Multiplexing system and method for control of unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a plurality of control units for generating control commands for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle; and a plurality of control computers connected to each of the plurality of control units to transmit to the unmanned aerial vehicle a control command generated by a control unit having control over the unmanned aerial vehicle among the plurality of control units. Each of the plurality of control computers includes: a first switching unit for transmitting a first signal to the control unit having control, which switches to a standby state in which the control command is not transmitted when a connected control unit requests control while a non-connected control unit among the plurality of control units has control over the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a second switching unit for checking the state of the control unit that received the first signal, and, if confirmed to be in the standby state, transmitting a second signal to the control unit that requested control, which switches to a control state in which the control command can be transmitted. The unmanned aerial vehicle can be operated stably.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a redundant control system and a control method for unmanned aerial vehicles, and more specifically, to a redundant control system and a control method for unmanned aerial vehicles capable of stably operating unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control system is a system designed to control UAVs. The flight of the UAV is controlled by the UAV control system, enabling the UAV to perform its mission.

[0003] In this case, as the missions performed by the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) become more complex, the UAV system may be equipped with multiple control devices to control a single UAV. For example, among the multiple control devices equipped in the UAV control system, one may control equipment related to the flight of the UAV, while another may control equipment related to the mission of the UAV. Depending on the operator's judgment or other factors, control authority for controlling the equipment equipped on the UAV may be delegated among the multiple control devices.

[0004] However, during the process of delegating control among multiple control devices, multiple devices may temporarily simultaneously hold control over the same equipment. Consequently, control commands generated differently by the multiple devices may be simultaneously input into the same equipment, potentially leading to errors. This can result in problems where the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot be operated stably. Prior art literature

[0005] (Patent Document 0001) KR 2015-0138628 A The problem to be solved

[0006] The present invention provides a multiplexed control system and a control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle that can control the unmanned aerial vehicle so that, while control of the unmanned aerial vehicle is delegated among a plurality of control units, the plurality of control units do not simultaneously possess control of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0007] The present invention provides a redundant control system and a control method for unmanned aerial vehicles that can stably operate unmanned aerial vehicles. means of solving the problem

[0008] The present invention comprises: a plurality of control units for generating control commands for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle; and a plurality of control computers connected to each of the plurality of control units to transmit to the unmanned aerial vehicle a control command generated by a control unit having control over the unmanned aerial vehicle among the plurality of control units. Each of the plurality of control computers includes: a first switching unit for transmitting a first signal to the control unit having control, which switches to a standby state in which the control command is not transmitted when a connected control unit requests control while an unconnected control unit among the plurality of control units has control over the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a second switching unit for checking the state of the control unit that received the first signal, and, if confirmed to be in the standby state, transmitting a second signal to the control unit that requested control, which switches to a control state in which the control command can be transmitted.

[0009] The first switching unit comprises: a request confirmation unit for confirming whether a connected control unit among the plurality of control units requests control; a control confirmation unit for confirming whether an unconnected control unit among the plurality of control units has control; and a first state switching unit for transmitting the first signal to a control unit having control when another control unit has control when a connected control unit requests control.

[0010] The second switching unit comprises: a state checking unit for checking whether the state of the control unit that received the first signal has been switched; and a second state switching unit for transmitting the second signal to the control unit that requested control when the control unit that received the first signal is confirmed to be in the standby state.

[0011] The control computer further includes: a data storage unit for receiving and storing data transmitted and received by a control unit having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a synchronization unit for synchronizing the data stored in the data storage unit with the control unit that becomes the control unit when a control unit that did not have control requests control and becomes the control unit.

[0012] The control computer further includes: a data storage unit for receiving and storing data transmitted and received by a control unit having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a monitoring unit for monitoring whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit having control according to the state in which data is transmitted from the control unit having control to the data storage unit; and if an abnormality occurs in the control unit having control, another control unit acquires control and controls the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the data stored in the data storage unit.

[0013] The control includes a first control for controlling flight equipment equipped in the unmanned aerial vehicle and a second control for controlling mission equipment equipped in the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the plurality of control units includes a first control unit having the first control; and a second control unit having the second control; and the data storage unit includes a first storage unit for receiving and storing data from the first control unit; and a second storage unit for receiving and storing data from the second control unit.

