Drone control system based on ship position tracking and control method thereof

Abstract

A drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a position module for extracting position information of a stationary ship or predicting position information of a moving ship; a distance module for calculating a relative distance between a drone and the ship using the position information; and a control module for controlling the drone to fly in a straight path or a circumferential path toward the ship according to the relative distance.

Description

Drone control system based on ship position tracking and its control method

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone control system based on ship position tracking and a control method thereof.

[0002] As the scope of drone use expands, drones are being used for various purposes, such as collecting information at sea, delivering goods, and conducting rescue operations.

[0003] Landing a drone safely and efficiently on a moving vessel is essential, but uncertainties in the maritime environment, such as wind, waves, and vessel movement, make safe landing difficult.

[0004] Conventional landing methods primarily utilize GPS-based positioning. However, they are subject to limitations due to various factors, including accuracy issues, signal interference, and changing weather conditions.

[0005] Furthermore, the inability to accurately determine the vessel's real-time location and movement path makes it difficult to optimize the drone's flight path. This results in the drone flying along an unnecessarily long flight path, reducing its operational energy efficiency.

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to predict and track the location information of a flying drone and a ship moving at sea, and to set a different flight path for the drone depending on the relative distance between the drone and the ship.

[0007] In addition, the technical problem that the present invention seeks to solve is to safely land a drone on a moving ship by utilizing a detection function based on contact between the drone's landing gear and the ship.

[0008] A drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a position module that extracts position information of a stationary ship or predicts position information of a moving ship, a distance / altitude module that calculates a relative distance and relative altitude between a drone and a ship using the position information, and a control module that controls the drone to fly in a straight path or a circular path in the direction of the ship according to the relative distance and relative altitude.

[0009] Additionally, a control module according to one embodiment of the present invention can control the drone to fly in a straight path toward the ship while lowering the altitude of the drone to a preset first relative altitude until the relative distance reaches a preset first relative distance.

[0010] In addition, if the control module according to one embodiment of the present invention detects in advance that the drone cannot descend in a straight path before reaching the first relative distance, it can control the drone to fly in a circular path in the direction of the ship while lowering the altitude of the drone to a preset first relative altitude until the relative distance reaches a preset second relative distance range.

[0011] In addition, a control module according to one embodiment of the present invention can control horizontal flight until the first relative distance is reached via the shortest path when the altitude has dropped to the first relative altitude before the relative distance reaches the first relative distance or the second relative distance range.

[0012] In addition, when the relative distance according to one embodiment of the present invention reaches the first relative distance, the drone is controlled to reverse from the fixed-wing mode to the rotary-wing mode, and when the third relative distance preset in the rotary-wing mode is reached, the drone is controlled to maintain a hovering state for a predetermined period of time, and the third relative distance may be shorter than the first relative distance.

[0013] Additionally, a control module according to one embodiment of the present invention can control the altitude of the drone to be lowered so that it can land on a ship when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

[0014] Additionally, a control module according to one embodiment of the present invention can track the landing point of a stationary or moving ship and control the hovering state so that the drone is positioned at the same location as the landing point.

[0015] In addition, a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes an artificial intelligence prediction module, and the artificial intelligence prediction module recognizes the movement of the ship in the roll and pitch directions by using a distance measuring sensor using a lidar and an artificial intelligence algorithm, and based on the recognition, can predict a point in time when the slope of a virtual line connecting any two adjacent vertices among four vertices of the bottom surface of a plurality of landing gears of a drone in a hovering state and the slope of the upper surface of the ship become parallel.

[0016] In addition, a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention further includes a detection module that detects contact between the landing gear of the drone and the upper surface of the ship, and at least one detection module may be provided on each of the bottom surfaces of a plurality of landing gears.

[0017] In addition, when the detection module according to one embodiment of the present invention detects that one of the portions of the bottom surfaces of a plurality of landing gears is in contact with the upper surface, the control module can control the hovering state to be synchronized with the movement of the ship.

[0018] In addition, based on a prediction according to one embodiment of the present invention, if the slope of the virtual line and the slope of the upper surface of the ship in one direction are parallel and two or more parts of the plurality of landing gears come into contact with the upper surface, the control module can stop the operation of the propeller operating in the rotary wing mode.

