Flying object management system and flying object

Abstract

A flying object management system for managing a flying object that performs work flight comprises: a work area acquisition unit 31 that acquires a work target area; a work flight inhibition condition management unit 32 that manages a work flight inhibition condition in the work flight; and a work area setting unit 33 that sets a non-work area in the work target area on the basis of the work flight inhibition condition, and sets an area excluding the non-work area from the work target area as an actual work area.

Description

Aircraft management system and aircraft

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft that performs work flights and an aircraft management system that manages the work flights of this aircraft.

[0002] One example of such an aircraft is an aircraft that can fly remotely or automatically, using propellers, or rotors, that rotate around an axis to generate lift. Such aircraft, also known as "drones," "multirotors," or "multicopters," are used for agricultural tasks such as spraying pesticides and fertilizers, sowing seeds, transplanting, weeding, and harvesting, as well as for aerial photography, surveying, and transporting goods.

[0003] When using unmanned aerial vehicles for spraying pesticides, it is necessary to properly spray the pesticides in the target area (field) in an agricultural area. For this reason, Patent Document 1 describes a technology for changing the flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on wind speed and direction measured during flight.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-75277

[0005] An aircraft performing ground work while flying over a work area defined by a boundary line differs, at least in part, from a mobile work machine traveling over the work area, even if the same work is being performed. For example, when a mobile work machine is used for mobile work, a safety zone is established between the mobile work machine and the boundary line (the boundary object that defines the boundary line) to avoid interference (collision). In contrast, an aircraft flies above the boundary line, so there is virtually no interference with the boundary line, making the safety zone required for mobile work machines unnecessary. However, if obstacles are higher than the flight height, interference with the obstacles must be avoided. Furthermore, in the case of an aircraft performing pesticide spraying, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, consideration must also be given to the dispersion of pesticides, which varies depending on wind speed, wind direction, and flight height. In reality, an aircraft cannot fly freely around a work area; if a highway, residential area, or other obstacles are located adjacent to the work area, a safety zone must be established between the aircraft and the boundary line.

[0006] In view of the above situation, the object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft management system that enables aircraft flying over work sites to perform appropriate ground work and fly appropriately for that purpose, and an aircraft that utilizes this aircraft management system.

[0007] An aircraft management system according to the present invention, which manages aircraft performing work flights, comprises a work area acquisition unit that acquires a work target area, a work flight obstruction condition management unit that manages work flight obstruction conditions during the work flight, and a work area setting unit that sets a non-work area in the work target area based on the work flight obstruction conditions, and sets the area of ​​the work target area excluding the non-work area as an actual work area.

[0008] According to this configuration, a non-working area and an actual working area are set in the acquired work target area based on the work flight obstruction conditions for the work flight. Unlike conventional ground-traveling work vehicles, where the actual working area is set with a safety zone (effective non-working area) between it and the boundary line, the non-working area (or actual working area) is set based on the work flight obstruction conditions, which are work restrictions specific to aircraft. For example, if the area around the work site is free flight space, work flights beyond the boundary line are possible, so the actual working area, which is the effective ground work area, is set adjacent to the boundary line without a safety zone. Conversely, if there are residential areas or major roads around the work target area, work flights are restricted under the Aviation Act, so a non-working area is set between the boundary line and the actual working area. Furthermore, if the work flight has some impact on the area around the work target area, the non-working area (or actual working area) is set taking this impact into consideration. In this way, the system is equipped with a work flight obstruction condition management unit that manages the work flight obstruction conditions for the work flight, enabling work flights that are compatible with the work target area.

[0009] Once the work flight obstruction conditions to be applied to the work area are determined, the behavior of the work flight relative to the actual work area set based on these work flight obstruction conditions can also be determined. For example, if there are residential houses around the boundary of the work area, a work flight will be conducted that prioritizes compliance with the provisions of the Aviation Act. Conversely, if there is no need to set a safety zone around the boundary of the work area, the aircraft will conduct an efficient work flight without waste based on flight performance. Information that enables such efficient work flights is important for work flights. For this reason, the present invention is provided with a work flight regulation information generation unit that generates work flight regulation information that defines the work flight relative to the actual work area based on the work flight obstruction conditions.

