Flight management device, flight management method, and program

Abstract

The monitoring target facility is preferably monitored by a flying object such as a drone. 【Solution means】The flight management device includes a management unit that performs flight management of a flying object that monitors a monitoring target facility, an acquisition unit that acquires the operating status of the monitoring target facility, and based on the operating status, a monitoring plan creation unit that creates an execution plan for monitoring the monitoring target facility to be executed using the flying object, and a transmission unit that transmits a control signal related to monitoring to the management unit based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flight management device, a flight management method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been becoming common to perform inspections and monitoring on structures such as towers using unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones. In particular, when the range for performing inspections and monitoring is vast, it is useful to perform inspections and monitoring using an unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique regarding an inspection method using a drone.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, structures such as towers that are inspection targets using drones may be stolen by cutting parts used in facilities such as copper wires and metals. To deal with such thefts, it is conceivable to deploy drones and perform monitoring with autonomous flight. However, drones have problems such as battery issues and it has been difficult to fly for a long time. Also, when the flight time is limited to reduce battery consumption and the drone is flown only during fixed time periods, there has been a problem that it is easy for thieves to estimate the monitoring time by the drone.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a flight management device, a flight management method, and a program capable of suitably monitoring monitoring target facilities by a flying object such as a drone.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention includes a management unit that performs flight management of an aircraft for monitoring a facility to be monitored, an acquisition unit that acquires the operating status of the facility to be monitored, a monitoring plan creation unit that creates an execution plan for monitoring the facility to be monitored using the aircraft based on the operating status, and a transmission unit that transmits a control signal related to monitoring to the management unit based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit. , the acquisition unit acquires the physical value from a measuring instrument that measures the physical value related to the operation of the monitored equipment, and the monitoring plan creation unit determines whether the monitored equipment is in operation based on the physical value. When it is determined that the equipment is not in operation, the execution plan is created as one for executing the monitoring of the monitored equipment. It is a flight management device. ( 2 ) Also, in one aspect of the present invention, in the flight management device described above ( 1 ), the monitoring plan creation unit determines whether the facility to be monitored is in operation based on the result of comparing the physical value with a predetermined threshold value. ( 3 ) Also, in one aspect of the present invention, in the flight management device described above in (1) Or (2) , the acquisition unit further acquires information regarding the schedule of a monitor who monitors the facility to be monitored, and the monitoring plan creation unit creates the execution plan such that the facility to be monitored is monitored during a time period when the monitor is not monitoring the facility to be monitored based on the acquired schedule of the monitor. ( 4 ) Also, in one aspect of the present invention, in any of the flight management devices described above in (1) to ( 3 ), a recording unit that records the operating status history of the facility to be monitored obtained based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, and an estimation unit that estimates a non-operating time period on a predetermined day based on the operating status history recorded in the recording unit are further provided, and the monitoring plan creation unit creates the execution plan such that the facility to be monitored is monitored during the non-operating time period estimated by the estimation unit within the time period on a predetermined day. ( 5 ) Also, in one aspect of the present invention, in the above-described ( 4In the flight management device of , the monitoring plan creation unit refers to the operation status history recorded in the recording unit, and creates the execution plan to execute the monitoring of the monitoring target facility in both the operation time zone and the non-operation time zone. The monitoring interval to be executed in the non-operation time zone is shorter than the monitoring interval to be executed in the operation time zone. ( 6 ) Further, one aspect of the present invention is a flight management method executed using a computer, including a management step of performing flight management of a flying object that monitors a monitoring target facility, an acquisition step of acquiring the operation status of the monitoring target facility, and based on the operation status, a monitoring plan creation step of creating an execution plan for monitoring the monitoring target facility to be executed using the flying object, and a transmission step of transmitting a control signal related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation step. , the acquisition step acquires the physical value from a measuring instrument that measures the physical value related to the operation of the monitored equipment, and the monitoring plan creation step determines whether the monitored equipment is in operation based on the physical value. When it is determined that the equipment is not in operation, the execution plan is created as one for executing the monitoring of the monitored equipment. This is a flight management method. ( 7 ) Further, one aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute a management step of performing flight management of a flying object that monitors a monitoring target facility, an acquisition step of acquiring the operation status of the monitoring target facility, a monitoring plan creation step of creating an execution plan for monitoring the monitoring target facility to be executed using the flying object based on the operation status, and a transmission step of transmitting a control signal related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation step. , the acquisition step acquires the physical value from a measuring instrument that measures the physical value related to the operation of the monitored equipment, and the monitoring plan creation step determines whether the monitored equipment is in operation based on the physical value. When it is determined that the equipment is not in operation, the execution plan is created as one for executing the monitoring of the monitored equipment. This is a program.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flight management device, a flight management method, and a program that can suitably monitor a monitoring target facility by a flying object such as a drone.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] [Embodiment] Regarding the flight management device, flight management method, and program according to an aspect of the present invention, preferred embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the aspects of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, and also include those with various modifications or improvements added. That is, the constituent elements described below include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art and substantially identical ones, and the constituent elements described below can be combined as appropriate. Also, various omissions, substitutions, or changes of the constituent elements can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Also, in the following drawings, in order to make each configuration easier to understand, the scale and number, etc. of each structure may be made different from the scale and number, etc. in the actual structure.