[0019] In addition, a control module according to one embodiment of the present invention can control the stopping speed of a propeller located on a landing gear in contact with the upper surface among a plurality of landing gears to be faster than the stopping speed of propellers located on the remaining landing gears.

[0020] In addition, a drone control method of a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a step of extracting the position of a stationary ship or predicting the position information of a moving ship by a position module, a step of calculating the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone and the ship using the position information by a distance / altitude module, and a step of controlling the drone to fly in a straight path or a circular path in the direction of the ship according to the relative distance and relative altitude by a control module.

[0021] In addition, the present invention may include a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a drone control method of a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] A drone control system and control method based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention can predict and track the position information of a flying drone and a ship moving at sea, set a different flight path of the drone depending on the relative distance between the drone and the ship, and optimize the flight path of the drone.

[0023] In addition, a drone control system and a control method based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention can safely land a drone on a moving ship by utilizing a detection function based on contact between the landing gear of the drone and the ship.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a process for predicting location information of a moving vessel according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a flight path of a drone according to a relative distance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a process of a drone landing on a ship according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a control method of a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention. The present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0030] To clearly explain the present invention, irrelevant parts have been omitted, and the same reference numerals are used to designate identical or similar components throughout the specification. Accordingly, the reference numerals described above may also be used in other drawings.

[0031] Additionally, the sizes and thicknesses of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, and thus the present invention is not necessarily limited to what is shown. In order to clearly express multiple layers and regions in the drawings, the thicknesses may be exaggerated.

[0032] Additionally, the expression "same" in the description may mean "substantially the same." That is, the degree of similarity may be such that a person of ordinary skill would be convinced that the two are identical. Other expressions may also omit the word "substantially."

[0033] In addition, when a part in the description is said to 'include' a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but rather that other components can be included, unless specifically stated otherwise. The '~ unit' used in this specification refers to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may mean, for example, software, an FPGA, or a hardware component. The function provided by the '~ unit' may be performed separately by multiple components, or may be integrated with other additional components. The '~ unit' in this specification is not necessarily limited to software or hardware, and may be configured to be located in an addressable storage medium, or may be configured to reproduce one or more processors. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 1, a drone control system (1) based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a position module (10), a distance module (11), a control module (12), and a detection module (13).

[0036] However, it goes without saying that the drone control system (1) based on ship position tracking may be configured with fewer or more components than those shown in Fig. 1.

[0037] The location module (10) can extract location information of a stationary vessel (4, or ship) or predict location information of a moving vessel (4).

[0038] Specifically, the location module (10) can receive location information of a stationary or moving ship (4) from a shipside global navigation satellite system (Ship GNSS) module.

[0039] The Shipside Global Navigation Satellite System (Ship GNSS) module refers to a device that receives signals from various satellites deployed around the world and calculates accurate location information (e.g., latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) of a receiver (specifically, a ship (4)) based on the transmission time of the signals.

[0040] That is, a shipside global navigation satellite system module (Shipside Global Navigation Satellite System) can be installed on the ship (4) and can calculate the location information of the ship (4) in real time.

[0041] The location module (10) can receive location information of the ship (4) from the shipside global navigation satellite system (Ship GNSS) module on the side of the ship.

[0042] The location module (10) can receive autonomous flight profile information of the drone (3) from the Ground Control Station (GCS). The drone (3) can fly autonomously based on the pre-designated autonomous flight profile information, and the Ground Control Station (GCS) can control and monitor the drone (3) flying according to the autonomous flight profile information.

[0043] That is, the Ground Control Station (GCS) may be equipped with autonomous flight profile information in advance. The location module (10) may receive autonomous flight profile information of the drone (3) from the Ground Control Station (GCS).

[0044] The location module (10) can receive location information of the drone (3) in real time from the Air Global Navigation Satellite System.

[0045] The Air Global Navigation Satellite System refers to a device that receives signals from various satellites deployed around the world and calculates the exact location information (e.g., latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) of a receiver (specifically, a drone (3)) based on the transmission time of the signals.

[0046] That is, the Air Global Navigation Satellite System can be installed on or separately from the drone (3) and can calculate the location information of the drone (3).

