the information on the exclusive airspace read from the controlled airspace storage unit 203, generates the approach application point, approach waiting point, approach notification point, exit application point, and exit notification point (see FIG. 10), which are waypoints for the exclusive airspace described above, and adds them to the flight plan via the flight plan storage unit 204.

[0080] During flight, the flight control unit 205 determines the next waypoint to move to and notifies the aircraft control unit 206. Also, based on a completion report from the aircraft control unit 206 and the current self-position estimated by the self-position estimation unit 202, the flight control unit 205 determines whether the aircraft has arrived at the waypoint to which it is currently moving. Also, based on the attribute information of the waypoint, the flight control unit 205 performs operations such as submitting an entry request to the air traffic control system 100 via the communication unit 201 and instructing the aircraft control unit 206 to stop at the waypoint that is to be the waiting position upon receiving a waiting instruction.

[0081] The aircraft control unit 206 receives information on the next waypoint to move to from the flight control unit 205, and controls the motors and drives the propellers to move the drone 200 to the position specified by that waypoint.

[0082] "Preparatory actions for control" The preparatory operations for performing control using a combination of the control system 100 and the drone 200 will be described.

[0083] A flight plan is set in advance for the drone 200 by the operator of the drone 200, and the details are stored in the flight plan storage unit 204. The controlled airspace information stored in the controlled airspace storage unit 203 in the drone 200 is also updated to the latest information before flight. In addition, the information may be updated to the latest information at any time by performing periodic update checks or receiving update notifications from the control system 100.

[0084] When the flight plan or controlled airspace information is updated, the flight control unit 205 of the drone 200 checks whether the route set in the flight plan intersects with the exclusive controlled airspace. If an intersection occurs between the route set in the flight plan and the exclusive controlled airspace, five waypoints (see FIG. 10) are created as waypoints required to pass through the exclusive controlled airspace: the approach application point, the approach waiting point, the approach notification point, the exit application point, and the exit notification point, and are added to the flight plan.

[0085] In the above-mentioned operation, the drone 200 recognizes the controlled airspace and generates the waypoints required for entering and exiting the exclusive controlled airspace, but when the drone 200 submits a flight plan to the control system 100, the control system 100 may check the intersection of the route of the flight plan with the exclusive controlled airspace, generate waypoints, and send them back to the drone 200 as a revised version of the flight plan. In that case, in the control system 100, the control control unit 104 receives the flight plan via the communication unit 101, and this control control unit 104 generates the waypoints required for entering and exiting the exclusive controlled airspace and corrects the flight plan instead of the flight control unit 205 of the drone 200.

[0086] 3 and 4, when setting an exclusive airspace in accordance with a flight plan, first, the drone 200 or the operator of the drone 200 submits a flight plan to the control system 100 using the Internet or other means, and the exclusive airspace is generated by the control system 100. Thereafter, the waypoints required for entering and exiting the exclusive airspace are generated by the drone 200 or the control system 100 as described above.

[0087] "Control Sequence" Regarding the control sequence when the drone 200 passes through the exclusive controlled airspace, the operation of the control system 100 and the drone 200 will be described using the situation shown in Fig. 12 as an example. In the example of Fig. 12, it is assumed that the drones 200A and 200B are flying based on a flight plan to pass through the exclusive controlled airspace X, and that the drone A is closer to the exclusive controlled airspace X and will pass through it first.

[0088] The sequence diagram in Fig. 13 shows a flow until the drone 200A and the drone 200B pass through the exclusive airspace X in the situation shown in Fig. 12. Hereinafter, the drone 200A and the drone 200B will be described as drone A and drone B, respectively.

[0089] First, the flow of passing through the exclusive airspace X will be described from the viewpoint of drone A. When drone A approaches the exclusive airspace X and flies to the approach application waypoint (see FIG. 12), it submits an approach application to the air traffic control system 100. When submitting the application, drone A transmits the following items of data: - ID of the airspace that identifies the exclusive control airspace to be entered -Scheduled approach time -Scheduled departure time

[0090] When the control control unit 104 of the control system 100 receives an entry application via the communication unit 101, it checks with the controlled area entry management unit 103 about the flight status of the relevant exclusive control airspace, i.e., about the drone that is entering.

[0091] If there is no entering drone, the air traffic control unit 104 permits the entry application and notifies drone A of the entry permission via the communication unit 101. When notifying the entry permission, the air traffic control system 100 adds information about drone A to the entering drone information of the exclusive airspace X to the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103 to indicate that drone A is entering. Thereafter, until the air traffic control system 100 receives a communication notifying the exit from the exclusive airspace X, it performs air traffic control assuming that drone A is flying in the exclusive airspace X and is in a state where wireless communication is not possible.

[0092] Having received permission to enter, drone A enters the entry / exit controlled area of ​​exclusive airspace X and transmits an entry notification to the control system 100. After transmitting the entry notification, drone A enters the special controlled area of ​​exclusive airspace X based on its flight plan and continues flying (see FIG. 14). In addition, upon receiving the entry notification, the control system 100 updates the entering drone information by adding the entry notification time to the information for drone A.