[0010] [System Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a system according to an embodiment. The system 1 includes a drone 10 and a flight management device 30, and monitors a facility 50. Note that, for simplicity of explanation, one facility 50 is shown in the figure, but the system 1 may monitor a plurality of facilities 50. Also, for simplicity of explanation, one drone 10 is shown in the figure, but a plurality of drones 10 may be provided. In this case, the plurality of drones 10 may each perform wireless communication with a common flight management device 30, or may each perform wireless communication with an independent flight management device 30. That is, the relationship between the flight management device 30 and the drone 10 may be one-to-N (N is a natural number of 1 or more) or N-to-N.

[0011] The facility 50 is a facility to be monitored by the system 1. The facility 50 may be a communication tower (which can also be called a base station) used for wireless communication. Also, the facility 50 may be something fixed to the ground outdoors, such as a solar power generation facility. Another example of a facility to be monitored by the system 1 may include, in addition to power transmission lines and towers, bridges, tunnels, industrial facilities, etc. Also, the system 1 may be used in a range where there is some facility, such as land for agricultural fields, forests, rivers, coastlines, etc.

[0012] The flight management device 30 manages the flight of the drone 10. Specifically, the flight management device 30 gives a flight instruction to the drone 10 and monitors the facility 50. Monitoring of the facility 50 may be, for example, monitoring that the items provided in the facility 50 are not stolen. Specifically, the items provided in the facility 50 may be, for example, electric wires, solar panels, etc., when the facility 50 is a solar power generation facility. Monitoring of the facility 50 may include, in addition to flying around the facility 50, for example, imaging an image around the facility 50, detecting an intruder around the facility 50, etc.

[0013] Based on instructions from the flight management device 30, the drone 10 flies around the facility 50 for monitoring. The drone 10 may capture images around the facility 50 or detect intruders around the facility 50 based on instructions from the flight management device 30. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the drone 10 is capable of flying. In the following description, the drone 10 may sometimes be referred to as an aircraft.

[0014] [Flight management device] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing the functional configuration of the flight management device according to this embodiment. With reference to this figure, an example of the functional configuration of the flight management device 30 will be described. The flight management device 30 includes an acquisition unit 31, a monitoring plan creation unit 32, a transmission unit 33, a management unit 34, and a storage unit 39. Note that the flight management device 30 does not necessarily have to include the storage unit 39. For example, a configuration in which the storage unit 39 is provided in a server or a space on the cloud may be adopted. In the illustrated example, for simplicity of explanation, the flight management device 30 is described as having the storage unit 39.

