Flying vehicle, processor, flight control method, program, and flight support equipment

Abstract

This aircraft, which flies autonomously on a specified route using a GNSS or the like, is provided with a processor which, if the aircraft does not continue the autonomous flight on the specified route, performs flight control of the aircraft on the basis of information relating to a landing point acquired from the outside by means of an external information acquiring device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying object, a processor, a flight control method, a program, and a flight auxiliary facility. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and demonstration experiments have been conducted toward the practical application of services using flying objects such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "flying objects"). In providing services such as home delivery and inspection, it is desirable for flight, takeoff and landing to be performed automatically. In view of this situation, Patent Document 1 discloses a landing facility that allows flying objects to land autonomously.

[0003] More specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a landing facility equipped with markers capable of assisting the autonomous landing of an aircraft. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20160122038 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, it is possible to provide landing equipment that can realize autonomous landing of an aircraft at low cost and efficiently.

[0006] However, there is no guarantee that autonomous flight using GNSS or the like (satellite positioning system) can always be performed with the same accuracy. Depending on the positional relationship between the aircraft and the satellites and the environment, the number of satellites captured may be small, making accurate self-location estimation difficult, or errors may occur due to solar activity such as solar flares. Under such circumstances, in an autonomous landing using the landing equipment of Patent Document 1, an aircraft performing autonomous flight using GNSS or the like may not be able to accurately move to a distance where it can recognize the marker, and may not be able to perform a satisfactory autonomous landing.

[0007] Well-known solutions to problems when autonomous flight using GNSS or other technologies is difficult include guidance from a ground control system or a real-time mapping system using LIDAR or other devices equipped on the aircraft. However, these methods require the development of ground facilities, increase operational costs due to maintenance, and increase the weight of the aircraft, making them suboptimal in terms of implementing and sustaining services.

[0008] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft that flies autonomously using GNSS or the like, and that can improve the reliability of flight while suppressing increases in costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aircraft that flies autonomously along a designated route, and that is equipped with a processor that performs flight control of the aircraft based on information regarding a landing point acquired from outside by an external information acquisition device when autonomous flight along the designated route is not continuing. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aircraft that flies autonomously using GNSS or the like, and that can improve the reliability of flight while suppressing increases in costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the flight auxiliary equipment of the present invention as viewed from above. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the flight support equipment of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the directions indicated by auxiliary signs of the flight auxiliary equipment in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of the aircraft of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of the aircraft of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of the aircraft of FIG. 4. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a top view of the auxiliary sign of the flight auxiliary equipment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the auxiliary sign of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a top view of the aircraft of the present invention being guided to a landing site. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view of the state of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is another top view of the flying object of the present invention being guided to a landing site. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view of the state shown in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a side view showing an example of an auxiliary sign installation. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an aircraft according to the present invention in a safe landing mode; [Figure 15] 4 is an example of a flight route of an aircraft in a safe landing mode in the present invention. [Figure 16] 4 is an example of a flight route of an aircraft in a safe landing mode in the present invention. [Figure 17] 4 is an example of a flight route of an aircraft in a safe landing mode in the present invention. [Figure 18] 4 is an example of a flight route of an aircraft in a safe landing mode in the present invention. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a side view of another flying object in the flight auxiliary equipment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a utility pole and electric wires as viewed from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The contents of the embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described below. The flying object, the processor, the flight control method, the program, and the flight auxiliary equipment according to the embodiments of the present invention have the following configuration. [Item 1] An aircraft that flies autonomously along a designated route, a processor that performs flight control of the aircraft based on information about a landing point acquired from an external information acquisition device when the autonomous flight on the designated route is not being continued; An aircraft characterized by: [Item 2] The aircraft according to item 1, The external information acquisition device is a sensor. An aircraft characterized by: [Item 3] The aircraft according to item 2, The sensor is an image sensor. An aircraft characterized by: [Item 4] The aircraft according to item 1, The external information acquisition device is a beacon device. An aircraft characterized by: [Item 5] The aircraft according to any one of items 1 to 4, The processor executes a safe landing mode that performs flight control based on a flight route to obtain information about the landing site. An aircraft characterized by: [Item 6] The aircraft according to any one of items 1 to 4, The processor recognizes, in peacetime, the information about the landing site as information about a landing site on the designated route; In a safety landing mode, the information on the landing site is recognized as information on an emergency landing site different from a landing site on the designated route. An aircraft characterized by: [Item 7] 7. The aircraft according to any one of items 1 to 6, The flying object transmits information about the landing site to another flying object or a management server that supports autonomous flight of the flying object. An aircraft characterized by: [Item 8] A processor mounted on an aircraft that autonomously flies along a designated route, When the autonomous flight on the designated route is not being continued, flight control of the aircraft is performed based on information regarding a landing point acquired from an external information acquisition device. A processor comprising: [Item 9] A flight control method for an aircraft that autonomously flies on a designated route, comprising: When the autonomous flight on the designated route is not continued, a step of performing flight control of the aircraft based on information on a landing point acquired from an external information acquisition device. A flight control method comprising: [Item 10] A program for causing an aircraft that autonomously flies on a designated route to execute a flight control method, The flight control method includes: When the autonomous flight on the designated route is not continued, a step of performing flight control of the aircraft based on information on a landing point acquired from an external information acquisition device. A program characterized by: [Item 11] A flight support system for an aircraft that flies autonomously on a designated route, Provide additional signs providing information about the landing site; A flight support facility characterized by:

[0013] <Details of the embodiment of the present invention> Hereinafter, an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Details of the first embodiment> 1 and 2, an assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an auxiliary sign 12 such as a figure or letter represented by a plate, sheet, display, structure, etc., and an auxiliary sign capture sensor (hereinafter collectively referred to as an external information acquisition device) 112 that is provided on an aircraft 100 and can capture the auxiliary sign 12. A plurality of auxiliary signs 12 are placed on the designated route 20 of the aircraft 100 or outside the designated route, and assist the flight of the aircraft 100. Note that the illustrated auxiliary signs 12 are uniformly drawn as black stars to clarify the positions, etc., and changes in figures and letters due to differences in the information indicated by each of the multiple auxiliary signs 12 are not illustrated.

[0015] Aircraft 100 is equipped with at least elements such as propeller 110 and motor 111 for flight, and is equipped with energy (e.g., secondary batteries, fuel cells, fossil fuels, etc.) for operating them. It is preferable to use an aircraft that does not require a large area such as a runway, and is called a multicopter equipped with multiple propellers and motors as shown in Fig. 4 or 5, or a single rotor helicopter as shown in Fig. 19.

[0016] The sensor 112 is connected to the flying object 100, and is installed at any location where the flying object can capture at least the outside during flight. The installation angle of the sensor 112 is determined by the installation location of the auxiliary sign 12 to be used, the altitude used by the flying object, the capture range of the sensor 112, and the like. In order to maintain the sensor in a predetermined orientation in both states, when the flying object is moving forward with an inclination, and when the flying object is hovering in a windless environment with no inclination, the sensor may be connected so as to be displaceable independently of the inclination of the flying object. For example, by using a gimbal for a camera, the orientation of the sensor can be kept constant without being affected by the change in the angle of the flying object.

[0017] The sensor 112 is a detector capable of capturing the auxiliary sign 12 while the aircraft is flying in the sky. For example, an optical sensor capable of visually recognizing the auxiliary sign 12, such as a digital camera or an infrared camera, may be used. The sensor 112 may also be used in combination with a distance measuring device, such as a millimeter wave radar, to efficiently capture the auxiliary sign.

[0018] It should be noted that the illustrated flying object 100 is depicted in a simplified manner in order to facilitate explanation of the structure of the present invention, and detailed configurations of, for example, the control unit, etc. are not shown.

