aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft comprising a craft body, a power-operated mechanism that enables the craft body to be stationary in the air, an information acquisition unit that acquires position information of an obstacle relative to the aircraft, a display unit, and a control unit, wherein the control unit has one or a plurality of processors and one or a plurality of memories connected respectively to the processors, and the processors each execute a process that includes: deriving the direction, horizontal distance, and vertical distance of the obstacle relative to the aircraft on the basis of the position information of the obstacle; assessing whether the direction, the horizontal distance, and the vertical distance meet a first distance condition; and, if the first distance condition is met, displaying an indicator corresponding to the vertical distance in a display position on the display unit, said display position being specified by the direction and the horizontal distance.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to aircraft. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for superimposing a pseudo field of view image including obstacle ridgelines on an obstacle in the actual field of view while an aircraft is flying. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-279375 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Helicopters are sometimes used to carry out disaster relief operations in narrow areas such as mountainous regions. The helicopter descends close to the ground and hovers there while searching for and rescuing victims. In such mountainous areas, obstacles such as trees, pylons, and cliffs are scattered near the ground. Therefore, for safety reasons, existing autopilots cannot be used, and pilots must sometimes operate the aircraft manually.

[0005] However, it is difficult for a pilot to visually confirm the conditions around the helicopter, especially those behind and below, from the cockpit. Furthermore, in narrow areas such as mountainous regions, wind direction and speed change constantly. Due to reduced visibility caused by such sudden weather changes, pilots may find it difficult to maintain the helicopter's altitude and horizontal position. Therefore, if a helicopter approaches an obstacle near the ground in mountainous regions, such as a tree, steel tower, or cliff, against the pilot's intention, there is a risk that the rotors or the helicopter may come into contact with the obstacle.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft that can easily recognize obstacles around the aircraft. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the aircraft of the present invention comprises: The aircraft and a power mechanism that can keep the airframe stationary in the air; a position information detection unit mounted on the host aircraft and detecting position information of an obstacle relative to the host aircraft; an information acquisition unit that acquires the location information; A display unit; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit one or more processors; excluding the obstacle corresponding to the structure forming the player's aircraft from the display target of the display unit; one or more memories coupled to said processor; and The processor: Deriving a direction, a horizontal distance, and a vertical distance of the obstacle relative to the aircraft based on the position information of the obstacle; determining whether the direction, the horizontal distance, and the vertical distance satisfy a first distance condition; When the first distance condition is satisfied, an indicator corresponding to the vertical distance is displayed on the display unit at a display position specified by the direction and the horizontal distance; Execute the process including. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, obstacles around the aircraft can be easily recognized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of an aircraft. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by each functional unit in the control unit. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a display mode of the warning image on the display unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display mode of the warning image on the display unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the determination criteria for each partial region of the tail rotor. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the determination criteria for each partial region of the main rotor. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the determination process of the distance condition determination unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates the process for an obstacle. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates the process for an obstacle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0011] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the general configuration of an aircraft 1. Here, a helicopter (rotorcraft) will be used as the aircraft 1. The aircraft 1 is composed of a power mechanism 110, a display unit 112, a sound output unit 114, a control unit 116, an information acquisition unit 118, and a control unit 120.

[0012] The power mechanism 110 is composed of rotors and a drive unit. The rotors include a main rotor 110a provided on the upper part of the airframe (the part of the aircraft 1 other than the rotors) and a tail rotor 110b provided at the end of the tail boom of the airframe. The number of rotors is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. The drive unit is composed of, for example, a reciprocating engine, a jet engine, a motor, or the like, and rotates the rotors. The drive unit of the power mechanism 110 rotates the rotors to generate lift and thrust for the aircraft 1. The drive unit of the power mechanism 110 rotates the rotors to enable the airframe to hover in the air, i.e., enable vertical takeoff and landing. The power mechanism 110 is not limited to a combination of rotors and a drive unit, and any other mechanism capable of holding the airframe stationary in the air may be used, such as a jet engine.

[0013] The display unit 112 is configured with a liquid crystal display, an EL display, an LED display, etc. Through the display unit 112, the pilot can visually confirm information necessary for flight.

[0014] The sound output unit 114 is configured as a headphone or earphone part of a headset, or a speaker. The pilot can hear information necessary for flight through the sound output unit 114.

[0015] The control unit 116 receives operational inputs from the pilot who pilots the aircraft 1 and transmits them to the control unit 120. For example, when the pilot tilts a stick-like control stick, which is an example of the control unit 116, forward or backward, the amount of operation is transmitted to the control unit 120.

