Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance system

Abstract

To receive a remote ID more reliably even in a situation where it is difficult to receive a remote ID that is transmitted from a target unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).SOLUTION: An unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 31 for capturing to acquire a remote ID of a target UAV 11. The UAV 31 for capturing has such a configuration that an UAV body 33 performing flight operation in accordance with a steering signal transmitted from an UAV controller 35 (operating device) is provided with a capture device 32 having a remote ID receiving function.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system for monitoring the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The progress of robotics technology in recent years has been remarkable, and robots are increasingly being used to solve various social issues. In particular, regarding unmanned aerial vehicles, the Cabinet Secretariat-led Public-Private Council for the Improvement of the Environment for Small Unmanned Aircraft is actively studying their utilization, and the roadmap for the industrial revolution in the sky is updated and published every year. The major goal of the roadmap, Level 4 flight (flight beyond visual line of sight in populated areas) of unmanned aerial vehicles (hereinafter referred to as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)), is scheduled to be realized in 2022, and related laws are being developed toward that goal. As part of such efforts, it will be mandatory for UAVs to transmit a remote ID for remote identification at least once per second, and this is scheduled to come into effect in June 2022.

[0003] The Remote ID communication method is specified to be Bluetooth 5.x, WiFi Aware, or WiFi Beacon. Each communication method is specified to have a weak transmission output, and it is assumed that reception will occur within a horizontal radius of approximately 300m under ideal conditions. The specifications for Remote ID are published as the "Remote ID Technical Specifications (draft)" on the Prime Minister's Office website (https: / / www.kantei.go.jp / jp / singi / kogatamujinki / kanminkyougi_dai16 / betten1.pdf).

[0004] Here, the following are examples of conventional technologies in the technical field of the present invention. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention that includes a first unmanned aerial vehicle that flies a predetermined route, a monitoring control device for monitoring or controlling the flight, and a second unmanned aerial vehicle that flies in an area where there are no obstructions between the first unmanned aerial vehicle and the monitoring control device, the second unmanned aerial vehicle taking a video of the first unmanned aerial vehicle as a subject, wirelessly transmitting the taken data to the monitoring control device, and the monitoring control device displaying the taken data received from the second unmanned aerial vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-131598 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] UAV monitors (e.g., aviation bureau officials, important facility managers, police officers, etc.) who monitor UAV flights use capture devices that receive remote IDs transmitted from UAVs to obtain the remote IDs of UAVs flying nearby. However, if it is difficult to approach the UAV to be investigated (hereinafter referred to as the target UAV) to a location where the remote ID can be received, it becomes difficult to obtain the remote ID. In addition, particularly in urban areas, it may become difficult to obtain the remote ID due to deterioration of communication quality caused by interference from 2.4 MHz band (ISM band) devices present around the capture device.

[0007] FIG. 1 shows an image of UAV monitoring by a capture device. In FIG. 1, the area where the remote ID transmitted by the target UAV 11 reaches is shown as the remote ID reach area 12. For example, when the capture device 22-1 held by the monitor 21-1 is within the range of the remote ID reach area 12, the capture device 22-1 can receive the remote ID of the target UAV 11. On the other hand, when the capture device 22-2 held by another monitor 21-2 is outside the range of the remote ID reach area 12, the capture device 22-2 cannot receive the remote ID of the target UAV 11. In this way, the monitor 21 needs to place the capture device 22 within the range of the remote ID reach area 12 of the target UAV 11.

[0008] In addition, the remote ID reachable area 12 may be smaller depending on the surrounding buildings, terrain, interference waves, etc., and therefore the reachable distance in each direction is not uniform. Therefore, from the viewpoint of wireless communication quality, it is desirable to make the distance between the target UAV 11 and the capture device 22 as short as possible, and also to ensure physical line of sight between them.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the conventional circumstances described above, and aims to make it possible to more reliably receive a remote ID even in situations where it is difficult to receive the remote ID transmitted from a target UAV. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured as follows. In other words, it is a surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle whose operation is controlled by a monitor who monitors the flight of a target unmanned aerial vehicle, and is characterized by being equipped with a capture device that receives a remote ID transmitted from the target unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0011] Furthermore, the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention may be configured to include a storage unit that stores the remote ID received by the capture device.

