Interface device, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and mobile body
The interface device integrates GNSS and UWB wireless communication to enhance the accuracy of moving bodies by dynamically switching between positioning systems, addressing the precision issues in existing technologies.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KK TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-14
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing systems for controlling the movement of moving bodies, such as drones, lack accuracy in reaching target positions, particularly in environments where GPS signals are unreliable or of low precision.
An interface device that integrates GNSS and short-range wireless communication to switch between GNSS and UWB wireless communication for positioning, allowing for higher accuracy by selecting the most reliable signal based on signal strength and stability, and converting positioning values between coordinate systems.
Enhances the accuracy of moving bodies reaching their target locations by dynamically switching between GNSS and UWB wireless communication, improving reliability and precision without altering the control device configuration.
Smart Images
Figure JP2026000927_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Interface Device, Non-Temporary Computer-Readable Medium, and Moving Body
[0001] The present disclosure relates to an interface device mounted on a moving body including a control device that controls a moving direction based on a first positioning value relying on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The present disclosure also relates to a non-temporary computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processor of the interface device, and a moving body on which the interface device is mounted.
[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-124767 discloses a system that controls a drone, which is an example of a moving body, to reach a target position using GPS (Global Positioning System) positioning values.
[0003] There is a demand to improve the accuracy of reaching the target position of the moving body.
[0004] One exemplary aspect that can be provided by the present disclosure is an interface device mounted on a moving body including a control device that controls a moving direction based on a first positioning value relying on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS, the interface device including: a first interface that receives a first signal corresponding to the first positioning value; a second interface that receives a second signal corresponding to a distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication; and a processor that acquires a second positioning value of the moving body relying on a second coordinate system based on the second signal and converts the second positioning value into a third positioning value relying on the first coordinate system, and is capable of selectively outputting either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third positioning value to the control device.
[0005] One embodiment that may be provided by this disclosure is a non-temporary computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a processor of an interface device mounted on a mobile body equipped with a control device that controls the direction of movement based on a first position value based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS, wherein, upon execution, the interface device receives a first signal corresponding to the first position value, receives a second signal corresponding to the distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication, acquires a second position value of the mobile body based on a second coordinate system based on the second signal, converts the second position value to a third position value based on the first coordinate system, and selectively outputs either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third position value to the control device.
[0006] According to the configurations described in each of the above examples, a mobile body equipped with a control device that performs flight control based on a first positioning value based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS can be given the function of performing movement control based on a second positioning value based on a second coordinate system acquired using short-range wireless communication. Since the second positioning value is converted to a third positioning value based on the first coordinate system, it is possible to switch between movement control using GNSS and movement control using short-range wireless communication depending on the situation without changing the configuration of the control device itself.
[0007] For example, selecting a positioning value with higher reliability, determined based on signal strength and stability, depending on the situation, can increase the accuracy of a moving object reaching its target location. Alternatively, selecting a positioning value based on short-range wireless communication, which can achieve higher ranging accuracy in areas where the distance to the target is short, can also increase the accuracy of a moving object reaching its target location.
[0008] When the above interface device and control device are integrated to constitute a control module, one example of an embodiment that may be provided by this disclosure is a mobile body comprising: a positioning module that outputs a first signal corresponding to a first position value of the mobile body based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS; a distance measuring module that outputs a second signal corresponding to the distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication; and a control module that acquires a second position value of the mobile body based on a second coordinate system based on the second signal, converts the second position value to a third position value based on the first coordinate system, and controls the direction of movement of the mobile body by selectively using either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third position value.
[0009] When the above interface device and control device are integrated to constitute a control module, one example of an embodiment that may be provided by this disclosure is a mobile body comprising: a positioning module that outputs a first signal corresponding to a first position value of the mobile body based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS; a distance measuring module that acquires a second position value of the mobile body based on a second coordinate system based on the distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication, and outputs a second signal corresponding to a third position value based on the first coordinate system based on the second position value; and a control module that controls the direction of movement of the mobile body by selectively using either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third position value.
[0010] This shows an example of a drone and landing / takeoff port included in a communication system according to one embodiment. An example of the functional configuration of the drone in Figure 1 is shown. An example of the functional configuration of the drone and landing / takeoff port in Figure 1 is shown. An example of the communication flow between the first port-side communicator and the first drone-side communicator in Figure 3 is shown. An example of the processing flow executed by the processor in Figure 2 is shown. Another example of the functional configuration of the drone in Figure 1 is shown.