[0016] The information acquisition unit 118 acquires flight information based on the flight of the aircraft 1 and environmental information of the area in which the aircraft is flying. For example, the information acquisition unit 118 acquires the absolute position in which the aircraft 1 is flying, such as longitude, latitude, and altitude, through a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like. The information acquisition unit 118 also acquires the attitude and ground speed of the aircraft 1 through an inertial navigation system. The information acquisition unit 118 also acquires the pressure altitude and airspeed of the aircraft 1 through a pressure sensor such as a Pitot tube.

[0017] Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 118 acquires position information of obstacles present around the aircraft through any one of a LiDAR, a visible camera, and an infrared camera, or a combination thereof. However, the information acquisition unit 118 is not limited to a LiDAR, a visible camera, and an infrared camera, and various electronic devices can be used as long as they can derive the relative distance from the aircraft. Note that various existing technologies can be used to determine the relative distance from the aircraft, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0018] Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 118 acquires weather, temperature, air pressure, etc. in the area in which the aircraft is flying based on weather information reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency and the aircraft's location information.

[0019] The control unit 120 is configured with a semiconductor integrated circuit including a processor 120a, a ROM 120b storing programs and the like, and a RAM 120c serving as a work area, and manages and controls the entire aircraft 1. The ROM 120b and RAM 120c are sometimes collectively referred to as memory. For example, the control unit 120 changes the altitude, horizontal position, and attitude of the aircraft through the power mechanism 110 in response to an operation amount obtained from the control unit 116. Furthermore, as will be described later, the control unit 120 functions as a position derivation unit 130, a distance condition determination unit 132, a display control unit 134, and an output control unit 136 in cooperation with a program. Here, an example is given in which the control unit 120 changes the altitude, horizontal position, and attitude of the aircraft, and functions as the position derivation unit 130, the distance condition determination unit 132, the display control unit 134, and the output control unit 136. However, this is not limiting, and multiple control units may individually change the altitude, horizontal position, and attitude of the aircraft, or may individually function as the position derivation unit 130, distance condition determination unit 132, display control unit 134, and output control unit 136. Each functional unit will be described in detail later.

[0020] Such an aircraft 1 may be required to perform disaster relief operations in confined areas such as mountainous regions. In these situations, the aircraft 1 descends near the ground and hovers there while searching for and rescuing rescuers. Obstacles such as trees, pylons, and cliffs are scattered near the ground in such mountainous regions. Therefore, for safety reasons, existing autopilots cannot be used, forcing the pilot to operate the aircraft manually. However, it is difficult for the pilot to visually confirm the conditions around the aircraft, particularly those behind and below, from the cockpit of the aircraft 1. Furthermore, in confined areas such as mountainous regions, wind direction and speed change constantly. Due to reduced visibility caused by such sudden weather changes, the pilot may have difficulty maintaining the helicopter's altitude and horizontal position. If the helicopter approaches an obstacle, such as a tree, pylon, or cliff, near the ground in a mountainous region against the pilot's intention, the rotors or part of the aircraft may come into contact with the obstacle. Therefore, in this embodiment, an object is to allow the pilot to easily recognize obstacles around the aircraft through the display unit 112 and the sound output unit 113.

[0021] 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by each functional unit in the control unit 120. Each functional unit executes the processing at an interrupt timing that is executed at a predetermined interval.

[0022] The position derivation unit 130 derives the direction θ, horizontal distance l, and vertical distance h of the obstacle relative to the aircraft based on the obstacle position information acquired by the information acquisition unit 118 (S100). The direction θ is expressed as an angle on a horizontal plane with the nose of the aircraft as the reference, the horizontal distance l is expressed as the relative horizontal distance between the aircraft and the obstacle, and the vertical distance h is expressed as the relative vertical distance between the aircraft and the obstacle. For example, a lidar as the information acquisition unit 118 is installed at an intermediate position between the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b. Therefore, the position derivation unit 130 converts the position information based on the intermediate position into position information based on the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a. If the detection axis of the lidar is different from the aircraft axis, the position derivation unit 130 multiplies the lidar detection axis by a rotation matrix so that the detection axis of the lidar coincides with the aircraft axis, and further multiplies the information acquisition unit 118 by a displacement matrix so that the installation position of the information acquisition unit 118 coincides with the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a. Then, the position derivation unit 130 derives the direction θ, horizontal distance l, and vertical distance h of the obstacle relative to the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a based on the coordinate-converted position information.

[0023] Here, the horizontal distance l is not the relative distance from the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a, but the value obtained by subtracting the wing length of the main rotor 110a, i.e., the rotation radius of the main rotor 110a, from that relative distance. This is because the part that comes into contact with the obstacle is not the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a, but the wingtip of the main rotor 110a. Here, the vertical distance h is the relative distance from the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a. However, the value obtained by subtracting the distance between the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a and the bottom of the aircraft from that relative distance may also be used as the vertical distance h.