[0014] The monitoring unit monitors the status of the first control unit based on whether data is periodically received from the first control unit to the first storage unit, and monitors the status of the second control unit based on whether data is periodically received from the second control unit to the second storage unit; if an abnormality occurs in the first control unit, another control unit among the plurality of control units that did not possess the first control authority acquires the first control authority and controls the flight equipment, and if an abnormality occurs in the second control unit, another control unit among the plurality of control units that did not possess the second control authority acquires the second control authority and controls the mission equipment.

[0015] The present invention relates to a multiplexed control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that controls the UAV using a plurality of control units for transmitting control commands to the UAV, comprising: a process of checking whether there is a control unit among the plurality of control units that requests control over the UAV; a process of checking whether another control unit other than the one requesting control holds control; a process of transmitting a first signal to the control unit holding control, which switches to a standby state in which the control command is not transmitted, if the other control unit other than the one requesting control holds control; and a process of checking the state of the control unit that received the first signal, and if it is confirmed to be in the standby state, transmitting a second signal to the control unit requesting control, which switches to a control state in which the control command can be transmitted.

[0016] The process of transmitting the second signal to the control unit that requested control includes: a process of checking the state of the control unit that received the first signal after the first signal has been transmitted; and a process of transmitting the second signal to the control unit that requested control when the control unit that received the first signal is confirmed to be in the standby state.

[0017] The process of receiving and storing data transmitted and received by the control unit having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle further includes the process of transmitting the second signal to the control unit requesting control, and, when the control unit having control is confirmed to be in the standby state, the process of synchronizing by transmitting the data transmitted and received by the control unit that has switched to the standby state with the unmanned aerial vehicle to the control unit requesting control.

[0018] The method further includes: a process of receiving and storing data transmitted and received by a control unit having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a process of checking whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit having control based on whether the data is transmitted periodically.

[0019] The process of determining whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit having control includes: a process of measuring the time during which the data is not transmitted when the data is not transmitted; and a process of determining that an abnormality has occurred in the control unit having control when the time reaches a preset time.

[0020] If it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the control unit that holds control, the process further includes acquiring control and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the data received and stored from the control unit where the abnormality occurred. Effects of the invention

[0021] According to embodiments of the present invention, while control of an unmanned aerial vehicle is delegated among multiple control units, control can be implemented so that multiple control units do not simultaneously possess control over the same equipment. Accordingly, while multiple control units simultaneously possess control over the unmanned aerial vehicle, it is possible to prevent errors caused by control commands generated differently by the multiple control units being simultaneously input into a single unmanned aerial vehicle. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be operated stably, and missions can be performed smoothly. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms, and these embodiments are provided merely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. To describe the invention in detail, the drawings may be exaggerated, and like reference numerals in the drawings refer to like elements.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Below, an unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0026] An unmanned aerial vehicle redundancy control system is a control system that controls an unmanned aerial vehicle to fly the unmanned aerial vehicle and perform a mission. Referring to FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle redundancy control system (100) includes a plurality of control units (110) and a plurality of control computers (120).

[0027] At this time, the control authority may include a first control authority for controlling flight equipment equipped in the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a second control authority for controlling mission equipment equipped in the unmanned aerial vehicle. Flight equipment includes engines or steering equipment mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle, and mission equipment may include weapons or cameras of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Accordingly, one of the plurality of control units (110) may control flight equipment with the first control authority, and another may control mission equipment with the second control authority.

[0028] The control unit (110) can generate control commands to control the unmanned aerial vehicle. The control unit (110) may be provided in multiple units. Each of the multiple control units (110) may request control over the unmanned aerial vehicle, and when control is acquired by the control computer (120), it may transmit control commands to the unmanned aerial vehicle to control it. For example, if a user of any one of the multiple control units (110) wishes to control the unmanned aerial vehicle, they may press the control button provided in the corresponding control unit (110), and the corresponding control unit (110) may transmit a signal requesting control of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the connected control computer (120). Depending on whether another control unit (110) already possesses the control, the control computer (120) may grant control to the control unit (110) that requested control while exchanging signals with the other control computer (120) connected to the control unit (110) that possesses control.

[0029] A control computer (120) can be connected to a control unit (110) to form a single control device. Multiple control computers (120) are provided and connected to each of the multiple control units (110), and can exchange data with the unmanned aerial vehicle. Accordingly, the control computer (120) receives data transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the control computer (112) can convert the received data into a form that the control unit (110) can identify and then transmit it to the control unit (110). When the control unit (110) generates a control command, the control computer (112) can convert the control command into a mutually defined data form and transmit it to the unmanned aerial vehicle. Thus, the control unit (110) can transmit a control command to control the unmanned aerial vehicle through the control computer (112) to control the unmanned aerial vehicle so that it flies or performs a mission. Each of the multiple control computers (120) includes a first conversion unit (121) and a second conversion unit (122).

