Traffic management system

Abstract

To provide an operation management system enabling freight to be efficiently transported by an electric aircraft.SOLUTION: An operation management system is the operation management system performing the operation management of an electric aircraft having a cargo room for loading a plurality of cargoes, and has a cargo management device optimizing the arrangement of the plurality of cargoes, and the cargo management device has: a gravity center position acquisition portion acquiring a gravity center position for each cargo; an arrangement information acquisition portion acquiring arrangement information of cargoes so that a distance up to a gravity center position of the electric aircraft before loading the cargo becomes less than a predetermined threshold value from a gravity center position of the electric aircraft after loading the cargo; and an arrangement indication portion indicating an arrangement place for each cargo in a cargo room based on the arrangement information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a traffic management system. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to cope with the recent increase in demand for cargo, there is an increasing demand for more efficient and smooth cargo transportation at loading and unloading sites. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a technology in which a wireless tag storing various information is attached to each cargo item, and the tag is read by an antenna attached to the luggage compartment of a transport vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-80102 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, it is known that technological development related to the above-mentioned cargo transportation has not progressed in the field of electric aircraft. For this reason, there is a demand for a traffic control system that can efficiently transport cargo by electric aircraft.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an operation management system that enables efficient cargo transportation by electric aircraft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a traffic management system according to the present disclosure is a traffic management system that manages the operation of an electric aircraft having a cargo hold in which multiple cargoes are loaded, and includes a cargo management device that optimizes the placement of the multiple cargoes, the cargo management device including: a center of gravity position acquisition unit that acquires a center of gravity position for each of the cargoes; a placement information acquisition unit that acquires placement information for the cargoes such that a distance from the center of gravity position of the electric aircraft after the cargoes are loaded to the center of gravity position of the electric aircraft before the cargoes are loaded is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold; and a placement instruction unit that instructs a placement location for each of the cargoes in the cargo hold based on the placement information. The device further includes a flight control device that controls the flight state of the electric aircraft, and the flight control device obtains the required lift and the flight speed of the electric aircraft required to generate the lift based on the weights of the multiple cargo items obtained by the cargo management device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an operation management system that enables efficient cargo transportation by electric aircraft. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an electric aircraft and a flight management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a cargo management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 10 is a processing flow of a cargo management device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a flight control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 3 is a processing flow of a flight control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of a traffic management system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] First Embodiment An electric aircraft 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure and an operation management system 2 applied to the operation of the electric aircraft 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0010] (Electric aircraft configuration) As shown in Fig. 1, this electric aircraft 1 has a fuselage 11, wings 12, and an electric fan (not shown). The fuselage 11 is provided with space for a pilot and a cargo hold 13 for carrying cargo 3. The wings 12 extend laterally from the fuselage 11. At least one wing 12 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the fuselage 11.

[0011] A plurality of electric fans are provided on at least one of the fuselage 11 and the wings 12. The electric fans generate thrust by rotating the fans using electric power. The thrust direction of the electric fans is variable; for example, during vertical takeoff and landing, the thrust direction is vertical. On the other hand, during horizontal flight, the thrust direction of the electric fans is horizontal. In addition to the electric fans, other thrust devices such as gas turbine engines may also be provided.

[0012] A wireless tag 31 (RFID tag) is attached in advance to each of the cargo 3 loaded inside the cargo hold 13. This wireless tag 31 stores, as electronic information, the weight, volume, and center of gravity position of the cargo 3. Note that the center of gravity position is preferably, for example, a coordinate indicating the position of the center of gravity within the projection plane of the cargo 3 onto the floor surface.

[0013] An antenna 14 is provided in the cargo hold 13 for wireless communication with the wireless tags 31 of the cargo 3. This antenna 14 is connected to the traffic control system 2, which will be described later, and transmits information about each cargo 3 to the traffic control system 2.

[0014] Furthermore, an indicating device 15 is provided in the cargo hold 13 to instruct the worker on where to place the cargo 3. This indicating device 15 is connected to the traffic control system 2, which will be described later. Based on an electrical signal issued by the traffic control system 2, the indicating device 15 notifies the worker of the location of the cargo 3 by means of at least one of sound and light, or text and graphic information. For example, the indicating device 15 may be a spotlight that illuminates the floor surface in the cargo hold 13. By making the illumination range and position of the spotlight variable, it is possible to guide the worker to a plurality of different locations.