[0019] The forward direction of the aircraft 100 is the direction of arrow D in the figure (-YX direction) (more details will be given later).

[0020] In the following description, terms may be used according to the following definitions: forward / backward direction: +Y direction and -Y direction, up / down direction (or vertical direction): +Z direction and Z direction, left / right direction (or horizontal direction): +X direction and -X direction, forward direction (forward): -Y direction, backward direction (rearward): +Y direction, upward direction (upward): +Z direction, downward direction (downward): -Z direction

[0021] The propeller 110 rotates by receiving an output from the motor 111. The rotation of the propeller 110 generates a thrust force for causing the flying object 100 to take off from a departure point, move, and land at a destination. The propeller 110 can rotate in a right direction, stop, and rotate in a left direction.

[0022] The propeller 110 of the aircraft of the present invention has one or more blades. There can be any number of blades (rotors) (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, or more blades). The blades can be flat, curved, kinked, tapered, or any combination thereof. The blades can be variable in shape (e.g., extendable, foldable, bent, etc.). The blades can be symmetric (having identical upper and lower surfaces) or asymmetric (having upper and lower surfaces with different shapes). The blades can be formed into airfoils, wings, or any geometry suitable for generating aerodynamic forces (e.g., lift, thrust) as the blade moves through the air. The blade geometry can be selected to optimize the blade's aerodynamic properties, such as increasing lift and thrust and reducing drag.

[0023] The propellers equipped on the aircraft of the present invention may be of fixed pitch, variable pitch, or a combination of fixed pitch and variable pitch, but are not limited to these.

[0024] The motor 111 generates the rotation of the propeller 110; for example, the drive unit may include an electric motor or an engine, etc. The blades may be driven by the motor and rotate around the motor's rotation axis (e.g., the motor's longitudinal axis).

[0025] The blades can all rotate in the same direction, or they can rotate independently. Some blades rotate in one direction and others in the other direction. The blades can all rotate at the same RPM, or they can each rotate at a different RPM. The RPM can be determined automatically or manually based on the dimensions of the moving object (e.g., size, weight) and the control state (speed, direction of movement, etc.).

[0026] The flying object 100 determines the rotation speed of each motor and the flight angle according to the wind speed and direction using a flight controller, a radio control system, etc. This allows the flying object to move by ascending and descending, accelerating and decelerating, and changing direction.

[0027] The aircraft 100 can fly autonomously according to routes and rules set in advance or during flight, or can fly by being controlled using a remote control.

[0028] The above-mentioned flying object has the functional blocks shown in FIG. 2. The functional blocks in FIG. 2 are a minimum reference configuration. The flight controller is a so-called processing unit. The processing unit may have one or more processors, such as a programmable processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)). The processing unit has a memory (not shown) and is accessible to the memory. The memory stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that the processing unit can execute to perform one or more steps. The memory may include, for example, a separable medium such as an SD card or a random access memory (RAM) or an external storage device. Data acquired from a camera or sensors may be directly transmitted to and stored in the memory. For example, still image and video data captured by a camera or the like is recorded in an internal memory or an external memory.

[0029] The processing unit includes a control module configured to control the state of the rotorcraft. 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 mechanisms (e.g., motors) of the rotorcraft to adjust the spatial arrangement, speed, and / or acceleration of the rotorcraft having a rotorcraft with a rotor blade. The control module can control one or more of the onboard components, the state of the sensors, etc.

[0030] The processing unit can communicate with a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive data from one or more external devices (e.g., a terminal, a display device, or other remote controller). The transceiver can use any suitable communication means, such as wired or wireless communication. For example, the transceiver 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 telecommunication network, cloud communication, etc. The transceiver can transmit and / or receive one or more of data acquired by sensors, processing results generated by the processing unit, predetermined control data, user commands from a terminal or a remote controller, etc.

