Traffic Management System

Abstract

To provide an operation management system capable of optimizing an operation route safely and with a good spatial efficiency while dealing with various events that occur during operation.SOLUTION: An operation management system 6 manages a flight of an aircraft such as a vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The operation management system 6 comprises a 4D route planning unit 8 which plans a 4D route of the aircraft represented as a sequence of a position and a time that the aircraft is scheduled to pass. The operation management system 6 comprises an exclusive space design unit 9 that designs both a movement-exclusive space that includes the aircraft and moves together with the aircraft, as an exclusive space of the aircraft that does not allow other aircraft to enter, and a fixed exclusive space containing the movement-exclusive space and provided along a 4D path. The 4D route planning unit 8 re-plans the 4D route based on a positional relationship between the movement-exclusive space and the fixed exclusive space during the flight of the aircraft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a traffic control system for a mobile object. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, attention has been focused on the social use of aircraft (also called "aircraft") capable of vertical takeoff and landing, such as drones.

[0003] Vertical take-off and landing aircraft have the advantage that they do not require runways, which is necessary for conventional fixed-wing aircraft, and therefore allow for more compact take-off and landing sites. Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft have the advantages of being quieter than engine-driven helicopters, not emitting greenhouse gases when in operation, and having lower maintenance costs. In the case of vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the development of winged vertical take-off and landing aircraft with hybrid systems as a power source is being actively pursued in order to extend the flight range.

[0004] Vertical take-off and landing aircraft with these characteristics are expected to enable three-dimensional transportation of people and goods using the air, and to bring significant time savings and convenience to users. On the other hand, in applications such as the transportation of people and goods, the number of vehicles in operation must be increased for economic viability, and the challenge is to improve the operation density through space-efficient operation. In addition, high skills and specialized knowledge are required to operate aircraft stably and safely, and a shortage of human resources is an issue when increasing the number of vehicles in operation. To solve this problem, vertical take-off and landing aircraft and the systems related to their operation are desired to be automated and autonomous. From this perspective, a take-off and landing port and a take-off and landing operation management system that can take off and land multiple aircraft simultaneously, safely, space-efficiently, and automatically are required.

[0005] In order to enable vertical take-off and landing aircraft to take off and land safely, with efficient space utilization and without collisions, the traffic management system simply needs to set a short permissible approach distance between aircraft (tolerance related to the relative distance between each aircraft), plan the flight route from the starting point to the end point of each aircraft so that the distance between each aircraft is equal to or greater than the permissible approach distance at all times, and provide this to each aircraft.

[0006] However, the attitude and flight position of the aircraft may be disturbed by, for example, strong winds due to bad weather or the effects of downwash (wind blowing down) from other aircraft. Therefore, the traffic control system needs to plan the flight route so that the permissible approach distance is long enough to take into account the risks of these external environments. In addition, when there are flying objects (also called "obstacles") such as birds that may interfere with flight, the traffic control system needs to plan the flight route taking into account the risk of collision between the aircraft and the obstacle. In addition, when there are no-fly areas such as over important facilities such as nuclear power plants or over densely populated areas such as residential areas, the traffic control system needs to plan the flight route to bypass these areas.

[0007] Patent Document 1 is an example of an air traffic control device that plans an aircraft's flight route taking into consideration such aircraft risks and airspace restrictions.

[0008] The air traffic control device described in Patent Document 1 divides a management area into multiple areas (in a mesh pattern), links each area with information such as topographical information, weather information, obstacles, and whether other aircraft are scheduled to fly, and manages whether flight is permitted or prohibited in each area over time. The air traffic control device described in Patent Document 1 automatically plans the flight route of the target aircraft by connecting areas where flight is permitted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-32661 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, the air traffic control device described in Patent Document 1 plans the flight route of the aircraft based on information linked to each area at the time of planning the flight route, and reviews the flight route only when an emergency landing is made at the time of the occurrence of an emergency. In other words, the air traffic control device described in Patent Document 1 does not review the flight route during the flight of the aircraft except at the time of the occurrence of an emergency. Therefore, the air traffic control device described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of optimizing the flight route safely and space-efficiently in response to various events that occur during flight.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a traffic management system that can safely and space-efficiently optimize traffic routes in response to various events that occur during operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the traffic management system of the present invention is a traffic management system that manages the operation of a moving body, and is equipped with a route planning unit that plans a route for the moving body, which is represented as a series of positions and times that the moving body is scheduled to pass, and an exclusive space design unit that designs a mobile exclusive space that contains the moving body and moves together with the moving body, and a fixed exclusive space that contains the mobile exclusive space and follows the travel route, as exclusive spaces for the moving body that do not allow the entry of other moving bodies, and is characterized in that the route planning unit re-plans the travel route based on the positional relationship between the mobile exclusive space and the fixed exclusive space while the moving body is in operation. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a traffic control system that can safely and space-efficiently optimize a traffic route in response to various events that occur during travel. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] A diagram explaining how the aircraft flies. [Diagram 3] A diagram showing a case where the fixed exclusive space is ellipsoidal and the movable exclusive space is cylindrical. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a partial 4D path. [Diagram 5] A diagram explaining the state before multiple fixed exclusive spaces are connected. [Figure 6] A diagram explaining the state after multiple fixed exclusive spaces are connected. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between a fixed exclusive space and a movable exclusive space. [Figure 8] A diagram showing an example in which the fixed exclusive space is cylindrical and the movable exclusive space is spherical. [Figure 9] A diagram showing an example in which the fixed exclusive space is spherical and the movable exclusive space is spherical. [Figure 10] A diagram showing what happens when the 4D route trajectories of each aircraft intersect. [Figure 11] A diagram explaining the design concept of fixed exclusive space. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a management area managed by a traffic control system. [Figure 13] A diagram explaining the design concept of the mobile exclusive space. [Figure 14] A diagram explaining the 4D route replanning function. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a warning function of the route planning device. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an exclusive space designed for a management object. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an exclusive space designed for a management object. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an exclusive space designed for a management object. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an exclusive space designed for a management object. [Figure 20] 4 is a flowchart of a process performed by a traffic management system. [Figure 21]21 is a flowchart of the process performed subsequent to FIG. 20. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic management system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that components with the same reference numerals in each embodiment have the same functions in each embodiment unless otherwise specified, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0016] The traffic management system of the present invention can be applied to flying bodies including aircraft such as vertical take-off and landing aircraft, as well as to moving bodies having three-dimensional degrees of freedom of movement such as spacecraft or submarines. Furthermore, the traffic management system of the present invention can be applied to moving bodies that run on the ground such as automobiles, robots, or trains. The moving body to which the traffic management system of the present invention is applied may be a moving body that moves based on the operation of a pilot on board the moving body or a remote pilot not on board the moving body, or may be a moving body that moves autonomously. In this embodiment, an example in which the traffic management system is applied to a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which is a flying body, will be described.

[0017] [Embodiment 1] The traffic control system 6 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 21. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a traffic control system 6 according to the first embodiment.

[0018] The traffic control system 6 shown in Fig. 1 manages and controls the takeoff and landing of multiple aircraft (vertical take-off and landing aircraft or fixed-wing aircraft). In this embodiment, the traffic control system 6 targets aircraft A and aircraft B as an example of multiple aircraft. The traffic control system 6 includes a route planning device 7 that plans and provides 4D routes 4, 4b in accordance with the flight purpose of each of the aircraft A and B, and guides each of the aircraft A and B.

