Mobile devices and programs for mobile devices

Abstract

To provide a moving body capable of performing air purification of a predetermined moving space by photocatalyst function while flying and moving through such a predetermined moving space.SOLUTION: A moving body includes: a casing that includes at least a part of an external surface having a material that accomplishes a photocatalyst function; casing moving means for spatially moving the casing; a storing unit that stores moving space information for identifying a moving space where the casing is caused to fly and move; a flight plan creating unit that creates a flight plan for air purification within the moving space based on the moving space information stored in the storing unit; and a control unit that controls the casing moving means. The control unit controls the casing moving means so as to cause the casing to fly and move based on the flight plan created by the flight plan creating unit, thereby performing the air purification.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a moving body having a function of removing organic substances such as mold and bacteria floating in space by means of a photocatalytic function, and a program for the moving body.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the photocatalytic function of semiconductor materials such as titanium oxide (TiO2) has attracted attention, and it is known that antibacterial and antifouling effects can be exhibited by this photocatalytic function. In titanium oxide, the oxidizing power of holes generated in the valence band is very strong. Therefore, when an organic substance adsorbs to titanium oxide, the organic substance can be finally decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by its photocatalytic function.

[0003] However, titanium oxide itself has poor ability to adsorb any substance on its surface. Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-327315) discloses a photocatalytic apatite that improves this drawback and enhances the ability to adsorb organic substances. The photocatalytic apatite is obtained by bonding a metal oxide having a photocatalytic function and apatite at the atomic level. Patent Document 1 discloses a metal-modified apatite in which titanium oxide as an example of a metal oxide having a photocatalytic function and, for example, calcium hydroxyapatite having high adsorptivity are complexed at the atomic level.

[0004] Also, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-63435) proposes that, as an advertising and notification medium installed outdoors, a coating liquid containing titanium oxide particles is sprayed onto a protective layer of a printed matter to form a photocatalytic layer. According to the advertising and notification medium of this Patent Document 2, since organic substances adsorbed on the surface of the printed matter can be decomposed, an air purification function can be exhibited.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] Using the advertising and informational media described in Patent Document 2, the air purification function can be achieved only in the vicinity of the location where the printed materials for the advertisement or information are installed. Therefore, it is unsuitable for purifying the air in a relatively large area of ​​a predetermined size. If one were to deliberately use the advertising and informational media described in Patent Document 2 to purify the air in an area of ​​a predetermined size, it would be necessary to prepare a large number of advertising and informational media and install them within that area.

[0007] Furthermore, whether the advertising and informational media are installed indoors or outdoors, in environments where sufficient natural light cannot be obtained, it is necessary to attach a light source to each advertising and informational media in order for the photocatalytic function to work effectively. Therefore, the system described in Patent Document 2, which uses a large number of advertising and informational media devices, has the problem of consuming a large amount of power.

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a mobile body that can improve upon the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, this invention provides: A housing having at least a portion of its outer surface made of a material that exhibits photocatalytic properties, A means for moving the aforementioned housing by air, A storage unit for storing information about a moving space to identify the space in which the aforementioned housing is moved by air, A flight plan generation unit generates a flight plan for air purification in the moving space based on the moving space information stored in the memory unit, A control unit that controls the flight movement of the housing by the housing moving means, A light-emitting unit that irradiates light onto at least a portion of the photocatalytic material on the outer surface side of the housing, An illuminance sensor detects the ambient light intensity of the surrounding environment of the housing and supplies the ambient light intensity detection output to the control unit, Based on the illuminance detection output, a light emission control means controls the light emission unit not to emit light if the illuminance of the ambient light exceeds a predetermined value, and supplies a drive voltage to the light emission unit to emit light if the illuminance of the ambient light is below the predetermined value. Equipped with, The control unit controls the housing movement means to perform air purification by moving the housing in flight based on the flight plan generated by the flight plan generation unit. The present invention provides a mobile device characterized by the following features.

[0010] The mobile body having the above configuration comprises a housing having at least a portion of its outer surface made of a material that exhibits photocatalytic properties, a housing moving means for moving the housing, a storage unit for storing moving space information for identifying a moving space in which the housing will fly, a flight plan generation unit that generates a flight plan for air purification in the moving space based on the moving space information stored in the storage unit, and a control unit that controls the flight movement of the housing by the housing moving means. The control unit of the mobile body of this invention controls the housing moving means to perform air purification by flying the housing based on the flight plan generated by the flight plan generation unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this invention, the mobile body can purify the air through its photocatalytic function, and by flying, it can purify the air in the mobile space where the mobile space information is stored in the memory unit. Furthermore, according to this invention, the mobile body can appropriately purify the air in the mobile space by flying based on a flight plan generated based on the mobile space information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure illustrates an example configuration of a flying vehicle as a first embodiment of the mobile body according to this invention. [Figure 2]It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a drive control device unit of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of a movement pattern of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a movement pattern of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a movement pattern of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a movement pattern of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of a movement pattern of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of a movement pattern of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of an example of an aircraft as a first embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of an example of an aircraft as a second embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 12] It is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a drive control device unit of an example of an aircraft as a second embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 13] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a flight plan of an example of an aircraft as a second embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of an operation of an example of an aircraft as a second embodiment of a moving body according to this invention. [Figure 15]This figure shows a portion of a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of a flying vehicle, which is a second embodiment of the mobile body according to this invention. [Figure 16] This figure shows a portion of a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of a flying vehicle, which is a second embodiment of the mobile body according to this invention. [Figure 17] This figure shows a portion of a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of a flying vehicle, which is a second embodiment of the mobile body according to this invention. [Figure 18] This figure illustrates an example configuration of a mobile body, which is a third embodiment of the mobile body according to this invention. [Figure 19] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of a drive control unit for a third embodiment of a mobile body according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment of the mobile body according to this invention will be described below with reference to the figures. The first embodiment of the mobile body described below is a configuration in which the aircraft is capable of flying in the air and also capable of hovering in the air.

[0014] Figure 1 shows an example of the configuration of a flying body 1 as a first embodiment of the mobile body according to the present invention. The flying body 1 of this first embodiment is configured to be able to fly and move autonomously through the air. Figure 1(A) is a view of the flying body 1 of this embodiment from above, and Figure 1(B) is a view of the flying body 1 of this embodiment from the front.

[0015] The aircraft 1 of this embodiment comprises an aerial flight mechanism 2 having the structure of a so-called quadcopter and a drive control unit 3. The aerial flight mechanism 2 is coupled to the drive control unit 3 and is driven and controlled by the drive control unit 3. As shown in Figure 1, the aerial flight mechanism 2 is configured by attaching rotor mechanisms 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D to the tips of four arms 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D extending from the drive control unit 3.

[0016] The rotor blade mechanisms 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are configured to rotate the rotor blades 52A, 52B, 52C, and 52D by rotating the rotor blade shafts (not shown) with the motor drive units 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D, respectively. The rotational speed and direction of the motor drive units 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D are controlled by drive control signals from the drive control unit 3. The motor drive units 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D, as well as the drive control unit 3, use a battery (not shown) as a power source for rotational drive and drive control. The light-emitting unit, camera, microphone, various sensors, display, and control unit, which will be described later, are also powered by the battery. For example, a rechargeable secondary battery is used as the battery.

[0017] In this example, the motor drive units 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D are each independently controlled by the drive control unit 3, enabling the aircraft 1 to perform various movement actions such as takeoff, landing, ascending (straight up, diagonally upward), descending (straight down, diagonally downward), turning right, turning left, moving forward, backward, shifting right, and shifting left. In addition, attitude control, such as the angle of inclination relative to the vertical, and position control of the hovering position are also possible.

[0018] In this embodiment of the aircraft 1, the housing 6 is formed integrally with the drive control unit 3. Of course, the drive control unit 3 and the housing 6 may not be integral, and the drive control unit 3 may be attached to the housing 6. In this embodiment, the aerial flight mechanism 2 and the drive control unit 3 constitute the housing movement means.

[0019] The housing 6 houses the light-emitting unit, camera, microphone, and various sensors, which will be described later, as well as the drive control unit 10, which includes the control section. In this example, the housing 6 is configured in a box shape overall.

[0020] The housing 6 is made of a material whose outer surface, at least, exhibits photocatalytic properties. In this embodiment, the housing 6 is made of a high-performance composite material in which a thin film of metal-modified apatite, as described in Patent Document 1, is formed on a base material, such as a plate-shaped resin. In this embodiment, the housing 6 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. In this embodiment, the entire surface of the housing 6, i.e., the thin film of metal-modified apatite, is formed in such a way that it is exposed on the top surface where the drive control unit 3 is provided, the bottom surface opposite the top surface, and the four side surfaces between the top and bottom surfaces. It is not essential that the thin film of metal-modified apatite be provided on the entire surface of the housing 6; for example, it may be formed only on the four side surfaces excluding the top and bottom surfaces. Furthermore, the housing 6 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape; it may also be spherical or cylindrical. In that case, the thin film of metal-modified apatite may be provided on the entire surface of the spherical or cylindrical surface, or on only a part of it.

[0021] Therefore, organic substances, including bacteria, in the air surrounding the housing 6 are adsorbed onto the thin film of metal-modified apatite exposed on the surface of the housing 6 and decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by the photocatalytic function, thereby purifying the air. As the aircraft 1 moves in flight, the area of ​​air purification by the thin film of metal-modified apatite on the housing 6 also moves, allowing for air purification over a wider area.

