Control device and control method for controlling aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11747807-B2
Application number	US-201916972695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

The control device is configured to control an aerial vehicle that carries a carrying object and includes a sensor capable of measuring a ground surface temperature during flight. The control device acquires a ground surface temperature in an area where the carrying object is planned to be released, the ground surface temperature being measured by the sensor. And then, the control unit performs control regarding release of the carrying object in accordance with the ground surface temperature in the area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device configured to control an aerial vehicle that carries a carrying object and includes a sensor capable of measuring a ground surface temperature during flight, the control device comprising:
at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to access the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code including:
acquisition code configured to cause the at least one processor to acquire a ground surface temperature in an area where the carrying object is planned to be released, the ground surface temperature being measured by the sensor; and
control code configured to cause the at least one processor to:
perform, based on the ground surface temperature in the area being less than a threshold value, control to release the carrying object in the area, without checking whether a receiving side of the carrying object in the area is prepared for reception; and
perform, based on the ground surface temperature in the area being the threshold value or more, control to release the carrying object in the area upon a determination that the receiving side of the carrying object in the area is prepared for reception.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the ground surface temperature in the area is less than the threshold value, the control code causes the at least one processor to cause the carrying object to descend while making the aerial vehicle hover in order to release the carrying object.

3. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is set in accordance with a category of the carrying object.

4. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the ground surface temperature in the area is less than the threshold value, the control code causes the at least one processor to cause the aerial vehicle to land in order to release the carrying object.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the ground surface temperature in the area is the threshold value or more, the control code causes the at least one processor to perform control to decrease the ground surface temperature, confirm that the ground surface temperature has become less than the threshold value, and then causes the carrying object to descend while making the aerial vehicle hover in order to release the carrying object.

6. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the ground surface temperature in the area is the threshold value or more, the control code causes the at least one processor to perform control to decrease the ground surface temperature, confirm that the ground surface temperature has become less than the threshold value, and then causes the aerial vehicle to land in order to release the carrying object.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the ground surface temperature in the area is the threshold value or more, the control code causes the at least one processor to, upon the determination that the receiving side of the carrying object in the area is prepared for reception, cause the aerial vehicle to land in order to release the carrying object.

8. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control code causes the at least one processor to issue a confirmation notice to the receiving side of the carrying object, and confirm that the receiving side is prepared for reception by receiving an answer indicating completion of preparation from the receiving side.

9. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control code causes the at least one processor to, based on the ground surface temperature in the area being the threshold value or more, makes the determination that the receiving side is prepared for reception by recognizing the receiving side of the carrying object from an image captured by a camera provided in the aerial vehicle.

10. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the ground surface temperature in the area is the threshold value or more, the control code causes the at least one processor to move the aerial vehicle to an area different from the area in order to release the carrying object.

11. The control device according to claim 1 , the program code further including selection code configured to cause the at least one processor to select, as a spot where the carrying object is released, a spot where the ground surface temperature is less than the threshold value on the basis of distribution of ground surface temperatures at a plurality of spots inside the area.

12. The control device according to claim 11 , wherein the aerial vehicle carries a plurality of carrying objects of different categories, and the selection code causes the at least one processor to select, as a spot where the carrying object is released, a spot where the ground surface temperature is less than the threshold value for each of the plurality of carrying objects on the basis of the distribution of the ground surface temperatures at the plurality of spots inside the area.

13. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the determination is based on capturing an image by a camera provided in the aerial vehicle, comparing an object image included in the captured image with a corresponding object image that is pre-registered, and determining that the receiving side is prepared for reception based on a degree of coincidence between the object images is a threshold value or more.

14. A control method executed by a system that controls an aerial vehicle configured to carry a carrying object, the aerial vehicle including a sensor capable of measuring a ground surface temperature during flight, the control method including:
acquiring a ground surface temperature in an area where the carrying object is released, the ground surface temperature being measured by the sensor;
performing, based on the ground surface temperature in the area being less than a threshold value, control to release the carrying object in the area, without checking whether a receiving side of the carrying object in the area is prepared for reception; and
performing, based on the ground surface temperature in the area being the threshold value or more, control to release the carrying object in the area upon a determination that the receiving side of the carrying object in the area is prepared for reception.

15. A control device configured to control an aerial vehicle configured to carry a carrying object, the aerial vehicle including a sensor capable of measuring a ground surface temperature during flight, the control device comprising:
at least one memory configured to store program code; and at least one processor configured to access the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code including:
acquisition code configured to cause the at least one processor to acquire a ground surface temperature in an area where the aerial vehicle is planned to land, the ground surface temperature being measured by the sensor; and
control code configured to cause the at least one processor to:
perform, based on the ground surface temperature in the area being less than a threshold value, control to release the carrying object in the area, without checking whether a receiving side of the carrying object in the area is prepared for reception; and
perform, based on the ground surface temperature in the area being the threshold value or more, control to release the carrying object in the area upon a determination that the receiving side of the carrying object in the area is prep

Assignees

• Rakuten Group Inc

Inventors

• TAZUME Toshiaki

Classifications

• B64U2201/00

  UAVs characterised by their flight controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U2101/60

  for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons · CPC title

• G05D1/102 Primary

  specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft · CPC title

• G05D1/0088 Primary

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title