[0012] In addition, the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention may be configured to include a wireless communication unit that wirelessly transmits the remote ID received by the capture device to provide it to a surveillance person.

[0013] Furthermore, the monitoring unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention may be configured to include a steering signal arrival direction estimation unit that estimates the arrival direction of a steering signal relative to a target unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0014] Furthermore, the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention may be configured to include a camera that photographs the direction of arrival of the steering signal estimated by the steering signal arrival direction estimation unit.

[0015] In addition, the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention may be configured to include a steering signal transmission position estimation unit that estimates the position of the sender of the steering signal based on the estimation results by the steering signal arrival direction estimation unit, the photographing results by the camera, and the position information of the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0016] An unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system according to another aspect of the present invention is configured as follows. That is, the unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system is for monitoring the flight of a target unmanned aerial vehicle, and comprises a monitoring unmanned aerial vehicle operated by a monitor who monitors the flight of the target unmanned aerial vehicle, and a controller that accepts the monitor's operation and transmits steering signals to the monitoring unmanned aerial vehicle via wireless communication, and the monitoring unmanned aerial vehicle is characterized in that it is equipped with a capture device that receives the remote ID transmitted from the target unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0017] In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system according to the present invention may be configured to further include a search unmanned aerial vehicle having a steering signal arrival direction estimation unit that estimates the arrival direction of a steering signal for the unmanned aerial vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, even in a situation where it is difficult to receive the remote ID transmitted from the target UAV, a stable wireless communication environment can be secured, thereby making it possible to receive the remote ID more reliably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a problem with UAV monitoring using a capture device. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a UAV monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which one monitor receives remote IDs from multiple UAVs being surveyed. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a flight plan-based remote ID verification method. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an airspace definition. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for identifying the pilot position of a target UAV. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a search UAV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows an outline of a UAV monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this method, a capture UAV 31, which is an example of a monitoring unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention, is used to obtain the remote ID of a target UAV 11. Here, it is assumed that the target UAV 11 transmits a remote ID for remotely identifying the UAV at least once per second. The remote ID includes information such as a registration number, a serial number, location information, speed information, time information, and authentication information.

[0021] The capture UAV 31 is configured by mounting a capture device 32 equipped with a remote ID receiving function on a UAV main body 33 that performs flying operations according to steering signals transmitted from a UAV transmitter 35 (pilot). A monitor (e.g., an aviation bureau employee, a manager of important facilities, a police officer, etc.) 34 remotely controls the capture UAV 31 by operating the UAV transmitter 35, moving the capture UAV 31 within the range of the remote ID reach area 12 of the target UAV 11, and receiving the remote ID transmitted from the target UAV 11 with the capture device 32. The remote ID received by the capture device 32 is stored in a memory (storage unit) not shown.

[0022] The monitor 34 then retrieves the capture UAV 31, reads the remote ID obtained by the capture device 32 from the memory, and uses the remote ID to access the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's UAV registration system to inquire about information about the target UAV 11. If the monitor 34 is unable to receive the remote ID from the target UAV 11, it is highly likely that the UAV is illegal, and this information can be used to warn operators planning to operate UAVs in the surrounding airspace.

[0023] In this manner, in this method, by using the capture UAV 31 equipped with the capture device 32, it is possible to shorten the distance between the target UAV 11 and the capture device 32. This makes it possible to ensure line of sight for communication between the target UAV 11 and the capture device 32 and to increase the distance away from ground interference sources, making it possible to more reliably obtain the remote ID of the target UAV 11.

[0024] In the above description, the observer 34 operates the UAV transmitter 35 to control the capture UAV 31, but if there is a means for grasping the position information of the target UAV 11, the capture UAV 31 may be automatically driven based on the position information to acquire the remote ID of the target UAV 11. That is, the capture UAV 31 is controlled to fly autonomously toward the target UAV 11, and the remote ID of the target UAV 11 is automatically acquired. This reduces the workload of the observer 34 in acquiring the remote ID.