[0022] Furthermore, the substrate constituting the housing 6 is not limited to resin, but may be a plate-like material such as wood, glass, metal, or ceramics. Also, the material of the housing 6 is not limited to a high-performance composite material in which a thin film of metal-modified apatite is formed on a substrate, as in this example, but may be a material in which a sheet or film of metal-modified apatite is adhered to the surface of the plate-like material constituting the substrate as described above. In addition, the photocatalytic apatite is not limited to the metal-modified apatite disclosed in Patent Document 1, but may be any material that exhibits photocatalytic function.

[0023] Two legs, 7A and 7B, are attached to the housing 6 so as to face each other. In this example, the legs 7A and 7B are made of trapezoidal pipe members and are formed to stably hold the aircraft 1 on the landing surface 8, as shown in Figure 1(B). The shape and material of the legs are not limited to this and various other shapes are possible. For example, four legs made of cylindrical wood or metal may be attached to the four corners of the housing 6. Also, movable wheels may be attached to the legs 7A and 7B to facilitate movement on the landing surface 8.

[0024] In this embodiment, a light-emitting unit is attached to the outer surface of the housing 6 so as to irradiate light onto it. In the example shown in Figure 1, mounting arms 91A, 91B, 91C, 91D, and 91E for the light-emitting units 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, and 9E are attached to the four sides and the bottom of the housing 6, which is a rectangular box shape. In this case, the mounting arms 91A, 91B, 91C, 91D, and 91E are attached to the housing 6 so that the light-emitting units 9A, 9B, 9C, 9D, and 9E can irradiate the entire surface of each of the four sides and the bottom of the housing 6, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, light-emitting units 9F, 9G, 9H, and 9I are provided on the four sides of the drive control unit 3 in order to illuminate the upper surface of the housing 6. The reason for providing these four light-emitting units 9F, 9G, 9H, and 9I is to enable illumination of the area exposed to the outside of the upper surface of the housing 6, regardless of the presence of the drive control unit 3.

[0026] The light-emitting parts 9A to 9I can be any type of device that emits ultraviolet light, such as an incandescent light bulb, a fluorescent lamp, or an ultraviolet LED (Light Emitting Diode).

[0027] In this example, as shown in Figures 1(A) and (B), cameras CM1 to CM5 are provided on each of the four sides of the drive control unit 3 and the bottom surface of the housing 6. The optical axes (corresponding to the shooting direction) of these cameras CM1 to CM5 are perpendicular to the respective mounting surfaces of the cameras CM1 to CM5, and a predetermined field of view range can be captured with respect to the direction of the optical axis of each camera.

[0028] Furthermore, a drive control unit 10, including a battery as a power source, is provided inside the housing 6. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the drive control unit 10 in the aircraft 1 of this embodiment. Note that the battery is omitted in Figure 2.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the drive control unit 10 in this embodiment is configured such that the following are connected to the control unit 101, which consists of a microcomputer (abbreviated as "microcontroller" in Figure 2), via the system bus 100: an aerial flight drive unit 102, a gyro sensor 103, a geomagnetic sensor 104, an altitude sensor 105, an obstacle sensor 106, a mobile space information memory 107, a current position detection unit 108, an illuminance sensor 109, a flight plan generation unit 110, a flight drive signal generation unit 111, a position and attitude control signal generation unit 112, a group of cameras 113, an image recognition unit 114, a lighting control circuit 115, and an operation unit 116.

[0030] The aerial flight drive unit 102 supplies drive control signals to the motor drive units 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D of the rotor blade mechanisms 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D of the aerial flight mechanism unit 2, respectively, in accordance with the control unit 101.

[0031] The gyro sensor 103 detects changes in acceleration of the aircraft 1 during flight and is used to detect the direction of flight, speed, and attitude of the aircraft 1. The geomagnetic sensor 104 is used to detect the direction in which the aircraft 1 is flying. The altitude sensor 105 is used to detect the altitude at which the aircraft 1 is located at that time and is, for example, a barometric pressure sensor.

[0032] The obstacle sensor 106 detects the presence of an obstacle by emitting light, infrared radiation, or ultrasound and detecting the reflected wave from the obstacle. It also detects the time and attenuation from the emission of light, infrared radiation, or ultrasound to the reception of the reflected wave, and from that time and attenuation, it can calculate the distance to the detected obstacle. In this embodiment, the obstacle sensor 106 is used to detect obstacles in the space in which the aircraft 1 is used (hereinafter referred to as the "movement space"), such as walls, chests of drawers, beds, desks, or obstacles such as people or pets indoors, or utility poles, buildings, trees, or obstacles such as people, animals, cars, or bicycles in the outdoor movement space, and to avoid collisions with them during flight.

[0033] The mobile space information memory 107 stores information about the mobile space in which the aircraft 1 is used to perform air purification, both indoors and outdoors. This mobile space information (hereinafter referred to as mobile space information) includes location information (latitude, longitude, and altitude) to identify the mobile space, as well as information about obstacles present in the mobile space.

[0034] The positional information used to identify the moving space is defined as the positional coordinates of multiple vertices that define the shape of the moving space. For example, if the moving space is a rectangular prism, the positional information (latitude, longitude, height) of each of the four vertices on the top surface and each of the four vertices on the bottom surface can be used. Alternatively, the positional information (latitude, longitude, height) of two vertices at diagonal positions on the top and bottom surfaces, or the positional information (latitude, longitude, height) of two vertices at diagonal positions on two opposing sides, may be used.

[0035] Information about obstacles within the moving space can include the location and height of the obstacle within that space.

[0036] Furthermore, the indoor mobile space used for air purification may be an unsealed room in a typical home, a room in a commercial facility such as a department store or shopping center, or an office building, or a sealed room such as a factory cleanroom. Outdoor mobile spaces may include limited areas such as theme parks, amusement parks, zoos, concert venues, soccer stadiums, baseball fields, museums, and art galleries. Of course, the mobile space is not limited to specific locations; any area within the flight range of the aircraft 1, such as around one's home, around one's company, around a train station, or around an airport, will be stored as a mobile space in the mobile space information memory 107.

[0037] In this embodiment, the memory of the control unit 101 of the aircraft 1 stores an application program for panoramic photography (e.g., Photosynth). Prior to the flight, the aircraft 1 flies within the moving space and uses all or some of the cameras CM1 to CM5 to take 360-degree images at each location within the moving space. The control unit 101 then uses the application program for panoramic photography to generate 3D image information for each point within the moving space from the captured image information and stores the generated 3D image information in the moving space information memory 107.

[0038] In this case, in this example, aircraft 1 designates a specific location in the mobile space in which it is used as its home position, and uses that location as a base for takeoffs and landings. The specific location may be a charging station, which is a normal waiting area.

[0039] The information stored in the mobile space information memory 107 also includes the location information of the predetermined home position. Furthermore, if the mobile space is indoors, the mobile space information memory 107 also pre-stores the length, width, and height information of the room being used. In addition, if the mobile space is indoors, structural information of the room being used, such as beams, pipe spaces, and columns, may also be pre-stored, and if the mobile space is outdoors, the locations of utility poles, buildings, and trees may also be pre-stored.

[0040] Furthermore, while the mobile space information is generated by the flight of the aircraft 1 as described above and stored in the mobile space information memory 107, it is also possible for the user to store the mobile space information of the target mobile space in the mobile space information memory 107. In that case, if the mobile space information of the mobile space where air purification is scheduled has been generated in advance and stored in a separate memory device or in the cloud, the aircraft 1 will retrieve the necessary mobile space information from that memory device or cloud and store it in the mobile space information memory 107.

[0041] Furthermore, the mobile space information memory 107 may be pre-stored with mobile space information for multiple target mobile spaces in an identifiable manner, and when attempting to perform air purification, the user can select and specify the mobile space information for the target mobile space, thereby reading the mobile space information for that target from the mobile space information memory 107.

[0042] The current position detection unit 108 includes, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver to detect the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the aircraft 1's current position. To obtain more accurate position information, the current position may be detected using radio waves from a mobile phone base station or from a Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity®) communication access point.

[0043] Furthermore, the current position detection unit 108 may use all or some of the cameras CM1 to CM5 to capture images of the area around the aircraft 1 and compare these images with the 3D image information stored in the moving space information memory 107 to perform image recognition, thereby determining the relative position in the 3D image space and detecting the current position. In order to detect the current position after movement, the current position detection unit 108 may also use the gyro sensor 103, the geomagnetic sensor 104, and the altitude sensor 105.

[0044] The current position information of the flying object 1 detected by the current position detection unit 108 is used as information to identify the location of the moving space when the flying object 1 flies through the moving space in advance and generates information about the moving space to be stored in the moving space information memory 107.

[0045] The illuminance sensor 109, although not shown in Figure 1, is mounted on the housing 6 or the drive control unit 3. This illuminance sensor 109 detects the illuminance of the ambient light surrounding the aircraft 1. The control unit 101 determines whether or not to use the light-emitting units 9A to 9I based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 109. In this embodiment, the control unit 101 controls the light-emitting units 9A to 9I to remain off when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 109 is higher than the threshold illuminance at which the photocatalytic apatite thin film formed on the housing 6 can fully exhibit its photocatalytic function, and to turn on the light-emitting units 9A to 9I when the illuminance is below the threshold illuminance.

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 101 may keep the light-emitting units 9A to 9I off if the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 109 is below the threshold illuminance required for the photocatalytic function of the aircraft housing 6 to be fully activated, but is above the illuminance required for the photocatalytic function to be activated, and the remaining battery charge is low and below a predetermined amount.

[0047] Furthermore, the control unit 101 may light up the light-emitting units 9A to 9I when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 109 is below the threshold illuminance required to fully exhibit the photocatalytic function, but is above the illuminance required to exhibit the photocatalytic function, and when there is sufficient battery charge remaining.