[0024] Furthermore, the position derivation unit 130 converts the coordinates of the position information based on the midpoint between the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b into position information based on the center of rotation of the tail rotor 110b. Based on the coordinate-converted position information, the position derivation unit 130 derives the direction θ, horizontal distance l, and vertical distance h of the obstacle relative to the center of rotation of the tail rotor 110b.

[0025] The distance condition determining unit 132 determines whether the direction θ, horizontal distance l, and vertical distance h of the obstacle derived by the position deriving unit 130 satisfy a first distance condition, which is a condition related to the direction and distance (S102).

[0026] In manual flight, a pilot can see obstacles in the direction of the nose with the naked eye, but has difficulty seeing obstacles behind or below, which are blind spots. Therefore, in this embodiment, the direction θ relative to the nose is set to 0°, and a predetermined angle range greater than -90° and less than +90°, for example, a range of -45°<θ≦+45°, is not included in the determination target. That is, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines the ranges of -180°<θ≦-45° and +45°<θ≦+180° as the determination target. The angles not included in the determination target are not limited to the range of -45°<θ≦+45°, and can be set arbitrarily.

[0027] With this configuration, the pilot can visually identify obstacles in the nose direction with the naked eye, and can also grasp obstacles in blind spots behind or below the aircraft through the display unit 112. In addition, since the nose direction is not a target for determination, the pilot can concentrate on visually identifying obstacles in the nose direction with the naked eye.

[0028] The ranges used for the determination are different for the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b. For example, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines the ranges of -135°<θ≦-45° and +45°<θ≦+135° for the main rotor 110a. The distance condition determination unit 132 determines the ranges of -180°<θ≦-45° and +45°<θ≦+180° for the tail rotor 110b.

[0029] This is because, if an obstacle exists in the ranges of -180°<θ≦-135° and +135°<θ≦+180° for the main rotor 110a, the tail rotor 110b is more likely to come into contact with it before the main rotor 110a. Therefore, the ranges of -180°<θ≦-135° and +135°<θ≦+180° for the main rotor 110a, where determination is less necessary, are excluded from the determination target. Note that the angles excluded from the determination target for the main rotor 110a are not limited to the ranges of -180°<θ≦-135° and +135°<θ≦+180° and can be set arbitrarily.

[0030] In addition, in the vicinity below the aircraft, there is a possibility that an obstacle may come into contact with a part of the aircraft below either the main rotor 110a or the tail rotor 110b. Therefore, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines the entire range of 2.5 m or less in the horizontal direction, that is, the range of -180°<θ≦+180°. However, as with the range greater than 2.5 m, the range of -45°<θ≦+45° may not be included in the determination range for the horizontal range of 2.5 m or less. In this embodiment, a warning image 112a is formed for the above-mentioned determination target and displayed on the display unit 112.

[0031] 3 and 4 are explanatory diagrams showing the display mode of the warning image 112a on the display unit 112. FIG. 3 shows the display mode of the warning image 112a for the tail rotor 110b, and FIG. 4 shows the display mode of the warning image 112a for the main rotor 110a. Note that in FIGS. 3 and 4, angles are indicated by arrows for the sake of convenience, but these are not actually displayed on the warning image 112a. As described above, for both the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b, the range of -45°<θ≦+45° from the nose is excluded from the determination target, except for the vicinity below. Therefore, in the warning image 112a, the ranges for obstacle determination are limited to -180°<θ≦-45° and +45°<θ≦+180°.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 3, for the tail rotor 110b, within the ranges of -180°<θ≦-105° and +105°<θ≦+180°, the actual direction θ relative to the center of rotation of the tail rotor 110b is displayed so that it is equal to the display angle on the warning image 112a. However, for the ranges of -105°<θ≦-45° and +45°<θ≦+105° for the tail rotor 110b, the actual direction θ relative to the center of rotation of the tail rotor 110b is different from the display angle on the warning image 112a. Specifically, the actual directions θ of -45° and +45° are displayed as -75° and +75° on the warning image 112a. This prioritizes ease of visual recognition for the pilot over precise indication of the direction θ.

[0033] 4, for the main rotor 110a, in the ranges of -45°<θ≦-135° and +45°<θ≦+135°, the actual direction θ relative to the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a differs from the display angle on the warning image 112a. Specifically, the actual directions θ of -45° and 45° are represented by -75° and +75° on the warning image 112a, and the actual directions θ of -135° and +135° are represented by -105° and +105° on the warning image 112a. This prioritizes ease of visual recognition by the pilot over the actual direction θ.

