Unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system, method, and program

Abstract

This unmanned aerial vehicle incident response support system is provided with a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to: receive an incident occurrence notification indicating that an incident has occurred with an unmanned aerial vehicle; acquire position data of the unmanned aerial vehicle with which the incident has occurred; and transmit a simple incident report including the position data of the unmanned aerial vehicle with which the incident has occurred to a supervisory agency.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system, method, and program. [Background technology]

[0002] The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which fly through the air without a human driver, is being considered in various fields. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7098596 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if an accident occurs with the unmanned aircraft while the user is away from the unmanned aircraft, the user is unable to quickly visually collect information about the accident.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure aims to assist in responding when an accident occurs involving an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system for supporting unmanned aerial vehicle accident response, the system including a processing circuit configured to receive an accident occurrence notification indicating that an accident has occurred in an unmanned aerial vehicle, acquire location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle where the accident occurred, and transmit a simplified accident report including the location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle where the accident occurred to a supervisory agency.

[0007] A method for supporting accident response for unmanned aerial vehicles according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method for supporting accident response for unmanned aerial vehicles, and includes receiving an accident notification indicating that an accident has occurred on an unmanned aerial vehicle, obtaining location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle on which the accident occurred, and transmitting a simplified accident report to a supervisory agency including the location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle on which the accident occurred.

[0008] An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure causes at least one processor to execute the accident response support method. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a non-transitory, tangible medium. The storage medium may be built into or externally attached to a computer (e.g., a mobile information terminal, a personal computer, a server, etc.). The storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, storage, etc., and may be, for example, a hard disk, flash memory, optical disk, etc. The program stored in the storage medium may be executed on a computer to which the storage medium is directly connected, or on a computer connected to the storage medium via a network, such as the Internet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, even if a user is located far from the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred, accident information including location data of the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred can be promptly notified to a supervisory agency, thereby effectively supporting a response when an accident occurs to an unmanned aircraft. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an accident response support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the user terminal of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the server of FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the accident response support processing of the accident response support system of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram continuing from FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the crash site estimation process of the accident response support system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an accident response support system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the accident response support system 1 includes a server 4 that supports a user 10 in responding to an accident involving an unmanned aerial vehicle 2. The user 10 operates a user terminal 3 used to pilot the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. The user terminal 3 communicates with the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 via wireless communication. The user terminal 3 is connected to a server 4 via a network N. The server 4 is connected to a network N such as the Internet. An internal database 5 is connected to the server 4. The server 4 is connected to a plurality of public databases 6 via the network N. The server 4 is connected to a computer of a supervisory agency 7 via the network N. The supervisory agency 7 is, for example, a public agency such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, but may also be a private company commissioned by the public supervisory agency.

[0013] The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may be, for example, an unpiloted aerial vehicle that flies without piloting. The unmanned aerial vehicle 2 includes a prime mover, an energy source, a thrust generator, a microcontroller, a communication device, multiple sensors, and the like. The prime mover includes an electric motor, but may alternatively or additionally include an internal combustion engine. The energy source includes a battery, but may alternatively or additionally include fuel. The thrust generator is, for example, a propeller. The multiple sensors include a camera, a satellite positioning sensor, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, an altitude sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic direction sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an energy remaining sensor, and the like. The energy remaining sensor is a battery remaining sensor if the energy source is a battery, and is a fuel remaining sensor if the energy source is fuel.

[0014] The internal database 5 stores a plurality of user detailed information and a plurality of user specific information corresponding to each of the plurality of user detailed information, in association with each other. The user detailed information includes, for example, the name, address, career history, knowledge, ability, etc. of the user 10. The user detailed information may include information such as the business license approval number of the user 10 and the safety system of the user 10. The user detailed information may include information on the insurance company with which the user 10 is subscribed. The user specific information is, for example, a user ID, but may also be a user name. The server 4 can obtain the user detailed information corresponding to the user specific information by referring to the internal database 5.

[0015] The internal database 5 stores a plurality of pieces of aircraft detailed information and a plurality of pieces of aircraft specific information corresponding to the plurality of aircraft detailed information, in association with each other. The aircraft detailed information includes the aircraft name, manufacturer, aircraft specifications, safety system information for the aircraft, and the aircraft flight manual. The aircraft detailed information may also include information indicating the flight conditions under which the aircraft can fly. The aircraft specific information is, for example, an aircraft ID, but may also be an aircraft name.