[0015] (Configuration of traffic control system) Next, the configuration of the traffic management system 2 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the traffic management system 2 includes a cargo management device 21, a traffic schedule management device 22, and a flight control device 23. The cargo management device 21 manages the placement and weight of cargo 3 carried into the cargo hold 13. The traffic schedule management device 22 stores information such as the departure point, arrival point, required time, and flight route of the electric aircraft 1. The flight control device 23 controls the flight attitude and flight speed of the electric aircraft 1. The cargo management device 21, the traffic schedule management device 22, and the flight control device 23 may be installed on the electric aircraft 1 or may be provided in ground facilities.

[0016] (Configuration of cargo management device) As shown in FIG. 2, the cargo management device 21 includes a center-of-gravity position acquisition unit 211, a placement information acquisition unit 212, a placement instruction unit 213, and a storage unit 214.

[0017] The center of gravity position acquisition unit 211 acquires the weight, volume, and center of gravity position of each cargo 3 read from the wireless tag 31 by the above-mentioned antenna 14. The read information on the weight, volume, and center of gravity position is stored in the storage unit 214 as electronic information.

[0018] The placement information acquisition unit 212 acquires "placement information of cargo 3" which indicates where in the cargo hold 13 the cargo 3 is to be placed. More specifically, the placement information acquisition unit 212 compares the position of the center of gravity of the electric aircraft 1 before the cargo 3 is loaded (i.e., when the cargo hold 13 is empty) with the position of the center of gravity of the electric aircraft 1 after a certain cargo 3 is loaded. The placement information is determined so that the change in the position of the center of gravity of the electric aircraft 1 before and after the cargo 3 is loaded is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

[0019] Furthermore, based on the information stored in the flight schedule management device 22, the placement information acquisition unit 212 determines placement information for the cargo 3 so that the cargo 3 can be unloaded in the order of arrival destinations on the flight route of the electric aircraft 1. In other words, the placement information acquisition unit 212 determines placement information as an optimal solution based on the flight route while taking into account the change in the center of gravity position described above.

[0020] Based on the above placement information, the placement instruction unit 213 operates the instruction device 15 to inform the worker of the placement location of the cargo 3. Every time the placement of one cargo 3 is completed, the placement instruction unit 213 instructs the worker, via the instruction device 15, on the placement location of the next cargo 3.

[0021] (Cargo management device processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the cargo management device 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not there is cargo 3 to be loaded into the cargo hold 13. If there is no cargo 3 (step S1: No), the processing is completed. If there is cargo 3 (step S1: Yes), in the subsequent step S2, the center of gravity position acquisition unit 211 acquires the center of gravity position of the cargo 3 (step S2). In this step S2, the center of gravity position of the cargo 3 is acquired by wireless communication between the wireless tag 31 and the antenna 14 as described above.

[0022] Next, the placement information acquisition unit 212 acquires the location (placement information) where the cargo 3 should be placed (step S3). As described above, this placement information is acquired taking into consideration not only changes in the center of gravity position but also the order of arrival destinations on the flight route. Thereafter, the placement instruction unit 213 transmits a signal regarding the placement information to the instruction device 15 (step S4). The instruction device 15 instructs the worker on the placement location of the cargo 3 based on the placement information. In response to this, the worker loads the cargo 3 at the placement location (step S5). The above steps S1 to S5 are repeated until it is determined in step S1 that there is no cargo 3. This completes the processing of the cargo management device 21 and the cargo 3 loading work.

[0023] (Configuration of flight control device) Next, we will explain the configuration of the flight control device 23. As shown in Figure 4, the flight control device 23 has a cargo weight acquisition unit 231, a lift acquisition unit 232, a speed acquisition unit 233, and a drive unit 234.