[0034] Furthermore, the display related to the main rotor 110a shown in Fig. 4 is superimposed on the display related to the tail rotor 110b shown in Fig. 3. Integrating the display position of the main rotor 110a with the display position of the tail rotor 110b in this way allows the pilot to quickly and intuitively grasp obstacles in the lateral direction, regardless of whether they are the main rotor 110a or the tail rotor 110b.

[0035] In addition, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the obstacle detection range is limited to -180°<θ≦-45° and +45°<θ≦+180°, and the display range is limited to -180°<θ≦-75° and +75°<θ≦+180°. Therefore, information other than obstacles can be displayed in the -75°<θ≦+75° area of ​​the warning image 112a. Here, an image of the aircraft is displayed in this display range, with the center of the warning image 112a overlapping with the center of rotation of the tail rotor 110b. This allows the pilot to visually recognize that information about obstacles behind or below the aircraft is being displayed and that the information is based at least on the center of rotation of the tail rotor 110b. Furthermore, any information, such as nose direction information, may be displayed.

[0036] Furthermore, for the main rotor 110a and tail rotor 110b, in the range of -180°<θ≦+180° near the bottom, the actual direction θ relative to the center of rotation of the main rotor 110a and tail rotor 110b differs from the display angle on the warning image 112a. Specifically, the actual direction θ of 0° is represented by -75° and +75° on the warning image 112a. This prioritizes ease of viewing for the pilot over precise indication of the direction θ. Furthermore, it is possible to display other information in the warning image 112a in the range of -75°<θ≦+75°.

[0037] Such a target range is divided into multiple partial regions on the attention image 112a according to the direction and horizontal distance 1. In the examples of Figures 3 and 4, the target range is divided into seven radial regions according to the direction θ and six concentric regions according to the horizontal distance 1.

[0038] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, with respect to the tail rotor 110b, it is divided radially into -165° < θ ≤ -135°, -135° < θ ≤ -105°, -105° < θ ≤ -45°, +45° < θ ≤ +105°, +105° < θ ≤ +135°, +135° < θ ≤ +165°, (+165° < θ ≤ +180° and -180° < θ ≤ -165°). Also, with respect to the tail rotor 110b, it is divided concentrically into 2.5m < l ≤ 5m, 5m < l ≤ 7.5m, 7.5m < l ≤ 10m, 10m < l ≤ 15m, 15m < l ≤ 20m. The regions thus divided each form a partial region. Also, in the center of the caution image 112a, a partial region is formed radially over the entire range, that is, -180° < θ ≤ +180°, and concentrically with 0m < l ≤ 2.5m. In the example of FIG. 3, for the sake of convenience of explanation, it is divided by black lines against a white background, but actually, it is divided by white lines against a black background. However, not limited to such color schemes, the colors of the background and the lines can be arbitrarily set.

[0039] Also, "UNDER" is marked in the central partial region of the caution image 112a, and the pilot can easily grasp that that partial region indicates the lower part of the aircraft. "LH" is marked to the left of the caution image 112a, and the pilot can easily grasp that that direction indicates the left direction of the aircraft. "RH" is marked to the right of the caution image 112a, and the pilot can easily grasp that that direction indicates the right direction of the aircraft. "REAR" is marked below the caution image 112a, and the pilot can easily grasp that that direction indicates the rear of the aircraft. Numerical values "2.5", "5", "7.5", "10", "15", "20" are marked above the caution image 112a corresponding to the concentric circles, and the pilot can easily grasp what horizontal distance l the concentric circles indicate. Also, by making the styles of the concentric circles different from each other, such as a solid line and a dashed line, for example, it becomes easier for the pilot to judge what horizontal distance l the concentric circles indicate.

[0040] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, with respect to the main rotor 110a, it is divided radially into -135° < θ ≦ -45°, +45° < θ ≦ +135°, and concentrically into 2.5 m < l ≦ 5 m, 5 m < l ≦ 7.5 m, 7.5 m < l ≦ 10 m, 10 m < l ≦ 15 m, 15 m < l ≦ 20 m. Also, at the center of the target range, there is a partial region that is radially the entire range, that is, -180° < θ ≦ +180°, and concentrically 0 m < l ≦ 2.5 m.

[0041] Note that in both the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b, the division direction θ and the number thereof, as well as the division horizontal distance l and the number thereof, can be arbitrarily set.

[0042] The distance condition determination unit 132 determines whether the direction θ, horizontal distance l, and vertical distance h of the obstacle satisfy the first distance condition. Specifically, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines the vertical distance h for each partial region specified by the direction θ and horizontal distance l of the obstacle.