[0048] Furthermore, illuminance sensors may be provided to detect the illuminance on each of the four sides, top, and bottom surfaces of the housing 6, and the control unit 101 may control the lighting and extinguishing of the light-emitting units that illuminate each surface according to the detected illuminance on each surface.

[0049] The flight plan generation unit 110 receives control instructions from the control unit 101 based on startup information via the operation unit 116, reads the mobile space information stored in the mobile space information memory 107, and detects the location, size, shape, and location of obstacles of the mobile space to be purified. The flight plan generation unit 110 then generates a flight plan for the aircraft 1 to efficiently perform air purification using the photocatalytic function in the mobile space to be purified.

[0050] In this embodiment, the flight plan is designed so that the aircraft 1 flies as uniformly as possible within the moving space, so that there are no areas where no flight movement occurred or where less time was spent on air purification than other areas, and so that there are no differences in the degree of air purification in each part of the moving space. To this end, in this embodiment, the flight plan generation unit 110 determines the movement pattern and speed of the aircraft 1 by considering the remaining battery charge of the aircraft 1 and the size of the target moving space (the shape and size of the ground plane or floor plane occupied by the moving space, and its height).

[0051] The flight plan generation unit 110 receives information from the control unit 101 regarding whether or not to light up the light-emitting units 9A to 9I, which are determined based on the ambient light intensity detected by the illuminance sensor 109. The unit then generates a flight plan that takes into account the difference in battery consumption between when the light-emitting units 9A to 9I are lit and when they remain off.

[0052] Figures 3 to 5 show examples of movement patterns for air purification within the space in which the flying object 1 moves. For simplicity of explanation, the examples in Figures 3 to 5 assume that the space in which the moving object is a rectangular room. The examples in Figures 3 to 5 show a movement pattern in which the flying object 1 flies along the floor surface FL of the room in the space in which it moves in a predetermined movement pattern parallel to the floor surface FL, and sequentially changes the altitude (height position) at which it executes the predetermined movement pattern parallel to the floor surface FL, so as to move thoroughly throughout the entire area of ​​the rectangular space in which the moving object is a rectangular room.

[0053] Examples in Figures 3(A) and 3(B) show cases where the predetermined movement pattern parallel to the floor surface FL is hook-shaped. Examples in Figures 4(A) and 4(B) show cases where the predetermined movement pattern parallel to the floor surface FL is zigzag-shaped. Examples in Figures 5(A) and 5(B) show cases where the predetermined movement pattern parallel to the floor surface FL is spiral-shaped.

[0054] Although not shown in Figures 3 to 5, in this embodiment, the aircraft 1 does not always move at a constant speed. Instead, it moves a predetermined distance, hovers at that position for a predetermined time, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, moves again at a predetermined speed for a predetermined distance, and hovers at the position after that movement, repeating this operation. The flight plan generation unit 110 changes the predetermined time for hovering, the predetermined distance from one hovering position to the next, and the speed of movement in between, according to the size of the target movement space and the remaining battery level, thereby controlling the degree of thoroughness of air purification in the target movement space and generating an appropriate flight plan.

[0055] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 3, the degree of thoroughness in air purification in the target travel space can be controlled by changing the number of hook-shaped turns in the hook-shaped movement pattern and by changing the number of height positions at which that movement pattern is performed. Similarly, in the example shown in Figure 4, the degree of thoroughness in air purification in the target travel space can be controlled by changing the number of zigzag turns in the zigzag movement pattern and by changing the number of height positions at which that movement pattern is performed. In the example shown in Figure 5, the degree of thoroughness in air purification in the target travel space can be controlled by changing the number of spirals in the spiral-shaped movement pattern and by changing the number of height positions at which that movement pattern is performed. The flight plan generation unit 110 changes this degree of thoroughness according to the remaining battery level. Note that in the case of a spiral-shaped movement pattern, the movement is not limited to circular or elliptical shapes, but may also be rectangular, such as a square or hexagon. Of course, the rotation direction can be either clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0056] Of course, the examples of movement patterns for the flying object 1 in the moving space are not limited to those shown in Figures 3 to 5. For example, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the flying object 1 may fly along a predetermined movement pattern parallel to one side wall of a rectangular room and perpendicular to the floor surface FL of the room in the moving space, and at the same time, it may sequentially change its position on the floor surface FL of the flight movement along the predetermined movement pattern in the height direction, so as to move through the entire area of ​​the rectangular moving space.

[0057] The examples in Figures 6(A) and 6(B) show cases where the predetermined movement pattern is hook-shaped, the examples in Figures 7(A) and 7(B) show cases where the predetermined movement pattern is zigzag-shaped, and the examples in Figures 8(A) and 8(B) show cases where the predetermined movement pattern is spiral-shaped.

[0058] In the example shown in Figures 6 to 8, the aircraft 1 moves a predetermined distance, hovers at that position for a predetermined time, and after the predetermined time has elapsed, moves again at a predetermined speed for a predetermined distance, and hovers at the position after that movement, repeating this operation. The flight plan generation unit 110 changes the predetermined time for hovering, the predetermined distance from one hovering position to the next, and the speed of movement in between, according to the size of the target movement space and the remaining battery level, thereby controlling the degree of thoroughness of air purification in the target movement space and generating an appropriate flight plan.

[0059] Furthermore, in the examples shown in Figures 6 to 8, the degree of thoroughness in performing air purification in the target moving space can be controlled by changing the number of turns and vortices in the movement pattern, as well as the number of positions on the floor surface FL where the movement pattern is executed. The flight plan generation unit 110 can then change this degree of thoroughness according to the remaining battery level.

[0060] Of course, the flight plan generation unit 110 may also generate a flight plan for a movement pattern that moves at a predetermined speed without hovering as described above.

[0061] Furthermore, the system can determine whether or not there are people in the space being traveled and generate a flight plan based on that determination. For example, if it determines that there are people, the aircraft 1 may fly at an altitude of 2 meters or more to avoid collision. Of course, it is not limited to people; the system can also determine whether or not there are animals such as pets and generate a flight plan based on that.

[0062] As a means of determining whether or not there are people or animals, for example, the housing 1 may be equipped with a human presence sensor (animal sensor) such as an infrared sensor and the aircraft may fly over the moving space in advance to make the determination, or the human presence sensor (animal sensor) such as an infrared sensor may be installed in the moving space. If the human presence sensor (animal sensor) such as an infrared sensor is installed in the moving space, the detection output of the human presence sensors (animal sensors) installed at various locations in the moving space will be uploaded to the cloud, and the aircraft 1 will access the cloud to determine whether or not there are people or animals at various locations in the moving space.

[0063] When the flight drive signal generation unit 111 starts flying and moves through the air based on a start instruction from the control unit 101, it calculates the direction and distance of movement in order to generate a flight drive signal for movement from the information of the moving space stored in the moving space information memory 107, the information of the movement pattern based on the flight plan generated by the flight plan generation unit 110, and the position information of the current position detected by the current position detection unit 108.

[0064] The flight drive signal generation unit 111 generates a flight drive signal for movement according to the movement pattern generated by the flight plan generation unit 110, based on the calculated direction and distance, as well as information from the gyro sensor 103, geomagnetic sensor 104, altitude sensor 105, and while referring to images captured from cameras CM1 to CM5 of the camera group 113, and supplies it to the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 via the aerial flight drive unit 102. In this case, the flight drive signal consists of signals that drive each of the motor drive units 51A to 51D of the four rotor blade mechanisms 5A to 5D. The generated flight drive signal is supplied to each of the motor drive units 51A to 51D of the aerial flight mechanism unit 2 via the aerial flight drive unit 102.

[0065] The aerial flight mechanism unit 2 receives this flight drive signal and rotates each of the rotor blades 52A to 52D to perform aerial flight movement according to the movement pattern generated by the flight plan generation unit 110.

[0066] The position and attitude control signal generation unit 112 generates position and attitude control signals that control the orientation and position of the housing 6 so that it is in an appropriate orientation and position (including height) based on the gyro sensor 103, geomagnetic sensor 104, altitude sensor 105, and images captured by cameras CM1 to CM5.

[0067] The camera group 113 consists of the aforementioned cameras CM1 to CM5. Each of the cameras CM1 to CM5 outputs video image information to the system bus 100. Identification information is added to the image information sent from each of the cameras CM1 to CM5 to the system bus 100 to identify which camera the image information is from. Note that the image information from each of the cameras CM1 to CM5 may be not video image information, but rather still image information taken at predetermined time intervals, for example, at 0.5-second intervals.

[0068] The image recognition unit 114 has the function of recognizing obstacles to be avoided during flight by comparing image information captured by cameras CM1 to CM5 with images of obstacles etc. stored in an image memory (not shown in the figure). The flight drive signal generation unit 111 generates a flight drive signal that causes the aircraft to move through the air while avoiding the recognized obstacle.

[0069] The lighting control circuit 115 controls the lighting and extinguishing (non-lighting) of the light-emitting units 9A to 9I based on control instructions given to the control unit 101. In this example, the lighting control circuit 115 receives control from the control unit 101 based on the ambient illuminance detection output of the illuminance sensor 109 and controls all of the light-emitting units 9A to 9I to light up or extinguish simultaneously.

[0070] However, this example is not limited to this one. The lighting control circuit 115 may be configured to allow separate control of the lighting and extinguishing of each of the light-emitting units 9A to 9I, and each of the six sides of the housing 6 may be provided with an illuminance sensor to detect the respective illuminance. The control unit 101 may then individually control whether to illuminate or keep each of the light-emitting units 9A to 9I off based on the detection output of each illuminance sensor.

