Flight management method for unmanned aerial vehicles, flight management system for unmanned aerial vehicles, and management terminal

Abstract

To provide a method for managing a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle that allows for ensuring the security of a small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle.SOLUTION: A method for managing a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present disclosure includes that, in a system including a managing terminal 20 and a for-identification terminal 30, the managing terminal 20 collates an identification ID obtained from the for-identification terminal 30 with a fuselage ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 to verify the fuselage ID, sends a flight-permission notification entailing a predetermined restriction of a flight to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 if the fuselage ID is authenticated as a result of verification, and sends information indicative of a flight situation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, which is an issuance object of a flight-permission notification, to the for-identification terminal 30 and the for-identification terminal 30 uninterruptedly transmits the flight situation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 sent from the managing terminal 20 to the outside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0005] , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle, a flight management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, and a management terminal.

Background Art

[0002] As the application of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to industries spreads, security regarding the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles is required. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for identifying a drone using an identification module incorporated in a flight control unit of the drone.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the identification module is heavy, it is difficult to mount it on a small unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of ensuring the security of a small unmanned aerial vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to this disclosure, a method for managing the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided, comprising a system including a management terminal and an identification terminal, wherein the management terminal verifies the aircraft ID by comparing an identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with an aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle; if the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, the management terminal sends a flight permission notice to the unmanned aerial vehicle with predetermined flight restrictions; and the identification terminal sends information to the identification terminal indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle to which the flight permission notice is to be sent, and the identification terminal continuously transmits the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle sent from the management terminal to an external source.

[0007] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, a flight management system for an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided, comprising a management terminal and an identification terminal, wherein the management terminal comprises a verification unit and a transmission unit, the verification unit verifies the aircraft ID by comparing an identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with an aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle, the transmission unit, if the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, sends a flight permission notice to the unmanned aerial vehicle with predetermined flight restrictions, and sends information to the identification terminal indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle to which the flight permission notice is to be sent, the identification terminal comprises a transmitting unit, and the transmitting unit continuously transmits the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle transmitted from the management terminal to the outside.

[0008] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, a management terminal for flight management of an unmanned aerial vehicle is provided, the management terminal comprising a verification unit and a transmission unit, wherein the verification unit verifies the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle by comparing the identification ID obtained from an identification terminal for transmitting the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the outside with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the transmission unit, if the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, sends a flight permission notice to the unmanned aerial vehicle with predetermined flight restrictions, and sends information to the identification terminal indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle to which the flight permission notice is to be sent. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, the security of small unmanned aerial vehicles can be ensured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a use case to which a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to one embodiment of this disclosure is applied. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] This block diagram shows the configuration of the management terminal 20 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This block diagram shows an example of the functional configuration of the management terminal 20 and the identification terminal 30 according to the same embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the flight management method for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0012] <Overview> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a use case to which a flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to one embodiment of this disclosure is applied. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment is a rotary-wing aircraft that obtains lift and thrust by a so-called plurality of rotors 3.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is an unmanned aerial vehicle that flies within or around the space of the equipment to be inspected S1 to perform inspections and other operations related to the equipment to be inspected S1. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may be controlled by operation using, for example, a control terminal (transmitter) 40, or it may perform autonomous flight.

[0014] From a security standpoint, such unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 1 is required to be a proper UAV. A proper UAV means, for example, an UAV that has been verified to be a certified aircraft by a public institution. If an UAV is not proper, for example, the control system related to the flight or inspection of the UAV may be hacked, or logs may not be obtained when the UAV experiences trouble. Therefore, for example, it is required that the UAV be equipped with an identification terminal called a "remote ID" for remote identification by a public institution.

[0015] However, when such identification terminals are mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the weight of the identification terminals must be considered during the UAV's flight. Consequently, mounting an identification terminal on a small UAV would impair the UAV's flight performance, making it difficult to perform tasks such as inspections.

[0016] Therefore, in the flight management method (flight management system) for unmanned aircraft according to this embodiment, identification of the unmanned aircraft 1 and flight permission are realized by the identification terminal 30 via the management terminal 20. As will be described in detail later, according to this embodiment, it is possible to identify the unmanned aircraft 1 and restrict its flight even without mounting the identification terminal 30 on the unmanned aircraft 1. Thus, even a small unmanned aircraft 1 can perform the flight performance of a small unmanned aircraft 1 while realizing the identification processing required by public institutions, etc., using the identification terminal 30.

