Guidance device, guidance system, guidance method, and computer program

The guidance system and device provide real-time route guidance to responders, ensuring they reach suspicious UAVs efficiently by integrating sensor detection and route calculation.

JP7721996B2Active Publication Date: 2025-08-13NEC CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021116110
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-07-14
Publication Date
2025-08-13
Estimated Expiration
2041-07-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Response personnel may get lost while navigating to a suspicious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in an airspace requiring permission, leading to delayed intervention.

Method used

A guidance system and device that utilize sensors to detect UAVs, calculate routes for responders, and output travel information to terminal devices, ensuring responders reach the UAV without getting lost.

Benefits of technology

Enables responders to navigate directly to suspicious UAVs without delays, enhancing response efficiency.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To appropriately guide a coping officer to a suspicious plane when the suspicious plane is detected.SOLUTION: A guidance device 20 is a computer device, for example, and includes an acquisition unit 21, a path calculation unit 22, and an output unit 23, as functional units. The acquisition unit 21 acquires a sensor signal outputted from a detection device that detects an unmanned aircraft in a monitored airspace and information that shows the location of a coping officer who copes with a suspicious plane which is an unmanned aircraft the flight of which is not permitted in the monitored airspace. The path calculation unit 22 calculates a movement path for the coping officer to head toward the suspicious entity, on the basis of information regarding the position of the suspicious plane detected on the basis of the sensor signal and information regarding the location of the coping officer. The output unit 23 outputs information regarding the calculated movement path to a terminal device that presents information about the movement path to the coping officer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for guiding security personnel and the like toward a suspicious aircraft, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly. [Background technology]

[0002] The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is becoming widespread in areas such as logistics and infrastructure inspection. UAVs are aircraft, rotorcraft, gliders, airships, and other aviation vehicles that cannot accommodate people due to their structure, but can be flown remotely or automatically. Such UAVs are also known as drones or UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).

[0003] Regarding the flight of unmanned aerial vehicles, in airspace where there is a risk of affecting the safety of aircraft navigation or where there is a high risk of harm to people on the ground if the vehicle falls, permission must be obtained in advance to fly in that airspace to ensure safety. However, with the increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles, there are concerns that the flights of unmanned aerial vehicles without permission (hereinafter also referred to as suspicious aircraft) will increase in airspace where permission is required.

[0004] Patent Document 1 (JP 2017-96891 A) discloses a technology for tracking an unmanned aerial vehicle flying on a flight path based on the path of an electric wire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-96891 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When a suspicious aircraft is detected attempting to enter an airspace requiring flight permission (hereinafter also referred to as a specific airspace) or has entered the specific airspace, it is conceivable that a security guard or employee (hereinafter also referred to as a response officer) will be dispatched to the vicinity of the suspicious aircraft in order to deal with the detected suspicious aircraft. The response officer will then take action, for example, by capturing the suspicious aircraft or photographing it as evidence that it has flown in the specific airspace without permission.

[0007] In order to have the response personnel take such measures without missing any suspicious aircraft, it is preferable to have the response personnel quickly head to the location where the suspicious aircraft will be handled after the suspicious aircraft is detected. However, since the response personnel are not always in the same location, depending on their location when they are notified that a suspicious aircraft has been detected, it is possible that the response personnel may not be familiar with the route from their location to the suspicious aircraft. In this case, even if the response personnel heads to the suspicious aircraft, they may get lost along the way, and as a result, it may be too late to deal with the suspicious aircraft.

[0008] The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, a main object of the present invention is to provide a technology that, when a suspicious aircraft is detected, guides a responder to the suspicious aircraft without getting lost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the guidance device according to the present invention is to an acquisition unit that acquires a sensor signal output from a detection device that detects unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace and information indicating the location of a response person who will deal with a suspicious aircraft that is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly in the monitored airspace; a route calculation unit that calculates a route for the responder to travel toward the suspicious aircraft based on information on the position of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal and information on the location of the responder; an output unit that outputs information about the calculated movement route to a terminal device that presents information about the movement route to the responder; Equipped with.

[0010] In addition, one aspect of the guidance system according to the present invention is a detection device for detecting unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace; The above-mentioned guidance device; a terminal device that presents information about the travel route output from the guidance device to a responder; Equipped with.

[0011] Furthermore, one aspect of the guidance method according to the present invention is to By computer, The system acquires a sensor signal output from a detection device that detects unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace, and information indicating the location of a response person who will deal with a suspicious aircraft that is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly in the monitored airspace, respectively; calculating a route for the responder to travel toward the suspicious aircraft based on information on the position of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal and information on the location of the responder; The calculated information on the movement route is output to a terminal device that presents the information on the movement route to the countermeasure personnel.

[0012] Furthermore, one aspect of the computer program according to the present invention is A process of acquiring a sensor signal output from a detection device that detects unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace and information indicating the location of a response person who will deal with a suspicious aircraft that is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly in the monitored airspace; A process of calculating a movement route for the response personnel to travel toward the suspicious aircraft based on information on the position of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal and information on the location of the response personnel; outputting the calculated information on the movement route to a terminal device that presents the information on the movement route to the responder; Place Reason and to be executed by the computer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, when a suspicious machine is detected, a response person can be appropriately guided to the suspicious machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a guidance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a guidance device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a type of detection sensor that detects an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a radar device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display of a travel route. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a display of a travel route. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the guidance device regarding guidance of a response person. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a guidance system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a guidance device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a guidance device according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a guidance system according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of the guidance device regarding guidance of a response person. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram showing the configuration of a guidance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This guidance system 1 is a system that, when it detects a suspicious aircraft entering a monitored airspace, guides a responder (such as a security guard or employee) who will deal with the suspicious aircraft to the suspicious aircraft. Here, a suspicious aircraft is defined as an unauthorized unmanned aerial vehicle in an airspace requiring permission to fly (also referred to as a designated airspace). Here, an unmanned aerial vehicle is defined as an airplane, rotorcraft, glider, airship, or other aircraft capable of aviation use that is structurally incapable of carrying a human, and that can be flown by remote control or automatic piloting. Unmanned aerial vehicles include so-called drones and flying cars.