[0015] The acquisition unit 31 acquires the operating status of the facility 50 to be monitored (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the monitored facility). The operating status of the facility 50 is the status of whether the facility 50 is operating or not. The acquisition unit 31 may determine whether the facility 50 is operating or not by acquiring some physical value from a measuring instrument that measures a physical value related to the operation of the facility 50. For example, when the facility 50 is a solar power generation facility, the acquisition unit 31 may acquire the current value of the current that flows only during the operation of the facility 50, the voltage value of the voltage that is generated only during the operation of the facility 50, etc., to acquire the operating status of the facility 50. However, this embodiment is not limited to an example based on physical values such as current values and voltage values. For example, the acquisition unit 31 may acquire the operating status of the facility 50 by acquiring a digital signal indicating whether it is currently operating from the facility 50.

[0016] Based on the operating status acquired by the acquisition unit 31, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan for monitoring. The execution plan for monitoring is a plan that indicates how the drone 10 will fly, etc., for the facility 50 to be monitored using the drone 10. Specifically, when the facility 50 is not in operation, the drone 10 flies around the facility 50 to perform monitoring. The execution plan for monitoring may also include other flight routes and the like according to the operating status.

[0017] Here, depending on the facility 50, it may be stolen by cutting parts used in the facility 50 such as copper wires and metals. When cutting parts while the facility 50 is operating, there is a possibility of an abnormal alarm being activated or electric shock, so theft is less likely. On the other hand, when cutting parts while the facility 50 is not operating, the abnormal alarm does not activate and the risk of electric shock is also low, so it tends to be easily stolen. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in order to reduce the theft risk when the facility 50 is not operating, in particular, when the facility 50 is not in operation, the drone 10 flies around the facility 50 to perform monitoring.

[0018] The monitoring plan creation unit 32 may determine whether the facility 50 is in operation based on some physical value acquired by the acquisition unit 31. Specifically, when it is determined by the monitoring plan creation unit 32 that the facility 50 is not in operation, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 may create an execution plan assuming that it will execute the monitoring of the facility 50. Also, when it is determined by the monitoring plan creation unit 32 that the facility 50 is in operation, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 may create an execution plan assuming that it will not execute the monitoring of the facility 50. The determination of whether it is in operation based on the physical value may be made by comparing the physical value with a predetermined threshold value. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 may determine whether the facility 50 is in operation based on the comparison result.

[0019] Note that the operating status of the facility 50 acquired by the acquisition unit 31 may include information on which part of the facility 50 is in operation. In other words, the degree of operation may be indicated. For example, when the facility 50 exists over a wide range, only a part of the range may be in operation while the other ranges are not. In such a case, the risk of theft increases for the non-operating ranges. Therefore, by acquiring information on which part of the facility 50 is in operation, the acquisition unit 31 enables the monitoring plan creation unit 32 to create an execution plan for the monitoring by the drone 10 to monitor the non-operating parts.

[0020] Based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit 32, the transmission unit 33 transmits a control signal related to monitoring to the management unit 34. The control signal related to monitoring may include the presence or absence of flight, the flight path, imaging during flight, the presence or absence of intruder detection, etc. When the relationship between the flight management device 30 and the drone 10 is one-to-N, the control signal may include instructions for each of the plurality of drones 10.

[0021] The management unit 34 performs flight management of the drone 10 that monitors the facility 50. Specifically, flight management may be, for example, transmitting a control signal to the drone 10. The control signal for the drone 10 includes those ranging from transmitting a flight path to those such as driving which motor with what force. When the relationship between the flight management device 30 and the drone 10 is one-to-N, the management unit 34 may manage the flights of the plurality of drones 10.