[0047] The location module (10) can receive location information of the drone (3) in real time from the Air Global Navigation Satellite System.

[0048] The location module (10) can receive location information of the ship (4) by utilizing telemetry technology from the shipside global navigation satellite system module.

[0049] Additionally, the location module (10) can receive autonomous flight profile information of the drone (3) by utilizing telemetry technology from the Ground Control Station (GCS).

[0050] Additionally, the location module (10) can receive location information of the drone (3) by utilizing telemetry technology from the Air Global Navigation Satellite System.

[0051] Although the present invention describes the location module (10) as receiving various information using telemetry technology, this is not limited to this. In other words, the above-described information or data can be received using various wireless transmission and reception technologies.

[0052] The location module (10) can extract the current location information of the ship (4) and drone (3) by utilizing the location information of the ship (4) and drone (3) and the autonomous flight profile information of the drone (3).

[0053] Meanwhile, the location module (10) may be equipped with an artificial intelligence-based location prediction algorithm (not shown).

[0054] That is, the location module (10) can predict the location information of a moving ship (4) and drone (3) after a certain period of time has passed by utilizing an artificial intelligence-based location prediction algorithm.

[0055] At this time, the artificial intelligence-based location prediction algorithm can predict the location information of the ship (4) after a certain period of time by considering not only the current location information of the ship (4) and the drone (3), but also the speed information, direction information, and the wind speed, wind direction, ocean current speed, and ocean current direction at the current location of the ship (4) and the drone (3).

[0056] A detailed description of the above artificial intelligence-based location prediction algorithm will be omitted.

[0057] The distance module (11, hereinafter referred to as distance / altitude module) can calculate the relative distance (e.g., straight-line distance) and relative altitude between the drone (3) and the ship (4) based on the drone (3) using location information.

[0058] Specifically, the distance / altitude module (11) can calculate the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone (3) and the ship (4) by utilizing the current position information of the ship (4) and the drone (3).

[0059] Alternatively, the distance / altitude module (11) can predict the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone (3) and the ship (4) by utilizing the predicted location information of the ship (4) after a predetermined period of time and the location information of the drone (3) after a predetermined period of time.

[0060] That is, the distance / altitude module (11) can calculate or predict in real time the relative distance and relative altitude between the moving drone (3) and the ship (4).

[0061] The control module (12) can control the drone (3) to descend in a straight line or descend in a circular path or fly horizontally in the direction of the ship (4) depending on the relative distance.

[0062] Specifically, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to fly in a straight path toward the ship (4) while lowering its altitude to a preset relative altitude (hereinafter referred to as the first relative altitude) until the relative distance reaches a preset relative distance (hereinafter referred to as the first relative distance).

[0063] Alternatively, if it is detected in advance that the drone cannot descend in a straight line until the relative distance reaches the first relative distance, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to fly in a circular path toward the ship (4) while lowering the altitude of the drone (3) to the first preset relative altitude until the relative distance reaches a preset relative distance range (hereinafter referred to as the second relative distance range).

[0064] Alternatively, if the drone's altitude has already descended to the first relative altitude before the relative distance reaches the first relative distance or the second relative distance, the control module (12) can control the drone to fly horizontally until it reaches the first relative distance via the shortest path.

[0065] When the relative distance reaches the preset first relative distance, the control module (12) can reversely transition the drone (3) from fixed-wing mode to rotary-wing mode.

[0066] The control module (12) can control the drone (3) in reverse transition to rotary wing mode to operate in a multicopter manner.

[0067] In addition, when the relative distance between the drone (3) in rotary wing mode and the ship (4) reaches a preset relative distance (hereinafter referred to as the third relative distance), the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to maintain a hovering state for a predetermined period of time.

[0068] At this time, the third relative distance may be shorter than the first relative distance.

[0069] The control module (12) can track the landing point of a stationary or moving ship and control the hovering state so that the drone (3) is located at the same position as the landing point.

[0070] When a predetermined time has elapsed, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to lower its altitude so that it can land on the ship (4).