[0030] At this time, the unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system (100) may be equipped with a switching hub (150). Multiple control computers (120) may establish a network through the switching hub (150). Accordingly, the control unit (110) having control authority among the multiple control units (110) can control the unmanned aerial vehicle by transmitting and receiving data with the unmanned aerial vehicle through the switching hub (150) and the control computer (120) connected to it.

[0031] Additionally, if the control includes a first control and a second control, among the multiple control units (110), the control unit (110) having the first control may become the first control unit, and the control unit (110) having the second control may become the second control unit. The first control and the second control may be delegated between the multiple control units (110) through multiple control computers (120). Therefore, if the first control unit (110) delegates the first control to another control unit (110), the first control unit (110) loses the first control, and the other control unit (110) may become the first control unit. If the second control unit (110) delegates the second control to another control unit (110), the second control unit (110) loses the second control, and the other control unit (110) may become the second control unit.

[0032] The first switching unit (121) may be provided in multiple units and connected to each of the multiple control units (110). Accordingly, the first switching unit (121) may receive a request signal requesting control from the connected control unit (110). The first switching unit (121) may check whether the unconnected control unit (110) among the multiple control units (110) has control. If the unconnected control unit (110) has control, the first switching unit (121) may switch the control unit (110) to a standby state in which it does not transmit control commands. Accordingly, when a connected control unit (110) requests control while an unconnected control unit (110) among multiple control units (110) holds control over the unmanned aerial vehicle, the first switching unit (121) transmits a first signal to the control unit (110) holding control to switch the control unit (110) to a standby state, thereby controlling the control unit (110) holding control so that it does not transmit a control command to the unmanned aerial vehicle. The first switching unit (121) includes a request confirmation unit (121a), a control confirmation unit (121b), and a first state switching unit (121c).

[0033] The request confirmation unit (121a) can check whether a connected control unit (110) among a plurality of control units (110) requests control. For example, if a connected control unit (110) generates a request signal and transmits it to the request confirmation unit (121a), the request confirmation unit (121a) can determine that the control unit (110) has requested control.

[0034] The control verification unit (121b) can verify whether an unconnected control unit (110) among multiple control units (110) has control. Accordingly, when a control unit (110) connected to the request verification unit (121a) requests control, the control verification unit (121b) can verify whether another unconnected control unit (110), other than the control unit (110) requesting control, has control.

[0035] The first state transition unit (121c) may be connected to receive the confirmation results of the request confirmation unit (121a) and the control confirmation unit (121b). When a control unit (110) connected to the request confirmation unit (121a) requests control, if it is confirmed by the control confirmation unit (121b) that another control unit (110) other than the control unit (110) requesting control holds control, the first state transition unit (121c) may transmit a first signal to the control unit (110) holding control to switch to a waiting state in which no control command is transmitted. Accordingly, the control unit (110) that requested control may wait without immediately acquiring control. When a control unit (110) connected to a request confirmation unit (121a) requests control, and it is confirmed by the control confirmation unit (121b) that no other control unit (110) other than the control unit (110) requesting control has control, the first state switching unit (123) can transmit a second signal to the control unit (110) that requested control to switch to a control state capable of transmitting control commands. Accordingly, the state of the control unit (110) that requested control is switched to a control state, and control can be acquired immediately.

[0036] The second switching unit (122) is provided in multiple numbers and can be connected to each of the multiple control units (110), and the multiple second switching units (122) can exchange signals with each other. Accordingly, the second switching unit (122) can check whether the state of each of the multiple control units (110) is in a standby state or a control state through another second switching unit (122). Thus, when the first state switching unit (121c) transmits a first signal to the control unit (110) that has control, the second switching unit (122) can check the state of the corresponding control unit (110) through another second switching unit (122) connected to the control unit (110) that received the first signal. If the state of the control unit (110) that has control is confirmed to be in a standby state, the second switching unit (122) can transmit a second signal to the control unit (110) that requested control, which converts the state of the control unit (110) to a control state where a control command can be transmitted. After confirming that the state of the control unit (110) holding control has been switched to a standby state, the second switching unit (122) switches the state of the control unit (110) that requested control to a control state, thereby preventing multiple control units (110) from temporarily holding control simultaneously, so that multiple control units (110) do not transmit control commands to the unmanned aerial vehicle simultaneously. The second switching unit (122) includes a state verification unit (122a) and a second state switching unit (122b).