[0019] A 4D route is an aircraft's flight route represented as a sequence of positions and times that the aircraft is scheduled to pass. That is, a 4D route is represented as a time-series data group of three-dimensional coordinates indicating the positions that the aircraft is scheduled to pass. Specifically, a 4D route is represented as a sequence of four-dimensional vectors consisting of the three-dimensional coordinates and times. For ease of explanation, a 4D route may also be simply referred to as a route.

[0020] The traffic control system 6 also includes a wind condition prediction device 10 that predicts wind conditions (wind direction, wind speed, air pressure, etc.) at each point within the management area of ​​the traffic control system 6. The route planning device 7 utilizes wind condition information 12 provided by the wind condition prediction device 10 to plan the 4D routes 4, 4b.

[0021] Further, the traffic management system 6 constantly acquires the position information 5, 5b of each of the aircraft A, B from each of the aircraft A, B. The route planning device 7 plans the 4D routes 4, 4b based on the position information 5, 5b of each of the aircraft A, B. The traffic management system 6 may be provided with a device for measuring the position information 5, 5b, rather than acquiring the position information 5, 5b measured by each of the aircraft A, B. Examples of the device for the traffic management system 6 to measure the position information 5, 5b include measuring devices such as LiDAR, radar, or stereo cameras.

[0022] The hardware configuration of the traffic control system 6 is not particularly limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1. For example, the route planning device 7 may be configured as part of a so-called air traffic control device. The wind condition prediction device 10 may be provided outside the traffic control system 6. In this case, the traffic control system 6 may include a wind condition information acquisition unit that acquires the wind condition information 12 transmitted from the wind condition prediction device 10.

[0023] Furthermore, the traffic control system 6 can calculate the speed of each of the aircraft A and B by differentiating the acquired position information 5 and 5b, and can grasp the speed in association with the measurement of the position information 5 and 5b. In the following description, the measurement of the speed of each of the aircraft A and B is not specifically mentioned. When speed measurement errors caused by position measurement errors of each of the aircraft A and B become an issue, the traffic control system 6 can acquire speed information from each of the aircraft A and B together with the position information 5 and 5b.

[0024] The traffic control system 6 may also be configured to acquire attitude angle information of each of the aircraft A and B from each of the aircraft A and B, plan 4D routes 4, 4b including the attitude angle information, and provide this to each of the aircraft A and B. This allows the traffic control system 6 to plan 4D routes 4, 4b taking into account the attitude angles that each of the aircraft A and B can take. In the following description, although the measurement of the attitude angles of each of the aircraft A and B is not specifically stated, the planned 4D route may be considered to include the attitude angle information of each of the aircraft A and B.

[0025] The route planning device 7 includes a 4D route planning unit 8 and a private space design unit 9. The 4D route planning unit 8 and the private space design unit 9 are configured to share information with each other via a communication interface 11.

[0026] The exclusive space design unit 9 has a fixed exclusive space design unit 13, a mobile exclusive space design unit 14, and a spatial interference determination unit 15. The fixed exclusive space design unit 13, the mobile exclusive space design unit 14, and the spatial interference determination unit 15 are configured to share information with each other. The spatial interference determination unit 15 is configured to instruct the 4D route planning unit 8 to re-plan the 4D routes 4, 4b.

[0027] The traffic control system 6 manages the traffic of each aircraft within its management area, and the route planning device 7 plans and provides 4D routes for each aircraft within the management area. When aircraft A and B are within the management area, the route planning device 7 transmits the 4D routes 4 and 4b planned by the 4D route planning unit 8 to each aircraft A and B via the communication device 17. Each aircraft A and B flies along the provided 4D routes 4 and 4b.

[0028] The 4D route planning unit 8 plans 4D routes 4, 4b extending from a start point to an end point so that the flight objective of each of the aircraft A, B is achieved based on the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b of each of the aircraft A, B designed by the exclusive space design unit 9. The fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b are three-dimensional spaces linked to each of the aircraft A, B.

[0029] Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the flight of the aircraft A. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a case where the fixed exclusive space 1 of the aircraft A is ellipsoidal and the mobile exclusive space 2 is cylindrical.

[0030] In FIG. 2, the flight objective of the aircraft A is to land at a takeoff and landing port 28 on the ground 29. That is, the flight objective of the aircraft A is to move from a start point 26 at the current position to an end point 27 on the takeoff and landing port. When a 4D route 4 from the start point 26 to the end point 27 is provided by the route planning device 7, the aircraft A can achieve the flight objective by moving along this 4D route 4. In FIG. 2, the 4D route 4 is represented as a series of four-dimensional vectors 21 consisting of three-dimensional coordinates and time. Note that the start point 26 and the end point 27 are also four-dimensional vectors consisting of three-dimensional coordinates and time, since they are the end points of the 4D route 4.

[0031] In Fig. 2, the space linked to the aircraft A is the fixed exclusive space 1 of the aircraft A. The fixed exclusive space design unit 13 in Fig. 1 designs the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b of each of the aircraft A, B. The mobile exclusive space design unit 14 in Fig. 1 designs the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b of each of the aircraft A, B. The 4D routes 4, 4b of each of the aircraft A, B are planned by the 4D route planning unit 8 based on these.

[0032] Next, the relationship between the fixed exclusive space 1, the mobile exclusive space 2, and the 4D route 4 will be described. Each of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 is an exclusive space of the aircraft A that does not allow the entry of other aircraft. The mobile exclusive space 2 is a space that contains the aircraft A and moves together with the aircraft A. The fixed exclusive space 1 is a space that contains the mobile exclusive space 2 and follows the 4D route 4.

[0033] First, the dedicated moving space 2 will be described. The dedicated moving space 2 is defined as follows. Definition (d1): The dedicated moving space 2 always holds the center of gravity of the aircraft A within the space. Definition (d2): The distance LM between an arbitrary point on the boundary surface (surface) defining the dedicated moving space 2 and the center of gravity of the aircraft A always satisfies the following equation (1). LM = Ra + DM ···(1)

[0034] Here, Ra is the maximum value of the distance between the center of gravity of the aircraft A and a part of the aircraft A. DM is a positive number greater than zero, that is, DM > 0. Equation (1) means that all parts of the aircraft A are included inside a sphere with a radius Ra centered on the center of gravity of the aircraft A, this sphere is enclosed within the dedicated moving space 2, and DM defines the distance between the surface of the sphere with a radius Ra and the boundary surface (surface) of the dedicated moving space 2.

[0035] Strictly speaking, DM is required at every point on the surface of the dedicated moving space 2. The relationship between the dedicated moving space 2 and the aircraft A is given by the set of DM as {DM(si)|si⊂Si}. Here, si is an arbitrary point on the boundary surface Si of the dedicated moving space 2. DM(si) is a positive number that defines the distance between the point si on the boundary surface of the dedicated moving space 2 and the surface of the sphere with a radius Ra. DM simply defines the positional relationship between the dedicated moving space 2 and the aircraft A. Therefore, in this embodiment, for convenience, the positional relationship between the dedicated moving space 2 and the aircraft A may also be referred to as DM.

[0036] Suppose the aircraft A moves from coordinate p0 to coordinate p1 from time t0 to time t1 (t0 < t1). If DM remains unchanged between time t0 and time t1, according to definitions (d1) and (d2), the dedicated moving space 2 moves together with the aircraft A while maintaining the distance between the center of gravity of the aircraft A and the points on the boundary surface of the dedicated moving space 2 without changing the shape of the dedicated moving space 2.

