Control methods, apparatus, electronic devices, computer-readable storage media, and programs for maintenance support using unmanned aerial vehicles.

Abstract

To provide a control method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium and program for drone-assisted maintenance.SOLUTION: A control method for drone-assisted maintenance includes: determining a target workpiece and a storage location thereof in response to an assistance message obtained by a first terminal located at a construction location, where the assistance message is used to indicate the target workpiece lacking in a maintenance operation; planning a flight path for a transport task according to the construction location and the storage location; and controlling a drone to transport the target workpiece to the construction location according to the flight path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of drone technology, and particularly to the fields of drone control, path planning, and device maintenance technology.

Background Art

[0002] In conventional maintenance work, when a maintenance worker notices that necessary tools or parts are suddenly lacking during the implementation of maintenance work, usually, the current construction process needs to be interrupted and the worker has to return to the warehouse or other storage areas to obtain the required items. As a result, the maintenance efficiency is significantly reduced. In particular, in cases of narrow spaces, complex environments, and difficult access to the site, it has a great impact on the progress of maintenance and related production operations.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure provides a control method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and program for maintenance support by a drone to solve or mitigate one or more technical problems in the prior art.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a control method for maintenance support by a drone, the method comprising: determining a target workpiece and its storage location according to a cooperation message acquired by a first terminal at a construction location, wherein the cooperation message is for indicating a target workpiece lacking for maintenance work; planning a flight path of a transportation task based on the construction location and the storage location; and controlling the drone to transport the target workpiece to the construction location based on the flight path.

[0005] In a second aspect, the Disclosure provides an apparatus for maintenance assistance using an unmanned aerial vehicle, the apparatus comprising: A workpiece inquiry module for determining a target workpiece and its storage location in response to a cooperation message acquired by a first terminal located at the construction site, wherein the cooperation message indicates a target workpiece that is missing for maintenance work; A route planning module for planning the flight path of a transport task based on the aforementioned construction location and the aforementioned storage location, The system includes a control module for controlling the unmanned aircraft to transport the target workpiece to the construction site based on the aforementioned flight path.

[0006] In a third aspect, the Disclosure provides an electronic device, which is At least one processor, The system comprises at least one processor and memory that is communicated with, The memory stores instructions that are executable by the at least one processor, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, they cause one of the methods in the embodiments of the present disclosure to be performed.

[0007] A fourth aspect provides a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that stores computer instructions for causing a computer to execute any one of the methods in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0008] In the fifth aspect, a program is provided which, when executed by a processor, implements any one of the methods in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0009] The beneficial effects of the solutions provided in this disclosure include, at a minimum, the following:

[0010] If there is a shortage of workpieces necessary for maintenance work, they can be quickly transported by unmanned aerial vehicles, thereby supporting maintenance work and shortening the time required for maintenance.

[0011] It should be understood that the information contained herein is not intended to describe any key points or important features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Further details of other features of this disclosure will be provided in the specification below. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals in multiple accompanying drawings indicate the same or similar components or elements. These accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings illustrate only some of the embodiments provided in this disclosure and should not be considered to limit the scope of this disclosure. [Figure 1] This is a flowchart of a control method for maintenance support using an unmanned aircraft according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle maintenance support device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] The embodiments of this disclosure are block diagrams of electronic devices for realizing the control method for maintenance support using an unmanned aircraft. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The present disclosure will be described in further detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the attached drawings, the same reference numerals represent the same or similar elements. In addition, although various embodiments of the examples are shown in the attached drawings, unless otherwise stated, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0014] Furthermore, to better illustrate this disclosure, many specific details are provided in the following specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that this disclosure can be similarly implemented without some of these details. In some embodiments, methods, means, components, and circuits that are well known to those skilled in the art are not described in detail, so as to be clearer for the purpose of this disclosure.

[0015] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a control method for maintenance assistance using an unmanned aerial vehicle provided by one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the method includes at least the following steps.

[0016] In S101, the target workpiece and its storage location are determined in response to a cooperation message acquired by a first terminal located at the work site, wherein the cooperation message indicates a target workpiece that is missing for maintenance work.

[0017] The control method for maintenance support by an unmanned aircraft according to the embodiment of this disclosure can be applied to a data processing device, thereby providing an execution system for performing this method. For example, when the device is deployed and executed on a first server or other processing device, it can realize the control method for maintenance support by an unmanned aircraft.