[0037] The status check unit (122a) can check whether the state of the control unit (110) that received the first signal has been switched. For example, a second switching unit () connected to the control unit (110) that received the first signal can check the state of the control unit (110), and when the state of the control unit (110) is switched from a control state to a standby state, the second switching unit (120) connected to the control unit (110) can transmit a signal that the state of the control unit (110) has become a standby state to the status check unit (122a) provided in another second switching unit (120). The status check unit (122a) can receive the signal and check the state of the control unit (110) that received the first signal. Accordingly, if it is confirmed that the state of the control unit (110) that had control upon receiving the first signal has been switched to a standby state, the status check unit (122a) can determine that the control unit (110) that had control has lost control.

[0038] The second state switching unit (122b) can be connected to receive the confirmation result of the state verification unit (122a). Accordingly, when the state verification unit (122a) receives a signal from the control unit (110) that received the first signal that the state has been switched to a standby state, the second state switching unit (122b) can transmit a second signal to the control unit (110) that requested control to switch to a control state. Thus, after the state of the control unit (110) that had control becomes a standby state and loses control, the state of the control unit (110) that requested control is switched to a control state and can acquire control.

[0039] In this way, while control over the unmanned aerial vehicle is delegated among multiple control units (110), control can be implemented so that multiple control units (110) do not simultaneously possess control over the same equipment. Accordingly, while multiple control units (110) simultaneously possess control over the unmanned aerial vehicle, it is possible to prevent errors caused by different control commands generated by the multiple control units (110) being transmitted to a single unmanned aerial vehicle. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be operated stably and missions can be performed smoothly.

[0040] Meanwhile, the control computer (120) may further include a data storage unit (123) as shown in FIG. 1. Data transmitted and received by the control unit (110) having control through the switching hub (150) with the unmanned aerial vehicle can be transmitted to the data storage unit (123) of each of the multiple control computers (120), and the data storage unit (123) can store the received data. Accordingly, the data transmitted and received by the control unit (110) having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle can be backed up to the data storage unit (123). When the control includes a first control and a second control, the data storage unit (123) may include a first storage unit (123a) and a second storage unit (123b).

[0041] The first storage unit (123a) may be a storage medium for storing data. Accordingly, the first storage unit (123a) may receive and store data transmitted and received between the first control unit and the unmanned aerial vehicle from the first control unit (or the control unit (110) having the first control authority). If the control unit (110) having the first control authority is changed, the first storage unit (123a) may receive and store data from the changed control unit (110).

[0042] The second storage unit (123b) may be a storage medium for storing data, provided separately from the first storage unit (123a). Accordingly, the second storage unit (123b) may receive and store data transmitted and received between the second control unit and the unmanned aerial vehicle from the second control unit (or the control unit (110) having second control rights). If the control unit (110) having second control rights is changed, the second storage unit (123b) may receive and store data from the changed control unit (110). Thus, data controlling the flight equipment of the unmanned aerial vehicle and data controlling the mission equipment may be separately classified and stored in the first storage unit (123a) and the second storage unit (123b), respectively.

[0043] At this time, the control computer (120) may further include a synchronization unit (125) as shown in FIG. 1. The synchronization unit (125) can synchronize by transmitting data stored in the data storage unit (123) to the control unit (110) that requested control. Therefore, based on the data in which the control unit (110) that previously had control controlled the unmanned aerial vehicle, the control unit (110) that newly acquired control can continuously control the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0044] Meanwhile, the control computer (120) may further include a monitoring unit (124) as shown in FIG. 1. The monitoring unit (124) may be connected to check the status of data transmitted from the control unit (110) having control to the data storage unit (123). That is, the monitoring unit (124) can monitor whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit (110) having control depending on whether data is transmitted normally to the data storage unit (123). For example, if data is not received from the control unit (110) having control to the data storage unit (123), the monitoring unit (170) can measure the time during which data is not received (or the time elapsed from the point at which data is not transmitted). If data is transmitted again from the control unit (110) having control before the measured time reaches a preset time, the monitoring unit (170) can determine that the control unit (110) having control is normal. When the measured time reaches a preset time, the monitoring unit (170) may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the control unit (110) that has control.