[0037] The DM of the exclusive mobile space 2 does not necessarily have to be a fixed value, but may be variable (and may change from moment to moment) based on the performance, position, and speed of the aircraft A, as well as weather conditions such as wind conditions at that location, in order to plan a more effective navigation route.

[0038] As a result, according to definitions (d1) and (d2), the moving exclusive space 2 is a space that moves in accordance with the movement of the machine body A. For the sake of simplicity, in formula (1), a sphere of radius Ra that encompasses the machine body A is defined, but the relationship in formula (1) may be given after defining a more compact space that encompasses all parts of the machine body A.

[0039] Next, the relationship between the 4D route 4 and the fixed exclusive space 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a partial 4D path 41. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining a state before a plurality of fixed exclusive spaces 1A, 1B are connected. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining a state after a plurality of fixed exclusive spaces 1A, 1B are connected.

[0040] The partial 4D path 41 constitutes a part of the 4D path 4. The partial 4D path 41 is expressed as a series of four-dimensional vectors 21 consisting of three-dimensional coordinates and time, as shown in Fig. 4. A connection start point 42 and a connection end point 43 are each end point of the partial 4D path 41.

[0041] The fixed occupying space 1 is assumed to contain the partial 4D path 41 with all points (all 4D vectors 21 ) of the partial 4D path 41 not touching the boundary planes (surfaces) that define the fixed occupying space 1 .

[0042] As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the 4D path 4 is formed by connecting the connection end point 43A of the partial 4D path 41A included in the fixed exclusive space 1A and the connection start point 42B of the partial 4D path 41B included in the fixed exclusive space 1B. That is, as shown in Fig. 6, the 4D path 4 is formed by a spatial series as a series of the fixed exclusive space 1A and the fixed exclusive space 1B. Although Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 show an example in which the partial 4D path 41A of the fixed exclusive space 1A is connected to the partial 4D path 41B of the fixed exclusive space 1B, the number of the fixed exclusive spaces 1 and the partial 4D paths 41 that constitute the 4D path 4 is not particularly limited and may be three or more. That is, the 4D path 4 is formed as a time series of the fixed exclusive space 1.

[0043] Next, the relationship between the fixed exclusive space 1 and the movable exclusive space 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the fixed exclusive space 1 and the movable exclusive space 2. As shown in FIG.

[0044] The relationship between the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 is such that, when the center of gravity of the aircraft A is on the partial 4D path 41, the fixed exclusive space 1 encompasses all of the mobile exclusive space 2. Specifically, the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 are considered to be closed, and the relationship between the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 is defined as follows. Definition (d3) Every point on the boundary surface (surface) that defines the moving occupied space 2 is an interior point of the fixed occupied space 1. Definition (d4) The surface of a sphere (closed sphere) of radius LE>0 with its center of gravity at any point on the boundary surface (surface) that defines the mobile exclusive space 2 contacts the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 at one or more points.

[0045] According to definitions (d3) and (d4), when the radius LE of the sphere 71 on the boundary surface of the moving exclusive space 2 shown in Fig. 7 is zero, it is determined that the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the boundary surface of the moving exclusive space 2 are in contact (i.e., interfering). When definition (d3) is not satisfied, it is determined that the fixed exclusive space 1 does not contain the entire moving exclusive space 2, and that the moving exclusive space 2 has a part (space) that does not overlap with the fixed exclusive space 1.

[0046] According to definitions (d3) and (d4), the fixed exclusive space 1 is a space that contains the mobile exclusive space 2 such that the radius of the sphere is LE>0 when the center of gravity of the aircraft A is on the partial 4D path 41. In other words, when the center of gravity of the aircraft A is on the partial 4D path 41, the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2 do not come into contact, and the mobile exclusive space 2 is located completely inside the fixed exclusive space 1. According to the definition of LE, LE is simply the distance between the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2. However, strictly speaking, LE is defined anywhere on the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2. Therefore, note that the distance between the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2 is defined as a set of LE. In other words, the distance between the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2 is defined by the set {LE(si)>0|si⊂Si}.

[0047] The positional relationship between the fixed exclusive space 1 and the partial 4D path 41 is indirectly constrained and determined, as shown in Figure 7, through the fact that when the center of gravity of the aircraft A is on the partial 4D path 41, the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2 do not come into contact with each other, and the fixed exclusive space 1 encompasses the mobile exclusive space 2.

[0048] According to the relationship between the fixed exclusive space 1, the mobile exclusive space 2, and the 4D route 4 as described above, the shapes of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 are not particularly limited, as exemplified in FIG. 8 and FIG. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example in which the fixed exclusive space 1 is cylindrical 81 and the movable exclusive space 2 is spherical 82. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example in which the fixed exclusive space 1 is spherical 91 and the movable exclusive space 2 is spherical 92.

[0049] That is, the shapes of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 may be shapes that form a convex space such as a sphere, cube, or rectangular parallelepiped, or shapes that form a non-convex space. In other words, the shapes of the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 may be any three-dimensional shape that can form a three-dimensional space.

[0050] FIG. 9 shows a simple example in which the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2 are both spherical. In the example of FIG. 9, the distance LM between the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 92 and the center of gravity of the aircraft A is simply a radius 94. The distance LE between the fixed exclusive space 91 and the mobile exclusive space 92 can be represented by the nearest distance 95 (when LE is considered as a set, the nearest distance 95 is MIN{LE}). In addition, the positional relationship between the fixed exclusive space 91 and the partial 4D route 41 can be simplified by assuming that the center of the sphere of the fixed exclusive space 91 is located on the partial 4D route 41. As a result, the traffic control system 6 can reduce the amount of calculation when designing the fixed exclusive space 1 and the mobile exclusive space 2, and therefore the amount of calculation when planning the 4D route 4 can be reduced.

[0051] Based on the fixed exclusive space 1 and the partial 4D route 41 defined as above, the 4D route planning unit 8 generates the 4D routes 4, 4b of each of the aircraft A, B through the connection of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b, that is, through the time series of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b. The 4D route planning unit 8 can plan the 4D routes 4, 4b such that the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b of each of the aircraft A, B do not overlap at all times of the operation plan. Therefore, the 4D route planning unit 8 can plan a safe 4D route 4, 4b without a risk of collision (including a risk of abnormal approach) between the aircraft A, B, and provide it to each of the aircraft A, B.

[0052] In addition, the 4D path planning unit 8 can plan 4D paths 4, 4b with good space efficiency, as will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a case where trajectories 104, 105 of the 4D routes 4, 4b of the aircraft A, B intersect.

[0053] The trajectory 104 of the 4D path 4 is a line connecting the three-dimensional coordinates of each four-dimensional vector 21 constituting the 4D path 4 in chronological order. The trajectory 104 of the 4D path 4 is configured as a series of three-dimensional vectors excluding the time of each four-dimensional vector 21. The trajectory 104 of the 4D path 4 extends along the movement direction 101 of the aircraft A. The trajectory 105 of the 4D path 4b is a line connecting the three-dimensional coordinates of each four-dimensional vector constituting the 4D path 4b in chronological order, and extends along the movement direction 102 of the aircraft B.

