JP7343046B2 - Takeoff and landing facilities, aircraft systems, and landing control methods - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to takeoff and landing facilities, aircraft, aircraft systems, and landing control methods.

Patent Document 1 discloses a system using an unmanned aircraft. In Patent Document 1, the current position of a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) is detected using a GPS (Global Positioning System). Further, in Patent Document 1, a UAV is aligned with a landing platform based on infrared beacon communication.

Patent Document 2 discloses a helipad on which a helicopter lands. The helipad is equipped with a roof to prevent noise.

Special table 2019-502195 publication Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-195515

A method for appropriately landing a flying object such as an unmanned aircraft is desired.

The purpose of the present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and provides a takeoff and landing facility, a flying object, a flying object system, and a landing control method that can appropriately control the landing of a flying object.

The take-off and landing facility according to the present disclosure is a take-off and landing facility where an autonomous flight vehicle takes off and lands, and includes a fence that defines a take-off and landing place of the flight vehicle, and a fence for detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the flight vehicle. The aircraft includes a sensor provided on a fence, and a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude to the flying object.

The flying object according to the present disclosure is a flying object capable of autonomous flight, and includes a drive mechanism that generates lift for flight, and a fence that defines a takeoff and landing site for detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object. an aircraft-side communication unit that receives position information indicating the horizontal position and altitude from the ground side where a sensor is provided; A flight control unit for controlling the aircraft.

A flying object system according to the present disclosure includes a flying object capable of autonomous flight, a fence that defines a takeoff and landing place of the flying object, a sensor that is provided on the fence and detects the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object, and a sensor that detects the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object. a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude detected by the aircraft to the flying object, and the flying object has a drive mechanism that generates lift for flight;
The aircraft includes an aircraft-side communication unit that receives the position information, and a flight control unit that controls the aircraft to land at the takeoff and landing site of the takeoff and landing facility based on the position information.

A landing control method according to the present disclosure is a landing control method for controlling the landing of an aircraft capable of autonomous flight, in which the horizontal position of the aircraft is controlled by a sensor provided on a fence that defines a takeoff and landing place of the aircraft. and detecting the altitude; and transmitting position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude to the flying object.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a takeoff and landing facility, a flying object, a flying object system, and a landing control method that can appropriately control the landing of a flying object.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an aircraft system 1 according to a first embodiment. 1 is a control block diagram of the aircraft system 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an aircraft system 1 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an aircraft system according to another embodiment.

Embodiment 1.
The takeoff and landing facility and the aircraft system according to the first embodiment will be explained using FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an aircraft system 1. As shown in FIG. Note that in FIG. 1, an XYZ three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is shown to simplify the explanation. Z indicates altitude (height), and the XY plane indicates a horizontal plane. Therefore, the Z coordinate corresponds to altitude and the XY coordinate corresponds to horizontal position.

The aircraft system 1 includes an aircraft 100 and a takeoff and landing facility 200. The takeoff and landing facility 200 includes a fence 201 and a sensor 202.

The flying object 100 is a rotary wing aircraft having a rotary wing 101. Lift and thrust are generated by rotation of the rotary blade 101. Although the flying object 100 has four rotary blades 101 in FIG. 1, the number of rotary blades is not particularly limited.

The flying object 100 is capable of autonomous flight. The flying object 100 is a drone, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a flying car, or the like. The aircraft 100 may be a vertical take-off and landing aircraft (Vtol aircraft). Aircraft 100 may be a tilt rotor aircraft. The flying object 100 may be a helicopter. The flying object 100 may be an unmanned aircraft that carries luggage or the like, or may be a manned aircraft that carries passengers.

A fence 201 defines a takeoff and landing site 203. A fence 201 is installed to surround the takeoff and landing site 203. In other words, the area inside the fence 201 becomes the takeoff and landing site 203. The fence 201 is a soundproof fence and has a soundproofing function to reduce noise during takeoff and landing. Fence 201 is made of transparent polycarbonate or the like. The upper part of the fence 201 is open.

A part of the fence 201 may have a structure or the like for letting the wind generated by the rotation of the rotor blade 101 escape. For example, part of the fence 201 may have a mesh structure. Alternatively, an opening or the like may be provided in a part of the fence 201.

The fence 201 has a height of about 10 m. In FIG. 1, the fence 201 is formed in a circular (cylindrical) shape so as to surround the takeoff and landing site 203, but the shape of the fence 201 is not particularly limited. For example, the shape of the fence 201 when viewed from above may be a rectangle approximately several tens of meters in the X direction and several tens of meters in the Y direction.