[0045] At this time, if the control unit (110) holding control is normal as a result of monitoring by the monitoring unit (170), the control unit (110) can control the unmanned aerial vehicle while maintaining control. If an abnormality occurs in the control unit holding control as a result of monitoring by the monitoring unit (170), another control unit (110) that did not hold control can acquire control and control the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the data stored in the data storage unit (123). Accordingly, in a situation where the control unit (110) that has an abnormality is unable to control the unmanned aerial vehicle normally, control is automatically transferred to another control unit (110), allowing the unmanned aerial vehicle to continue to be controlled. Since the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled based on the data stored in the data storage unit (123), the control unit (110) that newly acquired control can continuously operate the unmanned aerial vehicle in accordance with the situation in which the unmanned aerial vehicle was previously controlled.

[0046] Additionally, when the data storage unit (123) is equipped with a first storage unit (123a) and a second storage unit (123b), the monitoring unit (124) can monitor the state of the first control unit according to whether data is periodically transmitted from the first control unit to the first storage unit (123a), and monitor the state of the second control unit according to whether data is periodically transmitted from the second control unit to the second storage unit (123b). That is, the monitoring unit (124) can monitor the states of the first control unit and the second control unit individually.

[0047] Additionally, when the monitoring unit (170) monitors the status of the first control unit and the second control unit respectively, if an abnormality occurs in the first control unit, another control unit (110) among the multiple control units (110) that did not have the first control authority can acquire the first control authority and control the flight equipment of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the data stored in the first storage unit (123a), and if an abnormality occurs in the second control unit, another control unit (110) among the multiple control units (110) that did not have the second control authority can acquire the second control authority and control the mission equipment based on the data stored in the second storage unit (123b). Therefore, the first control authority or the second control authority is automatically delegated to the control unit (110) that is operating normally, and the flight equipment or mission equipment is controlled, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly stably or perform the mission stably.

[0048] In this way, if an abnormality (e.g., a malfunction or error) occurs in the control unit (110) that has control over the unmanned aerial vehicle, the control unit (110) that did not have control can acquire control and continuously control the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the data stored in the data storage unit (123). Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly stably or perform missions.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a multiplexing control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Below, a multiplexing control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0051] The unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control method is a control method that controls an unmanned aerial vehicle by using multiple control units to transmit control commands to the unmanned aerial vehicle. Referring to FIG. 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control method includes a process of checking whether there is a control unit among multiple control units that requests control over the unmanned aerial vehicle; a process of checking whether another control unit other than the one requesting control has control; a process of transmitting a first signal to the control unit that has control, which switches to a standby state where control commands are not transmitted, if the other control unit other than the one requesting control has control; and a process of checking the state of the control unit that received the first signal, and if the control unit that received the first signal is confirmed to be in a standby state, transmitting a second signal to the control unit that requested control, which switches to a control state where control commands can be transmitted.

[0052] At this time, the unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control method can be performed by an unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to an embodiment of the present invention having a configuration as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the processes of performing the unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control method will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. However, the unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control method is not limited thereto and can be performed by an unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system of various configurations.

[0053] First, it is checked whether there is a control unit among the multiple control units that requests control over the unmanned aerial vehicle (S110). That is, each of the multiple control computers (120) can check whether a connected control unit (110) is requesting control. For example, if a user of any of the multiple control units (110) wants to control the unmanned aerial vehicle, the corresponding control unit (110) can generate a request signal and transmit it to the connected control computer (120). When the request signal is received by the control computer (120), it can be confirmed that a control unit (110) requesting control has occurred.

[0054] Next, it is checked whether other control units other than the control unit requesting control have control (S120). That is, if there is a control unit (110) that has requested control, the control computer (120) that has received the request signal can check whether other control units (110) have control by exchanging data with the control computer (120) connected to the other control unit (110) and checking each of the other control units (110) other than the control unit (110) that has requested control.

[0055] Next, if a control unit other than the one requesting control has control, a first signal is transmitted to the control unit having control to switch to a standby state where control commands are not transmitted (S130). That is, the control computer (120) that received the request signal can transmit a first signal to the control unit (110) having control to switch to a standby state where control commands are not transmitted.