[0018] The first server may be an independent server, or it may be a server cluster or distributed system, or it may be a cloud server that provides underlying cloud computing services such as cloud services, cloud databases, cloud computing, cloud functions, cloud storage, network piece services, cloud communications, middleware services, and big data and artificial intelligence platforms.

[0019] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first terminal is an electronic device carried into a maintenance construction site by a maintenance staff, and the first terminal can communicate with a first server via a wireless network. Optionally, the first terminal may be a terminal device such as a smartphone, a tablet, a notebook computer, a smartwatch, a personal digital assistant (PDA), etc., or may be a device such as smart glasses, a following drone, a video collection device, etc. for assisting and recording the maintenance process, but is not limited thereto. In the first terminal, an application capable of supporting maintenance by a drone is installed and running.

[0020] The maintenance staff can generate a cooperation message through the first terminal and send it to the execution system. The cooperation message indicates the items lacking for the currently ongoing maintenance work and indicates that cooperation is required for obtaining those items. The cooperation message can include an audio message dictated by the maintenance staff, and the system can determine the missing workpiece information through speech recognition and semantic analysis. Also, the cooperation message may be the missing workpiece information determined by the system through semantic analysis based on a text message manually input by the maintenance staff. Furthermore, the cooperation message may be the missing workpiece information directly selected by the maintenance staff through operations such as clicking and selecting on the dialogue interface of a preset program running on the first terminal.

[0021] Note that in some complex construction environments, for example, inside devices such as intersecting pipes, reaction kettles, stirrers, etc., where the space is very limited and the operation of the maintenance staff is inconvenient, the cooperation message can be generated more conveniently in the form of audio.

[0022] After determining the missing workpieces, the system can query the storage location of the workpieces through the inventory information it stores, and can also send the information of the target workpieces to the second server that runs the inventory management system, and query the storage location of the target workpieces through the second server.

[0023] In S102, based on the construction location and the storage location, plan the flight path of the transportation task.

[0024] When the first terminal sends a cooperation message to the system, it can simultaneously send its own location, that is, the construction location, to the system as part of the cooperation message. The system plans the flight path using a pre-set map based on the construction location and the storage location.

[0025] For route planning, it is necessary to consider elements such as the terrain, obstacles, flight restrictions, etc. between the storage location of the target workpiece and the construction location, and it can be realized by using the elevation information, building distribution, etc. of the map data.

[0026] In S103, based on the flight path, control the drone to transport the target workpiece to the construction location.

[0027] The system generates the planned flight path and sends it as a navigation command to the drone that executes the transportation task, thereby controlling the drone to fly along the planned flight path. The flight path must be designed to efficiently reach the storage location of the target workpiece and ensure flight safety to avoid collisions and other potential hazards.

[0028] After the drone loads the target workpiece, the flight control system can begin executing the transport task based on commands and control the drone's flight along a planned path. During flight, the drone can sense its surroundings and its own status in real time. This sensing can be achieved by equipping it with sensors such as cameras and laser radar. If new obstacles or other risks are detected during flight, the flight control system can adjust the flight path based on existing relevant obstacle avoidance techniques, such as changing the path or taking obstacle avoidance measures.

[0029] After the drone arrives at the construction site, it must perform at least one of the following actions—hovering, landing, throwing, or lowering a suspension pin—based on conditions such as the method of loading the target workpiece, the environment of the construction site, and the dimensions of the target workpiece, in order to ensure that maintenance personnel can safely pick up the target workpiece. Subsequently, depending on the specific needs, the drone may take off again in the air, return to its stopping position according to a previously planned route, or perform other tasks.

[0030] According to the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, if maintenance work cannot be continued due to a shortage of necessary workpieces, they can be immediately transported by an unmanned aerial vehicle, thereby supporting maintenance work and reducing the time required for maintenance work. Stopping many critical pieces of equipment for maintenance can lead to a complete shutdown of the entire production process and potentially result in extremely large economic losses, so completing maintenance in a timely and rapid manner can minimize losses as much as possible.