[0017] Here, a monitored airspace refers to an airspace designated for monitoring, including a specific airspace and its surrounding airspace (hereinafter, this surrounding airspace is also referred to as a guarded airspace). A specific airspace is an airspace for which flight permission is required. A guarded airspace is an airspace that is established in advance, for example, to deal with suspicious aircraft in order to prevent intrusion into the specific airspace, and has an appropriate size taking into account the anticipated movement speed of the suspicious aircraft. Specific examples of monitored airspace include the airspace above and surrounding important facilities such as airports, power plants, commercial facilities, stadiums, petroleum complexes, and government facilities. Other specific examples of monitored airspace include the routes of unmanned aircraft (UAVs) for logistics-related purposes that have flight permission, and the routes (corridors) of aircraft other than UAVs and the airspace surrounding them.

[0018] One method of dealing with suspicious aircraft is to disrupt the flight control of the suspicious aircraft by interfering with the communication of control radio waves between the suspicious aircraft and the control device. This method is also called radio interference or jamming.

[0019] Another way to deal with suspicious aircraft is to capture them with a net. This method uses an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a net (hereinafter also referred to as a capture aircraft) or a projectile gun that projects the net.

[0020] Furthermore, other methods of dealing with suspicious aircraft include disrupting their flight by using laser irradiation, or forcing the aircraft to land by hacking into the control device (computer) installed on the aircraft.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the guidance system 1 of the first embodiment includes a detection device 2, a guidance device 3, and a terminal device 4.

[0022] The terminal device 4 is a portable terminal device carried by a responder, and may be a smartphone, a wearable device, a tablet device, or the like. In the first embodiment, the terminal device 4 is provided with an application program (app) for functioning as one of the components constituting the guidance system 1, and executes operations based on the application program. For example, the terminal device 4 calculates its location using, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or a beacon. The terminal device 4 then transmits information about the location to the guidance device 3, for example, at predetermined timings (for example, at set time intervals). Furthermore, when the terminal device 4 receives information from the guidance device 3, it displays the received information on a display unit in a predetermined display format. For example, if the terminal device 4 is a smartphone or a tablet device, the information from the guidance device 3 is displayed on a screen of a display device, which is a display unit provided in the terminal device. Furthermore, if the terminal device 4 is a glasses-type wearable device, the information from the guidance device 3 is displayed in AR (Augmented Reality).

[0023] The detection device 2 functions as a sensor that detects unmanned aircraft in the monitored airspace. There are several types of sensors used to detect unmanned aircraft in the monitored airspace. FIG. 3 shows a specific example of such a detection sensor. The sensor employed in the detection device 2 may be appropriately selected based on factors such as the presence and size of buildings and facilities in the monitored airspace, the environment (e.g., radio wave conditions) and the size of the monitored airspace. One type of detection sensor employed in the detection device 2 is a passive radar (radio detection sensor). The passive radar detects radio waves communicated between the unmanned aircraft and an operating device that controls (pilots) the unmanned aircraft (i.e., radio waves transmitting signals from the operating device to the unmanned aircraft and radio waves transmitting signals from the unmanned aircraft to the operating device). The location of the unmanned aircraft can be determined based on the sensor signal output from this passive radar. When a passive radar is used in the detection device 2, the number of passive radars may be one or more. For example, there are cases where a monitored airspace is so large that a single passive radar is unable to detect the entire monitored airspace. In such cases, multiple passive radars are installed to enable detection of the entire monitored airspace.

[0024] Another type of detection sensor is a camera, which is an imaging device. The camera captures images of the monitored airspace and outputs the captured images as sensor signals. The images captured by the camera are processed using object recognition processing, making it possible to detect unmanned aerial vehicles from the captured images. Cameras used to detect unmanned aerial vehicles include, for example, visible light cameras and infrared cameras.

[0025] When a camera is used, one or more cameras may be used. For example, if there is an obstacle such as a building blocking the camera's view in the monitored airspace, a blind spot for the camera will be created in the monitored airspace. In such a case, multiple cameras are installed in the monitored airspace to eliminate blind spots. By using multiple cameras in this way, blind spots can be eliminated, and since the multiple cameras capture the monitored airspace from different directions, it becomes easier to identify the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the monitored airspace based on the images captured by the cameras.

[0026] Furthermore, the camera used as the detection sensor in detection device 2 is not limited to a fixed one and may be, for example, a portable camera. The portable camera may be, for example, incorporated into a wearable terminal (such as glasses) or into a mobile terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet. The portable camera is carried or worn by, for example, a security guard monitoring the monitored airspace or an employee in or near the monitored airspace, and captures images of the monitored airspace manually or under computer control. Note that, to enable real-time use of images captured by the portable camera, it is preferable that the device equipped with the portable camera used in detection device 2 (such as a standalone camera device, a wearable terminal, or a mobile terminal device) be equipped with a communication function that transmits the captured images every moment.

