Method, system and program

The system allows users to easily set and visualize flight restriction areas for unmanned flying vehicles by displaying maps and inputting designated areas, addressing the challenge of variable flight restriction locations and sizes.

JP7619653B2Active Publication Date: 2025-01-22CLUE INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022530612
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2020-06-10
Filing Date
2021-06-09
Publication Date
2025-01-22
Estimated Expiration
2041-06-09

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

The challenge is to easily set a flight restriction area for unmanned flying vehicles at sites where inspections and photography are conducted, as the location and size of the restriction area vary depending on the site.

Method used

A system and method that involves displaying a map on a display unit, obtaining information about a designated area through user input on the map, and outputting information about the restricted flight area in real space, utilizing a display control unit, acquisition unit, and output control unit to facilitate easy setting and visualization of flight restrictions.

Benefits of technology

Enables easy and intuitive setting of flight restriction areas for unmanned flying vehicles, allowing users to visualize and control flight paths effectively, ensuring compliance with site-specific restrictions.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

[Problem] To make it possible to easily set a flight-restricted zone of a flying object on the scene. [Solution] The present method is used in setting a flight-restricted zone, and this method includes displaying a map on a touch panel 12, acquiring information relating to an area indicated on the map displayed on the touch panel 12, the area being inputted on the basis of an operation performed on the map, and outputting information relating to a flight-restricted zone of an unmanned flying object 20 in real space on the basis of the area indicated on the map.
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method, a system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an increasing need for inspections, photography, and the like using unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones. For this reason, technology for easily operating unmanned aerial vehicles is being developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle using a touch panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-85041 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] At inspection and photography sites, it is sometimes necessary to restrict the area in which aircraft can fly as much as possible. The location and size of the restricted area varies depending on the site, so it is necessary to set it each time.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above background, and its purpose is to provide a method, system, and program that can easily set flight restriction zones for aircraft on-site. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, there is provided a method including: displaying a map on a display unit; acquiring information related to a designated area on the map input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit; and outputting information related to a flight restriction zone of an aircraft in real space based on the designated area on the map.

[0007] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a system including a display control unit that causes a map to be displayed on a display unit, an input information acquisition unit that acquires information relating to a designated area on the map that is input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit, and an output control unit that outputs information relating to a flight restriction zone of an aircraft in real space based on the designated area on the map.

[0008] In addition, according to the present disclosure, there is provided a program that causes a computer to function as a display control unit that displays a map on a display unit, an input information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a designated area on the map that is input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit, and an output control unit that outputs information related to a flight restriction zone of an aircraft in real space based on the designated area on the map. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, flight restriction areas for aircraft can be easily set on-site. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processing terminal 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] A block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control unit 11 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a series of controls in the system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram showing a first example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to a method for setting a flight restricted area by the system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing a second example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to the method of setting a flight restricted area by the system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a series of controls in a method for outputting information related to flight restricted areas using the system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing a first example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to a method of outputting information related to flight restricted zones by the system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing a second example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to a method of outputting information related to flight restricted zones by the system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing a third example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to a method of outputting information related to flight restricted zones by the system 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] <System Overview> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the figure, the system 1 includes an information processing terminal 10 and an unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The system 1 according to this embodiment can be used, for example, to photograph an area FRA1 including a building S1 and the like. In this system 1, a user U using the information processing terminal 10 performs an operation to control the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 on the touch panel of the information processing terminal 10. At that time, an image including the above-mentioned area photographed by a camera 28 mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is displayed on the touch panel. In this embodiment, for example, information on the flight restriction area of ​​the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be displayed superimposed on the image displayed on the touch panel. With such a display, the user U can grasp the area in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can fly / cannot fly by looking at the touch panel.

[0013] The information processing terminal 10 according to the present embodiment is implemented by a so-called tablet-shaped small computer. In other embodiments, the information processing terminal 10 may be realized by a portable information processing terminal such as a smartphone or a game console, or may be realized by a stationary information processing terminal such as a personal computer. The information processing terminal 10 may also be realized by a plurality of pieces of hardware, with functions distributed among them.

[0014] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing terminal 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the information processing terminal 10 includes a control unit 11 and a touch panel 12 which is an example of a display unit.