[0093] If drone A continues flying, it will leave the special control area and enter the outer perimeter entry / exit control area again. In this area, it will be able to communicate with the control system 100 again, so it will send an exit request to return to normal control. When sending the exit request, drone A will send its current position to the control system 100.

[0094] The control system 100 checks whether there are any other drones that may come abnormally close in the direction of the route that drone A has issued a flight plan, based on the drone A's own position and the positions of other drones under its control, both of which were transmitted at the same time as the exit request. If there are no other drones that may come abnormally close, the control system 100 transmits an exit permission to drone A, and if there are other drones that may come abnormally close, the control system 100 transmits a standby instruction to drone A. After transmitting the standby instruction, the control system 100 transmits an exit permission to drone A when there are no other drones that may come abnormally close.

[0095] After receiving exit permission from the control system 100, drone A exits the exclusive controlled airspace, transmits an exit notification to the control system 100, and then flies toward the next waypoint set in the flight plan (see Figure 15).

[0096] Next, a flow of operations when passing through the exclusive airspace X will be described from the viewpoint of drone B. Similar to drone A, drone B approaches the exclusive airspace X, flies to the approach application waypoint (see FIG. 14), and submits an application for entry into the exclusive airspace X to the control system 100.

[0097] However, at this time, drone A is already entering the exclusive airspace X, so the control system 100 does not issue an entry permit, but instead sends a standby instruction to drone B. The control system 100 also adds drone B to the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103's information on drones that have applied to enter the exclusive airspace X. Note that this information on drones that have applied to enter is a FIFO queue, as described above. Having been given the standby instruction, drone B stops the aircraft just before entering the exclusive airspace X and waits for instructions from the control system 100.

[0098] When the control system 100 receives an exit notification of drone A, which has previously entered the exclusive controlled airspace X, the control control unit 104 deletes the entering drone information stored in the exclusive controlled airspace entry management unit 103, obtains information on the drone waiting to enter at the top of the FIFO queue of drone information for which entry has been requested, and issues entry permission. In this example, the drone waiting to enter is drone B, so the control system 100 notifies drone B of entry permission. When notifying entry permission, the control system 100 instructs the exclusive controlled airspace entry management unit 103 to add information on drone B to the information on drones entering the exclusive controlled airspace X, so as to indicate that drone B is entering.

[0099] Having received permission to enter, drone B enters the entry / exit controlled area of ​​exclusive airspace X and transmits an entry notification to the control system 100. After transmitting the entry notification, drone B enters the special controlled area of ​​exclusive airspace X based on its flight plan and continues flying. In addition, upon receiving the entry notification, the control system 100 updates the entering drone information by adding the entry notification time to the information for drone B.

[0100] Thereafter, drone B passes through exclusive airspace X under the control of the control system 100 in the same manner as drone A.

[0101] "Processing procedure of the air traffic control system when an entry request is received" The flowchart in Fig. 16 shows an example of a processing procedure of the control system 100 when an entry application is received. When the control system 100 receives an entry application from the drone 200 in step ST1, the control system 100 determines in step ST2 whether or not there is a drone 200 entering the exclusive airspace.

[0102] When there is no entering drone 200, the control system 100 adds the information of the drone 200 that has requested entry to the relevant exclusive control airspace in the entering drone information (see FIG. 7) in step ST3. Then, in step ST4, the control system 100 transmits entry permission to the drone 200 that has requested entry. After that, in step ST5, the control system 100 ends the process.

[0103] Also, when there is an entering drone 200 in step ST2, the control system 100 adds the drone 200 that has applied for entry to the relevant exclusive controlled airspace in the drone information (see FIG. 8) for which an entry application has been made. Then, in step ST7, the control system 100 transmits a standby instruction to the drone 200 that has applied for entry. After that, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST5. Note that in the process of the flowchart in FIG. 16, when an entry permission is transmitted to the drone 200, the information on the entering aircraft in the exclusive controlled airspace is updated. However, the information on the entering aircraft in the exclusive controlled airspace may be updated when an entry application is received from one drone 200 that is attempting to enter the exclusive controlled airspace and no other drone 200 is entering the exclusive controlled airspace, when an entry permission is transmitted to the drone 200, or when an entry notification is received from the drone 200.

[0104] "Control system processing procedure when receiving an approach notification" The flowchart in FIG. 17 shows an example of a processing procedure of the control system 100 when an entry notification is received. When the control system 100 receives an entry notification from the drone 200 in step ST11, in step ST12, the control system 100 updates the entering drone information of the exclusive airspace. In this case, the entering drone information (see FIG. 7) is updated by adding the entry notification time to the information of the drone 200. After that, the control system 100 ends the processing in step ST13. It is possible to control the present technology without the entry notification. If an entry notification is provided, a timeout is set for the entry permission, and if the notification is not returned within a certain time, the entry permission can be cancelled. In this case, a time that is different from the timeout for the passage time of the exclusive airspace can be set, so that the time utilization efficiency during an abnormality is improved.

