Flight control system and flight control method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a flight control system, and has the purpose of providing a flight control system capable of maintaining flight control for a small unmanned flying body even when the small unmanned flying body is separated from a controller. A flight control system according to the present disclosure is provided with: a controller; a first-type small unmanned flying body that establishes a first wireless link with the controller; and at least one second-type small unmanned flying body that establishes a second wireless link with the first-type small unmanned flying body. The controller transmits, via the first wireless link, a control signal including a first signal addressed to the first-type small unmanned flying body and a second signal addressed to the second-type small unmanned flying body to the first-type small unmanned flying body. The first-type small unmanned flying body flies on the basis of the first signal, and relays the second signal to the second-type small unmanned flying body via the second wireless link. The second-type small unmanned flying body flies on the basis of the second signal. The wireless output of the first wireless link is larger than the wireless output of the second wireless link.

Description

Flight control system and flight control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to flight control technology for small unmanned aerial vehicles.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique for inspecting structures using a small unmanned aerial vehicle such as a drone. The small unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled by a controller operated by a human operator.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-176822

[0004] However, with the above method, as the small unmanned aerial vehicle moves away from the control aircraft, the quality of wireless communication between the control aircraft and the small unmanned aerial vehicle deteriorates, making flight control of the small unmanned aerial vehicle difficult.

[0005] One possible solution to this problem is to increase the power output of the wireless signal, but sending and receiving high-power wireless signals would increase the power consumption of the small unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first objective of the present disclosure is to provide a flight control system that can maintain flight control over a small unmanned aerial vehicle even when the small unmanned aerial vehicle separates from the controller.

[0007] A second object of the present disclosure is to provide a flight control method that can maintain flight control of a small unmanned aerial vehicle even when the small unmanned aerial vehicle separates from the controller.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a flight control system comprising: a controller; a first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle connected to the controller via a first wireless line; and one or more second type of small unmanned aerial vehicles connected to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via a second wireless line; wherein the controller is configured to execute a process of transmitting a control signal to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the first wireless line, the control signal including a first signal addressed to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle and a second signal addressed to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle; the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to execute a process of flying based on the first signal; and a process of relaying the second signal to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the second wireless line; and the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to execute a process of flying based on the second signal; and the wireless output of the first wireless line is greater than the wireless output of the second wireless line.

[0009] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a flight control method for controlling a first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle that connects a control device to a first wireless line, and one or more second type of small unmanned aerial vehicles that connect the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle to a second wireless line, the method comprising: the control device transmitting a control signal to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the first wireless line, the control signal including a first signal addressed to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle and a second signal addressed to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle; the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle flying based on the first signal; relaying the second signal to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the second wireless line; and the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle flying based on the second signal, wherein it is preferable that the wireless output of the first wireless line is greater than the wireless output of the second wireless line.

[0010] According to the first and second aspects of the present disclosure, a flight control system and a flight control method can be provided that can maintain flight control of a small unmanned aerial vehicle even when the small unmanned aerial vehicle separates from the controller.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing a flight control system in the prior art. FIG. 1 is a configuration example of a flight control system according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating inspecting a structure using a flight control system according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an example of a frame format of a control signal according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a controller according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional controller according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a first type of aircraft according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a second type of aircraft according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a conventional aircraft according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed by a controller according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed by a conventional controller according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed by a first type of aircraft according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed by a second type of aircraft according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed by a conventional small unmanned aircraft according to a comparative example of the present disclosure.

[0012] Comparative Example: First, a flight control method according to the prior art will be described as a comparative example of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a flight control system 200 according to the prior art. Here, two small unmanned aerial vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "air vehicles") 210 are used to inspect a structure 240. The air vehicles 210 according to the prior art are controlled by a controller 230 operated by a pilot. However, as the air vehicles 210 move away from the controller 230, the quality of wireless communication between them deteriorates. In this case, the pilot may have to retransmit a control signal 231 for controlling the air vehicles 210, which can be a hassle. Furthermore, if a delay occurs in transmitting and receiving the control signal 231, it may become impossible to control the air vehicles 210.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or corresponding components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description may be omitted.

