Drone control system and method for formulating intelligent flight plans

Abstract

The drone control system according to the present invention includes a drone capable of flying, a cloud server capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving information to and from the drone, and a ground control system connected to the drone and the cloud server via wireless communication and formulating a drone flight plan. The ground control system includes a flight plan derivation algorithm that reflects contour lines and building height data stored in the cloud server in real time according to the flight start point and flight end point of the drone when setting the flight path of the drone, and derives a flight plan by reflecting height data set by a user for the drone to perform its mission, a flight result analysis processing unit that checks changed map data or flight plan by comparing and analyzing the simulated flight of the drone, the flight plan, and the actual flight results of the drone, and processes whether or not to reflect the changed map data or flight plan in a DB, and a flight simulator that performs a flight simulation using the flight plan DB stored in the cloud server, and checks whether the drone can fly at a certain altitude without any abnormalities in response to changes in ground altitude during the actual flight of the drone according to the flight plan.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone control system and an intelligent drone flight planning method therefor that extracts changes in ground elevation along a flight path from map data and reflects the changes in the elevation of the ground along the flight path in a flight plan. More specifically, the present invention relates to a drone control system and an intelligent flight planning method therefor that formulates an intelligent flight plan by reflecting elevation data such as contour data of the terrain based on position information of the drone's flight path, thereby enabling the drone to perform its mission while flying at a constant distance from the ground regardless of changes in ground elevation within the drone's flight area. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally speaking, a drone is an unmanned aircraft that flies without a human on board and is remotely controlled from the ground. To operate a drone, a flight path is set based on an open-source flight controller, and the drone is operated using that. To operate a drone, an appropriate drone is selected according to the flight area, a flight plan including the drone's flight path and flight height is determined, and the relevant data is transmitted to the drone, which then flies along the specified flight path at the specified height.

[0003] Flight plans are formulated based on the drone's flight height and flight path depending on the drone's operational purpose. Since it is difficult to reflect changes in the height of terrain features in the drone's flight height when formulating a flight plan including a flight path, flight plans are generally formulated to fly at a height higher than the maximum height of buildings or ground structures, mountains, etc., in order to prevent collisions.

[0004] However, when drones are set up in flight areas for epidemic prevention / control in migratory bird habitats, including mountain slopes and hills, they must spray pesticides while maintaining a height close to the ground, e.g., 1m, to maximize epidemic prevention efficiency. Therefore, adjusting the drone's flight height is crucial. Conventional drone flight paths are based on the height of the takeoff point. Therefore, if the drone's flight height cannot be adjusted to accommodate changes in ground height during epidemic prevention on slopes, it becomes impossible to maintain a constant height above the ground. Because it was difficult to incorporate changes in ground height into flight plans, drones typically flew at a higher altitude than the ground to prevent collisions with the terrain or other features, even when the ground height changed. When using drones for epidemic prevention, the inability to maintain a constant height above the ground resulted in insufficient epidemic prevention work or high pesticide waste.

[0005] To remedy this, the drone operator can adjust the altitude according to the situation while looking at the screen transmitted from the drone or the drone operation status, but when the drone flight plan is set in advance and it is operating in an autonomous flight mode, it is difficult to adjust the altitude, and when the drone is flying over a long distance, it is not easy to change and set the altitude according to the situation.

[0006] In conventional drone operation systems, it has been considered to input the change in ground height along the flight path to reflect the drone's altitude, but separately inputting ground height information for each flight point makes it difficult for the drone operator to input related data one by one, as they are unable to know the height conditions depending on the drone's location. Therefore, the conventional problem can be solved by obtaining height data from a map database and formulating a flight plan by reflecting the height data according to the drone's flight path on the drone operation plan.

[0007] A prior document related to the present invention is Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0074895 (June 29, 2016), which discloses a method and device for updating a drone's flight path. However, the method involves collecting operational restriction information on the route and correcting or updating the route, which differs from the method of the present patent, which obtains the altitude on the flight path from map data, reflects it in the flight plan, and allows the drone to fly at a constant altitude above the ground. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a drone control system and a method for formulating an intelligent flight plan for the same, which allows a drone's flight path to be easily set so that it reflects the elevation of the ground, thereby enabling the drone to be operated stably and perform its mission while always maintaining a constant distance from the ground, even when the drone is operated in hilly or sloping mountainous areas.To this end, the present invention provides a drone control system and a method for formulating an intelligent flight plan for the same, which allows the drone to fly while maintaining a constant distance from mountain or hillside slopes by applying a unique algorithm that sets the drone's flight path by combining GPS information on the flight path and contour information from a geographic information system, thereby reflecting changes in the elevation of the ground in the drone's flight height. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The drone control system of the present invention includes a drone capable of flying, a cloud server capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving information to and from the drone, and a ground control system connected to the drone and the cloud server via wireless communication and formulating a drone flight plan. The ground control system includes a flight plan derivation algorithm that, when setting the drone's flight path, reflects contour lines and building height data stored in the cloud server in real time according to the drone's flight start point and flight end point, and derives a flight plan by reflecting height data set by a user for the drone to perform its mission; a flight result analysis processing unit that compares and analyzes the simulated flight of the drone, the flight plan, and the drone's actual flight results to check changed map data or flight plan and process whether to reflect the changed map data or flight plan in the DB; and a flight simulator that conducts a flight simulation using the flight plan DB stored in the cloud server and checks whether the drone can fly at a constant altitude without any abnormalities in response to changes in ground altitude during actual flight according to the flight plan.

