Airspace information provision system, airspace information provision method, and airspace information provision program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12136347-B2
Application number	US-202017640375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2020
Priority date	Sep 13, 2019
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

Information useful for aircraft control is provided for an airspace where a plurality of aircraft move. An airspace information provision system includes: a surrounding turbulence estimation unit configured to estimate surrounding turbulence occurring around first aircraft flying in a predetermined airspace where a plurality of aircraft fly, based on at least specification information, operation information and position information of the first aircraft, for the first aircraft; a flight disturbance information generation unit configured to generate flight disturbance information indicating a disturbance element affecting the aircraft flying in the predetermined airspace based on the surrounding turbulence; and a flight disturbance information provision unit configured to transmit the flight disturbance information to second aircraft flying in the predetermined airspace or flying toward the predetermined airspace.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first aircraft flying in a predetermined airspace;
a second aircraft heading to the predetermined airspace; and
an airspace information provision server comprising a central processing unit (CPU) that functions as, by reading and executing a control program preserved in a memory:
a weather information acquisition unit configured to receive, via a communication network and from a weather information server, weather information of the predetermined airspace;
a three-dimensional map information acquisition unit configured to receive, via the communication network and from a map information server, three-dimensional map information indicating a position and a height of architecture at a lower part of the predetermined airspace and an elevation of a landform below the predetermined airspace;
a surrounding turbulence estimation unit configured to receive, from the first aircraft, flight condition information including specification information, operation information, and position information of the first aircraft via the communication network, and estimate a surrounding turbulence occurring around the first aircraft based on the flight condition information received;
a flight disturbance information generation unit configured to generate flight disturbance information indicating a disturbance element affecting the first aircraft flying in the predetermined airspace based on the surrounding turbulence occurring around the first aircraft estimated by the surrounding turbulence estimation unit, the weather information of the predetermined airspace received from the weather information server, the three-dimensional map information received from the map information server, and a wind speed near the first aircraft detected by the first aircraft; and
a flight disturbance information provision unit configured to transmit the flight disturbance information generated by the flight disturbance information generation unit to the second aircraft flying toward the predetermined airspace,

wherein the second aircraft includes an aircraft controller that is configured (i) to determine whether or not flight on an established flight route in the predetermined airspace is possible based on the flight disturbance information transmitted by the flight disturbance information provision unit, and (ii), in a case where it is determined that the flight on the established flight route is impossible, to execute an evacuation flight processing of moving the second aircraft to a position where it is possible to avoid influence of the disturbance element, or changing a flying speed of the second aircraft.

2. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first aircraft comprises a plurality of first aircrafts, and
wherein the flight disturbance information generation unit generates the flight disturbance information based on the flight condition information received from the plurality of first aircrafts.

3. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the flight disturbance information generation unit generates the flight disturbance information indicating a distribution of an air pressure or a distribution of the wind speed in the predetermined airspace as the disturbance element.

4. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first aircraft includes a plurality of rotors, and
the specification information of the first aircraft includes at least one of a number of pieces of the rotors of the first aircraft, weight of the first aircraft and a size of the first aircraft.

5. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first aircraft includes a rotor, and
the operation information of the first aircraft includes at least one of a rotational speed of the rotor of the first aircraft, a flying speed of the first aircraft and a flight route of the first aircraft.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Maruyama Kohei

Classifications

• G08G5/723

  from the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/727

  from a ground station · CPC title

• G08G5/22

  located on the ground · CPC title