[0017] Referring again to Figure 1, the flight management system 100 that realizes the flight management method for an unmanned aircraft according to this embodiment includes a management terminal 20 and an identification terminal 30.

[0018] The management terminal 20 is provided to be communicable with the identification terminal 30 and the unmanned aircraft 1, and is a terminal for verifying the unmanned aircraft 1 and performing flight management. For example, the management terminal 20 verifies the identification ID associated with the aircraft ID obtained from the identification terminal 30 and the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft 1. If the verification result is authenticated, the management terminal 20 sends a flight permission notice to the unmanned aircraft 1 and sends the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 (for example, information such as in flight) to the identification terminal 30. In addition, the management terminal 20 communicates with the control terminal 40 as necessary, and the management terminal 20 may transmit information for controlling the unmanned aircraft 1 to the control terminal 40, or the management terminal 20 may perform a process of controlling the flight and operation of the unmanned aircraft 1 via the control terminal 40. The necessity mentioned here means, for example, the case of urgently braking the unmanned aircraft 1 based on signals, information, etc. received from the identification terminal 30 described later.

[0019] The identification terminal 30 is a terminal for identifying the unmanned aircraft 1 and monitoring the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1, such as the above-mentioned remote ID. For example, the identification terminal 30 sends an identification ID (the same as or associated with the aircraft ID according to the standard) to the management terminal 20. In addition, the identification terminal 30 receives information including the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1 (for example, aircraft ID, position information, time information, authentication information, etc.) from the management terminal 20 and transmits it to an external device (for example, a device of a public agency such as an aviation bureau). Such an identification terminal 30 is not mounted on the unmanned aircraft 1 in this embodiment, and can realize the identification of the unmanned aircraft 1 and the monitoring of the flight status even if it is not mounted on the unmanned aircraft 1.

[0020] Here, the aircraft ID is an aircraft identification number etc. pre-assigned by the manufacturing company etc. of the unmanned aircraft 1, and can be, for example, the aircraft manufacturing number etc. of the unmanned aircraft 1. The identification ID is an aircraft identification number etc. pre-assigned to the unmanned aircraft 1 by a public agency such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and can be, for example, the aircraft registration number assigned to the unmanned aircraft 1 registered with the public agency. Note that in a predetermined standard, the aircraft ID and the identification ID can be the same.

[0021] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[0022] First, the hardware configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment includes a main body 2, a rotary wing 3, a motor 4, and a camera / sensor 5. Further, in the main body 2 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, a flight controller 11, a battery 14, an ESC (Electric Speed Controller) 15, and a transceiver 16 are provided. Note that the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and a rotary wing aircraft having a configuration different from the main body 2 shown in FIG. 2 may also be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0023] The main body 2 is formed by a frame or the like that constitutes the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The material constituting the main body 2 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, carbon fiber resin, glass fiber resin, magnesium, magnesium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, steel, titanium, or other materials. The rotary wing 3 is attached to the motor 4. The rotary wing 3 generates lift (thrust) for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by rotating itself due to the rotation of the motor 4. The rotary wing 3 and the motor 4 are an example of a thrust generation unit. Note that in the present embodiment, the rotary wings 3 are provided at four locations in the front, rear, left, and right, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The number of rotary wings 3 provided can be appropriately changed according to the structure, shape, equipment, size, etc. of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1.

[0024] The flight controller 11 can have one or more processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a programmable processor such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The flight controller 11 has a memory 12 and can access the memory 12. The memory 12 stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that can be executed by the flight controller 11 to perform one or more steps. The flight controller 11 is an example of a control device.

[0025] Memory 12 may include, for example, a separable medium such as an SD card or random access memory (RAM), or an external storage device. Data acquired from the camera / sensor 5 may be directly transmitted to and stored in memory 12. For example, still images and video data captured by the camera 5 are recorded in the internal memory or external memory.

[0026] The flight controller 11 includes a control module configured to control the state of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. For example, the control module controls the motor 4, which is the propulsion mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, via the ESC 15 to adjust the spatial position, velocity, and / or acceleration of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, which has six degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y, and z, and rotational motion θx, θy, and θz). The motor 4 rotates the rotor blade 3, generating lift for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The flight controller 11 can adjust the thrust from the rotor blade 3 by controlling the rotational speed of the motor 4 (the rotational speed also means the number of rotations per given time).