[0031] In possible embodiments, determining the target workpiece and its storage location in S101 in response to a cooperation message acquired by a first terminal located at the construction site includes the following steps:

[0032] In S1011, based on the semantic information contained in the cooperation message received by the first terminal at the work site, workpiece information for tools or parts that are missing for maintenance work is determined.

[0033] In S1012, the target workpiece and its storage location are determined from the inventory based on the workpiece information.

[0034] In embodiments of this disclosure, the system receives a cooperation message transmitted by a first terminal located at the work site, and then performs semantic analysis on the voice message or manually entered text message in the cooperation message to identify workpiece information, which is a tool or part missing for maintenance work. For example, voice recognition technology is used to convert the voice information to text, and natural language processing (NLP) technology is used to extract important information.

[0035] After obtaining workpiece information, the system determines the target workpiece and its storage location by querying a local workpiece information database or by communicating with a second server running an inventory management system. Selectively, the workpiece information includes information such as the workpiece number, name, and specifications, allowing for the accurate locating of the target workpiece.

[0036] According to the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the entire process, through semantic analysis and information queriage, allows the system to understand the needs of maintenance personnel and pinpoint the exact location of necessary tools or parts in inventory. This helps to streamline maintenance operations and ensures that missing workpieces can be quickly retrieved and transported by automated vehicles.

[0037] In one possible embodiment, planning the flight path of the transport task based on the construction location and storage location in S102 includes the following steps:

[0038] In S1021, environmental information for unmanned aircraft flight is determined based on the construction site.

[0039] In the embodiments of this disclosure, environmental information can be understood as information indicating the complexity of the environment. Typically, the complexity of the environment is lower in open areas than in indoor areas, and within indoor areas, the complexity of the environment in corridor areas is lower than in factory areas with production facilities. The more complex the environment, the more difficult it is to fly the drone. Environmental information for drone flight can be understood as information indicating the difficulty of drone flight. Based on the construction site, geographical information of the factory district where the construction site is located, the distribution of each building and equipment, etc., is determined from a pre-set map. The spatial layout of the factory area where the construction site is located is analyzed, including the height of buildings, the location and height of equipment, etc. Environmental rules can be pre-set for each building and equipment, for example, indicating which areas are flyable and open, and which areas are flight restricted. Furthermore, for areas where various types of equipment are located, flight difficulty levels can be set as follows: for example, the flight difficulty level for open areas and areas 3 meters or more above the equipment is Class 1; the flight difficulty level for areas where Class A equipment is located is Class 2; the flight difficulty level for areas where Class B equipment is located is Class 3; the difficulty level for flying between complex pipeline networks is Class 4; and the difficulty level for flying inside pipelines or equipment is Class 5.

[0040] In S1022, the task type is determined based on environmental information.

[0041] Based on environmental information, the difficulty of the current task's flight can be determined, and the task type can be decided. For example, if the construction site is in an open outdoor area or a spacious indoor area, the drone can fly in a straight line, so the task type may be simple. On the other hand, if the construction site is in an area with dense equipment and various pipeline networks intersecting, the task type is complex and may involve complex operations such as obstacle avoidance. Task types can be categorized according to whether the level of flight difficulty is greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., level 4).

[0042] In the case of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with multiple different loading methods, the type of UAV or loading method can be limited when determining the task type based on environmental information. For example, if the transport task is complex and the conditions for UAV descent are not met, a small-volume, highly adaptable UAV can be prioritized, and loading methods such as throwing and hovering can be prioritized.

[0043] In S1023, the flight path for the transport task is planned based on the task type, construction location, and storage location.

[0044] For different task types, it is necessary to select an appropriate flight strategy. Then, based on the construction site and storage location, the flight path is planned on a pre-defined map. For example, a high-speed, direct flight strategy can be used in areas with low flight difficulty, while a low-speed or high-altitude flight strategy can be used in areas with high flight difficulty.

[0045] According to the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, it is possible to dynamically plan the optimal flight path based on map information and environmental regulations in different environments, ensuring that the unmanned aerial vehicle safely and efficiently transports the target workpiece in various scenarios.

[0046] In one possible implementation, planning the flight path of the transport task based on the task type, construction location, and storage location in S1023 is further possible. If the task type is non-complex, plan multiple first routes connecting the construction site and the storage site using open areas and / or passage areas on a pre-defined map. To evaluate the travel time and safety of multiple primary routes, This includes selecting one of several first routes based on evaluation results and timeliness requirements to obtain a flight path for the transport task.