A fence 201 is attached to the sensor 202 . The sensor 202 is, for example, a laser, a camera, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a laser sensor, a distance sensor, or the like. Sensor 202 is placed within fence 201 . A sensor 202 is provided on the fence 201 to detect the altitude and horizontal position of the flying object 100 during flight. Sensor 202 detects the position of flying object 100 flying within fence 201 . That is, during landing, the sensor 202 tracks the position of the flying object 100.

Further, in FIG. 1, one sensor 202 is placed on the fence 201, but a plurality of sensors 202 may be placed on the fence 201. The plurality of sensors may be installed at different positions within the fence 201. Furthermore, the position of the flying object 100 may be estimated by combining different types of sensors. By using multiple sensors, position detection accuracy can be improved.

The aircraft 100 lands at a landing position 204 within the takeoff and landing site 203 . For example, after the aircraft 100 moves to just above the takeoff and landing site 203, it gradually lowers its altitude. Then, the flying object 100 descends to the ground surface. The aircraft 100 stores position coordinates indicating the landing position 204. The altitude (Z coordinate) of the landing position 204 may be set to 0. Therefore, the flying object 100 autonomously flies from the takeoff location toward the XY coordinates indicating the takeoff and landing location 203 or the landing location 204. Of course, the takeoff and landing locations may be the same. Note that in this embodiment, takeoff and landing includes at least one of landing and takeoff. Therefore, the takeoff and landing facility 200 and the takeoff and landing site 203 according to the present embodiment may be a landing facility or a landing site that only performs landing, or may be a takeoff facility or a takeoff site that only performs takeoff.

FIG. 2 shows a control block diagram of the aircraft system 1. The flying object 100 includes a flight control section 111 , a drive mechanism 112 , an aircraft communication section 113 , an aircraft sensor 114 , a display section 115 , and a battery 116 .

Flight control section 111 controls each component. For example, the drive mechanism 112 includes the rotary blade 101 and its motor, and generates lift and thrust for flight. Flight control section 111 outputs a drive signal for controlling drive mechanism 112. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the flight control unit 111 controls the drive mechanism 112 so that the four rotary blades 101 are driven independently. The flight control unit 111 stores the coordinates of the landing position 204 in a memory or the like. The flight control unit 111 controls the drive mechanism 112 so that the flying object 100 autonomously flies up to the landing position 204.

The aircraft side communication unit 113 performs wireless communication with the ground side, that is, with the takeoff and landing facility 200. The device-side communication unit 113 performs processing in accordance with communication standards such as 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and BlueTooth (registered trademark), for example. The aircraft side communication unit 113 transmits a radio signal to the ground side. The aircraft side communication unit 113 receives radio signals from the ground side. This makes it possible to transmit and receive data and information between the aircraft 100 and the takeoff and landing facility 200.

Aircraft side sensor 114 detects information regarding the flight state of aircraft 100. The body-side sensor 114 includes, for example, a gyro sensor that detects the attitude of the body. Furthermore, it may include a position sensor that detects the position of the aircraft. As the position sensor, for example, a satellite positioning sensor such as GPS can be used. Flight control unit 111 controls drive mechanism 112 based on detection by aircraft-side sensor 114. This allows the flying object 100 to fly autonomously up to the landing position 204. Further, the body-side sensor 114 may include a camera that images the surroundings of the flying object 100. The body-side sensor 114 is not limited to one, but may include a plurality of sensors.

The display unit 115 displays camera images during flight to passengers and users. Note that the camera may be mounted on the aircraft body or may be provided on the ground side. The camera may be included in the body-side sensor 114 or may be included in the ground-side sensor 202. A camera on the aircraft side captures an image around the aircraft 100. For example, during takeoff and landing, the flying object 100 captures an image of the takeoff and landing facility 200 from above.

Alternatively, a ground-side camera captures images of the flying object 100 during takeoff and landing. That is, the ground-side camera captures an image of the descending state of the flying object 100. Then, the display unit 115 displays the descent status to the passengers and the operator. The display unit 115 can also output the descent situation using AR (Augmented Reality). Furthermore, the display unit 115 may display not only camera images but also information for assisting takeoff and landing. For example, the display unit 115 may display position information, the amount of deviation, and the like. The position information or the displacement amount of the sensor 202 is based on the detection result of the sensor 202, as will be described later. Further, the display unit 115 may display sensor values of the sensor 202 or the aircraft-side sensor 114, etc. Furthermore, the display content may change depending on the information regarding the aircraft 100. For example, the display unit 115 may change the display content depending on information as to whether the flight is a manned flight or an unmanned flight. Alternatively, the display unit 115 may change the display content depending on information indicating whether the vehicle is in automatic operation or manual operation (operator's operation). Note that in the case of an unmanned aircraft, the display unit 115 can be omitted. A battery 116 supplies power to each device.