[0010] Preferably, the drone collects actual flight coordinates of the drone to understand the effects of changes in the atmospheric environment while performing a mission in accordance with a flight plan, collects data for comparison with the flight plan or flight simulation contents, and secures data that can be used to correct the flight plan the next time the drone flies in a similar environment.

[0011] Preferably, the flight result analysis processing unit includes a flight result comparison and analysis algorithm that performs a comparative analysis to determine whether the drone has actually flown in accordance with the flight plan after completing the mission, and the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm compares and analyzes the flight plan and the flight results, and modifies the flight plan if the results of the comparison and analysis of the flight plan and the flight results are outside a predetermined normal range.

[0012] Preferably, the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm collects flight coordinates of the drone according to the flight plan from the cloud server, collects log data sets obtained by the actual flight of the drone, extracts a virtual flight data set by flight simulation using the flight coordinates, and compares and analyzes the actual flight log data set of the drone with the virtual flight data set.

[0013] Preferably, the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm is characterized in that, in an abnormal situation where the position, speed, and altitude determined as a result of analyzing the flight plan and flight results do not match the predicted range, the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm reflects external factors such as wind and obstacles based on the flight coordinates, modifies the flight coordinates, speed, mission type, and control commands accordingly, updates the flight plan, and generates an update history and analysis data for the flight plan and stores them in the cloud server.

[0014] Preferably, the cloud server includes a weather information collection unit that collects real-time weather information for the flight area where the drone flies; a map data storage unit that updates and stores map data including contour lines of the terrain of the flight area where the drone flies and building height data; a flight plan DB storage unit that reflects real-time map data when setting the flight area and flight route of the drone and stores a flight plan that reflects height data set by the user for mission execution; a flight analysis DB storage unit that stores a DB that analyzes the simulated flight of the drone, the flight plan, and the actual flight results of the drone; and an integrated DB processing unit that is connected to the weather information collection unit, map data storage unit, flight plan DB storage unit, and flight analysis DB storage unit and manages the DBs in an integrated manner.

[0015] The flight simulator calls up the flight plan DB stored in the cloud server to check the flight plan, displays a virtual drone image in a virtual space corresponding to the area set in the flight plan, and performs a simulation while varying the position of the virtual drone image based on the altitude, speed, time, and direction of the drone set in the flight plan.

[0016] In addition, the intelligent flight plan formulation method of the present invention includes the steps of: setting a drone type based on the flight characteristics of the drone; setting a flight area in which the set drone will fly; setting a flight path in which the drone's flight path is set by reflecting real-time weather information in the set flight area; applying an algorithm to reflect a height extracted from map data in the flight path of the drone; deriving a flight plan using the flight plan derivation algorithm to derive a flight plan that reflects a user-set flight height in the flight path; storing the flight plan derived in the flight plan derivation step in a cloud server and transmitting it to the drone; performing a drone mission in accordance with the flight plan and collecting flight information; and comparing and analyzing flight results.

[0017] Preferably, after the steps of storing the flight plan and transmitting it to the drone are completed, the method further includes a step of selecting whether to proceed with a flight simulation according to the flight plan stored in the cloud server.

[0018] More preferably, after the drone mission execution and flight information collection step, the method further includes a step of selecting whether to compare and analyze the flight results, and a step of selecting whether to execute an additional mission.

[0019] Preferably, the step of setting the flight area of ​​the drone is characterized in that when setting the flight area in which the drone will fly, weather information for the set flight area is collected from real-time weather information on a cloud server and the flight area information is reflected.

[0020] Preferably, the step of applying the flight plan derivation algorithm is characterized in that, when setting a planned flight route for the drone, map data for the set flight route is collected from real-time map data on a cloud server, and changes in ground height along the flight route are reflected in the flight plan.

[0021] Preferably, the step of selecting whether to proceed with the flight simulation includes checking whether the drone can fly while maintaining a certain distance from the ground without any abnormalities in response to changes in ground altitude during actual flight in accordance with a flight plan formulated to reflect changes in ground altitude during the progress of the flight simulation, and if it is confirmed that there are no problems, proceeding to a step of performing the drone's mission and collecting flight information in accordance with the flight plan uploaded to the drone.