[0015] The processor 11a is a calculation device that controls the operation of the control unit 11, controls the transmission and reception of data between each element, and performs processes required for executing programs, etc. In this embodiment, the processor 11a is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and performs each process by executing a program stored in the storage 11c (described later) and deployed in the memory 11b.

[0016] The memory 11b includes a main storage device configured with a volatile storage device such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), and an auxiliary storage device configured with a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. This memory 11b is used as a working area for the processor 11a, and also stores a basic input / output system (BIOS) that is executed when the control unit 11 is started up, various setting information, and the like.

[0017] The storage 11c stores programs, information used for various processes, etc. For example, when a user operates an aircraft for capturing images of an area including a building S1, etc., via the information processing terminal 10, the storage 11c may store a program for controlling the flight of the aircraft.

[0018] The transmission / reception unit 11d connects the control unit 11 to a network such as the Internet, and may include a short-range communication interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0019] The input / output unit 11e is an interface to which an input / output device is connected, and in this embodiment, the touch panel 12 is connected.

[0020] The bus 11f transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals between the connected processor 11a, memory 11b, storage 11c, transmission / reception unit 11d, and input / output unit 11e.

[0021] The touch panel 12 is an example of a display unit, and includes a display surface on which acquired videos and images are displayed. In this embodiment, the display surface accepts information input by touching the display surface, and is implemented using various technologies such as a resistive film type or a capacitive type.

[0022] For example, an image captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may be displayed on the display surface of the touch panel 12. Information regarding the flight restriction zone of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may be displayed on the display surface superimposed on the image captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. In addition, buttons, objects, etc. for controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 and controlling the imaging device may be displayed on the display surface. In addition, a user may input information via the touch panel 12 to the images, buttons, etc. displayed on the display surface.

[0023] In this embodiment, the touch panel 12 is given as an example of the display unit, but the present technology is not limited to such an example. For example, the display unit may be realized by a display device such as another display, a monitor, or a smartphone. In addition, the input device for acquiring input information may be realized by a method other than the touch panel 12. For example, the input device may be realized by various input devices such as a mouse, a keyboard, a voice recognition device, and a gaze recognition device instead of the touch panel 12. In addition, the information processing device 10 may be realized independently of at least one of the display device such as the touch panel 12 and the input device. In this case, for example, the information processing device 10 may be realized by one or more servers such as a cloud server, and may be provided so as to be able to communicate with the touch panel 12.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 according to one embodiment includes a main body 21, a transceiver 22, a flight controller 23, a battery 24, an ESC 25, a motor 26, a propeller 27, and a camera 28. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is an example of an aerial vehicle. The type of the aerial vehicle is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a so-called multi-rotor drone as shown in Fig. 3.

[0025] The flight controller 23 may have one or more processors 23A, such as a programmable processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)).

[0026] Flight controller 23 has and has access to memory 23B. Memory 23B stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that are executable by the flight controller to perform one or more steps.

[0027] The memory 23B may include a separable medium or an external storage device, such as an SD card or a random access memory (RAM). The data acquired from the sensors 23C may be directly transmitted to and stored in the memory 23B. For example, still image and video data captured by the camera 28 is recorded in the built-in memory or an external memory.

[0028] The flight controller 23 includes a control module configured to control the state of the air vehicle. For example, the control module may be configured to control six degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y, and z, and rotational motion θ x , θ y and θ z The control module controls the propulsion mechanism (motor 26, etc.) of the aircraft via an ESC (Electric Speed ​​Controller) 25 to adjust the spatial arrangement, speed, and / or acceleration of the aircraft having a camera 28, a sensor 23C, etc. The control module can control one or more of the camera 28, the sensor 23C, etc.

[0029] The flight controller 23 can communicate with a transceiver 22 configured to transmit and / or receive data from one or more external devices (e.g., a terminal such as the information processing terminal 10, a display device, or other remote control). For example, the transceiver 22 can utilize one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared, radio, WiFi, a point-to-point (P2P) network, a telecommunications network, cloud communications, and the like.

[0030] The transceiver unit 22 can transmit and / or receive one or more of the following: data acquired by the camera 28 or sensors 23C, processing results generated by the flight controller 23, specified control data, user commands from the information processing terminal 10 or a remote controller, etc.