[0047] In the embodiments of this disclosure, first, a number of routes connecting the construction site and the storage site are determined using pre-configured map information, which may be open areas or passage areas. Open areas include open areas above various facilities inside the factory, and passage areas include pedestrian walkways and equipment passageways inside the factory.

[0048] Next, the system evaluates the flight time for each connected route and estimates the flight duration for each route. This process can take into account factors such as flight distance, flight speed, and anticipated risk areas. For each connected route, it is necessary to evaluate safety, including whether the flight area is restricted and potential obstacles such as mobile equipment and workers. By comprehensively considering the flight time and safety, an overall score is generated for each connected route, and the evaluation results can be obtained.

[0049] The timeliness requirement refers to the maximum permissible flight duration for the transport task. This timeliness requirement may also be indicated by maintenance personnel in cooperation messages, such as terms like "as soon as possible" or "quickly" in voice messages. Route selection is performed based on the evaluation results and timeliness requirements, and the final flight path is chosen based on a reasonable flight duration and a high safety score.

[0050] According to the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, when the task is not complex, the system can select an optimal flight path based on map information and pre-set rules, taking into account factors such as time required and safety, thereby ensuring that the unmanned aircraft completes the task of transporting the target workpiece in a safe manner within a limited time.

[0051] In one possible implementation, planning the flight path of the transport task based on the task type, construction location, and storage location in S1023 is further possible. If the task type is complex, the task involves obtaining the history path of the first terminal, Based on the construction location and storage location, a second route will be planned and generated. This includes adjusting and optimizing a second path using at least a portion of the historical path to obtain a flight path for the transport task.

[0052] In embodiments of this disclosure, for complex tasks, i.e., when the environment is a complex area, the pre-configured map information typically does not include specific data about these areas. Therefore, the planned flight path is only a straight line from the entrance of the area to the construction site, and it may be difficult to move freely through the gaps between facilities. The drone performing the transport task may need to perform obstacle avoidance maneuvers many times in order to reach the construction site in this area. If the environment is too complex, the drone performing the transport task may take too long or have difficulty reaching the construction site. As a result, the system can obtain the historical path when a maintenance worker enters the construction site with a first terminal and generate a flight path for the transport task with the assistance of the historical path. The historical path can be obtained by recording by the first terminal device or by other location tracking techniques.

[0053] Based on the construction location and storage location, the system may plan and generate an initial second route, or it may plan a basic route based on pre-configured information such as maps and open passages.

[0054] Using at least a portion of the historical path, the system can adjust and optimize the initial second path, specifically including trajectory matching, dynamic adjustment, and fault avoidance processing.

[0055] In trajectory matching, the historical path is matched with a second path to find adjacent or similar sections.

[0056] In dynamic adjustment, the second path is dynamically adjusted to adapt to the actual situation, according to the actual progress within the historical path.

[0057] In the obstacle avoidance process, if there is a trace of obstacle avoidance in the historical path, this information is used to adjust the second path to avoid the obstacle.

[0058] According to the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, by utilizing historical path information and matching and adjusting it with a planned second path to generate a final flight path, it is possible to better adapt to complex construction environments and improve the accuracy and efficiency of drone navigation.

[0059] In one possible embodiment, the first terminal includes a follow drone, and the history path of the first terminal includes the history flight path of the follow drone.

[0060] In embodiments of this disclosure, the historical flight path formed during the process of a follow-me drone entering a complex construction environment and reaching the construction site while following a maintenance worker can be used as a reference for the flight path of a drone transporting a target workpiece. By planning the flight path of the transport task by referring to this historical flight path, the drone performing the transport task is guided to learn the trajectory of the follow-me drone in this space, thereby better avoiding branching paths and collisions in this complex space, and ultimately ensuring the rapid delivery of the target workpiece.

[0061] Furthermore, the tracking drone can follow maintenance personnel using existing related tracking technologies, which is useful for maintenance personnel to perform operations such as process recording, remote communication, and equipment history information inquiry. When tracking, the tracking drone usually only needs to reach the speed of a human walking, and its flight speed is relatively low, so even if it encounters an obstacle during flight, there is sufficient time to avoid it. The resulting historical flight path helps reduce obstacle avoidance actions by the drone performing the transport task, and in turn, it can arrive at the work site at a faster speed, thereby increasing the efficiency of maintenance work.