[0016] The internal database 5 includes a database that stores flight plans that have been approved in advance by a regulatory authority 7. The flight plan includes user-specific information, aircraft-specific information, planned flight route, permitted flight time slot, planned takeoff location, planned landing location, planned takeoff time, planned landing time, purpose of flight, type of cargo, etc.

[0017] The public database 6 includes, for example, a public weather information database that stores weather information. The weather information includes weather forecasts provided by public organizations such as the Japan Meteorological Agency or private organizations. The public database 6 may also include a public flight plan database that stores flight plans of other aircraft that have already been approved for flight by the supervisory organization 7. The public database 6 may also include an other aircraft flight status database that stores the flight status of other aircraft in real time. The flight status of other aircraft includes position information of the other aircraft and may further include flight speed, flight direction, etc.

[0018] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the user terminal 3 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the user terminal 3 includes a first processing circuit 11, an input interface 12, an output interface 13, and a communication interface 14. The input interface 12, the output interface 13, and the communication interface 14 are connected to the first processing circuit 11. The first processing circuit 11 includes a processor 16, a system memory 17, and a storage memory 18.

[0019] The processor 16 is, for example, a CPU. The system memory 17 is, for example, a RAM. The storage memory 18 is an example of a computer-readable medium, and is a non-transitory, tangible medium. The storage memory 18 may include a ROM. The storage memory 18 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 18 stores a terminal-side accident response support program P1. A configuration in which the processor 16 executes the terminal-side accident response support program P1 read into the system memory 17 is an example of a first processing circuit 11.

[0020] The input interface 12 is a user interface operated by the user 10. Information intended for the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, information intended for the server 4, and the like are input to the input interface 12. Commands related to a flight plan, flight speed, flight altitude, and flight direction are input to the input interface 12 as information intended for the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. For example, operations based on the flight plan, climb or descent commands, right or left move commands, forward or backward move commands, and right turn or left turn commands are input to the input interface 12. For example, a flight plan, accident occurrence input, and the like are input to the input interface 12 as information intended for the server 4. The input interface 12 includes at least one selected from, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a lever, a handle, and the like.

[0021] The output interface 13 is a user interface that outputs information to the user 10. The output interface 13 includes, for example, a display. The output interface 13 may further include a speaker. The output interface 13 outputs information based on information received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, information based on information received from the server 4, etc. The output interface 13 may display position information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. If it is difficult for the user 10 to directly view the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, the user 10 may input commands to the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 into the input interface 12 while visually viewing the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 on the output interface 13. The communication interface 14 includes a communicator that wirelessly communicates with the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and a communicator that communicates with the server 4 via the network N. The input interface 12, the output interface 13, and the communication interface 14 are connected to the processor 16.

[0022] Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the server 4 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the server 4 includes a second processing circuit 21, an input interface 22, an output interface 23, and a communication interface 24. The input interface 22, the output interface 23, and the communication interface 24 are connected to the second processing circuit 21. The second processing circuit 21 includes a processor 26, a system memory 27, and a storage memory 28.

[0023] The processor 26 is, for example, a CPU. The system memory 27 is, for example, a RAM. The storage memory 28 is an example of a computer-readable medium, and is a non-transitory, tangible medium. The storage memory 28 may include a ROM. The storage memory 28 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 28 stores a server-side accident response support program P2. A configuration in which the processor 26 executes the server-side accident response support program P2 read into the system memory 27 is an example of a second processing circuit 21.

[0024] The input interface 22 is a user interface operated by an operator who manages the server 4. The input interface 22 includes at least one selected from, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a lever, a handle, etc. The output interface 23 is a user interface that outputs information to the operator who manages the server 4. The output interface 23 includes, for example, a display. The communication interface 24 includes a communication device that communicates with the user terminal 3, the public database 6, and the supervisory agency 7 via the network N.