[0027] Another type of detection sensor is radar. Radar emits radio waves and receives the waves reflected by an object. Based on the time from the emission of the radio waves to the reception of the reflected waves and the direction in which the reflected waves are received, radar can calculate the presence or absence of an object, as well as the distance and direction to the object. The sensor signal output from the radar includes information representing the calculated distance and direction to the object. Some radars are used in social infrastructure systems, such as air traffic control, weather observation, and ship navigation. The frequency of the radio waves and the power of the radiation vary depending on the application.

[0028] When radar is used in the detection device 2, the radar may be one or more. Because radar changes the direction of emission of radio waves to scan the monitored airspace, if the monitored airspace is large, it takes a long time to scan the entire monitored airspace once, which may result in a long delay between when a suspicious aircraft enters the monitored airspace and when it is detected by the radar. In order to shorten such a delay, it is conceivable to use multiple radars and narrow the area scanned by the radio waves of each radar.

[0029] Furthermore, if the monitored airspace is, for example, an airport, interference with radio waves from an existing air traffic control radar would be an issue, making it difficult to install a new radar. In such cases, the air traffic control radar may also be used as the detection device 2. In such monitored airspaces where it is difficult to install a new radar, an existing radar such as a marine radar or a weather radar may be used as the detection device 2.

[0030] 4 is a block diagram showing the main components of a radar device. As shown by solid lines in Fig. 4, the radar device 50 includes an antenna 51, a transmission / reception switching unit 52, a transmission unit 53, a reception unit 54, a signal processing unit 55, and a control unit 56.

[0031] The antenna 51 is configured to transmit and receive radio waves (e.g., microwaves). The transmission / reception switching unit 52 is configured to switch the connection of the antenna 51 between the transmission unit 53 and the reception unit 54, and alternates between a state in which the antenna 51 is connected to the transmission unit 53 and a state in which the antenna 51 is connected to the reception unit 54 at a set period.

[0032] The transmitting unit 53 has a circuit configuration that generates a transmission signal that is the basis of the radio waves radiated from the antenna 51, based on the pulse signal supplied from the signal processing unit 55. The receiving unit 54 has a circuit configuration that amplifies and detects a received signal based on the radio waves received by the antenna 51, thereby extracting a reflected signal corresponding to the pulse signal on the transmitting side and outputting it to the signal processing unit 55.

[0033] The signal processing unit 55 has a circuit configuration that outputs a pulse signal to the transmitting unit 53 and processes the signal output from the receiving unit 54 using a predetermined method, and outputs a digital signal resulting from the signal processing to the control unit 56. The control unit 56 is configured with a computer device such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a server, and executes a control operation, for example, to display the detection result on a display device, based on the signal received from the signal processing unit 55. The radar sensor signal is output from the control unit 56, for example.

[0034] As described above, when an existing radar device such as an air traffic control radar, a ship radar, or a weather radar is used as the detection device 2, the radar device 50 may be provided with a configuration including a receiving circuit for the detection device 2 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 4 . That is, the radar device 50 used in the detection device 2 may include a receiving unit 57, a signal processing unit 58, and a control unit 59 for the detection device 2. The receiving unit 57 has a circuit configuration (receiving circuit) similar to that of the receiving unit 54, and the signal processing unit 58 has a configuration for processing a signal output from the receiving unit 57. The signal processing unit 58 does not need to have a configuration for signal processing on the transmitting side, and may obtain information related to signal processing on the transmitting side from the signal processing unit 55 as necessary. The control unit 59 executes a control operation, for example, to display the detection result of the unmanned aerial vehicle on a display device or the like, based on the signal output from the signal processing unit 58 (i.e., a digital signal based on the signal received by the antenna 51). In this way, when the configuration for the detection device 2 is provided in the radar device 50, the sensor signal of the radar is output from the control unit 59.

[0035] The receiver 57 and signal processor 58 for the detection device 2 may be provided in a common device with the receiver 54 and signal processor 55 for the existing radar, or may be provided as a single separate device. The controller 59 for the detection device 2 may be configured by the same computer as the computer constituting the controller 56 for the existing radar, or may be configured by a different computer.

[0036] In this way, by providing the radar device 50 with a receiving side configuration for the detection device 2, it becomes easy to give the radar device 50 the ability to detect unmanned aerial vehicles without affecting its function as an existing radar.

[0037] Yet another type of detection sensor is LIDAR. LIDAR emits a laser beam and receives the reflected light from an object. Based on the time between the emission of the laser beam and the reception of the reflected light, and the direction in which the reflected light is received, it can calculate the presence or absence of an object, as well as the distance and direction to the object. The sensor signal output from the LIDAR includes information representing the calculated distance and direction to the object. LIDAR is sometimes used in meteorology, where it is used to detect air currents such as turbulence. For this reason, it is possible to detect an unmanned aircraft by detecting air currents caused by the flight of the unmanned aircraft, rather than by detecting the unmanned aircraft itself, using LIDAR.

[0038] When a LIDAR is used for the detection device 2, the LIDAR may be one or more. Since a LIDAR changes the emission direction of a laser beam to scan the monitored airspace, similar to radar, if the monitored airspace is large, it takes a long time to scan the entire monitored airspace once, which may result in a long delay between when a suspicious aircraft enters the monitored airspace and when it is detected. To shorten this delay, it is possible to use multiple LIDARs and narrow the area scanned by each LIDAR's radio waves.