[0010] The first restriction included in the information defining operational flights is the area within which the aircraft is permitted to fly (or the no-fly area). Therefore, in the present invention, the operational flight specification information includes the flight area of ​​the aircraft during the operational flight. The area within which the aircraft can move is a three-dimensional space, and efficient ground operations are performed on a limited ground area (effectively a two-dimensional plane) through appropriate flight within that space. In this case, the operational flight altitude of the aircraft is important. Therefore, in the present invention, the flight area is a three-dimensional space, and at least one of a minimum ground clearance and a maximum ground clearance is specified.

[0011] When the work area is a farm field, the ridges that form the boundary of the field are located high above the field. Also, obstacles such as pylons and sheds that exist within or around the field are located high above the field. For this reason, in the present invention, the minimum ground clearance of the flight area is partially different.

[0012] In order to reliably define the operational flight of an aircraft, it is effective to define the flight route before the operational flight. For this reason, in the present invention, the operational flight specification information includes the flight route in the flight area.

[0013] The aircraft flies over the work area while performing ground work (actual work flight), or the aircraft flies without performing ground work (non-work flight). In the case of non-work flight, there is no impact on the surrounding area caused by ground work, so flight restrictions are more limited than in the case of actual work flight. Therefore, when setting a flight route, it is preferable to clearly indicate whether the flight is an actual work flight or a non-work flight. For this reason, in the present invention, the flight route includes an actual work flight route, in which the aircraft is flown while actually performing work, and a non-work flight route, in which the aircraft is flown while temporarily halting work.

[0014] The effectiveness of ground work performed by an aircraft (the effect of the ground work on the work area, referred to here as the work level) varies depending on flight behavior such as flight speed and flight altitude. For example, if the ground work is pesticide spraying, the slower the flight speed and the lower the flight altitude, the higher the pesticide spray density and the higher the work level. For this reason, in the present invention, the work level of the aircraft on the actual work area is variable, and the actual work flight route includes the work level of the aircraft. In one specific embodiment, the work level is the amount of pesticide sprayed per unit area (on the ground surface) during pesticide spraying.

[0015] In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a flight speed and a flight height are assigned to each flight position on the flight route. This configuration is effective when it is desired to perform ground work at a different level in only a specific section of the work area than in other sections.

[0016] The operational flight for carrying out desired ground work in the work area divided into the actual work area and the non-work area is prescribed by the operational flight specification information generated based on the operational flight obstruction conditions. It is desirable that such operational flight specification information be modifiable based on the manager's experience and knowledge in consideration of various situational changes at the work site. For this reason, in the present invention, the operational flight specification information can be manually modified.

[0017] The present invention covers not only the aircraft management system described above, but also aircraft using the aircraft management system described above. Such aircraft are equipped with an information acquisition unit that downloads the operational flight specification information from the aircraft management system, and a flight control unit that flies based on the operational flight specification information. Furthermore, the aircraft that is the subject of the present invention may be equipped with the aircraft management system described above.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a field where ground work is performed by an aircraft managed by an aircraft management system. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the basic flow of aircraft management. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the setting of an actual work area and a non-work area in a work target area. Fig. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional units in the aircraft management system and the aircraft. Fig. 5 is an information flow diagram showing the flow of information in the aircraft management system.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an aircraft FW that flies over a field as a work area. Here, the aircraft FW is a pesticide sprayer equipped with a pesticide spraying device as a work device 5W on its fuselage. The aircraft FW can perform various work flights by equipping the fuselage with various work devices 5W. For example, if the aircraft FW is equipped with a grass-cutting device (weeding device), it functions as a flying grass cutter. Of course, a dedicated aircraft FW may be used for the specific flight task. Furthermore, the aircraft FW and the work device 5W do not need to be rigidly connected, but may be connected by a rope, chain, or link. In this case, the work device 5W is self-propelled, and the aircraft FW can pull up the work device 5W as needed, enabling it to change direction and avoid obstacles. Ground operations performed by the aircraft FW that flies over a field include spraying pesticides (including fertilizer), planting seedlings, sowing seeds, weeding (including grass-cutting), harvesting, and the like. The field is also worked on the ground by a ground work machine GW that travels on the ground.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 , a field serving as a work area is bounded by boundary lines BD, such as ridges, and obstacles OB exist within and around the field. Various ground work vehicles GW, such as tractors, rice transplanters, seed sowing machines, and harvesters, are also used for field work. The air vehicle FW and the ground work vehicle GW calculate their own positions based on signals from positioning satellites SA and are capable of automatic flight (automatic travel) along a target route (target path). In this embodiment, the air vehicle management system is implemented in a remote service computer SC, but it may also be implemented in a computer owned by the field manager. A ground work vehicle management system that manages the work travel of the ground work vehicle GW can also be implemented in the service computer SC.