[0022] As another example, the flight management device 30 may perform control based on the remaining amount of the battery mounted on the drone 10 and used for the flight of the drone. In this case, the acquisition unit 31 further acquires information regarding the remaining amount of the battery mounted on the drone 10. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines (or it can also be said to estimate) whether or not the facility 50 is in operation based on whether or not the remaining amount of the battery of the drone 10 exceeds a predetermined value, and if it is determined that the facility 50 is not in operation, a execution plan may be created to execute the monitoring of the facility 50.

[0023] Also, as another example, processing for the case where the schedule of the monitor who monitors the facility 50 in advance is available is considered. If the schedule can be obtained in advance, processing based on the schedule may be performed. In this case, the acquisition unit 31 acquires information regarding the schedule preset by the monitor. The information regarding the schedule preferably includes at least the time and the information on operation or non-operation at that time. Further, the information regarding the schedule may include more detailed information such as the operating part and its degree. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 may create an execution plan to execute the monitoring of the facility 50 during a time period when the monitor is not monitoring the facility 50 based on the acquired schedule.

[0024] The flight management device 30 according to the present embodiment may be provided in any of the port 40 where the drone 10 takes off and lands, the server 70, or the drone 10. Further, the flight management device 30 may be provided at other positions. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, an example of the functional configuration when the flight management device 30 is provided in each of the port 40, the server 70, or the drone 10 will be described.

[0025] [When the flight management device is provided in the port] FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example when the flight management device according to the present embodiment is provided in the port. In the figure, as an example, an image diagram of the drone 10 taking off and landing from the port 40 is shown.

[0026] The port 40 shown in the figure has a structure that allows the drone 10 to be stored inside the port 40 by opening and closing the lid of the port 40. However, the structure of the port 40 is not limited to this example, and the present embodiment is applicable to various ports 40 having other structures. For example, as another example of the port 40, a shape having a roof portion in the storage portion can be exemplified, and a structure in which the drone 10 enters from the entrance portion and fits into the storage portion having the roof portion can be exemplified.

[0027] The port 40 includes a port control device 41 and a flight management device 30. In an example shown in the figure, the port control device 41 and the flight management device 30 are described as separate and independent configurations from each other. However, the port control device 41 and the flight management device 30 may exist inseparably as substantially the same configuration. Also, the flight management device 30 may be included in the port control device 41, or the port control device 41 may be included in the flight management device 30.

[0028] The port control device 41 controls the port. Specifically, when the drone 10 takes off, the port control device 41 opens the lid to make the drone 10 in a flyable state. Also, after the drone 10 takes off, the port control device 41 blocks the lid. Further, when the drone 10 lands, the port control device 41 opens the lid again to make the drone 10 in a landable state. Note that the opening and closing control of the lid may be performed based on an instruction from the flight management device 30 or an instruction from the drone 10, or may be performed based on detecting signs of takeoff and landing of the drone 10 by a sensor (not shown).

[0029] In addition, the port control device 41 may perform wireless communication and wired communication with the drone 10. Also, the port control device 41 may supply power (charge the battery) to the drone 10 and the like.

[0030] The flight management device 30 has the functional configuration described with reference to FIG. 2. The flight management device 30 may manage the flight of the drone 10 indirectly via the port control device 41, or may directly manage the flight of the drone 10.

[0031] [When the flight management device is provided in a server] FIG. 4 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example when the flight management device according to the present embodiment is provided in a server. With reference to this figure, an example when the flight management device 30 is provided in the server 70 will be described. When the flight management device 30 is provided in the server 70, it is preferable that the system 1 includes a plurality of drones 10. In this figure, as an example of a plurality of drones 10, a drone 10-1 and a drone 10-2 are shown. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this example, and the system 1 may include a plurality of (a large number of) drones 10.