[0031] The sensors 23C according to this embodiment may include an inertial sensor (acceleration sensor, gyro sensor), a GPS sensor, a proximity sensor (e.g., LIDAR), or a vision / image sensor (e.g., camera).

[0032] The battery 24 may be a known battery such as a lithium polymer battery. The power that drives the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is not limited to the electric power supplied from the battery 24, and may be powered by an internal combustion engine, for example.

[0033] Camera 28 is an example of an imaging device. The type of camera 28 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a normal digital camera, a spherical camera, an infrared camera, a thermography image sensor, or the like. Camera 28 may be connected to main body 21 by a gimbal (not shown) or the like so as to be independently displaceable.

[0034] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control unit 11 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the control unit 11 includes a map acquisition unit 111, an image acquisition unit 112, a display control unit 113, an input information acquisition unit 114, a flight restriction area determination unit 115, a coordinate conversion unit 116, and an output control unit 117. Each of these functional units can be realized by the processor 11a reading a program stored in the storage 11c into the memory 11b and executing it. In addition, the map information 118 can be stored in, for example, the storage 11c, an external storage, a cloud server, or the like.

[0035] The map acquisition unit 111 has a function of acquiring map information 118. The map information 118 has information related to the map. The information related to the map is, for example, information in which location information (including at least one of longitude information, latitude information, and altitude information) is associated with a map or an aerial photograph (which may include one captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20). The map information 118 may include not only geographical information but also information on the type of structure or area (house, park, public facility, commercial facility, industrial facility, river, etc.). The map information 118 may be acquired using, for example, an API (Application Programming Interface) provided by a service related to the map. In this case, the map information 118 may be appropriately updated by, for example, a user performing an operation to search for a place where a flight restriction area should be set by inputting to the touch panel 12 on which the map is displayed. The acquired map information 118 is output to the display control unit 113.

[0036] The image acquisition unit 112 has a function of acquiring information on images captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The image acquisition unit 112 appropriately acquires images captured by the camera 28 mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The acquired images may be moving images obtained in real time, or still images captured at any timing. Information on the acquired images is output to the display control unit 113.

[0037] The display control unit 113 has a function of displaying the acquired image and information on the touch panel 12. The display control unit 113 also has a function of displaying, in the image, information such as buttons, objects, and text for providing information to a user who uses the present system 1 and for acquiring input information based on an operation by the user. The display control unit 113 may also have a function of displaying, on the touch panel 12, an image based on input information acquired by an input information acquisition unit 114 described later.

[0038] For example, the display control unit 113 may have a function of displaying a map related to the acquired map information 118. This causes the map to be displayed on the touch panel 12. In addition, the display control unit 113 may have a function of displaying a captured image acquired by the image acquisition unit 112.

[0039] The input information acquisition unit 114 has a function of acquiring input information generated based on an operation on an image displayed on the touch panel 12. The input information here includes, for example, information about a position on the image displayed on the touch panel 12. The position on the image is, for example, the position of a pixel constituting the image. That is, the input information includes information indicating at which position on the image the user performed an operation. Such operations include, for example, tapping, touching, swiping, sliding, and the like.

[0040] Such input information may include, for example, input information related to the setting of a flight restricted area. As will be described in detail later, the input information related to the setting of a flight restricted area is, for example, information (designated area information) generated by an operation of setting a designated area corresponding to the flight restricted area of ​​the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 on a map when the area in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may fly is displayed on the touch panel 12. Such input information may include, for example, information related to the registration, change, or deletion of the flight restricted area.

[0041] The input information may also include input information for controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. For example, when buttons, objects, etc. for controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 are displayed on the touch panel 12 by the display control unit 113, the input information for controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is information generated by operating the buttons or objects. Such input information may include, for example, information for control of the takeoff, landing, ascent, descent, translation, rotation, speed, etc. of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, as well as information for control of the imaging process, zoom, and imaging direction of the camera 28.

[0042] The flight restricted area determination unit 115 has a function of determining a flight restricted area in real space based on input information related to the setting of the flight restricted area. For example, the flight restricted area determination unit 115 determines a flight restricted area in real space based on the designated area information included in the above input information. The flight restricted area can be specified by, for example, position information (latitude information and longitude information) of the designated area on a map.