[0071] The control unit 116 is also used by the user to input commands for starting the flight of the aircraft 1, creating and storing mobile space information in the mobile space information memory 107, and other operation commands. In this example, in addition to immediate startup by a start command, the aircraft 1 is configured to start with a timer function (provided by the control unit 101) at a time set by the user through the control unit 116 (such as a predetermined time or a predetermined time after the current time).

[0072] In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the processing functions of the flight plan generation unit 110, the flight drive signal generation unit 111, the position and attitude control signal generation unit 112, and the image recognition unit 114 can also be implemented by the control unit 101 as software processing functions.

[0073] [Operation flow of the drive control unit 10 of the aircraft 1] In the first embodiment of the flying body 1 configured as described above, a thin film of metal-modified apatite with photocatalytic properties is exposed across the entire surface of the housing 6. Therefore, organic substances such as bacteria in the atmosphere surrounding the housing 6 are adsorbed onto the thin film of metal-modified apatite exposed on the surface of the housing 6, and are decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by its photocatalytic function, thereby achieving air purification. Furthermore, as the flying body 1 moves through space, it becomes possible to purify the atmosphere in the space it moves through.

[0074] In this embodiment, the aircraft 1 generates a flight plan corresponding to the target space to be moved through, and moves according to the generated flight plan, thereby achieving a more efficient air purification effect.

[0075] Figures 9 and 10 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation flow of the drive control unit 10 of the aircraft 1 in this first embodiment. Each step in the flowcharts shown in Figures 9 and 10 is explained assuming that the control unit 101 implements the functions of the flight plan generation unit 110, the flight drive signal generation unit 111, the position and attitude control signal generation unit 112, and the image recognition unit 114 as software processing functions.

[0076] When the control unit 101 detects a start command via the operation unit 116, it starts the flowchart shown in Figure 9. First, the control unit 101 reads the information of the moving space stored in the moving space information memory 107 and recognizes the position, size, and shape of the target moving space, as well as the position, size, and shape of any obstacles within that moving space (step S101). Next, the control unit 101 detects the remaining battery level (step S102).

[0077] Next, the control unit 101 checks the detection output of the illuminance sensor 109 to determine whether the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed (step S103). If, in step S103, it is determined that the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101 creates a flight plan in a state without lighting, in which the light-emitting units 9A to 9I are not illuminated (step S104).

[0078] In this case, the flight plan created by the control unit 101 includes a movement pattern selected considering the location, size, shape, and remaining battery level of the space to be moved (see Figures 3 to 8), the speed of the flight, and the number of repetitions of the flight that covers the entire space to be moved using the selected movement pattern. In step S104, the aircraft 1 will execute the flight plan without the light-emitting units 9A to 9I being illuminated, so the control unit 101 can create a flight plan considering that battery consumption will be relatively low.

[0079] In this first embodiment, the movement pattern and speed of the aircraft are determined so that the aircraft 1 is moved in a way that covers the entire mobile space area at least once, taking into account the remaining battery level, in order to purify the air as evenly as possible within the mobile space area that is the target of air purification.

[0080] Once a flight plan is created in step S104, the control unit 101 starts the flight movement of the aircraft 1 according to the flight plan and begins air purification by the photocatalytic function of the outer surface of the housing 6 of the aircraft 1 as it flies through the moving space (step S105). In this example, a base consisting of a charging station is installed within or near the moving space that is to be purified, and the aircraft 1 starts its flight movement from this base.

[0081] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether the battery level is low and it is time to charge it (step S106). If it determines in step S106 that it is time to charge the battery, the control unit 101 cancels the flight according to the flight plan, returns to the charging station, and starts charging (step S107).

[0082] Then, the control unit 101 waits for the battery to reach a full charge (step S108), and when it determines that the battery is fully charged, it determines whether or not it is OK to terminate the air purification process (step S109). In this embodiment, step S109 determines whether or not the execution of the number of repetitions of the flight covering the entire area of ​​the space of movement by the selected movement pattern included in the flight plan created in step S104 has been completed.

[0083] If it is determined in step S109 that the air purification process may be terminated, this processing routine is terminated. If it is determined in step S109 that the air purification process is not yet complete, the control unit 101 returns to step S105 and continues the flight movement according to the flight plan, repeating the processes from step S105 onward.

[0084] Furthermore, if step S106 determines that the device is not in a state where charging is necessary, the control unit 101 determines whether the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space has changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed (step S110). If step S110 determines that the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is not insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101 moves the process to step S109 and repeats the process from step S109 onward.

[0085] Furthermore, in step S110, if it is determined that the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101 detects the remaining battery level (step S111).

[0086] In step S103, if it is determined that the illumination from ambient light in the moving space is not sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, and following step S111, the control unit 101 controls the lighting control circuit 115 to create a flight plan with the light-emitting units 9A to 9I lit (step S121 in Figure 10). In step S121, the aircraft 1 will execute the flight plan with the light-emitting units 9A to 9I lit, so the control unit 101 needs to create the flight plan taking battery consumption into consideration.

[0087] Once a flight plan is created in step S121, the control unit 101 controls the lighting control circuit 115 to light up the light-emitting units 9A to 9I and start the flight movement of the aircraft 1 according to the flight plan, and starts the air purification by the photocatalytic function of the outer surface of the housing 6 of the aircraft 1 as it flies through the moving space (step S122).

[0088] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether the battery level is low and it is time to charge it (step S123). If it determines in step S123 that it is time to charge the battery, the control unit 101 cancels the flight movement according to the flight plan, returns to the charging station, and starts charging (step S124).

[0089] Then, the control unit 101 waits for the battery to reach a full charge (step S125), and when it determines that the battery is fully charged, it determines whether or not it is OK to terminate the air purification process (step S126). In step S126, it determines whether or not the number of times the flight covering the entire area of ​​the space of movement by the selected movement pattern included in the flight plan created in step S104 has been completed has been completed.

[0090] If it is determined in step S126 that the air purification process may be terminated, this processing routine is terminated. If it is determined in step S126 that the air purification process is not yet complete, the control unit 101 returns to step S122 and continues the flight movement according to the flight plan, repeating the processes from step S122 onward.

[0091] Furthermore, if step S123 determines that the device is not in a state where charging is necessary, the control unit 101 determines whether the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space has changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed (step S127). If step S127 determines that the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is not insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101 proceeds to step S126 and repeats the process from step S126 onward.

[0092] Furthermore, if in step S127 the control unit 101 determines that the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101 detects the remaining battery level (step S128). After step S128, the control unit 101 proceeds to step S104 in Figure 9 and repeats the processing from step S104 onward.

[0093] [Effects of the first embodiment] As described above, in the first embodiment, the flying body 1 has a thin film of metal-modified apatite, which is an example of photocatalytic apatite with photocatalytic properties, exposed across the entire surface of the housing 6. Therefore, organic substances such as bacteria in the atmosphere surrounding the housing 6 are adsorbed onto the thin film of metal-modified apatite exposed on the surface of the housing 6, and are decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by its photocatalytic function, thereby achieving air purification.

[0094] In this embodiment, as the flying body 1 moves, the location of the space where the air is purified by the thin film of metal-modified apatite on the outer surface of the housing 6 is changed. Therefore, compared to cases where the device is installed in a fixed position, such as the advertising and information media described in Patent Document 2, a wider area of ​​air purification can be achieved. In particular, if the space in which the flying body 1 moves is a sealed space, the flying body 1 can move thoroughly within that sealed space, thereby purifying all of the air in that sealed space.

[0095] Furthermore, since the aircraft 1 of the above-described embodiment is equipped with light-emitting units 9A to 9I, even if ambient light is insufficient, the photocatalytic function of the photocatalytic apatite thin film on the outer surface of the housing 6 can be sufficiently performed by lighting these light-emitting units 9A to 9I.

[0096] Furthermore, the aircraft 1 of the above-described embodiment stores in advance mobile space information that can identify the location, size, shape, etc., of the mobile space to be purified. Based on this stored mobile space information, it creates an appropriate flight plan corresponding to the target mobile space, thereby enabling efficient air purification in that mobile space.

[0097] Furthermore, the aircraft 1 of this embodiment creates a flight plan while considering the remaining battery level, and recharges the battery as needed before it becomes depleted, thereby ensuring reliable and sufficient air purification in the target moving space.

[0098] [Second Embodiment] The mobile body of the second embodiment is also an example of an aircraft similar to the one described above, but in this example, the aim is to enable more efficient air purification over a wider area of ​​movement.

[0099] Figure 11 shows an example of the configuration of a flying body 1S as a second embodiment of the mobile body according to the present invention. Figure 11(A) is a view of the flying body 1S of this second embodiment from above, and Figure 11(B) is a view of the flying body 1 of this second embodiment from the front. In Figure 11, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same as those of the flying body 1S of this example and the flying body 1 of the first embodiment described above, and their detailed description is omitted.

[0100] In this second embodiment of the aircraft 1S, a solar panel 21 is installed on the upper surface of the housing 6S on which the drive control unit 3S is located. Therefore, a thin film of metal-modified apatite is not formed on the upper surface of the housing 6S of the aircraft 1S in this second embodiment. Consequently, the drive control unit 3S of the aircraft 1S in this embodiment does not have the light-emitting sections 9F to 9I that were provided in the aircraft 1 of the first embodiment.

