WO2025110016A1 - Operational management system, operational management method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an operational management system, for example, that suppresses deterioration of the communication state between an aerial vehicle and a base station. The operational management system includes a plan acquisition unit, a quality data acquisition unit, a determination unit, and an output unit. The plan acquisition unit acquires, in advance, a flight plan including the flight path of a group of two or more aerial vehicles. The quality data acquisition unit acquires signal quality data relating to the signal quality of a signal received, from the base station, by each of at least two or more aerial vehicles flying separately when viewed along the traveling direction of the aerial vehicles. On the basis of the tendency of the signal quality included in the signal quality data, the determination unit determines that the flight path at a time later than the time at which the signal quality data was acquired be changed in a direction in which the signal quality becomes better. The output unit outputs information on the changed flight path.

Description

Traffic management system, traffic management method and program

This disclosure relates to a traffic management system, a traffic management method, and a program.

The use of flying objects known as drones is advancing, and flights beyond visual line of sight are becoming more common. In order to monitor and control the flight of flying objects from a remote location, it is necessary to ensure stable wireless communication between the flying object and a base station.

In this regard, for example, the mobile robot described in Patent Document 1 stores a radio environment map and has the functions of recognizing its own position, monitoring the radio status, searching for a recovery location when communication is interrupted, and instructing movement. The mobile robot is also configured to update the radio environment map stored in the memory unit.

For example, the flying object described in Patent Document 2 has the function of storing information for identifying users of a communication service that communicates via a wireless base station, and receiving airspace information from the wireless base station based on this information to control flight. Furthermore, when the flying object determines that the radio wave quality is poor, it switches to autonomous control mode or makes a decision based on statistical data from other flying objects.

JP 2008-087102 A JP 2019-133704 A

However, the signal strength of base stations along the flight route depends on the weather and changes in the surrounding environment. As a result, there are cases where the signal strength along the planned flight route is worse than expected. On the other hand, configuring the aircraft to move completely autonomously based on its own judgment when signal strength is poor can lead to the system becoming more complicated and longer.

In light of the above-mentioned problems, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a traffic management system and the like that suppresses the deterioration of communication conditions between aircraft and base stations.

The traffic management system according to the present disclosure has a plan acquisition unit, a quality data acquisition unit, a determination unit, and an output unit. The plan acquisition unit acquires in advance a flight plan including the flight paths of a group of two or more flying objects. The quality data acquisition unit acquires signal quality data relating to the signal quality of signals received from a base station by at least two or more flying objects that are flying apart when viewed along the direction of the flying objects' movement. The determination unit determines, based on the trend of signal quality contained in the signal quality data, to change the flight path for a time after the time the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves signal quality. The output unit outputs information about the changed flight path.

In the traffic management method disclosed herein, a computer executes the following processes. The computer acquires in advance a flight plan including the flight paths of a group of two or more flying objects. The computer acquires signal quality data relating to the signal quality of signals received from a base station by at least two or more flying objects that are flying apart when viewed along the direction of the flying objects' movement. The computer determines, based on the signal quality trend contained in the signal quality data, to change the flight path for a time after the time the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves signal quality. The computer outputs information about the changed flight path.

The program disclosed herein causes a computer to execute the following traffic management method. The computer acquires in advance a flight plan including flight paths for a group of two or more flying objects. The computer acquires signal quality data relating to the signal quality of signals received from a base station by at least two or more flying objects that are flying apart when viewed along the direction of the flying objects' movement. The computer determines, based on the signal quality trend contained in the signal quality data, to change the flight path for a time after the time the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves signal quality. The computer outputs information about the changed flight path.