[0062] The tracking drone needs to record its flight path during maintenance work to create a historical flight path. The tracking drone's flight path can be transmitted to the system in real time, and it can also transmit cooperation messages to the system.

[0063] In one possible embodiment, obtaining a flight path for a transport task involves adjusting and optimizing a second path using at least a portion of the historical path, specifically, Based on the construction location, the complex area is determined, The first trajectory point in the second route that enters a complex area, To determine the second trajectory point closest to the first trajectory point in the history path, The process involves merging the portion of the second path located after the first trajectory point with the portion of the history path located after the second trajectory point to obtain a merged path. This includes connecting the portion of the second path located before the first trajectory point with the fusion path to obtain the flight path for the transport task.

[0064] In embodiments of this disclosure, determining a complex area based on the construction location includes determining a complex area that requires overhead flight, such as narrow passages or high obstacles, based on the construction location and environmental information.

[0065] Subsequently, in the second path, the first trajectory point that enters the complex area, i.e., the approach point for flying over the complex area, is determined. Next, the second trajectory point closest to the first trajectory point is found in the history path. In other words, a trajectory point that can dock with the second path can be found within the history path.

[0066] The portion of the second path located after the first trajectory point is merged with the portion of the history path located after the closest second trajectory point to form a merged path. The purpose of this step is to ensure the rationality and safety of the merged path by utilizing the empirical information within the history path.

[0067] The final flight path is obtained by connecting the portion of the second path located before the first trajectory point with the merged path. This step ensures efficient navigation through complex areas using the guidance path while maintaining the continuity of the original path.

[0068] In flight path planning, one of the following fusion methods can be used to merge the trajectory path and the secondary path:

[0069] Firstly, there is weighted fusion. That is, two paths can be fused by assigning weights to them. The weights can be assigned based on factors such as the reliability and accuracy of the historical path. For example, if the historical path is the historical flight path of a tracking drone, it has higher reference value and can be assigned a higher weight. If it is the historical path of a device such as a mobile phone or PDA, it can be assigned a lower weight.

[0070] Secondly, there is path interpolation. That is, a new path is generated by interpolating the key points of the historical path with the key points of the second path. In this method, the historical path and the new path have some similarities, and these similarities allow for smooth fusion. The specific procedure is as follows.

[0071] 1. Analyze the historical path. First, analyze the historical path and identify the curves and turns within it. This process can be completed by detecting changes in the curvature and direction of the path. Parts where the curvature is greater than a threshold generally correspond to curves, and parts where the direction changes significantly may represent turns.

[0072] 2. Set keypoints. Keypoints can be set at curve and turning points, such as the highest curvature point of the path, turning points of the path, or other scenario-specific locations. Keypoints will be used for subsequent interpolation.

[0073] 3. Select an interpolation algorithm. Choose an appropriate interpolation algorithm to generate a smooth curve between the defined keypoints. Common interpolation methods include linear interpolation, spline interpolation, and Bezier curves. Select an interpolation algorithm based on the path characteristics and smoothness requirements.

[0074] 4. Interpolation is performed. An interpolation path is generated for each pair of keypoints using the selected interpolation algorithm, creating a new path. This path is created to fit the curves and turns of the historical path as closely as possible while maintaining smoothness between keypoints.

[0075] 5. Integrate the new path. Integrate the new path generated by interpolation with the rest of the original path to form the complete planned path.

[0076] Thirdly, there is path guidance. That is, the historical path can be considered a guided path, and adjustments can be made based on the guided path when generating a new path. For example, a path planning algorithm such as the A* algorithm can be used to perform a search based on the guided path and obtain a new path.

[0077] In one possible embodiment, the method is Based on the current status of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the completion status of transport tasks by multiple UAVs will be estimated, This further includes determining, based on the completion status, which unmanned aircraft capable of completing the transport task and requiring the shortest possible time.