[0101] In this second embodiment of the aircraft 1S, a cleanliness sensor 22 for detecting the cleanliness of the air due to air purification is provided on the front of the side of the housing 6S, as shown in Figure 11(B). This cleanliness sensor 22 consists of one or more sensors, such as a microbial sensor capable of detecting bacteria and mold floating in the air, a floating bacteria sensor capable of detecting airborne bacteria, a pollen sensor capable of detecting pollen in the air, and a particle sensor capable of detecting particles such as PM2.5 and PM10 in the air. It also has the function of a counter that coefficients the number of floating bacteria, particles, etc. detected by these sensors. The control unit 101S of this second embodiment of the aircraft 1S can determine the cleanliness when the air has been purified by the photocatalytic function from the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22. The function of the counter that coefficients the number of floating bacteria, particles, etc. detected by the sensors may be performed by the control unit 101S.

[0102] The other components of the aircraft 1S in this second embodiment are the same as the components of the aircraft 1 in the first embodiment described above.

[0103] Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the drive control unit 10S in the aircraft 1S of this second embodiment. In Figure 12, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in the drive control unit 10 of the aircraft 1 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, and their detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0104] As shown in Figure 12, the aircraft 1S of this second embodiment is equipped with a rechargeable battery 23 similar to that of the aircraft 1 of the first embodiment, and as described above, a solar panel 21 is also provided. The voltage generated by the solar panel 21 is supplied to the power supply circuit 24, and the voltage from the rechargeable battery 23 is also supplied to the power supply circuit 24.

[0105] In this example, the power supply circuit 24 includes an energy storage element such as an electric double-layer capacitor, and when the voltage generated by the solar panel 21 is sufficient, it outputs the voltage generated by the solar panel 21 as the power supply voltage Vcc while storing voltage in the energy storage element. When the solar panel 21 cannot generate sufficient voltage, it uses the voltage from the rechargeable battery 23 to output the voltage from the rechargeable battery 23 as the power supply voltage Vcc while storing voltage in the energy storage element.

[0106] In this example, the power supply circuit 24 allows the aircraft 1S to continue flying for a while even if the solar panel 21 is unable to generate power, or if the rechargeable battery 23's battery level becomes low. Instead, the voltage stored in the energy storage element allows the aircraft 1S to continue flying for a period of time.

[0107] The control unit 101S may determine whether or not the environment is suitable for generating electricity with the solar panel 21 by monitoring only the output voltage of the solar panel 21, or by using the ambient light illuminance level detected by the illuminance sensor 109. Alternatively, the control unit 101S may use both the output voltage of the solar panel 21 and the detection output of the illuminance sensor 109 to determine whether or not the environment is suitable for generating electricity with the solar panel 21.

[0108] In the drive control unit 10S of the example in Figure 12, the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22 is transmitted to the control unit 101S via the system bus 100. In this example, five light-emitting units 9A to 9E are connected to the lighting control circuit 115S.

[0109] Furthermore, the flight plan generation unit 110S of the drive control unit 10S in this second embodiment is capable of generating a flight plan that takes into account the fact that the power supply of the aircraft 1S has been strengthened, allowing the target movement space to be made wider. Specifically, when the target movement space is larger than a predetermined threshold size, the flight plan generation unit 110S has a function to divide the target movement space into multiple spaces and generate a flight plan that executes the movement patterns illustrated in Figures 3 to 8 for each divided space. In this case, the flight plan generation unit 110S monitors the output voltage from the energy storage element of the power supply circuit 24 and considers whether the voltage supply from the solar panel 21 and the voltage supply from the rechargeable battery 23 is sufficient or is expected to be insufficient, similar to how the remaining battery level was considered in the flight plan generation unit 110 of the first embodiment described above.

[0110] For example, as shown in Figure 13, when the target moving space is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped moving space AR and is larger than a predetermined threshold size, the flight plan generation unit 110S in this example divides the target moving space AR into multiple divided spaces DV. In this case, it is preferable to divide the multiple divided spaces DV into sizes that are as equal as possible, but they do not have to be divided into equal sizes.

[0111] Then, when the target travel space is divided into multiple sections, the flight plan generation unit 110S selects a travel pattern to be executed in each divided space DV (see Figures 3 to 8). In this case, the travel patterns in each divided space DV may all be the same, but considering that the concentrations of airborne bacteria and particles in the atmosphere may differ in each divided space DV, in this embodiment, the flight plan is generated so as to change the travel pattern in each divided space DV according to the concentration (cleanliness) of airborne bacteria and particles in the atmosphere.

[0112] For example, the flight plan generation unit 110S generates a flight plan to perform a predetermined movement pattern A (including information on movement speed) when the value of the air cleanliness detected based on the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22 in each divided space DV is less than a predetermined threshold, and generates a flight plan to perform a movement pattern B (including a difference in movement speed) that can decompose airborne bacteria, particles, etc. in the air more effectively than predetermined movement pattern A when the value is above the predetermined threshold. In addition, two or more predetermined thresholds for the detection output value of the cleanliness sensor 22 may be provided, and the flight plan may be generated to have three or more movement patterns set according to the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22.

[0113] Alternatively, for each divided mobile space AR, the cleanliness level may be checked in advance for each divided space DV, and a flight plan may be generated that prioritizes cleaning the divided spaces with low cleanliness levels (areas with heavy contamination) based on the results of that check.

[0114] In this second embodiment, the control unit 101S flies according to the flight plan generated by the flight plan generation unit 110S, and when the movement space AR is divided into multiple divided spaces DV, it controls the flight movement of the aircraft 1S (including movement speed and hovering frequency, etc.) according to the cleanliness detection output from the cleanliness sensor 22. In this second embodiment, when the control unit 101S determines from the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22 that the air cleanliness has fallen below a value considered to indicate that the degree of air purification is sufficient, it controls the aircraft 1S to terminate air purification by flight movement.

[0115] The other configurations of the drive control unit 10S of the aircraft 1S in the second embodiment shown in Figure 12 are the same as those of the drive control unit 10 shown in Figure 2.

[0116] Furthermore, in Figure 12, the processing functions of the flight plan generation unit 110S, the flight drive signal generation unit 111, the position and attitude control signal generation unit 112, and the image recognition unit 114 can also be implemented by the control unit 101S as software processing functions.

[0117] [Operation flow of the drive control unit 10S of the aircraft 1S] In the aircraft 1S of the second embodiment configured as described above, a flight plan corresponding to the target moving space is generated, and by moving through the target moving space according to the generated flight plan while monitoring the detection output of the air purity sensor, a more efficient air purification effect can be achieved. Furthermore, when the target moving space is relatively large, the moving space is divided, and a predetermined movement pattern is executed for each divided space to achieve more efficient air purification.

[0118] Figures 14 to 17 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation flow of the drive control unit 10S of the aircraft 1S in this second embodiment. Each step in the flowcharts shown in Figures 14 to 17 is explained assuming that the control unit 101S implements the functions of the flight plan generation unit 110S, the flight drive signal generation unit 111, the position and attitude control signal generation unit 112, and the image recognition unit 114 as software processing functions.

[0119] When the control unit 101S detects a start command via the operation unit 116, it starts the flowchart shown in Figure 14. First, the control unit 101S reads the information of the moving space stored in the moving space information memory 107 and recognizes the position, size, and shape of the target moving space, as well as the position, size, and shape of any obstacles within the moving space (step S201). Next, if the size of the recognized target moving space is larger than a predetermined size, the control unit 101S divides the moving space and generates multiple divided spaces (step S203).

[0120] Next, the control unit 101S checks the power supply status, such as the remaining charge of the battery 23 connected to the power supply circuit 24 and the voltage from the solar panel 21, in order to use this information when generating a flight plan (step S203).

[0121] Next, the control unit 101S checks the detection output of the illuminance sensor 109 to determine whether the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed (step S204). If, in step S204, it is determined that the illuminance from ambient light in the moving space is sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101S creates a flight plan with the light-emitting units 9A to 9E remaining off (step S205).

[0122] In this case, the flight plan created in step S205 includes a movement pattern selected considering the location, size, shape, and remaining battery level of the space to be moved, the flight speed, and the number of repetitions of the flight that covers the entire space using the selected movement pattern. Furthermore, if the target space to be moved is divided, the control unit 101S creates the order of movement, the speed of movement, and the flight plan for each divided section within the target space to be moved, as described above. Note that in step S205, the aircraft 1S will execute the flight plan with the light-emitting units 9A to 9E not illuminated, so the control unit 101S can create the flight plan considering that the power consumption will be relatively low.

[0123] In this second embodiment, in order to purify the air within the moving space that is to be purified as evenly as possible, the flight pattern and speed of the flight are determined so that the aircraft 1S is flown to cover the entire area of ​​the moving space (or all divided sections if the moving space is divided) at least once.

[0124] Once a flight plan is created in step S205, the control unit 101S initiates the flight movement of the aircraft 1S according to the flight plan, and performs air purification using the photocatalytic function of the outer surface of the housing 6S of the aircraft 1S as it flies through the moving space (step S206). In this example, a base consisting of a charging station is installed in or near the moving space to be purified, and the aircraft 1S starts its flight movement from this base.

[0125] Then, the control unit 101S detects and monitors the cleanliness CL around the aircraft 1S from the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22 (step S207), and determines whether the cleanliness CL has reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher (step S208). If, in step S208, it is determined that the cleanliness CL has not reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher, the control unit 101S continues the flight movement of the aircraft 1S so that the movement pattern according to the flight plan is completed, and also executes a subroutine to determine whether charging is necessary (step S209).

[0126] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of this subroutine for determining whether charging is necessary. Specifically, the control unit 101S monitors the output voltage of the power supply circuit 24, as well as the generated voltage from the solar panel 21 and the output voltage of the rechargeable battery 23, to determine whether it is necessary to start charging (step S221).