[0031] The sensors according to this embodiment may include inertial sensors (accelerometers, gyro sensors), GPS sensors, proximity sensors (e.g., lidar), or vision / image sensors (e.g., cameras).

[0032] The processing unit also includes a processing system for reflecting optical information, etc. obtained from the auxiliary sign 12 captured by the sensor 112 in flight control.

[0033] In order to improve the accuracy and speed of capture, it is desirable that the figures and characters shown by the auxiliary sign 12 have a shape that is easily distinguishable from other objects (natural objects and objects generally found outdoors) when viewed from the air. For example, a single circle or square is a common shape for structures and buildings when viewed from the air, and is therefore more likely to be misrecognized than other complex figures, two-dimensional codes, etc.

[0034] The auxiliary sign 12 is displayed so that the contents of the sign can be captured by the flying object 100 flying in the air. When the camera equipped on the flying object captures the view directly below, the auxiliary sign 12 is preferably displayed so that it can be captured not only accurately from directly above (+Z direction) as shown in Figures 7 and 8B, but also so that it can be captured even when not directly above. The auxiliary sign 12 may be provided on a stepped structure as shown in Figure 7, or on a flat structure as shown in Figure 8B, or may be provided on a structure that is inclined toward the prescribed route of the designated route, for example.

[0035] The auxiliary sign 12 can be installed on the ground or painted on it on flat ground. In locations with buildings or structures, it is desirable to install the auxiliary sign at a high place with few obstructions in the sky so that it can be easily captured by an aircraft in flight. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, the roof or rooftop of a building, the top of a utility pole or a street lamp, etc. are suitable, but the installation location is not limited to these as long as it can be installed so as to be captured by an aircraft.

[0036] The altitude to be used as a route for each flying object 100 that uses the auxiliary sign 12 is set in advance so that each flying object 100 flies at a free altitude and does not cause a collision accident. Therefore, the size of the auxiliary sign 12 is determined so that it is not difficult for the sensor 112 equipped on the flying object 100 to capture the auxiliary sign at the altitude to be used. For example, even if the flying object is set to a usage altitude of 50 meters, the minimum size of the auxiliary sign that can be captured differs greatly when the focal length of the camera mounted as the auxiliary sign capture sensor is 50 mm and when it is 400 mm, and therefore the appropriate size of the auxiliary sign 12 also differs.

[0037] The auxiliary signs 12 are provided on a designated route 20 of the aircraft 100 or around the designated route 20, for example, outside a landing port or an emergency landing site equipped with a landing marker 11 (hereinafter collectively referred to as a landing site 10). When the aircraft 100 heading for the landing site 10 deviates from the landing site 10 or the designated route 20, the aircraft 100 can determine its direction of travel based on information obtained from the auxiliary signs 12. For example, when the auxiliary signs 12 are provided on a circle centered on the landing site 10 and the distance between adjacent auxiliary signs 12 is equal to or less than the range in which the aircraft 100 can capture a sign at the flight altitude of the aircraft 100, the aircraft 100 that enters the circle in which the auxiliary signs 12 are arranged can smoothly head for the landing site 10. Even if the aircraft 100 moves out of the circle due to an abnormality or malfunction of the equipment, the auxiliary signs 12 can be captured before it deviates from the circle, so the aircraft 100 will not carelessly move away from the landing site 10, and the range of the aircraft 100's inevitable crash or landing is limited.

[0038] The auxiliary sign 12 has information that enables the flying object 100 to acquire the direction in which it should proceed, and the flying object 100 that has captured the auxiliary sign 12 can move toward the landing point 10 even when it is difficult to estimate its own position using GNSS or the like. Here, the method of estimating its own position is not limited to GNSS, and may be estimation based on receiving radio waves from a ground reference station (RTK, air traffic control, etc.), estimation based on images or light (VisualSLAM, LidarSLAM, etc.), or estimation based on reference to pre-stored data on the terrain or environment.