[0025] In the above description, the capture UAV 31 is configured to store the remote ID received by the capture device 32 in a memory, but the capture UAV 31 may be provided with a wireless communication unit that wirelessly transmits the remote ID received by the capture device 32. As the wireless communication unit, any wireless method that can be used in the sky, such as LoRa in the 920 MHz band commonly used in UAVs, an unmanned mobile image transmission system in the 5.7 GHz band, WiFi, LTE, etc., can be used. By providing such a wireless communication unit, the monitor 34 can confirm the remote ID of the target UAV 11 without retrieving the capture UAV 31. The function of receiving the remote ID of the target UAV 11 wirelessly transmitted by the capture UAV 31 may be provided by the UAV transmitter 35 or a device other than the UAV transmitter 35.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows an example in which one observer 34 receives remote IDs from multiple target UAVs 11-1 to 11-2. The observer 34 first operates the UAV transmitter 35 to move the capture UAV 31 within the range of the remote ID reach area 12-1 of the first target UAV 11-1, and acquires the remote ID of the first target UAV 11-1. After that, the observer 34 further operates the UAV transmitter 35 to move the capture UAV 31 within the range of the remote ID reach area 12-2 of the second target UAV 11-2, and acquires the remote ID of the second target UAV 11-2.

[0027] By operating the capture UAV 31 in this manner, it is possible for a single monitor 34 to obtain the remote IDs of multiple target UAVs 11. In this example, it is assumed that the remote IDs of two target UAVs 11-1 to 11-2 are to be investigated, but it is also possible to obtain remote IDs from even more target UAVs 11 as long as they are within the range in which the capture UAV 31 can be operated.

[0028] (Remote ID verification method based on flight plan) Previously, "flight plan reporting" was a condition for permission and approval of UAV operation, but it is expected that this will be clarified by laws and regulations as a common operation rule in the future. Therefore, all UAVs will be required to register their flight plans, including flight date and time, route, altitude, etc., in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's "Drone Information Infrastructure System." Therefore, by accessing the drone information infrastructure system, it will be easy to grasp information on when, which route, and at what altitude each UAV will fly.

[0029] Figure 4 shows the concept of a method for confirming remote IDs based on this background. In Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents airspace, showing the flight plan of a UAV. This figure shows which airspace a UAV is in during a certain time period. The airspace setting during actual operation will be explained with reference to Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the area on the ground divided by a rectangular parallelepiped ABCDEFGH is considered as one airspace, and each airspace is specified by the latitude and longitude of each vertex (A to D) of the bottom of the rectangular parallelepiped, the altitude Ht of the bottom of the rectangular parallelepiped, and the height (size) Δh of the airspace, so that any point on the earth can be specified as a unique airspace. Note that the length of each side of the airspace must be set appropriately by the operation manager.

[0030] Here, for example, there are two target UAVs 11-1 and 11-2, and each of them has a flight plan to move through each airspace as shown by the dashed arrows 13-1 and 13-2. If these flight plans can be grasped in advance, the observer 34 can obtain the remote ID of the second target UAV 11-2 by taking off the capture UAV 31 from the airspace (n) at time (t) and moving or approaching the airspace (n+1) at time (t+1). In addition, at the next time (t+2), the first target UAV 11-1 passes through the airspace (n-1), so the observer 34 can obtain the remote ID of the first target UAV 11-1 by moving or approaching the capture UAV 31 to the airspace (n-1).

[0031] After that, the monitor 34 returns the capture UAV 31 to the airspace (n) from which it started. This allows the monitor 34 to confirm the remote IDs of the two UAVs acquired by the capture device 32 mounted on the capture UAV 31. In addition, based on the remote IDs acquired from each of the target UAVs 11-1 and 11-2, it is also possible to access the drone information infrastructure system and compare them with the flight plan, thereby determining whether each of the target UAVs 11-1 and 11-2 is flying according to the flight plan.

[0032] (What to do if there is a problem with the remote ID you obtained) When a monitor queries the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's registration system or drone information infrastructure system for the remote ID acquired, and finds a problem, such as a UAV taking a flight route different from the flight plan, it is desirable to be able to identify the pilot of the UAV. The same applies when a remote ID cannot be acquired from the UAV. However, it is difficult to identify malicious UAV operators from the information in the registration system or drone information infrastructure system.