[0011] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the scale has been appropriately changed to make each element recognizable.
[0012] Figure 1 illustrates the appearance of a drone 2 and a landing / takeoff port 3 included in a communication system 1 according to one embodiment. The communication system 1 is configured to control the direction of movement of the drone 2 relative to the target position T of the landing / takeoff port 3 using communication compliant with GNSS and UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) wireless communication standards (hereinafter abbreviated as "UWB wireless communication"). The drone 2 is an example of an aerial body and an example of a mobile body.
[0013] GNSS is a system that accurately determines one's current position on Earth by receiving signals from artificial satellites. In addition to GPS, which was mentioned earlier, other known systems included in GNSS are GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS.
[0014] An example of a UWB wireless communication standard is channel number 9 in IEEE 802.15.4z (center frequency: 7987.2 MHz, frequency bandwidth: 499.2 MHz).
[0015] As illustrated in Figure 2, the drone 2 is equipped with a positioning module 21. The positioning module 21 is configured to use GNSS to determine the position of the drone 2 in a first coordinate system as a first position value and to output a first signal S1 corresponding to the first position value. An example of a first coordinate system is a system that determines the position using latitude and longitude.
[0016] The drone 2 is equipped with a ranging module 22. The ranging module 22 is configured to output a second signal S2 corresponding to the distance to the target position T using UWB wireless communication. A specific method for acquiring this distance will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.
[0017] As illustrated in Figure 3, the drone 2 is equipped with multiple drone-side communication devices. In this example, the drone 2 is equipped with a first drone-side communication device D1, a second drone-side communication device D2, a third drone-side communication device D3, and a fourth drone-side communication device D4.
[0018] On the other hand, the arrival / departure port 3 is equipped with multiple port-side communication devices. In this example, the arrival / departure port 3 is equipped with a first port-side communication device P1, a second port-side communication device P2, a third port-side communication device P3, and a fourth port-side communication device P4.
[0019] Each of the multiple drone-side communicators and multiple port-side communicators has a well-known configuration that enables bidirectional communication in accordance with the aforementioned UWB wireless communication standard. In other words, each of the multiple drone-side communicators and multiple port-side communicators has radio wave transmission and reception functions.
[0020] The ranging module 22 is configured to control the radio wave transmission operation of each of the multiple drone-side communication devices. The ranging module 22 is configured to acquire information superimposed on the radio waves received by each of the multiple drone-side communication devices.
[0021] The arrival / departure port 3 is equipped with a port-side control device 31. The port-side control device 31 is configured to control the radio wave transmission operation of each of the multiple port-side communication devices. The port-side control device 31 is configured to acquire information superimposed on the radio waves received by each of the multiple port-side communication devices.
[0022] Referring to Figure 4, the distance measurement process performed between the first port-side communication device P1 and the first drone-side communication device D1 will be explained.
[0023] The port-side control device 31 causes the first port-side communicator P1 to transmit a first start signal p1 at time t1. The first start signal p1 is received by the first drone-side communicator D1 at time t2.
[0024] In response to the first start signal p1, the distance measuring module 22 causes the first drone-side communicator D1 to transmit a first response signal r1 at time t3. The first response signal r1 is received by the first port-side communicator P1 at time t4.
[0025] The port-side control device 31, in response to the first response signal r1, causes the first port-side communicator P1 to transmit a first completion signal f1 at time t5. The first completion signal f1 is configured to include information that identifies times t1, t4, and t5. The first completion signal f1 is received by the first drone-side communicator D1 at time t6.
[0026] The distance measuring module 22 holds information that identifies time points t2, t3, and t6. Adding the information that identifies time points t1, t4, and t5 provided by the first completion signal f1, the distance measuring module 22 calculates the following equation to obtain the distance d11 between the first port-side communicator P1 and the first drone-side communicator D1. The symbol c is the speed of light. d11 = c[(t4 - t1) - (t3 - t2) + (t6 - t3) - (t5 - t4)] / 4
[0027] Similarly, the distance measuring module 22 obtains the distance d21 between the second port side communicator P2 and the first drone side communicator D1, the distance d31 between the third port side communicator P3 and the first drone side communicator D1, and the distance d41 between the fourth port side communicator P4 and the first drone side communicator D1.