[0022] Preferably, the drone mission execution and flight information collection step is characterized by collecting actual flight coordinates of the drone to grasp the impact of changes in the atmospheric environment during the drone mission execution, collecting data for comparison with the drone flight plan or flight simulation contents, and securing data that can correct the flight plan the next time the drone flies in a similar environment.

[0023] Preferably, the step of collecting drone mission information and flight information includes a step of collecting data such as the drone's position and flight path while the drone is performing its mission, and distance information from the ground via the drone's distance measurement sensor.

[0024] Preferably, the step of comparatively analyzing the flight results and storing the flight information includes a step of analyzing whether the actual drone flew normally along the flight path on the planned flight plan or the simulated flight path due to changes in the external atmospheric environment, including the influence of wind, during the actual flight of the drone, and, if any differences exist, which part of the difference there is. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention as described above, when setting the flight path of a drone, a flight plan is formulated that reflects the height data of contour lines from a geographic information system, so that even if the ground height changes, the drone can fly while always maintaining a constant distance from the ground.As a result, when using a drone to spray pesticides for disaster prevention in migratory bird habitats that include slopes or in forests where the ground height changes, the pesticides can be sprayed while always maintaining a constant distance on the ground or forest, which increases the effectiveness of pesticide spraying and thereby reduces the amount of pesticide used. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] This figure shows a typical drone flight path that does not reflect changes in terrain height, with the drone flying at a constant height starting from the point where the drone first took off. [Figure 2] This figure shows the flight path of the drone in Figure 1 as it flies over mountain-like terrain (shown by contour lines). [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a drone flying at a constant height above the ground according to a flight plan that reflects altitude map data according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a drone control system according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a drone control system according to the present invention. [Figure 6]A figure showing detailed procedures for formulating a flight plan that reflects drone map data and operating a drone in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A diagram showing detailed procedures for drone mission execution and flight information collection steps according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing detailed procedures for the steps of comparative analysis of flight results and storage of flight information according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an embodiment for showing that, according to a flight plan reflecting altitude information according to the present invention, changes in ground elevation, for example in a terrain such as rice terraces, are reflected in the drone flight plan, allowing the drone to fly at a constant height above the ground. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an actual drone control platform (GCS) in which the contour height data of the present invention is reflected in the flight path, realizing a flight plan in which changes in ground height are corrected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention and the methods for achieving them will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0028] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and can be realized in various different forms. The present embodiments are provided solely so that the disclosure of the present invention will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. The present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0029] Furthermore, when it is determined that the detailed description of related prior art may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a typical drone flight path that does not reflect changes in the height of the terrain, where the drone flies at a constant height starting from the point where the drone first takes off. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a more detailed view of the flight path of a drone flying over terrain with contour lines. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flight path of a drone according to an embodiment of the present invention, where contour line data is reflected and the drone is operated at a constant distance from the ground despite changes in the height of the ground. FIGS. 4 and 5 are conceptual diagrams showing a drone control system according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a drone flight path that reflects the contour lines of the terrain according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method for formulating a flight plan that reflects the altitude information of a drone according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a detailed procedure for the steps of comparing and analyzing flight results and storing flight information according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a drone flies while maintaining a constant altitude from a stepped ground according to a flight plan that reflects altitude information in a stepped area according to the present invention; and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an actual drone control platform (GCS) in which a flight plan that reflects the height data of contour lines according to the present invention is realized.

[0031] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the flight path 100 of a typical drone 10 in which the terrain does not reflect height changes is shown in Figure 1, which indicates that when setting a flight path taking into account the height relative to the terrain features of the ground 200, the height is set high so that the drone operates at a height higher than the maximum height of buildings or ground structures, mountains, etc.

[0032] In order to check the elevation of the ground 200 on the flight path 100 of the drone 10 shown in Figure 1, the flight path 100 can be set to reflect contour line 210 data, as shown in Figure 2, and an optimized flight path 102 that reflects the elevation of the ground 200 is shown, as shown in Figure 3.

[0033] In FIG. 3, in order to reflect the altitude map data in the drone's flight path, first, the GPS coordinates for the flight start point 110, flight end point 120, and intermediate points (d1 to d5) for the set flight path 100 are obtained.

[0034] Then, altitude information of the contour lines for the points of the GPS coordinate locations is obtained from the map data, and the flight height of the drone's flight target is calculated and reflected by reflecting the altitude information obtained from the flight path points and the contour lines.

[0035] Therefore, the drone of the present invention reflects altitude information on the actual flight path and shows an optimized flight path 102 of the drone 10 operated at a constant distance (d) from the ground despite changes in ground height.