[0032] As shown in the figure, the flight management device 30 is provided in the server 70. The server 70 performs information communication with a plurality of drones 10 via a predetermined communication network NW. The flight management device 30 provided in the server 70 transmits flight management information to each of the plurality of drones 10 via the communication network NW. Note that the flight management information transmitted to each of the plurality of drones 10 may be the same as each other or different from each other. The case where the flight management information is the same as each other may be a case where the flight management information includes flight routes and the like for a plurality of drones 10. The case where the flight management information is different from each other may be a case where the flight management information includes only the flight route and the like for the target drone 10.

[0033] In addition, the case where the flight management information transmitted to each of the plurality of drones 10 is different from each other is, for example, a case where the range of the facility 50 is vast and monitoring is performed by dividing the work among the plurality of drones 10. In this case, the flight management device 30 may set different flight ranges for each drone 10. By setting different flight ranges for each drone 10, the plurality of drones 10 can monitor the facility 50 as a whole.

[0034] [When the flight management device is provided in the drone] FIG. 5 is a functional configuration diagram showing an example of the case where the flight management device according to the present embodiment is provided in the drone. With reference to this figure, an example of the case where the flight management device 30 is provided in the server 70 will be described. As shown in the figure, the flight management device 30 may be provided inside the drone 10. The drone 10 includes a drone control device 11 and a flight management device 30.

[0035] The drone control device 11 controls the drone 10. Specifically, the drone control device 11 controls the flight of the drone 10 by driving a motor, a sensor, etc. (not shown) provided in the drone 10. Note that the flight path and the timing of flight are based on the flight management information acquired from the flight management device 30.

[0036] The flight management device 30 has the functional configuration described with reference to FIG. 2. The flight management device 30 may manage the flight of the drone 10 indirectly via the drone control device 11, or may directly manage the flight of the drone 10.

[0037] [Flight management method] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a series of flows of the flight management method according to the present embodiment. With reference to this figure, a series of flows of the processing performed using the above-described flight management device 30 will be described.

[0038] (Step S11) First, the flight management device 30 acquires the operating status of the facility 50 to be monitored. Specifically, the flight management device 30 may acquire the operating status of the facility 50 by acquiring some physical quantity such as a current value from the facility 50. This process may also be referred to as an acquisition process or an acquisition step.

[0039] (Step S12) Next, based on the operating status acquired in the acquisition process, the flight management device 30 creates an execution plan for monitoring the facility 50 to be executed using the drone 10. The execution plan includes the flight path of the drone 10, the timing of takeoff and landing, etc. This process may also be referred to as a monitoring plan creation process or a monitoring plan creation step.

[0040] (Step S13) Next, based on the execution plan created in the monitoring plan creation process, the flight management device 30 transmits a control signal related to monitoring. Note that this process may also be referred to as a transmission process or a transmission step.

[0041] (Step S14) Finally, the flight management device 30 performs flight management of the drone 10 that monitors the facility 50. Note that this process may also be referred to as a management process or a management step.

[0042] [Modification Example] FIG. 7 is a functional configuration diagram showing a modification example of the functional configuration of the flight management device according to the present embodiment. The functional configuration of the flight management device 30A will be described with reference to the figure. The flight management device 30A is a modification example of the flight management device 30. In the description of the flight management device 30A, for configurations similar to those of the flight management device 30, the description may be omitted by attaching the same reference numerals. The flight management device 30A is different from the flight management device 30 in that it further includes a recording unit 35 and an estimation unit 36.

[0043] The recording unit 35 records the operation status history of the facility 50. In an example shown in the same figure, the recording unit 35 is assumed to be configured to include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. However, the recording unit 35 does not necessarily have to be included in the flight management device 30A. For example, it may be stored in an external storage device by a recording control unit (not shown) provided in the flight management device 30A.

[0044] Note that the operation status history of the facility 50 recorded by the recording unit 35 can be obtained based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 31. When the acquisition unit 31 directly acquires the operation status schedule, the recording unit 35 may record the schedule. Also, when the acquisition unit 31 acquires some physical quantity such as the current value of the facility 50, the operation status of the facility 50 estimated from the acquired physical quantity may be recorded.