[0014] 2 is a configuration example of a flight control system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The flight control system 100 includes a first-class small unmanned aerial vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a first-class aerial vehicle) 110, a second-class small unmanned aerial vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a second-class aerial vehicle) 120, and a controller 130. Note that, although the present example shows a case where there is one first-class aerial vehicle 110 and two second-class aerial vehicles 120, the number of each is not limited.

[0015] In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the two second-class aircraft 120, the parentheses around the reference numerals will be omitted and they will be referred to as second-class aircraft 120. Only when it is necessary to distinguish between them will they be referred to as second-class aircraft 120(1) and second-class aircraft 120(2).

[0016] The controller 130 is operated by a pilot. The controller 130 transmits control signals 30 to the first type of flying vehicle 110 to realize the pilot's desired flight conditions for the first type of flying vehicle 110 and the second type of flying vehicle 120. The control signals 30 include a first signal 310 addressed to the first type of flying vehicle 110 and a second signal 320 addressed to the second type of flying vehicle 120.

[0017] The first type of flying object 110 establishes a first wireless link 10 with the controller 130 and receives a control signal 30 from the controller 130 via this link. The first type of flying object 110 flies based on a first signal 310 included in the control signal 30. Furthermore, the first type of flying object 110 relays a second signal 320 included in the control signal 30 to the second type of flying object 120 via a second wireless link 20. The second wireless link 20 is a wireless link with lower power output than the first wireless link.

[0018] The second type of flying vehicle 120 receives the second signal 320 via the second wireless line 20. The second type of flying vehicle 120 flies based on the second signal 320.

[0019] In this manner, in the flight control system 100 of the present disclosure, the first type of aircraft 110 relays wireless communications between the controller 130 and the second type of aircraft 120. This makes it possible to maintain flight control of the second type of aircraft 120 even when the second type of aircraft 120 moves away from the controller 130. Furthermore, by making the wireless output of the first wireless line 10 connecting the controller 130 and the first type of aircraft 110 greater than the wireless output of the second wireless line 20 connecting the first type of aircraft 110 and the second type of aircraft 120, it is possible to increase the relay gain of the control signal 30.

[0020] Furthermore, in the present disclosure, the second type of aircraft 120 itself does not need to send and receive high-power radio signals, which reduces power consumption compared to conventional technology. By reducing power consumption, the flight time of the second type of aircraft 120 can be extended and the frequency of battery replacement can be reduced.

[0021] <Variation 1> The flight control system 100 of the present disclosure is particularly suitable for inspecting damage, corrosion, etc. of a structure 140, such as a wind power generation device, using multiple second-class flying vehicles 120. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the inspection of a structure using the flight control system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the inspection can be achieved using inspection radio waves 50. A transmitting second-class flying vehicle 120(1) transmits inspection radio waves 50 directed toward the structure 140. A receiving second-class flying vehicle 120(1) receives the inspection radio waves 50 that have propagated through the structure 140. By analyzing the waveform of the received power of the inspection radio waves 50, damage, corrosion, etc. in the structure 140 can be determined.

[0022] As described above, the flight control system 100 of the present disclosure can reduce the power consumption of the second-class aircraft 120 compared to the conventional technology, thereby extending the flight time. By having the second-class aircraft 120 of the present disclosure inspect the structure 140, the inspection can be performed more efficiently than in the conventional technology.

[0023] 4 shows an example of a frame format of a control signal 30 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The control signal 30 is configured to include multiple frames 300, each having a frame length of ΔT. The frame 300 includes a first frame 301 addressed to the first type of aircraft 110. The frame 300 further includes multiple second frames 302 addressed to the second type of aircraft 120(1) and the second type of aircraft 120(2), respectively. The first frame 301 constitutes the first signal 310 described above. Similarly, the second frame 302 constitutes the second signal 320 described above.

[0024] By making the frame length of each frame 300 the same, it is possible to perform control on the first type of aircraft 110 and the second type of aircraft 120 at equal intervals. This prevents the frames 300 from overlapping in time and reaching the first type of aircraft 110 and the second type of aircraft 120, thereby preventing signal collisions of the control signals 30. Note that ΔT, which represents the frame length of each frame 300, will hereinafter be referred to as the control interval.