[0043] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the determination criteria for each partial region in the tail rotor 110b. Here, the first distance condition regarding the tail rotor 110b is composed of a combination of the direction θ, the horizontal distance l, and the vertical distance h in FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 5, as the first distance condition regarding the tail rotor 110b, for example, 108 combinations such as -165° < θ ≦ -135°, 2.5 m < l ≦ 5 m, and h ≦ 5 m are defined. Referring to FIG. 5, regardless of the direction θ and the horizontal distance l of the obstacle based on the tail rotor 110b, if the vertical distance h is h ≦ 5 m, the first risk level = 3 is determined; if 5 m < h ≦ 10 m, the first risk level = 2 is determined; if 10 m < h ≦ 20 m, the first risk level = 1 is determined. Note that if the vertical distance h is 20 m < h, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines that the first risk level = 0. The first risk level is represented by 0 to 3, and the higher the numerical value, the higher the possibility that the own aircraft contacts the obstacle. Here, an example of specifying the first risk level according to the vertical distance h regardless of the direction θ and the horizontal distance l of the obstacle has been described, but it is not limited to such a case, and different first risk levels may be specified for each partial region, that is, according to the direction θ and the horizontal distance l of the obstacle respectively. Note that the first distance condition regarding the tail rotor 110b is not limited to the example of FIG. 5 and can be defined by various combinations of any direction θ, any horizontal distance l, and any vertical distance h.

[0044] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the determination criteria for each partial region in the main rotor 110a. Here, the first distance condition for the main rotor 110a is composed of a combination of the direction θ, the horizontal distance l, and the vertical distance h in FIG. 6. In the example of FIG. 6, as the first distance condition for the main rotor 110a, for example, 33 combinations such as -135° < θ ≦ -45°, 2.5 m < l ≦ 5 m, and h ≦ 5 m are defined. Referring to FIG. 6, similar to the tail rotor 110b, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines that the first risk level = 3 if the vertical distance h is h ≦ 5 m regardless of the direction θ and the horizontal distance l of the obstacle based on the main rotor 110a, determines that the first risk level = 2 if 5 m < h ≦ 10 m, and determines that the first risk level = 1 if 10 m < h ≦ 20 m. Note that the distance condition determination unit 132 determines that the first risk level = 0 if the vertical distance h is 20 m < h. Here, an example has been described in which the first risk level is specified according to the vertical distance h regardless of the direction θ and the horizontal distance l of the obstacle, but this is not limited to such a case, and different first risk levels may be specified for each partial region, that is, according to the direction θ and the horizontal distance l of the obstacle respectively. Note that the first distance condition for the main rotor 110a is not limited to the example of FIG. 6 and can be defined by various combinations of any direction θ, any horizontal distance l, and any vertical distance h.

[0045] Returning to FIG. 2, if the first distance condition is not satisfied (NO in S102), the display control unit 134 ends the process of FIG. 2. Further, if the first distance condition is satisfied (YES in S102), the display control unit 134 displays an index corresponding to the vertical distance h at the display position specified by the direction θ and the horizontal distance l in the caution image 112a (S104). Here, the partial region specified by the direction θ and the horizontal distance l is described as the display position. Also, the display color corresponding to the first risk level is described as the index.

[0046] When the first degree of danger is specified by the distance condition determination unit 132 based on the direction θ of the obstacle, the horizontal distance l, and the vertical distance h, the display control unit 134 causes the entire partial area specified by the direction θ and the horizontal distance l to emit light in the display color corresponding to the first degree of danger. The display colors include, for example, red, yellow, green, and black, which correspond to the first degree of danger = 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. For example, when an obstacle exists at a position where -165° < θ ≤ -135°, 10 m < l ≤ 15 m, and 10 m < h ≤ 20 m with respect to the tail rotor 110b, the distance condition determination unit 132 refers to FIG. 5 and determines that the first degree of danger = 1. Therefore, as shown by hatching in FIG. 3, the display control unit 134 causes the entire partial area where -165° < θ ≤ -135° and 10 m < l ≤ 15 m in the caution image 112a to emit light in green corresponding to the first degree of danger 1. Here, if the pilot attempts to grasp the specific size and shape of the obstacle, it will take time for such grasping. Here, by simply representing the vertical distance h of the obstacle with a display color corresponding to that distance, the pilot can quickly and intuitively grasp the distance from the obstacle.