[0078] In embodiments of this disclosure, a payload drone is a drone with payload capacity that can carry and transport goods or loads. Such drones are typically equipped with special load platforms that can be connected to various loads to accomplish various types of tasks. For example, the drone may be equipped with jigs such as suction cups and grippers, which can carry goods by suction or grip. The drone may also be provided with a special cargo compartment, for example, a cargo compartment may be installed at the bottom of the drone, or in the case of a dual-battery model, one battery compartment may be used to install the cargo compartment for transporting cargo. Hooks may also be designed at the bottom or other locations of the drone, which can suspend various equipment or goods, such as cabins that can be raised and lowered using cables.

[0079] The system acquires the current status of multiple unmanned payload vehicles (UAVs), including information such as power consumption, load status, and current location. Based on the estimated results for each UAV, it selects the UAV that can complete the task in the shortest time. This selection process ensures that the UAV that can complete the task the fastest and guarantees its success is chosen. Subsequently, the selected UAV needs to be assigned a transport task and notified to execute the task.

[0080] According to the solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, it is possible to ensure that the optimal unmanned vehicle for completing a task is selected from among multiple unmanned vehicles for completing the task, taking into account the time required, power consumption, etc., in order to maximize overall transport efficiency.

[0081] In one possible embodiment, planning the flight path of the transport task based on the construction location and storage location in S102 is: Based on the current position and storage location of the loaded drone, a workpiece retrieval task is generated, This includes, once the workpiece retrieval task is complete, planning the flight path for the transport task based on the storage location and the work location.

[0082] In embodiments of this disclosure, before controlling the drone to perform a transport task, it is necessary to generate a workpiece retrieval task based on the current position of the onboard drone and the storage location of the target workpiece, since the drone and the storage location of the target workpiece are not typically in the same location.

[0083] After the drone reaches the target location, it performs a specific workpiece retrieval operation. This may involve using tools such as a robotic arm or chuck to remove the part, and the specific workpiece retrieval method will depend on the nature of the target workpiece.

[0084] Once the workpiece retrieval task is successful, the drone updates its status and notifies the system that the task is complete.

[0085] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle maintenance support device provided by one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, this device is A workpiece inquiry module 201 for determining a target workpiece and its storage location in response to a cooperation message acquired by a first terminal located at the construction site, wherein the cooperation message indicates a target workpiece that is missing for maintenance work, and A route planning module 202 for planning the flight path of a transport task based on the construction location and storage location, The system includes a control module 203 for controlling the unmanned aircraft to transport the target workpiece to the construction site based on its flight path.

[0086] In one possible embodiment, the workpiece inquiry module 201 is Based on the cooperation message received by the first terminal at the construction site, and the semantic information contained in the cooperation message, the system determines the workpiece information of any missing tools or parts for the maintenance work. It is used to determine the target workpiece and its storage location from inventory based on workpiece information.

[0087] In one possible embodiment, the route planning module 202 is Based on the construction site, an information determination submodule for determining environmental information for unmanned aircraft flight, A type determination submodule for determining the task type based on environmental information, It includes a planning submodule for planning the flight path of a transport task based on the task type, the construction location, and the storage location.

[0088] In one possible embodiment, the planning submodule is: If the task type is non-complex, plan multiple first routes connecting the construction site and the storage site using open areas and / or passage areas on a pre-defined map. To evaluate the travel time and safety of multiple primary routes, It is used to obtain the flight path for a transport task by selecting one of several first paths based on evaluation results and timeliness requirements.

[0089] In one possible embodiment, the planning submodule is: If the task type is complex, the task involves obtaining the history path of the first terminal, Based on the construction location and storage location, a second route will be planned and generated. It is used to obtain the flight path for the transport task by adjusting and optimizing a second path using at least a portion of the historical path.

[0090] In one possible embodiment, the first terminal includes a follow drone, and the history path of the first terminal includes the history flight path of the follow drone.

[0091] In one possible embodiment, the planning submodule is: Based on the construction location, the complex area is determined, The first trajectory point in the second route that enters a complex area, To determine the second trajectory point closest to the first trajectory point in the history path, The process involves merging the portion of the second path located after the first trajectory point with the portion of the history path located after the second trajectory point to obtain a merged path. The second path, specifically the portion of the path located before the first trajectory point, is further used to connect with the fusion path to obtain the flight path for the transport task.