[0021] Next, one of the general management processes for the aircraft FW in the aircraft management system will be described using Figure 2. First, work information including the work area (field) is acquired (#10). From the information on the work area, a field map including the surrounding area of ​​the work area is created (#11). Factors that hinder the work flight of the aircraft FW during ground work on this field, i.e., work flight obstruction conditions, are extracted from the database of the aircraft management system (#12). Since the work flight obstruction conditions are associated with specific areas in each field, the extracted work flight obstruction conditions are assigned to the corresponding areas in the field map (#13).

[0022] Based on the work flight obstruction conditions assigned to the field, a non-working zone SZ (see FIG. 3) where no work is to be performed is set in the field (#20), and the area of ​​the field excluding the non-working zone SZ is set as the actual work zone (#21). The non-working zone SZ here is an area where working in the non-working zone SZ could cause some kind of problem (such as contact with an obstacle OB or adverse effects on the work environment).

[0023] Next, work flight specification information is generated that specifies the work flight for ground work on the actual work area based on the work flight obstruction conditions (#22). The work flight specification information includes information about the flight area, and the flight area is set based on this information (#23). Once the flight area is set, a flight route for performing ground work on the actual work area is set within the flight area (#24).

[0024] An example of the processing from #13 to #24 described above will be explained briefly using Figure 3. Figure 3(a) shows an example of setting a non-working zone SZ in a conventional field traveling operation using a ground work machine GW. The non-working zone SZ is called a safety zone, and is set as a strip of a predetermined width inside the boundary line BD of the field. This is set to avoid inadvertent contact between the ground work machine GW and the ridges that define the boundary line BD. A detour route is also set for obstacles OB protruding into the field, taking the safety zone into consideration.

[0025] FIG. 3B shows an example in which two work flight obstruction conditions are assigned to a field. The work flight obstruction condition assigned to the upper boundary line BD is the first work flight obstruction condition, which is shown as the first work flight obstruction condition area Z1 in the figure. The work flight obstruction condition assigned to the right boundary line BD is the second work flight obstruction condition, which is shown as the second work flight obstruction condition area Z2 in the figure. For example, the first work flight obstruction condition prohibits approach of the aircraft FW due to the presence of a residential building near the upper boundary line BD, and the second work flight obstruction condition prohibits spraying of pesticides due to the presence of a pesticide-free cultivation field adjacent to the right boundary line BD. In contrast, since no work flight obstruction conditions are assigned to the right and lower boundary lines BD, work flights beyond the boundary line BD are possible, and ground work can be performed right up to the boundary line BD, i.e., work flights can be performed without considering the safety zone. In (b) of Figure 3, the work flight route is created taking into consideration the safety zone set inside the first work flight obstruction condition area Z1 and the second work flight obstruction condition area Z2, and the avoidance of collision with obstacles OB.

[0026] The flight route generated in #24 is divided into an actual work flight route, where the aircraft FW actually performs ground work on the actual work area, and a non-work flight route, where the aircraft FW performs obstacle avoidance, direction changes, etc. without performing ground work (#25). This division is defined by spatial position coordinates, so the aircraft FW can determine the actual work flight route and the non-work flight route by referring to its own position calculated using satellite positioning or inertial positioning and the defined spatial position coordinates. Furthermore, a flight speed and flight height are assigned to the flight route for each flight position (aircraft position).