This disclosure provides a traffic management system, traffic management method, and program that suppresses deterioration of communication conditions between aircraft and base stations.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a traffic management system according to the present disclosure. 1 is a flowchart of a traffic management method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an operating system according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a second block diagram of the traffic management system according to the present disclosure. 1 is a flowchart of a traffic management method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a first diagram showing the movement of an aircraft in an operation system. 1 is a flowchart of a traffic management method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing the movement of an aircraft in an operation system. 1 is a flowchart of a traffic management method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a third diagram showing the movement of an aircraft in an operation system. 1 is a flowchart of a traffic management method according to the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a fourth diagram showing the movement of an aircraft in an operation system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aircraft including a traffic management system. FIG. 5 is a fifth diagram showing the movement of an aircraft in an operation system. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a hardware configuration.

The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means for solving the problem. To clarify the explanation, the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate. In addition, the same elements are given the same symbols in each drawing, and duplicate explanations have been omitted as necessary.

<First embodiment>
The traffic management system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the traffic management system 10 according to the present disclosure. The traffic management system 10 manages the operation of an aircraft. The traffic management system 10 is, for example, a computer or a server having a communication function. The aircraft is, for example, an unmanned aircraft called a drone or an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The aircraft may also be called an urban air mobility (UAM).

In the present disclosure, the aircraft flies with its operation managed by the traffic management system 10. The aircraft is also remotely controlled by a specified traffic management system. The traffic management system may be part of the traffic management system 10. Alternatively, the traffic management system may include the traffic management system 10. The traffic management system communicates with the aircraft via, for example, a specified base station installed in the area in which the aircraft flies. In other words, the aircraft flies in an area in which it can communicate with the base station. The traffic management system 10 manages the status of such aircraft. The traffic management system 10 has, as its main components, a plan acquisition unit 110, a quality data acquisition unit 120, a judgment unit 130, and an output unit 140.

The plan acquisition unit 110 acquires in advance a flight plan including the flight paths of a group of two or more aircraft. A group of aircraft is two or more aircraft flying in a state in which they can cooperate with each other. A state in which they can cooperate means, for example, a state in which they fly while maintaining a range in which they can directly communicate with each other. In this case, the direct wireless communication performed by the aircraft is, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi. In other words, the group of aircraft fly while maintaining a distance of several tens of meters to less than 100 meters from each other. This allows the group of aircraft to carry operations that cannot be achieved by a single aircraft, such as transporting a volume of cargo that a single aircraft cannot carry.

When operating an aircraft, the flight operation management system 10 acquires the flight plan of the aircraft in advance. For example, the manager or owner of the aircraft creates a flight plan in advance before operating the aircraft, and submits this flight plan to the manager who has jurisdiction over the planned flight route included in the created flight plan. The manager who has jurisdiction over the planned flight route is, for example, a local government or a land manager who manages the land on which the planned flight route is located. The plan acquisition unit 110 acquires the flight plan disclosed in this manner.

The quality data acquisition unit 120 acquires signal quality data regarding the signal quality of the signal received from a base station by each of two or more aircraft included in a group of aircraft. Here, it is preferable that the two or more aircraft are flying apart when viewed along the direction of the aircraft's travel. This makes it easier for the quality data acquisition unit 120 to grasp the trend in the signal quality of the radio waves arriving at the aircraft from the base station in a plane perpendicular to the direction of travel.

The signal quality data acquired by the quality data acquisition unit 120 may include position information for each aircraft. This allows the traffic management system 10 to grasp the position of the aircraft and the signal quality at each position.

The determination unit 130 determines, based on the trend in signal quality contained in the signal quality data, to change the flight path at a time after the time the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves signal quality. At this time, the determination unit 130 determines, for example, in which direction perpendicular to the direction of travel the signal strength is relatively strong as the trend in signal quality. The determination unit 130 further determines to change the flight path of the group of flying objects in a direction where the signal strength is relatively strong. Note that in this disclosure, signal strength refers to radio wave strength in wireless communication. Signal strength may be referred to as received signal strength or RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator).