[0092] In one possible embodiment, the device is Based on the current status of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the completion status of transport tasks by multiple UAVs will be estimated, Based on the completion status, it further includes a selection module for determining the unmanned aircraft capable of completing the transport task and requiring the shortest possible time.

[0093] In one possible embodiment, the route planning module 202 is Based on the current position and storage location of the loaded drone, a workpiece retrieval task is generated, Once the workpiece retrieval task is complete, the flight path for the transport task is planned based on the storage location and the work location, and this is further used.

[0094] Specific functions and illustrative descriptions of each module and submodule of the apparatus according to the embodiments of this disclosure can be found in the relevant descriptions of the corresponding steps in the embodiments of the method described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0095] Figure 3 is a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the electronic device includes a memory 310 and a processor 320, the memory 310 storing a computer program executable by the processor 320. The number of memories 310 and processors 320 may be one or more. The memory 310 can store one or more computer programs, which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the method provided by the embodiments of the above method. The electronic device may further include: a communication interface 330 used to communicate with an external device and to interact with and transmit data.

[0096] When the memory 310, processor 320, and communication interface 330 are implemented independently, they can be connected to each other via a bus and communicate with one another. This bus may be an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, or an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus. This bus can be classified into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For the sake of simplicity, this is shown by a single thick line in Figure 3, but it does not represent only one bus or one type of bus.

[0097] Optionally, in a specific implementation, if the memory 310, processor 320, and communication interface 330 are integrated on a single chip, the memory 310, processor 320, and communication interface 330 can communicate with each other via an internal interface.

[0098] The above processor may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), or it may also be a general-purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processing (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic device, discrete hardware assembly, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. Furthermore, the processor may be one that supports the Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) architecture.

[0099] Furthermore, the memory may selectively include read-only memory and random access memory, and may also include non-volatile random access memory. The memory may be either volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or it may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Here, non-volatile memory may include ROM (Read-Only Memory), PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) that functions as an external cache. Many forms of RAM are available, but are not limited to examples. Examples include static random access memory (Static RAM, SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM), and direct RAMBUS RAM (DR RAM).

[0100] The embodiments described above may be implemented, in whole or in part, in software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, in whole or in part, it may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions according to the embodiments of this disclosure are generated, in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions may be transmitted from one website site, computer, server, or data center to another website site, computer, server, or data center via a wired connection (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or wireless connection (e.g., infrared, Bluetooth®, microwave, etc.). Computer-readable storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, or data storage devices including servers, data centers, etc., integrated with one or more available media. Available media may be magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (e.g., Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs)), or semiconductor media (e.g., Solid State Disks (SSDs)). Computer-readable storage media as referred to in this disclosure may be non-volatile storage media, in other words, non-temporary storage media.

[0101] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or some of the steps to implement the above embodiment may be implemented by hardware, or by instructing the relevant hardware by program, and that the program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, the storage medium may be read-only memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0102] In the descriptions of the embodiments of this disclosure, reference terms such as “one embodiment,” “several embodiments,” “example,” “specific example,” or “several examples” mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in relation to such embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine different embodiments or examples and features of different embodiments or examples described in this disclosure to the extent that they do not contradict each other.

[0103] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, " / " means "or" unless otherwise stated, for example, A / B may represent either A or B. In this disclosure, "and / or" merely describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there may be three types of relationships, for example, A and / or B may represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone.

[0104] In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, the terms “First” and “Second” are used for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, nor as implying the number of technical features to be shown. Accordingly, features defined as “First” and “Second” may explicitly or implicitly include one or more such features. In the description of the embodiments of this disclosure, “multiple” means two or more unless otherwise stated.

[0105] The foregoing are merely exemplary embodiments of the Disclosure and do not limit the Disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the Disclosure should be included within the scope of the Disclosure's protection.