[0027] The flight controller 11 can communicate with a transceiver 16 configured to transmit and / or receive data from one or more external devices (e.g., a pilot terminal 17). The transceiver 16 can use any suitable means of communication, such as wired or wireless communication. The transceiver 16 can utilize one or more of the following communication methods, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared, wireless, Wi-Fi, point-to-point (P2P) network, telecommunications network, or cloud communication. The transceiver 16 can communicate with a management terminal 20, for example, described later, via wired or wireless connection.

[0028] The transmitting / receiving unit 16 can transmit and / or receive one or more of the following: data acquired by the sensor 5, processing results generated by the flight controller 11, predetermined control data, and user commands from a terminal or remote controller. The information obtained by the sensor 5 may be output to the piloting terminal 40 or the like via the transmitting / receiving unit 16.

[0029] The control terminal 40 is a device for controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may be controlled by an operator on the ground, or by automatic or manual control based on flight path information and an autonomous flight program (e.g., GCS (Ground Control Station)) based on sensing. The control terminal 40 may be, for example, a transmitter / receiver (RCP), a smartphone, a tablet, or the like. The control terminal 40 can send flight control instruction information to the flight controller 11.

[0030] The sensor 5 in this embodiment may include, for example, an inertial sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope, a GPS sensor, a wind sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, an altitude sensor, a proximity sensor such as LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), or a vision / image sensor other than a camera. Furthermore, the sensor 5 may be mounted on the flight controller 11 or provided outside the flight controller 11. If a camera 5 is provided, such a camera may be any type of camera. For example, in addition to a general-purpose camera, the camera 5 may be an infrared camera, a stereo camera, or the like.

[0031] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management terminal 20 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the management terminal 20 includes a control unit 21.

[0032] The processor 21a is an arithmetic unit that controls the operation of the control unit 21, controls the transmission and reception of data between each element, and performs processing necessary for program execution. In this embodiment, the processor 21a is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes programs stored in the storage 21c (described later) and loaded into the memory 21b to perform various processes.

[0033] Memory 21b comprises a main memory consisting of volatile storage devices such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary storage device consisting of non-volatile storage devices such as flash memory and HDD (Hard Disk Drive). This memory 21b is used as a working area for the processor 21a, while also storing the boot loader executed when the control unit 21 starts up, and various configuration information.

[0034] Storage 21c stores information used for programs and various processes. For example, storage 21c may store programs for displaying the flight status and inspection status of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0035] The transmitting / receiving unit 21d connects the control unit 21 to a network such as the Internet, and may be equipped with communication interfaces such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), infrared, wireless, Wi-Fi, point-to-point (P2P) networks, telecommunications networks, cloud communication, LTE, Bluetooth®, and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The transmitting / receiving unit 21d may also be equipped with a communication interface for wired communication. In this case, the transmitting / receiving unit 21d may be equipped with, for example, a communication terminal 204, as described later. The device for implementing the communication terminal 204 and the specifications of the communication terminal 204 are not particularly limited.

[0036] The input / output unit 21e is an interface to which input / output devices are connected, and in this embodiment, for example, a display device may be connected.

[0037] The bus 21f transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals between the connected processor 21a, memory 21b, storage 21c, transceiver 21d, and input / output unit 21e.

[0038] The configuration of the identification terminal 30 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the management terminal 20, so its description will be omitted.

[0039] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the management terminal 20 and the identification terminal 30 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the management terminal 20 may include an acquisition unit 201, a verification unit 202, a transmission unit 203, and a communication terminal 204. The identification terminal 30 may include a communication unit 301 and an identification / aircraft DB (database) 302. The identification / aircraft DB 302 may be provided in the identification terminal 30, or it may be provided on an external server and accessible via the communication unit 301. The acquisition unit 201, verification unit 202, and transmission unit 203 can be realized by the processor 21a reading a program stored in the storage 21c into the memory 21b and executing it. The communication terminal 204 can be realized by, for example, an input / output unit 21e. The communication unit 301 can be realized by, for example, the processor and input / output unit that constitute the identification terminal 30. The identification / aircraft DB302 can be stored, for example, in storage 21c, external storage, or a cloud server.