[0043] The coordinate conversion unit 116 has a function of converting the flight restricted zone into position coordinates in an image captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. For example, the coordinate conversion unit 116 obtains the coordinates of the flight restricted zone on the captured image based on the latitude information and longitude information of the flight restricted zone determined by the flight restricted zone determination unit 115. This makes it possible to recognize, for example, which part of the captured image is the flight restricted zone on the captured image displayed on the touch panel 12 described later.

[0044] The output control unit 117 has a function of outputting information related to the flight restricted area in real space. The manner in which the output control unit 117 outputs the information is not particularly limited. For example, the output control unit 117 may output the information to the touch panel 12. The information may be displayed, for example, superimposed on a captured image captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. More specifically, the output control unit 117 may display the information on the touch panel 12 by superimposing a display showing a position (e.g., an area) corresponding to at least either the inside or the outside of the flight restricted area on the captured image, like AR (augmented reality).

[0045] In addition, the output control unit 117 may control the display of an object for moving the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 when the object is displayed superimposed on the captured image captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. Specifically, when the object is located at a position corresponding to the outside of the flight restriction area in the captured image (i.e., the no-fly area), the output control unit 117 may control the display of the object in a manner corresponding to the object being unable to be set as a movement target position. The manner corresponding to the object being unable to be set may include, for example, a change in color or shape of the object, or a manner in which an object for completing the setting of a movement target cannot be selected. In addition, the output control unit 117 may control the display of the object for setting a movement target position so that the object can be moved based on an operation on the touch panel 12 only to a position inside the flight restriction area in the captured image.

[0046] Furthermore, the output control unit 117 may output information related to the flight restricted area in real space to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. For example, the output control unit 117 may control the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to fly only in the area inside the flight restricted area. This allows, for example, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to fly only in the area corresponding to the flight restricted area.

[0047] Next, an example of a method for setting a flight restricted area using the system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a series of controls in the method for setting a flight restricted area using the system 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0048] First, the map acquisition unit 111 acquires the map information 118 (step SQ101). Then, the acquired map is displayed on the touch panel 12 by the display control unit 113 (step SQ103).

[0049] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to the method for setting a flight restricted area by the system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, a map M1 is displayed on a screen V1 of the touch panel 12. Also, a button 101 for correcting a designated area is displayed on the screen V1. An operation for setting a designated area for the map M1 can be performed by a user's operation on the touch panel 12. Also, an input such as a slide or pinch can be performed on the map M1 to change or enlarge or reduce the area displayed on the map M1.

[0050] Next, the input information acquisition unit 114 acquires information related to the designated area by input to the touch panel 12 (step SQ105). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second example screen of the touch panel 12 related to the method of setting a flight restriction area by the system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of pins 201 can be set on the map M1 by the user's operation on the touch panel 12. Then, the designated area 202 can be set with each pin 201 as a vertex. Note that the method of setting the designated area 202 is not particularly limited, and for example, the designated area may be set freehand. In addition, when a similar area has been set in the past, the designated area may be set by calling up information set in the past. The designated area 202 can be confirmed, for example, when the designation of the pins 201 is completed and an enclosed area is generated.

[0051] Next, the flight restricted area determination unit 115 determines a flight restricted area in real space based on the determined designated area 202 (step SQ107). Information related to such flight restricted areas may be temporarily stored in the storage 13, for example. 。

[0052] Next, an example of a method for outputting information related to flight restricted areas using the system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a series of controls in the method for outputting information related to flight restricted areas using the system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0053] First, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 captures an image of the flight restriction zone and the surrounding area using the on-board camera 28 (step SQ201). The captured image obtained by this imaging process is acquired by the image acquisition unit 112 (step SQ203). At that time, the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 etc. at the time the captured image was captured is also acquired. Information related to the position can be used in a conversion process between coordinates on the captured image and coordinates in real space, which will be described later.

[0054] Next, the display control unit 113 displays the captured image on the touch panel 12 (step SQ205). Note that the captured image may be a moving image received in real time from the unmanned air vehicle 20, or may be a still image.