[0036] Five points d1 to d5 are set as an example, but it goes without saying that the points can be subdivided from the flight start point 110 to the flight end point 120 and multiple points can be set according to the user's settings.

[0037] 4 and 5, a conceptual diagram of a drone control system according to the present invention is shown, in which a drone 10 may be equipped with various sensors such as a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, a magnetometer, a GPS sensor, a distance measurement sensor, and a vision sensor, and may include a communication unit (not shown) for wireless communication. The drone 10 may also include a flight information collection unit 17. The above-mentioned sensors are well known and will not be described in detail.

[0038] The drone 10 can be wirelessly connected to the ground control system 30 to transmit and receive information, and can receive commands from the ground control system 30 to control the flight of the drone.

[0039] The cloud server 20 may be connected to the ground control system 30 via wireless communication, but is not limited thereto, and may also be connected to the drone 10 via wireless communication.

[0040] Therefore, the drone 10 can be connected to the cloud server 20 via wireless communication and can upload and download information to the cloud server 20.

[0041] The drone 10 can use the flight information collection unit 17 to collect the drone's actual flight coordinates in order to understand the effects of changes in the atmospheric environment while performing a mission according to the flight plan, and can collect data for comparison with the flight plan or flight simulation content and upload it to the cloud server 20. This makes it possible to secure data that can be used to correct the flight plan the next time the drone flies in a similar environment.

[0042] The cloud server 20 may include a weather information collection unit 21 , a map data storage unit 22 , a flight plan DB storage unit 23 , a flight analysis DB storage unit 24 , and an integrated DB processing unit 25 .

[0043] When the drone flight area is set, the weather information collection unit 21 collects weather information such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and humidity of the area in real time. The map data storage unit 22 updates and stores map data such as contour lines of the terrain and building height data.

[0044] The flight plan DB storage unit 23 stores a flight plan that sets the drone's flight area and flight route, reflects real-time map data, and reflects altitude data set by the user for mission execution.

[0045] The flight analysis DB storage unit 24 stores a DB that analyzes the simulated flight of the drone, the flight plan, and the actual flight results of the drone. The integrated DB processing unit 25 is connected to the gas phase information collection unit 21, the map data storage unit 22, the flight plan DB storage unit 23, and the flight analysis DB storage unit 24, and manages the DBs in an integrated manner.

[0046] The ground control system 30 may include a flight plan derivation algorithm 31 , a flight results analysis processor 32 , and a flight simulator 33 . The flight plan derivation algorithm 31 of the ground control system 30 can reflect map data in real time when setting the drone's flight path 100 so that the contour lines and building height data stored in the map data storage unit 22 of the cloud server 20 can be reflected according to the drone's flight start point 110 and flight end point 120, and can derive a flight plan by reflecting the height data set by the user for the drone to carry out its mission.

[0047] The flight result analysis processing unit 32 can confirm the changed map data or flight plan by comparing and analyzing the drone's simulated flight, flight plan, and the drone's actual flight results, and process whether or not to reflect it in the DB.

[0048] Therefore, if there are any changes, the changes can be reflected in the map data stored in the map data storage unit 22 of the cloud server 20, or in the flight plan DB stored in the flight plan DB storage unit 23, or in both the map data storage unit 22 and the flight plan DB storage unit 23.

[0049] Therefore, when the same flight area or flight route is set in the future, the stored data can be called up through the database of the cloud server 20 to proceed with mission execution.

[0050] The flight simulator 33 performs a flight simulation using the flight plan DB stored in the cloud server 20, and checks whether the drone can fly at a constant altitude without any abnormalities in response to changes in ground altitude during actual flight according to the flight plan.

[0051] As an example, the flight simulator 33 can call up the flight plan DB stored in the cloud server 20 to check the flight plan, display a virtual drone image in a virtual space corresponding to the area set in the flight plan, and perform a simulation while varying the position of the virtual drone image based on the altitude, speed, time, and direction of the drone set in the flight plan.

[0052] Meanwhile, the flight result analysis processing unit 32 may include a flight result comparison analysis algorithm 321 . After the drone 10 has completed its mission, the flight result analysis processing unit 32 can use the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm 321 to compare and analyze whether the drone 10 actually flew in accordance with the flight plan.

[0053] Here, the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm 321 compares and analyzes the flight plan and flight results, and can correct the flight plan if the results of the comparison and analysis of the flight plan and flight results fall outside a predetermined normal range.

[0054] As an example, the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm 321 can collect flight coordinates of the drone 10 according to the flight plan from the flight plan DB storage unit 23 of the cloud server 20, collect log data sets obtained by the actual flight of the drone 10, extract virtual flight data sets by flight simulation using the flight coordinates, and compare and analyze the actual flight log data sets of the drone 10 with the virtual flight data sets.