[0039] In the first embodiment, the detection device 2 is not limited to being configured with one type of sensor as described above, but may be configured with a combination of multiple types of sensors. In other words, each of the multiple types of detection sensors has advantages and disadvantages. For this reason, the detection device 2 may be configured by combining multiple types of sensors so that the disadvantages of each sensor are complemented.

[0040] For example, radar has a wider detection range (detection distance) than a camera, but it can detect not only unmanned aerial vehicles but also birds and waves, making it difficult to distinguish between the detected unmanned aerial vehicle and other objects. In contrast, a camera can easily visually distinguish between unmanned aerial vehicles and other objects from the captured image. For these reasons, it is conceivable to combine radar and a camera as the detection device 2.

[0041] Furthermore, while radar has a wider detection range (detection distance) than cameras and LIDAR, in areas with many buildings, the buildings act as obstructions, resulting in many areas that cannot be detected by a single radar. It is conceivable to install LIDAR to complement such areas. However, the detection results output by radar and LIDAR alone are unlikely to be used as evidence that an unmanned aircraft has invaded the monitored airspace. In contrast, a camera can show the intrusion of an unmanned aircraft into the monitored airspace through captured images, which can serve as evidence that an unmanned aircraft has invaded the monitored airspace. For these reasons, a combination of radar, LIDAR, and camera is conceivable as the detection device 2.

[0042] Furthermore, passive radars can detect unmanned aerial vehicles that communicate using radio waves, but cannot detect autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles that do not communicate using radio waves. In contrast, cameras can detect unmanned aerial vehicles, including autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles, from captured images. Furthermore, in locations with many buildings, radio waves emitted from unmanned aerial vehicles are reflected by buildings, creating a multipath state, which can lead to frequent false detections by passive radars. In contrast, cameras are not adversely affected by such multipath. For these reasons, the detection device 2 can be a combination of a passive radar and a camera, or a combination of a radar, a passive radar, and a camera.

[0043] In addition to the above combinations, other possible combinations include a combination of a lidar and a camera, or a combination of a passive radar, a lidar, and a camera as the detection device 2. Furthermore, other possible combinations of the detection device 2 include a combination of at least one of a radar, a passive radar, and a lidar, a detection sensor other than these, and a camera, or a combination of a radar, a passive radar, a detection sensor other than a lidar, and a camera.

[0044] The guidance device 3 is a device that determines whether a suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace based on the sensor signal output from the detection device 2, and guides response personnel to the suspicious aircraft if the suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the guidance device 3. The guidance device 3 is a computer device and includes an arithmetic unit 30 and a storage device 35.

[0045] The storage device 35 includes a storage medium for storing data and a computer program (hereinafter also referred to as a program) 36. There are multiple types of storage devices, such as magnetic disk devices and semiconductor memory elements, and there are multiple types of semiconductor memory elements, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). The type of storage device 35 included in the guidance device 3 is not limited to one. Computer devices are often provided with multiple types of storage devices. Here, the type and number of storage devices 35 included in the guidance device 3 are not limited, and a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, when the guidance device 3 includes multiple types of storage devices 35, they will be collectively referred to as storage devices 35.

[0046] The arithmetic device 30 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The arithmetic device 30 can have various functions based on a program 36 by reading and executing the program 36 stored in a storage device 35. Here, the arithmetic device 30 has, as functional units, an acquisition unit 31, a determination unit 32, a path calculation unit 33, and an output unit 34.

[0047] The acquiring unit 31 acquires a sensor signal output from a detection sensor constituting the detection device 2. The acquiring unit 31 also acquires information indicating the location output from the terminal device 4 as location information of the responder. The timing at which the acquiring unit 31 acquires the sensor signal and the information on the location of the terminal device 4 is set as appropriate.

[0048] The determination unit 32 determines whether or not the unmanned aerial vehicle detected by the detection device 2 is a suspicious aircraft based on the sensor signal output from the detection device 2. For example, the detection device 2 may be configured with a camera, and a captured image may be output as a sensor signal from the detection device 2. In this case, for example, the determination unit 32 performs object recognition processing on the captured image and detects, from the captured image, the presence or absence of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the monitored airspace and the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace.

[0049] The method for detecting the presence or absence of unmanned aerial vehicles flying in the monitored airspace and the intrusion of suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace from captured images is not particularly limited, and may utilize, for example, AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology. In this case, a detection model for detecting unmanned aerial vehicles and suspicious aircraft among unmanned aerial vehicles from captured images is provided in advance to the guidance device 3. The detection model is generated by machine learning images of a wide variety of unmanned aerial vehicles and suspicious aircraft among them, or licensed aircraft that are permitted to fly in the monitored airspace. This detection model is a model that takes captured images as input and outputs unmanned aerial vehicles and suspicious aircraft among them as detection results. When using AI technology, the determination unit 32 uses such a detection model to detect the flight of unmanned aerial vehicles in the monitored airspace and the intrusion of suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace from captured images.

[0050] Note that because suspicious aircraft and authorized aircraft have similar appearances, it may be difficult to distinguish between them based on captured images alone. Anticipating such cases, for example, the guidance device 3 may be connected to a system that operates (operates) authorized aircraft and acquire the flight status (operational status) of authorized aircraft in the monitored airspace. The determination unit 32 may then detect the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace not only by outputting the detection model, but also by referring to information on the flight status (operational status) of authorized aircraft in the monitored airspace, as necessary.

