Control of formation flight of aircraft and communication area for providing radio communication service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11126205-B2
Application number	US-202017095760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2020
Priority date	Jun 22, 2018
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A control device is provided which forms a communication area on a ground to control an aircraft having an antenna for providing a radio communication service to a user terminal in the communication area. The control device includes a control unit that makes a plurality of aircrafts fly in formation, and controls the plurality of aircrafts such that the communication area of each of the plurality of aircrafts moves while covering a part of a preset target area and the entire target area is covered by a plurality of the communication areas of the plurality of aircrafts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for forming a communication coverage area on a ground, the control device configured to control each of a plurality of aircrafts each having an antenna for providing a radio communication service to a respective plurality of user terminals in a communication area within the communication coverage area, the control device comprising:
a control unit that makes the plurality of aircrafts perform a formation flight, and controls the plurality of aircrafts such that the communication area of each of the plurality of aircrafts moves while covering a respective part of a preset target area, and an entire area of the preset target area is covered by the plurality of the communication areas of the plurality of aircrafts,
wherein the control unit is configured to make a flight speed of an aircraft, among the plurality of aircrafts, which is covering the respective part of the preset target area in which a communication traffic of the respective plurality of user terminals is larger than communication traffic of the respective plurality of user terminals covered by remaining ones of the plurality of the communication areas, slower than flight speeds of remaining aircrafts among the plurality of aircrafts.

2. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit reduces an area size of the communication area of the aircraft, among the plurality of aircrafts, which is covering the area in the target area in which the communication traffic of the plurality of user terminals is larger than the other areas.

3. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit changes a shape of the communication area of the aircraft, among the plurality of aircrafts, which is covering the area in the target area in which the communication traffic of the plurality of user terminals is larger than the other areas.

4. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit makes an aircraft other than the plurality of aircrafts participate in the formation flight being performed by the plurality of aircrafts according to a preset condition being satisfied while the plurality of aircrafts cover the entire target area.

5. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit changes a flight pattern of the plurality of aircrafts according to a change in an air flow in a flight area where the plurality of aircrafts are flying.

6. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit changes a flight pattern of the plurality of aircrafts according to a relative position between positions of the plurality of aircrafts and a position of the sun.

7. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit switches a flight of the plurality of aircrafts performing a formation flight, according to a weather condition, to a fixed-point flight in which the plurality of aircrafts fly, such that a part of the target area is covered without moving the communication area of each of the plurality of aircrafts and the plurality of communication areas of the plurality of aircrafts cover the entire target area.

8. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication coverage area is configured by a plurality of sub cells, and
wherein the control unit constructs virtual cells in two or more of the plurality of sub cells along a moving direction of the two or more of the plurality of sub cells in one of the plurality of the communication areas.

9. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the communication coverage area is configured by a plurality of sub cells, and
wherein the control unit constructs a virtual cell in a sub cell in a first of the plurality of communication areas and a sub cell in a second of the plurality of communication areas along a moving direction of the sub cell in the first of the plurality of communication areas by a first aircraft among the plurality of aircrafts and the sub cell in the second of the plurality of communication areas by a second aircraft among the plurality of aircrafts.

10. A control device for forming a communication coverage area on a ground to control an aircraft having an antenna for providing a radio communication service to a plurality of user terminals in a communication area within the communication coverage area, the control device comprising:
a control unit that makes a plurality of aircrafts perform a formation flight, and controls the plurality of aircrafts such that the communication area of each of the plurality of aircrafts moves while covering a respective part of a preset target area, and an entire area of the preset target area is covered by a plurality of the communication areas of the plurality of aircrafts,
wherein the control unit is configured to reduce an area size of the communication area of an aircraft, among the plurality of aircrafts, which is covering the respective part of the preset target area in which a communication traffic of the respective plurality of user terminals is larger than communication traffic of the respective plurality of user terminals covered by remaining ones of the plurality of the communication areas.

11. A control device for forming a communication coverage area on a ground to control an aircraft having an antenna for providing a radio communication service to a plurality of user terminals in a communication area within the communication coverage area, the control device comprising:
a control unit that makes a plurality of aircrafts perform a formation flight, and controls the plurality of aircrafts such that the communication area of each of the plurality of aircrafts moves while covering a respective part of a preset target area, and an entire area of the preset target area is covered by a plurality of the communication areas of the plurality of aircrafts,
wherein the control unit is configured to make an aircraft other than the plurality of aircrafts participate in the formation flight being performed by the plurality of aircrafts according to a preset condition being satisfied while the plurality of aircrafts cover the entire area of the preset target area.

12. The control device according to claim 11 ,
wherein the preset condition is that a communication traffic in the target area is higher than a preset threshold.

13. A control device for forming a communication coverage area on a ground to control an aircraft having an antenna for providing a radio communication service to a plurality of user terminals in a communication area within the communication coverage area, the control device comprising:
a control unit that makes a plurality of aircrafts perform a formation flight, and controls the plurality of aircrafts such that the communication area of each of the plurality of aircrafts moves while covering a respective part of a preset target area, and an entire area of the preset target area is covered by a plurality of the communication areas of the plurality of aircrafts,
wherein the control unit is configured to change a flight pattern of the plurality of aircrafts according to a change in an air flow in a flight area where the plurality of aircrafts are flying.

14. A control device for forming a communication coverage area on a ground to control an aircraft having an antenna for providing a radio communication service to a plurality of user terminals in a communication area within the communication coverage area, the control device comprising:
a control unit that makes a plurality of aircrafts perform a formation flight, and controls the plurality of aircrafts such that the communication area of each of the plurality of aircrafts mov

Assignees

• Hapsmobile Inc

Inventors

• Miyakawa Junichi
• Shimazaki Yoshihito
• Saitou Makoto
• Miwa Yuta

Classifications

• B64U2201/102

  adapted for flying in formations · CPC title

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/26

  Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations · CPC title

• G08G5/21

  located onboard the aircraft · CPC title