[0071] When the control module (12) detects that one of the plurality of landing gear bottom surfaces of the drone (3) is in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4) through the detection module (13) described later, the control module (12) can control the hovering state of the drone (3) so that it is synchronized with the movement of the ship (4).

[0072] Meanwhile, a drone control system (1) based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include an artificial intelligence prediction module.

[0073] The artificial intelligence prediction module can recognize the roll and pitch direction movements of a ship (4) by using a distance measurement sensor using a lidar and an artificial intelligence algorithm.

[0074] The artificial intelligence prediction module can predict the point in time when the flight slope of a virtual line connecting any two adjacent vertices among the four vertices of the bottom surface of the multiple landing gears of the drone (3) and the slope of the upper surface of the ship (4) become parallel based on recognition.

[0075] Based on the prediction, if the slope of the virtual line of the drone (3) and the slope of the upper surface of the ship (4) in one direction become parallel and two or more parts of the plurality of landing gears (for example, the bottom surfaces of two of the plurality of landing gears) come into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the control module (12) can stop the operation of the propeller operating in rotary wing mode.

[0076] At this time, the control module (12) controls the stopping speed of the propellers located in the landing gears that are in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4) among the plurality of landing gears to be faster than the stopping speed of the propellers located in the remaining landing gears, thereby stably landing the drone (3).

[0077] The detection module (13) can detect contact between the landing gear of the drone (3) and the ship (4). At this time, at least one detection module (13) can be installed on each of a plurality of landing gears.

[0078] For example, if two adjacent landing gears are extended and connected to each other, at least one detection module (13) may be located at both ends of the bottom surface of the extended landing gear. Alternatively, if four landing gears are installed separately from each other, at least one detection module (13) may be installed on the bottom surface of each landing gear.

[0079] When the landing gear of the drone (3) and the ship (4) come into contact, the detection sensor can detect the contact and transmit a signal to the detection module (13).

[0080] Specifically, when one of the plurality of landing gear bottom surfaces of the drone (3) comes into contact with the ship (4), at least one detection sensor equipped on the landing gear can detect the contact.

[0081] At this time, the detection sensor can transmit a signal including information about the contacted landing gear and the contact area, angle, etc. to the detection module (13).

[0082] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a process for predicting location information of a moving vessel according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Figure 2 is an image (Image 1) showing a ship (4) moving on the sea and a drone (3) flying in the sky.

[0084] Referring to the image 1 of Fig. 2, the drone (3) may be flying autonomously in the sky above the sea. At this time, the position module (10) may receive current position information of the drone (3) (e.g., 3D coordinates (x1, u1, z1) of the drone (3)) from the Air Global Navigation Satellite System.

[0085] Additionally, the location module (10) can receive autonomous flight profile information of the drone (3) from the Ground Control Station (GCS).

[0086] Meanwhile, the ship (4) may be moving in the sea. At this time, the position module (10) may receive current position information of the ship (4) (e.g., 3D coordinates (x2, u2, z2) of the ship (4)) from the shipside Global Navigation Satellite System module.

[0087] The location module (10) can predict the location information of a moving ship (4) after a predetermined period of time by utilizing a pre-installed artificial intelligence-based location prediction algorithm.

[0088] That is, the artificial intelligence-based position prediction algorithm can predict the position information (x3, u3, z3) of the vessel (4) after a certain period of time by considering the current position information (x2, u2, z2), speed information, direction information, and wind speed, wind direction, ocean current speed, and ocean current direction at the current position of the vessel (4).

[0089] The distance / altitude module (11) can calculate the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone (3) and the ship (4) based on the drone (3).

[0090] That is, by considering the location information (x1, u1, z1) of the drone (3) and the location information ((x2, u2, z2), (x3, u3, z3)) of the ship (4), the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone (3) and the ship (4) can be calculated and predicted in real time.

[0091] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a flight path of a drone according to a relative distance according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] Fig. 3a is a diagram showing the flight path of a drone (3) until the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches a preset first relative distance. Fig. 3b is a diagram showing the flight path of a drone (3) until the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches a preset second relative distance range.

[0093] Hereinafter, the description will be made with reference to FIGS. 3a and 3b.

[0094] Referring to Fig. 3a, when the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) based on the drone (3) is long, the drone (3) can descend in a straight path toward the ship (4) while lowering its altitude to a preset first relative altitude until it reaches the first relative distance.