[0047] Thus, with the configuration of causing the partial area of the caution image 112a to emit light in the display color corresponding to the first degree of danger, the following effects can be obtained. That is, when there is no obstacle or when an obstacle exists but its vertical distance h is greater than 20 m, on the caution image 112a, black indicating no danger is displayed, so the pilot does not need to worry about the rear and lower parts of the own aircraft. On the other hand, when the partial area has a display color other than black, it indicates that an obstacle exists at the position corresponding to that partial area, so the pilot can pay attention to the direction θ and the horizontal distance l. Also, since the display color changes according to the vertical distance h of the obstacle, the pilot can intuitively recognize the vertical distance h of the obstacle. Therefore, the pilot can easily recognize the surrounding obstacles while visually observing the nose direction with the naked eye.

[0048] Also, as described above, in the regions with the display angles of the attention image 112a being -105° to -75° and +75° to +105°, the display horizontal distance being 2.5 m to 20 m, and the display angles being -180° to +180° and the display horizontal distance being 0 m to 2.5 m, the displays regarding both the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b are superimposed. Therefore, when there is an obstacle in either the main rotor 110a or the tail rotor 110b, the corresponding partial region will be the display color corresponding to the first risk level. Also, when there are obstacles in both the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b, the corresponding partial region will be the display color with a shorter vertical distance h, that is, the higher first risk level.

[0049] Note that since the rotation centers of the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b are at different positions, it may occur that the horizontal distance l of the same obstacle is different. Then, even for the same obstacle, it may occur that the display colors corresponding to the risk level of that obstacle are displayed in different partial regions.

[0050] Returning to FIG. 2, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines whether the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h derived by the position derivation unit 130 satisfy the second distance condition, which is a condition regarding direction and distance (S106). Here, the second distance condition is composed of combinations of the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h in FIG. 7 described later. Here, as the second distance condition, for example, three combinations such as 2.5 m < l ≤ 5 m, h ≤ 5 m are defined.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the determination process S106 of the distance condition determination unit 132. The distance condition determination unit 132 calculates the straight-line distance, that is, √((horizontal distance l) 2 +(vertical distance h) 2) is identified (S106-1). Then, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines whether the identified obstacle satisfies a first condition: horizontal distance l to the main rotor 110a ≦ 2.5 m, vertical distance h to the main rotor 110a ≦ 5 m, horizontal distance l to the tail rotor 110b ≦ 2.5 m, and vertical distance h to the tail rotor 110b ≦ 5 m (S106-2). If the first condition is satisfied (YES in S106-2), the second danger level is determined to be 3 (S106-3), and the determination process S106 is terminated.

[0052] If the first condition is not satisfied (NO in S106-2), the distance condition determination unit 132 determines whether the identified obstacle satisfies a second condition, that is, the horizontal distance 1 to the main rotor 110a is 5 m or less, the vertical distance h to the main rotor 110a is 5 m or less, the horizontal distance 1 to the tail rotor 110b is 5 m or less, and the vertical distance h to the tail rotor 110b is 5 m or less (S106-4). If the second condition is satisfied (YES in S106-4), the second danger level is determined to be 2 (S106-5), and the determination process S106 is terminated.

[0053] If the second condition is not satisfied (NO in S104-6), the distance condition determination unit 132 determines whether the identified obstacle satisfies a third condition: horizontal distance l of the main rotor 110a ≦ 10 m, vertical distance h of the main rotor 110a ≦ 10 m, horizontal distance l of the tail rotor 110b ≦ 10 m, and vertical distance h of the tail rotor 110b ≦ 10 m (S106-6). If the third condition is satisfied (YES in S106-6), the distance condition determination unit 132 determines that the second risk level is 1 (S106-7) and ends the determination process S106. If the third condition is not satisfied (NO in S106-6), the distance condition determination unit 132 determines that the second risk level is 0 (S106-8) and ends the determination process S106. Note that the second distance condition is not limited to the example in FIG. 7 and can be defined by various combinations of any horizontal distance l and any vertical distance h.

[0054] Returning to FIG. 2, if the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h do not satisfy the second distance condition (NO in S106), the output control unit 136 terminates the processing of FIG. 2. If the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h satisfy the second distance condition (YES in S106), the output control unit 136 causes the sound output unit 114 to output a sound corresponding to the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h (S108). The sound can be high volume, medium volume, low volume, or silent, which correspond to second danger levels of 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. For example, if an obstacle exists between the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b and the horizontal distance l is 2.5 m or less and the vertical distance h is 5 m or less, the distance condition determination unit 132 determines that the second danger level is 3. Therefore, the output control unit 136 causes the sound output unit 114 to output a sound such as a beep at a high volume.

[0055] Furthermore, although the example described here is one in which the volume is changed according to the second danger level, this is not limited to this case, and various factors that allow people to judge the difference in sound, such as the type of sound, sound frequency, sound quality, and voice, can also be applied.