[0040] The acquisition unit 201 has the function of acquiring information from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the identification terminal 30. For example, the acquisition unit 201 can acquire information about the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. More specifically, the acquisition unit 201 can acquire the aircraft ID, which is the identification information of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. The acquisition unit 201 may also acquire information about the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Information about the flight status may include, for example, information on whether or not the vehicle is in flight, information on its flight position, information on the flight time of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, and information on the aircraft status of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. If the management terminal 20 is connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by wire via the communication terminal 204, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information (for example, the aircraft ID) from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 via the communication terminal 204. In addition to wired communication, a wireless communication method that is a short-range communication such as BLE and allows for estimation of the terminal position may also be used. This makes it possible to achieve wireless communication with the same level of quality and security as wired communication.

[0041] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information for identifying the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from the identification terminal 30. For example, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire an identification ID from the identification terminal 30. The identification ID is either the same as or linked to the aircraft ID of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. If the identification ID and the aircraft ID are not the same but are managed by linking them, the acquisition unit 201 may acquire information on the aircraft ID linked to the identification ID in addition to the identification ID.

[0042] The verification unit 202 has the function of verifying the aircraft ID by comparing the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal 30 with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Specifically, the verification unit 202 can verify whether the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by the acquisition unit 201 is linked to (or identical to) the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal. The specific algorithm for verification is not particularly limited. If the verification results show that the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 corresponds to the identification ID, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may be certified as an unmanned aerial vehicle registered with a public institution, and permission for flight may be granted. In this case, as will be described later, permission for the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may be granted as an unmanned aerial vehicle registered with a public institution.

[0043] The transmission unit 203 has the function of transmitting information to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the identification terminal 30. For example, if the transmission unit 203 authenticates the aircraft ID as a result of verification by the verification unit 202, it may send a flight permission notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 that is the target of the transmission. At this time, the flight permission may be accompanied by predetermined restrictions on the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. If the predetermined restrictions on flight are exceeded, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may perform a process that disables its flight capabilities, such as making flight control impossible or the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 automatically returning to the takeoff site or its vicinity.

[0044] The predetermined restrictions on flight may include, for example, a limit on the flight time of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Furthermore, the predetermined restrictions on flight may include, for example, a limit on the flight area A1 (see Figure 1) of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. This physically restricts the flight area of ​​the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, making it difficult to fly to distant locations for purposes other than its intended use. The limit on flight time may be implemented, for example, by setting a timer function in the flight controller 11 to issue an alarm when a predetermined time has elapsed, or by automatically returning to the takeoff location or its vicinity, or by automatically stopping. The limit on the flight area may be implemented, for example, by determining the flight position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 using self-positioning technologies such as GPS (Global Positioning System), beacons, LiDAR, or SLAM, and determining whether that position is within the restricted area. If the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 exceeds the restricted area, the system may automatically stop the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 or autonomously fly it back into the restricted area.

[0045] The flight time can be determined based on various factors. For example, the flight time may be determined based on the performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Performance may include, for example, the flight range and / or flight speed of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Alternatively, the flight time may be predetermined by, for example, the identification terminal 30. Such a time may be determined by, for example, laws and regulations. Alternatively, the flight time may be the time required to complete the inspection of the area to be inspected. Such a time may be calculated based on the aircraft performance and other factors described above.

[0046] Furthermore, the flyable area may be determined, for example, based on the communication range of the identification terminal 30. This is based on the communication range of the information transmitted from the communication unit 301 of the identification terminal 30, as described later, when the identification terminal 30 is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. In other words, by determining the size of the flyable area based on the communication range of the identification terminal 30, it is possible to impose the same restrictions on the flyable area as when the identification terminal 30 is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. By setting predetermined restrictions in this way, it is possible to ensure security more reliably while reducing the costs of not only authenticating the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 but also monitoring its flight. In addition, the flyable area may be set, for example, based on the aircraft performance of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 as described above. Alternatively, the flyable area may be set, for example, based on the area to be inspected.

[0047] Furthermore, the transmission unit 203 transmits information to the identification terminal 30 indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft 1, which is the subject of the flight permission notification. For example, if the unmanned aircraft 1 is in flight, the transmission unit 203 may transmit information to the identification terminal 30 indicating that it is "in flight".