[0127] In step S221, if it is determined that it is necessary to start charging, the control unit 101S stops the flight of the aircraft 1S in the target mobile space, returns to the charging station, and starts charging the rechargeable battery 23 (step S222). The control unit 101S then waits for the charging of the rechargeable battery 23 to be completed (step S223), and once charging is complete, it resumes the flight of the target mobile space (step S224), and then returns the process to the main routine. In this case, if the subroutine shown in Figure 15 was performed in step S209, the process returns to step S207.

[0128] Furthermore, if step S221 determines that it is not necessary to start charging, the control unit 101S determines whether the illuminance from ambient light around the aircraft 1S has changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed (step S225). If step S225 determines that the illuminance from ambient light around the aircraft 1S has changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101S checks the power supply status, such as the remaining charge of the battery 23 connected to the power supply circuit 24 and the voltage from the solar panel 21, in order to use this information when generating a flight plan (step S226). After step S226, the control unit 101S proceeds to step S251 in Figure 17 and performs the processing from step S251 onwards, which will be described later.

[0129] Furthermore, if in step S225 it is determined that the illuminance due to ambient light around the aircraft 1S has not changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101S determines whether or not the illuminance due to ambient light around the aircraft 1S has changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed (step S227). If in step S227 it is determined that the illuminance due to ambient light around the aircraft 1S has not changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101S returns the process to the main routine. In this case, if the subroutine shown in Figure 15 was performed in step S209, the process returns to step S207.

[0130] Furthermore, in step S227, when the control unit 101S determines that the illuminance from ambient light around the aircraft 1S has changed to a state sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, it checks the power supply status, such as the remaining charge of the battery 23 connected to the power supply circuit 24 and the voltage from the solar panel 21, in order to use this information when generating a flight plan (step S228). After step S228, the control unit 101S proceeds to step S205 in Figure 14 and performs the processing from step S205 onward.

[0131] In step S209, when the subroutine shown in Figure 15 is executed, there is sufficient ambient light, so the process does not return to step S205 via steps S227 and S228.

[0132] Next, returning to the flowchart in Figure 14, in step S208, when it is determined that the cleanliness level CL has reached a high level equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold CLth, the control unit 101S determines whether or not the target mobile space was divided during the flight plan generation (step S210). In step S210, when it is determined that the mobile space has not been divided, the control unit 101S determines that the mobile space has been sufficiently cleaned and terminates this process.

[0133] Furthermore, if the control unit 101S determines in step S210 that the travel space is divided, it moves the aircraft 1S to the next divided space according to the flight plan (step S211).

[0134] Next, the control unit 101S checks the air quality in the divided space after movement (step S231 in Figure 16), and determines whether it is at the same level as the air quality in the initial state of the divided space before movement (step S232). If, in step S232, it determines that the air quality is at the same level as the air quality in the initial state of the divided space before movement, the control unit 101S performs air purification using the same movement pattern as the divided section before movement (step S233).

[0135] Furthermore, if step S232 determines that the air purity is not the same as the initial state of the divided space before movement, the control unit 101S performs air purification using a different movement pattern than the divided section before movement, corresponding to the purity detected in step S231 (step S234).

[0136] Following step S233 or step S234, the control unit 101S initiates the flight movement of the aircraft 1S in the divided section according to the flight plan, and performs air purification by the photocatalytic function of the outer surface of the housing 6S of the aircraft 1S as it flies through the moving space (step S235).

[0137] Then, the control unit 101S detects and monitors the cleanliness CL around the aircraft 1S from the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22 (step S236), and determines whether the cleanliness CL has reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher (step S237). If, in step S237, it is determined that the cleanliness CL has not reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher, the control unit 101S continues the flight movement of the aircraft 1S so that the movement pattern according to the flight plan is completed, and also executes the charging requirement subroutine shown in Figure 15 (step S238).

[0138] If the subroutine shown in Figure 15 is executed in step S238, the control unit 101S returns to step S236 in Figure 16 after step S224 in Figure 15. Also, if the control unit 101S determines in step S225 in Figure 15 that the ambient light around the aircraft 1S has changed to a state insufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101S checks the status of the power supply circuit 24 in step S226, then proceeds to step S251 in Figure 17, and performs the processing from step S251 onwards, which will be described later.

[0139] Next, returning to the flowchart in Figure 16, in step S237, when it is determined that the cleanliness level CL has reached a high level equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold CLth, the control unit 101S determines whether or not flight movement has been performed for all the divided spaces of the target moving space (step S239). In step S239, if it is determined that flight movement has been performed for all the divided spaces, the control unit 101S terminates this process.

[0140] Furthermore, if in step S239 the control unit 101S determines that the flight movement for all divided spaces has not yet been completed, the control unit 101S moves the aircraft 1S to the next divided space that is still incomplete (step S240). Then, the control unit 101S returns to step S231 and repeats the process from step S231 onward.

[0141] Next, in step S204 of Figure 14, if it is determined that the illumination from ambient light in the moving space is not sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101S controls the lighting control circuit 115S to create a flight plan with the light-emitting units 9A to 9E lit (step S251 of Figure 17).

[0142] Once a flight plan is created in step S251, the control unit 101S starts the flight movement of the aircraft 1S according to the flight plan and performs air purification by the photocatalytic function of the outer surface of the housing 6S of the aircraft 1S as it flies through the space (step S252).

[0143] Then, the control unit 101S detects and monitors the cleanliness CL around the aircraft 1S from the detection output of the cleanliness sensor 22 (step S253), and determines whether the cleanliness CL has reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher (step S254). If, in step S254, it is determined that the cleanliness CL has not reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher, the control unit 101S continues the flight movement of the aircraft 1S so that the movement pattern according to the flight plan is completed, and also executes the charging requirement subroutine shown in Figure 15 (step S255).

[0144] If the subroutine shown in Figure 15 is executed in step S255, the control unit 101S returns to step S253 in Figure 17 after step S224 in Figure 15. Also, if the control unit 101S determines in step S227 in Figure 15 that the illuminance from ambient light around the aircraft 1S has changed to a state sufficient for the photocatalytic function to be performed, the control unit 101S checks the status of the power supply circuit 24 in step S228, then proceeds to step S205 in Figure 14, and performs the processing from step S205 onward.

[0145] Next, returning to the flowchart in Figure 17, in step S254, if it is determined that the cleanliness level CL has reached a high level equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold CLth, the control unit 101S determines whether or not the target mobile space was divided during the flight plan generation (step S256). In step S256, if it is determined that the mobile space has not been divided, the control unit 101S determines that the mobile space has been sufficiently cleaned and terminates this processing routine.

[0146] Furthermore, if the control unit 101S determines in step S256 that the movement space is divided, it moves the aircraft 1S to the next divided space according to the flight plan (step S257). Following step S257, the control unit 101S moves the process to step S231 in Figure 16 and performs the processing from step S231 onwards.

[0147] In the above example, if it is determined in step S210 of Figure 14 or step S256 of Figure 17 that the moving space is not divided, then in step S254 it is determined that the cleanliness CL has reached a high level equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold CLth, and the processing routine is terminated, as it is determined that the moving space has been sufficiently cleaned. However, if a predetermined number of repetitions is set in the flight plan, the system may perform flight movements in the moving space for that predetermined number of repetitions to perform further air purification.

[0148] Furthermore, in Figure 16, which shows an example of processing when the movement space is divided into multiple divided spaces, in step S237, when it is determined that the cleanliness CL in each divided space has reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher, the aircraft moves to the divided space. However, if multiple iterations are generated as a flight plan for the entire movement space, it may be possible to determine only in the last iteration whether the cleanliness CL in each divided space has reached a predetermined threshold CLth or higher, and if it has, move the aircraft 1S to the next divided space. In that case, except in the last iteration, the control unit 101S controls the aircraft 1S to move to the next divided space after performing the set movement pattern a set number of times (one or more times) in each divided space.

[0149] [Effects of the second embodiment] According to the aircraft 1S of the second embodiment described above, the air purification can be carried out while checking the air purity of the target moving space, thus enabling effective air purification.

[0150] Furthermore, according to the aircraft 1S of the second embodiment described above, when the travel space is large, the travel space is divided, and air purification is performed by flying in a predetermined travel pattern for each divided space. Therefore, even in a large travel space, air purification can be effectively carried out.

[0151] Furthermore, since the aircraft 1S of the second embodiment described above is equipped with a solar panel 21, if the mobile space targeted for air purification is outdoors and the aircraft 1S flies during the daytime, it has the effect of being able to extend the flight time. In addition, the aircraft 1S of the second embodiment described above is also equipped with a rechargeable battery 23, and the power supply circuit 24 is configured to effectively use the voltage generated by the solar panel 21 and the voltage of the rechargeable battery 23, so it has the effect of being able to secure a power supply that can withstand long-duration flights. For this reason, the mobile space targeted for air purification can be a wide area.

[0152] In the second embodiment, since the aircraft 1S is equipped with a cleanliness sensor 22, a display unit may be provided to notify the cleanliness detected by the cleanliness sensor 22 in the target moving space or in each divided space DV via the display unit.

[0153] In that case, the display unit may be equipped with a display screen such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) panel, and the cleanliness level may be displayed on the display screen, or multiple light-emitting elements such as LEDs may be arranged in a row, and the number of light-emitting elements such as LEDs that are lit up according to the cleanliness level may be controlled.

[0154] In this case, the display unit may be provided on the housing 6 or the drive control unit 3, or on the legs 7A, 7B or the arms 91A to 91E of the light-emitting units 9A to 9E.

[0155] In the second embodiment, the aircraft 1S was equipped with a cleanliness sensor, but the cleanliness sensor may be installed in the moving space. In that case, the cleanliness detected from the cleanliness sensors installed at various locations in the moving space is uploaded to the cloud. On the other hand, the aircraft 1S is equipped with communication means and cleanliness acquisition means so that the aircraft 1S can access the cloud and obtain the cleanliness at various locations in the moving space. The control unit 101S then controls the spatial movement of the aircraft 1S according to the cleanliness acquired by the cleanliness acquisition means.