[0055] In addition, the flight result comparison and analysis algorithm 321, when an abnormal situation occurs in which the determined position, speed, and altitude do not match the predicted range as a result of analyzing the flight plan and flight results, reflects external factors such as wind and obstacles based on the flight coordinates, modifies the flight coordinates, speed, mission type, and control commands accordingly, updates the flight plan, generates an update history and analysis data for the flight plan, and stores them in the flight analysis DB storage unit 24 of the cloud server 20.

[0056] 6, 7, and 8, a method for formulating a flight plan that reflects the contours of terrain according to the present invention is shown. In a step (S100) of setting the drone type according to the flight characteristics of the drone, a drone type that matches the flight characteristics of the drone, such as forest pest control or forest monitoring, can be set. Next, in a step (S110) of setting the drone flight area, the flight area in which the drone set in the step (S100) will fly can be set.

[0057] Next, when the flight area is set in the drone flight area setting step (S110), meteorological information for the set flight area is collected from the real-time weather information of the cloud server 20 in the real-time weather information collection step (S111), where meteorological information such as wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and humidity can be collected in real time.

[0058] Next, in the drone flight path setting step (S120), the flight path can be set by selecting the flight start point 110 and flight end point 120 so as to set the flight path of the drone flying in the set flight area.

[0059] Next, in the step of applying the map flight plan derivation algorithm (S130), once the planned flight path for the drone is set in the step of setting the drone's flight path (S120), the map data reflecting step (S121) automatically reflects the contour lines and building height data based on the flight path set in real time in the DB of the map data storage unit stored in the cloud server 20, and generates map data based on changes in ground altitude.

[0060] Next, in the flight plan derivation step (S140), after the flight plan derivation algorithm is applied, a flight plan is derived that reflects the height data set by the user. That is, when the user sets a desired distance from the ground (for example, 0.5m to 2m), the height data for that distance is automatically reflected in the flight path, and a flight plan with an optimized flight path is derived.

[0061] Next, in a flight plan storage and drone transmission step (S150), the flight plan derived in the above step (S140) is stored in the cloud server 20 and transmitted to the drone 10.

[0062] In the step (S160) of selecting whether to proceed with flight simulation, it is selected whether to proceed with flight simulation according to the flight plan stored in the flight plan DB storage unit 23 of the cloud server 20, and while the flight simulation is proceeding, it is confirmed whether the drone can fly at a constant altitude without any abnormalities in response to changes in ground altitude during actual flight according to the flight plan, and if an abnormal condition is confirmed, it proceeds to the step (S110) of setting the drone's flight area, and if no abnormal condition is confirmed, it proceeds to the next step.

[0063] As an example, in the step (S160) of selecting whether or not to proceed with the flight simulation, when the flight simulation is in progress, the flight plan DB stored in the flight plan DB storage unit 23 of the cloud server 20 is called up to check the flight plan, a virtual drone image is displayed in a virtual space corresponding to the area set in the flight plan, and the simulation can be performed while varying the position of the virtual drone image based on the altitude, speed, time, direction, etc. of the drone set in the flight plan.

[0064] The drone mission execution and flight information collection step (S170) is a step of collecting flight information to confirm whether the drone flew normally according to the flight plan, and includes a step of collecting information on the drone's mission execution status, such as the drone's position, flight path, flight height, etc. The flight information collected in the drone mission execution and flight information collection step (S170) refers to the drone's position, flight path, flight height, etc. collected during actual flight according to the previously set flight plan.

[0065] Therefore, in the drone mission execution and flight information collection step (S170), the actual flight coordinates of the drone are collected to understand the impact of changes in the atmospheric environment during the drone mission, and data is collected for comparison with the flight plan or flight simulation contents, thereby securing data that can be used to correct the flight plan the next time the drone flies in a similar environment.

[0066] Here, mission execution may refer to forest disaster prevention or forest monitoring, but is not limited to this, and can of course also be used for other purposes such as logistics delivery and transportation via drones.

[0067] During the drone mission execution and flight information collection step (S170), if the deviation from the set value set by the user exceeds a certain standard (e.g., ±0.3 m), the system proceeds to an emergency stop step (S171), and simultaneously with the emergency stop, the system proceeds to a mission execution suspension step (S172), and then to a separation distance adjustment step (S173) to the set value. Once the separation distance has been adjusted to the set value, the system can proceed to a mission execution suspension cancellation step (S174), and simultaneously with this, the system can proceed to a drone flight at the adjusted separation distance and flight information collection step (S175).

[0068] In the step of carrying out the drone mission according to the flight plan and collecting flight information (S170), the mission is carried out according to the flight plan, and while the drone mission is being carried out, the distance (d) from the ground 200 is checked via the drone's distance measurement sensor 15 to check whether an emergency stop is required.

