Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

The overall flight plan is taken into account to determine potential landing locations. [Solution] The information processing device comprises an acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional spatial information about the flight range for monitoring a monitored object by an aircraft, a setting unit that sets the range within which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional spatial information, a reception unit that receives flight conditions and priority conditions for the aircraft to fly to monitor a monitored object, and an output unit that generates flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land set by the setting unit and the flight conditions received by the reception unit, and outputs takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions received by the reception unit as potential takeoff and landing locations based on the generated flight path information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones have been used to patrol and monitor a predetermined area. However, if the predetermined area is large, a single flight from takeoff to landing may not have enough battery capacity to cover the entire area, and a port may be installed during monitoring of the large area for the purpose of battery replenishment, etc. Depending on the location of such a port, the location may not be suitable for takeoff and landing due to the terrain, wind, and other environmental factors. Therefore, there is a technology that determines whether a location is suitable for takeoff and landing of a drone by taking into account the influence of the terrain, wind, etc. around the takeoff and landing point (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-119306 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Even if a location is determined to be suitable for drone landing using such conventional technology, it may not be suitable for landing when the overall flight plan is taken into consideration. For example, when it is desired to install multiple ports along the entire flight path, even if a location is suitable for takeoff and landing, if multiple locations are clustered (adjacent to each other), it may not be suitable. In other words, when using conventional technology, in order to perform efficient flight such as autonomous flight, it was not easy to determine the location of the port (i.e., whether it could be a candidate landing location) when the overall flight plan was taken into consideration.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that are capable of determining whether a landing site is a candidate taking into account the overall flight plan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is an information processing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional spatial information about a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft; a setting unit that sets a range within which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional spatial information; a reception unit that receives flight conditions and priority conditions for the flight of the aircraft to monitor the monitoring target; and an output unit that generates flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land set by the setting unit and the flight conditions received by the reception unit, and outputs takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions received by the reception unit as potential takeoff and landing locations based on the generated flight path information, wherein the flight conditions received by the reception unit include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum flight time for the aircraft, an altitude condition within which the aircraft can fly, and a range within which the aircraft can fly, and the priority conditions received by the reception unit include priority conditions according to the flight conditions. (2) Also, in one aspect of the present invention, in the information processing device of (1) described above, the acquisition unit acquires three-dimensional spatial information, which is information including a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft, and includes at least two-dimensional information in a predetermined geographical range and height information in the geographical range, and the setting unit sets a range in which takeoff and landing are possible based on the height information included in the three-dimensional spatial information. (3) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is that in the information processing device described above in (2), the three-dimensional spatial information includes topographical information in the geographical range and information on structures existing in the geographical range. ( 4 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 3) In any one of the information processing devices, the priority conditions accepted by the accepting unit further include environmental conditions at takeoff and landing locations. ( 5 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 4 ) In any of the information processing devices, the output unit outputs information on a plurality of takeoff and landing locations that satisfy at least one of the priority conditions, arranged in order of the number of locations that satisfy the priority conditions most, as the candidate takeoff and landing locations. ( 6 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 5 ) In any one of the information processing devices, the output unit outputs information in the form of a heat map showing the suitability of the port as a takeoff and landing port based on the priority conditions. ( 7 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 6 ) In any one of the information processing devices, the output unit outputs information including the flight path information and the candidate takeoff and landing locations. ( 8 ) Furthermore, one aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned (1) to ( 7 ) In any of the information processing devices, the output unit outputs the results of inferring the potential takeoff and landing locations using a trained machine learning model that has been trained using the potential takeoff and landing locations created in the past and information used to create the potential takeoff and landing locations as training data. ( 9) Another aspect of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a computer, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring three-dimensional spatial information about a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft; a setting step of setting a range within which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional spatial information; a reception step of accepting flight conditions and priority conditions for the flight of the aircraft to monitor the monitoring target; and an output step of generating flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land set by the setting step and the flight conditions accepted by the reception step, and outputting takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions accepted by the reception step as potential takeoff and landing locations based on the generated flight path information, wherein the flight conditions accepted by the reception step include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum possible flight time of the aircraft, an altitude condition within which the aircraft can fly, and a range within which the aircraft can fly, and the priority conditions accepted by the reception step include priority conditions according to the flight conditions. ( 10 ) Another aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer to execute the following steps: an acquisition step of acquiring three-dimensional spatial information about a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft; a setting step of setting a range within which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional spatial information; a reception step of accepting flight conditions and priority conditions for the flight of the aircraft to monitor the monitoring target; and an output step of generating flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land set by the setting step and the flight conditions accepted by the reception step, and outputting takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions accepted by the reception step as potential takeoff and landing locations based on the generated flight path information; wherein the flight conditions accepted by the reception step include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum flight time for the aircraft, an altitude condition within which the aircraft can fly, and a range within which the aircraft can fly, and the priority conditions accepted by the reception step include priority conditions according to the flight conditions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that can determine whether a landing location is a candidate taking into account the overall flight plan. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a first conceptual diagram showing an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a second conceptual diagram showing an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a third conceptual diagram showing an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a fourth conceptual diagram showing an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the information processing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the information processing device according to the present embodiment infers candidate takeoff and landing locations using a machine learning model. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart showing a series of steps in an information processing method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an internal configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Embodiment] An information processing device, an information processing method, and a program according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and includes various modifications and improvements. In other words, the components described below include those that would be easily conceivable to a person skilled in the art or that are substantially identical, and the components described below can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, in the drawings, the scale and number of components may differ from the scale and number of the actual components to make each configuration easier to understand.