[0055] Next, the coordinate conversion unit 116 associates the coordinates on the captured image with the real space coordinates (step SQ207). This process is for displaying an area corresponding to the flight restriction zone on the captured image, which will be described later. The association between the coordinates on the captured image (local coordinates) and the real space coordinates (global coordinates) can be performed by a known technique such as mapping transformation.

[0056] Next, the coordinate conversion unit 116 converts the flight restriction zone into coordinates on the captured image based on the above association (step SQ209). Through this process, an area on the captured image corresponding to the flight restriction zone is uniquely determined.

[0057] Next, the output control unit 117 displays the area outside the flight restriction zone on the touch panel 12 by superimposing it on the captured image (step SQ211).

[0058] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a first example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to a method for outputting information related to the flight restricted zone by the system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, a captured image P1 captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is displayed on the screen V1 of the touch panel 12. The captured image P1 is obtained by capturing an image with the camera 28 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 facing directly downward. Then, superimposed on the captured image P1 are an area FRA10 inside the flight restricted zone and an area FRA11 outside the flight restricted zone. outside The left and right areas FRA11 are displayed on either side of the boundary line 203 of the flight restriction area. Also displayed on screen V1 are a button 103 for landing the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, a button 104 for moving the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 in the vertical direction, a button 105 for rotating the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 around the yaw axis, an object 106 for adjusting the shooting direction of the camera 28 mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, an object 107 for adjusting the wide-angle / telephoto degree of the camera 28, an object 108 for positioning the movement target position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, and a button 109 for starting the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 9, the area FRA10 inside the flight restricted area and the area FRA11 outside the flight restricted area may be displayed in other manners. In the example shown in FIG. 9, no image processing is performed on the area FRA10 inside the flight restricted area, whereas an object may be displayed on the area FRA10 outside the flight restricted area. In this way, it becomes possible to visually recognize the inside and outside of the flight restricted area from the viewpoint of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 on the touch panel 12. That is, it becomes possible to visually recognize the position in real space corresponding to the flight restricted area set by the user himself on the interface of the touch panel 12 during the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. Note that the display positions of the areas inside and outside the flight restricted area may also be changed according to the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

[0060] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of a screen of the touch panel 12 relating to the output method of information related to the flight restricted area by the system 1 according to the present embodiment. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the captured image P2 is obtained by capturing an image with the imaging direction of the camera 28 of the unmanned flying object 20 set to an oblique direction instead of directly below. In this way, even when the imaging direction is oblique, it is possible to display the area FRA10 inside the flight restricted area and the area FRA11 outside the flight restricted area as information related to the flight restricted area on the captured image P2 in a distinguished manner. In this case, for example, information related to the imaging angle of the camera 28 may be included as the position information included in the captured image. Based on the information related to the imaging angle, the coordinate conversion unit 116 associates the coordinates of the flight restricted area with the coordinates of the captured image, thereby making it possible to display the relevant area on the captured image P2. At this time, the position information of the flight restricted area may include predetermined altitude information. This makes it possible to uniquely determine the position of the flight restricted area to be superimposed on the captured image P2.

[0061] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a third example screen of the touch panel 12 relating to the method of outputting information related to the flight restricted area by the system 1 according to this embodiment. The captured image P1 shown in FIG. 11 is the same as the captured image P1 shown in FIG. 9. Here, a case will be described where an operation is performed to move the object 108 for positioning the movement target position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 onto the area FRA11 outside the flight restricted area. As shown in FIG. 11, when an attempt is made to move the object 108 onto the area FRA11 outside the flight restricted area, the state of the object 108 changes and a display such as the object 108a appears on the screen V1. In particular, the object 108a may be displayed in a state in which it cannot be set at this position. This allows the user to intuitively understand that the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 cannot be moved to such an area. In addition, as another example, when the object 108 is at a position included in the area FRA11 outside the flight restricted area, the button 109 for starting the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may be changed and displayed in a state in which it cannot be selected. This prevents the user from moving the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 outside the flight restriction area.