[0051] Furthermore, if the detection device 2 is configured with a radio wave detection sensor, radar, or LIDAR, the determination unit 32 detects the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the monitored airspace and also detects the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace based on the sensor signal output from the radio wave detection sensor, radar, or LIDAR. In this case, the method by which the determination unit 32 detects the presence or absence of a unmanned aerial vehicle flying in the monitored airspace and the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace is not particularly limited, and a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, in processing such as detecting the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace, the determination unit 32 may refer to information on the flight status (operation status) of permitted aircraft in the monitored airspace as described above, as necessary.

[0052] Furthermore, the detection device 2 may be configured with multiple types of detection sensors, such as a combination of a radio wave detection sensor, a camera, a radar, and a lidar. In this case, the determination unit 32 performs processing based on the sensor signals output from each of the multiple types of detection sensors that make up the detection device 2, and further performs processing to compensate for the shortcomings of each detection sensor based on the multiple pieces of information obtained by these processes. In this way, the determination unit 32 detects the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle in the monitored airspace, and further detects the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace.

[0053] Furthermore, when the determination unit 32 detects a suspicious aircraft, it may not immediately determine that it is a suspicious aircraft, but may instead acquire the flight trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle that is suspected to be a suspicious aircraft, and determine that it is a suspicious aircraft if the trajectory differs from a predetermined normal flight pattern. In other words, the determination unit 32 may detect the flight trajectory of the unmanned aerial vehicle and use the trajectory to detect the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace.

[0054] The guidance device 3 may be connected to a display device 6 or a terminal device 7 as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 2. The terminal device 7 is, for example, a personal computer (PC), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or a wearable terminal. The determination unit 32 may, for example, output the detection result to the display device 6 or the terminal device 7 and cause the display device 6 or the terminal device 7 to display the detection result.

[0055] When the determination unit 32 detects the intrusion of a suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace, the path calculation unit 33 acquires, for example, from the determination unit 32, the flight position of the suspicious aircraft based on the sensor signal output from the detection device 2. Furthermore, the path calculation unit 33 acquires, via the acquisition unit 31, information on the location of the response personnel based on information output from the terminal device 4 carried by the response personnel. The path calculation unit 33 then calculates the movement path of the response personnel toward the suspicious aircraft (in other words, the movement path of the response personnel to the location where the response personnel will handle the suspicious aircraft). That is, the guidance device 3 is previously provided with map information (including area information within buildings and facilities) to be referenced in calculating the movement path, and information on factors affecting the movement situation. Examples of information on factors affecting the movement situation include, for example, information on outdoor topography, information on indoor stairs, elevators, and one-way streets. Furthermore, the guidance device 3 is previously provided with information on the location where the suspicious aircraft will be handled. Locations for dealing with suspicious aircraft include, for example, the photographing point of the suspicious aircraft according to its flight position when photographing the aircraft, or the location of the capture aircraft's operating device or the location of the net projector gun when capturing the aircraft.

[0056] The route calculation unit 33 calculates, for example, based on map information, a travel route connecting the location of the response personnel and the location where the response personnel will respond to the suspicious aircraft, which is the response personnel's destination. If there are multiple response personnel, the route calculation unit 33 calculates a travel route connecting the location of the response personnel and the location (destination) where the response personnel will respond to the suspicious aircraft for each response personnel. Each calculated travel route information is assigned personal identification information that identifies the corresponding response personnel. Furthermore, when multiple travel routes are calculated for one response personnel, the route calculation unit 33 calculates the required time to arrive at the destination based on information such as the complexity of the route due to turns and branches, the length of the route, and factors that affect the travel situation. The route calculation unit 33 ranks the calculated travel routes in order of shortest required time. The calculation of travel routes by the route calculation unit 33 as described above is performed, for example, at predetermined timings (e.g., at predetermined time intervals) while a suspicious aircraft is detected entering the monitored airspace.

[0057] When the route calculation unit 33 calculates the travel route to the destination, the output unit 34 outputs information indicating the calculated travel route to the destination to the terminal device 4 carried by the response personnel. Personal identification information of the response personnel carrying the terminal device 4 is registered in the terminal device 4. When outputting the travel route information, the output unit 34 outputs the travel route information to the corresponding terminal device 4 so that the personal identification information of the response personnel registered in the terminal device 4 matches the personal identification information attached to the travel route information transmitted to the terminal device 4. Furthermore, when multiple travel routes are calculated for one response personnel, the output unit 34 outputs information on the travel route with the shortest required time to the destination to the terminal device 4 corresponding to that response personnel. Alternatively, the output unit 34 outputs information on multiple travel routes to the destination and information on the ranking of the routes in order of shortest required time to the terminal device 4 corresponding to the corresponding response personnel.

[0058] The terminal device 4 that has received the information on the travel route presents the received information on the travel route to the response personnel. As a presentation method, for example, when the terminal device 4 is a smartphone or a tablet device, the terminal device 4 displays a map 43 on the display unit 40 and presents the travel route 46 by superimposing it on the map 43, as shown in Fig. 5. In the example of Fig. 5, the travel route 46 leading to a destination 45 where a response personnel 44 will deal with a suspicious aircraft 47 is superimposed on the map 43.

[0059] Furthermore, if the terminal device 4 is a glasses-type wearable terminal, for example, the terminal device 4 presents the travel route 46 in an AR (Augmented Reality) display in a manner in which the travel route 46 is superimposed on a map 43, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0060] Furthermore, the information about the travel route output from the output unit 34 of the guidance device 3 may include text information or audio information explaining the travel route, and in this case, the text information or audio explaining the travel route may be presented to the responder by the terminal device 4. In this case, the presentation of the travel route 46 using the map 43 and the presentation of the travel route by text may be switched, or may be presented side by side.