[0105] "Control system processing procedure when an exit request is received" The flowchart in Fig. 18 shows an example of a processing procedure of the control system 100 when an exit request is received. When the control system 100 receives an exit request from the drone 200 in step ST21, the control system 100 determines in step ST22 whether or not another drone 200 is present in the vicinity of the drone 200 that has requested the exit.

[0106] When there are no other drones 200 in the vicinity, the control system 100 transmits an exit permission to the drone 200 that requested the exit in step ST23. After that, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST24.

[0107] Furthermore, when it is determined in step ST22 that there is another drone 200 in the vicinity, the control system 100 transmits a standby instruction to the drone 200 that has requested to leave in step ST25. After that, the control system 100 returns to the process of step ST22 and performs the same process as described above.

[0108] "Control system processing procedure when an exit notification is received" The flowchart in Fig. 19 shows an example of a processing procedure of the control system 100 when an exit notification is received. When the control system 100 receives an exit notification from the drone 200 in step ST31, the control system 100 deletes the exiting drone information from the drone information entering the exclusive control airspace (see Fig. 7) in step ST32.

[0109] Next, in step ST33, the control system 100 determines whether there is a drone 200 for which an entry application has been made into the exclusive airspace. If there is no drone 200 for which an entry application has been made, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST34.

[0110] When there is a drone 200 for which an entry application is pending in step ST33, the control system 100 extracts the drone information at the head of the queue from the drone information for which an entry application is pending for the exclusive controlled airspace in step ST35, and sets it as the next approaching drone 200. Next, in step ST36, the control system 100 adds the information of the next approaching drone 200 to the exclusive controlled airspace in the approaching drone information (see FIG. 7). Then, in step ST37, the control system 100 transmits entry permission to this next approaching drone 200. After that, the control system 100 ends the processing in step ST34. In the processing of the flowchart in Figure 19, the information on the aircraft entering the exclusive controlled airspace is updated when an exit notification is received from a drone 200 to which exit permission has been sent. However, the information on the aircraft entering the exclusive controlled airspace may also be updated when an exit request is received from a drone 200 attempting to exit the exclusive controlled airspace, when exit permission is sent to the drone 200, or when an exit notification is received from a drone 200 to which exit permission has been sent.

[0111] As described above, in the aircraft system 10 shown in Fig. 1, the control system 100 controls the drone 200 so that only one drone 200 enters the special control area where the drone 200 cannot report its own position. Therefore, the drone 200 can be safely flown even in this special control area, and the special control area can be used effectively. In this case, even if there are multiple drones 200 with intersecting flight plans in the special control area, each drone 200 can be safely flown without risking collision.

[0112] <2. Second embodiment> In the first embodiment described above, only one drone is allowed to enter an exclusive control airspace. However, if the drone itself has the ability to avoid collisions with other drones, the drone can fly safely without assistance from air traffic control as long as the density of drones in the exclusive control airspace is within a certain level. Therefore, for drones that have the ability to avoid collisions with other drones, air traffic control may be exercised to allow multiple drones to fly in one exclusive control airspace.

[0113] Although not shown, the aircraft system 10 in this second embodiment, like the first embodiment described above, is equipped with a control system 100 and a predetermined number of drones 200 that exist in the controlled airspace of this control system 100 (see Figure 1).

[0114] The control policy of the aircraft system 10 in the second embodiment is as follows: When a drone without the ability to avoid other drones enters an exclusive control airspace, the maximum number of drones in the exclusive control airspace is set to one while the drone is in the exclusive control airspace.

[0115] In addition, if a drone capable of avoiding other drones enters an exclusive controlled airspace, drones without such capabilities will not be permitted to enter that exclusive controlled airspace. In other words, drones without such capabilities will not be allowed to enter the exclusive controlled airspace until all other drones that have already entered have left the exclusive controlled airspace.

[0116] In addition, if a drone capable of avoiding other drones enters an exclusive controlled airspace, the drone will be permitted to enter the exclusive controlled airspace. In this case, the controller may set an upper limit on the number of drones permitted to enter, taking into account the density of drones in the exclusive controlled airspace.

[0117] In this second embodiment, the control system 100 is configured similarly to the control system 100 in the above-mentioned first embodiment (see FIG. 6), although illustrations and detailed explanations are omitted. Also, in this second embodiment, the drone 200 without the ability to avoid other aircraft is configured similarly to the drone 200 in the above-mentioned first embodiment (see FIG. 9), although illustrations and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0118] Fig. 20 shows a configuration example of a drone 200 capable of avoiding other drones in this second embodiment. In this Fig. 20, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 9 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0119] The drone 200 has a communication unit 201, a self-position estimation unit 202, a controlled airspace memory unit 203, a flight plan memory unit 204, a flight control unit 205, and an aircraft control unit 206, as well as an obstacle detection unit 207.