[0048] Furthermore, when the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is completed, the transmission unit 203 may transmit information to revoke the flight permission based on the information regarding such completion. Such information may be transmitted to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. By performing such processing, the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 itself can be restricted. In addition, the transmission unit 203 may transmit information for controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, and / or information for controlling the flight and operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, to the piloting terminal 40. Through such processing, the flight control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 becomes possible from the management terminal 20 via the piloting terminal 40. Such intervention of the piloting terminal 40 can be performed, for example, when the management terminal 20 receives information regarding a suspicious signal or the like from the identification terminal 30 that has detected the suspicious signal.

[0049] The communication unit 301 is an example of a transmitting unit and has the function of sending and receiving information between the identification terminal 30 and other devices. The communication unit 301 can communicate with, for example, the management terminal 20. The communication unit 301 may, for example, send an identification ID obtained from the identification / aircraft DB 302 to the management terminal 20. The communication unit 301 may also obtain information regarding the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 from the transmission unit 203. The communication unit 301 has the function of transmitting the acquired flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 to the outside. Such information regarding the flight status can be continuously transmitted to the outside. The outside may be, for example, a smartphone or server, or a terminal of an organization that operates or manages the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, or a terminal of a public institution such as an aviation bureau or the police. Monitoring of the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle becomes possible via such terminals.

[0050] The Identification / Aircraft DB 302 is a database that stores pre-registered identification IDs. Such identification IDs correspond to, for example, the aircraft IDs of unmanned aerial vehicles that have been previously reported to public institutions, etc. For example, the identification ID may be the same as the aircraft ID. This makes it possible for the verification unit 202 to match the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal 30 with the aircraft ID obtained directly from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 during verification.

[0051] <Flight management method> Next, a series of steps in the flight management method for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the flight management method for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment.

[0052] First, the management terminal 20 connects to the identification terminal 30 and starts communication (step S101). Then, the acquisition unit 201 of the management terminal 20 acquires the identification ID from the identification terminal 30 (step S103).

[0053] Next, the management terminal 20 connects to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and begins communication (step S105). At this time, the management terminal 20 may be connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by wire via the communication terminal 204. The acquisition unit 201 of the management terminal 20 acquires the aircraft ID from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 (step S107).

[0054] Next, the verification unit 202 of the management terminal 20 verifies the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by comparing it with the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal 30 (step S109). If the verification results in authentication that the aircraft ID corresponds to the identification ID, the transmission unit 203 of the management terminal 20 sends a flight permission notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 (step S111). Such a flight permission notification may be sent, for example, when the wired connection between the management terminal 20 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is disconnected. If the predetermined restrictions on flight include a flight time limit, such a flight permission notification may include information such as a countdown to the start of the flight time limit. This allows for consideration of the time difference between the sending of the flight permission notification and the start of the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1.

[0055] Furthermore, the transmission unit 203 of the management terminal 20 transmits information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 to the identification terminal 30 (step S113). The identification terminal 30 transmits information indicating the flight status to the outside (step S115). This makes it possible to understand the flight status of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1.

[0056] Upon receiving the flight permission notification, the unmanned aircraft 1 becomes capable of flying under predetermined restrictions (step S117). When flight control signals and work control signals obtained from the input to the control terminal 40 are transmitted to the unmanned aircraft 1, the unmanned aircraft 1 flies in accordance with such flight control signals, and various inspections and other operations can be performed based on the work control signals, etc. (step S119).

[0057] Once control by the piloting terminal 40 is complete (step S121), the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 connects to the management terminal 20 (step S123). Subsequently, the acquisition unit 201 of the management terminal 20 communicates with the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 via wired connection to obtain the aircraft ID (steps S125, S127). The verification unit 202 of the management terminal 20 then verifies the aircraft ID by comparing it with the previously obtained identification ID (step S129). This identification ID may be obtained again from the identification terminal 30. In step S125, the management terminal 20 and the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may be connected by wireless communication instead of wired. In this case, by using a short-range communication method such as BLE that allows for terminal location estimation, it is possible to ensure communication with the same level of quality and security as wired communication.

[0058] If the flight by the unmanned aircraft 1 is completed, the transmission unit 203 of the management terminal 20 sends information to the unmanned aircraft 1 to revoke the flight permission (step S131). Then, the management terminal 20 disconnects communication with the identification terminal 30 (step S133). If a flight is to be performed again, after the verification in step S129, the processes in steps S111 and S113 can be repeated.