The output unit 140 outputs information about the changed flight path. The flight path information output by the output unit 140 may be output directly to the aircraft, for example. In this case, the output unit 140 outputs information for instructing the aircraft to change the flight path. The flight path information output by the output unit 140 may be output to an operation system that operates the aircraft, for example. In this case, the output unit 140 outputs information for instructing the operation system to change the flight path.

Next, the processing executed by the traffic management system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the traffic management method according to the present disclosure. In the traffic management method according to the present disclosure, the traffic management system 10 executes the following processing.

First, the plan acquisition unit 110 acquires in advance a flight plan including the flight paths of a group of two or more aircraft (step S11). The plan acquisition unit 110 supplies the acquired flight plan information to the output unit 140.

Next, the quality data acquisition unit 120 acquires signal quality data regarding the signal quality of signals received from a base station by at least two or more flying objects that are flying apart when viewed along the direction of travel of the flying objects (step S12). The quality data acquisition unit 120 supplies the acquired signal quality data to the determination unit 130.

Then, the determination unit 130 receives the flight plan and the signal quality data, and determines from the received information that the flight route after the time when the signal quality data was acquired should be changed in a direction that improves the signal quality (step S13). At this time, the determination unit 130 makes the above determination based on the trend of the signal quality contained in the signal quality data. The determination unit 130 supplies information related to the determination to the output unit 140.

Next, the output unit 140 outputs information about the flight route changed by the determination unit 130 (step S14). When the output unit 140 outputs the information about the changed flight route, the traffic management system 10 ends the series of processes.

The above describes the configuration of the traffic management system 10 and the traffic management method. The traffic management system 10 may have a processor and a storage device as components not shown. The storage device possessed by the traffic management system 10 includes a storage device including non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or SSD. In this case, the storage device possessed by the traffic management system 10 stores a computer program (hereinafter simply referred to as a program) for executing the above-mentioned image processing method. The processor also loads the computer program from the storage device into a buffer memory such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and executes the program.

Each component of the traffic management system 10 may be realized by dedicated hardware. Some or all of the components may be realized by general-purpose or dedicated circuits, processors, etc., or a combination of these. These may be configured by a single chip, or by multiple chips connected via a bus. Some or all of the components of each device may be realized by a combination of the above-mentioned circuits, etc., and programs. As a processor, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (field-programmable gate array), etc. may be used. The processing performed by the traffic management system 10 may be provided as SaaS (Software as a Service). The description of the configuration described here may also be applied to other devices or systems described below in this disclosure.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traffic management system, a traffic management method, and a program that suppress deterioration of communication conditions between an aircraft and a base station.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of an operation system 1 according to the present disclosure. The operation system 1 has, as its main components, an operation control system 100, an aircraft 200, a base station 300, and an aircraft management device 400.

Note that two flying objects 200 (flying object 200A and flying object 200B) are shown in FIG. 3. Flying object 200A and flying object 200B are a group of flying objects that fly separately from each other. However, when referring to flying object 200, this includes cases where flying object 200A and flying object 200B are collectively referred to.

The traffic management system 100 is communicatively connected to the base station 300 via the network N1. The traffic management system 100 is also communicatively connected to the aircraft 200 via the base station 300. The traffic management system 100 is also communicatively connected to the aircraft management device 400 via the network N1. The traffic management system 100 acquires a flight plan from the aircraft management device 400. The traffic management system 100 also acquires signal quality data from the aircraft 200 via the base station 300. At this time, the signal quality data supplied by the aircraft 200 to the traffic management system 100 is data related to the quality of radio waves arriving at the aircraft 200 from the base station 300. The traffic management system 100 outputs information related to changes in flight route to at least one of the aircraft management device 400 and the aircraft 200.

The flying object 200 is managed by the administrator of the flying object management device 400. The flying object 200 flies while emitting an identification signal. The identification signal includes, for example, authentication information, time information, and location information. The authentication information includes information indicating that the flying object 200 is an authenticated flying object. The authentication information may include, for example, an authentication number issued by a specified authorization body such as a local government, or a unique identifier linked to the information processing device 20. The time information is a timestamp that is updated each time an identification signal is emitted. The location information includes, for example, information regarding latitude, longitude, and altitude. The location information may also include information indicating the speed of movement.