[0027] Next, the amount of work in the actual work area is calculated and assigned to the actual work flight route (#26). This amount of work is, for example, the amount of spraying per area in the case of spraying a pesticide, the number of seedlings at the planting point in the row in the case of planting seedlings, or the amount of seeds at the sowing point in the row in the case of sowing, and the amount can be adjusted depending on the position of the actual work area. In addition, the amount of spraying can be adjusted as needed depending on the wind speed and direction during work. In such a case, the amount of work is adjusted for each section of the actual work area (#27). The adjusted amount of work is assigned to each flight position of the corresponding actual work flight route. Note that if the amount of work is specified in advance, the processes of #26 and #27 may be omitted.

[0028] Once the pre-processing steps #10 to #27 are complete, the actual work flight is carried out (#30). Furthermore, during or after the work flight, the work flight results are calculated (#31). The work flight results can be calculated from the flight location and the operation of the work device 5W equipped on the aircraft FW. However, if the aircraft FW is equipped with a surveillance camera, the work flight results can also be calculated from images captured by the surveillance camera. The calculated work flight results are recorded and stored in the database of the aircraft management system (#32).

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram illustrating the functional parts of the flight management computer 3 (an example of a service computer SC) and the flight vehicle FW that constitute the flight vehicle management system.

[0030] The flight management computer 3 is equipped with the following functional units: a work information acquisition unit 31, a work flight obstruction condition management unit 32, a work area setting unit 33, and a work flight regulation information generation unit 34. These functional units can be realized by linking hardware associated with the flight management computer 3 with programs installed in the flight management computer 3. Of course, the function of a particular functional unit may be realized solely by hardware or solely by programs, or may be realized in cooperation with an external application server.

[0031] The work information acquisition unit 31 acquires work information via communication or portable memory. The work information is generated, for example, by a server computer that can exchange data with the flight management computer 3, or by the farmer's personal computer, and then transferred to the flight management computer 3. Of course, the work information may also be created in the flight management computer 3. The work information includes the work content and the work area. The work area acquisition unit 31a extracts the work area from the work information and, if necessary, combines it with map information and records it in memory.

[0032] The work flight obstruction condition management unit 32 manages work flight obstruction conditions for work flights. Specifically, the work flight obstruction condition management unit 32 extracts work flight obstruction conditions from the work flight obstruction condition storage unit 32a, which is a database that stores various work flight obstruction conditions for work flights over work sites (fields) that are the subject of work, based on legal restrictions such as laws such as the Aviation Act and the Agricultural Chemicals Control Act, local government regulations, and voluntary restrictions, as well as field work restrictions such as the work target area, work content, and environmental data.

[0033] The work area setting unit 33 sets a non-working area SZ in the work target area based on the extracted work flight obstruction conditions, and sets the area excluding the non-working area SZ from the work target area as the actual work area.

[0034] The work flight regulation information generation unit 34 generates work flight regulation information that regulates work flights for the actual work area based on the work flight obstruction conditions. The work flight regulation information includes the flight area permitted for the aircraft FW during work flights. The flight area is a three-dimensional space, and at least one of a minimum ground clearance and a maximum ground clearance is regulated. The minimum ground clearance is set to exceed the height of crops growing in the field and the height of boundary objects such as ridges that form the field boundary line BD, so the minimum ground clearance of the flight area varies in parts.

[0035] The work flight regulation information generation unit 34 includes a flight route setting unit 34a and a work flight attribute value setting unit 34b. The flight route setting unit 34a sets a flight route in the flight area. The flight routes are divided into actual work flight routes, in which the aircraft is flown while actually performing work, and non-work flight routes, in which the aircraft is flown while temporarily halting work. The non-work flight modes here include a flight mode in which the aircraft FW stops operating the work implement 5W, and a flight mode in which the aircraft FW is lifted from the field while the work implement 5W remains operating, disabling ground work. Furthermore, a flight speed and flight height are assigned to each flight position on the flight route.

[0036] The work flight attribute value setting unit 34b sets various parameters and default values ​​for work flights as work flight attribute values. The work flight attribute values ​​include the degree of work relative to the actual work area, such as the seeding rate per unit area (or per unit distance in rows) in sowing work, the fertilizer rate per unit area (or per unit distance in rows) in fertilizing work, and the spray rate per unit area in spraying pesticides. If the work rate is variable, the work rate is set for each flight position.