[0061] Furthermore, as a method of presenting a travel route by the terminal device 4, instead of or in combination with the above-mentioned presentation method, a method of sequentially presenting route guidance information according to the position of the terminal device 4 to the responder, such as that used in car navigation systems, may be adopted.

[0062] Furthermore, if the detection device 2 includes a camera and captured images including the suspicious machine are continuously transmitted to the guidance device 3, the output unit 34 may output the captured images including the suspicious machine to the terminal device 4. The terminal device 4 may also display the received captured images. The captured images by the terminal device 4 may be displayed on the display unit by, for example, a response person operating the terminal device 4, or may be displayed together with the display of the movement route, for example, in the form of a window display, or may be displayed in a manner that alternates with the display of the movement route.

[0063] Furthermore, when the terminal device 4 receives information on multiple travel routes to a destination, for example, based on the ranking information received together with the information, the terminal device 4 first presents to the countermeasure worker the travel route with the shortest required time and ranked first. For example, when the countermeasure worker operates the terminal device 4 to request the presentation of the next-ranked travel route, the terminal device 4 presents information on the next-ranked travel route in response to the request. In this way, the terminal device 4 may present information on travel routes sequentially.

[0064] The guidance system 1 and the guidance device 3 of the first embodiment are configured as described above. Next, an example of the operation of the guidance device 3 to guide a response person will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the guidance device 3 to guide a response person.

[0065] For example, when the acquisition unit 31 of the guidance device 3 acquires a sensor signal output from the detection device 2 (step 101 in FIG. 7), the determination unit 32 determines whether or not a suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace based on the acquired sensor signal (step 102). If the determination unit 32 determines through this determination operation that no suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace, the guidance device 3 repeats the operations from step 101 onwards. If the determination unit 32 determines that a suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace, the acquisition unit 31 acquires, from the terminal device 4 carried by the response personnel, information indicating the location of the device as information on the response personnel's location (step 103). Note that the timing at which the acquisition unit 31 acquires the location information from the terminal device 4 may be, for example, at predetermined time intervals, regardless of whether or not a suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace.

[0066] Then, the route calculation unit 33 calculates a travel route for the response personnel to reach the destination, which is the location where the response personnel will deal with the suspicious aircraft, based on the position of the suspicious aircraft based on the sensor signal output from the detection device 2, information on the location of the response personnel, and information such as map information (step 104). After that, the output unit 34 outputs information on the calculated travel route to the response personnel's terminal device 4 (step 105). As a result, the terminal device 4, which has received the travel route information, presents the travel route to the response personnel.

[0067] It should be noted that, for example, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the output unit 34 output the information on the movement route, the guidance device 3 repeats the operations from step 101 onwards. As a result, the guidance device 3 updates the information on the position of the suspicious aircraft in flight and the location of the response personnel, calculates the movement route of the response personnel based on the updated respective position information, and outputs the information on the movement route to the terminal device 4.

[0068] The guidance system 1 and guidance device 3 of the first embodiment calculate a travel route for the response personnel to reach the destination where the suspicious aircraft will be dealt with, based on the location of the suspicious aircraft that has entered the monitored airspace and the location of the response personnel, and can present the travel route to the response personnel via the terminal device 4. Therefore, the response personnel can arrive at the location where the suspicious aircraft will be dealt with without getting lost by traveling according to the travel route information presented by the terminal device 4. In other words, the guidance system 1 and guidance device 3 can guide the response personnel toward the suspicious aircraft without getting lost. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, while a suspicious aircraft is detected as having entered the monitored airspace, the route calculation unit 33 calculates a travel route that will lead the response personnel to the destination where the suspicious aircraft will be dealt with, at predetermined intervals, and updates the travel route. In other words, because the flight position of a suspicious aircraft flying in the monitored airspace changes from moment to moment, the guidance system 1 and guidance device 3 of the first embodiment can update the travel route in response to changes in the flight position of the suspicious aircraft and present the updated travel route information to the response personnel. Therefore, the guidance system 1 and guidance device 3 of the first embodiment can prevent the occurrence of a situation where the information on the travel route presented to the responder is inaccurate due to the movement of the suspicious aircraft, and can guide the responder to an appropriate destination for dealing with the suspicious aircraft.

[0069] Furthermore, if the terminal device 4 is a glasses-type wearable terminal and information about the route of travel is presented using AR display, the responder does not need to hold the terminal device 4 in his / her hand or look at the display while moving, thereby reducing the burden on the responder when moving.

[0070] Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the description of the second embodiment, components with the same names as those used in the description of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions of the common parts will be omitted.

[0071] In the second embodiment, when there are multiple responders, the path calculation unit 33 of the guidance device 3 does not calculate movement paths for all responders, but selects a responder whose movement path is to be calculated based on the location of the responder, and calculates the movement path for the selected responder. That is, when the monitored airspace is large, there may be a responder who is unlikely to need to head to the location where the suspicious aircraft is to be dealt with, for example, because he or she is located far from the location where the suspicious aircraft is to be dealt with. In anticipation of such a case, in the second embodiment, when calculating the movement path, the path calculation unit 33 selects a responder whose movement path is to be calculated based on the location of the responder. Then, the path calculation unit 33 calculates the movement path for the selected responder, and the output unit 34 outputs information about the movement path to the responder whose movement path has been calculated.