[0069] In the emergency stop step (S171), an emergency stop is performed when the distance (d) from the ground 200 deviates from the set value by a certain standard (e.g., ±0.3 m) or more via the distance measurement sensor 15. At the same time as the emergency stop, the drone is converted into a hovering state, and the process proceeds to a mission execution pause step (S172) in which the ongoing mission execution is temporarily stopped.

[0070] Next, in a step of adjusting the separation distance to a set value (S173), the separation distance (d) from the ground is adjusted to a set value via the distance measurement sensor 15 of the drone 10.

[0071] Next, in a step of canceling the temporary suspension of the mission execution (S174), the separation distance is adjusted to the set value, and the temporary suspension of the mission execution is canceled to continue the mission execution.

[0072] In the step of flying the drone at the adjusted separation distance and collecting flight information (S175), the drone can fly at the adjusted separation distance value from the ground to perform its mission and collect flight information according to the changed content.

[0073] This allows the drone to fly while always maintaining a constant distance from the ground.As a result, when using a drone to spray pesticides for disaster prevention in areas where migratory birds visit that include slopes, or in mountain forests where the ground level changes, the pesticide can be sprayed while always maintaining a constant distance from the ground or forest, which increases the effectiveness of pesticide spraying.If the distance (d) deviates from the set value, pesticide spraying can be temporarily suspended, thereby reducing the amount of pesticide used.

[0074] Next, after the mission is completed and flight information is collected, in a step (S180) of selecting whether or not to perform a comparative analysis of the flight results, if the comparative analysis of the flight results is selected, a step (S190) of performing a comparative analysis of the flight results and storing the flight information is performed.

[0075] In the step of comparing and analyzing flight results and storing flight information (S190), if a flight simulation is performed, the simulated flight information, the flight plan information, and the flight information collected during the actual flight are compared to check for changed map data or flight plans, and the changed map data or flight plans are reflected in the map data storage unit 22 or the flight plan DB storage unit 23 of the cloud server 20. Here, the information reflected in the map data storage unit 22 or the flight plan DB storage unit 23 of the cloud server 20 can be applied when formulating the next flight plan. On the other hand, if a flight simulation is not performed, the changed map data or flight plans are checked by comparing the flight plan information with the flight information collected during the actual flight, and the changed map data or flight plans are reflected in the map data storage unit 22 or the flight plan DB storage unit 23 of the cloud server 20.

[0076] In addition, the step of comparatively analyzing flight results and storing flight information (S190) can include a step of comparatively analyzing the flight plan and flight results (S191), a step of determining whether the flight plan and flight results are within the normal range (S192), and a step of correcting the flight plan if the flight results are not within the normal range (S193).

[0077] In the step (S191) of comparing and analyzing the flight plan and flight results, the flight coordinates of the drone according to the flight plan are collected from the flight plan DB storage unit 23 of the cloud server 20, a log data set obtained by the actual flight of the drone is collected, a virtual flight data set is extracted by flight simulation using the flight coordinates, and the actual flight log data set of the drone and the virtual flight data set are compared and analyzed.

[0078] In the step (S192) of determining whether or not it is within the normal range, if the flight plan and flight results are analyzed and the determined position, speed, and altitude do not match the predicted range, it is determined that it is not within the normal range.

[0079] In the step of modifying the flight plan (S193), in situations that are not within the normal range, external factors such as wind and obstacles are reflected based on the flight coordinates, and the flight coordinates, speed, mission type, and control commands are modified accordingly to update the flight plan, and the update history and analysis data for the flight plan are generated and stored in the flight analysis DB storage unit 24 of the cloud server 20.

[0080] In the additional mission execution selection step (S195), it is selected whether or not to execute an additional mission. If the additional mission execution is to be carried out, the process proceeds to the drone type setting step according to the drone's flight characteristics; if the additional mission execution is not to be carried out, the process ends.

[0081] Referring to Figure 9, an embodiment of the present invention is shown in which a drone flies at a constant altitude above the ground according to a flight plan that reflects altitude information in an area with sudden changes in elevation, such as rice terraces. The drone's flight path 100 does not reflect information about changes in ground elevation, but shows a flight path of the drone flying at an initially set flight height. According to the present invention, the drone 10 extracts height data from map data, and changes in ground elevation (h1, h2, h3, etc.) are reflected in the flight plan using the algorithm of the present invention, and this example shows the drone 10 flying while maintaining a constant distance (d) from the ground, even if the ground elevation changes (h1 → h2 → h3).

[0082] As a result, when operating drones 10 for nematode control in mountainous areas or migratory bird habitats that include hilly areas, if a situation arises in which the drone must operate at a certain height above the ground 200 in mountainous areas, that is, if the drone must operate at a certain distance from the ground regardless of changes in ground height, effective control can be achieved by formulating a flight plan that reflects the drone's relative height to the ground 200 rather than having the drone 10 fly at an absolute height.