Furthermore, in relation to communication with base station 300, flying object 200 outputs data (signal quality data) on the signal quality of radio waves arriving from base station 300. Flying object 200 may output the above-mentioned identification signal including the signal quality data. Flying object 200 may output the signal quality data in response to a request from traffic management system 100, for example.

The base station 300 is a relay device that is communicatively connected to the network N1 and that performs wireless communication with the flying object 200. The base station 300 performs communication with the flying object 200 in accordance with wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi, LTE (Long Term Evolution), or the so-called 5G (5th Generation).

The aircraft management device 400 is a terminal for remotely controlling the aircraft 200. The aircraft management device 400 is, for example, a computer or a server. The aircraft management device 400 may be a smartphone or a tablet computer. The aircraft management device 400 has a memory unit 410, which stores a flight plan 411.

Next, the traffic management system 100 will be further described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the traffic management system 100 according to the present disclosure. The traffic management system 100 mainly comprises a plan acquisition unit 110, a quality data acquisition unit 120, a judgment unit 130, an output unit 140, an instruction unit 150, a weather data acquisition unit 160, and a memory unit 170.

The plan acquisition unit 110 of the traffic management system 100 acquires the flight plan 411 from the aircraft management device 400. The traffic management system 100 stores the received flight plan 411 in the memory unit 170 as the flight plan 171.

The quality data acquisition unit 120 of the traffic management system 100 acquires signal quality data from each of the flying bodies 200A and 200B. At this time, the flying bodies 200 and 200B fly along the flight path at positions separated by a threshold distance or more in the left and right directions relative to the direction of travel. This allows the traffic management system 10 to optimally acquire the signal quality trends.

The determination unit 130 of the traffic management system 100 estimates the position where the signal strength acquired by the flying object after changing the flight path will be equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold based on the signal quality data. For example, the determination unit 130 acquires the position of each flying object 200 and the signal strength at that position from the signal quality data acquired from the flying object 200.

Note that the signal strength is, for example, radio wave strength. The signal strength may be an index including radio wave strength and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The determination unit 130 may calculate the position where the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold from these pieces of information. Note that the determination unit 130 may use a predetermined trained model when estimating the position where the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In this case, the trained model estimates the position where the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, taking into account, for example, area information related to the signal quality of the radio waves emitted by the base station 300. This allows the traffic management system 10 to suitably suppress deterioration of the communication state between the aircraft and the base station. The determination unit 130 may estimate the position where the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, taking into account weather data acquired by the weather data acquisition unit 160 described later.

The output unit 140 outputs information related to the determination by the determination unit 130, i.e., information on the changed flight path, to the flying object 200 and the flying object management device 400. This causes the flying object 200 to change its flight path. The flying object 200 may change its flight path according to information received from the traffic management system 100, or may change its flight path by receiving an instruction to change the flight path from the flying object management device 400.

If the flying object 200A and the flying object 200B are not separated by more than the threshold distance when viewed along the direction of travel, the instruction unit 150 instructs them to move away from each other by more than the threshold distance.

The weather data acquisition unit 160 acquires weather data for the flight route. More specifically, the weather data acquisition unit 160 acquires weather data by communicating with a weather information service terminal (not shown) that provides weather information for the area including the flight route via the network N1. Alternatively, the weather data acquisition unit 160 may directly acquire data from a specified anemometer or the like. The weather data may include data on wind direction, wind speed, and sunlight.

In this case, the determination unit 130 may determine to change the flight path taking into account weather data. That is, the determination unit 130 may estimate a position where the signal strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold within an operationally safe area. This allows the traffic management system 10 to prevent a deterioration in the communication conditions between the aircraft and the base station while preventing a decrease in the operational safety of the aircraft 200.