[0010] [System Configuration] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a system according to one embodiment. The system 1 includes a drone 10 and a flight management device 30, and monitors a facility 50. While the diagram illustrates a single facility 50 for ease of explanation, the system 1 may monitor multiple facilities 50. Although the diagram illustrates a single drone 10 for ease of explanation, multiple drones 10 may be provided. In this case, the multiple drones 10 may each communicate wirelessly with a common flight management device 30, or each may communicate wirelessly with an independent flight management device 30. In other words, the relationship between the flight management device 30 and the drones 10 may be 1:N (N is a natural number greater than or equal to 1) or N:N.

[0011] The facility 50 is a facility that is monitored by the system 1. The facility 50 may be a communication tower (which may also be called a base station) used for wireless communication. The facility 50 may also be a solar power generation facility or other facility that is fixed to land outdoors. Other examples of facilities that are monitored by the system 1 include power transmission lines and towers, as well as bridges, tunnels, industrial facilities, and the like. The system 1 may also be used in areas where some kind of facility is present, such as farmland, forests, rivers, coastlines, etc.

[0012] The flight management device 30 manages the flight of the drone 10. Specifically, the flight management device 30 issues flight instructions to the drone 10 and monitors the facility 50. Monitoring the facility 50 may, for example, involve monitoring to ensure that items provided in the facility 50 are not stolen. Specifically, if the facility 50 is a solar power generation facility, the items provided in the facility 50 may include electric wires, solar panels, and the like. In addition to flying around the facility 50, monitoring the facility 50 may also include, for example, capturing images of the area around the facility 50 and detecting intruders around the facility 50.

[0013] The drone 10 flies around the facility 50 and performs surveillance based on instructions from the flight management device 30. The drone 10 may also take images of the area around the facility 50 and detect intruders around the facility 50 based on instructions from the flight management device 30. Note that in this embodiment, it is assumed that the drone 10 is capable of flying. In the following description, the drone 10 may also be referred to as an air vehicle.

[0014] The information processing device, information processing method, and program according to this embodiment are preferably applied to the flight of the drone 10 using the above-described system 1. However, this embodiment is not limited to this example, and may be used to determine candidate takeoff and landing points for various aircraft.

[0015] In the following embodiments, when "takeoff or landing" is described, it means at least one of takeoff or landing, and does not necessarily mean both takeoff and landing.