[0083] Furthermore, because rice terraces are rice fields built on ridges, when using drones for pest control, it is necessary to create individual drone flight plans using the height data for each rice terrace, which creates the inconvenience of having to set a height and create a new flight plan for each rice terrace.However, with this invention, it is possible to reflect height change data for rice terraces, so even if a flight plan is created to continuously protect multiple rice terraces, effective pest control is possible while maintaining a constant height from each rice terrace.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 10, an actual drone control platform (GCS) is shown in which a flight plan reflecting the contour height data according to the present invention is implemented. A first flight altitude 150 indicating the flight altitude reference for drone flight and a second flight altitude 155 indicating the flight altitude reflecting contour altitude data and the user-set height setting value for mission execution, i.e., the flight plan, are displayed, and the flight plan is not open source, but a web-based platform is shown in which the flight path is represented in 3D on a separate actual map.

[0085] The web-based platform is a method that basically uses HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and JavaScript, and is similar to the Java-based SW platform method that minimizes the dependency of application programs due to CPU changes, thereby reducing the dependency of application programs on HW.

[0086] A web-based platform refers to a platform that combines a web browser and an operating system, with a web engine that can process HTML and Java script, which can reduce hardware dependency and allow web applications to run optimally on the device.

[0087] As a result, when setting the flight path 100 of the drone 10, the user can easily reflect the elevation of the ground 200, allowing an optimized flight path 102 to be set. This allows the drone to operate stably while maintaining a certain distance (d) from the ground 200, even when operating the drone 10 on flat ground or in mountainous areas. By setting the drone's flight path and applying an algorithm to automate it, the gradient of the mountain ground is reflected when setting a drone path that passes through mountains or hills, allowing the drone to operate while maintaining a certain distance from the mountain ground.

[0088] As mentioned above, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but this is merely an example, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various applications and other embodiments are possible from this. Therefore, the true technical scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the following claims.

[0089] While specific embodiments of the intelligent flight planning method and drone control system using the same according to the present invention have been described above, it is obvious that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0090] In other words, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims that follow rather than by the detailed description, and all modifications and variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0091] A drone control system and a method for formulating an intelligent flight plan for the system are provided, which allows a drone to fly while always maintaining a constant distance from the ground even if the ground level changes by formulating a flight plan that reflects contour line height data from a geographic information system, and which can increase the effectiveness of chemical spraying when spraying chemicals for disaster prevention in migratory bird habitats that include slopes or in mountain forests where the ground level changes, thereby reducing the amount of chemicals used.

Claims

1. A drone control system, A drone that can fly, A cloud server capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving information to and from the drone; a ground control system that is wirelessly connected to the drone and the cloud server and formulates a drone flight plan; Including, the ground control system a flight plan derivation algorithm that, when setting a flight path for the drone, acquires contour lines and building height data of the terrain of the flight area in which the drone will fly from map data stored in the cloud server according to the flight start point and flight end point of the drone, reflects the acquired data in real time, and derives a flight plan that reflects the height data set by the user for the drone to perform its mission; a flight result analysis processing unit that checks the modified map data or flight plan by comparing and analyzing the simulated flight of the drone, the flight plan, and the actual flight results of the drone, and, if there are any changes, determines whether to reflect the changes in the database (DB) of the map data and the flight plan stored in the cloud server so that they can be applied when formulating the next flight plan; a flight simulator that performs a flight simulation using the flight plan DB stored in the cloud server and checks whether the drone can fly at a constant altitude without any abnormalities according to changes in ground altitude during actual flight of the drone according to the flight plan; A drone control system comprising:

2. The drone is The drone control system of claim 1, further comprising a flight information collection unit that collects actual flight coordinates of the drone to understand the effects of changes in the atmospheric environment while the drone is performing a mission in accordance with the flight plan, collects data for comparison with the flight plan or flight simulation content, and secures data that can be used to correct the flight plan the next time the drone flies in a similar environment.

3. The flight result analysis processing unit: A flight result comparison and analysis algorithm is included that compares and analyzes whether the drone has actually flown according to the flight plan after the drone has completed its mission; The flight result comparison and analysis algorithm: The drone control system of claim 1, characterized in that the flight plan and flight results are compared and analyzed, and the flight plan is corrected if the results of the comparison and analysis of the flight plan and flight results fall outside a predetermined normal range.

4. The flight result comparison and analysis algorithm: The drone control system of claim 3, characterized in that it collects flight coordinates of the drone according to the flight plan from the cloud server, collects log data sets obtained by the actual flight of the drone, extracts a virtual flight data set by flight simulation using the flight coordinates, and compares and analyzes the actual flight log data set of the drone and the virtual flight data set.