The takeoff and landing facility 200 is a place where the flying object 100 lands. Further, the landing facility 200 may be a place where the aircraft 100 takes off. For example, the aircraft 100 lands at the takeoff and landing facility 200 and then takes off from the landing facility 200. The landing facility 200 includes a sensor 202, a control section 211, and a communication section 213. As described above, the sensor 202 detects the position of the flying object 100 in flight. The sensor 202 has a sensing range within the takeoff and landing site 203 and the sky above the takeoff and landing site 203. Therefore, the sensor 202 detects the horizontal position and altitude of the flying vehicle 100 during landing.

The control unit 211 generates position information of the flying object 100 based on the detection result of the sensor 202. For example, the control unit 211 estimates the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object 100 based on the detection results of the plurality of sensors 202, and uses the estimation as position information. The communication unit 213 transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and altitude of the aircraft 100 to the aircraft 100. The control section 211 and the communication section 213 may be an integrally formed circuit. The communication unit 213 may be installed inside the fence 201.

The position information is data indicating the altitude and horizontal position of the flying object 100. For example, the control unit 211 calculates the amount of deviation from the landing position 204 within the fence 201 to the flying object 100 based on the detection signal from the sensor 202. The control unit 211 determines the amount of deviation in each of the X direction and the Y direction. Further, the control unit 211 may obtain the amount of deviation (height difference) in the Z direction. The communication unit 213 then transmits the amount of deviation to the aircraft 100 as position information. The body-side communication unit 113 receives the amount of deviation, which is position information.

The flight control unit 111 controls the drive mechanism 112 based on the position information so that the flying object 100 lands at the landing position 204. For example, the flight control unit 111 controls the drive mechanism 112 so that the amount of deviation becomes small. By doing so, the flying object 100 can land at the landing position 204 with high precision. Furthermore, during takeoff, the flying object 100 can similarly take off from the landing position 204 with high precision.

Alternatively, the control unit 211 calculates the relative position of the flying object 100 with respect to the fence 201 based on the detection signal from the sensor 202. The control unit 211 determines the relative position of the flying object 100 with respect to the fence 201 in each of the X direction and the Y direction. That is, the control unit 211 calculates the relative position of the fence 201 and the flying object 100 within the XY plane. By doing so, the flying object 100 can descend to the landing position 204 while maintaining a sufficient distance from the fence 201. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from approaching the fence 201. Therefore, the influence of the wind reflected by the fence 201 from the rotary blade 101 can be reduced.

By doing so, the flying object 100 capable of autonomous flight can be appropriately landed. Specifically, a sensor 202 provided on the fence 201 detects position information of the flying object 100 during landing. Therefore, the position can be detected with higher accuracy than when position information is detected using a satellite positioning system. For example, satellite positioning systems have large position measurement errors. Furthermore, if there is a fence 201 surrounding the takeoff and landing site 203, there is a possibility that satellite signals may not be received. Furthermore, it is difficult for beacons to detect horizontal position and altitude with high accuracy. Furthermore, the sensing range is also limited.

In this embodiment, since the sensor 202 is provided within the fence 201, it is possible to accurately detect the horizontal position and altitude of an aircraft taking off and landing within the takeoff and landing facility. Furthermore, since the fence 201 is provided to surround the takeoff and landing site 203, noise during takeoff and landing can be reduced. Moreover, safety can be improved. Since it can take off and land efficiently, fuel consumption can be reduced.

Embodiment 2.
The aircraft system 1 according to the second embodiment will be explained using FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the aircraft system 1. In FIG. 3, the takeoff and landing facility 200 includes a takeoff and landing pad 206 and a blower mechanism 207. The configurations other than the blower mechanism 207 and the takeoff and landing pad 206 are the same as those in Embodiment 1, so the description will be omitted as appropriate.

The takeoff and landing pad 206 constitutes the takeoff and landing site 203. In other words, the top surface of the takeoff and landing pad 206 becomes the takeoff and landing place 203. The flying object 100 lands on the takeoff and landing pad 206. The takeoff and landing pad 206 has a structure that allows wind to pass through. For example, at least a portion of the takeoff and landing pad 206 has a mesh structure. Alternatively, an opening may be provided in a portion of the takeoff and landing pad 206.

A blower mechanism 207 is provided below the takeoff and landing site 203. The blowing mechanism 207 includes a fan and the like, and blows air to the flying object 100 during landing. That is, the air blowing mechanism 207 generates upward (+Z direction) air.