[0016] [Information processing device] FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment. An example of the functional configuration of the information processing device 60 will be described with reference to the same diagram. The information processing device 60 is used to create a flight plan for the drone 10 using the system 1 as described above. In particular, the information processing device 60 is used to determine candidate takeoff and landing points in the flight plan for the drone 10. The information processing device 60 is intended to be used by businesses and individuals who provide services of the system 1 using the drone 10.

[0017] The information processing device 60 may perform its functions by executing, for example, an application installed on a general computer. A specific example of such an application is an application provided as a dedicated application. Another specific example of such an application is a web browser application. Such an application may be pre-installed on a specific computer, or may be downloaded each time information processing is performed. For example, when implemented as a web browser application, the computer may download and execute the application from a device designated by a specific web server (e.g., the web server itself or another server) in response to a connection of the computer to the web server, under the control of the web server. In this case, the information processing device 60 operates in accordance with the program of the application currently being executed.

[0018] The information processing device 60 includes an acquisition unit 61, a setting unit 62, a reception unit 63, and an output unit 64 as functional components.

[0019] The acquisition unit 61 acquires three-dimensional spatial information about the flight range for monitoring the monitoring target by the drone 10. Here, the three-dimensional spatial information is information including the flight range for monitoring the monitoring target by the flying object. Furthermore, the three-dimensional spatial information includes at least two-dimensional information in a predetermined geographical range and information in the height direction in the geographical range. The three-dimensional spatial information can also be said to be map information including information in the height direction.

[0020] The setting unit 62 sets a range within which the drone 10 can take off and land, based on the three-dimensional space information acquired by the acquisition unit 61. The range within which the drone 10 can take off and land set by the setting unit 62 may be a range within which a port for the drone 10 to take off and land can be physically installed. For example, if the shape of the terrain is a steep slope, it may be impossible to install a port. The setting unit 62 excludes such places where a port cannot be installed, and sets a range within which the drone 10 can take off and land. The setting unit 62 sets the range within which the drone 10 can take off and land, based on information included in the three-dimensional space information acquired by the acquisition unit 61, particularly information in the height direction.

[0021] The three-dimensional space information preferably includes topographical information within the geographical area and information about structures existing within the geographical area. By including information about structures in the three-dimensional space information, it is possible to set the range within which the drone 10 can take off and land, taking into account circumstances such as when a port cannot be placed due to the existing structure.

[0022] The reception unit 63 receives flight conditions and priority conditions for the drone 10 to fly to monitor a monitoring target. The drone 10 may receive the flight conditions and priority conditions from, for example, a business operator or an individual who provides the service of the system 1.

[0023] The flight conditions include restrictions on the flight of the drone 10. Specifically, the flight conditions preferably include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum flight time of the aircraft (specifically, this may be the battery capacity, etc.), an altitude condition at which the drone 10 can fly, and a range within which the drone 10 can fly (a range within which wireless communication is possible).

[0024] The priority conditions include conditions regarding what is prioritized by businesses or individuals, etc., who provide the services of system 1. One example of priority conditions is priority conditions according to flight conditions, such as minimizing battery use or limiting flight time to a certain number of hours. Other priority conditions include flight conditions according to environmental conditions at takeoff and landing locations, such as whether the port has a roof, the distance to specified facilities, and the quality of the communication environment. It is preferable that the priority conditions accepted by the accepting unit 63 include at least either priority conditions according to flight conditions or flight conditions according to environmental conditions.

[0025] The output unit 64 outputs candidate takeoff and landing locations for the drone 10. Specifically, the output unit 64 first generates flight path information including the takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the drone 10 can take off and land, which is set by the setting unit 62, and the flight conditions accepted by the acceptance unit 63. Next, the output unit 64 outputs, based on the generated flight path information, takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions accepted by the acceptance unit 63 as candidate takeoff and landing locations.

[0026] [Example of output from an information processing device] 3 is a first conceptual diagram showing an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the information processing device according to this embodiment. With reference to the diagram, an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the output unit 64 will be described. The diagram shows a conceptual diagram of the area monitored by the drone 10 viewed from above.