[0120] The obstacle detection unit 207 detects obstacles around the drone and other drones in flight. The obstacle detection unit 207 may be connected to sensors (not shown), such as a radar, a camera, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), or a ToF (Time of Flight). In addition, the obstacle detection unit 207 may have a function for performing inter-drone communication (not shown), and may be realized by sharing the self-positions of surrounding drones with each other.

[0121] The flight control unit 205 uses information about surrounding obstacles and drones detected by the obstacle detection unit 207 to instruct the aircraft control unit 206 to head toward the waypoints stored in the flight plan memory unit 204 while avoiding collisions with them.

[0122] These mechanisms allow drones 200 with the ability to avoid other drones to recognize each other's presence and position and avoid collisions without the assistance of a control system.

[0123] In the second embodiment of the aircraft system 10, the data items that the drone 200 transmits to the control system 100 when applying to enter an exclusive controlled airspace include, in addition to the items in the first embodiment (airspace ID identifying the exclusive controlled airspace to be entered), (estimated entry time), and (estimated exit time), an additional item of "ability to avoid other aircraft."

[0124] The item "Ability to avoid other drones" is information indicating whether or not a drone has the ability to recognize drones flying around it by itself and avoid collisions, and has a value according to the functions and performance of each drone. For example, the value has two values: "Yes" if the drone has the ability, and "No" if the drone does not have the ability. In addition, multiple levels (for example, level 5 to level 0) may be set according to the avoidance ability. Here, level 0 indicates that the drone does not have the ability to avoid collisions by itself. When expressing the multiple levels, a drone may be considered to have "ability to avoid other drones" by having a certain level or higher.

[0125] 21 shows an example of approaching drone information managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103 of the control system 100 in the aircraft system 10 in this second embodiment. This approaching drone information is expanded so that multiple drones 200 can be managed for each exclusive airspace, and an item related to the ability to avoid other drones is added to this approaching drone information.

[0126] In this example, it can be seen that a drone 200 with an individual identification number "1234-5678-1201" capable of avoiding other aircraft, and a drone 200 with an individual identification number "1254-3570-8803" capable of avoiding other aircraft are entering exclusive controlled airspace-1. It can also be seen that no drones 200 have entered exclusive controlled airspace-2. It can also be seen that a drone 200 with an individual identification number "5703-2341-3410" not capable of avoiding other aircraft is entering exclusive controlled airspace-3.

[0127] 22 shows an example of information on drones pending entry managed by the exclusive airspace entry management unit 103 of the control system 100 in the aircraft system 10 in this second embodiment. An item on the ability to avoid other drones is added to this information on drones pending entry. In this case, information on each drone 200 for each exclusive airspace is managed in a FIFO (First-In First-Out) queue.

[0128] In this example, in exclusive controlled airspace-1, three drones 200 with individual identification numbers "2345-1890-2305", "7823-7832-3583", and "3511-0273-7835" have applied for entry to the control system 100 and are waiting in that order. Here, the drones 200 with individual identification numbers "2345-1890-2305" and "3511-0273-7835" do not have the ability to avoid other aircraft, while the drone 200 with individual identification number "7823-7832-3583" does have the ability to avoid other aircraft.

[0129] Also, in this example, there is no drone 200 currently applying for entry into exclusive controlled airspace-2. Also, in this example, in exclusive controlled airspace-3, two drones 200 with individual identification numbers "1345-1890-2306" and "6823-7832-3584" have applied for entry to the control system 100 and are waiting in that order. Here, the drone 200 with individual identification number "1345-1890-2306" does not have the ability to avoid other aircraft, and the drone 200 with individual identification number "6823-7832-3584" has the ability to avoid other aircraft.

[0130] When a drone 200 applies to enter each exclusive airspace, information about that drone 200 is added to the end of the FIFO queue for the corresponding exclusive airspace (the bottom in FIG. 22). The control system 100 permits entry from the head of the FIFO queue for each exclusive airspace (the top in FIG. 22). In this case, the line of information about the permitted drone 200 is deleted, and all lines of information about drones 200 below it are moved up.

[0131] The flowchart in Fig. 23 shows an example of a processing procedure of the control system 100 when an entry application is received in the aircraft system 10 in the second embodiment. Also, the flowchart in Fig. 24 shows an example of a processing procedure of the control system 100 when an exit notification is received in the aircraft system 10 in the second embodiment.

[0132] In addition, in the aircraft system 10 in this second embodiment, the processing procedures of the control system 100 when an entry notification is received and the processing procedures of the control system 100 when an exit application is received are the same as those in the aircraft system 10 in the first embodiment described above (see Figures 17 and 18).

[0133] The processing procedure of the control system 100 when an entry application is received will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 23. When the control system 100 receives an entry application from the drone 200 in step ST41, the control system 100 determines in step ST42 whether or not there is a drone 200 entering the exclusive airspace. In this case, the control system 100 makes the determination based on the entering drone information (see Fig. 21).