The memory unit 170 is a storage device including a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The memory unit 170 stores at least a flight plan 171. For example, the memory unit 170 supplies the flight plan 171 to the determination unit 130. Note that the determination unit 130 may update the flight plan 171 when it determines to change the flight path of the flying object 200. In this case, the output unit 140 may notify the flying object management device 400 of the flight plan including the changed flight path.

Next, the processing executed by the traffic management system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the traffic management method according to the present disclosure. In the traffic management method according to the present disclosure, the traffic management system 100 executes the following processing.

First, the plan acquisition unit 110 acquires a flight plan including the flight paths of a group of flying bodies 200A and 200B from the flying body management device 400 in advance (step S21). The plan acquisition unit 110 supplies the acquired flight plan information to the flight plan 171.

Next, the quality data acquisition unit 120 acquires signal quality data regarding the signal quality of the signals received from the base station 300 by each of the flying objects 200A and 200B, which are flying apart when viewed along the direction of the flying objects' travel (step S22). The quality data acquisition unit 120 supplies the acquired signal quality data to the determination unit 130.

Next, the determination unit 130 determines whether the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold based on the received signal quality data (step S23). If the determination unit 130 determines that the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S23: YES), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S26. If the determination unit 130 does not determine that the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S23: NO), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S24.

In step S24, the determination unit 130 determines from the flight plan 171 and the signal quality data that the flight route after the time when the signal quality data was acquired should be changed in a direction that improves the signal quality (step S24).

Next, the output unit 140 outputs information about the flight route changed by the determination unit 130 to the flying object 200 and the flying object management device 400 (step S25). When the output unit 140 outputs the information about the changed flight route, the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S26.

In step S26, the Traffic Management System 100 determines whether or not to end the series of processes (step S26). The series of processes is ended, for example, when the administrator of the Traffic Management System 100 performs a process to stop the Traffic Management System 100. If the Traffic Management System 100 does not determine that the series of processes should be ended (step S26: NO), the Traffic Management System 100 returns to step S22 and continues processing. On the other hand, if the Traffic Management System 100 determines that the series of processes should be ended (step S26: YES), the Traffic Management System 100 ends processing.

Next, an example of the movement of the flying object 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the movement of the flying object 200 in the flight operation system 1. FIG. 6 shows the position of the flying object 200 at each of time T11 and time T12.

For convenience in explaining the positional relationships of the components, FIG. 6 includes a right-handed Cartesian coordinate system. In the Cartesian coordinate system, the Y axis is parallel to the direction of travel of the flying object 200, and the positive side of the Y axis is the direction of travel of the flying object 200. The X axis is perpendicular to the direction of travel, and is the left-right direction relative to the direction of travel of the flying object 200. In this case, the positive X axis direction is the right side of the direction of travel, and the negative X axis direction is the left side of the direction of travel. The Z axis is the vertical direction. The positive Z axis direction is upward, and the negative Z axis direction is downward.

At time T11, flying body 200A and flying body 200B are flying in the positive direction of the Y axis along the planned flight path. At time T11, flying body 200A and flying body 200B each transmit signal quality data to base station 300. The signal strength of flying body 200A at time T11 is stronger than the signal strength of flying body 200B. In other words, the signal strength of flying body 200B at time T11 is weaker than the signal strength of flying body 200A. Furthermore, the signal strength of flying body 200B is less than the threshold value.

In such a situation, the flying object 200 receives an instruction to change the flight path. Specifically, the flying object 200A and the flying object 200B receive an instruction from the flying object management device 400 to shift to the left in the direction of travel. In response to the instruction to change the flight path, the flying object 200 shifts its flight path to the left of the planned flight path.

At time T12, which is after time T11, the flying object 200 is flying a route that is shifted to the left from the planned flight route. The changed flight route is parallel to the planned flight route. On the changed flight route, the signal quality of the flying object 200 is better than before the change. In other words, the signal strength of the flying object 200B is stronger than the signal strength before the flight route change.