[0027] In the illustrated example, the area monitored by the drone 10 includes a solar power generation facility, numerous solar panels SP, and a forest F. The figure also shows takeoff and landing candidates 1 to 3 as examples of takeoff and landing location candidates output by the output unit 64. It can be seen from the figure that takeoff and landing candidates 1 to 3 are located in areas that appear to be flat, avoiding the solar panels SP and forest F.

[0028] Fig. 4 is a second conceptual diagram showing an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the information processing device according to this embodiment. With reference to the same figure, an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the output unit 64 will be described. The output unit 64 may output information such as that shown in Fig. 4 in addition to the information such as that shown in Fig. 3.

[0029] In the figure, information identifying the takeoff and landing candidate locations is displayed in association with the number of locations that satisfy the priority conditions. The information identifying the takeoff and landing candidate locations is information identifying takeoff and landing candidate locations 1 to 3 shown in FIG. 3. Although the locations are identified by name in the figure, they may also be identified by identification numbers or coordinates indicating ranges. The number of locations that satisfy the priority conditions refers to how many of the priority conditions accepted by the accepting unit 63 the corresponding takeoff and landing candidate location satisfies. For example, if the priorities are (1) battery consumption of 500 mA or less, (2) flight time of one hour or less, (3) the port has a roof, (4) the distance to a predetermined facility is within one km, and (5) the communication speed within the range is 5 Mbps or more, the number of locations that satisfy these conditions corresponds to the number of locations that satisfy the priority conditions. In other words, the output unit 64 can output, as takeoff and landing candidate locations, information in which a plurality of takeoff and landing locations that satisfy at least one of the priority conditions are arranged in descending order of the number of locations that satisfy the priority conditions.

[0030] In this case, the output unit 64 does not necessarily need to output the number that satisfies the priority condition, but may simply output the candidate takeoff and landing locations in descending order of the number of locations that satisfy the priority condition. Also, the output unit 64 does not necessarily need to output a table such as that shown in Figure 4, and may output, for example, the information shown in Figure 3 with information such as the number that satisfies the priority condition or the degree to which the priority condition is satisfied.

[0031] Fig. 5 is a third conceptual diagram showing an example of takeoff and landing candidate locations output by the information processing device according to this embodiment. An example of takeoff and landing candidate locations output by the output unit 64 will be described with reference to the same figure. The same figure shows the suitability of takeoff and landing candidate locations as takeoff and landing ports in the form of a heat map. The output unit 64 may output information such as that shown in the figure. It can also be said that the output unit 64 outputs information in the form of a heat map showing the suitability of takeoff and landing candidate locations as takeoff and landing ports based on priority conditions.

[0032] An example of an index for generating a heat map is the number of items that satisfy a priority condition, but this embodiment is not limited to this example. The output unit 64 may output information in the form of a heat map showing the suitability of an area as a takeoff and landing port based on various other indexes. Other examples of indexes include the flatness of the terrain and the presence or absence of structures in the surrounding area.

[0033] Fig. 6 is a fourth conceptual diagram showing an example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the information processing device according to this embodiment. An example of candidate takeoff and landing locations output by the output unit 64 will be described with reference to the same figure. The output unit 64 may output information such as that shown in Fig. 4 in addition to the information shown in Fig. 3. The example shown in Fig. 6 differs from Fig. 3 in that a flight path has been added. It can also be said that the output unit 64 outputs information including flight path information and candidate takeoff and landing locations.

[0034] This flight path shows the flight path of drone 10 when it flies via all of candidate takeoff and landing locations 1 to 3. That is, the information shown in Figure 6 displays the intervals at which takeoff and landing ports should be installed in a visually easy-to-recognize manner. By outputting such information, it becomes possible to visually and easily determine whether or not to install a takeoff and landing port, and where within the range of candidate takeoff and landing locations it should be installed.