Claims

1. A control method for maintenance support using unmanned aircraft, The process involves determining the target workpiece and its storage location in response to a cooperation message acquired by a first terminal located at the construction site, wherein the cooperation message indicates a target workpiece that is missing for maintenance work. Based on the aforementioned construction location, environmental information for unmanned aircraft flight, which indicates the complexity of the environment or the difficulty of unmanned aircraft flight, is determined. Based on the aforementioned environmental information, determine the task type, If the task type is a complex type, the process involves obtaining the history route when a maintenance worker enters the work site with the first terminal, and if the task type is a complex type, this includes cases where the environmental information indicates that the work site is in an area with a high concentration of equipment, the first terminal includes a follower drone that follows the maintenance worker, and the history route of the first terminal includes the history flight path of the follower drone. Based on the aforementioned construction location and the aforementioned storage location, a second route is planned and generated. Using at least a portion of the aforementioned history path, the second path is adjusted and optimized to obtain the flight path for the transport task. This includes controlling the unmanned aircraft to transport the target workpiece to the construction site based on the aforementioned flight path, A control method for maintenance support using unmanned aerial vehicles.

2. Determining the target workpiece and its storage location based on cooperation messages acquired by the first terminal located at the construction site is: In response to a cooperation message obtained by a first terminal located at the construction site, the system determines workpiece information for tools or parts that are missing for maintenance work based on the semantic information contained in the cooperation message. This includes determining the target workpiece and its storage location from the inventory based on the aforementioned workpiece information. A control method for maintenance support using an unmanned aircraft as described in claim 1.

3. The control method for maintenance support using the aforementioned unmanned aircraft is further described below. If the task type is a non-complex type, a plurality of first routes connecting the construction site and the storage site are planned using open areas and / or passage areas on a pre-defined map. To evaluate the time required and safety of the aforementioned multiple first routes, This includes selecting one of the multiple first routes based on the evaluation results and timeliness requirements to obtain the flight path for the transport task, A control method for maintenance support using an unmanned aircraft as described in claim 1.

4. Using at least a portion of the aforementioned history path, adjusting and optimizing the second path to obtain the flight path for the transport task is: Based on the aforementioned construction location, the complex area is determined, The first trajectory point in the second path that enters the complex area, To determine the second trajectory point closest to the first trajectory point in the aforementioned history path, The path of the portion of the second path located after the first trajectory point and the path of the portion of the history path located after the second trajectory point are merged to obtain a merged path. This includes connecting the portion of the second path located before the first trajectory point with the fusion path to obtain the flight path for the transport task, A control method for maintenance support using an unmanned aircraft as described in claim 1.

5. The control method described above is Based on the current status of multiple unmanned aircraft carrying cargo, the completion status of the transport task by the multiple unmanned aircraft carrying cargo is estimated, The further includes determining, based on the completion status, a load-carrying unmanned aircraft that can complete the transport task and takes the shortest time, A control method for maintenance support using an unmanned aircraft as described in claim 1.

6. Planning the flight path for the transport task based on the aforementioned construction location and the aforementioned storage location is: Based on the current position of the loaded unmanned aircraft and the storage position, a workpiece retrieval task is generated. When the workpiece retrieval task is completed, the flight path for the transport task is planned based on the storage location and the construction location, A control method for maintenance support by an unmanned aircraft as described in claim 5.

7. A device for maintenance support using unmanned aircraft, A workpiece inquiry module for determining a target workpiece and its storage location in response to a cooperation message acquired by a first terminal located at the construction site, wherein the cooperation message indicates a target workpiece that is missing for maintenance work; A route planning module, Based on the aforementioned construction location, an information determination submodule for determining environmental information for unmanned aircraft flight, which indicates the complexity of the environment or the difficulty of unmanned aircraft flight, A type determination submodule for determining the task type based on the aforementioned environmental information, A planning submodule used for: obtaining the history path when a maintenance worker enters the construction site with the first terminal when the task type is a complex type, including when the environmental information indicates that the construction site is in an area with a high density of equipment, the first terminal includes a follow drone that follows the maintenance worker, and the history path of the first terminal includes the history flight path of the follow drone; planning and generating a second path based on the construction site and the storage location; and adjusting and optimizing the second path using at least a portion of the history path to obtain a flight path for a transport task. Route planning module, A control module for controlling the unmanned aircraft to transport the target workpiece to the construction site based on the aforementioned flight path, is provided. A device for maintenance support using unmanned aircraft.

8. At least one processor, The system comprises at least one processor and a memory that is communicated with by it, The memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, and when the instructions are executed by the at least one processor, the memory causes the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Electronic devices.

9. A non-temporary computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions causing a computer to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A program for implementing the method described in any one of claims 1 to 6, which is executed by a processor in a computer.

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