[0062] An example of the control method of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 by the system 1 according to the present embodiment has been described above. In the above embodiment, an example of the control method in the actual flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has been described, but the present technology is not limited to such an example. For example, the present technology can be used for a simulation in the case where a virtual drone is flown in a VR (Virtual Reality) or AR (Augmented Reality) space. By simulating the flight behavior of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 by flight control using VR or AR, it is possible to confirm in advance the imaging direction of the camera 28 when the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is actually flown. Note that a known technology can be used for the simulation using the VR space or AR space.

[0063] As described above, according to the system 1 of this embodiment, a flight restricted area can be set on the touch panel 12, and information about the flight restricted area can be obtained via the touch panel 12. For example, the flight restricted area can be displayed in an AR-like manner by being superimposed on an image captured by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. This allows the user operating the touch panel 12 to set the flight restricted area in which the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can fly, and to intuitively grasp its position. For example, even if the shooting angle of the camera 28 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 changes, such a display can be displayed by superimposing an object indicating the flight restricted area at an appropriate position on the captured image.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the inside and outside of the flight restricted area are displayed in an AR-like manner using objects or the like, but the present technology is not limited to such an example. For example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is approaching the boundary of the flight restricted area, an alert indicating that the unmanned aerial vehicle is approaching the boundary may be output by the touch panel 12. In addition, when it is determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 flies outside the flight restricted area or that flight control is being performed such that the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 will exceed the boundary of the flight restricted area within a predetermined time, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 may be controlled to automatically head toward the inside of the flight restricted area.

[0065] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above 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.

[0066] The device described in this specification may be realized as a single device, or may be realized by a plurality of devices partially or entirely connected via a network. For example, the control unit and storage of the information processing terminal 10 may be realized by different servers connected to each other via a network.

[0067] The series of processes performed by the device described in this specification may be realized using any of software, hardware, and a combination of software and hardware. A computer program for realizing each function of the information processing terminal 10 according to this embodiment may be created and installed in a PC or the like. A computer-readable recording medium in which such a computer program is stored may also be provided. The recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. The above computer program may also be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a recording medium.

[0068] In addition, the processes described herein using flowchart diagrams do not necessarily have to be performed in the order shown. Some process steps may be performed in parallel. Additional process steps may be employed, and some process steps may be omitted.

[0069] 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.

[0070] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (Item 1) Displaying a map on a display unit; acquiring information related to a designated area on the map input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit; outputting information related to a flight restriction zone of an aircraft in real space based on the designated area on the map; The method includes: (Item 2) The method according to item 1, A method for outputting information related to a flight restricted area in the real space to the display unit. (Item 3) The method according to item 2, Displaying on the display unit a captured image loaded on the aircraft flying within the flight restriction area; and displaying information related to the flight restricted zone on the display unit by superimposing the information on the captured image. (Item 4) The method according to item 3, A method for displaying, on the display unit, a display indicating a position in the captured image that corresponds to at least either an inside or an outside of the flight restricted zone, superimposed on the captured image. (Item 5) The method according to item 4, A method for displaying an area corresponding to at least either an inside or an outside of the flight restriction zone by superimposing it on the captured image based on information relating to a position in the real space at the time the captured image was captured. (Item 6) The method according to any one of items 2 to 5, displaying on the display unit an image captured by the aircraft flying within the flight restricted area; an object for setting a movement target position of the flying object is displayed on a display unit that displays the captured image; When the position of the object is a position corresponding to outside the flight restriction zone in the captured image, the object is displayed on the display unit in a manner corresponding to the object not being set as the movement target position. (Item 7) The method according to any one of items 2 to 6, displaying on the display unit an image captured by the aircraft flying within the flight restricted area; an object for setting a movement target position of the flying object is displayed on a display unit that displays the captured image; A method in which display of the object is controlled so that the object can be moved based on an operation on the display unit only to a position inside the flight restriction zone in the captured image. (Item 8) The method according to any one of items 1 to 7, A method for outputting information relating to flight restricted areas in real space to the flying object. (Item 9) The method according to item 8, The method, wherein the flying object is controlled to fly only within an area inside a flight restricted area in the real space. (Item 10) The method according to any one of items 1 to 9, A method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to a flight restricted zone in the real space includes information relating to a no-fly zone that is outside the flight restricted zone. (Item 11) A system for flight control of an aircraft, comprising: a display control unit that causes a map to be displayed on a display unit; an input information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a designated area on the map that is input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit; an output control unit that outputs information related to a flight restriction area in a real space based on the designated area on the map; A system comprising: (Item 12) Computer, a display control unit that displays a map on a display unit; an input information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a designated area on the map that is input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit; an output control unit that outputs information related to a flight restriction zone of an aircraft in real space based on the designated area on the map; A program that functions as a [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 System 10. Information processing terminal 11 Control section 12 Touch Panel 20 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 28 Camera 111 Map Acquisition Section 112 Image acquisition unit 113 Display control unit 114 Input information acquisition unit 115 Flight Restriction Area Determination Division 116 Coordinate conversion section 117 Output control section 118 Map Information