[0035] As shown in the figure, when outputting information including flight route information and candidate takeoff and landing locations, the distance between the candidate takeoff and landing locations, the time required to fly that distance, the energy required to fly that distance (for example, the amount of battery used), etc. Also, while the figure shows only one flight route, the present embodiment is not limited to this example, and multiple flight routes may be displayed.

[0036] [Example of using machine learning] 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of a case where the information processing device according to this embodiment infers candidate takeoff and landing locations using a machine learning model. With reference to the same figure, an example of a case where candidate takeoff and landing locations are inferred using a machine learning model will be described. The same figure shows an example of a case where supervised learning is performed.

[0037] 7(A) shows the input and output of information during learning. As shown in the figure, three-dimensional spatial information, flight conditions, priority, and candidate takeoff and landing locations are input to the machine learning model 69. This information can also be called training data. In other words, in the learning stage, when predetermined three-dimensional spatial information, flight conditions, and priority are given, candidate takeoff and landing locations are associated as correct answer data and input to the machine learning model 69.

[0038] FIG. 7(B) shows the input and output of information during inference. As shown in the figure, three-dimensional spatial information, flight conditions, and priorities are input to the machine learning model 69. This information is unknown data specified by the user. The machine learning model 69, which has been trained using the configuration described with reference to FIG. 7(A), infers potential takeoff and landing locations from this unknown data.

[0039] In other words, the output unit 64 can also be said to output the results of inferring potential takeoff and landing locations using a trained machine learning model 69 that has been trained using previously created potential takeoff and landing locations and the information used to create those potential takeoff and landing locations as training data.

[0040] [Information processing method] 8 is a flowchart showing a series of steps in the information processing device method according to this embodiment. With reference to this figure, a series of steps in the process performed using the information processing device 60 will be described.

[0041] (Step S11) First, the information processing device 60 acquires three-dimensional space information about the flight range for monitoring the monitoring target by the drone 10. This process may also be referred to as an acquisition process or an acquisition step.

[0042] (Step S12) Next, the information processing device 60 sets a range in which the drone 10 can take off and land, based on the three-dimensional space information acquired in the acquisition process. This process may also be referred to as a setting process or a setting step.

[0043] (Step S13) Next, the information processing device 60 accepts flight conditions and priority conditions for the flight of the drone 10 to monitor the monitoring target. This process may also be referred to as a reception process or a reception step.

[0044] (Step S14) Finally, the information processing device 60 outputs candidate takeoff and landing locations. The candidate takeoff and landing locations are those that satisfy the priority conditions accepted in the acceptance process, among the takeoff and landing locations generated based on the range within which the drone 10 can take off and land, set in the setting process, and the flight conditions accepted in the acceptance process. This process may also be referred to as an output process or output step.

[0045] [Internal configuration] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of an information processing device according to this embodiment. The computer shown in FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a specific hardware configuration for realizing the information processing device 60. The computer includes a central processing unit (processor) 901, a RAM 902, an input / output port 903, input / output devices 904 and 905, and a bus 906. The computer itself can be realized using existing technology. The central processing unit 901 executes instructions contained in a program read from the RAM 902 or the like. In accordance with each instruction, the central processing unit 901 writes data to the RAM 902, reads data from the RAM 902, and performs arithmetic and logical operations. The RAM 902 stores data and programs. Each element included in the RAM 902 has an address and can be accessed using the address. RAM is an abbreviation for "random access memory." The input / output port 903 is a port through which the central processing unit 901 exchanges data with external input / output devices. The input / output devices 904 and 905 are input / output devices. Input / output devices 904 and 905 exchange data with the central processing unit 901 via an input / output port 903. A bus 906 is a common communication path used within the computer. For example, the central processing unit 901 reads and writes data from and to the RAM 902 via the bus 906. Also, for example, the central processing unit 901 accesses the input / output port via the bus 906. All or part of the information processing device 60 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC, a PLD, or an FPGA. All or part of each functional unit may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0046] [Summary of the embodiment] According to the embodiment described above, the information processing device 60 includes an acquisition unit 61, a setting unit 62, a reception unit 63, and an output unit 64. The acquisition unit 61 acquires three-dimensional spatial information regarding a flight range for the aircraft to monitor a monitoring target. The setting unit 62 sets a range within which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional spatial information acquired by the acquisition unit 61. The reception unit 63 receives flight conditions and priority conditions for the aircraft to fly to monitor the monitoring target. The output unit 64 generates flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land set by the setting unit 62 and the flight conditions received by the reception unit 63, and outputs takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions received by the reception unit 63 as candidate takeoff and landing locations based on the generated flight path information.