The above describes the case where the flying object 200 changes its flight path. By performing such movements, the flying object 200 improves the communication state with the base station 300 and flies a path shifted from the planned flight path. Note that the shift amount when the flying object 200 changes its flight path, i.e., the distance it deviates from the planned flight path, may be set in advance, for example. The shift amount may be set according to signal quality data acquired by the flying object 200. A limit value may also be set for the shift amount. In this case, the flying object 200 will not deviate from the planned flight path by more than the set shift amount, even if the signal strength is below the threshold value.

The quality data acquisition unit 120 further acquires signal quality data from the flying object 200 after the flight path has been changed. The determination unit 130 may determine to update the flight path at the time after the flight path has been changed so as to be closer to the planned flight path, based on the signal quality data acquired from the flying object 200 flying along the flight path at the time after the flight path has been changed. This allows the traffic management system 100 to suppress deviations from the flight path of the flying object while suppressing deterioration of the communication conditions between the flying object 200 and the base station 300.

The above describes the traffic management system 1 and the traffic management system 100. The traffic management system 100 may be included in the base station 300. In this case, for example, the traffic management system 100 may be one of a number of distributed servers known as MEC (Multi-access edge computing). The traffic management system 100 may also be integrated with the aircraft management device 400.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traffic management system, a traffic management method, and a program that suppress deterioration of communication conditions between an aircraft and a base station.

<Third embodiment>
Next, a description will be given of embodiment 3. In the flight operation system 1 in embodiment 3, the flight management system 100 determines whether to change the flight route of a following flight object by using signal quality data acquired from a preceding flight object.

The determination unit 130 of the traffic management system 100 determines whether to change the flight path of the flying object 200 in a direction that improves the signal quality. The determination unit 130 also determines whether to change the flight path of the flying object 200, and determines whether to change the path of a following flying object that is scheduled to fly on an equivalent flight path after the flying object 200.

The traffic management method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the traffic management method according to this disclosure. Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 differs from the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 in the processing between step S25 and step S26.

In step S25, the output unit 140 outputs information about the flight route changed by the determination unit 130 to the flying object 200 and the flying object management device 400 (step S25). When the output unit 140 outputs the information about the changed flight route, the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S31.

In step S31, the quality data acquisition unit 120 again acquires signal quality data regarding the signal quality from each of the flying bodies 200A and 200B that have changed their flight paths (step S31).

Then, the determination unit 130 determines whether the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold based on the received signal quality data after the flight route has been changed (step S32). If the determination unit 130 determines that the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S32: YES), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S33. If the determination unit 130 does not determine that the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S32: NO), the traffic management system 100 returns to step S24.

In step S33, the determination unit 130 determines to change the route of the following flying object that is scheduled to fly on an equivalent flight path after the flying object 200. To this end, the output unit 140 outputs route change information to the following flying object (step S33). The route change information includes position information and time information of the flying object 200. The following flying object receives the route change information output by the flying object 200 and determines whether or not to change its own route. After step S33, the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S26.

Next, an example of the movement of the flying object 200 and the following flying object in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a second diagram showing the movement of the flying object 200 and the following flying object in the operation system 1. FIG. 8 shows the position of the flying object 200 at each of times T21 and T22, and the following flying object at each of times T23 and T24. FIG. 8 differs from FIG. 6 in that it includes a following flying object.

At time T21, flying body 200A and flying body 200B are flying in the positive direction of the Y axis along the planned flight path. Flying body 200A and flying body 200B each transmit signal quality data to base station 300. The signal strength of flying body 200B at time T21 is weaker than the signal strength of flying body 200A, and the signal strength of flying body 200B is less than a threshold. Flying body 200 receives an instruction to change the flight path. Therefore, in response to the instruction to change the flight path, flying body 200 shifts its flight path to the left of the planned flight path.