[0045] The estimation unit 36 estimates the non-operating time zone on a predetermined day based on the past operation status history recorded by the recording unit 35. For example, if the facility 50 becomes non-operating during a predetermined time zone every day, even on a future date, it is highly likely that the facility will be non-operating during that time zone. Therefore, the estimation unit 36 estimates the future non-operating time zone based on the past operation status history.

[0046] Note that the estimation unit 36 may further estimate the non-operating time zone on a predetermined day based on environmental information such as weather, temperature, and humidity. For example, for a facility 50 that is highly likely to be non-operating in rainy weather, the future non-operating time zone may be estimated based on the current weather or future weather.

[0047] In the flight management device 30A, by including the recording unit 35 and the estimation unit 36, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 can create an execution plan for monitoring by the drone 10 such that the monitoring of the facility 50 is executed during the non-operating time zone estimated by the estimation unit 36 within the time zone on a predetermined day.

[0048] Here, it is assumed that the non-operating time zone is extremely short compared to the operating time zone. In such a case, it is preferable to also monitor the operating time zone. That is, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 may refer to the operation status history recorded in the recording unit 35 and create an execution plan to execute the monitoring of the facility 50 in both the operating time zone and the non-operating time zone. In that case, it is preferable that the monitoring interval to be executed in the non-operating time zone is shorter than the monitoring interval to be executed in the operating time zone.

[0049] [Internal Configuration] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the flight management device according to the present embodiment. The computer shown in the figure shows an example of a specific hardware configuration for realizing the flight management device 30. The computer includes a central processing unit (processor) 901, a RAM 902, an input / output port 903, input / output devices 904 and 905, etc., and a bus 906. The computer itself can be realized using existing technologies. The central processing unit 901 executes instructions included in the program read from the RAM 902 and the like. The central processing unit 901 writes data to the RAM 902, reads data from the RAM 902, and performs arithmetic operations and logical operations according to each instruction. The RAM 902 stores data and programs. Each element included in the RAM 902 has an address and can be accessed using the address. Note that RAM is an abbreviation for "Random Access Memory". The input / output port 903 is a port for the central processing unit 901 to exchange data with external input / output devices and the like. The input / output devices 904 and 905 are input / output devices. The input / output devices 904 and 905 exchange data with the central processing unit 901 via the input / output port 903. The bus 906 is a common communication path used inside the computer. For example, the central processing unit 901 reads and writes data in the RAM 902 via the bus 906. Also, for example, the central processing unit 901 accesses the input / output port via the bus 906. Further, all or part of the flight management device 30 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, a PLD, or an FPGA. Also, all or part of each functional unit may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0050] [Summary of the Embodiment] According to the embodiments described above, the flight management device 30 includes a management unit 34, an acquisition unit 31, a monitoring plan creation unit 32, and a transmission unit 33. The management unit 34 performs flight management of a flying object that monitors the equipment to be monitored. The acquisition unit 31 acquires the operating status of the equipment to be monitored. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored that is to be executed using the flying object based on the operating status. The transmission unit 33 transmits a control signal related to monitoring to the management unit 34 based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit 32.

[0051] By adopting such a configuration, the flight management device 30 can monitor the equipment 50 based on the operating status of the equipment 50. Here, depending on the type of the equipment 50 to be monitored, it may be stolen by cutting parts used in the equipment such as copper wires and metals. When cutting parts while the equipment 50 is operating, an abnormal alarm may be activated or there may be an electric shock, so it is difficult to be stolen. On the other hand, when cutting parts while the equipment 50 is not operating, the abnormal alarm does not activate and the risk of electric shock is low, so it tends to be easily stolen. According to the present embodiment, since the equipment 50 can be monitored based on the operating status of the equipment 50, the theft risk when the equipment 50 is not operating can be reduced, and the equipment 50 to be monitored can be suitably monitored by a flying object such as a drone.