[0039] Furthermore, the flying object 100 may reach the auxiliary sign 12 by further using existing structures other than the auxiliary sign 12. By using structures other than the auxiliary sign 12, the total number of auxiliary signs 12 is reduced, reducing the installation cost of the equipment, while making it easier to supplement the auxiliary signs 12.

[0040] For example, as shown in Fig. 20, when capturing a utility pole 200, electric wires 210, transformer 220, etc. from the sky, a shape consisting of a combination of circles and lines can be read. Since utility poles and electric wires are standardized in size and spacing, auxiliary uses can be expected, such as using the utility pole as a reference and flying in the direction of the wires while relying on the linear shape of the wires.

[0041] After taking off from the takeoff point, the aircraft 100 autonomously flies along a pre-set designated route 20 toward a landing point 10 based on its own position, etc., acquired by GNSS or the like, and lands at the landing point 10, such as a port or a helipad.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 9-12, the flying object 100 can perform accurate autonomous landing at the landing site 10 using a guidance signal from the ground and an auxiliary marker for autonomous landing. In the method using a signal from the ground shown in FIG. 9-10, the flying object 100 enters a range where it can receive a guidance signal, and a receiving device provided in the flying object 100 acquires the guidance signal (instruction signal) from the ground and performs a landing operation. In the method using an auxiliary marker shown in FIG. 11-12, the flying object 100 approaches close enough to recognize the marker 11 with an optical sensor such as a camera provided in the flying object 100, and the flying object 100 reads the marker 11 and performs a landing operation.

[0043] At this time, if there is an error in the self-position acquired by GNSS or the like (for example, the position error acquired by the aircraft 100 becomes large due to an insufficient number of satellites that can be acquired or solar activity, etc.), accurate autonomous flight will not be possible, and the aircraft 100 will not be able to approach within the signal reception range of the landing equipment or close enough to recognize the markers 11 on the landing equipment.In addition, if the error is several tens of meters, it will be difficult for the aircraft 100 to proceed along the designated route 20.

[0044] When accurate autonomous flight becomes difficult for the flying object 100, the flying object 100 acquires information on which direction to head to in order to reach the landing point 10 by capturing an auxiliary sign 12 installed near the landing point 10 or the designated route 20. If the information provided to the flying object 100 by the auxiliary sign 12 is directional information to the landing point 10, the flying object 100 can start moving even without information on its own position, direction, etc. In addition, the information provided to the flying object 100 by the auxiliary sign 12 may include distance information to the landing point 10, if necessary.

[0045] Furthermore, the flying object 100 may transmit the information indicated by the acquired auxiliary sign 12 to, for example, a management server that supports the flying object 100 in autonomous flight or a processor of another flying object. This makes it possible to know how the flying object 100, which has difficulty proceeding along the designated route 20, will fly from then on, and to avoid contact with other flying objects. In addition, if other flying objects also have difficulty proceeding along the designated route 20 due to the same or similar causes, they can cooperate with each other to land. Furthermore, by including the identification ID and location information of the auxiliary sign 12 as the information indicated by the acquired auxiliary sign 12, it is possible to know where the flying object 100 is currently flying.

[0046] 4, when there are multiple auxiliary signs 12, the flying object 100 is more likely to capture the auxiliary signs 12. If, at the stage of selecting the designated route 20, it is unavoidable to select a route through a valley or near a high-rise building where it is predicted that satellite capture will be difficult, the reliability of autonomous flight can be improved by arranging the auxiliary signs 12 in advance so that they are easily captured.

[0047] When it is determined that accurate autonomous flight has become difficult, the flying object 100 may switch to a flight method (auxiliary sign search mode) for more quickly capturing the auxiliary sign 12. Examples of flight methods include, but are not limited to, flying in a circle from the current position and gradually increasing the diameter of the circle, increasing altitude on the spot, and returning in the direction of the auxiliary sign 12 if it is found in an image acquired in the past (several seconds or minutes ago).

