Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12148308-B2
Application number	US-202017617699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Jun 27, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

Server apparatus, by controlling flight vehicle, causes flight vehicle to fly to a close range of a power-transmission line, and causes flight vehicle to capture images of the power-transmission line. Flight vehicle includes a positioning apparatus of GPS, and the flight of flight vehicle is controlled based on this measured position. On the other hand, each base station in communication network is provided with a positioning apparatus of GPS. The measured position of base station measured by the positioning apparatus is used to specify the error in position of flight vehicle determined by the positioning apparatus. Server apparatus restricts the flight of flight vehicle if the error in position of flight vehicle, which is determined by the positioning apparatus, that captures images of the power-transmission line is a threshold value or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
determine whether an error in position measured by a positioning apparatus included in a facility is a threshold value or more, the facility being located at a known position; and
control flight of a flight vehicle based on a position measured by another positioning apparatus included in the flight vehicle, and restrict, when the error is the threshold value or more, the flight of the flight vehicle that flies within a range from the facility by controlling the flight vehicle to perform hovering to stand still at flight position or by controlling the flight vehicle to not approach the facility, until the error becomes less than the threshold value.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform a determination when a position history of the flight vehicle measured by the another positioning apparatus of the flight vehicle satisfies a condition for determining that the error is at the threshold value or more occurs in the position.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, after restricting the flight of the flight vehicle, when the error is less than the threshold value, cancel the restriction of the flight.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to use a different threshold value in accordance with at least one of a required position accuracy where the flight vehicle flies and a factor that is an obstacle to the flight of the flight vehicle.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to impose the restriction of the flight in a period during which inspection of an object is performed by the flight vehicle, and the processor is further configured to not impose the restriction in the period other than the period during which the inspection of the object is performed by the flight vehicle.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flight vehicle captures an image of an object while flying, and the facility is a base station that performs wireless communication with a communication apparatus of the flight vehicle.

7. An information processing method comprising:
determining whether an error in position measured by a positioning apparatus included in a facility is a threshold value or more, the facility being located at a known position; and
controlling flight of a flight vehicle based on a position measured by another positioning apparatus included in the flight vehicle, and restrict, when the error is determined to be the threshold value or more, the flight of the flight vehicle that flies within a range from the facility by controlling the flight vehicle to perform hovering to stand still at flight position or by controlling the flight vehicle to not approach the facility, until the error becomes less than the threshold value.

Assignees

• Ntt Docomo Inc

Inventors

• Ushiro Tomoe
• Kameyama Naoki
• Segawa Yuichiro
• Kitamura Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G08G5/723

  from the aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/57

  for unmanned aircraft · CPC title

• G08G5/80

  Anti-collision systems · CPC title

• G08G5/76

  for monitoring atmospheric conditions · CPC title

• G08G5/26 Primary

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