[0025] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating the accident response support processing of the accident response support system 1 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a sequence diagram that follows on from Figure 4. Below, the processing of the accident response support system 1 will be explained along the flow of Figures 4 and 5, with appropriate reference to the configurations of Figures 1 to 3. In the following explanation, the processing of the user terminal 3 is executed by the first processing circuit 11, and the processing of the server 4 is executed by the second processing circuit 21.

[0026] The user terminal 3 communicates wirelessly with the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 in flight, and sequentially acquires position data detected by the satellite positioning sensor of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (step S1). The user terminal 3 communicates wirelessly with the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 in flight, and sequentially acquires aircraft data detected by various sensors of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (step S2). The aircraft data may include video data captured by a camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. The aircraft data may include measurement data measured by the gyro sensor, acceleration sensor, barometric pressure sensor, magnetic direction sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and remaining energy sensor of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. The order of steps S1 and S2 is not particularly limited. Steps S1 and S2 may be continuously performed thereafter as long as communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the user terminal 3 is possible.

[0027] When the user 10 becomes aware of an accident involving the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 due to an abnormality in the video captured by the camera, an abnormality in the altitude information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, an abnormality in the aircraft data displayed on the user terminal 3, or a communication interruption, the user 10 operates the user terminal 3 to input a notice of the accident (step S3). In response to the user 10's input of the accident occurrence, the user terminal 3 transmits an accident occurrence notice to the server 4 together with user-specific information such as the user ID of the user 10 and aircraft-specific information such as the aircraft ID of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (step S4). The server 4 receives the accident occurrence notice from the user terminal 3 (step S5).

[0028] The user terminal 3 transmits the position data of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to the server 4 along with the user-specific information of the user 10 and the aircraft-specific information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (step S6). The server 4 receives the position data of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 from the user terminal 3 (step S7). The position data of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 may be transmitted together with an accident occurrence notification. Furthermore, if communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the user terminal 3 becomes impossible due to an accident, the position data and aircraft data that the user terminal 3 received before communication became impossible are transmitted to the server 4.

[0029] In response to receiving the accident notification, the server 4 creates a simple accident report (step S8). The simple accident report includes the location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, as well as the user name and aircraft name identified based on the user-specific information and aircraft-specific information by referring to the internal database 5. The simple accident report includes the date and time when the accident notification was received. The simple accident report may also include the impression of the operator managing the server 4 after viewing the camera footage included in the aircraft data. The server 4 transmits the simple accident report to the user terminal 3 (step S9). The user terminal 3 receives the simple accident report from the server 4 (step S10). The user 10 checks the contents of the simple accident report on the user terminal 3, and if they determine that there are no errors, inputs approval to the user terminal 3 (step S11).

[0030] The user terminal 3 transmits an approval signal to the server 4 indicating that the simple accident report has been approved (step S12). The server 4 receives the approval signal from the user terminal 3 (step S13). Upon receiving the approval signal, the server 4 transmits the simple accident report to the supervisory agency 7 (step S14). The simple accident report is a flash report, and details of the accident will be reported to the supervisory agency 7 in a detailed accident report, which will be described later. The server 4 also transmits the simple accident report to the insurance company (step S15). However, transmission of the simple accident report to the insurance company may be omitted.

[0031] The user terminal 3 transmits the aircraft data received from the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to the server 4 (step S16). If an accident causes communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the user terminal 3 to become unavailable, the aircraft data that the user terminal 3 received before communication became unavailable is transmitted to the server 4. The server 4 receives the aircraft data from the user terminal 3 (step S17).

[0032] The server 4 estimates the time when an abnormality occurred in the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 by referring to the aircraft data (step S18). For example, the server 4 may estimate the time when the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 experiences acceleration exceeding a predetermined allowable limit as the time when the abnormality occurred. When the server 4 detects that the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 has been subjected to acceleration exceeding a predetermined allowable limit, it may determine that an impact has occurred in the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and estimate the time when the impact occurred as the time when the abnormality occurred. The server 4 may acquire the attitude angle of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 from a sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and estimate the time when the attitude angle of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 deviates from a predetermined allowable range as the time when the abnormality occurred. The server 4 may estimate the time when the ground altitude sensor of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 indicates an abnormal value, i.e., approximately 0, as the time when the abnormality occurred. The server 4 may estimate the time when it is determined that altitude information from the satellite positioning sensor of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 indicates an abnormal descent as the time when the abnormality occurred. The server 4 may estimate the time when it is determined that the prime mover of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 has stopped as the time when the abnormality occurred.