[0037] The operational flight regulations information may need to be changed depending on the environmental conditions of the field and the state of the crops being grown, and can therefore be manually modified on-site or based on a request from the field.

[0038] 4, the flying vehicle control system 5 of the flying vehicle FW is equipped with the following functional units: an flying vehicle communication unit 50, a work flight regulation information acquisition unit 51, an flying vehicle position calculation unit 52, a flight control unit 53, and a work control unit 54. These functional units can also be realized by linking hardware associated with the flight management computer 3 with a program installed in the flight management computer 3. Of course, the function of a particular functional unit may be realized only by hardware or only by a program, or may be realized in cooperation with an external application server.

[0039] The air vehicle communication unit 50 can communicate with the communication unit 30 of the flight management computer 3. The air vehicle communication unit 50 can also communicate with a remote control (not shown). Furthermore, the air vehicle communication unit 50 can also communicate with other air vehicles FW.

[0040] The work flight regulation information acquisition unit 51 is an information acquisition unit that downloads work flight regulation information from the flight management computer 3, and provides flight control information regarding flight control such as flight area and flight route from the acquired work flight regulation information to the flight control unit 53, and provides work control information regarding work control for the work device 5W equipped on the aircraft FW to the work control unit 54.

[0041] The aircraft position calculation unit 52 calculates its own aircraft position based on satellite navigation and inertial navigation, and provides this to the flight control unit 53 and the work control unit 54. The flight control unit 53 performs flight control based on the calculated aircraft position, the provided flight route, and the work flight attribute values. The work control unit 54 provides a work control signal to the work device 5W (here, a pesticide spraying device) based on the calculated aircraft position and the work flight attribute values ​​assigned to the flight position.

[0042] Next, an example of the flow of information between the functional units in the aircraft management system will be described using Figure 5. The work information received by the work information acquisition unit 31 includes information about the field and information about the work. From the received work information, the work information acquisition unit 31 extracts field information about the field that is the work area where the work is scheduled to be performed and work information about the work content. For example, the field information includes the field ID, the field's location on a map, the field shape, information about the ridges, entrances, and obstacles around the field (field surrounding information), information about crops in adjacent fields, and information about roads and houses around the field. In this case, the work information for a pesticide spraying work includes the work ID, the work content, information about whether the pesticide can be applied, and the spray concentration for the field. The pesticide application information includes the spray concentration that will adversely affect crops in adjacent fields, the spray concentration that will adversely affect adjacent roads and houses, etc.

[0043] The work information acquisition unit 31 extracts information related to the creation of work flight obstruction conditions from the work information and provides this to the work flight obstruction condition management unit 32. The work flight obstruction condition management unit 32 generates work flight obstruction conditions based on the information provided by the work information acquisition unit 31 and provides these to the work area setting unit 33 and the work flight regulation information generation unit 34. The work flight obstruction conditions provided to the work area setting unit 33 are conditions necessary for setting a work area, and the work flight obstruction conditions also provided to the work flight regulation information generation unit 34 are conditions necessary for generating the work flight regulation information, and are not necessarily the same.

[0044] The work area setting unit 33 sets a field area divided into a non-work area SZ and an actual work area based on the work flight obstruction conditions. This field area is the area to be covered by the work flight.

[0045] The work flight regulation information generation unit 34 creates work flight regulation information from the work flight obstruction conditions provided by the work flight obstruction condition management unit 32 and the field area set by the work area setting unit 33. In this embodiment, the work flight regulation information includes a flight area and a flight route, and the flight route includes an actual work flight route and a non-work flight route. The actual work flight route is assigned a spray rate (such as liquid agent concentration or spray amount per area), a flight speed for each flight position, and a flight height for each flight position as a degree of work. The spray rate may also be variable for each flight position. The non-work flight route is assigned a flight speed for each flight position and a flight height for each flight position.

[0046] The work flight regulation information generated by the work flight regulation information generation unit 34 is sent to the work flight regulation information acquisition unit 51 provided in the flying vehicle FW. The flying vehicle FW performs a work flight based on the received work flight regulation information.