[0134] When there is no entering drone 200, the control system 100 adds the information of the drone 200 that has requested entry to the relevant exclusive control airspace in the entering drone information (see FIG. 21) in step ST43. Then, in step ST44, the control system 100 transmits entry permission to the drone 200 that has requested entry. After that, in step ST45, the control system 100 ends the process.

[0135] Furthermore, when there is an approaching drone 200 in step ST42, the control system 100 determines in step ST46 whether the drone 200 that has applied for entry has the ability to avoid other drones. In this case, the control system 100 makes the determination using the information on the ability to avoid other drones received at the time of the application.

[0136] When the drone 200 that has applied for entry does not have the ability to avoid other aircraft, the control system 100 does not permit entry of the drone 200 that has applied for entry in order to prevent collision with other aircraft. In other words, when the drone 200 that has applied for entry does not have the ability to avoid other aircraft, the control system 100 adds the drone 200 that has applied for entry to the relevant exclusive control airspace in the drone information (see FIG. 22) that is currently being applied for entry in step ST49. Then, the control system 100 transmits a standby instruction to the drone 200 that has applied for entry in step ST50. After that, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST45.

[0137] Furthermore, when the drone 200 that has applied for entry in step ST46 has the ability to avoid other aircraft, the control system 100 determines in step ST47 whether the drone 200 entering the exclusive airspace has the ability to avoid other aircraft. In this case, the control system 100 makes this determination by checking the item on the ability to avoid other aircraft of each drone 200 recorded in the drone information (see FIG. 21) entering the exclusive airspace.

[0138] When the approaching drone 200 does not have the ability to avoid other drones, the control system 100 does not permit the drone 200 that has applied for entry to prevent collision with other drones. In other words, when the approaching drone 200 does not have the ability to avoid other drones, the control system 100 adds the drone 200 that has applied for entry to the relevant exclusive control airspace in the drone information for which entry has been applied for (see FIG. 22) in step ST49, and transmits a standby instruction to the drone 200 that has applied for entry in step ST50. After that, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST45.

[0139] Furthermore, when the entering drone 200 has the ability to avoid other drones in step ST47, the control system 100 determines in step ST48 whether the number of drones 200 entering the exclusive airspace is less than or equal to a predetermined number. In this case, the control system 100 makes the determination based on the number of drones 200 recorded in the entering drone information (see FIG. 21) of the exclusive airspace. Note that this predetermined number may be set to a common value for all exclusive airspaces. It may also be set individually for each exclusive airspace. Furthermore, it may be automatically set to a value proportional to the size of the exclusive airspace.

[0140] When the number of drones 200 entering has reached a predetermined number, the density of drones 200 flying in the exclusive airspace is high, and the control system 100 determines that it will be difficult for the drones 200 to avoid collisions with each other using their own avoidance capabilities, and does not permit the drone 200 that has applied to enter. In other words, when the number of drones 200 entering has reached a predetermined number, the control system 100 adds the drone 200 that has applied to enter to the relevant exclusive airspace in the drone information (see FIG. 22) that has applied to enter, in step ST49, and transmits a standby instruction to the drone 200 that has applied to enter in step ST50. After that, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST45.

[0141] Furthermore, when the number of entering drones 200 has not reached the predetermined number in step ST48, the control system 100 adds the information of the drone 200 that has requested entry to the relevant exclusive control airspace in the entering drone information (see FIG. 21) in step ST43. Then, in step ST44, the control system 100 transmits entry permission to the drone 200 that has requested entry. After that, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST45.

[0142] 23, even if there is a drone 200 entering the exclusive control airspace, if the drone 200 that has requested entry has the ability to avoid other drones, and if the entering drone 200 has the ability to avoid other drones, and if the number of entering drones 200 is less than a predetermined number, the drones 200 can avoid collisions with each other using their ability to avoid other drones, and the drone 200 that has requested entry is permitted to enter. As a result, in the aircraft system 10 in this second embodiment, control is performed to permit the flight of multiple drones 200 within one exclusive control airspace.

[0143] The processing procedure of the control system 100 when an exit notification is received will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 24. When the control system 100 receives an exit notification from the drone 200 in step ST61, the control system 100 deletes the exiting drone information from the entering drone information (see Fig. 21) of the exclusive control airspace in question in step ST62.

[0144] Next, in step ST63, the control system 100 determines whether or not there is a drone 200 for which an entry application has been made into the exclusive airspace. In this case, the control system 100 makes the determination based on the drone information for which an entry application has been made (see FIG. 22). If there is no drone 200 for which an entry application has been made, the control system 100 ends the process in step ST64.

[0145] When there is a drone 200 for which an entry application is pending in step ST63, the process ends in step ST64 after performing an entry permission / prohibition judgment loop. In the entry permission / prohibition judgment loop, the entry permission / prohibition judgment is performed for each drone in order from the top of the FIFO queue. In the following description of the entry permission / prohibition judgment process, the drone 200 that is the subject of the entry judgment is appropriately referred to as the target drone 200X.

[0146] In step ST71, the control system 100 determines whether or not there is a drone 200 entering the exclusive airspace. In this case, the control system 100 makes the determination based on the entering drone information (see FIG. 21).