[0024] The cargo weight acquisition unit 231 acquires, as an electrical signal, the weight of all cargo 3 acquired by the center-of-gravity position acquisition unit 211 of the cargo management device 21. The lift acquisition unit 232 acquires the magnitude of lift required for horizontal flight based on the weight of all cargo 3 input from the cargo management device 21. The speed acquisition unit 233 acquires the flight speed required to generate that lift. The drive unit 234 sends a signal to drive the electric fan so as to maintain that flight speed.

[0025] (Flight control device processing flow) Next, the processing flow of the flight control device 23 will be described with reference to Figure 5. First, the cargo weight acquisition unit 231 acquires the weight of all cargo 3 from the cargo management device 21 (step S11). Next, the lift acquisition unit 232 acquires the magnitude of lift required for level flight based on the weight of all cargo 3 (step S12). Thereafter, the speed acquisition unit 233 acquires the flight speed required to generate that lift (step S13). Furthermore, the drive unit 234 sends a signal to drive the electric fan so as to maintain that flight speed (step S14). The above processing is repeated every time cargo 3 is carried in or out along the flight route.

[0026] (Action and effect)

[0027] With the recent increase in cargo demand, various developments have been made toward the practical application of cargo transportation by electric aircraft 1. However, because the conversion of electric aircraft 1 to cargo use is still in its infancy, there has not been sufficient research and development into the efficiency and smoothness of loading and unloading operations. As a result, there has been a growing demand for technology that enables more efficient cargo transportation by electric aircraft 1.

[0028] According to the above configuration, the operation management system 2 includes a cargo management device 21. In the cargo management device 21, the placement information acquisition unit 212 acquires placement information for the cargo 3 so that the center of gravity of the electric aircraft 1 is not significantly biased before and after the cargo 3 is loaded. More specifically, the placement information for each piece of cargo 3 is determined so that the distance from the center of gravity of the electric aircraft 1 before the cargo 3 is loaded to the center of gravity of the electric aircraft 1 after the cargo 3 is loaded is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. This makes it possible to place the cargo 3 with an optimal weight balance. As a result, the range performance of the electric aircraft 1 is improved, and transportation efficiency can also be further improved.

[0029] Furthermore, when placing the cargo 3 in the cargo hold 13, the placement instruction unit 213 instructs the placement location for each cargo 3 based on the above placement information. Based on the signal sent from the placement instruction unit 213, the instruction device 15 in the cargo hold 13 notifies the worker of the placement location of the cargo 3. This eliminates the need for the worker to spend time and effort determining where to place the cargo 3, thereby reducing the workload associated with loading and unloading work. It also becomes possible to shorten the work time.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the center of gravity position acquisition unit 211 can acquire the center of gravity position of each cargo 3 simply by reading the information of the wireless tag 31 with the antenna 14. In other words, the center of gravity position is automatically acquired immediately when the cargo 3 is carried into the cargo hold 13. This can further improve the efficiency of cargo handling operations compared to, for example, confirming the center of gravity position of each cargo 3 manually or visually.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the location information acquisition unit 212 acquires new location information every time one cargo 3 is carried into the cargo hold 13. Therefore, compared to, for example, acquiring the center of gravity positions of all cargo 3 at once and then determining the location information, the time required to acquire the location information (e.g., calculation time) can be shortened. This allows cargo handling operations to be carried out more efficiently and smoothly. This also allows the location information of the cargo 3 to be determined in more detail.

[0032] In addition, with the above configuration, the location of each cargo 3 can be clearly communicated to the worker by the light and sound emitted by the indicating device 15. This also makes it possible to avoid rework due to human error in the location. This further improves the efficiency of cargo handling operations.

[0033] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the location information acquisition unit 212 determines the location information of the cargo 3 according to the order of arrival destinations on the flight route of the electric aircraft 1. This allows the cargo 3 to be unloaded immediately after arrival at the arrival destination. In particular, when the cargo hold 13 has only one loading / unloading entrance, the above configuration makes it possible to proceed with loading / unloading operations particularly efficiently. Therefore, the time required for loading / unloading operations can be shortened. Furthermore, as the time required for loading / unloading operations is shortened, the transportation time by the electric aircraft 1 can be further shortened.