[0056] In this way, the configuration in which the sound output unit 114 outputs a sound according to the second danger level provides the following effects. That is, if there is no obstacle, or if there is an obstacle but its vertical distance h is greater than 10 m, no sound is output, so the pilot does not need to pay attention to what is behind or below the aircraft. On the other hand, if some kind of sound is output, it indicates that an obstacle is present at a position corresponding to the volume of the sound, so the pilot can pay attention to obstacles behind or below. Furthermore, since the volume of the sound changes according to the horizontal distance l and vertical distance h of the obstacle, the pilot can intuitively recognize the horizontal distance l and vertical distance h of the obstacle. Therefore, the pilot can easily recognize surrounding obstacles while visually observing the nose of the aircraft with the naked eye.

[0057] Here, an example has been described in which when the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h satisfy the second distance condition, the output control unit 136 causes the sound output unit 114 to output a sound corresponding to the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h regardless of the direction of the obstacle. However, this is not limited to such a case. For example, a plurality of sound output units 114 may be provided at intervals in the horizontal direction behind the cockpit. In this case, when the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h satisfy the second distance condition, the output control unit 136 may cause the sound output unit 114 corresponding to the direction θ of the obstacle to output a sound corresponding to the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h. With such a configuration, the pilot can sensually recognize not only the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h of the obstacle but also its direction θ.

[0058] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 illustrate the processing for an obstacle. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, assume that the top of a tree, which is an obstacle, exists at a position where the direction θ of the tail rotor 110b is 180°, the horizontal distance l is 18 m, and the vertical distance h is 15 m. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the display control unit 134 causes the entire partial region where (+165° < θ ≤ +180° and -180° < θ ≤ -165°) and 15 m < l ≤ 20 m to emit light in green corresponding to the first risk level = 1. Also, since the output control unit 136 does not satisfy the second distance condition, the sound output unit 114 does not output any sound. In this case, the pilot can move the own aircraft forward or increase the altitude to avoid the obstacle.

[0059] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, assume that the top of a tree, which is an obstacle, exists at a position where the direction θ of the tail rotor 110b is θ = -110°, the horizontal distance l = 10 m, and the vertical distance h = 7 m. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the display control unit 134 causes the entire partial region where -135° < θ ≤ -105° and 10 m < l ≤ 15 m with respect to the tail rotor 110b to emit light in yellow corresponding to the first danger level = 2. Further, the top of such a tree will exist at a direction θ = -132° of the main rotor 110a, a horizontal distance l = 12.5 m, and a vertical distance h = 7 m. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the display control unit 134 causes the entire partial region where -135° < θ ≤ -45° and 10 m < l ≤ 15 m with respect to the main rotor 110a to emit light in yellow corresponding to the first danger level = 2. Here, it can be understood that for the same obstacle, the obstacle is displayed in two partial regions.

[0060] Also, since the position of the obstacle satisfies the third condition that the horizontal distance l of the tail rotor 110b is l ≤ 10 m and the vertical distance h of the tail rotor 110b is h ≤ 10 m, the output control unit 136 causes the sound output unit 114 to output a sound corresponding to the second danger level = 1. In this case, the pilot can advance the aircraft diagonally forward or increase the altitude to avoid the obstacle.

[0061] By the way, for example, a lidar as the information acquisition unit 118 is installed at an intermediate position between the main rotor 110a and the tail rotor 110b. Therefore, the lidar will determine not only the actual obstacles but also the structures forming the aircraft itself, for example, the tail rotor 110b itself as an obstacle. Then, the position derivation unit 130 will constantly derive the horizontal distance l and the vertical distance h of the structures forming the aircraft itself as obstacles.

[0062] Therefore, the distance condition determination unit 132 excludes the obstacles corresponding to the structures forming the aircraft itself from the display targets on the caution image 112a. With such a configuration, since the structures forming the aircraft itself are not determined as obstacles, it becomes possible to accurately extract the actual obstacles with high precision.

[0063] Furthermore, when the weather is rain, fog, hail, snow, dust, leaves, petals, etc., the information acquisition unit 118, for example, a lidar, may determine that floating objects in the air, such as rain, fog, hail, snow, dust, leaves, petals, etc., which do not affect the flight even if they come into contact with the rotors and the aircraft, are obstacles. In this case, the position derivation unit 130 will derive the horizontal distance l and vertical distance h of the floating object.

[0064] Therefore, the distance condition determination unit 132 excludes obstacles that correspond to floating objects from being displayed in the warning image 112a. Such floating objects have a small volume. Therefore, the distance condition determination unit 132 considers obstacles that reflect electromagnetic waves weakly to the LIDAR as floating objects and excludes them from being displayed in the warning image 112a.