[0047] By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to set suitable takeoff and landing candidates based on the topography and surrounding environment, and then select a candidate site from the takeoff and landing candidates by further taking into account the flight plan for monitoring the monitored target. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether a location can be a landing location candidate, taking into account the overall flight plan.

[0048] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the acquisition unit 61 acquires three-dimensional spatial information, which is information including a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft, and which includes at least two-dimensional information within a predetermined geographical range and height information within the geographical range. Furthermore, the setting unit 62 sets a possible takeoff and landing range based on the height information included in the three-dimensional spatial information. Therefore, according to this embodiment, suitable takeoff and landing candidates can be set based on the topography and surrounding environment.

[0049] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the three-dimensional space information includes topographical information in the geographical area and information on structures existing in the geographical area. According to this embodiment, if a structure is present, the location is not set as a takeoff / landing candidate, thereby enabling takeoff / landing candidates to be set with high accuracy.

[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the flight conditions received by the receiving unit 63 include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum flight time of the aircraft, an altitude condition at which the aircraft can fly, and a flight range at which the aircraft can fly. According to this embodiment, it is possible to select a candidate site taking these flight conditions into further consideration. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether a site can be a candidate for landing, taking into account the overall flight plan.

[0051] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the priority conditions received by the receiving unit 63 include at least one of priority conditions according to flight conditions and environmental conditions at the takeoff and landing locations. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even when there are multiple candidate takeoff and landing locations, it is possible to select a suitable candidate takeoff and landing location in consideration of the priority conditions. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately determine whether a location can be a candidate landing location in consideration of the overall flight plan.

[0052] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the output unit 64 outputs information on multiple takeoff and landing locations that satisfy at least one of the priority conditions, sorting them in descending order of the number of locations that satisfy the priority conditions, as takeoff and landing candidate locations. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even when there are many takeoff and landing candidate locations, it is possible to select the most suitable takeoff and landing candidate location in consideration of the priority conditions. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately determine whether a location can be a landing location in consideration of the overall flight plan.

[0053] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the output unit 64 outputs information in the form of a heat map showing the suitability of each port as a takeoff and landing port based on the priority conditions. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to present candidate takeoff and landing sites in a manner that is visually easy for the user to recognize.

[0054] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the output unit 64 outputs information including flight path information and candidate takeoff and landing locations. By outputting the flight path information in addition to the candidate takeoff and landing locations, the information processing device 60 can select candidate locations that further take the flight path into consideration. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately determine whether a location can be a candidate landing location, taking into account the overall flight plan.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the output unit 64 outputs the results of inferring potential takeoff and landing locations using a trained machine learning model that has been trained using previously created potential takeoff and landing locations and the information used to create these potential takeoff and landing locations as training data. According to this embodiment, by using machine learning, it is possible to easily and accurately determine whether a location can be a candidate for landing.

[0056] The above-described embodiment makes it possible to "determine whether a landing site is a candidate taking into account the overall flight plan." It is conceivable that an aircraft using such a flight plan could be flown to monitor or inspect infrastructure such as equipment used in wireless communication networks. Therefore, this embodiment can contribute to Goal 9 of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which states, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation."

[0057] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, 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 invention.

[0058] In addition, a computer program for realizing the functions of each of the above-described devices may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read and executed by a computer system. Note that the "computer system" here may also include hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to writable non-volatile memory such as a flexible disk, optical magnetic disk, ROM, or flash memory, portable media such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a storage device such as a hard disk built into a computer system.