[0054] In FIG. 10, the trajectory 104 of the 4D path 4 of the vehicle A and the trajectory 105 of the 4D path 4b of the vehicle B intersect at the intersection 103. Even in this case, the 4D path planning unit 8 designs the 4D paths 4, 4b as a time series of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b, so that the 4D paths 4, 4b of each of the vehicles A and B do not enter the fixed exclusive space of the other vehicle at all times. That is, the 4D path planning unit 8 may plan the 4D paths 4, 4b of each of the vehicles A and B as a time series of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b so that the vehicle A passes through the intersection 103 after the vehicle B passes through the intersection 103 and is sufficiently away from the intersection 103. For example, the 4D path planning unit 8 plans the 4D paths 4, 4b so that the fixed exclusive space 1 of the vehicle A at the time when the vehicle A passes through the intersection 103 does not overlap with the fixed exclusive space 1b of the vehicle B at that time. This allows the 4D path planning unit 8 to design safe 4D paths 4, 4b that allow the trajectories 104, 105 of the 4D paths 4, 4b to intersect while eliminating the risk of collision between the aircraft A, B. Thus, the 4D path planning unit 8 can plan 4D paths 4, 4b with better space efficiency than a conventional method of designing a path so that the trajectories 104, 105 do not intersect.

[0055] Next, the design concept of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b designed by the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 will be described with reference to Figs. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the design concept of the fixed exclusive spaces 1 and 1b. Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining a management area 1201 managed by the traffic management system 6.

[0056] 11, the machine A is completely contained in the spherical moving exclusive space 2, moves on the partial 4D path 41, and the size (volume) and shape of the moving exclusive space 2 do not change no matter where the machine A is located on the partial 4D path 41. In FIG. 11, a fixed exclusive space 1102 contains the partial 4D path 41. The fixed exclusive space 1102 contains the moving exclusive space 2 of the machine A no matter where the machine A is located on the partial 4D path 41.

[0057] The size and shape of the fixed exclusive space 1102 shown in Fig. 11 are determined taking into consideration wind conditions and communication quality. The communication quality is the quality of communication between the communication device 17 of the traffic control system 6 and the aircraft A. Wind conditions and ease of propagation of radio waves may differ at each point within the management area. Therefore, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 designs the size and shape of the fixed exclusive space 1102 taking into consideration wind conditions and communication quality.

[0058] In FIG. 11, the point cloud 1104 on the partial 4D route 41 is present in the strong wind area 1101. This means that the partial 4D route 41 is within the strong wind area 1101 at the three-dimensional coordinates and time indicated by the point cloud 1104. Therefore, when the aircraft A passes through the point cloud 1104, the aircraft A is in the strong wind area 1101 and is exposed to strong winds. In this case, there is a risk that the aircraft A may deviate from the partial 4D route 41. Even in such a case, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 designs the fixed exclusive space 1102 around the point cloud 1104 to have a larger size so that the mobile exclusive space 2 is included in the fixed exclusive space 1102. As a result, even if the aircraft A deviates from the partial 4D route 41 around the point cloud 1104, the mobile exclusive space 2 is included in the fixed exclusive space 1102, so that a safe 4D route 4 without a risk of collision with other aircraft can be designed.

[0059] Also, in FIG. 11, it is assumed that when the aircraft A passes through the point cloud 1105, communication between the aircraft A and the traffic control system 6 is interrupted. In this case, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 increases the size of the fixed exclusive space 1102 along the moving direction of the aircraft A, and designs the fixed exclusive space 1102 to have a shape with a communication quality margin 1103. Therefore, even if communication interruption occurs around the point cloud 1105, the aircraft A flies on the partial 4D route 41, so that the moving exclusive space 2 can be included in the fixed exclusive space 1102. This means that even if communication interruption occurs, it is possible to plan a safe 4D route 4 without a risk of collision with other aircraft by having the aircraft A fly on the partial 4D route 41.

[0060] In addition, the deviation of the aircraft A from the partial 4D route 41 (i.e., deviation from the 4D route 4) includes a delay / advance in time. In other words, if the aircraft A arrives at a certain point (three-dimensional coordinates and time) on the partial 4D route 41 later than the designed time or earlier than the designed time, it is also a deviation from the partial 4D route 41. Enlarging the shape of the fixed exclusive space 1102 along the movement direction to secure a margin, such as the communication quality margin 1103, plays a role in allowing a delay / advance in time of the aircraft A due to factors other than communication interruption. Therefore, by securing such a margin, even if the aircraft A experiences a delay / advance in time with respect to the partial 4D route 41 due to some factor, the movement exclusive space 2 is included in the fixed exclusive space 1102, so that it is possible to plan a safe 4D route 4 without a risk of collision with other aircraft.

[0061] In FIG. 12, a managed area 1201 is given with a radius 1202. Here, an object whose existence is known by the traffic management system 6 is defined as a managed object. An object whose existence is not known by the traffic management system 6 is defined as an unmanaged object. When planning the 4D routes 4, 4b of multiple aircraft A, B, it is unrealistic for the traffic management system 6 to know all of the obstacles 1206 (e.g., birds or small drones) of various sizes within the managed area 1201 that impede flight. In other words, there may be unmanaged objects within the managed area 1201 that impede flight.

[0062] The fixed exclusive space design unit 13 designs the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b so that even if each of the machine A and the machine B detects an unmanaged object and deviates from the route by detouring the unmanaged object at its own discretion, the boundary surfaces of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b do not come into contact (interfere) with the boundary surfaces of the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b. That is, by planning the 4D route 4, 4b by connecting the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b designed in this way, the traffic control system 6 can plan the 4D route 4, 4b that allows the degree of freedom to detouring the unmanaged object that may exist in the managed area 1201 at the discretion of each of the machine A and B. In the example of FIG. 3, in order to detouring the obstacle 31, which is an unmanaged object, the machine A can plan a route 32 that deviates from the 4D route 4 at the discretion of the machine A itself. This route 32 is planned depending on the detection performance of the machine A for the unmanaged object and the maneuverability performance of the machine A. Therefore, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 designs the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b in consideration of the detection performance of the unmanaged objects in each of the vehicles A, B and the maneuvering performance of each of the vehicles A, B. In this manner, the traffic control system 6 can plan the 4D routes 4, 4b that take into consideration the possibility of the existence of unmanaged objects in the managed area 1201.

[0063] Next, the design concept of the movement exclusive space 2, 2b designed by the movement exclusive space design unit 14 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the design concept of the movable private spaces 2 and 2b.

[0064] Fig. 13 shows a case where the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b and the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b of each of the aircraft A and B are each a sphere as shown in Fig. 9. The 4D route planning unit 8 plans the 4D routes 4, 4b so that the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b of each of the aircraft A and B do not overlap with each other, and thus it is possible to plan the 4D routes 4, 4b with good space efficiency as shown in Fig. 10. Therefore, the 4D route planning unit 8 can plan the 4D routes 4, 4b such that the boundary surfaces of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b of each of the aircraft A and B come into contact with each other as shown in Fig. 13.

[0065] In Fig. 13, the 4D routes 4 and 4b are designed so that the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1301 of the aircraft A and the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1301b of the aircraft B come into contact with each other at a contact point 1307. The radius 1303 of the movement exclusive space 1302 of the aircraft A is RaA, and the radius 1303b of the movement exclusive space 1302b of the aircraft B is RaB. Fig. 13 also shows an example in which the aircraft A and the aircraft B deviate from the 4D route 4 and the 4D route 4b provided by the traffic management system 6 due to various events and fly along routes 1305 and 1305b, respectively. Figure 13 shows an example in which the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 1302 of aircraft A contacts the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1301 at contact point 1304, and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 1302b of aircraft B contacts the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1301b at contact point 1304b.