[0033] The server 4 extracts video of a time determined based on the estimated time of occurrence of the abnormality from the video data captured by the camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. For example, the server 4 extracts video of a predetermined time including the time of occurrence of the abnormality from the video data captured by the camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, and identifies the extracted video as the abnormally captured video (step S19).

[0034] The server 4 transmits the identified abnormally captured video to the user terminal 3 (step S20). The user terminal 3 receives the abnormally captured video from the server 4 (step S21). The user terminal 3 displays the received abnormally captured video on the display of the output interface 13 (step S22). This allows the user 10 to understand the accident situation by viewing the camera video of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. Note that step S19 may also be executed by the user terminal 3. That is, the server 4 may transmit the time of the abnormality occurrence to the user terminal 3, and the user terminal 3 may extract video at a time determined based on the time of the abnormality occurrence from the video data captured by the camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2, and identify the extracted video as the abnormally captured video.

[0035] Although the example in which steps S16 to S22 are performed after the simple accident report is transmitted in step S14 has been described, steps S16 to S22 may be performed before the simple accident report is created. In this case, the server 4 may include the abnormality occurrence time estimated in step S18 and the abnormal captured video identified in step S19 in the simple accident report.

[0036] The server 4 may issue a command requesting the dispatch of a mobile object such as a car or an aircraft to the accident scene. In this case, the server 4 may receive scene information including information detected by the mobile object dispatched to the accident scene or information entered into an information processing device by the pilot of the mobile object dispatched to the accident scene. For example, the scene information may include information on whether the body of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 that crashed has been recovered, information on the exact location where the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 crashed, or information on the damage to objects around the accident scene.

[0037] Next, the server 4 creates a detailed accident report (step S23). The detailed accident report includes the location data received from the user terminal 3 as the location of the accident. The detailed accident report includes aircraft data received from the user terminal 3. The aircraft data may include measurement data measured by at least one of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2's gyro sensor, acceleration sensor, barometric pressure sensor, magnetic direction sensor, ultrasonic sensor, and remaining energy sensor.

[0038] The detailed information report includes user detailed information and aircraft detailed information obtained from the internal database 5. Specifically, the detailed accident report may include, for example, the name and address of the user 10, as well as the user 10's career history, knowledge, abilities, etc. The detailed accident report may also include the user 10's business license approval number, information such as the user 10's safety system, information on the insurance company with which the user 10 is subscribed, etc. The detailed accident report may include the aircraft's name, manufacturer, and aircraft specifications, as well as information on the system for ensuring safety according to the aircraft, etc.

[0039] The detailed information report includes the flight plan of the unmanned aircraft 2 obtained from the internal database 5. The detailed accident report includes the planned flight route, permitted flight time, planned takeoff location, planned landing location, planned takeoff time, planned landing time, purpose of the flight, type of cargo being transported, etc. The detailed information report may include weather information obtained from the public database 6. The detailed accident report may include real-time flight status of other aircraft obtained from the public database 6 within a specified range based on the point where the accident occurred with the unmanned aircraft 2. The detailed accident report may include at least one of the time the abnormality occurred and abnormally captured video.

[0040] The detailed accident report may include on-site information, including information on whether the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 has been recovered, information on the exact location where the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 crashed, or information on the damage to objects around the crash site of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. This on-site information may be detected by a mobile body dispatched to the accident site and transmitted to the server 4, or may be input into an information processing device by the operator of the mobile body dispatched to the accident site and transmitted from the information processing device to the server 4.

[0041] The server 4 transmits the detailed accident report to the user terminal 3 (step S24). The user terminal 3 receives the accident report from the server 4 (step S25). The user 10 checks the contents of the detailed accident report on the user terminal 3, and if the contents are determined to be correct, inputs approval to the user terminal 3 (step S26).

[0042] The user terminal 3 transmits an approval signal indicating that the detailed accident report has been approved to the server 4 (step S27). The server 4 receives the approval signal from the user terminal 3 (step S28). Upon receiving the approval signal, the server 4 transmits the detailed accident report to the supervisory agency 7 (step S29).