[0028] In this embodiment, the distance to each of the four port-side communicators is obtained in the same manner for each of the second drone-side communicator D2, the third drone-side communicator D3, and the fourth drone-side communicator D4. As a result, a total of 16 distance values are obtained. The second signal S2 output from the distance measuring module 22 includes these 16 distance values as distance information.
[0029] As illustrated in Figure 2, the drone 2 is equipped with an interface device 23. The interface device 23 includes a first input interface 231 and a second input interface 232.
[0030] The first input interface 231 is configured as a hardware interface capable of receiving the first signal S1. The first signal S1 may be an analog signal or a digital signal, depending on the specifications of the positioning module 21. If the first signal S1 is an analog signal, the first input interface 231 includes an appropriate conversion circuit, including an A / D converter.
[0031] The second input interface 232 is configured as a hardware interface capable of receiving the second signal S2. The second signal S2 may be an analog signal or a digital signal, depending on the specifications of the distance measuring module 22. If the second signal S2 is an analog signal, the second input interface 232 includes an appropriate conversion circuit, including an A / D converter.
[0032] The interface device 23 includes a processor 233. The processor 233 is configured to acquire the position of the drone 2, based on a second coordinate system, as a second positioning value, based on a second signal S2. An example of a second coordinate system is an xyz coordinate system.
[0033] As an example, the position of the first drone-side communicator D1 in the second coordinate system can be obtained by solving a well-known system of three simultaneous equations in positioning technology, based on the distance between the first drone-side communicator D1 and each of the four port-side communicators. The positions of the remaining three drone-side communicators in the second coordinate system can be obtained in the same way, and by performing specific calculations (such as obtaining the average value and determining the center of gravity) on the four positions, the second position value of drone 2 can be obtained.
[0034] Alternatively, the position of each drone's communication device in the second coordinate system can be estimated using well-known position estimation techniques such as particle filters, and by performing specific calculations (such as obtaining the average value and determining the center of gravity) on the four estimated positions, the second position value of drone 2 can be obtained.
[0035] The processor 233 is configured to convert the second position value obtained as described above into a third position value, which is the position in the first coordinate system, and to output a third signal corresponding to the third position value. In other words, the third position value is obtained by replacing the position value of the drone 2 obtained via UWB wireless communication with the position value in the coordinate system used by GNSS.
[0036] The interface device 23 includes an output interface 234. The output interface 234 is configured as a hardware interface capable of selectively outputting either a first signal S1 or a third signal S3. The processor 233 is configured to generate a selection signal SL that causes the output interface 234 to output either the first signal S1 or the third signal S3.
[0037] The drone 2 is equipped with a drone-side control device 24. The drone-side control device 24 is configured to control the flight of the drone 2 based on a first signal S1 or a third signal S3. Specifically, the drone-side control device 24 changes the direction of movement of the drone 2 so that the first position value corresponding to the first signal S1 or the third position value corresponding to the third signal approaches the coordinates of the target position. When landing at the landing port 3, the control is performed so that the first position value or the third position value approaches the coordinates of the target position T.
[0038] The first signal S1 and the third signal S3 output from the output interface 234 may be analog signals or digital signals, depending on the specifications of the drone-side control device 24. When the first signal S1 and the third signal S3 are analog signals, the output interface 234 includes an appropriate conversion circuit, including a D / A converter.
[0039] Figure 5 shows an example of the processing flow performed by the interface device 23 configured as described above. The processing in this example is performed when the drone 2 lands at the landing port 3.
[0040] First, the first signal S1 output from the positioning module 21 is received by the first input interface 231 (STEP 1).
[0041] Subsequently, the second signal S2 output from the distance measurement module 22 is received by the second input interface 232 (STEP 2).
[0042] Note that the order of STEP 1 and STEP 2 may be reversed, or STEP 1 and STEP 2 may be performed in parallel.
[0043] Subsequently, the processor 233 obtains the second positioning value of the drone 2 through the above-described processing example based on the second signal S2 (STEP 3).
[0044] Further, the processor 233 converts the second positioning value into a third positioning value through the above-described processing example (STEP 4).
[0045] Subsequently, the processor 233 compares the coordinates of the target position T of the transceiver port 3 in the first coordinate system with the first positioning value to determine whether the distance from the drone 2 to the target position T is less than the threshold value Dt illustrated in FIG. 1 (STEP 5).