[0147] In addition, a series of entry permission determination processes, including the process described below, are performed sequentially from the top of the queue of entry application pending drone information. Therefore, when entry permission is issued for the target drone 200X that was processed first, the target drone 200X that was given entry permission is written to the entering drone information as described below. Therefore, when the entry judgment of the target drone 200X that is processed thereafter is made, the process is performed assuming that the entering drone 200 exists.

[0148] When there is no drone 200 entering the exclusive control airspace in step ST71, the control system 100 permits the drone 200X to enter. In other words, when there is no drone 200 entering, the control system 100 adds the target drone 200X to the exclusive control airspace in the entering drone information (see FIG. 21) in step ST72.

[0149] Then, in step ST73, the control system 100 deletes the target drone 200X from the corresponding exclusive control airspace in the drone information (see FIG. 22) for which an entry application has been submitted. Then, in step ST74, the control system 100 transmits entry permission to the target drone 200X.

[0150] Furthermore, when there is a drone 200 entering the exclusive airspace in step ST71, the control system 100 determines in step ST75 whether the target drone 200X has the ability to avoid other drones. In this case, the control system 100 makes the determination based on the drone information pending entry application (see FIG. 22).

[0151] When the target drone 200X does not have the ability to avoid other drones, the control system 100 does not permit the target drone 200X to enter in order to prevent collision with other drones. Specifically, the process of determining whether or not the target drone 200X can enter is terminated, and the target drone 200X is changed to the next drone 200 in the queue of drones that have applied to enter.

[0152] Furthermore, when the target drone 200X has the ability to avoid other aircraft in step ST75, the control system 100 determines in step ST76 whether the drone 200 entering the exclusive control airspace has the ability to avoid other aircraft. In this case, the control system 100 makes this determination by checking the item on the ability to avoid other aircraft of each drone 200 recorded in the drone information (see FIG. 21) entering the exclusive control airspace.

[0153] When the approaching drone 200 does not have the ability to avoid other drones, the control system 100 does not permit the target drone 200X to enter in order to prevent a collision with another drone. Specifically, the process of determining whether the target drone 200X is allowed to enter is terminated, and the target drone 200X is changed to the next drone 200 in the queue of drones that have applied to enter.

[0154] Furthermore, when the entering drone 200 has the ability to avoid other drones in step ST76, the control system 100 determines in step ST77 whether the number of drones 200 entering the exclusive airspace is less than or equal to a predetermined number. In this case, the control system 100 makes the determination based on the number of drones 200 recorded in the entering drone information (see FIG. 21) of the exclusive airspace. Note that this predetermined number (upper limit number) may be set to a common value for all exclusive airspaces. It may also be set individually for each exclusive airspace. Furthermore, it may be automatically set to a value proportional to the size of the exclusive airspace.

[0155] When the number of approaching drones 200 reaches a predetermined number, the density of drones 200 flying in the exclusive airspace is high, and it is determined that the approach of further drones 200 would make it difficult for the drones 200 to avoid collisions using their other-aircraft avoidance capabilities, and the control system 100 does not permit the target drone 200X to enter. Specifically, the process of determining whether or not the target drone 200X can enter is terminated, and the target drone 200X is changed to the next drone 200 in the queue of drones that have applied to enter.

[0156] Furthermore, when the number of entering drones 200 has not reached the predetermined number in step ST77, the control system 100 permits entry to the target drone 200X. That is, when the number of entering drones 200 has not reached the predetermined number, the control system 100 adds the target drone 200X to the corresponding exclusive controlled airspace of the entering drone information (see FIG. 21) in step ST72. Then, the control system 100 deletes the target drone 200X from the corresponding exclusive controlled airspace of the entry application pending drone information (see FIG. 22) in step ST73. Then, the control system 100 transmits entry permission to the target drone 200X in step ST74.

[0157] 24, even if there is a drone 200 entering the exclusive control airspace, if the target drone 200X has the ability to avoid other drones, and the entering drone 200 has the ability to avoid other drones, and the number of the entering drones 200 is less than a predetermined number, the drones 200 can avoid collisions with each other using their ability to avoid other drones, and the target drone 200X is permitted to enter. As a result, in the aircraft system 10 in this second embodiment, control is performed to permit the flight of multiple drones 200 within one exclusive control airspace.

[0158] Furthermore, in processing according to the flowchart of Figure 24, even if there is a drone 200 without the ability to avoid other aircraft at the front of the queue of drone information for which entry has been requested, if there is a drone 200 with the ability to avoid other aircraft at the back of the queue, the drone 200 with the ability to avoid other aircraft will be given priority for entry.

[0159] In addition, in order to prevent a drone 200 without the ability to avoid other aircraft from being unable to enter for a long period of time due to a following drone 200 with the ability to avoid other aircraft, the processing of the flowchart in Figure 24 may be configured to exit the entry permission determination loop at the point where a determination is made regarding the drone 200 without the ability to avoid other aircraft.