[0033] As a method for dealing with the above-mentioned case, a method for identifying the location of the pilot of the target UAV 11 will be described with reference to Figure 6. Here, a case will be described in which a monitoring assistant 47 who assists the activities of the monitor 34 identifies the location of the pilot 14 of the target UAV 11 using a search UAV 41 that has the function of estimating the direction of arrival of a steering signal transmitted from the UAV transmitter 15 for operating the target UAV 11.

[0034] First, the monitor 34 operates the capture UAV 31 using the UAV transmitter 35 to attempt to acquire the remote ID of the target UAV 11. If there is a problem with the acquired remote ID, or if the remote ID cannot be acquired, the monitor 34 cooperates with the assistant monitor 47 to begin work on identifying the position of the pilot 14 of the target UAV 11.

[0035] The monitoring assistant 47 operates the search UAV 41 with the UAV transmitter 48, and attempts to identify the position of the pilot 14 of the target UAV 11 by moving the search UAV 41 to a position where it can intercept the steering signal transmitted from the UAV transmitter 15 to the target UAV 11. Here, the search UAV 41 is assumed to be equipped with an array antenna 42, a steering signal arrival direction estimation unit 43, a camera 44, a steering signal transmission position estimation unit 45, and a wireless communication unit 46, as shown in FIG.

[0036] The array antenna 42 receives steering signals for maneuvering the UAV. The array antenna 42 receives steering signals for the UAV itself (search UAV 41) and other UAVs flying nearby, and can distinguish between the steering signals based on the identification information of the sender (UAV transmitter) and the destination (UAV) included in the steering signals.

[0037] The steering signal arrival direction estimator 43 estimates the arrival direction of the steering signal for the target UAV 11 using a known arrival wave direction estimation algorithm such as MUSIC (MUltiple SIgnal. Classification) based on the steering signal received by the array antenna 42. For example, the estimation of the arrival direction is performed for steering signals other than the steering signal for the own aircraft.

[0038] The camera 44 captures the direction of arrival of the steering signal relative to the target UAV 11 based on the estimation result by the steering signal arrival direction estimation unit 43. This makes it possible to obtain a captured image showing the pilot 14 operating the UAV transmitter 15. At this time, it is preferable that the camera 44 automatically recognizes the pilot 14 shown in the captured image and appropriately controls the magnification and focal length. The camera 44 may also calculate the distance to the pilot 14 based on the magnification, the pilot size in the captured image, etc.

[0039] The steering signal transmission position estimation unit 45 estimates the position of the pilot 14 of the target UAV 11 (more precisely, the position of the UAV transmitter 15, which is the source of the steering signal for the target UAV 11) based on the estimation result by the steering signal arrival direction estimation unit 43, the shooting result by the camera 44, and the current position information of the target UAV 11. Specifically, for example, the relative position of the UAV transmitter 15 with respect to the search UAV 41 is calculated based on the arrival direction of the steering signal of the target UAV 11 and the distance to the pilot 14, and the position of the UAV transmitter 15 is calculated by performing a calculation based on the current position information of the search UAV 41. The current position information of the search UAV 41 can be obtained, for example, by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The above-mentioned estimation method of the transmission position of the steering signal is merely one example, and the transmission position of the steering signal may be estimated by other methods.

[0040] The estimation result by the steering signal transmission position estimation unit 45 is wirelessly transmitted by the wireless communication unit 46. As the wireless communication unit 46, any wireless method that can be used in the sky, such as LoRa in the 920 MHz band commonly used in UAVs, an unmanned mobile body image transmission system in the 5.7 GHz band, WiFi, LTE, etc., can be used. In addition, the estimation result by the steering signal arrival direction estimation unit 43 and the image captured by the camera 44 may also be wirelessly transmitted by the wireless communication unit 46.

[0041] The function of receiving the data wirelessly transmitted by the search UAV 41 may be provided by the UAV transmitter 48, or may be provided by a device separate from the UAV transmitter 48. The assistant monitor 47 moves the search UAV 41 toward the position of the pilot 14 of the target UAV 11 based on the data received from the search UAV 41.