[0059] Thus, in the flight management method for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to this embodiment, monitoring of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 by the identification terminal 30 is possible even without mounting the identification terminal 30 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. That is, by verifying the aircraft ID of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 with the identification ID pre-registered in the identification terminal 30 via the management terminal 20, and by imposing predetermined flight restrictions on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, the security of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can be ensured even without mounting the identification terminal 30 on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. This makes it possible to ensure security even for small unmanned aerial vehicles. Furthermore, by setting predetermined restrictions in terms of time and space, monitoring similar to that when the identification terminal 30 is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 becomes possible. In addition, by connecting the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 and the management terminal 20 by wire and performing processing related to verification and flight permission, the risk of hacking of wireless communication by a third party can be reduced, and the strength of security can be increased.

[0060] While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art of the present disclosure that various modifications or alterations may be conceived within the scope of the technical idea set forth in the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0061] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology relating to this disclosure may produce other effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or in lieu of the effects described herein.

[0062] Furthermore, the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. (Item 1) A method for managing the flight of unmanned aircraft, In a system including a management terminal and an identification terminal, The aforementioned management terminal The identification ID obtained from the aforementioned identification terminal and the aircraft ID obtained from the aforementioned unmanned aircraft are compared and verified, As a result of the verification, if the aircraft ID is authenticated, a flight permission notice with predetermined flight restrictions will be sent to the unmanned aircraft. To the aforementioned identification terminal, information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft that is the subject of the flight permission notification is transmitted, Includes, The aforementioned identification terminal, The management terminal transmits the flight status of the unmanned aircraft to an external source continuously, A method for managing the flight of unmanned aircraft, including the flight of an unmanned aircraft. (Item 2) The flight management method for an unmanned aerial vehicle described in item 1, wherein the identification terminal is not provided on the unmanned aerial vehicle. (Item 3) The flight management method for an unmanned aircraft according to item 1 or 2, wherein the prescribed restrictions on the flight include restrictions on the flight time of the unmanned aircraft. (Item 4) The flight management method for an unmanned aircraft described in any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the prescribed restrictions on the flight include restrictions on the flight area of ​​the unmanned aircraft. (Item 5) The flight management method for an unmanned aircraft as described in item 4, wherein the flightable area is determined based on the communication range of the identification terminal. (Item 6) The flight management method for an unmanned aircraft described in any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the management terminal sends out information for revoking the flight permit based on information relating to the completion of the flight of the unmanned aircraft. (Item 7) In the verification of the management terminal, The method for managing the flight of an unmanned aircraft as described in any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the management terminal performs the verification while the management terminal and the unmanned aircraft are connected by wired communication. (Item 8) The flight management method for an unmanned aircraft according to item 7, wherein the management terminal sends the flight permission notification to the unmanned aircraft based on the operation of disconnecting the wired communication connection between the management terminal and the unmanned aircraft after the verification. (Item 9) A flight management system for unmanned aircraft, It includes a management terminal and an identification terminal, The management terminal comprises a verification unit and a transmission unit, The verification unit verifies the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal against the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft, The aforementioned sending unit is, If the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, a flight permission notice with predetermined flight restrictions will be sent to the unmanned aircraft. To the identification terminal, information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft that is the subject of the flight permission notification is sent, The aforementioned identification terminal includes a transmitting unit. The transmitting unit continuously transmits the flight status of the unmanned aircraft, which has been sent from the management terminal, to the outside. Flight management system for unmanned aerial vehicles. (Item 10) A management terminal for flight management of unmanned aerial vehicles, The management terminal comprises a verification unit and a transmission unit, The verification unit verifies by comparing the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal for transmitting the flight status of the unmanned aircraft to the outside with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft. The aforementioned sending unit is, If the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, a flight permission notice with predetermined flight restrictions will be sent to the unmanned aircraft. The identification terminal is used to transmit information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft that is the subject of the flight permission notification. Management terminal. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1. Unmanned aircraft 20 Management terminals 30 Identification terminal 201 Acquisition Department 202 Verification Department 203 Sending section 301 Communications Department 302 Identification / Aircraft Database