[0072] The configurations of the guidance system 1 and the guidance device 3 of the second embodiment other than those described above are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0073] The guidance system 1 and guidance device 3 of the second embodiment, like the first embodiment, present movement route information to the responder, and can therefore achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the guidance device 3 does not calculate movement routes for responders who are unlikely to head to a location where they will deal with a suspicious aircraft, so the processing load can be reduced compared to when movement routes for such responders are also calculated. This allows the guidance device 3 to shorten the time required from when a suspicious aircraft enters the monitored airspace to when movement route information is output to the responder's terminal device 4.

[0074] Third Embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the description of the third embodiment, components with the same names as those used in the description of the first or second embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions of the common parts will be omitted.

[0075] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a guidance system 1 in the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a guidance device 3 incorporated in the guidance system 1 of the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the guidance system 1 is provided with an illumination device 5 in addition to the configuration of the first or second embodiment. The illumination device 5 is a device that illuminates light toward a suspicious aircraft. The illuminated light may be visible light, infrared light, or a combination of visible light and infrared light. The illumination device 5 is not limited in configuration as long as it has a configuration that can change the light illumination direction and illuminate light toward a suspicious aircraft in flight, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0076] The guidance device 3 includes an illumination control unit 38 in addition to the configuration of the first or second embodiment. The illumination control unit 38 controls the illumination operation of the illumination device 5. For example, when the determination unit 32 determines that a suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace, the illumination control unit 38 acquires, from the acquisition unit 31 or the determination unit 32, information on the location of the suspicious aircraft based on a sensor signal output from the detection device 2. Then, based on the acquired information on the location of the suspicious aircraft, the illumination control unit 38 controls the illumination direction of the light from the illumination device 5 and instructs the illumination device 5 to start illumination so as to illuminate the suspicious aircraft with light. Note that the illumination of light from the illumination device 5 on the suspicious aircraft may be performed continuously or intermittently, such as by flashing.

[0077] The configurations of the guidance system 1 and the guidance device 3 of the third embodiment other than those described above are the same as those of the first or second embodiment.

[0078] The guidance system 1 and the guidance device 3 of the third embodiment, like the first or second embodiment, present information about the route of travel to the responder, and can therefore achieve the same effects as the first or second embodiment. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the guidance system 1 and the guidance device 3 are configured to emit light toward the suspicious aircraft. This makes it easy for the guidance system 1 and the guidance device 3 to inform the responder heading toward the suspicious aircraft of the actual location of the suspicious aircraft.

[0079] In addition, by setting the light emitted by the irradiation device 5 to be light of a specific wavelength such as infrared light and photographing the airspace including the suspicious aircraft with a camera that can photograph light of that specific wavelength, the position of the suspicious aircraft can be calculated from the image captured by the camera. Information on the position of the suspicious aircraft calculated in this way may also be used by the guidance device 3.

[0080] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments and may be embodied in various other ways. For example, in addition to the first to third embodiments, the guidance device 3 may be connected to a social networking service (SNS) information source, and the acquisition unit 31 may have a function for acquiring information posted to the SNS, i.e., comments and photos. In this case, for example, the determination unit 32 may further have a function for analyzing comments and photos posted to the SNS acquired from the SNS information source to detect whether an unmanned aircraft is flying in the monitored airspace and whether a suspicious aircraft is among the unmanned aircraft. One method for analyzing the posted comments and photos is to use AI technology. When AI technology is used, an analytical model is provided to the guidance device 3. The analytical model is generated by machine learning a large number of posted comments and photos related to the unmanned aircraft. The analytical model inputs the posted comments and photos and outputs the presence or absence of an unmanned aircraft in the monitored airspace and the presence or absence of a suspicious aircraft when an unmanned aircraft is detected. The determination unit 32 may also use the analysis results of the information acquired from the SNS to determine whether a suspicious aircraft has entered the monitored airspace.

[0081] In addition, by using the analysis results of information obtained from social media to visualize the flight location of suspicious aircraft using heat maps, etc., it is possible to use this information to estimate the purpose of the suspicious aircraft's actions.

[0082] Furthermore, in addition to the first to third embodiments, the determination unit 32 may have the following function. That is, when the determination unit 32 detects the intrusion of multiple suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace, the determination unit 32 may have a function of assigning an alert order to each of the suspicious aircraft. In this case, for example, relationship data between a preset alert level and characteristic information representing the unmanned aircraft corresponding to the alert level, such as type, size, and shape, is provided to the guidance device 3 as alert level assignment data. When the determination unit 32 detects the intrusion of multiple suspicious aircraft into the monitored airspace, the determination unit 32 assigns an alert order to each of the multiple suspicious aircraft by using a sensor signal received from the detection device 2 via the acquisition unit 31 and referring to the alert level assignment data. Then, the determination unit 32 generates information representing the multiple suspicious aircraft that have intruded into the monitored airspace, such as information in which identification numbers identifying the suspicious aircraft are associated with information on the alert order.

[0083] Furthermore, when multiple suspicious aircraft are detected in the monitored airspace, the path calculation unit 33 calculates a movement path for guiding the response personnel for each of the suspicious aircraft, as in the first to third embodiments. Each of the calculated movement path information is associated with the identification number of the corresponding suspicious aircraft and information on the order in which the aircraft should be monitored. The movement path information for each suspicious aircraft is output by the output unit 34 to the response personnel's terminal device 4. For example, the terminal device 4 first presents the response personnel with information on the movement path corresponding to the suspicious aircraft that should be monitored most. Furthermore, the terminal device 4 may present information on the movement paths corresponding to other suspicious aircraft in response to the response personnel's operation. Furthermore, the terminal device 4 may also present information on the order in which the aircraft should be monitored together with the movement path information.