[0066] Even in such a case, if the mobile exclusive spaces 1302, 1302b of each of the aircraft A and B are included in the fixed exclusive spaces 1301, 1301b of the aircraft, the distance 1306 between the two aircraft will not be less than (RaA+RaB). In other words, if the fixed exclusive spaces 1301, 1301b of each of the aircraft A and B do not overlap with each other and the mobile exclusive spaces 1302, 1302b of each of the aircraft A and B are included in the fixed exclusive spaces 1301, 1301b of the aircraft, the mobile exclusive spaces 1302, 1302b provided in each of the aircraft A and B become a safety margin for avoiding collision with the other aircraft. In the case of FIG. 13, this safety margin is simply given as RaA+RaB. RaA+RaB may correspond to the above-mentioned approach allowable distance. Therefore, the 4D route planning unit 8, which plans the 4D routes 4, 4b based on the fixed exclusive spaces 1301, 1301b which encompass such mobile exclusive spaces 1302, 1302b, can plan safe 4D routes 4, 4b with no risk of collision between the aircraft A, B even if the aircraft A, B deviate from the 4D routes 4, 4b due to various events.

[0067] Next, the re-planning function of the 4D routes 4, 4b will be described with reference to Figures 14 and 15. The route planning device 7 re-plans the 4D routes 4, 4b by modifying the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b so that the 4D routes 4, 4b can be planned more flexibly, dynamically, and in real time. Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining the re-planning function of the 4D routes 4, 4b. Fig. 15 is a block diagram for explaining the warning issuing function of the route planning device 7.

[0068] In FIG. 14, in order to avoid a situation in which the mobile exclusive space 1302 of the machine body A is not included in the fixed exclusive space 1301, the path planning device 7 corrects the fixed exclusive space 1301 as follows and re-plans the 4D path 4. That is, when the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 1302 of the machine body A contacts (interferes with) the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1301, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 corrects the fixed exclusive space 1301 of the machine body A to a fixed exclusive space 1402 so that the contact (interference) between the boundary surfaces is eliminated. Then, the 4D path planning unit 8 re-plans a new 4D path 1401 according to the corrected fixed exclusive space 1402. This can avoid a situation in which the mobile exclusive space 1302 is not included in the fixed exclusive space 1301 even if the machine body A deviates from the 4D path 4 due to various events. Therefore, when such replanning is possible, the 4D route planning unit 8 can plan safe 4D routes 4, 4b that do not involve the risk of collision between the aircraft A, B, even if each aircraft A, B deviates from the 4D routes 4, 4b due to various events.

[0069] Regarding the replanning function of the 4D routes 4, 4b, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 can correct the fixed exclusive space of not only the aircraft that is the subject of the replanning but also the surrounding other aircraft. Then, the 4D route planning unit 8 can replan the 4D route of the other aircraft according to the corrected fixed exclusive space of the other aircraft. As a result, even if the route planning device 7 is close to the other aircraft so that it is difficult to correct the fixed exclusive space of the own aircraft, it can replan the 4D route of the other aircraft, so that it can plan a safe and space-efficient 4D route for the 4D routes of all the aircraft under management.

[0070] The spatial interference determination unit 15 in Fig. 1 determines whether or not to perform such a replanning. The spatial interference determination unit 15 acquires information on the size and shape of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b and the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b of each of the aircraft A and B from the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 and the mobile exclusive space design unit 14. The spatial interference determination unit 15 determines whether or not the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1 of the aircraft A and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2 come into contact (interfere) with each other based on the position information 5 of the aircraft A. The spatial interference determination unit 15 determines whether or not the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1b of the aircraft B and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2b come into contact with each other based on the position information 5b of the aircraft B.

[0071] When it is determined that the aircraft A and B will come into contact with each other, the spatial interference determination unit 15 instructs the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 to modify the fixed exclusive spaces 1 and 1b, and instructs the 4D route planning unit 8 to re-plan the 4D routes 4 and 4b. In response to the instruction from the spatial interference determination unit 15, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 and the 4D route planning unit 8 modify the fixed exclusive spaces 1 and 1b and re-plan the 4D routes 4 and 4b.

[0072] With regard to the above-mentioned boundary contact judgment, it should be noted that only when the moving exclusive space 2, 2b has a specific shape, there are cases where the moving exclusive space 2, 2b does not need to be defined as one that accompanies the movement of the center of gravity of each of the aircraft A and B. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when both the fixed exclusive space 91 and the moving exclusive space 92 are spherical and the shape is invariant with respect to rotation, a sphere (space) of radius 93-radius 94 that is not accompanied by the movement of the aircraft A and in which the center of gravity of the aircraft A is the same as the center of gravity of the fixed exclusive space 91 is defined, and the moving exclusive space 92 can be judged as a boundary contact equivalent to one that accompanies the movement of the center of gravity of the aircraft A depending on whether or not the center of gravity of the aircraft A flying inside this sphere comes into contact with the boundary surface of the sphere. In this way, the moving exclusive space 2, 2b is a generalized higher-level concept that is not restricted by the shape of the space.

[0073] The replanning function of the 4D route 4, 4b provides an advantage of making the size of the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b compact and efficient. If replanning is not allowed, the size of the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b must be increased from the initial planning stage of the 4D route 4, 4b. Therefore, the replanning function of the 4D route 4, 4b can contribute to planning the 4D route 4, 4b with good space efficiency.

[0074] However, replanning of the 4D routes 4 and 4b is not always possible. FIG. 13 is an example of a situation in which replanning is difficult as shown in FIG. 14. In consideration of such a situation, the route planning device 7 has a warning function for transmitting warnings 1501 and 1501b to the aircraft A and B to fly along the 4D routes 4 and 4b, as shown in FIG. 15. The warning notification units 1502 and 1502b of the aircraft A and B notify the warnings 1501 and 1501b to prompt the aircraft A and B to return to the 4D routes 4 and 4b. This allows the aircraft A and B to fly along the 4D routes 4 and 4b provided by the traffic management system 6 while having the freedom to deviate from the 4D routes 4 and 4b.

[0075] When it is determined that the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space 2, 2b come into contact with each other, and the 4D route 4, 4b cannot be re-planned (the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b cannot be corrected to eliminate the interference between the two), the spatial interference determination unit 15 transmits warnings 1501, 1501b to each of the aircraft A, B. The determination of whether or not it is possible to re-plan the 4D route 4, 4b (possibility determination) is performed based on the position information 5, 5b of each of the aircraft A, B and the information on the size and shape of the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b and the mobile exclusive space 2, 2b. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the possibility determination of this re-planning is performed based on the adjacent situation of the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b and the deviation amount from the 4D route 4, 4b of each of the aircraft A, B.

[0076] The 4D route planning unit 8 needs information on the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b when planning the 4D routes 4, 4b. This is because the 4D routes 4, 4b are composed of a concatenation of partial 4D routes contained in the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b, and as a result, are designed as a time series of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b. The fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b also contain the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b. Furthermore, the size and shape of the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b depend on the size and shape of the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b. Therefore, the 4D route planning unit 8 needs to obtain information on the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b and the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b from the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 and the mobile exclusive space design unit 14 when planning the 4D routes 4, 4b.

[0077] It is desirable to design the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b as large as possible, but designing the size of the fixed exclusive spaces to be extremely large sacrifices spatial efficiency, which results in a decrease in operational efficiency. Operational efficiency is a scalar value that indicates how many takeoffs and landings can be performed per unit time in a given area (there may be multiple areas) on the ground for an aircraft to take off and land in. If users were to pay for the number of takeoffs and landings, the traffic control system 6 would be required to improve operational efficiency from a business perspective. In other words, good spatial efficiency is required for the 4D routes 4, 4b.