[0052] Also, according to the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 31 acquires the operating status of the equipment to be monitored by acquiring the physical value (for example, current value, voltage value, etc.) related to the operation of the equipment 50 from a measuring instrument that measures the physical value. By adopting such a configuration, the flight management device 30 can easily detect whether the equipment 50 is operating.

[0053] Also, according to the present embodiment, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines whether the facility to be monitored is in operation based on the acquired physical value, and creates an execution plan to execute the monitoring of the facility to be monitored when it is determined that the facility is not in operation. By adopting such a configuration, the flight management device 30 can reduce the risk of theft when the facility 50 is not operating.

[0054] Also, according to the present embodiment, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines whether the facility to be monitored is in operation based on the result of comparing the acquired physical value with a predetermined threshold value. For example, if the acquired voltage value is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage value, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines that the facility to be monitored is in operation. By adopting such a configuration, the flight management device 30 can easily detect whether the facility 50 is in operation.

[0055] Also, according to the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 31 further acquires the remaining battery level of the aircraft, and the monitoring plan creation unit 32 determines whether the facility to be monitored is in operation based on whether the remaining battery level of the aircraft exceeds a predetermined value. When it is determined that the facility is not in operation, an execution plan is created to execute the monitoring of the facility to be monitored. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is determined whether to execute the monitoring according to the remaining battery level of the aircraft. According to the present embodiment, since the monitoring of the facility 50 can be performed based on the remaining battery level of the aircraft, the facility 50 to be monitored can be preferably monitored.

[0056] Further, according to the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 31 further acquires information regarding the schedule of a monitor who monitors the facility to be monitored, and the monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan to execute the monitoring of the facility to be monitored during a time period when the monitor is not monitoring the facility to be monitored, based on the acquired schedule of the monitor. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even when it is not possible to acquire physical quantities such as voltage values and current values from the facility 50, it becomes possible to monitor the facility 50 based on the operating status of the facility 50, so that the risk of theft when the facility 50 is not operating can be reduced, and it becomes possible to suitably monitor the facility 50 to be monitored by a flying object such as a drone.

[0057] Further, according to the present embodiment, the flight management device 30 further includes a recording unit 35 and an estimation unit 36. The recording unit 35 records the operating status history of the facility to be monitored obtained based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 31. The estimation unit 36 estimates the non-operating time period on a predetermined day based on the operating status history recorded in the recording unit 35. The monitoring plan creation unit 32 creates an execution plan to execute the monitoring of the facility to be monitored during the non-operating time period estimated by the estimation unit 36 among the time periods on a predetermined day. By adopting such a configuration, the flight management device 30 can estimate the future operation schedule and create an execution plan for monitoring.

[0058] Further, according to the present embodiment, the monitoring plan creation unit 32 refers to the operating status history recorded in the recording unit 35 and creates an execution plan to execute the monitoring of the facility to be monitored in both the operating time period and the non-operating time period, and the monitoring interval for execution during the non-operating time period is shorter than the monitoring interval for execution during the operating time period. That is, according to the present embodiment, monitoring is performed even when the facility 50 is operating, but more frequent (thorough) monitoring is performed when it is not operating. By adopting such a configuration, according to the present embodiment, the risk of theft when the facility 50 is not operating can be reduced, and it becomes possible to suitably monitor the facility 50 to be monitored by a flying object such as a drone.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to "suitably monitor the facility to be monitored by a flying object such as a drone". The facility to be monitored according to this embodiment is, for example, a facility used in a wireless communication network. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to contribute to Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) led by the United Nations, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation".

[0060] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included.

[0061] Also, a computer program for realizing the functions of the above-described respective devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed. Here, the "computer system" may include hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. The "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a writable non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a portable medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a storage device such as a hard disk incorporated in a computer system.