[0043] According to the above configuration, a simple accident report including the location data of the unmanned aircraft 2 where the accident occurred can be promptly notified to the supervisory authority 7. After that, a detailed accident report including specific details based on the aircraft data can be submitted to the supervisory authority 7. Therefore, even if the user 10 is located far from the unmanned aircraft 2 where the accident occurred, the user 10 can be effectively supported in responding to the accident while achieving both speed and specificity.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the crash location estimation process of the accident response support system 1 of FIG. 1. If communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the user terminal 3 becomes unavailable due to an accident, it is impossible to know the crash location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. Therefore, a method for estimating the crash location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 will be described below. When the user terminal 3 determines that communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the user terminal 3 has become unavailable, it transmits information indicating the communication unavailable state to the server 4. When the server 4 receives this communication unavailable state information, it executes the estimation process of FIG. 6. Note that although the estimation process of FIG. 6 is described as being executed by the server 4, it may also be executed by the user terminal 3, or the user terminal 3 and the server 4 may perform distributed processing.

[0045] The server 4 acquires from the user terminal 3 remaining energy data measured by the remaining energy sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 before communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the user terminal 3 was lost (step S31). The remaining energy data is accompanied by the time of data acquisition. The server 4 identifies the time of acquisition of the latest value of the remaining energy data (step S32). The server 4 acquires the flight speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (step S33). The flight speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 in step S33 may be an average flight speed calculated based on the flight speed history obtained from the aircraft data, may be the flight speed immediately before the accident, or may be a predetermined value.

[0046] Server 4 refers to the history of remaining energy data before communication became unavailable and calculates the amount of decrease in remaining energy per unit time during the flight of unmanned aerial vehicle 2 as the energy consumption rate (step S34). Server 4 may correct the energy consumption rate based on the flight speed of unmanned aerial vehicle 2 acquired in step S33.

[0047] The server 4 obtains the current time by referencing an internal or external clock of the server 4, and calculates the elapsed time since the latest value of the remaining energy data was obtained (step S35). The server 4 calculates the remaining energy amount by subtracting the energy consumption amount calculated by multiplying the energy consumption rate per unit time by the elapsed time from the latest value of the remaining energy data (step S36). In this way, the remaining energy amount can be estimated even if communication between the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 and the user terminal 3 is interrupted while the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is flying.

[0048] Next, the server 4 refers to the flight plan of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 stored in the internal database 5 and acquires the planned flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (step S37). The server 4 acquires the latest value of the position data of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 (step S38).

[0049] The server 4 estimates the crash location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 based on the energy consumption rate per unit time obtained in step S34, the time of acquisition of the latest value of the remaining energy data obtained by the method in step S36, the flight speed obtained in step S33, and the planned flight route obtained in step S37 (step S39). Specifically, the server 4 calculates the elapsed time from the time of acquisition of the latest value of the remaining energy data until the remaining energy becomes zero based on the energy consumption rate per unit time.

[0050] The server 4 multiplies the obtained flight speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 to calculate an estimated travel distance from the location indicated by the latest value of the position data to the location where the remaining energy of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 has become zero. The server 4 considers a location on the planned flight route of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 that is the estimated travel distance calculated from the location indicated by the latest value of the position data toward the planned landing location as the crash site of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2. The crash site estimated in this way can be included in the simple accident report created in step S8 or the detailed accident report created in step S23.

[0051] The method of estimating the crash location of the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 when communication is lost is not limited to the above. For example, if the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is pre-programmed to wait at the location where communication was lost, the server 4 may estimate the crash location to be the location indicated by the latest value of the position data received from the user terminal 3. If the unmanned aerial vehicle 2 is pre-programmed to head to a predetermined specific location when communication is lost, the server 4 may estimate the crash area to be a location that is an estimated travel distance from the location indicated by the latest value of the position data received from the user terminal 3 toward the specific location, or an area that includes a route that is an estimated travel distance from the latest value of the position data received from the user terminal 3.

[0052] Note that part or all of the program P1 in the above-described embodiment may be executed by the server 4 instead of the user terminal 3. Part of the program P2 in the above-described embodiment may be executed by the user terminal 3 instead of the server 4.