[0078] The size and shape of the mobile exclusive space 2, 2b are determined by the expected uncertainties from the role of the mobile exclusive space 2, 2b. The uncertainties related to the operation of each of the aircraft A, B include the position measurement error of each of the aircraft A, B, the communication quality with each of the aircraft A, B, and the problem of the tracking error to the 4D route 4, 4b. The problem of the position measurement error is a problem in which the error occurring in the position measurement of each of the aircraft A, B increases, or the reliability of the position measurement (3σ or 6σ, etc.) decreases. The problem of the communication quality is a problem in which the communication between each of the aircraft A, B and the traffic control system 6 is delayed or interrupted. The problem of the tracking error to the 4D route 4, 4b is a problem that depends on the performance of each of the aircraft A, B itself and the external environment such as wind conditions. The mobile exclusive space 2, 2b is designed so that each of the aircraft A, B can maintain a safe distance without the risk of collision with other aircraft even if these uncertainties exist. Similarly, the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b is designed so that even if these uncertainties exist, a safe 4D route 4, 4b without a risk of collision with other aircraft can be planned.

[0079] The wind condition prediction device 10 in FIG. 1 predicts the wind conditions at each point in the managed area 1201 up to a predetermined time into the future, and provides the wind condition information 12 to the private space design unit 9 at any time. The tracking accuracy of the 4D routes 4, 4b, which depend on the external environment such as wind conditions, depends on the wind conditions at each point and the time of passing through that point. Therefore, in order for the mobile private space design unit 14 to design the mobile private space 2, 2b taking into consideration the tracking accuracy of the 4D routes 4, 4b based on the wind condition information 12, the 4D routes 4, 4b or partial 4D routes must be given. In addition, in order for the fixed private space design unit 13 to design the fixed private space 1, 1b taking into consideration the tracking accuracy of the 4D routes 4, 4b, the 4D routes 4, 4b or partial 4D routes must be given. In addition, it is assumed that the communication quality may vary at each point in the managed area 1201. From this viewpoint, in order for the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 to design the fixed exclusive spaces 1 and 1b in consideration of the communication quality, the 4D routes 4 and 4b or partial 4D routes need to be given.

[0080] 1 iteratively designs the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b and the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b and plans the 4D routes 4, 4b while sharing necessary information between the 4D route planning unit 8 and the exclusive space design unit 9. This allows the route planning device 7 to plan safe and space-efficient 4D routes 4, 4b and provide them to each of the aircraft A and B.

[0081] The replanning of the 4D routes 4, 4b is not limited to being performed when an instruction is received from the spatial interference determination unit 15. As shown in FIG. 12, the replanning may also be performed when a new aircraft C enters the management area 1201, or when an aircraft D in the management area 1201 exits the management area 1201. In addition, the determination of whether or not it is necessary to replan the 4D routes 4, 4b (necessity determination) may be performed periodically at a predetermined cycle. That is, the route planning device 7 may acquire the position information 5, 5b of the 4D routes 4, 4b at a predetermined cycle until each of the aircraft A, B reaches the end point from the start point of the 4D routes 4, 4b, and may determine whether or not it is necessary to replan the 4D routes 4, 4b each time the position information 5, 5b is acquired. This makes it easier for the route planning device 7 to dynamically plan safe and space-efficient 4D routes 4, 4b in real time, and always provide the optimal 4D routes 4, 4b to each of the aircraft A, B. In addition, if the aircraft A and B are flying along the 4D routes 4 and 4b that have already been provided, there is no need to frequently re-plan the 4D routes 4 and 4b.

[0082] Next, the exclusive space 1610 designed for the managed object will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19 are diagrams showing an example of a private space 1610 designed for a management object.

[0083] Up to this point, the planning of safe 4D routes 4, 4b considering the risk of collision with other aircraft and the risk of collision with unmanaged objects has been explained, but the route planning device 7 can plan safe 4D routes 4, 4b considering the risk of collision with managed objects. Specifically, the exclusive space design unit 9 designs exclusive spaces 1610 that do not allow the aircraft A, B to enter managed objects that hinder the flight of the aircraft A, B. The fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b of the aircraft A, B and the exclusive spaces 1610 designed for the managed objects are designed so as not to overlap with each other at all times.

[0084] Examples of the managed object include a weather area 1601 that hinders flight, such as an area where clouds exist that reduce the visibility of each of the aircraft A and B, and a flying object 1602 such as a flock of birds, as shown in Fig. 16. In Fig. 16, the exclusive space design unit 9 designs an exclusive space 1610 for each of the weather area 1601 and the flying object 1602. This allows the 4D route planning unit 8 to plan the 4D routes 4 and 4b, taking into account the risk of route deviation due to the weather area 1601 and collision with the flying object 1602. Note that whether an object is a managed object or not depends on the performance of the observation device of the traffic control system 6 that observes them and grasps their existence.

[0085] 17, an example of the managed object is a ground structure 1701, such as a radio tower or a high-rise building, which may be an obstacle to the flight of each of the aircraft A and B. In FIG. 17, the exclusive space design unit 9 designs an exclusive space 1610 for the ground structure 1701. This allows the 4D route planning unit 8 to plan the 4D routes 4 and 4b in consideration of the risk of collision with the ground structure 1701.

[0086] Furthermore, examples of managed objects include no-fly areas 1801, such as above important facilities such as nuclear power plants and densely populated areas such as residential areas, as shown in Fig. 18. In Fig. 18, the exclusive space design unit 9 designs an exclusive space 1610 for the no-fly area 1801. This allows the 4D route planning unit 8 to plan 4D routes 4 and 4b in consideration of avoiding entry into the no-fly area 1801. Damage caused by crashes into the no-fly area 1801 and noise pollution can be avoided.

[0087] Further, examples of the managed object include a steel tower 1901 and electric wires 1902 that are located in a mountainous area, as shown in Fig. 19. In Fig. 19, the exclusive space design unit 9 designs an exclusive space 1610 for each of the steel tower 1901 and the electric wires 1902. That is, the exclusive space design unit 9 can design an exclusive space 1610 even for a managed object that spans the air, such as the electric wires 1902. This allows the 4D route planning unit 8 to plan the 4D routes 4, 4b in consideration of the risk of collision with the steel tower 1901 and the electric wires 1902.

[0088] As described above, the traffic control system 6 can automatically and dynamically plan a safe and space-efficient 4D route without any risk of collision with other aircraft or managed objects under its control in real time. Moreover, the traffic control system 6 can plan a highly robust 4D route that tolerates route deviations caused by detouring unmanaged objects at the discretion of each aircraft itself, route deviations caused by external environments such as wind conditions, and route deviations caused by position measurement errors.

[0089] In addition, a traffic control system that can be applied to an aircraft takeoff and landing site such as the traffic control system 6 needs to assume that fixed-wing aircraft will fly within the management area, even if the aircraft to be managed are limited to vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. This is because it is assumed that fixed-wing aircraft will pass through the management area of ​​the traffic control system. When vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and fixed-wing aircraft are under management, a 4D route cannot be planned on the assumption that these aircraft will wait on the spot or stop flying, which is a problem specific to aircraft. In other words, both at the initial route planning stage and the subsequent replanning stage, it is important to plan a 4D route that assumes a medium- to long-term time when the aircraft will not wait on the spot or stop flying as much as possible.