[0056] Next, the status of the control unit that received the first signal is checked, and if the control unit that received the first signal is confirmed to be in a standby state, the control command is transmitted to the control unit that requested the control to switch to a control state where the control command can be transmitted. That is, after the first signal is transmitted to the control unit (110) that has the control, it is checked whether the control unit (110) that received the first signal has entered a standby state (S140). For example, after the first signal is transmitted to the control unit (110) that has the control, the control computer (120) connected to the control unit (110) that has the control can check the status of the control unit (110). When the state of the control unit (110) is switched to a standby state, a control computer (120) connected to the control unit (110) can transmit a signal to another control computer (120) that the state of the control unit (110) has become a standby state, and a control computer (120) connected to the control unit (110) that requested control can receive the signal and check the state of the control unit (110) that holds control. When the state of the control unit (110) that received the first signal is confirmed to be a standby state, the control computer (120) connected to the control unit (110) that requested control can determine that the state of the control unit (110) has been switched and control has been lost. When the state of the control unit (110) that received the first signal is confirmed to be a standby state, the control computer (120) connected to the control unit (110) that requested control can transmit a second signal to the control unit (110) that requested control to switch to a control state. Accordingly, when the second signal is received, the control unit (110) that requested control switches to a control state (S150). Thus, the control unit (110) that requested control acquires control and can control the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0057] Meanwhile, if a control unit other than the one requesting control does not have control, the control computer (120) connected to the control unit (110) requesting control immediately transmits a second signal to the control unit (110) requesting control (S150). Therefore, the control unit (110) requesting control can immediately acquire control and control the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0058] In this way, while control over the unmanned aerial vehicle is delegated among multiple control units (110), control can be implemented so that multiple control units (110) do not simultaneously possess control over the same equipment. Accordingly, while multiple control units (110) simultaneously possess control over the unmanned aerial vehicle, it is possible to prevent errors caused by different control commands generated by the multiple control units (110) being transmitted to a single unmanned aerial vehicle. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be operated stably and missions can be performed smoothly.

[0059] Meanwhile, the control unit having control can receive data transmitted and received from the unmanned aerial vehicle and store it in the data storage unit (123). Thus, the data can be backed up.

[0060] At this time, when the control unit (110) that requested control acquires control, the state of the control unit (110) that requested control is switched to a control state, and the data stored in the data storage unit (123) can be transmitted to the control unit (110) that requested control to synchronize. Therefore, based on the data of the control unit (110) that previously held control and controlled the unmanned aerial vehicle, the control unit (110) that newly acquired control can continuously control the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0061] Meanwhile, it is possible to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit (110) by checking whether data transmitted and received from the control unit (110) to the unmanned aerial vehicle is periodically transmitted to the data storage unit (123). That is, if data is not transmitted to the data storage unit (123), the monitoring unit (124) can measure the time during which data is not transmitted from the control unit (110) (or the time elapsed since the point in time when data is not transmitted). If data is transmitted again from the control unit (110) before the measured time reaches a preset time, the monitoring unit (124) can determine that the control unit (110) is normal. If the measured time reaches a preset time, the monitoring unit (124) can determine that an abnormality has occurred in the control unit (110).

[0062] At this time, if it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the control unit (110) that has control, another control unit (110) in a normal state can acquire control and control the unmanned aerial vehicle based on data that has been periodically received and stored from the control unit (110) where the abnormality occurred. Accordingly, in a situation where the control unit (110) where the abnormality occurred cannot control the unmanned aerial vehicle normally, another control unit (110) can automatically acquire control and operate the unmanned aerial vehicle stably. When data is transmitted again from the control unit (110) where the abnormality occurred, it can be determined that the state of the control unit (110) has become normal.

[0063] In this way, if an abnormality (e.g., a malfunction or error) occurs in the control unit (110) that has control over the unmanned aerial vehicle, another control unit (110) can continuously control the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the data stored in the data storage unit (123). Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly stably or perform a mission.