[0095] Specifically, when the drone (3) is at a relatively long distance from the ship (4), it is most efficient in terms of energy / time utilization to fly as descending as possible in a straight path.

[0096] Accordingly, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to fly in a straight line while lowering its altitude toward the ship (4) until the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches the first relative distance.

[0097] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3b, if it is detected in advance that the drone (3) cannot descend in a straight path before reaching the first relative distance (i.e., if the drone (3) is at a relatively close distance from the ship (4), the drone (3) can descend in a circular path toward the ship (4) while lowering its altitude to the preset first relative altitude until it reaches the second relative distance range.

[0098] Specifically, if it is detected in advance that the drone (3) and the ship (4) cannot fly in a straight path due to various reasons before the relative distance reaches the first relative distance, it is possible to safely land on the ship (4) by descending and lowering the altitude in a circular path rather than a straight path.

[0099] Accordingly, if the control module (12) detects in advance that the drone (3) cannot descend in a straight line before the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches a preset first relative distance, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to fly in a circular path toward the ship (4) while lowering its altitude to the preset first relative altitude until the relative distance reaches a second relative distance range.

[0100] Although not shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, if the altitude of the drone (3) has already descended to the first relative altitude before the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches the first relative distance or the second relative distance range, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to fly horizontally until it reaches the first relative distance.

[0101] The first relative distance may be the distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) at the point where the drone (3) begins to reverse from fixed-wing mode to rotary-wing mode.

[0102] When the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches the first relative distance based on the drone (3), the control module (12) can reversely transfer the drone (3) from fixed-wing mode to rotary-wing mode.

[0103] The control module (120) can control the drone (3) that has been converted to rotary wing mode to operate in a multicopter manner.

[0104] The control module (12) can control the drone (3) to maintain a hovering state for a predetermined period of time when the relative distance between the drone (3) in rotary wing mode and the ship (4) reaches a preset relative distance (hereinafter referred to as the third relative distance). At this time, the third relative distance may be shorter than the first relative distance.

[0105] Hovering refers to an aircraft, such as a drone or helicopter, remaining stationary in the air. It is a flight technique that maintains altitude while remaining in a specific location.

[0106] Specifically, when the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) is a preset first relative distance, the drone (3) can be positioned in the vertical direction above the ship (4).

[0107] At this time, the control module (12) can reversely transition the drone (3) from fixed-wing mode to rotary-wing mode in order to stably land the drone (3) on the ship (4).

[0108] The control module (12) can control the drone (3) operating in a multicopter manner in rotary wing mode and the ship (4) to maintain a hovering state for a predetermined period of time above the ship (4) when the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches a preset third relative distance.

[0109] At this time, the control module (12) can track the landing point of a stationary or moving ship (4) and control the hovering state so that the drone (3) is located at the same position as the landing point.

[0110] The control module (12) can control the altitude of the drone (3) to be lowered so that it can land stably on the ship (4) when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

[0111] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a process of a drone landing on a ship according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] Fig. 4a is a drawing showing a drone (3) lowering its altitude to land on a ship (4). Fig. 4b is a drawing showing a state in which any of the plurality of landing gears (30) of the drone (3) is in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4). Fig. 4c is a drawing showing a state in which all of the landing gears (30) of the drone (3) are in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4).

[0113] Referring to Fig. 4a, the upper surface of a ship (4) floating on the sea surface may be at some angle with the ground due to the influence of waves, wind, etc.

[0114] That is, since the upper surface of the ship (4) is not parallel to the ground, simply lowering the altitude of the drone (3) does not allow it to land stably on the upper surface of the ship (4).

[0115] The control module (12) can track the landing point of a stationary or moving ship (4). The control module (12) can control the hovering state so that the drone (3) lands at the landing point of the tracked ship (4).

[0116] The control module (12) can track the landing point of the ship (4) and determine in real time that one of the parts of the bottom surface of the plurality of landing gears is in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4) by the detection module (13).