[0025] Below, configuration examples of the controller 130, first type aircraft 110, and second type aircraft 120 of the present disclosure and flowcharts executed by them will be described. Note that after each figure explaining the present disclosure, a configuration example of the controller 230 and aircraft 210 in a conventional flight control system 200 and flowcharts executed by them may be described as a comparative example. In the explanation of the comparative example, differences from the present disclosure will be explained.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the controller 130 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The operation content acquisition unit 39 acquires the operation content by the pilot. The information processing unit 32 determines the position at which the first type of flying object 110 will fly (hereinafter referred to as the first guide position) and the position at which the second type of flying object 120 will fly (hereinafter referred to as the second guide position) based on the operation content by the pilot. Furthermore, the information processing unit 32 notifies the acceleration calculation unit 33 of information on the first guide position and the second guide position. Based on the information, the acceleration calculation unit 33 calculates the accelerations of the first type of flying object 110 and the second type of flying object 120 using a method described below. The acceleration calculated here is the acceleration for each control interval ΔT based on the control signal 30. The acceleration calculation unit 33 notifies the information processing unit 32 of the calculation result.

[0027] The information processing unit 32 notifies the communication unit 38 of the acceleration information and the first guide position information determined for the first type of flying object 110 as first guide information 111. Similarly, the information processing unit 32 notifies the communication unit 38 of the acceleration information and the second guide position information determined for the second type of flying object 120 as second guide information 121. The notification also includes information on the number of control times (described below) determined by the control count management unit 34.

[0028] The communication unit 38 connects the first type of aircraft 110 to the first wireless line 10. The communication unit 38 stores the first guide information 111 received from the information processing unit 32 in a first frame 301 included in a frame 300 of the control signal 30. Similarly, the communication unit 38 stores the second guide information 121 in a second frame 302 included in the frame 300. Furthermore, the communication unit 38 transmits the frame 300 to the first type of aircraft 110 as a control signal 30. Note that the control interval ΔT by the control signal 30 is adjusted to a value determined based on the number of controls received from the information processing unit 32.

[0029] The guide position memory unit 36 ​​stores the first guide position and the second guide position. The position information memory unit 37 stores the position information received from the first type aircraft 110 and the second type aircraft 120. The input / output interface 35 communicates with other devices.

[0030] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a conventional controller 230 according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. Components that are the same as or correspond to those in Figure 5 are given the same reference numerals. In the conventional controller 230, the communication unit 38 connects to the flying object 210 via a line. The conventional controller 230 also differs from the present disclosure in that it does not include a control count management unit 34 that determines the number of controls.

[0031] 7 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a first type of flying vehicle 110 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The first communication unit 11 receives a control signal 30 from the controller 130 via the first wireless line 10 and notifies the information processing unit 12. The information processing unit 12 extracts a first signal 310 addressed to the flying vehicle itself from the control signal 30 and acquires first guidance information 111. The information processing unit 12 then notifies the flight control unit 13 of the first guidance information 111. The flight control unit 13 drives a plurality of motors 14, each connected to a rotor, based on the first guidance information 111. The guidance position storage unit 21 stores the first guidance position included in the first guidance information 111.

[0032] The information processing unit 12 also notifies the second communication unit 18 of the received control signal 30. The second communication unit 18 relays a second signal 320 included in the control signal 30 to the second type of flying vehicle 120 via the second wireless line 20.

[0033] The information processing unit 12 also transmits the aircraft's own position information calculated by the position measuring unit 15 to the controller 130 via the first wireless line 10. The position measuring unit 15 calculates the aircraft's own position based on the GPS acquisition unit 16 and the gyro sensor 17. The GPS acquisition unit 16 acquires radio waves from GPS satellites. The gyro sensor 17 measures the aircraft's own orientation.

[0034] The electromagnetic wave radar radio 19 performs inspection using inspection radio waves 50 .

[0035] 8 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the second type flying vehicle 120 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The second communication unit 28 receives a second signal 320 from the first type flying vehicle 110 via the second wireless line 20 and notifies the information processing unit 22. The information processing unit 22 acquires second guidance information 121 from the second signal 320. The information processing unit 22 then notifies the flight control unit 23 of the second guidance information 121. The flight control unit 23 drives a plurality of motors 24, each connected to a rotor, based on the second guidance information 121. The guidance position storage unit 31 stores the second guidance position included in the second guidance information 121.

[0036] The information processing unit 22 also transmits the position information of the aircraft calculated by the position measuring device 25 to the control unit 130 via the first type of aircraft 110.