[0042] By using this method, after confirming the position of the pilot 14 of the target UAV 11, the search UAV 41 can be used to capture images of the pilot 14 and his surroundings, store the video information, and also track the pilot 14 by vehicle based on the position information of the pilot 14. It is also possible to share information with the operation managers of other UAVs flying in the vicinity to warn them and ensure the safety of UAV operation. The search UAV 41 may be configured to include a memory (storage unit) that stores the data acquired in the above processing, and the assistant monitor 47 who retrieves the search UAV 41 may read the data from the memory.

[0043] In the above description, the capture UAV 31 and the search UAV 41 are configured separately, but the functions of these UAVs may be integrated into one aircraft. This allows fewer people to monitor the flight of the target UAV 11 and track the pilot 14.

[0044] As described above, in this example, the remote ID of the target UAV 11 is obtained using a capture UAV 31 having a capture device 32 equipped with a remote ID receiving function mounted on a UAV main body 33. With this configuration, even in a situation where it is difficult to receive the remote ID transmitted from the target UAV 11, a stable wireless communication environment can be secured between the target UAV 11 and the capture device 32, so that the remote ID of the target UAV 11 can be received more reliably.

[0045] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take various other embodiments, and various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. These embodiments and modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention described in this specification, etc., and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0046] Furthermore, the present invention can be provided not only as devices such as those described above or as a system composed of these devices, but also as methods executed by these devices, programs for causing a processor to realize the functions of these devices, and storage media for storing such programs in a computer-readable format. [Industrial Applicability]

[0047] The present invention can be used in an unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system for monitoring the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 11, 11-1, 11-2: target UAV, 12, 12-1, 12-2: remote ID reachable area, 13-1, 13-2: flight plan, 14: pilot, 15: UAV transmitter, 21-1, 21-2: observer, 22: capture device, 31: capture UAV, 32: capture device, 33: UAV main body, 34: observer, 35: UAV transmitter, 41: search UAV, 42: array antenna, 43: steering signal arrival direction estimation unit, 44: camera, 45: steering signal transmission position estimation unit, 46: wireless communication unit, 47: observer assistant, 48: UAV transmitter

Claims

1. A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle whose operation is controlled by a surveillance person who monitors the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, a capture device for receiving a remote ID transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle; Furthermore, the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle has the function of flying autonomously toward a designated location, and is controlled to move to or approach a specific airspace through autonomous flight by the time the unmanned aerial vehicle passes through it, in order to receive the remote ID of the unmanned aerial vehicle by the capture device in a specific airspace through which the unmanned aerial vehicle passes, among a plurality of airspaces set to divide the space above the ground into a rectangular prism, according to a flight plan including a pre-registered date, time, route, and altitude of the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. 2. The surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a memory unit for storing the remote ID received by the capture device.

3. In the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a wireless communication unit that wirelessly transmits the remote ID received by the capture device to provide it to the surveillance person.

4. In the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a steering signal arrival direction estimation unit that estimates the arrival direction of a steering signal for the unmanned aerial vehicle.

5. 5. The surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 4, A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a camera for photographing the direction of arrival of the steering signal estimated by the steering signal arrival direction estimation unit.

6. 6. The surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 5, A surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle characterized in that it has a steering signal transmission position estimation unit that estimates the position of the sender of the steering signal based on the estimation results by the steering signal arrival direction estimation unit, the photographing results by the camera, and the position information of the surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. An unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system for monitoring a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising: A monitoring unmanned aerial vehicle operated by an observer who monitors the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle; a controller that receives an operation by the monitor and transmits a steering signal to the monitor unmanned aerial vehicle by wireless; The surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with a capture device that receives a remote ID transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle; The surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle further has the ability to fly autonomously toward a designated location, and is controlled to move to or approach a specific airspace through autonomous flight by the time the unmanned aerial vehicle passes through it, in accordance with a flight plan including a pre-registered date, time, route, and altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle's flight, among a plurality of airspaces set to divide the space above the ground into a rectangular prism, in order to receive the remote ID of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the specific airspace through which the unmanned aerial vehicle passes by the capture device, according to an unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring system.

8. 8. The unmanned aerial vehicle surveillance system according to claim 7, An unmanned aircraft monitoring system further comprising a search unmanned aircraft having a steering signal arrival direction estimation unit that estimates the arrival direction of a steering signal for the unmanned aircraft.

Images