[0117] Meanwhile, the artificial intelligence prediction module recognizes the roll and pitch direction movement of the ship (4) by utilizing a distance measurement sensor using a lidar and an artificial intelligence algorithm, and based on the recognition, can predict the point in time when the slope of a virtual line connecting any two adjacent landing gears among the multiple landing gears of a drone (3) in a hovering state and the slope of the upper surface of the ship become parallel.

[0118] Referring to Fig. 4b, multiple landing gears (30) of the drone (3) may be equipped with detection sensors.

[0119] When the altitude of the drone (3) decreases and one of the landing gears (30) comes into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), a detection sensor equipped on one of the landing gears (30) can detect the contact between the ship (4) and the landing gear (30).

[0120] Specifically, when it is detected that one of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of landing gears (30) of the drone (3) is in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the detection module (13) can receive a signal from at least one detection sensor equipped in the landing gear.

[0121] At this time, the control module (12) can control the hovering state so that the drone (3) is synchronized with the movement of the ship (4).

[0122] That is, the angle of the upper surface of the ship (4) can continuously change due to the influence of waves, wind, etc. The control module (12) can control the hovering state of the drone (3) so that it is synchronized with the movement of the ship (4) until another adjacent landing gear (30) that is not in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4) comes into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4).

[0123] At this time, if the slope of the virtual line and the slope of one direction of the upper surface of the ship (4) are parallel based on the prediction by the artificial intelligence prediction module and two or more parts of the plurality of landing gears come into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the control module (12) can stop the operation of the propeller operating in rotary wing mode.

[0124] Referring to Fig. 4c, when the angle formed by the upper surface of the ship (4) with the ground changes and all of the landing gears (30) come into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the detection sensor can detect the contact between the ship (4) and all of the landing gears (30).

[0125] At this time, the detection module (13) can receive a signal from the detection sensor. The detection module (13) can obtain various information, such as the area and angle at which the landing gear (30) comes into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4).

[0126] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4b, when two or more parts of the plurality of landing gears of the drone (3) come into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the control module (12) can control the speed at which the propellers located in the two landing gears in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4) stop operating faster than the speed at which the propellers located in the remaining landing gears stop operating, thereby enabling a stable landing without impact.

[0127] As described above, the drone control system (1) based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention can control the attitude maintenance of the drone (3) and the operation of the propeller (31) based on the angle formed between the upper surface of the ship (4) and the ground and the degree of contact (area, angle, etc.) of the landing gear (30) of the drone (3) with the upper surface of the ship (4), thereby enabling the drone to land stably on the upper surface of the ship (4).

[0128] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a control method of a drone control system based on ship position tracking according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0129] In step (S10), the ship's location information can be tracked and predicted.

[0130] Specifically, the location module (10) can receive location information of a stationary or moving ship (4) from a shipside global navigation satellite system module.

[0131] In addition, the artificial intelligence-based location prediction algorithm installed in the location module (10) can predict the location information of the ship (4) after a certain period of time by considering not only the current location information of the ship (4), but also the speed information, direction information, and the wind speed, wind direction, ocean current speed, and ocean current direction at the current location of the ship (4).

[0132] In step (S11), the relative distance / relative altitude between the drone and the ship can be calculated.

[0133] Specifically, the distance / altitude module (11) can calculate the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone (3) and the ship (4) by utilizing the current position information of the ship (4) and the drone (3).

[0134] Alternatively, the distance / altitude module (11) can predict the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone (3) and the ship (4) by utilizing the predicted location information of the ship (4) after a predetermined period of time and the location information of the drone (3) after a predetermined period of time.

[0135] That is, the distance / altitude module (11) can calculate the relative distance and relative altitude between a moving drone (3) and a ship (4) in real time or predict the relative distance and relative altitude after a predetermined period of time has passed.

[0136] In step (S12), it can be determined whether the first relative distance has been reached.

[0137] Specifically, the control module (12) can determine whether the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) calculated in step (S11) has reached a preset first relative distance.

[0138] In step (S13), it can fly in a straight path.

[0139] Specifically, when the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) does not reach the preset first relative distance, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to fly in a straight path toward the ship (4) while lowering its altitude to the preset first relative altitude until the preset first relative distance is reached.