[0090] The traffic management system 6 can plan medium- to long-term 4D routes that can achieve the flight objectives of the aircraft flying from the starting point to the end point by connecting fixed exclusive spaces, so even when managing fixed-wing aircraft that cannot wait on the spot, it can automatically plan 4D routes in real time and dynamically, minimizing the need for the aircraft to wait on the spot or stop flying.

[0091] Furthermore, the traffic control system 6 does not divide the area managed by the traffic control system 6 into multiple areas and manage whether flight is permitted or prohibited in each area as in Patent Document 1. With the traffic control system 6, the decision on whether flight is permitted or prohibited is not made discretely for each divided area, so there is no problem that makes it difficult to handle the boundaries between discretely divided areas, and it is possible to easily plan detailed 4D routes.

[0092] When iteratively designing the fixed exclusive space and the mobile exclusive space and planning the 4D route, the traffic control system 6 may set predetermined evaluation items or predetermined constraints and plan the 4D route to satisfy these. For example, from the viewpoint of improving operation efficiency, the traffic control system 6 may set the reduction in the route length of the 4D route or the reduction in the travel time from the start point to the end point as a predetermined evaluation item. Also, for example, from the viewpoint of the ride comfort of the aircraft, the traffic control system 6 may set a predetermined constraint such as keeping the curvature of the 4D route below a predetermined value.

[0093] Next, the flow of processing performed by the traffic control system 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 20 is a flowchart of the process performed by the traffic control system 6. Fig. 21 is a flowchart of the process performed subsequent to Fig. 20.

[0094] In step S2001, the traffic control system 6 acquires aircraft information of each aircraft under its management, operation information of each aircraft, and observation information of the management area and managed objects. The aircraft information includes information on the aircraft's dimensions and performance (including detection performance and movement performance of unmanaged objects), and information on position measurement performance (position measurement error). The operation information includes information on the starting point, waypoints, and end point (including passing time) of each aircraft. The observation information includes information on the position and size of managed objects, and information on communication quality with each aircraft.

[0095] In step S2002, the traffic control system 6 acquires the position information of each vehicle.

[0096] In step S2003, the traffic control system 6 designs a partial 4D route for each vehicle based on the various acquired information. Then, the traffic control system 6 designs a moving exclusive space for each vehicle that includes the vehicle whose center of gravity is on the partial 4D route. Furthermore, the traffic control system 6 designs an exclusive space for the managed object. Then, the traffic control system 6 designs a fixed exclusive space for each vehicle that includes the moving exclusive space (and the partial 4D route).

[0097] In step S2004, the traffic control system 6 plans a 4D route from the start point to the end point for each vehicle by linking the fixed exclusive spaces so that the exclusive space for the managed object and the fixed exclusive space of each vehicle do not overlap at any time.

[0098] In step S2005, the traffic control system 6 acquires wind condition information indicating the wind conditions predicted at each point in the management area.

[0099] In step S2006, the traffic control system 6 corrects at least one of the partial 4D route, the moving exclusive space, and the fixed exclusive space based on the acquired wind condition information. If there is any uncertainty that depends on the location, such as communication quality, the traffic control system 6 corrects at least one of the partial 4D route, the moving exclusive space, and the fixed exclusive space while taking these into consideration. If the exclusive space for the managed object and the fixed exclusive space of each vehicle do not overlap at any time and a specific evaluation item or a specific constraint is set for the 4D route, the traffic control system 6 continues to repeatedly correct the partial 4D route, the moving exclusive space, and the fixed exclusive space so as to satisfy these. Then, the traffic control system 6 re-plans the 4D route for each vehicle.

[0100] In step S2007, the traffic control system 6 transmits the replanned 4D route to each aircraft. Each aircraft can fly along the 4D route transmitted from the traffic control system 6.

[0101] In step S2008, the traffic control system 6 determines whether or not there has been an increase or decrease in the number of aircraft within the management area. If there has been an increase or decrease in the number of aircraft, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2001. This allows the traffic control system 6 to re-plan a 4D route to accommodate a new aircraft entering the management area or an aircraft within the management area exiting the management area. If there has been no increase or decrease in the number of aircraft, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2009.

[0102] In step S2009, the traffic control system 6 acquires the position information of each vehicle.

[0103] In step S2010, the traffic management system 6 determines whether each aircraft has landed at the end point. If each aircraft has landed at the end point, the traffic management system 6 ends the process shown in Figures 20 and 21. If each aircraft has not landed at the end point, the traffic management system 6 proceeds to step S2011 for aircraft that have not landed at the end point, i.e., aircraft in flight.

[0104] In step S2011, the traffic control system 6 determines whether or not there is an aircraft that has deviated from the 4D route. If there is no aircraft that has deviated from the route, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2008 with the aircraft in flight as the target. If there is an aircraft that has deviated from the route, the traffic control system 6 determines whether or not there is an aircraft whose boundary surface of the moving exclusive space and the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space are in contact with the aircraft that has deviated from the 4D route. In this way, the traffic control system 6 determines whether or not there is an aircraft with which the two interfere. If there is an aircraft with which the two interfere, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2012 with the aircraft with which the two interfere. If there is no aircraft with which the two interfere, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2008 with the aircraft in flight as the target.

[0105] In step S2012, the traffic control system 6 determines whether or not there is an aircraft capable of replanning a 4D route. If there is an aircraft capable of replanning a 4D route, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2001 for the aircraft capable of replanning a 4D route. If there is no aircraft capable of replanning a 4D route, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2013 for the aircraft not capable of replanning a 4D route.

[0106] In step S2013, the traffic control system 6 transmits a warning to the aircraft that cannot re-plan the 4D route to fly along the 4D route. After that, the traffic control system 6 proceeds to step S2008 for the aircraft that is currently flying.

[0107] As described above, the traffic control system 6 of this embodiment is a traffic control system that manages the flight of an aircraft such as a vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The traffic control system 6 includes a 4D route planning unit 8 that plans a 4D route for the aircraft, which is expressed as a sequence of positions and times that the aircraft is scheduled to pass. The traffic control system 6 includes an exclusive space design unit 9 that designs a mobile exclusive space that includes the aircraft and moves together with the moving aircraft, and a fixed exclusive space that includes the mobile exclusive space and follows the 4D route, as an exclusive space for the aircraft that does not allow entry of other aircraft. The 4D route planning unit 8 replans the 4D route based on the positional relationship between the mobile exclusive space and the fixed exclusive space during the flight of the aircraft.

[0108] As a result, the traffic control system 6 of this embodiment is provided with a dual exclusive space, a mobile exclusive space and a fixed exclusive space, so that it can plan a safe 4D route without the risk of collision with other aircraft while allowing the aircraft to deviate from the route. Moreover, since the traffic control system 6 can re-plan the 4D route while the aircraft is flying, even if various events occur during flight, it can plan a safe 4D route that can respond to these events as needed and provide it to the aircraft. At the same time, the traffic control system 6 plans a 4D route taking into account not only the position the aircraft is scheduled to pass but also the time it passes, so it can allow a 4D route that intersects with the trajectory of the 4D route of other aircraft and can plan a 4D route with good space efficiency. Moreover, since the traffic control system 6 can re-plan the 4D route while the aircraft is flying, even if various events occur during the flight of the aircraft, it can plan a 4D route with good space efficiency as needed and provide it to the aircraft. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traffic control system 6 that can safely and space-efficiently optimize the traffic route in response to various events that occur during operation.