The control unit 211 controls the blower mechanism 207 based on the position information. By doing so, landing of the aircraft 100 can be assisted. For example, the rotation speed of the fan is controlled depending on the altitude of the aircraft 100. The flying object 100 can be gradually lowered. In this way, the air blowing mechanism 207 that blows air toward the aircraft 100 is provided on the landing facility 200 side. Therefore, landing control can be performed more easily and appropriately. Further, the blowing mechanism 207 may blow air to the aircraft 100 even during takeoff. Takeoff control can be performed more easily and appropriately.

Other embodiments.
A flying object 100 and a takeoff and landing facility 200 according to other embodiments will be described using FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an aircraft system 1 having an aircraft 100 and a takeoff and landing facility 200.

The takeoff and landing facility 200 is where autonomously flying aircraft take off and land. The takeoff and landing facility 200 includes a fence 201, a sensor 202, and a communication section 213. The fence 201 defines a takeoff and landing site 203 for the aircraft 100. A sensor 202 is provided on the fence 201 to detect the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object 100. The communication unit 213 transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and altitude to the aircraft 100.

The flying object 100 is an autonomous flying object that lands at a takeoff and landing site 203. The flying object 100 includes a drive mechanism 112, a flight control section 111, and an airframe side communication section 113. Drive mechanism 112 generates lift for flight. The aircraft side communication unit 113 receives position information indicating the horizontal position and altitude from the ground side where a sensor 202 for detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object 100 is provided on a fence 201 that defines the takeoff and landing site 203. . The flight control unit 111 controls the drive mechanism 112 so that the aircraft lands at the takeoff and landing site 203 based on the position information. This configuration allows for appropriate landing control. This configuration allows for appropriate landing control.

Note that control of at least part of the flight control unit 111 and the control unit 211 may be realized by a processor executing a computer program. In the examples above, the program may be stored and provided to the computer using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. Non-transitory computer-readable media includes various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., flexible disks, magnetic tapes, hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical disks), CD-ROMs (Read Only Memory), CD-Rs, CD-R/W, semiconductor memory (for example, mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory)). The program may also be provided to the computer on various types of transitory computer readable media. Examples of transitory computer-readable media include electrical signals, optical signals, and electromagnetic waves. The temporary computer-readable medium can provide the program to the computer via wired communication channels, such as electrical wires and fiber optics, or wireless communication channels.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above. The configuration and details of the present invention can be modified in various ways that can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention.

Part or all of the above embodiments may be described as in the following additional notes, but are not limited to the following.
(Additional note 1)
A takeoff and landing facility for autonomous flight capable aircrafts to take off and land,
a fence that defines a takeoff and landing site for the aircraft;
a sensor provided on the fence to detect the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object;
A takeoff and landing facility comprising: a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude to the flying object.
(Additional note 2)
further comprising an air blowing mechanism provided below the takeoff and landing place and blowing air to the flying object during landing;
The takeoff and landing facility according to supplementary note 1, wherein the air blowing mechanism is controlled based on the position information.
(Additional note 3)
comprising a control unit that calculates a deviation amount from a landing position within the fence to the flying object based on a detection signal from the sensor;
The take-off and landing facility according to supplementary note 1 or 2, wherein the communication unit transmits the amount of deviation as the position information.
(Additional note 4)
further comprising a control unit that calculates a relative position of the flying object with respect to the fence,
The take-off and landing facility according to Supplementary Note 1 or 2, wherein the communication unit transmits the relative position as the position information.
(Appendix 5)
An aircraft capable of autonomous flight,
a drive mechanism that generates lift for flight;
an aircraft-side communication unit that receives position information indicating the horizontal position and altitude from a ground side where a sensor for detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object is provided on a fence that defines a takeoff and landing place;
A flight control unit that controls the drive mechanism so that the flight vehicle lands at the takeoff and landing location based on the position information.
(Appendix 6)
The aircraft according to supplementary note 5, wherein the aircraft side communication unit receives an amount of deviation from a landing position within the fence to the aircraft as the position information.
(Appendix 7)
The flying object according to supplementary note 5, wherein a relative position of the flying object with respect to the fence is received as the position information.
(Appendix 8)
A flying vehicle capable of autonomous flight,
A fence that defines the takeoff and landing area of the aircraft;
a sensor provided on the fence and detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object;
a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude detected by the sensor to the flying object,
The aircraft is
a drive mechanism that generates lift for flight;
an aircraft-side communication unit that receives the position information;
A flight control unit that controls the drive mechanism to land at the takeoff and landing site based on the position information.
(Appendix 9)
further comprising an air blowing mechanism provided below the takeoff and landing place and blowing air to the flying object,
The aircraft system according to appendix 8, wherein the air blowing mechanism is controlled based on the position information.
(Appendix 10)
comprising a control unit that calculates a deviation amount from a landing position within the fence to the flying object based on a detection signal from the sensor;
The aircraft system according to appendix 8 or 9, wherein the communication unit transmits the amount of deviation as the position information.
(Appendix 11)
further comprising a control unit that calculates a relative position of the flying object with respect to the fence,
The aircraft system according to appendix 8 or 9, wherein the communication unit transmits the relative position as the position information.
(Appendix 12)
A landing control method for controlling the landing of an aircraft capable of autonomous flight, the method comprising:
Detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the aircraft by a sensor provided on a fence that defines a takeoff and landing site of the aircraft;
A landing control method comprising the step of transmitting position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude to the flying object.
(Appendix 13)
further comprising the step of blowing air to the flying object during landing by a blowing mechanism provided below the takeoff and landing place,
The landing control method according to appendix 12, wherein the blower mechanism is controlled based on the position information.
(Appendix 14)
Calculating the amount of deviation from the landing position within the fence to the flying object based on the detection signal from the sensor,
The landing control method according to appendix 12 or 13, wherein the amount of deviation is transmitted as the position information.
(Additional note 15)
The landing control method according to appendix 12 or 13, wherein the relative position of the flying object with respect to the fence is calculated, and the relative position is transmitted as the position information.