[0037] The position measuring device 25, the GPS acquisition unit 26, the gyro sensor 27, and the electromagnetic wave radar radio 29 are the same as those in FIG. 7, and therefore will not be described here.

[0038] 9 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a conventional aircraft 210 according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals are used to designate components that are the same as or correspond to those in FIG. 7. The conventional aircraft 210 differs from the present disclosure in that it does not include a second communication unit 18.

[0039] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the controller 130 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. First, the processing is started. Next, the position information of the structure 140 is acquired (step S01). Next, a first guide position for the first type of flying object 110 to fly is accepted from the pilot and stored in the guide position storage unit 36 ​​(step S02). Furthermore, based on the accepted first guide position, the flight time (denoted as τ) until the first type of flying object 110 arrives at the first guide position is determined (step S03). Next, the control count management unit 34 calculates the number of control times (N ｍ Next, the control interval ΔT by the control signal 30 is determined as ΔT=(τ / N ｍ ) (step S05). Next, the second guide position for flying the second type flying object 120 is received from the pilot and stored in the guide position memory unit 36 ​​(step S06).

[0040] Next, the position information is received from the first type aircraft 110 and the second type aircraft 120 and stored in the position information storage unit 37 (step S07). Next, based on the received position information, it is determined whether the first type aircraft 110 has arrived at the first guidance position (step S08). If it is determined that the first type aircraft 110 has arrived, guidance of the first type aircraft 110 is terminated (step S09).

[0041] Next, it is determined whether the second type of aircraft 120 has arrived at the second guidance position (step S10). If it is determined that the second type of aircraft 120 has arrived, guidance of the second type of aircraft 120 is terminated (step S11). Finally, the process is terminated.

[0042] On the other hand, if arrival is not confirmed in step S08, a control signal 30 including the first guide information 111 and the second guide information 121 is transmitted (step S12). Furthermore, it is determined whether the second type of aircraft 120 has arrived at the second guide position (step S13). If arrival is confirmed, guidance of the second type of aircraft 120 is terminated (step S14). Furthermore, after waiting for a time ΔT (step S15), the process returns to step S07 and the position information is received again.

[0043] On the other hand, if it is not determined in step S13 that the second type of aircraft 120 has arrived, the control signal 30 is transmitted (step S16) and the process proceeds to step S15. Similarly, if it is not determined in step S10 that the second type of aircraft 120 has arrived, the control signal 30 is transmitted (step S17) and the process proceeds to step S15.

[0044] 11 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a conventional controller 230 according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. First, the process is started. Next, a guided position for flying the flying object 210 is received from the pilot and stored in the guided position storage unit 36 ​​(step S21). Next, position information is received from the flying object 210 and stored in the position information storage unit 37 (step S22). Next, based on the received position information, it is determined whether the flying object 210 has arrived at the guided position (step S23). If it is determined that the flying object 210 has arrived, the process ends. If it is not determined that the flying object 210 has arrived, a control signal 231 is transmitted (step S24), and the process proceeds to step S22.

[0045] 12 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the first type of aircraft 110 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. First, the processing is started. Next, the position of the aircraft is measured by the GPS acquisition unit 16 (step S31). Next, the orientation of the aircraft is measured by the gyro sensor 17 (step S32). Next, the position information of the aircraft calculated by the position measurement device 15 is transmitted to the controller 130 via the first wireless line 10 (step S33).

[0046] Next, it is determined whether or not a control signal 30 has been received from the controller 130 (step S34). If reception is confirmed, the information on the first guide position contained in the first signal 310 is stored in the guide position memory unit 21 (step S35). Furthermore, the second signal 320 is relayed to the second type of flying vehicle 120 via the second wireless line 20 (step S36). Furthermore, it flies to the first guide position (step S37). Note that if reception is not confirmed in step S34, the latest information on the first guide position stored in the guide position memory unit 21 is obtained (step S38), and then the process proceeds to step S37.

[0047] Next, it is determined whether or not the aircraft has arrived at the first guide position (step S39). If it is determined that the aircraft has arrived, a notification of arrival is sent to the controller 130 (step S40). Next, it is determined whether or not there has been a notification from the second type of aircraft 120 notifying the aircraft of its arrival at the second guide position (step S41). If there has been a notification, the notification is relayed to the controller 130 (step S42), and the process ends. On the other hand, if there has been no notification, the process returns to step S34.

