Control device, program, system, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11924586-B2
Application number	US-202318328778-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2023
Priority date	Dec 7, 2020
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a control device including a location information reception unit which receives, via a communication device, location information of a user terminal from the terminal in a wireless communication area, a detection device control unit which controls a detection device of a flying object to detect a state of a region including a location indicated by the location information, a detection information reception unit which receives, via the communication device, detection information indicating the state, an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit which controls an unmanned aerial vehicle to capture an image around the location by an image capturing unit of the vehicle based on the detection information, a captured image reception unit which receives a captured image captured by the image capturing unit from the vehicle, and a rescue method decision unit which decides a rescue method of rescuing a user of the terminal based on the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device comprising:
a location information reception unit which receives, via a communication device which is mounted to a flying object functioning as a stratospheric platform and forms a wireless communication area by beam irradiation to provide a wireless communication service to a user terminal in the wireless communication area, location information of the user terminal from the user terminal in the wireless communication area;
a detection device control unit which controls a detection device of the flying object to detect a state of a region including a location indicated by the location information;
a detection information reception unit which receives, via the communication device, detection information indicating the state of the region which is detected by the detection device;
an unmanned aerial vehicle control unit which controls an unmanned aerial vehicle to capture an image around the location indicated by the location information by an image capturing unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the detection information received by the detection information reception unit;
a captured image reception unit which receives a captured image captured by the image capturing unit from the unmanned aerial vehicle; and
a rescue method decision unit which decides a rescue method of rescuing a user of the user terminal based on the captured image received by the captured image reception unit.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , comprising a storage unit which stores environment information related to an environment of the location indicated by the location information, wherein
the rescue method decision unit decides the rescue method further based on the environment information stored in the storage unit.

3. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the rescue method decision unit decides a movable object to be used to rescue the user.

4. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the rescue method decision unit decides a movement path to be used to rescue the user.

5. The control device according to claim 2 , comprising a disaster situation identification unit which identifies a disaster situation of the region based on the detection information received by the detection information reception unit, and comprising
a communication device control unit which controls the communication device not to form the wireless communication area in a region where the disaster situation identified by the disaster situation identification unit does not satisfy a predetermined condition, but to form the wireless communication area in a region where the condition is satisfied.

6. The control device according to claim 2 , comprising a disaster situation identification unit which identifies a disaster situation of the region based on the detection information received by the detection information reception unit, and comprising
an image capturing decision unit which decides whether the image around the location indicated by the location information is to be captured based on the disaster situation identified by the disaster situation identification unit, wherein
the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit controls the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to decision by the image capturing decision unit that the image around the location indicated by the location information is to be captured.

7. The control device according to claim 2 , comprising a rescue method information transmission unit which transmits rescue method information indicating the rescue method decided by the rescue method decision unit to the user terminal via the communication device.

8. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the rescue method decision unit decides a movable object to be used to rescue the user.

9. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the rescue method decision unit decides a movement path to be used to rescue the user.

10. The control device according to claim 9 , wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit controls the unmanned aerial vehicle to lead the user when the user moves on the movement path decided by the rescue method decision unit.

11. The control device according to claim 1 , comprising a disaster situation identification unit which identifies a disaster situation of the region based on the detection information received by the detection information reception unit, and comprising
a communication device control unit which controls the communication device not to form the wireless communication area in a region where the disaster situation identified by the disaster situation identification unit does not satisfy a predetermined condition, but to form the wireless communication area in a region where the condition is satisfied.

12. The control device according to claim 1 , comprising a disaster situation identification unit which identifies a disaster situation of the region based on the detection information received by the detection information reception unit, and comprising
an image capturing decision unit which decides whether the image around the location indicated by the location information is to be captured based on the disaster situation identified by the disaster situation identification unit, wherein
the unmanned aerial vehicle control unit controls the unmanned aerial vehicle in response to decision by the image capturing decision unit that the image around the location indicated by the location information is to be captured.

13. The control device according to claim 12 , wherein
the location information reception unit receives a rescue signal including the location information of the user terminal from the user terminal, and
the image capturing decision unit decides that the image around the location indicated by the location information is to be captured when the location information reception unit receives the rescue signal.

14. The control device according to claim 1 , comprising a rescue method information transmission unit which transmits rescue method information indicating the rescue method decided by the rescue method decision unit to the user terminal via the communication device.

15. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detection device includes an image capturing device,
the detection device control unit performs control to capture an image of the region by the image capturing device, and
the detection information reception unit receives a captured image captured by the image capturing device.

16. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detection device includes an SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar),
the detection device control unit controls the SAR to detect the state of the region, and
the detection information reception unit receives the detection information indicating the state of the region which is detected by the SAR.

17. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is mounted to the flying object.

18. A program which causes a computer to function as:
a location information reception unit which receives, via a communication device which is mounted to a flying object functioning as a stratospheric platform and forms a wireless communication area by beam irradiation to provide a wireless communication service to a user terminal in the wireless communication area, location information of the user terminal from the user terminal in the wireless communication area;
a detection device control unit which controls a detection device of the flying object to detect a state of a region including a loc

Assignees

• Hapsmobile Inc
• Softbank Corp

Inventors

• Maekawa Naoki

Classifications

• H04B7/18504

  Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U10/00

  Type of UAV · CPC title

• B64U2101/55

  for life-saving or rescue operations; for medical use · CPC title

• H04N7/185 Primary

  from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control · CPC title