100 Flight object 101 Rotary wing 111 Flight control unit 112 Drive mechanism 113 Aircraft communication unit 114 Aircraft sensor 115 Display unit 116 Battery 200 Takeoff and landing facility 201 Fence 202 Sensor 203 Takeoff and landing site 204 Landing position 206 Takeoff and landing pad 207 Air blower mechanism 211 Control unit 21 3 Communication department

Claims (10)

A takeoff and landing facility for autonomous flight capable aircrafts to take off and land,
a fence that defines a takeoff and landing site for the aircraft;
a sensor provided on the fence to detect the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object;
a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude to the flying object;
an air blowing mechanism provided below the takeoff and landing place and blowing air to the flying object during landing;
A take-off and landing facility, wherein the rotational speed of the air blowing mechanism is controlled so as to gradually lower the flying object based on the altitude indicated by the position information. comprising a control unit that calculates a deviation amount from a landing position within the fence to the flying object based on a detection signal from the sensor;
The takeoff and landing facility according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit transmits the shift amount as the position information. further comprising a control unit that calculates a relative position of the flying object with respect to the fence,
The takeoff and landing facility according to claim 1 , wherein the communication unit transmits the relative position as the position information. A flying vehicle capable of autonomous flight,
A fence that defines the takeoff and landing area of the aircraft;
a sensor provided on the fence and detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the flying object;
a communication unit that transmits position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude detected by the sensor to the flying object,
The aircraft is
a drive mechanism that generates lift for flight;
an aircraft-side communication unit that receives the position information;
a flight control unit that controls the drive mechanism to land at the takeoff and landing location based on the position information;
an air blowing mechanism provided below the takeoff and landing place and blowing air to the flying object;
A flying object system in which the rotational speed of the air blowing mechanism is controlled so as to gradually lower the flying object based on the altitude indicated by the position information. comprising a control unit that calculates a deviation amount from a landing position within the fence to the flying object based on a detection signal from the sensor;
The aircraft system according to claim 4 , wherein the communication unit transmits the deviation amount as the position information. further comprising a control unit that calculates a relative position of the flying object with respect to the fence,
The aircraft system according to claim 4 , wherein the communication unit transmits the relative position as the position information. The takeoff and landing site is provided with a camera that captures an image of the flying object during landing,
The flying object system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the flying object includes a display unit that displays an image of the flying object. The aircraft system according to claim 7, wherein the display section displays the position information. A landing control method for controlling the landing of an aircraft capable of autonomous flight, the method comprising:
Detecting the horizontal position and altitude of the aircraft by a sensor provided on a fence that defines a takeoff and landing site of the aircraft;
transmitting position information indicating the horizontal position and the altitude to the flying object;
Landing control comprising: controlling the rotational speed of a blower provided below the takeoff and landing site based on the altitude indicated in the takeoff position information so as to gradually lower the flying object. Method. capturing an image of the aircraft during landing with a camera installed at the takeoff and landing site;
The landing control method according to claim 9, wherein an image of the aircraft is displayed on a display unit provided on the aircraft.

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