JP2024100869A - Reservation management device for unmanned flying body - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of easily using a flying body which can execute a necessary task when needed.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, a reservation management device is configured to enable an unmanned flying body to communicate with respective storage devices which can store the unmanned flying body through a network. The reservation management device includes: a reservation management unit for managing reservation information on the unmanned flying body; a reception unit for receiving a reservation request for the unmanned flying body from a user; and a determination unit for determining whether to receive the reservation request with reference to the reservation information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.

In recent years, drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other flying objects (hereinafter collectively referred to as "flying objects") have begun to be used in industry. In this context, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for managing and maintaining a charging port that can be shared when charging flying objects.

JP 2017-177912 A

The technology in Patent Document 1 is intended for so-called sharing of charging facilities. However, the flying objects used by this technology must be prepared by each user, and the introduction costs are high.

Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide technology that makes it easy to use aircraft that can carry out the necessary missions when needed.

According to the present invention,
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle and a storage device capable of storing the unmanned aerial vehicle via a network,
A reservation management unit that manages reservation information of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
A receiving unit that receives a reservation request for the aircraft from a user;
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle is obtained, which includes a judgment unit that refers to the reservation information and judges whether or not to accept the reservation request.

The present invention provides an aircraft that can improve flight efficiency.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a reservation management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the management server of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the storage device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing the flight state of a drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) flying from the storage device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the drone of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a management server according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of reservation processing in the system of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of another reservation process of the system of the present invention. 1 is an example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention. 13 is another example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention. 13 is another example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention. 13 is another example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention. 13 is another example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention. 13 is another example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention. 13 is another example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention. 13 is another example of a screen display of a user terminal using the system of the present invention.

The contents of the embodiments of the present invention will be listed and described.
The unmanned aerial vehicle reservation management device has the following configuration.
[Item 1]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle and a storage device capable of storing the unmanned aerial vehicle via a network,
A reservation management unit that manages reservation information of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
A receiving unit that receives a reservation request for the aircraft from a user;
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a judgment unit that refers to the reservation information and determines whether to accept the reservation request.
[Item 2]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to item 1,
a transmitter configured to transmit at least a portion of the reservation request to the unmanned air vehicle and to the storage device;
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.
[Item 3]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to item 1 or 2,
A payment unit that performs a payment process for the user in response to the reservation request.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.
[Item 4]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of items 1 to 3,
The unmanned aerial vehicle has at least two or more functions,
the reservation request includes a specification of any of the capabilities of the unmanned air vehicle.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.
[Item 5]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of items 1 to 4,
The reservation request includes information regarding the flight capabilities of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.
[Item 6]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of items 1 to 5,
The reservation request includes information regarding the destination of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.
[Item 7]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of items 1 to 6,
A system capable of communicating with a plurality of the unmanned aerial vehicles and a plurality of the storage devices via a network;
the reservation request includes information regarding the location of the storage device;
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.
[Item 8]
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of items 1 to 8,
The determination unit disallows a part or all of the reservation requests when the receiving unit receives a disaster signal.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.

<Details of the embodiment>
Hereinafter, a reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Background>
In recent years, drones are expected to be used for delivery, inspection, surveying, aerial photography, and disaster information gathering. However, drones are expensive to operate and maintain, so it is expensive for users to own and manage them themselves. In addition, there are use cases where drones are only used a few times a month or a few times a year, so optimizing the cost of ownership is an urgent task for drones to be implemented in society.

The present invention was made based on this knowledge, and one of its objectives is to enable drones to be easily used for the required purpose when needed.

<Details of the embodiment of the present invention>
As shown in Fig. 1, the reservation management system (hereinafter simply referred to as "system") realized by the reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles of the present invention has a management server 1, multiple storage devices 2, and multiple drones 3. Multiple aerial vehicles may be stored simultaneously and/or sequentially in the storage device 2 according to this embodiment, and the storage device in which the aerial vehicles are stored can be freely selected. The management server 1, the storage device 2, and the drones 3 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network.

<Management Server 1>
2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the management server 1. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and the management server 1 may have other configurations.

As shown in the figure, the management server 1 is connected to a reservation database (not shown) and forms part of the system. The management server 1 may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

The management server 1 includes at least a processor 10, a memory 11, a storage 12, a transmission/reception unit 13, an input/output unit 14, etc., which are electrically connected to each other via a bus 15.

The processor 10 is a computing device that controls the operation of the entire management server 1, controls the transmission and reception of data between each element, and performs information processing necessary for application execution and authentication processing. For example, the processor 10 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes programs for this system stored in the storage 12 and deployed in the memory 11 to perform various information processing operations.

Memory 11 includes a main memory consisting of a volatile storage device such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary memory consisting of a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory or HDD (Hard Disc Drive). Memory 11 is used as a work area for processor 10, and also stores the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) that is executed when management server 1 is started, various setting information, etc.

Storage 12 stores various programs such as application programs. A database that stores data used for each process may be constructed in storage 12.