[0140] Meanwhile, if it is detected in advance that the drone (3) and the ship (4) cannot descend in a straight path before the relative distance reaches the preset first relative distance, the control module (12) can control the drone (3) to descend in a straight path toward the ship (4) while lowering the altitude of the drone (3) to the preset first relative altitude until the relative distance reaches the preset second relative distance range.

[0141] Alternatively, if the altitude of the drone (3) has already descended to the first relative altitude before the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) reaches the first relative distance, the control module (12) can control the drone to fly horizontally until the first relative distance is reached via the shortest path.

[0142] At step (S14), it is possible to reverse transition from fixed-wing mode to rotary-wing mode.

[0143] Specifically, the control module (12) can control the reverse transition from fixed-wing mode to rotary-wing mode when the relative distance between the drone (3) and the ship (4) flying in a straight line in step (S13) reaches a preset first relative distance.

[0144] The control module (12) can control the drone (3) that has been converted to rotary wing mode to operate in a multicopter manner.

[0145] The control module (12) can control the drone (3) to maintain a hovering state for a predetermined period of time when it reaches a preset third relative distance in rotary wing mode.

[0146] At step (S15), the drone's altitude can be controlled to lower so that it can land on the ship.

[0147] Specifically, the control module (12) can control the altitude of the drone (3) to be lowered when a predetermined time has elapsed in step (S14).

[0148] In step (S16), it can be determined whether contact has been detected on any one of the multiple landing gears.

[0149] Specifically, each of the plurality of landing gears (30) of the drone (3) may be equipped with at least one detection sensor, and when the landing gear of the drone (3) comes into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the detection sensor equipped on the landing gear may detect the contact.

[0150] For example, if the detection module (13) detects that one part of the multiple landing gears of the drone (3) is in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the control module (12) can control the hovering state of the drone (3) to be synchronized with the movement of the ship (4).

[0151] At step (S17), it can be determined whether contact is detected in multiple landing gears.

[0152] Specifically, the artificial intelligence prediction module recognizes the roll and pitch direction movement of the ship (4) by utilizing a distance measurement sensor using a lidar and an artificial intelligence algorithm, and based on the recognition, can predict the point in time when the slope of a virtual line connecting any two adjacent landing gears among the multiple landing gears of a drone (3) in a hovering state and the slope of the upper surface of the ship (4) become parallel.

[0153] Based on the prediction, the detection module (13) can detect that two or more parts of the plurality of landing gears are in contact with the upper surface of the ship (4) when the slope of the virtual line and the slope of the upper surface of the ship (4) in one direction are parallel.

[0154] The operation of the propeller can be stopped at step (S18).

[0155] Specifically, if the slope of the virtual line and the slope of the upper surface of the ship (4) in one direction are parallel based on the prediction and two or more parts of the plurality of landing gears come into contact with the upper surface of the ship (4), the control module (12) can stop the operation of the propeller operating in rotary wing mode.

[0156] At this time, the control module (12) can control the operation stop speed of the propeller located on the landing gear in contact with the upper surface among the plurality of landing gears to be faster than the operation stop speed of the propellers located on the remaining landing gears.

[0157] Through this, the drone (3) can land stably without colliding with the upper surface of the ship (4).

[0158] The drawings and detailed description of the invention described so far are merely illustrative of the present invention and are used solely for the purpose of explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the true technical protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

[0159] The embodiments described above may be implemented using hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. For example, the devices, methods, and components described in the embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purpose computers or special-purpose computers, such as, for example, a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any other device capable of executing instructions and responding to them.

[0160] A processing device can execute an operating system and one or more software applications running on the operating system. Furthermore, the processing device can access, store, manipulate, process, and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For ease of understanding, the processing device is sometimes described as being used singly. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the processing device can include multiple processing elements and / or multiple types of processing elements.

[0161] For example, a processing unit may include multiple processors, or a processor and a controller. Other processing configurations, such as parallel processors, are also possible. Software may include computer programs, code, instructions, or a combination of one or more of these, and may configure a processing unit to perform a desired operation or command the processing unit, either independently or collectively.

[0162] Software and / or data may be embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual equipment, computer storage medium, or device for interpretation by a processing device or for providing instructions or data to the processing device. The software may be distributed across networked computer systems and stored or executed in a distributed manner. The software and data may be stored on one or more computer-readable recording media.