Claims

1. Displaying a map on a display unit; acquiring information related to a designated area on the map input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit; outputting information related to a flight restricted area, which is an area in which an aircraft in real space can fly based on the designated area on the map, the information including altitude information; displaying information related to a target position of the aircraft and a flight restriction area in the real space on the display unit; Moving the set movement target position, the movement target position being unable to move outside the flight restriction area; Displaying an image captured by the aircraft flying within the flight restriction area on the display unit; Including, an object for setting the movement target position of the flying object is displayed on the display unit that displays the captured image; When the position of the object is a position corresponding to outside the flight restriction zone in the captured image, the object is displayed on the display unit in a manner corresponding to the object not being set as the movement target position.

2. 2. The method of claim 1 , Displaying on the display unit a captured image carried on the aircraft flying within the flight restriction area; and displaying information related to the flight restricted zone on the display unit by superimposing the information on the captured image.

3. 3. The method of claim 2, A method for displaying, on the display unit, a display indicating a position in the captured image that corresponds to at least either an inside or an outside of the flight restricted zone, superimposed on the captured image.

4. 4. The method of claim 3, A method for displaying an area corresponding to at least either an inside or an outside of the flight restriction zone by superimposing it on the captured image based on information relating to a position in the real space at the time the captured image was captured.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, displaying on the display unit an image captured by the aircraft flying within the flight restricted area; an object for setting a movement target position of the flying object is displayed on a display unit that displays the captured image; A method in which display of the object is controlled so that the object can be moved based on an operation on the display unit only to a position inside the flight restriction zone in the captured image.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A method for outputting information relating to flight restricted areas in real space to the flying object.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, The method, wherein the flying object is controlled to fly only within an area inside a flight restricted area in the real space.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A method according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to a flight restricted zone in the real space includes information relating to a no-fly zone that is outside the flight restricted zone.

9. A system for flight control of an aircraft, comprising: a display control unit that displays a map on a display unit; an input information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a designated area on the map that is input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit; an output control unit that outputs information related to a flight restricted area, which is an area in real space where the aircraft can fly based on the designated area on the map, the information including altitude information; and Equipped with The output control unit is displaying information related to a target position of the aircraft and a flight restriction area in the real space on the display unit; When the set movement target position is moved, the movement target position cannot be moved outside the flight restriction area, displaying on the display unit an image captured by the aircraft flying within the flight restricted area; displaying an object for setting the movement target position of the flying object on the display unit that displays the captured image; When the position of the object is a position corresponding to outside the flight restriction zone in the captured image, the system displays the object on the display unit in a manner corresponding to the object not being set as the movement target position.

10. Computer, a display control unit that causes a map to be displayed on a display unit; an input information acquisition unit that acquires information related to a designated area on the map that is input based on an operation on the map displayed on the display unit; an output control unit that outputs information related to a flight restricted area, which is an area in which an aircraft in real space can fly based on the designated area on the map, the information including altitude information; and A program that functions as The output control unit is displaying information related to a target position of the aircraft and a flight restriction area in the real space on the display unit; When the set movement target position is moved, the movement target position cannot be moved outside the flight restriction area, displaying on the display unit an image captured by the aircraft flying within the flight restricted area; displaying an object for setting the movement target position of the flying object on the display unit that displays the captured image; and a program for displaying the object on the display unit in a manner corresponding to the object being incapable of being set as the movement target position when the object's position corresponds to a position outside the flight restriction zone in the captured image.

Citation Information

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