[0160] Also, the number of times that a drone 200 without other-aircraft avoidance capability is not permitted to enter in the entry permission judgment loop may be counted, and when a predetermined number of times is reached, the entry permission judgment loop may be exited, and entry judgment may not be made for the drone 200 that follows the queue of drone information requesting entry (entry permission may not be issued) until the drone 200 without other-aircraft avoidance capability is allowed to enter. By adding these processes, the time that a drone 200 without other-aircraft avoidance capability is made to wait for entry may be limited to a certain length.

[0161] 23 and 24, multiple drones 200 can simultaneously exist and fly in the exclusive airspace if they have the ability to avoid other drones, improving the efficiency of using the exclusive airspace. At the same time, drones 200 that do not have the ability to avoid other drones and require exclusive use of the exclusive airspace can also be safely flown.

[0162] <3. Modifications> In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the flying object is a drone. Although detailed description will be omitted, the present technology can be similarly applied to other flying objects.

[0163] In addition, although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modified or amended examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0164] In addition, the effects described in this specification are merely descriptive or exemplary and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects that are apparent to a person skilled in the art from the description of this specification, in addition to or in place of the above effects.

[0165] The present technology can also be configured as follows. (1) A control unit that controls so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position. Information processing device. (2) The air traffic control unit limits the number of aircraft entering the exclusive airspace to one. The information processing device according to (1). (3) When the air traffic control unit receives an entry application from one of the aircraft attempting to enter the exclusive airspace, if no other aircraft is entering the exclusive airspace, the air traffic control unit transmits an entry permission to the one of the aircraft. The information processing device according to (2). (4) When the other aircraft is entering the exclusive airspace, a standby command is sent to the first aircraft. The information processing device according to (3). (5) The air traffic control unit updates the information on aircraft entering the exclusive airspace when it receives the approach application from one of the aircraft attempting to enter the exclusive airspace and no other aircraft is entering the exclusive airspace, when it transmits the approach permission to the aircraft, or when it receives an approach notification from the aircraft. The information processing device according to (3). (6) The above-mentioned exclusive airspace is composed of a special control area in which self-location reporting is not permitted and an entry / exit control area set around the special control area, the entry request is received before the one aircraft enters the entry / exit controlled area; The entry notification is received after the one air vehicle enters the controlled entry area. The information processing device according to (5). (7) When the air traffic control unit receives an exit request from one of the aircraft attempting to exit the exclusive airspace, if there are no other aircraft in the vicinity of the one of the aircraft, the air traffic control unit transmits an exit permission to the one of the aircraft. The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (6). (8) The control unit transmits a standby command to the one flying object when another flying object is present in the vicinity of the one flying object. The information processing device according to (7). (9) The air traffic control unit updates information on aircraft entering the exclusive airspace when it receives an exit request from one of the aircraft attempting to exit the exclusive airspace, when it transmits the exit permission to the aircraft, or when it receives an exit notification from the aircraft to which the exit permission has been transmitted. The information processing device according to (7). (10) When there are a predetermined number of aircraft waiting to approach, the air traffic control unit transmits an approach permission to the aircraft that is waiting earliest. The information processing device according to (9). (11) The above-mentioned exclusive airspace is composed of a special control area in which self-location reporting is not permitted and an entry / exit control area set around the special control area, The exit request is received after the one aircraft has entered the entry / exit control area; The exit notification is received after the one air vehicle leaves the entry / exit control area. The information processing device according to (9). (12) When the flying object without the ability to avoid other aircraft enters the exclusive control airspace, the air traffic control unit limits the flying object entering the exclusive control airspace to one while the flying object without the ability to avoid other aircraft is present. The information processing device according to (1). (13) When the aircraft capable of avoiding other aircraft enters the exclusive control airspace, the air traffic control unit permits the aircraft capable of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive control airspace. The information processing device according to (1). (14) The air traffic control unit does not permit the air vehicles capable of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive airspace when the number of the air vehicles capable of avoiding other aircraft that have entered the exclusive airspace is an upper limit number. The information processing device according to (13). (15) When the aircraft with the capability of avoiding other aircraft enters the exclusive airspace, the air traffic control unit does not permit the aircraft without the capability of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive airspace. The information processing device according to (1). (16) The air traffic control unit will not permit the aircraft that does not have the ability to avoid other aircraft to enter the exclusive airspace until all of the aircraft that have entered the exclusive airspace have exited. The information processing device according to (15). (17) The exclusive airspace is an airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot communicate wirelessly or an area in which the aircraft cannot obtain its own position. The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (16). (18) The aircraft is a drone. The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (17). (19) Having a control procedure for limiting the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its position. Information processing methods. (20) A computer The system functions as an air traffic control means for controlling so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report their own position. program. (21) A control system and a predetermined number of flying objects in a controlled airspace of the control system; An exclusive airspace is set in the controlled airspace, the exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position to the air traffic control system, When the aircraft passes through the exclusive airspace, the aircraft transmits an entry application and an exit application to the air traffic control system; The control system controls the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace so as to limit the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace based on the entry application and the exit application transmitted from the flying object. Aircraft system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0166] 10. Air Vehicle Systems 100...Control System 101 Communications Department 102...Exclusive Controlled Airspace Management Department 103...Exclusive Controlled Airspace Approach Management Department 104 Air traffic control unit 200, 200A, 200B... Drone 201 Communications Department 202... Self-position estimation section 203...Controlled Airspace Storage Department 204 Flight plan memory unit 205 Flight control unit 206 Aircraft control unit 207 Obstacle detection unit