The transmitter/receiver 13 connects the management server 1 to the network and the blockchain network. The transmitter/receiver 13 may be equipped with a short-range communication interface for Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

The input/output unit 14 includes information input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, and output devices such as a display.

Bus 15 is commonly connected to each of the above elements and transmits, for example, address signals, data signals, and various control signals.

<Storage device 2>
3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the storage device 2. The storage device 2 according to the present embodiment has a size capable of storing at least one drone. Note that the illustrated configuration is an example, and other configurations may be used.

As shown in the figure, the storage device 2 is connected to at least the management server 1 and constitutes part of the system. The storage device 2 includes at least a processor 20, a memory 21, a storage 22, a transmitter/receiver 23, an input/output unit 24, etc., which are electrically connected to each other via a bus 25. In this embodiment, the storage device 2 further includes a power supply unit 26 that supplies power to the drone. The power supply unit 26 may supply power (charge) by contacting metal electrodes together, or may charge without contact (induced current, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 4, the storage device 2 is in either a state in which the drone 3 is stored (storage state: FIG. 4(a)) or a state in which the drone 3 is not stored (empty state: FIG. 4(b)). The storage device 2 is an outdoor permanent type of flying object storage device, and can be in a box-like, dome-like, pad-like, or other shape in which at least a part or all of the drone 3 is stored, depending on the application. In this embodiment, a box-like device is used, but the shape is not limited to this. As shown in the figure, a lid 2a is formed on the top of the storage device 2. When the drone 3 needs to fly, the lid 2a is opened, and the drone 3 rises and flies.

<Drone 3>
5 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the drone 3. The flight controller can have one or more processors, such as a programmable processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)).

The flight controller also has accessible memory (not shown). The memory stores logic, code, and/or program instructions that the flight controller can execute to perform one or more steps.

The memory may include, for example, a separable medium such as an SD card or random access memory (RAM) or an external storage device. Data acquired from the camera or sensors may be directly transmitted to and stored in the memory. For example, still image and video data captured by a camera or the like is recorded in an internal memory or an external memory. The camera is mounted on the aircraft via a gimbal.

The flight controller includes a control module configured to control the state of the air vehicle. For example, the control module controls the propulsion mechanism (such as a motor) of the air vehicle via _an ESC (Electric Speed Controller) to adjust the spatial arrangement, speed, and/ _or acceleration of the air vehicle having six degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y, and z, and rotational motion θ x , θ y, and θ _z ). The motor rotates the propeller to generate lift for the air vehicle. The control module can control one or more of the states of the onboard units and sensors.

The flight controller can communicate with a transceiver configured to transmit and/or receive data from one or more external devices (e.g., a transceiver (transmitter), a terminal, a display device, or other remote controls). The transceiver can use any suitable communication means, such as wired or wireless communication.

For example, the transceiver may utilize one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared, radio, WiFi, a point-to-point (P2P) network, a telecommunications network, cloud communications, etc.

The transceiver unit can transmit and/or receive one or more of the following: data acquired by sensors, processing results generated by the flight controller, specific control data, user commands from a terminal or a remote controller, etc.

The sensors in this embodiment may include inertial sensors (accelerometers, gyro sensors), GPS sensors, proximity sensors (e.g., lidar), or vision/image sensors (e.g., cameras).

<System processing>
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the management server 1. The management server 1 includes, as its functions, a receiving unit, a reservation management unit, a determination unit, a settlement unit, a transmitting unit, a reservation database (DB), and a settlement database (DB).

The receiving unit receives a drone reservation request from a user. The reservation request includes a specification of one of the drone's multiple functions, information about the drone's flight capabilities (payload, maximum speed, onboard sensors, battery capacity, etc.), information about the flight destination, and information about a specific storage device. It is also possible to specify a specific model name or manufacturer name.

The reservation management unit manages and updates reservation information by referencing the reservation DB. The reservation DB registers and manages at least reservations for the use of storage devices and drones by time period.

The judgment unit judges whether to accept a reservation request based on information from the reservation management unit. In other words, this is the case when multiple users are likely to make overlapping reservations for the same time period, or when there is no drone in the storage device that meets the user's needs.

The transmission unit transmits information about the drone's flight (flight route data, requested mission, etc.) from the reservation request to the drone and storage device.

The payment unit executes payment processing for the reservation. At this time, it may refer to a payment database (DB) that stores the user's credit information, account information, etc.

Next, the reservation flow of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings of FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 7, the user selects information on the storage device in which the drone to be reserved is stored as a "base" from his/her own terminal, etc. The base can be selected from multiple storage devices based on the location where the drone is to be used, the current location, etc. Next, one or more drones are selected according to the purpose of use. This allows the optimal drone with functions suitable for the desire to be selected. In addition, if there is a payload, it is also possible to select a payload. Once the selection is complete, a flight route is generated. Note that information on a route recorded in advance or a route created by the user can be used as part or all of the information. Finally, settings are made regarding the activities to be performed at the destination where the flight is completed (aerial photography, inspection, surveying, transportation, etc.). After that, the user inputs information on the date and time when the drone is to be used, checks whether the schedule is available, and if the reservation can be secured, the user is notified that the reservation has been completed. If the reservation cannot be secured, the user may be allowed to reselect another time period or the characteristics of the drone.