[0065] Furthermore, floating objects do not stay in a fixed position. Therefore, if the distance condition determination unit 132 does not recognize an obstacle for a short period of time, for example, if the obstacle does not exist in the same position for two consecutive frames, the distance condition determination unit 132 considers the obstacle to be a floating object and excludes it from being displayed in the warning image 112a.

[0066] Pilots can easily recognize obstacles around the aircraft even in conditions of poor visibility due to rain, fog, hail, snow, dust, leaves, petals, etc. This allows them to avoid contact with obstacles and improves safety.

[0067] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0068] For example, in the above-described embodiment, a helicopter (rotorcraft) was described as an example of the aircraft 1. However, the aircraft 1 is not limited to this, and any machine that flies in the atmosphere will suffice. When an airplane is used as the aircraft 1, the thrust generated by the internal combustion engine generates lift around the fixed wings fixed to the aircraft, thereby maintaining the aircraft floating in the atmosphere.

[0069] The series of processes performed by each device (e.g., aircraft 1, control unit 120) according to the present embodiment described above may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, in a non-transitory storage medium provided inside or outside each device. The programs are then read from, for example, a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., ROM) to a transitory storage medium (e.g., RAM) and executed by a processor such as a CPU.

[0070] A program for realizing each function of each of the above devices can be created and installed in the computer of each of the above devices. The processor executes the program stored in memory, thereby performing the processing of each of the above functions. At this time, the program may be shared and executed by multiple processors, or the program may be executed by a single processor. Furthermore, the functions of each of the above devices may be realized by cloud computing using multiple computers interconnected by a communication network.

[0071] The program may be provided to the computer of each device by distribution from an external device via a communication network and installed therein, or may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium and provided to the computer of each device via the storage medium and installed therein.

[0072] According to this embodiment, a program for executing the processing of each function of each of the above devices can be provided. Furthermore, a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing the program can also be provided. The non-transitory storage medium may be, for example, a disk-type storage medium such as an optical disk, a magnetic disk, or a magneto-optical disk, or may be a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory or a USB memory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 aircraft 112 Display section 114 Sound output section 118 Information Acquisition Department 120 control section 130 Position derivation part 132 Distance condition judgment section 134 Display control unit 136 Output control section

Claims

1. The aircraft and a power mechanism that can keep the airframe stationary in the air; a position information detection unit mounted on the host aircraft and detecting position information of an obstacle relative to the host aircraft; an information acquisition unit that acquires the location information; A display unit; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit one or more processors; one or more memories coupled to the processor; and The processor: excluding the obstacle corresponding to the structure forming the player's aircraft from the display target of the display unit; Deriving a direction, a horizontal distance, and a vertical distance of the obstacle relative to the aircraft based on the position information of the obstacle; determining whether the direction, the horizontal distance, and the vertical distance satisfy a first distance condition; When the first distance condition is satisfied, an indicator corresponding to the vertical distance is displayed on the display unit at a display position specified by the direction and the horizontal distance; An aircraft performing a process including:

2. The aircraft and a power mechanism that can keep the airframe stationary in the air; a position information detection unit mounted on the host aircraft and detecting position information of an obstacle relative to the host aircraft; an information acquisition unit that acquires the location information; A display unit; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit one or more processors; one or more memories coupled to the processor; and The processor: excluding the obstacle corresponding to the floating object from the display target of the display unit; Deriving a direction, a horizontal distance, and a vertical distance of the obstacle relative to the aircraft based on the position information of the obstacle; determining whether the direction, the horizontal distance, and the vertical distance satisfy a first distance condition; When the first distance condition is satisfied, an indicator corresponding to the vertical distance is displayed on the display unit at a display position specified by the direction and the horizontal distance; An aircraft performing a process including:

3. The aircraft and a power mechanism that can keep the airframe stationary in the air; a position information detection unit mounted on the host aircraft and detecting position information of an obstacle relative to the host aircraft; an information acquisition unit that acquires the location information; A display unit; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit one or more processors; one or more memories coupled to the processor; and The processor: Deriving a direction, a horizontal distance, and a vertical distance of the obstacle relative to the aircraft based on the position information of the obstacle; excluding a predetermined angle range greater than -90° and less than +90° with respect to the nose from the determination target; determining whether the direction, the horizontal distance, and the vertical distance satisfy a first distance condition; When the first distance condition is satisfied, an indicator corresponding to the vertical distance is displayed on the display unit at a display position specified by the direction and the horizontal distance; An aircraft performing a process including:

4. Equipped with a sound output unit, The processor: determining whether the horizontal distance and the vertical distance satisfy a second distance condition; The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising: a process for causing the sound output unit to output a sound corresponding to the horizontal distance and the vertical distance when the second distance condition is satisfied.

Images