Site management system, in-flight detection method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program of site management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849977-B2
Application number	US-201514860072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A site management system includes an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a working vehicle working in a civil construction site, a shape detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane to detect a shape of the civil construction site, and an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane, driving of the working vehicle, and driving of the shape detection sensor. The external control apparatus moves the unmanned airplane to an observation area by performing the high speed flight. Further, the external control apparatus detects a shape of the observation area by driving the shape detection sensor while performing the high speed flight or by driving the shape detection sensor while performing low speed flight by switching from the airplane mode to the VTOL mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A site management system comprising: an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight;
a working vehicle working in a civil construction site;
a shape detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane, the shape detection sensor being driven to detect a shape of the civil construction site; and
a single external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane, driving of the working vehicle, and driving of the shape detection sensor in cooperation with each other,
wherein the external control apparatus sets an observation area within the civil construction site and moves the unmanned airplane to the observation area in the civil construction site by performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode,
the observation area includes at least a working place in which the working vehicle executes a working process, and
the external control apparatus detects a shape of the observation area by driving the shape detection sensor while performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode or by driving the shape detection sensor while performing low speed flight of the unmanned airplane by switching from the airplane mode to the VTOL mode.

2. The site management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the external control apparatus detects the shape by driving the shape detection sensor while performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode in at least a part of the observation area.

3. The site management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the unmanned airplane includes a main body, a moveable wing provided on the main body, and a propulsive unit provided on the moveable wing to change an attitude of the unmanned airplane, and the external control apparatus switches between the airplane mode and the VTOL mode by changing the attitude of the propulsive unit relative to the main body.

4. The site management system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the propulsive unit is a propeller provided in the movable wing.

5. The site management system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the unmanned airplane has a main wing provided on the main body, and the movable wing is provided in front of the main wing in the main body and is rotatable about a rotary shaft extending horizontally from the main body.

6. The site management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the external control apparatus is capable of obtaining work progress information from the working vehicle and,
each time the working vehicle completes work at a place, the external control apparatus sets the place executed by the completed work as the observation area and detects the shape of the observation area using the unmanned airplane.

7. The site management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the external control apparatus sets a predetermined range in the civil construction site as the observation area and periodically detects the shape of the observation area using the unmanned airplane.

8. A in-flight detection method using an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a working vehicle working in a civil construction site, and a shape detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane, the shape detection sensor being driven to detect a shape of the civil construction site, the method comprising the steps of:
setting an observation area within the civil construction site, the observation area including at least a working place in which the working vehicle executes a working process;
moving the unmanned airplane to the observation area in the civil construction site by performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode;
driving the shape detection sensor of the unmanned airplane;
detecting a shape of the observation area by performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode while driving the shape detection sensor or by performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane while driving the shape detection sensor; and
controlling flight of the unmanned airplane, driving of the working vehicle, and driving of the shape detection sensor in cooperation with each other by a single external control apparatus.

9. The in-flight detection method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of:
detecting the shape by performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode while driving the shape detection sensor in at least a part of the observation area.

10. The in-flight detection method according to claim 8 further comprising:
obtaining work progress information from the working vehicle, and
each time the working vehicle completes work at a place, setting the place executed by the completed work as the observation area and detecting the shape of the observation area using the unmanned airplane.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for executing a control process with a single external control apparatus, the control process comprising:
setting an observation area within a civil construction site, the observation area including at least a working place in which a working vehicle executes a working process;
moving an unmanned airplane to the observation area in the civil construction site by performing high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in an airplane mode;
driving a shape detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane to detect a shape of the civil construction site;
detecting the shape of the observation area by performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode while driving the shape detection sensor or performing low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in a VTOL mode while driving the shape detection sensor; and
controlling flight of the unmanned airplane, driving of the working vehicle, and driving of the shape detection sensor in cooperation with each other by the single external control apparatus.

12. The control process executed by the program stored in the computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:
detecting the shape by performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode while driving the shape detection sensor in at least a part of the observation area.

13. The control process executed by the program stored in the computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:
obtaining work progress information from the working vehicle, and
each time the working vehicle completes work at a place, setting the place executed by the completed work as the observation area and detecting the shape of the observation area using the unmanned airplane.

Assignees

• Kk Topcon

Inventors

• Tanahashi Atsushi

Classifications

• B64U2201/104

  using satellite radio beacon positioning systems, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• E02F9/205

  Remotely operated machines, e.g. unmanned vehicles (E02F3/8866 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E02F9/262

  with follow-up actions to control the work tool, e.g. controller · CPC title

• G05D1/0027

  involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling (fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00) · CPC title

• G05D1/0011

  associated with a remote control arrangement · CPC title