[0048] <Details of the second embodiment> In the details of the second embodiment of the present invention, components that overlap with those of the first embodiment operate in the same manner, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0049] The auxiliary sign 12 can handle any information that can be carried by figures, character strings, bar codes, etc., and can therefore play a role in assisting flight in the event of a problem in estimating the self-position of the flying object 100. Therefore, the information indicated by the auxiliary sign 12 is, for example, instructions on altitude, speed, direction, and operation, and transmission of coordinate information, etc.

[0050] The aircraft 100 may be equipped with a safety landing mode for performing a landing using the auxiliary sign 12 when, during flight, it becomes impossible to continue autonomous flight on the designated route 20, such as when a satellite is disrupted due to solar activity such as a strong solar flare, making it impossible to estimate the aircraft's position using GNSS or the like, or when the aircraft 100 suffers a malfunction or failure.

[0051] Some existing radio-controlled or multi-copters can be set to switch to a predetermined operation when communication with a transmitter (promo) is lost, such as flying while maintaining the altitude, returning to a preset location (home position, etc.) using GNSS or the like, or remaining in place. Even in an autonomous flying vehicle 100, it is necessary to switch to a predetermined operation when there is an obstacle to obtaining GNSS or the like that serves as a guide for flight, in order to ensure the safety of the aircraft itself and its surroundings.

[0052] Therefore, the autonomous flight assistance equipment of the present invention has a flight mode (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a safe landing mode) that enables landing at a safe point. For example, when self-location estimation by GNSS or the like becomes impossible, the flying object 100 switches to the safe landing mode automatically or by an external instruction. In the case where the flying method in the safe landing mode is that the flying object 100 maintains a predetermined altitude and gradually widens the diameter of the turn as shown in FIG. 15, the flying object 100 continues turning until it captures the nearest auxiliary sign 12, and as soon as it recognizes the auxiliary sign 12, it becomes possible to head to the landing point 10 (including an emergency landing site) according to the information provided by the auxiliary sign 12. In addition, when the surroundings of the installation point of the auxiliary sign 12 can be the landing point 10, the flying object 100 may land at a position that does not hinder other aircraft from capturing the auxiliary sign (for example, a position 2 meters away from the auxiliary sign 12, where aircraft other than the own aircraft cannot be captured). In this case, as described above, by including the identification ID and location information of the auxiliary sign 12 as information indicated by the acquired auxiliary sign 12, it is possible to determine where the flying body 100 will land, and particularly when information is being exchanged between other flying bodies, if a similar auxiliary sign 12 is acquired, the flying body 100 may land based on the other auxiliary sign 12 rather than relying on it.

[0053] 15-18, the flight route for the flying object 100 in the safe landing mode to capture the auxiliary sign 12 can be set arbitrarily. It is expected that the auxiliary sign 12 can be captured efficiently by expanding the diameter of a circle in a spiral shape or flying back and forth while shifting the position, rather than flying haphazardly.

[0054] Other examples of flight methods in the safe landing mode include increasing the flight altitude to increase the area that can be captured, and searching for objects that can be flight assistance (e.g., assistance signs 12, power lines, utility poles, etc.) from images acquired in the past (several seconds or minutes ago, etc.) and flying in that direction. When using images acquired in the past, for example, if an image containing an object that can be flight assistance was acquired 10 seconds ago, it is possible to approach the object that can be flight assistance by changing the direction of travel 180 degrees and traveling at the same speed for 10 seconds.

[0055] By arranging multiple auxiliary signs 12 on or outside the designated route 20 of the aircraft 100, if autonomous flight using GNSS or the like becomes difficult, other aircraft flying at different locations using the same flight route 20 can each receive information on the nearest landing site.