[0156] [Third Embodiment] In the first and second embodiments described above, the mobile body was an aerial vehicle capable of flight, but if the height of the moving space is low, it may be a mobile vehicle that autonomously travels along the bottom surface of the moving space without flying. The third embodiment is a case where the mobile body is a mobile vehicle that travels along the bottom surface.

[0157] Figure 18 shows an example configuration of the mobile body 200 of the third embodiment. Figure 18(A) is a view of the mobile body 200 of the third embodiment from above, and Figure 18(B) is a view of the mobile body 200 of the third embodiment from a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel.

[0158] The mobile body 200 in this example comprises a rectangular parallelepiped housing 201. The outer surface of this housing 201 is made of a material that exhibits photocatalytic properties. In this third embodiment, the housing 201 is made of a high-performance composite material, similar to the housings 6 and 6S in the first and second embodiments described above, with a plate-shaped material such as resin as the base material, and a thin film of metal-modified apatite, as described in Patent Document 1, formed on the base material.

[0159] The housing 201 is configured to move in a predetermined direction by a travel mechanism. The travel mechanism includes drive wheels 202 and 203 provided at both ends of axle 204, and drive wheels 205 and 206 provided at both ends of axle 207. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the travel mechanism in this example is equipped with a directional steering function, enabling right turns, left turns, right rotations, and left rotations. Furthermore, the travel mechanism is configured to move not only forward but also backward.

[0160] Furthermore, a support column 207 is attached to the housing 201 of the mobile body 200 in this third embodiment. The support column 207 protrudes upward from the top surface of the housing 200 and moves up and down relative to the housing 201. In Figure 18, although not shown, a vertical movement mechanism for moving the support column 207 up and down is provided inside the housing 201.

[0161] A movable plate section 208 is attached to the upper end of the vertically moving support column 207. In this example, the movable plate section 208 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the same cross-sectional shape as the housing 201. The movable plate section 208, like the housing 201, is made of a high-performance composite material in which a thin film of a material that exhibits photocatalytic function, such as metal-modified apatite, is formed on its outer surface.

[0162] Therefore, organic substances, including bacteria, in the air surrounding the housing 201 and the movable plate section 208 are adsorbed onto the thin film of metal-modified apatite exposed on the surfaces of the housing 201 and the movable plate section 208, and are decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by the photocatalytic function, thereby purifying the air. Furthermore, as the movable plate section 208 moves up and down, the area where the air is purified by the thin film of metal-modified apatite also moves, allowing for the purification of the air over a wider area.

[0163] Furthermore, the base material constituting the housing 201 and the movable plate section 208 is not limited to resin, but may be a plate-like body such as wood, glass, metal, or ceramics. Also, the material of the housing 201 and the movable plate section 208 is not limited to a high-performance composite material in which a thin film of metal-modified apatite is formed on a base material, as in this example, but may be a material in which a sheet or film of metal-modified apatite is adhered to the surface of the plate-like body constituting the base material as described above. In addition, the photocatalytic apatite is not limited to the metal-modified apatite disclosed in Patent Document 1, but may be any material that exhibits photocatalytic function.

[0164] In this third embodiment, light-emitting units are attached to the outer surfaces of the housing 201 and the movable plate section 208 to irradiate light. In the example shown in Figure 18, mounting arms 211A, 211B, 211C, 211D, and 211E for the light-emitting units 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, and 210E are attached to the four sides and the bottom of the housing 201, which is a rectangular box shape. In this case, the mounting arms 211A, 211B, 211C, 211D, and 211E are attached to the housing 201 so that the light-emitting units 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, and 210E can irradiate the entire surfaces of the four sides and the bottom of the housing 201, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 18.

[0165] Furthermore, in order to illuminate the upper surface of the housing 201 and the lower surface of the movable plate section 208 with light, in this embodiment, mounting arms 213L and 213R are provided on the upper side of two opposing sides of the housing 201, and light-emitting units 212L and 212R are attached to these mounting arms 213L and 213R. The reason for providing two light-emitting units 212L and 212R in this way is to ensure that light is sufficiently illuminated to the areas exposed on the upper surface of the housing 201 and the lower surface of the movable plate section 208.

[0166] Furthermore, in this third embodiment, a light-emitting unit 214 is attached to a mounting arm 215 on the upper surface of the movable platen 208. The light-emitting unit 214 is mounted so as to be able to illuminate almost the entire upper surface of the movable platen 208.

[0167] The light-emitting parts 210A~210E, 212L, 212R, and 214 can be any type of light-emitting device, such as an incandescent light bulb, fluorescent lamp, or ultraviolet LED (Light Emitting Diode).

[0168] In this example, as shown in Figures 18(A) and (B), cameras CM11 to CM14 are provided on each of the four sides of the movable plate section 208. The optical axes (corresponding to the shooting direction) of these cameras CM11 to CM14 are perpendicular to the respective mounting surfaces of the cameras CM11 to CM14, and a predetermined field of view range can be captured with respect to the direction of the optical axis of each camera.

[0169] Furthermore, a drive control unit 220, including a battery as a power source, is provided inside the housing 201. Figure 19 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the drive control unit 220 in the mobile vehicle 200 of this embodiment, and the battery is omitted in Figure 19. Note that this example in Figure 19 is assumed to be the case when the aircraft 1 of the first embodiment is changed to a mobile vehicle 200, and the same block names are used for similar components. The following explanation will mainly focus on the differences between the configuration in Figure 2 and the configuration in Figure 19.

[0170] As shown in Figure 19, the drive control unit 220 in this embodiment is configured such that the following are connected to the control unit 221, which consists of a microcomputer (abbreviated as "microcontroller" in Figure 2), via a system bus 240: a travel / movement drive unit 222, a gyro sensor 223, a geomagnetic sensor 224, an obstacle sensor 226, a travel / space information memory 227, a current position detection unit 228, an illuminance sensor 229, a travel / movement plan generation unit 230, an up / down movement drive signal generation unit 231, a group of cameras 233, an image recognition unit 234, a lighting control circuit 235, and an operation unit 236.

[0171] In other words, a mobile driving unit 222 is provided in place of the aerial flight driving unit 102 in Figure 2. A mobile driving mechanism unit 241 is connected to this mobile driving unit 222 to control the rotational drive of the drive wheels 202, 203, 205, and 206, as well as the directional steering mechanism (not shown). The mobile driving mechanism unit 241 enables the mobile body 200 to move in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed.

[0172] Furthermore, a travel plan generation unit 230 is provided in place of the flight plan generation unit 110 in Figure 2. This travel plan generation unit 230 recognizes the height of the target travel space stored in the travel space memory 227 and sets the upper limit height for moving the travel platform unit 208 up and down.

[0173] Furthermore, instead of the flight drive signal generation unit 111 in Figure 2, a vertical movement drive signal generation unit 231 is provided. This vertical movement drive signal generation unit 231 generates a drive signal that moves the mobile platform unit 208 up and down within a vertical movement height range and vertical movement speed corresponding to the vertical movement instruction for the mobile platform unit 208 included in the travel travel plan generation unit 230. The vertical movement drive signal generated by the vertical movement drive signal generation unit 231 is supplied to the vertical movement mechanism unit 242 provided inside the housing 201. The support column 207 is driven by this vertical movement drive signal and moves the mobile platform unit 208 up and down within a vertical movement height range and vertical movement speed corresponding to the vertical movement drive signal.

[0174] Furthermore, a movement control signal generation unit 232 is provided in place of the position and attitude control signal generation unit 112. This movement control signal generation unit 232 generates movement control signals that control the movement position and direction of the housing 201 according to the travel plan, based on the gyro sensor 223, the geomagnetic sensor 224, and the images captured by cameras CM11 to CM14.

[0175] Note that in the example shown in Figure 19, the height sensor 105 in Figure 2 is not provided. Furthermore, the other parts with the same names in Figure 19 have the same configuration and operation as the parts in the example in Figure 2.

[0176] The travel plan generation unit 230 of the travel body 200 in this third embodiment generates a similar travel plan, except that it travels on the floor or ground, unlike the flying body 1 in the first embodiment which travels through space. For example, it sets which of the travel patterns shown in Figures 3(A), 4(A), and 5(A) the travel will be performed in. However, the travel plan in this third embodiment includes setting how fast and in what manner the travel platform 208 will move up and down according to the set travel pattern. Here, the travel speed is the average speed of the up and down movement, and possible modes of movement include constant up and down movement, gradually increasing the speed as the movement progresses upward, gradually decreasing the speed as the movement progresses upward, moving slowly in the middle and fast in other directions.

[0177] In addition, in Figure 18, the processing functions of the travel plan generation unit 230, the vertical movement drive signal generation unit 231, and the image recognition unit 224 can also be implemented by the control unit 221 as software processing functions.

[0178] In this third embodiment, the drive control unit 220 of the mobile body 200 can perform the same operation flow as the drive control unit 10 of the aircraft 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, although the method of movement differs between flight and mobile movement.

[0179] Therefore, according to the traveling body 200 of this third embodiment, if the height of the target moving space is less than or equal to the height corresponding to the maximum height position of the moving plate portion 208 of the traveling body 200, air purification is performed by the thin film of metal-modified apatite on the outer surface of the housing 201 and the moving plate portion 208 simply by moving it.