[0047] In the above description, the non-working zone SZ in the target work area is an area where ground work is not performed, and is not an area above which the aircraft FW is prohibited from flying. The aircraft FW can fly above the non-working zone SZ and perform ground work on the actual work area in the target work area.

[0048] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above-described embodiment, a single aircraft FW flies over one field (work area) for work, but the aircraft management system of the present invention can also manage multiple aircraft FWs that fly over one field (work area). In this case, each aircraft FW may perform the same task, or may perform different tasks (e.g., sowing seeds and fertilizing).

[0049] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the aircraft FW performs operational flights based on operational flight specification information sent from the flight management computer 3, which is a core element of the aircraft management system. Alternatively, the aircraft FW may be equipped with the flight management computer 3. Furthermore, the aircraft FW may be equipped with at least one functional unit of the flight management computer 3.

[0050] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the flying vehicle FW is an unmanned flying vehicle, but it may also be a remotely controlled flying vehicle. In this case, the remote control pilot pilots the flying vehicle FW based on operational flight specification information received from the flight management computer 3. Alternatively, only a portion of the behavior of the flying vehicle FW may be controlled by remote control. For example, flight along a flight route may be performed by automatic piloting of the flying vehicle FW, and only control of the work device 5W for ground work while flying may be performed by remote control. Furthermore, emergency evacuation flights such as obstacle avoidance flights may be possible by remote control.

[0051] In addition, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies below) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not deviate from the purpose of the present invention.

[0052] The present invention can be applied to a system for managing aircraft that fly over work areas such as farm fields.

[0053] 3: Flight management computer 31: Work information acquisition unit 31a: Work area acquisition unit 32: Work flight obstruction condition management unit 32a: Work flight obstruction condition storage unit 33: Work area setting unit 34: Work flight regulation information generation unit 34a: Flight route setting unit 34b: Work flight attribute value setting unit 5: Aircraft control system 51: Work flight regulation information acquisition unit 52: Aircraft position calculation unit 53: Flight control unit 54: Work control unit BD: Boundary line FW: Aircraft GW: Ground work vehicle OB: Obstacle SZ: Non-working area Z1: First work flight obstruction condition area Z2: Second work flight obstruction condition area

Claims

1. A flying object management system for managing a flying object that performs work flights, comprising: a work area acquisition unit that acquires a work target area; a work flight obstacle condition management unit that manages work flight obstacle conditions in the work flight; and a work area setting unit that sets a non-work area in the work target area based on the work flight obstacle conditions and sets an area obtained by excluding the non-work area from the work target area as an actual work area.

2. The flying object management system according to claim 1, further comprising a work flight regulation information generation unit that generates work flight regulation information for regulating the work flight with respect to the actual work area based on the work flight obstacle conditions.

3. The flying object management system according to claim 2, wherein the work flight regulation information includes a flight area of the flying object during the work flight.

4. The flying object management system according to claim 3, wherein the flight area is a three-dimensional space, and at least one of a minimum ground height and a maximum ground height is defined.

5. The flying object management system according to claim 4, wherein the minimum ground height of the flight area is partially different.

6. The flying object management system according to claim 3, wherein the work flight regulation information includes a flight route in the flight area.

7. The flying object management system according to claim 6, wherein the flight route includes an actual work flight route for flying while actually performing work and a non-work flight route for flying while temporarily stopping work.

8. The degree of work on the actual work area by the flying object is variable, and the actual work flight route includes the degree of work of the flying object. The flying object management system according to claim 7.

9. The flying object management system according to claim 8, wherein the degree of work is the spraying amount per unit area in chemical spraying.

10. The flying object management system according to claim 6, wherein a flight speed and a flight height are assigned to each flight position in the flight route.

11. The flying object management system according to claim 2, wherein the work flight regulation information can be artificially modified.

12. A flying object comprising an information acquisition unit that downloads the work flight regulation information from the flying object management system according to any one of claims 2 to 11 and a flight control unit that flies based on the work flight regulation information.

13. A flying object comprising the flying object management system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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