[0053] As described above, the above-described embodiment has been described as an example of the technology disclosed in the present application. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to embodiments in which appropriate modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Furthermore, the components described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem and are used to exemplify the technology.

[0054] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0055] Each of the following sections is a disclosure of a preferred embodiment.

[0056] [Item 1] A system for supporting unmanned aerial vehicle accident response, a processing circuit, the processing circuit comprising: receiving an accident notification indicating that an accident has occurred on the unmanned aerial vehicle; Obtaining location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle where the accident occurred; and transmitting a simplified accident report to a supervisory authority, the simplified accident report including location data of the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred.

[0057] With this configuration, even if the user is located far away from the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred, the accident information including the location data of the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred can be promptly notified to the supervisory authority, thereby providing effective support for responding to an accident involving an unmanned aircraft.

[0058] [Item 2] The processing circuitry Acquiring aircraft data measured by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle; generating a detailed accident report based on the aircraft data after transmitting the simplified accident report to the supervisory authority; 2. The unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system described in item 1, further configured to transmit the detailed accident report to the supervisory agency.

[0059] With this configuration, when an accident occurs, accident information can be promptly notified to the supervisory agency, and a detailed accident report created based on the aircraft data can be submitted to the supervisory agency.

[0060] [Item 3] the processing circuit includes a first processing circuit of a user terminal operated by a user and a second processing circuit of a server capable of communicating with the user terminal; The unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system described in item 2, wherein the second processing circuit is further configured to send the simple accident report to the user terminal before sending the simple accident report to the supervisory agency, or to send the detailed accident report to the user terminal before sending the detailed accident report to the supervisory agency.

[0061] According to this configuration, it is possible to prompt the user to confirm the contents of the report before reporting it to the supervisory agency.

[0062] [Item 4] The processing circuitry Acquiring aircraft data measured by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle and including a camera; estimating a time when an abnormality occurred based on the aircraft data; and identifying an abnormally captured image that is an image captured by the camera at a time determined based on the estimated abnormality occurrence time, the processing circuit includes a first processing circuit of a user terminal operated by a user and a second processing circuit capable of communicating with the user terminal; An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system described in any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the first processing circuit is configured to display the abnormally captured image on the display of the user terminal.

[0063] With this configuration, the accident situation can be understood by viewing the camera footage of the unmanned aircraft at a time based on the time when the abnormality occurred in the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred.

[0064] [Item 5] The processing circuitry determining whether communication between a user terminal and the unmanned aerial vehicle has become unavailable during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle; Acquiring remaining energy data measured by an energy remaining sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle; If it is determined that the communication is impossible, estimating a remaining amount of energy; The estimating of the remaining energy amount includes: Identifying the acquisition time of the latest value of the remaining energy data; obtaining an energy consumption rate indicating an amount of energy consumed per unit time of the unmanned aerial vehicle; Calculating the elapsed time from the acquisition time of the latest value; An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system as described in any one of items 1 to 4, comprising: calculating the remaining energy amount by subtracting the energy consumption amount obtained by multiplying the energy consumption rate by the elapsed time from the latest value of the remaining energy amount data.

[0065] With this configuration, even if communication between the unmanned aircraft and the operating terminal is interrupted while the unmanned aircraft is flying, the remaining energy can be estimated.

[0066] [Item 6] The processing circuitry obtaining a planned flight route for the unmanned aerial vehicle; An unmanned aircraft accident response support system as described in item 5, further configured to, when it is determined that the communication is impossible, estimate the crash location of the unmanned aircraft based on the planned flight route, the latest value of the position data of the unmanned aircraft, and the elapsed time until the calculated remaining energy reaches zero.

[0067] With this configuration, even if communication between the unmanned aircraft and the user terminal is interrupted due to an accident, the location where the unmanned aircraft crashes can be estimated.

[0068] [Item 7] 1. A method for assisting in unmanned aerial vehicle incident response, comprising: receiving an accident notification indicating that an accident has occurred on the unmanned aerial vehicle; Obtaining location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle where the accident occurred; A method for supporting response to an unmanned aerial vehicle accident, comprising: transmitting a simplified accident report to a supervisory agency, the simplified accident report including location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle in which the accident occurred.