[0180] Furthermore, the mobile body 200 of the third embodiment is equipped with light-emitting parts 210A to 210E, 212L, 212R, and 214. Therefore, even if ambient light is insufficient, illuminating these light-emitting parts 210A to 210E, 212L, 212R, and 214 allows for sufficient air purification through the photocatalytic function of the thin film of photocatalytic apatite on the outer surface of the housing 201 and the mobile plate 208. For this reason, it is suitable for air purification under the floor of buildings, etc.

[0181] Although the mobile body 200 in Figure 18 is shown as an example applied to the same case as the first embodiment described above, it can also be applied to the second embodiment described above. That is, even if a cleanliness sensor is provided on the housing 201 or mobile panel 208 of the mobile body, and a solar panel is also provided, it can be applied in the same way, and the same processing operations as in the second embodiment can be performed, with the only difference being that the movement state changes from flying to driving.

[0182] [Other embodiments or modifications] In the first and second embodiments described above, a thin film exhibiting photocatalytic function was formed or applied only to the outer surface of the housing 6, 6S. However, a layer exhibiting photocatalytic function may also be formed or applied to the outer surface of the drive control unit 3, the four arms 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D constituting the aerial flight mechanism 2, and the rotor mechanism 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D. Furthermore, a layer exhibiting photocatalytic function may also be formed or applied to the surfaces of the legs 7A, 7B, the light-emitting parts 9A-9E, and the mounting arms 91A-9E.

[0183] Similarly, in the third embodiment, a layer exhibiting photocatalytic function may be formed or applied to the surfaces of the drive wheels 202, 203, 205, 206 and the support column 207.

[0184] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the photocatalytic material constituting the housing 6, 6S, 201 and the movable platen 208 was a high-performance composite material in which a thin film of metal-modified apatite was formed on the surface of the housing 6, 6S, 201 and the movable platen 208. However, it goes without saying that the material is not limited to this, and any material that can decompose organic substances in the atmosphere through its photocatalytic function may be used.

[0185] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a device that emits ultraviolet light was used as the light-emitting part to induce the photocatalytic function. However, any device that induces the photocatalytic function may emit infrared light, such as an infrared LED (Light Emitting Diode) or infrared laser, or visible light, such as a visible light LED (Light Emitting Diode) or visible light laser.

[0186] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the mobile body is a mobile body that autonomously moves on the bottom surface of the mobile space without flying. However, the mobile body according to this invention may be a mobile body that can fly and also autonomously move on the bottom surface of the mobile space. Moreover, it may be a mobile body that can move on water. [Explanation of symbols]

[0187] 1,1S…Flight body, 2…Aerial flight mechanism unit, 3…Drive control unit, 6,6S…Housing, 9A~9I…Light-emitting unit, 10,10S…Drive control unit, 21…Solar panel, 22…Cleanliness sensor, 23…Rechargeable battery, 24…Power supply circuit, 101,101S…Control unit, 107…Mobile space memory, 108…Current position detection unit, 109…Illuminance sensor, 110,110S…Flight plan generation unit, 115,115S…Lighting control circuit

Claims

1. A housing having at least a portion of its outer surface made of a material that exhibits photocatalytic properties, A means for moving the aforementioned housing by air, A storage unit for storing information about a moving space to identify the space in which the aforementioned housing is moved by air, A flight plan generation unit generates a flight plan for air purification in the moving space based on the moving space information stored in the memory unit, A control unit that controls the flight movement of the housing by the housing moving means, A light-emitting unit that irradiates light onto at least a portion of the photocatalytic material on the outer surface side of the housing, An illuminance sensor detects the ambient light intensity of the surrounding environment of the housing and supplies the ambient light intensity detection output to the control unit, Based on the illuminance detection output, a light emission control means controls the light emission unit not to emit light if the illuminance of the ambient light exceeds a predetermined value, and supplies a drive voltage to the light emission unit to emit light if the illuminance of the ambient light is below the predetermined value. Equipped with, The control unit controls the housing movement means to perform the air purification by flying the housing based on the flight plan generated by the flight plan generation unit. A mobile body characterized by the following features.

2. It is equipped with a battery and a function to detect the remaining charge of the battery, The light emission control means keeps the light-emitting unit off even if the ambient light intensity is below a predetermined value, as long as the remaining battery level is below a predetermined value. The mobile body according to feature 1.

3. The illuminance sensor is provided to detect the illuminance on each of the different surfaces of the housing that have the photocatalytic material, The light emission control means controls the lighting and extinguishing of the light-emitting part according to the illuminance on each of the different surfaces. The mobile body according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The material exhibiting the aforementioned photocatalytic function is a material using photocatalytic apatite containing metal-modified apatite. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. It is equipped with a current location detection means for detecting the current location, The control unit, while referring to the current position detected by the current position detection means, causes the housing to fly and move the housing using the housing moving means, according to the flight plan generated by the flight plan generation unit, over the entire area within the moving space identified by the moving space information stored in the storage unit. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. It is equipped with a battery and a remaining charge detection means for detecting the remaining charge of the battery, The flight plan generation unit generates the flight plan based on the remaining battery charge detected by the remaining charge detection means. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The system includes means for determining the presence or absence of people and / or animals within the aforementioned moving space, The control unit controls the movement of the housing by the housing moving means to avoid the movement range of the person and / or animal, based on the determination means. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The aforementioned mobile space information is stored in the cloud and retrieved from the cloud and stored in the memory unit. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The aforementioned storage unit stores information about multiple mobile spaces in an identifiable manner. From among the mobile space information relating to the aforementioned multiple mobile spaces, it is possible to select and specify the mobile space information of the mobile space that is the target of air purification. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The aforementioned flight plan includes information on speed and control of movement. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The flight plan is generated based on the location, size, shape, and location of obstacles in the aforementioned moving space. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The flight plan is generated considering the shape and size of the ground or floor plane occupied by the aforementioned moving space, as well as its height. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The aforementioned flight plan also includes movement in the vertical direction. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The aforementioned flight plan includes a movement pattern, The aforementioned movement pattern includes at least one of the following: hook-shaped, zigzag-shaped, spiral-shaped, and rectangular-shaped. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The aforementioned flight plan includes a movement pattern, By changing the number of folds, vortices, or positions in which the movement pattern is executed, movement control is performed that reflects the thoroughness of air purification in the movement space. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. Equipped with a cleanliness sensor to detect the cleanliness of the air, The flight plan generation unit generates a flight plan of movement patterns based on the cleanliness level detected by the cleanliness sensor. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The aforementioned flight plan is set up to include a plurality of different movement patterns depending on the cleanliness detected by the cleanliness sensor. The control unit controls the execution of a movement pattern from among the set plurality of movement patterns, according to the cleanliness level detected by the cleanliness sensor. The mobile body according to feature 16.

18. Equipped with a display unit, The cleanliness level detected by the cleanliness sensor is displayed or announced using the display unit. The mobile body according to claim 16 or 17.

19. The control unit, based on the cleanliness sensor's detection results, terminates the movement of the housing and the execution of the photocatalytic function when the cleanliness of the air surrounding the housing exceeds a predetermined value. A mobile body according to any one of claims 16 to 18.

20. The aforementioned travel space is divided into multiple sections, and the flight plan is executed for each divided section. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. Equipped with a cleanliness sensor to detect the cleanliness of the air, Based on the cleanliness detected by the cleanliness sensor, the system checks the air quality in each of the divided spaces and generates a flight plan that prioritizes air purification in the divided spaces with low cleanliness. The mobile body according to feature 20.

22. The system checks the air quality in the divided space after relocation and determines whether it is comparable to the initial air quality in the divided space before relocation. If it is determined to be comparable, it performs air purification using the same relocation pattern as the divided space before relocation. The mobile body according to feature 21.

23. The system checks the air quality of the divided space after relocation and determines whether it is comparable to the initial air quality of the divided space before relocation. If it is determined that the air quality is not comparable, it performs air purification using a different relocation pattern than that of the divided space before relocation. The mobile body according to claim 21 or 22.

24. The flight plan includes motion control to move the housing a predetermined distance and then hover at a predetermined position for a predetermined time. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. Equipped with at least one of a gyroscope, a geomagnetic sensor, and a camera, The control unit controls the housing movement means using at least one of the gyro sensor, geomagnetic sensor, and camera to control the position and / or direction of movement of the housing. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. The system includes communication means and cleanliness acquisition means for acquiring cleanliness information detected from cleanliness sensors installed at one or more locations in the mobile space, from the cloud. The control unit controls the movement of the housing by the housing moving means based on the cleanliness level acquired by the cleanliness level acquisition means. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

27. In addition to the aforementioned housing, the housing also includes a part having a material that exhibits the photocatalytic function. A mobile body according to any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. A computer is provided within a mobile body comprising: a housing having at least a portion of its outer surface made of a material that exhibits photocatalytic properties; housing moving means for moving the housing; a storage unit for storing moving space information for identifying a moving space in which the housing is moved by air; a light-emitting unit for irradiating at least a portion of the photocatalytic material on the outer surface of the housing with light; and an illuminance sensor for detecting the illuminance of ambient light in the surrounding environment of the housing and supplying the ambient light illuminance detection output to a control unit. A flight plan generation unit generates a flight plan for air purification in the moving space based on the moving space information stored in the memory unit. Light emission control means that, based on the illuminance detection output, controls the light-emitting unit not to emit light if the illuminance of the ambient light exceeds a predetermined value, and controls the light-emitting unit to emit light by supplying a drive voltage if the illuminance of the ambient light is below the predetermined value. The control unit controls the flight movement of the housing by the housing moving means, A program for a mobile device to function as such, The control unit controls the housing movement means to perform air purification by moving the housing in flight based on the flight plan generated by the flight plan generation unit. A mobile program characterized by the following features.

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