[0109] In addition, the exclusive space design unit 9 of this embodiment has a mobile exclusive space design unit 14 that designs a mobile exclusive space, a fixed exclusive space design unit 13 that designs a fixed exclusive space, and a spatial interference determination unit 15 that determines whether or not a boundary surface that defines the mobile exclusive space and a boundary surface that defines the fixed exclusive space interfere with each other. If it is determined that the two interfere with each other, the fixed exclusive space design unit 13 corrects the fixed exclusive space to eliminate the interference between them. The 4D route planning unit 8 re-plans the 4D route according to the corrected fixed exclusive space.

[0110] As a result, the traffic management system 6 of this embodiment can reliably re-plan a 4D route that is free of collision risk using a relatively simple method, so that a safe and space-efficient 4D route can be reliably and easily planned and provided to the aircraft.

[0111] [Embodiment 2] The traffic control system 6 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 22. In the traffic control system 6 of the second embodiment, the description of the same configuration and operation as in the first embodiment will be omitted. FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the traffic management system 6 of the second embodiment.

[0112] The traffic control system 6 of the first embodiment plans a 4D route for each aircraft based on the fixed exclusive space and the moving exclusive space, and transmits the 4D route to each aircraft. The traffic control system 6 of the first embodiment can perform traffic control of takeoff and landing of each aircraft without each aircraft having to recognize the fixed exclusive space and the moving exclusive space. This is effective in that the traffic control system 6 does not require each aircraft to have a function to recognize the fixed exclusive space and the moving exclusive space when performing traffic control of takeoff and landing of aircraft with various specifications.

[0113] From the viewpoint of the traffic control system 6, it is desirable for each aircraft to fly according to the provided 4D route, and it is also desirable to avoid a situation in which the 4D route is frequently redesigned due to interference between the boundary surface of the fixed exclusive space and the boundary surface of the mobile exclusive space. For this reason, the traffic control system 6 of the second embodiment may be configured as shown in FIG.

[0114] That is, the traffic control system 6 of the second embodiment has a function in which the route planning device 7 issues warnings 1501, 1501b to each of the vehicles A, B, and also has a function of transmitting information 2201, 2201b indicating the fixed exclusive space and the mobile exclusive space to each of the vehicles A, B. Each of the vehicles A, B of the second embodiment has a private space recognition unit 2202, 2202b that recognizes the fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b and the mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b from the information 2201, 2201b transmitted from the traffic control system 6. Then, each of the vehicles A, B of the second embodiment can plan a route based on the recognized mobile exclusive spaces 2, 2b and fixed exclusive spaces 1, 1b. Specifically, each of the vehicles A and B in the second embodiment can plan a route that deviates from the 4D route 4, 4b transmitted from the traffic control system 6, within the range in which the recognized mobile exclusive space 2, 2b is contained in the fixed exclusive space 1, 1b, by the judgment of each of the vehicles A and B themselves. As a result, the traffic control system 6 in the second embodiment can increase the degree of freedom of each of the vehicles A and B to deviate from the 4D route 4, 4b compared to the first embodiment, and can reduce the frequency of replanning the 4D route 4, 4b.

[0115] In the second embodiment, it is not necessary for all of the aircraft under the management of the traffic control system 6 to have a private space recognition unit. The traffic control system 6 of the second embodiment transmits information indicating the fixed private space and the moving private space only to the aircraft that have a private space recognition unit. Even with this configuration, the traffic control system 6 of the second embodiment can reduce the frequency of replanning the 4D route.

[0116] [others] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modified examples. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of a certain embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of a certain embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0117] In addition, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be realized in part or in whole by hardware, for example by designing them in an integrated circuit. In addition, the above-mentioned configurations, functions, etc. may be realized by software, in which a processor interprets and executes a program that realizes each function. Information such as the program, tape, file, etc. that realizes each function can be stored in a memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (solid state drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, DVD, etc.

[0118] In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are necessarily shown. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 1,1b...fixed exclusive space, 2,2b...mobile exclusive space, 4,4b...4D route (operation route), 5,5b...location information, 6...operation management system, 8...4D route planning unit (route planning unit), 9...exclusive space design unit, 12...wind condition information, 13...fixed exclusive space design unit, 14...mobile exclusive space design unit, 15...space interference determination unit, 1501,1501b...warning, 1601...weather area, 1602...flying object, 1610...exclusive space, 1701...ground structure, 1801...no-fly area, A,B...aircraft (moving body)

Claims

1. A traffic management system for managing the operation of a moving object, a route planning unit that plans a travel route of the moving object, the travel route being expressed as a sequence of positions and times that the moving object is scheduled to pass; an exclusive space design unit that designs a mobile exclusive space that includes the mobile body and moves together with the mobile body as an exclusive space of the mobile body that does not allow entry of other mobile bodies, and a fixed exclusive space that includes the mobile exclusive space and is along the travel route; The route planning unit re-plans the travel route based on a positional relationship between the mobile exclusive space and the fixed exclusive space while the mobile body is in operation. A traffic management system characterized by the above.

2. The exclusive space design department: A mobile exclusive space design unit that designs the mobile exclusive space; A fixed exclusive space design unit that designs the fixed exclusive space; a space interference determination unit that determines whether or not a boundary surface that defines the movable exclusive space and a boundary surface that defines the fixed exclusive space interfere with each other; The fixed exclusive space design unit modifies the fixed exclusive space when it is determined that the two interfere with each other, The route planning unit re-plans the travel route in accordance with the corrected fixed exclusive space. The traffic control system according to claim 1 .

3. the fixed exclusive space design unit modifies the fixed exclusive space of the other moving body around the moving body when it is determined that the two will interfere with each other; The route planning unit re-plans the travel route of the other moving body in accordance with the corrected fixed exclusive space of the other moving body.

3. The traffic control system according to claim 2.

4. If it is determined that the two interfere with each other and the fixed exclusive space cannot be modified to eliminate the interference between the two, a warning is sent to the mobile unit to operate along the operating route.

3. The traffic control system according to claim 2.

5. Acquires position information of the moving object at a predetermined period from the start point to the end point of the travel route, and determines whether or not the travel route needs to be replanned each time the position information is acquired.

3. The traffic control system according to claim 2.

6. The fixed exclusive space design unit designs the fixed exclusive space so that the moving body and the obstacle do not interfere with each other even if the moving body detours around the obstacle based on the moving body's own judgment.

3. The traffic control system according to claim 2.

7. each of the moving body and the other moving body is an aircraft, The exclusive space design unit designs at least one of the fixed exclusive space and the mobile exclusive space based on wind condition information indicating predicted wind conditions at each point within a management area of ​​the traffic management system. The traffic control system according to claim 1 .

8. The exclusive space design unit designs at least one of the fixed exclusive space and the mobile exclusive space based on at least one of a position measurement error of the mobile body and a communication quality with the mobile body. The traffic control system according to claim 1 .

9. each of the moving body and the other moving body is an aircraft, The exclusive space design unit designs an exclusive space that does not permit the aircraft to enter at least one of a weather area, an aircraft and a ground structure that hinders the flight of the aircraft, and a no-fly area for the aircraft. The traffic control system according to claim 1 .

10. Transmitting information of the mobile exclusive space and the fixed exclusive space to the mobile body; The mobile body recognizes the mobile exclusive space and the fixed exclusive space based on the transmitted information, and plans the travel route based on the recognized mobile exclusive space and the fixed exclusive space. The traffic control system according to claim 1 .

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