[0059] Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" also includes a storage medium that stores a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory (e.g., DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)) within a computer system that serves as a server or client when the program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. The program may also be transmitted from a computer system that stores the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by transmission waves within the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. The program may also be a program that realizes part of the aforementioned functions. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can realize the aforementioned functions in combination with a program already stored in the computer system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1...system, 10...drone, 30...flight management device, 50...equipment, 60...information processing device, 61...acquisition unit, 62...setting unit, 63...reception unit, 64...output unit, 69...machine learning model

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional spatial information about a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft; a setting unit that sets a range within which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional space information; a reception unit that receives flight conditions and priority conditions for the flight of the aircraft to monitor a monitoring target; an output unit that generates flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land, set by the setting unit, and the flight conditions accepted by the accepting unit, and outputs takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions accepted by the accepting unit as candidate takeoff and landing locations based on the generated flight path information; Equipped with The flight conditions accepted by the accepting unit include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum flight time of the aircraft, an altitude condition under which the aircraft can fly, and a flight range under which the aircraft can fly; The priority conditions accepted by the accepting unit include priority conditions according to the flight conditions. Information processing device.

2. the acquisition unit acquires the three-dimensional spatial information, which is information including a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft, and which includes at least two-dimensional information in a predetermined geographical range and information in a height direction in the geographical range; the setting unit sets a range in which takeoff and landing is possible based on height direction information included in the three-dimensional space information. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The three-dimensional spatial information includes topographical information in the geographical area and information on structures present in the geographical area. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The priority conditions accepted by the accepting unit further include environmental conditions at takeoff and landing locations. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the output unit outputs, as the candidate takeoff and landing locations, information in which a plurality of takeoff and landing locations that satisfy at least one of the priority conditions are arranged in descending order of the number of times the priority conditions are satisfied. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

6. the output unit outputs information in the form of a heat map showing the suitability of the port as a takeoff or landing port based on the priority conditions. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

7. the output unit outputs information including the flight path information and the candidate takeoff and landing locations. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

8. the output unit outputs a result of inferring the candidate takeoff and landing locations using a trained machine learning model that has been trained using the candidate takeoff and landing locations created in the past and information used to create the candidate takeoff and landing locations as training data. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

9. An information processing method executed by a computer, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring three-dimensional spatial information about a flight range for monitoring a monitoring target by an aircraft; a setting step of setting a range in which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional space information; a receiving step of receiving flight conditions and priority conditions for the flight of the aircraft to monitor the monitoring target; an output process of generating flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land, which is set in the setting process, and the flight conditions accepted in the acceptance process, and outputting, based on the generated flight path information, takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions accepted in the acceptance process as candidate takeoff and landing locations; and The flight conditions accepted by the accepting step include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum flight time of the aircraft, an altitude condition under which the aircraft can fly, and a flight range under which the aircraft can fly; The priority conditions accepted by the accepting step include priority conditions according to the flight conditions. Information processing methods.

10. On the computer, an acquisition step of acquiring three-dimensional spatial information about a flight range for monitoring the monitoring target by the flying object; a setting step of setting a range in which the aircraft can take off and land based on the three-dimensional space information; a receiving step of receiving flight conditions and priority conditions for the flight of the aircraft to monitor the monitoring target; an output step of generating flight path information including takeoff and landing locations based on the range within which the aircraft can take off and land, which was set in the setting step, and the flight conditions accepted in the accepting step, and outputting, as potential takeoff and landing locations, takeoff and landing locations that satisfy the priority conditions accepted in the accepting step, based on the generated flight path information; Execute The flight conditions accepted in the accepting step include at least one of a monitoring point for monitoring the monitoring target, a maximum flight time of the aircraft, an altitude condition under which the aircraft can fly, and a range under which the aircraft can fly; The priority conditions accepted in the accepting step include priority conditions according to the flight conditions. program.

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