[0056] In addition, in an environment where there are no suitable facilities such as a landing port nearby, or when there are houses or paths used by third parties between the point of the auxiliary sign 12 and the landing port, as shown in FIG. 14, by setting a direction where few people are expected to enter or a direction that can reduce crash damage (for example, an open space, a riverbank, a forest, etc.) as the direction instruction information, even if the landing is not completed in time and a crash occurs, damage to structures on the ground and third parties can be reduced. The algorithm or reference database of the auxiliary sign processing system of the aircraft 100 in the safety landing mode may be different from that in the normal time so that different information can be obtained or associated with different information when the same auxiliary sign 12 is captured in the normal time and in the safety landing mode. This makes it possible to instruct the direction of a port when a black star is captured in the normal time, and the direction of the nearest open space when the same black star is captured in the safety landing mode.

[0057] <Details of the third embodiment> In the details of the third embodiment of the present invention, components that overlap with those of the first and second embodiments perform similar operations, so repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0058] The auxiliary sign 12 may transmit information by radio waves as long as it can inform the flying object of the direction in which it should head. In particular, in places where it is difficult to provide a sign with a size and orientation suitable for reading by the flying object (e.g., narrow places, steep slopes), or in environments where it is difficult to read the auxiliary sign 12 by an image sensor due to the influence of wind and rain, a wireless station that emits radio waves, such as a beacon, can assist flight without using a sign.

[0059] An aircraft 100 that transmits information using a beacon is equipped with a beacon device (external information acquisition device) that is used to receive radio waves emitted by a beacon installed on the ground.

[0060] The above-described embodiment is merely an example for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10. Landing Site 11 Landing Marker 12 Auxiliary Signs 20 Designated route 100 Flying Objects 110a~110e Propeller 111a~111e Motor 112 Sensors 150 Sign capture range

Claims

1. An aircraft that flies autonomously on a designated route from a takeoff point to a landing point, and a processor that performs flight control of the aircraft based on information about a landing point acquired from an external information acquisition device when the aircraft is not continuing autonomous flight on the designated route during a section of the designated route that is planned to be flown at least after a takeoff operation and before a landing operation. An aircraft characterized by:

2. 2. The flying object according to claim 1, The external information acquisition device is a sensor. An aircraft characterized by:

3. The flying object according to claim 2, The sensor is an image sensor. An aircraft characterized by:

4. 2. The flying object according to claim 1, The external information acquisition device is a beacon device. An aircraft characterized by:

5. 5. The flying object according to claim 1, The processor executes a search mode to perform flight control based on a flight route to obtain information about the landing site. An aircraft characterized by:

6. 5. The flying object according to claim 1, The processor recognizes, in peacetime, the information about the landing site as information about a landing site on the designated route; In a safety landing mode, the information on the landing site is recognized as information on an emergency landing site different from a landing site on the designated route. An aircraft characterized by:

7. 7. The flying object according to claim 1, The flying object transmits information about the landing site to another flying object or a management server that supports autonomous flight of the flying object. An aircraft characterized by:

8. A processor mounted on an aircraft that autonomously flies on a designated route from a takeoff point to a landing point, When the autonomous flight on the designated route is not continued at least during a section of the designated route that is planned to be flown after a takeoff operation and before a landing operation, flight control of the aircraft is performed based on information on a landing point acquired by an information acquisition device from an external information acquisition device. A processor comprising:

9. A flight control method for an aircraft that autonomously flies on a designated route from a takeoff point to a landing point, comprising: A step of performing flight control of the aircraft based on information on a landing point acquired from an external information acquisition device when the autonomous flight on the designated route is not continued at least in a section of the designated route that is planned to be flown after a takeoff operation and before a landing operation, A flight control method comprising:

10. A program for executing a flight control method on an aircraft that autonomously flies on a specified route from a takeoff point to a landing point, The flight control method includes: and performing flight control of the aircraft based on information on a landing point acquired from an external information acquisition device when the autonomous flight on the designated route is not continued during a section of the designated route that is planned to be flown at least after a takeoff operation and before a landing operation. A program characterized by:

Images