Claims

1. A method for managing the flight of unmanned aircraft, In a system including a management terminal and an identification terminal located at a different location from the unmanned aerial vehicle, The aforementioned management terminal The identification ID obtained from the identification terminal is compared with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft to verify the aircraft ID, As a result of the verification, if the aircraft ID is authenticated, a flight permission notice with predetermined flight restrictions will be sent to the unmanned aircraft. To the aforementioned identification terminal, information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft that is the subject of the flight permission notification is transmitted, Includes, The aforementioned identification terminal, To continuously transmit the flight status of the unmanned aircraft, which has been transmitted from the management terminal, to an external source. Includes, The aforementioned restrictions on flight include restrictions on the flight time of the unmanned aircraft. The aforementioned limitation on flight time includes setting a timer function in the unmanned aircraft and causing the unmanned aircraft to automatically perform a predetermined operation when a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined actions include issuing an alarm, controlling the aircraft to return to the takeoff location, controlling the aircraft to return to the vicinity of the takeoff location, or stopping the aircraft. A method for managing the flight of an unmanned aircraft, wherein the aforementioned flight permission notice includes information on the countdown to the start of the limit on the flight time of the unmanned aircraft.

2. The flight management method for an unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, wherein when the control terminal has finished controlling the unmanned aircraft, the management terminal obtains the aircraft ID from the unmanned aircraft, and re-verifies the aircraft ID by comparing the identification ID with the aircraft ID.

3. The method for managing the flight of an unmanned aircraft according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the predetermined restrictions on the flight include restrictions on the flight area of ​​the unmanned aircraft.

4. The flight management method for an unmanned aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the management terminal sends out information for revoking the flight permit based on information relating to the completion of the flight of the unmanned aircraft.

5. In the verification of the management terminal, The method for managing the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the management terminal performs the verification while the management terminal and the unmanned aerial vehicle are connected by wired communication.

6. The method for managing the flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the management terminal, after the verification, performs an action to disconnect the wired communication connection between the management terminal and the unmanned aerial vehicle, and then sends the flight permission notification to the unmanned aerial vehicle.

7. A flight management system for unmanned aircraft, The system includes a management terminal and an identification terminal located at a different location from the unmanned aerial vehicle. The management terminal comprises a verification unit and a transmission unit, The verification unit verifies the aircraft ID by comparing the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft. The aforementioned sending unit is, If the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, a flight permission notice with predetermined flight restrictions will be sent to the unmanned aircraft. To the identification terminal, information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft that is the subject of the flight permission notification is sent, The aforementioned identification terminal includes a transmitting unit, The transmitting unit continuously transmits the flight status of the unmanned aircraft, which was sent from the management terminal, to the outside. The aforementioned restrictions on flight include restrictions on the flight time of the unmanned aircraft. The aforementioned limitation on flight time includes setting a timer function in the unmanned aircraft and causing the unmanned aircraft to automatically perform a predetermined operation when a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined actions include issuing an alarm, controlling the aircraft to return to the takeoff location, controlling the aircraft to return to the vicinity of the takeoff location, or stopping the aircraft. The aforementioned flight permission notice includes information on the countdown to the start of the flight time limit for the unmanned aircraft, in the unmanned aircraft flight management system.

8. A management terminal for flight management of unmanned aerial vehicles, The management terminal comprises a verification unit and a transmission unit, The verification unit verifies the aircraft ID by comparing the identification ID obtained from the identification terminal for transmitting the flight status of the unmanned aircraft to the outside with the aircraft ID obtained from the unmanned aircraft. The aforementioned sending unit is, If the aircraft ID is authenticated as a result of the verification, a flight permission notice with predetermined flight restrictions will be sent to the unmanned aircraft. To the identification terminal, information indicating the flight status of the unmanned aircraft that is the subject of the flight permission notification is sent, The aforementioned restrictions on flight include restrictions on the flight time of the unmanned aircraft. The aforementioned limitation on flight time includes setting a timer function in the unmanned aircraft and causing the unmanned aircraft to automatically perform a predetermined operation when a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined actions include issuing an alarm, controlling the aircraft to return to the takeoff location, controlling the aircraft to return to the vicinity of the takeoff location, or stopping the aircraft. The aforementioned flight permission notification includes information about the countdown to the start of the flight time limit for the unmanned aircraft, which is contained within the management terminal.

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