Claims

1. a control control unit that controls so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position; The air traffic control unit limits the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace to one, and when an entry application is received from one of the flying objects attempting to enter the exclusive airspace, if no other flying object is entering the exclusive airspace, transmits an entry permission to the one flying object. Information processing device.

2. When the other flying object is entering the exclusive airspace, a standby command is sent to the one flying object. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The air traffic control unit updates the information of an aircraft entering the exclusive airspace when the approach application is received from one of the aircraft attempting to enter the exclusive airspace and no other aircraft is entering the exclusive airspace, when the approach permission is transmitted to the aircraft, or when an approach notification is received from the aircraft. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. The exclusive airspace is composed of a special control area in which self-location reporting is not permitted and an entry / exit control area set around the special control area, the entry request is received before the one aircraft enters the entry / exit controlled area; The entry notification is received after the one air vehicle enters the controlled entry area. The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. a control control unit that controls so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position; The air traffic control unit limits the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace to one, and when an exit request is received from one of the flying objects attempting to exit the exclusive airspace, if there are no other flying objects in the vicinity of the one flying object, transmits an exit permission to the one flying object. Information processing device.

6. The control unit transmits a standby instruction to the one flying object when another flying object is present in the vicinity of the one flying object. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

7. The air traffic control unit updates information about an aircraft approaching the exclusive airspace when it receives the exit request from one of the aircraft attempting to exit the exclusive airspace, when it transmits the exit permission to the aircraft, or when it receives an exit notification from the one of the aircraft to which the exit permission has been transmitted. The information processing device according to claim 5 .

8. The air traffic control unit transmits an entry permission to the aircraft that is in the earliest standby state when there is a predetermined number of aircraft in the standby state. The information processing device according to claim 7.

9. The exclusive airspace is composed of a special control area in which self-location reporting is not permitted and an entry / exit control area set around the special control area, The exit request is received after the one aircraft has entered the entry / exit control area; The exit notification is received after the one air vehicle leaves the entry / exit control area. The information processing device according to claim 7.

10. When the flying object without the ability to avoid other aircraft enters the exclusive airspace, the air traffic control unit limits the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace to one while the flying object without the ability to avoid other aircraft is present. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

11. a control control unit that controls so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position; When the flying object capable of avoiding other aircraft enters the exclusive airspace, the air traffic control unit permits the flying object capable of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive airspace. Information processing device.

12. The air traffic control unit does not permit the flying object capable of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive airspace when the number of the flying objects capable of avoiding other aircraft that have entered the exclusive airspace is an upper limit number. The information processing device according to claim 11.

13. a control control unit that controls so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position; When the flying object having the capability of avoiding other aircraft enters the exclusive controlled airspace, the air traffic control unit does not permit the flying object not having the capability of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive controlled airspace, and does not permit the flying object not having the capability of avoiding other aircraft to enter the exclusive controlled airspace until all the flying objects that have entered the exclusive controlled airspace have exited. Information processing device.

14. The exclusive airspace is an airspace including an area where the aircraft cannot wirelessly communicate or an area where the aircraft cannot obtain its own position. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

15. The flying object is a drone. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

16. A control procedure is provided for controlling the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position, In the air traffic control procedure, the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace is limited to one, and when an entry application is received from one of the flying objects attempting to enter the exclusive airspace, if no other flying objects are entering the exclusive airspace, entry permission is transmitted to the one flying object. Information processing methods.

17. Computer, A program that functions as an air traffic control means for controlling so as to limit the number of aircraft entering an exclusive airspace including an area in which an aircraft cannot report its own position, The air traffic control means limits the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace to one, and when an entry application is received from one of the flying objects attempting to enter the exclusive airspace, if no other flying object is entering the exclusive airspace, transmits entry permission to the one of the flying objects. program.

18. A control system and a predetermined number of flying objects present in a controlled airspace of the control system, An exclusive airspace is set in the controlled airspace, the exclusive airspace including an area in which the aircraft cannot report its own position to the air traffic control system, When the aircraft passes through the exclusive airspace, the aircraft transmits an entry application and an exit application to the air traffic control system; The control system controls the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace to be limited based on the entry application and the exit application transmitted from the flying object, The control system limits the number of the flying objects entering the exclusive airspace to one, and when an entry application is received from one of the flying objects attempting to enter the exclusive airspace, if no other flying objects are entering the exclusive airspace, the control system transmits entry permission to the one of the flying objects. Aircraft system.

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