[0062] Furthermore, the "computer-readable recording medium" shall include, for example, volatile memories (such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) inside a computer system that serves as a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which hold the program for a certain period of time. Also, the above program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" for transmitting the program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication wire) such as a telephone line. Also, the above program may be for realizing a part of the aforementioned functions. Furthermore, it may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the aforementioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

Explanation of Signs

[0063] 1... System, 10... Drone, 30... Flight management device, 50... Equipment, 40... Port, 70... Server, 31... Acquisition unit, 32... Monitoring plan creation unit, 33... Transmission unit, 34... Management unit, 39... Storage unit, 35... Recording unit, 36... Estimation unit, 41... Port control device, 11... Drone control device

Claims

1. A management unit that performs flight management of an aircraft for monitoring a monitoring target facility, An acquisition unit that acquires the operating status of the monitoring target facility, A monitoring plan creation unit that creates an execution plan for monitoring the monitoring target facility to be executed using the aircraft based on the operating status, A transmission unit that transmits a control signal related to monitoring to the management unit based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation unit, Comprising, The acquisition unit acquires the physical value from a measuring instrument that measures a physical value related to the operation of the monitoring target facility, The monitoring plan creation unit determines whether or not the monitoring target facility is in operation based on the physical value, and when it is determined that the facility is not in operation, creates the execution plan as one for executing the monitoring of the monitoring target facility, Flight management device.

2. The monitoring plan creation unit determines whether or not the monitoring target facility is in operation based on the result of comparing the physical value with a predetermined threshold value, The flight management device according to claim 1.

3. The acquisition unit further acquires information related to the schedule of a monitor who monitors the monitoring target facility, The monitoring plan creation unit creates the execution plan as one for executing the monitoring of the monitoring target facility during a time period when the monitor is not monitoring the monitoring target facility based on the acquired schedule of the monitor, The flight management device according to claim 1.

4. A recording unit that records the operation status history of the monitoring target facility obtained based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, An estimation unit that estimates a non-operating time period on a predetermined day based on the operation status history recorded in the recording unit, Further comprising, The monitoring plan creation unit creates the execution plan as one for executing the monitoring of the monitoring target facility during the non-operating time period estimated by the estimation unit among the time periods on a predetermined day, The flight management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The monitoring plan creation unit refers to the operation status history recorded in the recording unit and creates the execution plan as one for executing the monitoring of the monitoring target facility in both the operating time period and the non-operating time period, The monitoring interval for execution during the non-operating time period is shorter than the monitoring interval for execution during the operating time period, The flight management device according to claim 4.

6. A flight management method executed using a computer, comprising: A management step of performing flight management of an aircraft for monitoring a monitoring target facility, An acquisition step of acquiring the operating status of the monitoring target facility, A monitoring plan creation step of creating an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored to be executed using the aircraft based on the operating status; A transmission step of transmitting a control signal related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation step; comprising; The acquisition step acquires the physical value from a measuring instrument that measures a physical value related to the operation of the equipment to be monitored; The monitoring plan creation step determines whether the equipment to be monitored is in operation based on the physical value, and when it is determined that the equipment is not in operation, creates the execution plan as one to execute the monitoring of the equipment to be monitored; Flight management method.

7. On a computer, A management step of performing flight management of an aircraft for monitoring equipment to be monitored; An acquisition step of acquiring the operating status of the equipment to be monitored; A monitoring plan creation step of creating an execution plan for monitoring the equipment to be monitored to be executed using the aircraft based on the operating status; A transmission step of transmitting a control signal related to monitoring to the management step based on the execution plan created by the monitoring plan creation step; causing to execute, The acquisition step acquires the physical value from a measuring instrument that measures a physical value related to the operation of the equipment to be monitored; The monitoring plan creation step determines whether the equipment to be monitored is in operation based on the physical value, and when it is determined that the equipment is not in operation, creates the execution plan as one to execute the monitoring of the equipment to be monitored; Program.

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