[0084] Fig. 10 shows an example of the configuration of a guidance device in another embodiment. This guidance device 20 is incorporated into a guidance system 25 as shown in Fig. 11, for example. In addition to the guidance device 20, the guidance system 25 includes a detection device 26 and a terminal device 27. The guidance device 20 is connected to the detection device 26 and the terminal device 27. The detection device 26 is configured to detect unmanned aerial vehicles in the monitored airspace. The terminal device 27 is a device that presents information about the route of travel to a response officer dealing with a suspicious aircraft, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly in the monitored airspace.

[0085] The guidance device 20 is, for example, a computer device, and includes, as functional units, an acquisition unit 21, a path calculation unit 22, and an output unit 23. The acquisition unit 21 acquires a sensor signal output from the detection device 26 and information indicating the location of the response personnel. The path calculation unit 22 calculates a movement path for the response personnel to travel toward the suspicious aircraft based on information about the location of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal and information about the location of the response personnel. The output unit 23 outputs information about the calculated movement path to the terminal device 27.

[0086] Next, an example of the operation of the guidance device 20 to guide a response person will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the guidance device 20 to guide a response person. For example, the acquisition unit 21 acquires a sensor signal output from the detection device 26 and information indicating the location of the response person (step 201). Thereafter, the path calculation unit 22 calculates a movement path for the response person to travel toward the suspicious device based on information about the location of the suspicious device detected based on the sensor signal and information about the location of the response person (step 202). Then, the output unit 23 outputs information about the calculated movement path to the terminal device 27 (step 203).

[0087] The guidance system 25 and guidance device 20 shown in Figures 10 and 11 calculate a movement route toward a suspicious aircraft and present information about the calculated movement route to the response personnel using the terminal device 27. This allows the response personnel to move toward the suspicious aircraft without getting lost. This reduces the chance of the response personnel arriving at the location to respond to the suspicious aircraft too late and being unable to respond to the suspicious aircraft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1,25 Guidance System 2,26 Detection device 3,20 Guidance device 4,27 Terminal equipment 5 Irradiation device 21,31 Acquisition Department 22,33 Path calculation unit 23,34 Output section

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires a sensor signal output from a detection device that detects unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace and information indicating the location of a response person who will deal with a suspicious aircraft that is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly in the monitored airspace; a determination unit that determines whether the unmanned aerial vehicle detected by the detection device is a suspicious aircraft based on the sensor signal, and that assigns a warning level to each of the suspicious aircraft using pre-given warning level data when multiple suspicious aircraft are detected; a route calculation unit that calculates a route for the responder to travel toward the suspicious aircraft based on information on the position of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal and information on the location of the responder; an output unit that outputs information about the calculated movement route to a terminal device that presents information about the movement route to the responder, and when an alert order is assigned to the suspicious aircraft heading along the movement route, outputs information about the alert order to the terminal device; A guidance device comprising:

2. the route calculation unit selects a response person heading toward the suspicious aircraft from among the plurality of response people based on information on the locations of the plurality of response people, and calculates the movement route for the selected response person; The output unit outputs information about the calculated movement route to the terminal device that presents information about the movement route to the selected responder. The guidance device according to claim 1 .

3. The path calculation unit calculates the movement path in accordance with the movement of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal. The guidance device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a detection device for detecting unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace; A guidance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a terminal device that presents information about the travel route output from the guidance device to a responder; A guidance system comprising:

5. The terminal device displays the travel route in a manner superimposed on a map, thereby presenting the travel route to the responder. The guidance system of claim 4 .

6. The system further includes an illumination device that illuminates light toward the suspicious machine detected by the detection device. The guidance system according to claim 4 or claim 5.

7. the detection device includes an image capturing device that captures an image of the suspicious machine, The guidance device further includes a function of outputting an image captured by the imaging device to the terminal device of the responder, The terminal device also presents the captured image to the service technician. A guidance system according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. By computer, The system acquires a sensor signal output from a detection device that detects unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace, and information indicating the location of a response person who will deal with a suspicious aircraft that is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly in the monitored airspace, respectively; Based on the sensor signal, the detection device determines whether the unmanned aerial vehicle detected by the detection device is a suspicious aircraft, and when multiple suspicious aircraft are detected, assigns a warning level to each of the suspicious aircraft using pre-given warning level data; calculating a route for the responder to travel toward the suspicious aircraft based on information on the position of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal and information on the location of the responder; The calculated information on the movement route is output to a terminal device that presents the information on the movement route to the responder, and if an order of caution has been assigned to the suspicious aircraft heading along the movement route, information on the order of caution is output to the terminal device. Induction method.

9. A process of acquiring a sensor signal output from a detection device that detects unmanned aerial vehicles in a monitored airspace and information indicating the location of a response person who will deal with a suspicious aircraft that is an unmanned aerial vehicle that is not permitted to fly in the monitored airspace; A process of determining whether the unmanned aerial vehicle detected by the detection device is a suspicious aircraft based on the sensor signal, and assigning a warning level to each of the suspicious aircraft using pre-given warning level data when multiple suspicious aircraft are detected; A process of calculating a movement route for the response personnel to travel toward the suspicious aircraft based on information on the position of the suspicious aircraft detected based on the sensor signal and information on the location of the response personnel; outputting information about the calculated movement route to a terminal device that presents information about the movement route to the responder, and if an alert order has been assigned to the suspicious aircraft heading along the movement route, outputting information about the alert order to the terminal device; A computer program for causing a computer to execute the above.

Citation Information

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