[0046] Note that if it can be used to determine whether the distance from the drone 2 to the target position T is less than the threshold value Dt, the distance measurement value obtained by the distance measurement module 22 corresponding to the second signal S2 may be referred to.
[0047] When the distance is greater than or equal to the threshold value Dt (NO in STEP 5), the processor 233 generates a selection signal SL for outputting the first signal S1 to the output interface 234 (STEP 6). Thereby, the drone-side control device 24 performs flight control of the drone 2 according to the first signal S1 corresponding to the first positioning value obtained using GNSS.
[0048] When the distance is less than the threshold value Dt (YES in STEP 5), the processor 233 generates a selection signal SL for outputting the third signal S3 to the output interface 234 (STEP 7). Thereby, the drone-side control device 24 performs flight control of the drone 2 according to the third signal S3 corresponding to the third positioning value obtained based on UWB wireless communication.
[0049] Therefore, when the drone 2 flies towards the landing port 3, its flight control is initially based on positioning values acquired using GNSS. When the drone 2 approaches the landing port 3 to the point where the distance to the target position T falls below the threshold Dt, the flight control switches to one based on positioning values acquired using UWB wireless communication.
[0050] The process illustrated in Figure 5 can also be applied when the drone 2 takes off from the landing port 3. In this case, flight control is initially performed based on positioning values obtained using UWB wireless communication. When the drone 2 moves away from the landing port 3 to a extent that the distance to the target position T is greater than or equal to the threshold Dt, the flight control switches to one based on positioning values using GNSS.
[0051] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, the drone-side control device 24 is configured to perform flight control based on the first signal S1 output from the positioning module 21. The ranging module 22 and interface device 23 according to this embodiment can be added to a commercially available drone 2 that is equipped only with the drone-side control device 24.
[0052] This allows a drone 2 equipped with a drone-side control device 24 that performs flight control based on a first positioning value based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS to be given the function to perform flight control based on a second positioning value based on a second coordinate system acquired using UWB wireless communication. Since the second positioning value is converted to a third positioning value based on the first coordinate system, it is possible to switch between flight control using GNSS and flight control using UWB wireless communication depending on the situation without changing the configuration of the drone-side control device 24 itself.
[0053] For example, by selecting a positioning value with higher reliability, determined based on signal strength and stability, depending on the situation, the accuracy of drone 2 reaching its target location can be increased. Alternatively, by selecting a positioning value based on UWB wireless communication, which can achieve higher ranging accuracy in areas where the distance to target location T is short, the accuracy of drone 2 reaching its target location can also be increased.
[0054] The processor 233 of the interface device 23 having the various functions described above can be realized by at least one general-purpose microprocessor operating in cooperation with at least one general-purpose memory. Examples of general-purpose microprocessors include CPUs, MPUs, and GPUs. Examples of general-purpose memory include ROMs and RAMs. In this case, the ROM may store a computer program that performs the above-described processing. ROM is an example of a non-temporary computer-readable medium in which a computer program is stored. The general-purpose microprocessor selects at least a portion of the program stored on the ROM and loads it onto the RAM, and then performs the above-described processing in cooperation with the RAM. The computer program may be pre-installed in the general-purpose memory, or it may be downloaded from an external server device via a communication network and then installed in the general-purpose memory. In this case, the external server device is an example of a non-temporary computer-readable medium in which a computer program is stored.
[0055] Alternatively, the processor 233 may be implemented by at least one dedicated integrated circuit equipped with a memory element on which a computer program for realizing the function is pre-installed. Examples of dedicated integrated circuits include microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, etc. The memory element is an example of a non-temporary computer-readable medium on which the computer program is stored. The processor 233 may also be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a dedicated integrated circuit.
[0056] The configurations described herein are merely examples to facilitate understanding of this disclosure. Each configuration example may be modified and combined with other configuration examples as appropriate, without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.
[0057] In the above embodiment, the distance measuring module 22 and the interface device 23 are provided as functional modules independent of the drone-side control device 24. However, as illustrated in Figure 2, an interface module 25 in which the distance measuring module 22 and the interface device 23 are integrated may also be provided.