[0048] If it is not determined in step S39 that the aircraft has arrived at the first guide position, it is determined whether or not there is a notification from the second type of aircraft 120 informing the aircraft that it has arrived at the second guide position (step S43). If there is a notification, the notification is relayed to the controller 130 (step S44), and the process returns to the start. On the other hand, if there is no notification, the process also returns to the start.

[0049] 13 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the second type aircraft 120 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. First, the processing is started. Next, the position of the aircraft is measured by the GPS acquisition unit 26 (step S41). Next, the orientation of the aircraft is measured by the gyro sensor 27 (step S42). Next, the position information of the aircraft calculated by the position measurement device 25 is transmitted to the controller 130 via the first type aircraft 110 (step S43).

[0050] Next, it is determined whether or not a second signal 320 has been received from the first type flying vehicle 110 (step S44). If reception is confirmed, the information on the second guide position contained in the second signal 320 is stored in the guide position storage unit 31 (step S45). The flying vehicle then flies to the second guide position (step S46). Note that if reception is not confirmed in step S44, the latest information on the second guide position stored in the guide position storage unit 31 is obtained (step S47), and the process proceeds to step S46.

[0051] Next, it is determined whether the aircraft has arrived at the second guidance position (step S48). If it is determined that the aircraft has arrived, a notification of arrival is sent to the controller 130 via the first type of aircraft 110 (step S49). Finally, the process ends. Note that if it is not determined in step S48 that the aircraft has arrived at the second guidance position, the process returns to the start.

[0052] 14 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a conventional flying object 210 according to a comparative example of the present disclosure. First, the process is started. Next, the GPS acquisition unit 16 measures the position of the flying object 210 (step S51). Next, the gyro sensor 17 measures the direction of the flying object 210 (step S52). Next, the position information of the flying object 210 calculated by the position measurement device 15 is transmitted to the controller 230 (step S53).

[0053] Next, it is determined whether or not a control signal 231 has been received from the controller 130 (step S54). If reception is confirmed, the information on the guided position included in the control signal 231 is stored in the guided position storage unit 36 ​​(step S55). Then, the drone flies to the guided position (step S56). Note that if reception is not confirmed in step S54, the drone obtains the latest guided position information stored in the guided position storage unit 36 ​​(step S57), and then proceeds to step S56.

[0054] Next, it is determined whether or not the robot has arrived at the guidance position (step S58). If it is determined that the robot has arrived, a notification of arrival is sent to the controller 230 (step S59). Finally, the process ends. Note that if it is not determined in step S58 that the robot has arrived at the guidance position, the process returns to the start.

[0055] The processes performed by the first type aircraft 110, the second type aircraft 120, and the controller 130 may be executed by a program using a computer equipped with a CPU and memory and storing a program in the memory. Alternatively, the processes may be executed by a program using an integrated circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The program may be provided by being recorded on a storage medium or via a network.

[0056] 15 and 16 are diagrams illustrating a method for calculating acceleration by the controller 130 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, a method for calculating acceleration for the first type of aircraft 110 is described when control is started at time t = 0 and the first type of aircraft 110 is guided to the first guide position represented by the position vector l(τ) after the flight time τ has elapsed. Note that, as described above, the number of control operations until the first type of aircraft 110 arrives at the first guide position is N, and the control interval by the control signal 30 is ΔT. Note that in this case, the flight time τ is expressed as τ = NΔT.

[0057] Let v(kΔT) be the velocity vector and a(kΔT) be the acceleration vector of the first type flying object 110 after a time kΔT has elapsed since the start of control at time t=0, i.e., at the (k+1)th control. As shown in Figure 16, it is assumed that the first type flying object 110 flies while maintaining the acceleration vector a(kΔT) from the time it receives control at time t=kΔT until it receives the next control.

[0058] The relationship between the acceleration vector a(kΔT) and the velocity vector v(kΔT) is expressed by the following equation.

[0059]

[0060] Also, the flight distance vector Δl from time t = kΔT to time t = (k+1)ΔT ｋ is expressed by the following formula:

[0061]

[0062] Here, it is assumed that the velocity vector v(kΔT) is expressed as a quadratic function of time (kΔT) as follows:

[0063]

[0064] Then, the velocity vector v((k+1)ΔT) at time t=(k+1)ΔT can be expressed as follows:

[0065]

[0066] At this time, by substituting the formulas (3) and (4) into the formula (2), the flight distance vector Δl ｋis obtained as follows:

[0067]

[0068] Regarding the equation (5), the position vector l(τ) is obtained by taking the sum of k from 0 to (n−1) as follows:

[0069]

[0070] However, the following relational expression was used to derive the formula (6).

