Control device, program, and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11756436-B2
Application number	US-202017433406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2019
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

Setting unit performs the setting of each of the operating modes of a plurality of aerial vehicles on the basis of communication quality information of the planned route of the plurality of aerial vehicles that fly in a group. Specifically, setting unit firstly specifies the planned positions and periods in which each aerial vehicle is to fly from the flight plan information of the plurality of aerial vehicles that fly in a group. Next, setting unit specifies a communication quality of first wireless communication unit of each aerial vehicle in each position and each period from the communication quality information that represents the communication quality in the specified positions and periods. Then, setting unit specifies an operating mode setting schedule of main unit mode and auxiliary unit mode, which sets an aerial vehicle having a specified communication quality, and sets the remaining aerial vehicles as auxiliary units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device comprising:
a setting unit configured to set, for each of aerial vehicles, an operating mode of an aerial vehicle to a first operating mode or a second operating mode, the aerial vehicle comprising a first wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication via a communication network and a second wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication without use of the communication network, the first operating mode being an operating mode in which the aerial vehicle sends data generated in the aerial vehicle and data received from another aerial vehicle, by use of the second wireless communication unit, to a data processing device by use of the first wireless communication unit, the second operating mode being an operating mode in which the aerial vehicle sends, by use of the second wireless communication unit, data generated in the aerial vehicle to another aerial vehicle;
a plan acquisition unit configured to acquire, for each of the aerial vehicles, flight plan information indicative of a planned flight location and a planned flight time; and
a communication quality acquisition unit configured to acquire, for each of sets of a location and a time, communication quality information indicative of a quality of wireless communication using the communication network, wherein the setting unit is configured to set, for each of the aerial vehicles, an operating mode of an aerial vehicle to the first operating mode or the second operating mode based on communication quality information that corresponds to flight plan information acquired for the aerial vehicle.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit is configured, when determining that an aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode satisfies a condition for possible deviation of flight of the aerial vehicle from flight plan information acquired for the aerial vehicle, to determine whether to change an operating mode of the aerial vehicle.

3. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the condition is that the aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode has a malfunction or a failure.

4. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the condition is that the aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode has a problem with flight in an airspace prepared for the aerial vehicle.

5. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the condition is that the aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode has a problem with communication using a first wireless communication unit of the aerial vehicle in an airspace prepared for the aerial vehicle.

6. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the condition is that a method of controlling the aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode has been changed from automatic control to manual control.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit is configured to:
before setting an operating mode of a first aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode to the second operating mode, set an operating mode of a second aerial vehicle operating in the second operating mode to a third operating mode in which the second aerial vehicle receives data from another aerial vehicle by use of second wireless communication unit of the second aerial vehicle;
setting the operating mode of the first aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode to the second operating mode; and
setting the operating mode of the second aerial vehicle operating in the third operating mode to the first operating mode.

8. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the setting unit is configured to:
before setting an operating mode of a first aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode to the second operating mode, set each of operating modes of second aerial vehicles to a fourth operating mode in which each of the second aerial vehicles temporarily stores data generated in each of the second aerial vehicles;
setting the operating mode of the first aerial vehicle operating in the first operating mode to the second operating mode;
setting an operating mode of one of the second aerial vehicles operating in the fourth operating mode to the first operating mode; and
setting an operating mode of another one of the second aerial vehicles operating in the fourth operating mode to the second operating mode.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute instructions to function as:
a setting unit configured to set, for each of aerial vehicles, an operating mode of an aerial vehicle to a first operating mode or a second operating mode, the aerial vehicle comprising a first wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication via a communication network and a second wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication without use of the communication network, the first operating mode being an operating mode in which the aerial vehicle sends data generated in the aerial vehicle and data received from another aerial vehicle by use of the second wireless communication unit to a data processing device by use of the first wireless communication unit, the second operating mode being an operating mode in which the aerial vehicle sends, by use of the second wireless communication unit, data generated in the aerial vehicle to another aerial vehicle;
a plan acquisition unit configured to acquire, for each of the aerial vehicles, flight plan information indicative of a planned flight location and a planned flight time; and
a communication quality acquisition unit configured to acquire, for each of sets of a location and a time, communication quality information indicative of a quality of wireless communication using the communication network, wherein the setting unit is configured to set, for each of the aerial vehicles, an operating mode of an aerial vehicle to the first operating mode or the second operating mode based on communication quality information that corresponds to flight plan information acquired for the aerial vehicle.

10. A control method comprising:
acquiring, for each of aerial vehicles, flight plan information indicative of a planned flight location and a planned flight time, each of the aerial vehicle comprising a first wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication via a communication network and a second wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication without use of the communication network;
acquiring, for each of sets of a location and a time, communication quality information indicative of a quality of wireless communication using the communication network;
setting, for each of the aerial vehicles, an operating mode of an aerial vehicle to the first operating mode or the second operating mode based on communication quality information that corresponds to flight plan information acquired for the aerial vehicle, wherein:
the first operating mode is an operating mode in which an aerial vehicle sends data generated in the aerial vehicle and data received from another aerial vehicle by use of a second wireless communication unit of the aerial vehicle to a data processing device by use of a first wireless communication unit of the aerial vehicle; and
the second operating mode is an operating mode in which an aerial vehicle sends, by use of a second wireless communication unit of the aerial vehicle, data generated in the aerial vehicle to another aerial vehicle.

Assignees

• Ntt Docomo Inc

Inventors

• Niihata Kaori
• Takami Tadao
• Ishii Koji
• Kawakami Hiroshi
• Segawa Yuichiro
• Kitamura Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/26

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

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/723

  from the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/53

  for cruising · CPC title