Figure 8 shows the flow when the reservation specification is selected first. That is, after selecting a base, the user inputs information about the date, time and time period when they would like to use the drone, and checks whether the schedule can be secured. If the reservation can be secured, the user is notified that the reservation has been completed. If the reservation cannot be secured, the user may be allowed to reselect another time period or drone characteristics. After that, one or more drones according to the intended use are selected, and a payload is selected. Once the selection is complete, a flight route is generated. Finally, settings are made for the activities to be carried out at the destination where the flight is completed (aerial photography, inspection, surveying, transportation, etc.).

The reservation request described above includes at least purpose information. The purpose information includes the content of the work, the date and time of the work, and the location of the work. Depending on this purpose information, it is decided which drone will be used to carry out the work. The drone is selected according to the functions (payload, equipment, etc.) required to achieve the purpose information. Once a drone is selected, the optimal storage device for storing the drone is selected.

The above-mentioned system can also be used in times of disasters and emergencies. In this case, when the receiving unit receives a disaster signal or an emergency evacuation signal, the judgment unit stands by to respond to the disaster or emergency by disapproving some or all of the reservation requests from general users or canceling already reserved time slots.

<User usage example>
Next, examples of user use will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 14. The following examples of use are for guiding a user to a specific location, but the use can be expanded to various uses, such as aerial photography and exploration of a specific location, flying while announcing disaster evacuation, or autonomously inspecting infrastructure facilities such as electric wires with or without accompanying workers.

As shown in FIG. 9, the user is located at a predetermined location on the map. At the reserved time, the drone 31 flies from the reserved storage device to the location specified in the reservation. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, it may be indicated that the drone 31 related to the reservation is moving from the storage device. As shown in FIG. 11, the drone 31 arrives at the user. The drone 31 flies at a predetermined distance from the user according to the generated route. As shown in FIG. 13, when the drone 31 arrives at the destination, the mission of the drone 31 is completed. The drone 31 returns to the original storage device 21.

In the above-described embodiment, the drone returns to the storage device from which it started flying. However, it may also be configured to return to a storage device (such as storage device 22 in FIG. 13) different from the base from which it started flying, depending on the distance to the destination, the work to be done at the destination, the remaining power capacity, etc. In other words, rather than a one-to-one fixed association between the drone and the storage device, multiple storage devices may be shared by multiple drones. In this case, the management server may transmit necessary information to the base, the storage device to which it is returning, and the drone, depending on the location of each drone and the location of the storage device, their respective operating status, etc.

By allowing for flexible flight between storage units, it is no longer necessary to generate routes that would normally take into account round-trip flight distance limitations, resulting in longer flight distances.

It is also possible to automatically select the storage device in which the required drone is stored by simply inputting the purpose and use. In this case, data management may be performed as shown in Figures 15 and 16, for example. That is, as shown in Figure 15, the data table manages the identification number of the storage device and the stored aircraft number in association with each other. Also, as shown in Figure 16, a data table may be provided that manages the aircraft number, the use of the aircraft, and the specific model name in association with each other.

The aircraft of the present invention can be used in the aircraft-related industry, such as multicopters and drones, and furthermore, the present invention can be suitably used as an aircraft for aerial photography equipped with a camera or the like, and can also be used in various industries, such as the security field, agriculture, and infrastructure inspection.

The above-described embodiment is merely an example to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents.

1 Management server 2 Storage device 3 Drone

Claims (8)

A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle and a storage device capable of storing the unmanned aerial vehicle via a network,
A reservation management unit that manages reservation information of the unmanned aerial vehicle;
A receiving unit that receives a reservation request for the unmanned aerial vehicle from a user;
A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a judgment unit that refers to the reservation information and determines whether to accept the reservation request. 2. The unmanned aerial vehicle reservation management device according to claim 1,
a transmitter configured to transmit at least a portion of the reservation request to the unmanned air vehicle and to the storage device;
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles. 3. The reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1,
A payment unit that performs a payment process for the user in response to the reservation request.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles. A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The unmanned aerial vehicle has at least two or more functions,
the reservation request includes a specification of any of the capabilities of the unmanned air vehicle.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles. A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The reservation request includes information regarding the flight capabilities of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles. A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The reservation request includes information regarding the destination of the unmanned aerial vehicle.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles. A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A system capable of communicating with a plurality of the unmanned aerial vehicles and a plurality of the storage devices via a network;
the reservation request includes information regarding the location of the storage device;
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles. A reservation management device for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The determination unit disallows a part or all of the reservation requests when the receiving unit receives a disaster signal.
A reservation management device for unmanned aerial vehicles.