[0071]

[0072]

[0073] Here, if we impose a condition that the velocity vector v(τ) at time t=τ is 0, we obtain the following equation:

[0074]

[0075] From this, the following relationship is obtained:

[0076]

[0077] By substituting this into equation (6), vector l and vector j are obtained as follows:

[0078]

[0079]

[0080] By substituting equations (11) and (12) into equation (3) and then substituting the result into equation (1), we obtain the following equation, which represents the acceleration vector of the first type of aircraft 110 during the (k+1)th control.

[0081]

[0082] In this way, by calculating the acceleration that matches the control interval ΔT of the control signal 30 and notifying the first type of flying vehicle 110 each time, more precise acceleration control of the first type of flying vehicle 110 is achieved.

[0083] Here, the method for calculating the acceleration of the first type of flying object 110 when guiding the first type of flying object 110 to the first guide position has been described. However, the method for calculating the acceleration of the second type of flying object 120 when guiding the second type of flying object 120 to the second guide position is also the same.

[0084] As described above, the present disclosure provides a flight control system and flight control method that can maintain flight control of a small unmanned aerial vehicle even when the small unmanned aerial vehicle separates from the controller.

[0085] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, and in such cases, the combined effects can be obtained.

[0086] 10 First wireless link, 11 First communication unit, 12 Information processing unit, 13 Flight control unit, 14 Motor, 15 Position measuring device, 16 GPS acquisition unit, 17 Gyro sensor, 18 Second communication unit, 19 Electromagnetic wave radar radio, 20 Second wireless link, 21 Guidance position memory unit, 22 Information processing unit, 23 Flight control unit, 24 Motor, 25 Position measuring device, 26 GPS acquisition unit, 27 Gyro sensor, 28 Second communication unit, 29 Electromagnetic wave radar radio, 30 Control signal, 31 Guidance position memory unit, 32 Information processing unit, 33 Acceleration calculation unit, 34 Control count management unit, 35 Input / output interface, 36 Guidance position memory unit, 37 Position information memory unit, 38 Communication unit, 39 Operation content acquisition unit, 50 Inspection radio wave, 100 Flight control system, 110 First type small unmanned aerial vehicle, 111 First guidance information, 120 Second type small unmanned aerial vehicle, 121 Second guidance information, 130 Controller, 140 Structure, 200 Flight control system, 210 Air vehicle, 210 Small unmanned aerial vehicle, 230 Controller, 231 Control signal, 240 Structure, 300 Frame, 301 First frame, 302 Second frame, 310 First signal, 320 Second signal

Claims

1. A flight control system comprising: a controller; a first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle connected to the controller through a first wireless line; and one or more second type of small unmanned aerial vehicles connected to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle through a second wireless line, wherein the controller is configured to execute a process of transmitting a control signal to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the first wireless line, the control signal including a first signal addressed to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle and a second signal addressed to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle, the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to execute a process of flying based on the first signal and a process of relaying the second signal to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the second wireless line, and the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to execute a process of flying based on the second signal, and the wireless output of the first wireless line is greater than the wireless output of the second wireless line.

2. A flight control system as described in claim 1, wherein the control signal has a configuration consisting of multiple radio frames having the same frame length.

3. The flight control system of claim 2, wherein the controller further executes a process of calculating acceleration for each frame length for the first type small unmanned aerial vehicle and the second type small unmanned aerial vehicle, and a process of including the calculated acceleration in the control signal.

4. A flight control method for controlling a first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle that connects a control device to a first wireless line, and one or more second type of small unmanned aerial vehicles that connect the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle to a second wireless line, comprising: the control device transmitting a control signal to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the first wireless line, the control signal including a first signal addressed to the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle and a second signal addressed to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle; the first type of small unmanned aerial vehicle flying based on the first signal; relaying the second signal to the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle via the second wireless line; and the second type of small unmanned aerial vehicle flying based on the second signal, wherein the wireless output of the first wireless line is greater than the wireless output of the second wireless line.

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