[0163] The method according to the embodiment may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed by various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., either singly or in combination. The program commands recorded on the medium may be those specifically designed and configured for the embodiment or may be known and usable by those skilled in the art of computer software.

[0164] Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes; optical media such as CDROMs and DVDs; and hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes such as those generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the embodiments, and vice versa.

[0165] Although the embodiments have been described with limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made based on the above teachings. For example, appropriate results can be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or components of the described systems, structures, devices, circuits, etc. are combined or combined in a different manner than described, or are replaced or substituted with other components or equivalents. Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents of the claims also fall within the scope of the claims described below.

Claims

1. A location module that extracts location information of a stationary vessel or predicts location information of a moving vessel; A distance / altitude module that calculates the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone and the ship using the above location information; and Including a control module that controls the drone to fly in a straight path or a circular path in the direction of the ship according to the relative distance and relative altitude. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

2. In paragraph 1, The control module controls the drone to fly downward along the straight path in the direction of the ship while lowering the altitude of the drone to a preset first relative altitude until the relative distance reaches a preset first relative distance. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

3. In paragraph 2, If the control module detects in advance that the drone cannot descend along the straight path before reaching the first relative distance, it controls the drone to fly along the circular path in the direction of the ship while lowering the altitude of the drone to the first preset relative altitude until the relative distance reaches a second preset relative distance range. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

4. In paragraph 2 or paragraph 3, The control module controls the horizontal flight until the first relative distance is reached via the shortest path when the altitude has descended to the first relative altitude before the relative distance reaches the first relative distance or the second relative distance range. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

5. In paragraph 4, When the above relative distance reaches the first relative distance, the drone is reversely transferred from the fixed-wing mode to the rotary-wing mode, and when the preset third relative distance is reached in the rotary-wing mode, the drone is controlled to maintain a hovering state for a predetermined period of time, and the third relative distance is shorter than the first relative distance. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

6. In paragraph 5, The above control module controls the altitude of the drone to be lowered so that it can land on the ship when the predetermined time has elapsed. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

7. In paragraph 5, The above control module tracks the landing point of the stationary or moving ship and controls the hovering state so that the drone is located at the same position as the landing point. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

8. In paragraph 1, The drone control system based on the above ship position tracking is Including an artificial intelligence prediction module, The above artificial intelligence prediction module recognizes the roll and pitch direction movements of the ship by using a distance measurement sensor using a lidar and an artificial intelligence algorithm, Based on the above recognition, predicting the point in time when the slope of an imaginary line connecting any two adjacent vertices among the four vertices of the bottom surface of the plurality of landing gears of the drone in a hovering state and the slope of the upper surface of the ship become parallel. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

9. In paragraph 8, The drone control system based on the above ship position tracking further includes a detection module that detects contact between the landing gear of the drone and the upper surface of the ship, The above detection module is provided at least one on each of the bottom surfaces of the plurality of landing gears. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

10. In paragraph 9, When the detection module detects that one of the plurality of landing gear bottom surfaces is in contact with the upper surface, The above control module controls the hovering state to be synchronized with the movement of the ship. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

11. In paragraph 9, Based on the above prediction, if the slope of the virtual line and the slope of one direction of the upper surface of the ship are parallel and two or more parts of the plurality of landing gears come into contact with the upper surface, The above control module is a drone control system based on ship position tracking that stops the operation of a propeller operating in rotary wing mode.

12. In paragraph 11, The above control module, Controlling the stopping speed of the propeller located on the landing gear in contact with the upper surface among the plurality of landing gears to be faster than the stopping speed of the propellers located on the remaining landing gears. Drone control system based on ship position tracking.

13. A step of extracting the location of a stationary vessel or predicting the location information of a moving vessel by a location module; A step of calculating the relative distance and relative altitude between the drone and the ship using the location information by the distance / altitude module; and A step of controlling the drone to fly in a straight path or a circular path in the direction of the ship according to the relative distance and the relative altitude by the control module, A drone control method of a drone control system based on ship position tracking.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing a drone control method of a drone control system based on ship position tracking in Article 13.

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