[0065] As such, although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present invention, various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, and various combinations between embodiments are also possible. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof. Explanation of the symbols

[0066] 100: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Redundancy Control System 110: Control Unit 120: Control computer 121: First switching unit 122: Second switching unit 123: Data storage unit 124: Monitoring Unit 150: Switching Hub

Claims

Claim 1 A plurality of control units for generating control commands to control an unmanned aerial vehicle; and a plurality of control computers connected to each of the plurality of control units to transmit to the unmanned aerial vehicle a control command generated by the control unit having control over the unmanned aerial vehicle among the plurality of control units; wherein each of the plurality of control computers comprises: a first switching unit for transmitting a first signal to the control unit having control, which switches to a standby state in which the control command is not transmitted when a connected control unit requests control while an unconnected control unit among the plurality of control units has control over the unmanned aerial vehicle; a second switching unit for checking the state of the control unit that received the first signal, and if confirmed to be in the standby state, transmitting a second signal to the control unit that requested control, which switches to a control state in which the control command can be transmitted; a data storage unit for receiving and storing data transmitted and received between the control unit having control and the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a monitoring unit for monitoring whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit having control according to the state in which data is transmitted from the control unit having control to the data storage unit.The control unit includes a first control unit for controlling flight equipment equipped in the unmanned aerial vehicle and a second control unit for controlling mission equipment equipped in the unmanned aerial vehicle, and the plurality of control units includes a first control unit having the first control unit and a second control unit having the second control unit, and the data storage unit includes a first storage unit for receiving and storing data from the first control unit and a second storage unit for receiving and storing data from the second control unit, and the monitoring unit monitors the status of the first control unit according to whether data is periodically received from the first control unit to the first storage unit, and monitors the status of the second control unit according to whether data is periodically received from the second control unit to the second storage unit, and if an abnormality occurs in the first control unit, another control unit among the plurality of control units that did not have the first control unit acquires the first control unit and controls the flight equipment based on the data stored in the data storage unit, and if an abnormality occurs in the second control unit, another control unit among the plurality of control units that did not have the second control unit acquires the second control unit An unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system that controls the mission equipment based on data acquired and stored in the data storage unit. Claim 2 The unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to claim 1, wherein the first switching unit comprises: a request confirmation unit for confirming whether a connected control unit among the plurality of control units requests control; a control confirmation unit for confirming whether an unconnected control unit among the plurality of control units has control; and a first state switching unit for transmitting the first signal to a control unit having control when another control unit has control when a connected control unit requests control. Claim 3 The unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to claim 2, wherein the second switching unit comprises: a state checking unit for checking whether the state of the control unit that received the first signal has been switched; and a second state switching unit for transmitting the second signal to the control unit that requested control when the control unit that received the first signal is confirmed to be in the standby state. Claim 4 The unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to claim 3, wherein the control computer further comprises: a data storage unit for receiving and storing data transmitted and received by a control unit having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a synchronization unit for synchronizing the data stored in the data storage unit with the control unit that becomes the control unit when a control unit that did not have control requests control and becomes the control unit. Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 delete Claim 8 A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle using an unmanned aerial vehicle multiplexing control system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a process of checking whether there is a control unit among the plurality of control units that requests control over the unmanned aerial vehicle; a process of checking whether another control unit other than the control unit requesting control has control; a process of transmitting a first signal to the control unit having control, which switches to a standby state in which the control command is not transmitted, if the other control unit other than the control unit requesting control has control; and a process of checking the state of the control unit that received the first signal, and if confirmed to be in the standby state, transmitting a second signal to the control unit requesting control, which switches to a control state in which the control command can be transmitted. Claim 9 A multiplexed control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the process of transmitting the second signal to a control unit that has requested control comprises: a process of checking the state of a control unit that has received the first signal after the first signal has been transmitted; and a process of transmitting the second signal to a control unit that has requested control when the control unit that has received the first signal is confirmed to be in the standby state. Claim 10 A multiplexed control method for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a process of receiving and storing data transmitted and received by a control unit having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a process of transmitting the second signal to a control unit requesting control, further comprising, when the control unit having control is confirmed to be in the standby state, a process of transmitting the data transmitted and received by the control unit switched to the standby state to the control unit requesting control to synchronize. Claim 11 A method for multiplexing control of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising: a process of receiving and storing data transmitted and received by a control unit having control with the unmanned aerial vehicle; and a process of checking whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit having control based on whether the data is transmitted periodically. Claim 12 A method for multiplexing control of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the process of determining whether an abnormality has occurred in a control unit having control includes: a process of measuring the time during which the data is not transmitted when the data is not transmitted; and a process of determining that an abnormality has occurred in the control unit having control when the time reaches a preset time. Claim 13 A method for multiplexing control of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising the process of acquiring control when it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in a control unit having control, and controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle based on data received and stored from the control unit where the abnormality occurred.

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