5. The flight result comparison and analysis algorithm:

4. The drone control system of claim 3, wherein, in an abnormal situation where the position, speed, and altitude determined as a result of analyzing the flight plan and flight results do not match the predicted range, the system updates the flight plan by reflecting external factors such as wind and obstacles based on the flight coordinates, and modifies the flight coordinates, speed, mission type, and control commands accordingly, and generates an update history and analysis data for the flight plan and stores them on the cloud server.

6. The cloud server A weather information collection unit that collects real-time weather information for the area in which the drone flies; a map data storage unit that updates and stores map data including contour lines and building height data of the terrain of the flight area in which the drone flies; a flight plan DB storage unit that reflects the map data in real time when setting a flight area and flight route for the drone and stores a flight plan that reflects altitude data set by a user for mission execution; A flight analysis DB storage unit that stores a DB reflecting the results of analyzing the drone's simulated flight, flight plan, and actual flight results; The drone control system of claim 1, further comprising an integrated DB processing unit connected to the weather information collection unit, map data storage unit, flight plan DB storage unit, and flight analysis DB storage unit, for managing the DBs in an integrated manner.

7. The flight simulator includes: The drone control system of claim 1, characterized in that it calls up a flight plan DB stored in the cloud server to check the flight plan, displays a virtual drone image in a virtual space corresponding to the area set in the flight plan, and performs a simulation while varying the position of the virtual drone image based on the altitude, speed, time, and direction of the drone set in the flight plan.

8. A drone control system including a drone capable of flight, a cloud server capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from said drone via wireless communication, and a ground control system connected to said drone and cloud server via wireless communication and which formulates a drone flight plan, the ground control system Setting a drone type according to flight characteristics of the drone; A flight area setting step of setting a flight area in which the set drone will fly; a flight route setting step of setting a flight route for the drone by reflecting real-time weather information in the set flight area; applying a flight plan derivation algorithm to reflect the height extracted from the map data in the flight path of the drone; a flight plan derivation step of deriving a flight plan that reflects the user-set flight height on a flight path using the flight plan derivation algorithm; a flight plan storage and drone transmission step of storing the flight plan derived by the flight plan derivation step in the cloud server and transmitting the flight plan to the drone; a drone mission execution and flight information collection step of carrying out drone mission execution according to the flight plan and collecting flight information; a flight result comparison and analysis and flight information storage step of comparing and analyzing the flight plan, actual flight results, and simulated flight results, and storing the flight results; Including, The drone mission execution and flight information collection step includes: A method for formulating an intelligent flight plan, characterized by collecting actual flight coordinates of the drone to understand the impact of changes in the atmospheric environment while the drone is performing its mission, collecting data to compare with the drone flight plan or flight simulation content, and securing data that can be used to correct the flight plan the next time the drone flies in a similar environment.

9. After the flight plan storage and drone transmission steps are completed, The intelligent flight planning method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of selecting whether to proceed with a flight simulation according to the flight plan stored in the cloud server.

10. After the drone mission execution and flight information collection step, selecting whether to compare and analyze the actual flight results with the drone flight plan or the simulated flight plan; 10. The intelligent flight planning method according to claim 9, further comprising: a selection step of performing an additional mission, which selects whether to perform an additional ongoing mission.

11. The step of setting a flight area for the drone includes: The intelligent flight plan formulation method of claim 8, characterized in that when setting the flight area in which the drone will fly, weather information for the set flight area is collected and reflected from real-time weather information on a cloud server, thereby reducing the difference between the actual flight according to the flight plan and the flight plan.

12. The step of applying the flight plan derivation algorithm includes:

9. The intelligent flight plan formulation method of claim 8, characterized in that when setting a planned flight route for the drone, height data for the set flight route is extracted from real-time map data on a cloud server, and a flight plan is formulated to reflect changes in ground height in the flight height so that the drone can fly at a certain distance from the ground.

13. The step of selecting whether to proceed with the flight simulation includes: During the flight simulation, the flight plan is formulated to reflect changes in ground height, and it is checked whether the drone can fly while maintaining a certain distance from the ground without any abnormalities in response to changes in ground height during actual flight. The intelligent flight plan formulation method of claim 9, characterized in that if it is confirmed that there are no problems, the method proceeds to a step of executing a drone mission and collecting flight information according to the flight plan uploaded to the drone.

14. The drone mission execution and flight information collection step includes: The intelligent flight planning method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of collecting data on the drone's position and flight path, and distance information from the ground via a distance measurement sensor of the drone while the drone is performing its mission.

15. The step of comparing and analyzing flight results and storing flight information includes: The intelligent flight plan formulation method of claim 8, further comprising a step of analyzing and storing whether the actual drone flew normally along the flight path on the planned flight plan or the simulated flight path due to changes in the external atmospheric environment, including the influence of wind, during the actual flight of the drone, and if any differences exist, which part of the differences exist.

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