[0058] In the above embodiment, the interface device 23 and the drone-side control device 24 are provided as independent functional modules. However, as illustrated in Figure 2, a control module 26 in which the interface device 23 and the drone-side control device 24 are integrated may be provided. In this case, the control module is configured to acquire a second position value of the drone 2 based on a second signal S2 output from the distance measuring module 22, convert the second position value to a third position value based on the first coordinate system, and selectively use either the first signal S1 output from the positioning module 21 or the third signal S3 corresponding to the third position value to control the direction of movement of the drone 2.
[0059] A module may be provided that integrates at least one of the positioning module 21 and the distance measuring module 22 with a control module 26.
[0060] For example, as illustrated in Figure 6, a drone 2 may be provided that has a control module 26 in which the functions of the processor 233 of the interface device 23 are distributed to the distance measuring module 22 and the drone-side control device 24.
[0061] In this example, the distance measuring module 22 acquires a second positioning value based on the second coordinate system and converts the second positioning value to a third positioning value based on the first coordinate system. Therefore, the distance measuring module 22 outputs a signal corresponding to the third signal S3 described above. In this case, the third signal S3 can be an example of the second signal.
[0062] The first signal S1 output from the positioning module 21 is received by the first input interface 231. The third signal S3 output from the distance measuring module 22 is received by the second input interface 232. The drone-side control device 24 is configured to control the direction of movement of the drone 2 by selectively using either the first signal S1 or the third signal S3.
[0063] In the above embodiment, the second position value is acquired based on UWB wireless communication. With this configuration, since radio waves are used and the effects of multipath reflection are less likely to occur, the influence of bad weather and buildings on the acquisition of distance values can be suppressed.
[0064] The "UWB wireless communication standard" used in the above embodiment example originates from a standardization standard compliant with IEEE 802.15. However, this expression is not intended to limit the scope to that standard. Any short-range wireless communication standard that can determine the relative positions of communication devices with high accuracy and has advantages such as low power consumption and low interference with other communications may be adopted. For example, distance values may be obtained by short-range wireless communication compliant with the Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark) standard.
[0065] In the above embodiment, the communication system 1 is used to control the flight direction of the drone 2 relative to the target position. However, the communication system 1 may also be used to control the flight direction of an aircraft capable of carrying a person. Alternatively, the communication system 1 may be used to control the direction of movement of a mobile body other than the drone 2. Examples of such mobile bodies include vehicles, trains, and ships. Such mobile bodies do not necessarily require a driver.
[0066] In part with respect to this disclosure, the contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-005337, filed on January 15, 2025, are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
1. An interface device mounted on a mobile body equipped with a control device that controls the direction of movement based on a first position value based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS, comprising: a first interface that receives a first signal corresponding to the first position value; a second interface that receives a second signal corresponding to the distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication; and a processor that acquires a second position value of the mobile body based on the second coordinate system based on the second signal and converts the second position value into a third position value based on the first coordinate system, wherein the interface device is capable of selectively outputting either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third position value to the control device.
2. The interface device according to claim 1, further comprising a distance measuring module that outputs the second signal based on short-range wireless communication compliant with the UWB wireless communication standard.
3. The interface device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor outputs the third signal to the control device when the distance to the target position falls below a threshold based on the first signal.
4. The interface device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the moving body is an aircraft.
5. A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by the processor of an interface device mounted on a mobile body equipped with a control device that controls the direction of movement based on a first position value based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS, wherein, upon execution, the interface device receives a first signal corresponding to the first position value, receives a second signal corresponding to the distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication, acquires a second position value of the mobile body based on a second coordinate system based on the second signal, converts the second position value to a third position value based on the first coordinate system, and selectively outputs either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third position value to the control device.
6. A mobile body comprising: a positioning module that outputs a first signal corresponding to a first position value of the mobile body based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS; a distance measuring module that outputs a second signal corresponding to the distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication; and a control module that acquires a second position value of the mobile body based on a second coordinate system based on the second signal, converts the second position value to a third position value based on the first coordinate system, and controls the direction of movement of the mobile body by selectively using either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third position value.
7. A mobile body comprising: a positioning module that outputs a first signal corresponding to a first position value of the mobile body based on a first coordinate system acquired using GNSS; a distance measuring module that acquires a second position value of the mobile body based on a second coordinate system based on the distance to a target position acquired using short-range wireless communication, and outputs a second signal corresponding to a third position value based on the first coordinate system based on the second position value; and a control module that controls the direction of movement of the mobile body by selectively using either the first signal or a third signal corresponding to the third position value.