[0034] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the flight control device 23 acquires the lift required for the flight of the electric aircraft 1 and the flight speed required to generate it based on the total weight of the cargo 3 acquired by the cargo management device 21. This enables more efficient flight at the optimal flight speed according to the weight of all the cargo 3. As a result, the duration of the power source, such as the battery used to drive the electric fan, can be secured for a long period of time.

[0035] (Other embodiments) The above describes in detail the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0036] For example, in the above embodiment, the cargo management device 21 is configured to acquire location information each time a cargo 3 is carried in. However, if the calculation speed and processing time of the cargo management device 21 allow, it is also possible to acquire the center of gravity positions of all cargo 3 in advance, and then acquire the location information of all cargo 3 at once.

[0037] The order of the processes of the traffic management system in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be changed as long as appropriate processes are performed.

[0038] The storage unit 214 and other storage devices in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided anywhere within the range where appropriate information is transmitted and received. Furthermore, there may be multiple storage units 214 and other storage devices within the range where appropriate information is transmitted and received, and data may be stored in a distributed manner.

[0039] The processing steps performed by the traffic control system 2 described above are stored in the form of a program on a recording medium that can be read by the computer 300, and the above processing is performed by reading and executing this program by the computer 300. A specific example of the computer 300 is shown below.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6, the computer 300 includes a CPU 301 , a main memory 302 , a storage 303 , and an interface 304 . For example, the above-described traffic control system 2 is implemented in a computer 300. The operations of the above-described processing units are stored in the form of a program in storage 303. CPU 301 reads the program from storage 303, loads it into main memory 302, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. CPU 301 also allocates a storage area in main memory 302 corresponding to the above-described storage unit 214 in accordance with the program.

[0041] Examples of storage 303 include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and a semiconductor memory. Storage 303 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of computer 300, or an external medium connected to computer 300 via interface 304 or a communication line. Furthermore, when this program is distributed to computer 300 via a communication line, computer 300 that receives the program may load the program into main memory 302 and execute the above-mentioned processing. Storage 303 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

[0042] The program may also implement some of the functions described above. Furthermore, the program may be a file that can implement the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in computer 300, a so-called differential file (differential program).

[0043] In addition to or instead of the above configuration, a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or similar processing devices may be provided. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions realized by the processor may be realized by the integrated circuit.

[0044] <Additional Notes> The traffic control system 2 described in each embodiment can be understood as follows, for example.

[0045] (1) The operation management system 2 of the first aspect is an operation management system 2 that manages the operation of an electric aircraft 1 having a cargo hold 13 in which multiple cargoes 3 are loaded, and is equipped with a cargo management device 21 that optimizes the placement of the multiple cargoes 3. The cargo management device 21 has a center of gravity position acquisition unit 211 that acquires the center of gravity position of each of the cargoes 3, a placement information acquisition unit 212 that acquires placement information of the cargoes 3 so that the distance from the center of gravity position of the electric aircraft 1 after the cargoes 3 are loaded to the center of gravity position of the electric aircraft 1 before the cargoes 3 are loaded is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and a placement instruction unit 213 that instructs the placement location of each of the cargoes 3 within the cargo hold 13 based on the placement information.

[0046] According to the above configuration, the placement information acquisition unit 212 acquires placement information for the cargo 3 so that the center of gravity of the electric aircraft 1 does not become significantly biased before and after loading the cargo 3. Furthermore, the placement instruction unit 213 instructs the placement location for each cargo 3 based on the placement information. This minimizes changes in the center of gravity position of the electric aircraft 1, enabling efficient operation.

[0047] (2) The traffic management system 2 according to the second aspect is the traffic management system 2 of (1), wherein the center of gravity position acquisition unit 211 acquires the center of gravity position of each cargo 3 from a wireless tag 31 attached to each cargo 3 and storing the center of gravity position, weight, and volume of each cargo 3 by an antenna 14 installed in the cargo hold 13.

[0048] According to the above configuration, the center of gravity position of each cargo 3 can be obtained simply by reading the information on the wireless tag 31 with the antenna 14. This can further improve the efficiency of cargo handling operations.

[0049] (3) The operation management system 2 according to the third aspect is the operation management system 2 of (1) or (2), in which the placement information acquisition unit 212 acquires the placement information each time one piece of cargo 3 is carried into the cargo hold 13.