[0069] According to this method, even if the user is located far from the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred, the accident information including the location data of the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred can be promptly notified to the supervisory authority, thereby effectively supporting the response when an accident occurs to an unmanned aircraft.

[0070] [Item 8] An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support program that causes at least one processor to execute the accident response support method described in item 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Accident response support system 2 Unmanned aerial vehicle 3. User terminal 4 Server 5 Internal Database 6 Public Databases 7 Supervisory Authority 10 users 11 First processing circuit 16 processors P1 Terminal-side accident response support program 21 Second processing circuit 26 processors P2 Server-side accident response support program

Claims

1. A system for supporting unmanned aerial vehicle accident response, A processing circuit includes a first processing circuit of a user terminal operated by a user and a second processing circuit of a server capable of communicating with the user terminal, The processing circuitry receiving an accident notification indicating that an accident has occurred on the unmanned aerial vehicle; Obtaining location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle where the accident occurred; Transmitting a simplified accident report to a supervisory authority, the report including location data of the unmanned aircraft in which the accident occurred; Acquiring aircraft data measured by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle; generating a detailed accident report based on the aircraft data after transmitting the simplified accident report to the supervisory authority; and transmitting the detailed accident report to the supervisory authority; The second processing circuit An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system configured to: send the simple accident report to the user terminal before sending the simple accident report to the supervisory agency, and receive an approval signal from the user terminal; or send the detailed accident report to the user terminal before sending the detailed accident report to the supervisory agency, and receive an approval signal from the user terminal.

2. The detailed accident report is:

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system of claim 1, which includes on-site information including information indicating whether the unmanned aerial vehicle has been recovered, information indicating the location where the unmanned aerial vehicle crashed, or information indicating the damage to objects around the location where the unmanned aerial vehicle crashed.

3. The processing circuitry Acquiring aircraft data measured by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle and including a camera; Estimating a time when an abnormality occurred in the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the aircraft data; and identifying an abnormally captured image that is an image captured by the camera at a time determined based on the estimated abnormality occurrence time, The unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first processing circuit is configured to display the abnormally captured image on a display of the user terminal.

4. The processing circuitry determining whether communication between the user terminal and the unmanned aerial vehicle has become unavailable during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle; Acquiring remaining energy data measured by an energy remaining sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle; If it is determined that the communication is impossible, estimating a remaining amount of energy; The estimating of the remaining energy amount includes: Identifying the time when the latest value of the remaining energy data was acquired; obtaining an energy consumption rate indicating an amount of energy consumed per unit time of the unmanned aerial vehicle; Calculating the elapsed time from the acquisition time of the latest value; 3. An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support system as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising: calculating the remaining energy amount by subtracting the energy consumption amount obtained by multiplying the energy consumption rate by the elapsed time from the latest value of the remaining energy amount data.

5. The processing circuitry obtaining a planned flight route for the unmanned aerial vehicle; 5. The unmanned aircraft accident response support system of claim 4, further configured to, when it is determined that communication is impossible, estimate the crash location of the unmanned aircraft based on the planned flight route, the latest value of the position data of the unmanned aircraft, and the elapsed time until the calculated remaining energy reaches zero.

6. An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support program for realizing a function of supporting unmanned aerial vehicle accident response in a processor including a first processor of a user terminal operated by a user and a second processor of a server capable of communicating with the user terminal, A function to receive an accident notification indicating that an accident has occurred on the unmanned aerial vehicle; a function of acquiring location data of the unmanned aerial vehicle where the accident occurred; a function of transmitting a simplified accident report to a supervisory authority, the simplified accident report including location data of the unmanned aircraft where the accident occurred; a function of acquiring aircraft data measured by a sensor mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle; a function of generating a detailed accident report based on the aircraft data after transmitting the simplified accident report to the supervisory agency; transmitting the detailed accident report to the supervisory agency; An unmanned aerial vehicle accident response support program that causes the second processor to realize the function of sending the simple accident report to the user terminal before sending the simple accident report to the supervisory agency and receiving an approval signal from the user terminal, or the function of sending the detailed accident report to the user terminal before sending the detailed accident report to the supervisory agency and receiving an approval signal from the user terminal.

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