[0050] According to the above configuration, new location information is obtained every time one cargo 3 is carried in. This makes it possible to determine the location information of the cargo 3 in more detail.

[0051] (4) The traffic management system 2 according to the fourth aspect is a traffic management system 2 according to any one of the aspects (1) to (3), and the placement instruction unit 213 transmits a signal to an instruction device 15 that notifies an operator of the placement location of each cargo 3 by at least one of light and sound based on the placement information.

[0052] According to the above configuration, the location of each cargo 3 can be clearly communicated to the worker by light and sound, thereby further improving the efficiency of the cargo handling work.

[0053] (5) The operation management system 2 of the fifth aspect is an operation management system 2 of any one of aspects (1) to (4), and further includes an operation schedule management device that manages the operation schedule of the electric aircraft 1, and the placement information acquisition unit 212 acquires placement information of the cargo 3 to be transported into the cargo hold 13 based on flight information held by the operation schedule management device so that the cargo 3 is placed in the order of arrival destinations.

[0054] According to the above configuration, the allocation information of the cargo 3 is determined according to the order of arrival at the destinations. This allows the cargo 3 to be unloaded immediately after arriving at the destination. Therefore, the time required for loading and unloading work can be shortened.

[0055] (6) The operation management system 2 of the sixth aspect is an operation management system 2 of any one of the aspects (1) to (5), and further includes a flight control device 23 that controls the flight state of the electric aircraft 1, and the flight control device 23 acquires the required lift and the flight speed of the electric aircraft 1 required to generate the lift based on the weight of the multiple cargoes 3 acquired by the cargo management device 21.

[0056] According to the above configuration, the lift required for the flight of the electric aircraft 1 and the flight speed required to generate this lift are acquired based on the total weight of the cargo 3 acquired by the cargo management device 21. This enables more efficient flight at an optimal flight speed according to the weight of the cargo 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1…Electric aircraft 2...Traffic management system 3…Freight 11...torso 12...Wings 13…Cargo compartment 14...Antenna 15…Instruction device 21…Cargo management device 22...Operation schedule management device 23...Flight control device 31...Radio tag 211…Center of gravity position acquisition unit 212…Location information acquisition unit 213...Placement instruction section 214...Storage section 231…Cargo weight acquisition department 232...Lift acquisition section 233…Speed ​​acquisition section 234...Drive unit 300...Computer 301...CPU 302...Main memory 303…Storage 304...Interface

Claims

1. A traffic management system that manages the operation of an electric aircraft having a cargo bay in which multiple cargoes are loaded, a cargo management device that optimizes the arrangement of the plurality of cargoes; The cargo management device a center of gravity position acquisition unit that acquires the center of gravity position of each cargo; a placement information acquisition unit that acquires placement information of the cargo so that a distance from a center of gravity position of the electric aircraft after the cargo is loaded to a center of gravity position of the electric aircraft before the cargo is loaded is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold; a placement instruction unit that instructs a placement location for each cargo in the cargo compartment based on the placement information; and a flight control device for controlling a flight state of the electric aircraft; The flight control device is an operation management system that obtains the required lift and the flight speed of the electric aircraft required to generate that lift based on the weights of the multiple cargoes obtained by the cargo management device.

2. The center of gravity position acquisition unit 2. The traffic management system according to claim 1, wherein the center of gravity position of each cargo is obtained from a wireless tag attached to each cargo and storing the center of gravity position, weight, and volume of each cargo by an antenna installed in the cargo compartment.

3. The traffic management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the location information acquisition unit acquires the location information each time one piece of cargo is carried into the cargo hold.

4. 4. The traffic management system according to claim 1, wherein the placement instruction unit transmits a signal to an indicating device that notifies an operator of the placement location of each cargo item using at least one of light and sound based on the placement information.

5. further comprising an operation schedule management device that manages an operation schedule of the electric aircraft; 5. The operation management system according to claim 1, wherein the placement information acquisition unit acquires placement information of the cargo to be carried into the cargo hold based on flight information held by the operation schedule management device so that the cargo is placed in the order of arrival destinations.

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