At time T12, which is after time T11, the flying object 200 is flying a route that is shifted to the left from the planned flight route. On the changed flight route, the signal quality of the flying object 200 is better than before the change. In other words, the signal strength of the flying object 200B is stronger than the signal strength before the flight route change. The flying object 200 supplies signal quality data to the traffic management system 100 via the base station 300.

At time T23, which is after time T22, the following flying object receives route change information. The following flying object follows the flight path of flying object 200 in accordance with the route change information. In other words, the following flying object shifts to the left from the planned flight path. At time T24, which is after time T23, the following flying object is flying the path that flying object 200 was flying at time T22.

The above describes the third embodiment. With this operation, the traffic management system 100 can suppress deterioration of communication conditions between the base station and multiple aircraft, including the following aircraft. Note that there may be one or more following aircraft, and the multiple aircraft may form a formation. For example, when multiple aircraft are flying in formation, the traffic management system 10 can suppress deterioration of communication conditions for the entire formation by acquiring signal quality data of the two preceding aircraft.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traffic management system, a traffic management method, and a program that suppress deterioration of communication conditions between an aircraft and a base station.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a description will be given of a fourth embodiment. This embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that the flying object 200 is caused to move upward or downward.

In the traffic management system 100 according to this embodiment, the plan acquisition unit 110 acquires a flight plan including information regarding the permitted flight area of the flying object 200. The determination unit 130 determines whether to change the flight path upward or downward within the permitted flight area based on the permitted flight area of the flying object 200. Furthermore, the determination unit 130 determines whether to change the flight path to the left or right of the direction of travel when the signal strength acquired from the flying object 200 after changing the flight path upward or downward is less than a threshold value.

The determination unit 130 may determine whether to ascend or descend the flying object 200 depending on the location or terrain in which the flying object 200 is flying. That is, in this case, the traffic management system 100 may store map information of the flight route. For example, if there are no objects blocking radio waves around the flying object 200, the determination unit 130 determines to descend the flying object 200. Also, for example, if there are many buildings blocking radio waves around the flying object 200, the determination unit 130 determines to ascend the flying object 200.

By ascending or descending the flying object 200 in this manner, the signal quality of the flying object 200 may be improved. Furthermore, by ascending or descending the flying object 200 within the range of the flight area, the traffic management system 100 may be able to prevent the flying object 200 from deviating from its flight path and suppress deterioration of communication conditions.

The traffic management method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the traffic management method according to this disclosure. Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 9 differs from the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 in the processing between step S23 and step S26.

Note that the following flowchart describes the case where the flying object 200 is caused to descend, but the traffic management system 100 may also cause the flying object 200 to ascend.

If the determination unit 130 does not determine in step S23 that the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S23: NO), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S41.

In step S41, the determination unit 130 of the traffic management system 100 determines whether or not the flying object 200 can be descended (step S41). If the determination unit 130 determines that the flying object 200 can be descended (step S41: YES), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S42. If the determination unit 130 does not determine that the flying object 200 can be descended (step S41: NO), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S44.

In step S42, the Traffic Management System 100 outputs information for the aircraft 200 to descend (step S42). Next, the Traffic Management System 100 acquires signal quality data from the descended aircraft 200, and determines whether the acquired signal strength is equal to or greater than a threshold (step S43). If the determination unit 130 determines that the signal strength acquired from the descended aircraft 200 is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S43: YES), the Traffic Management System 100 proceeds to step S26. If the determination unit 130 does not determine that the signal strength acquired from the descended aircraft 200 is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S43: NO), the Traffic Management System 100 proceeds to step S44.

In step S44, the determination unit 130 determines whether to change the flight path from the signal quality data acquired from the descended flying object 200 (step S44). Next, the output unit 140 outputs information about the changed flight path. In this case, the output unit 140 outputs information about the flight path moving horizontally (step S45). Next, the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S26.

Next, an example of the movement of the flying object 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a third diagram showing the movement of the flying object 200 in the flight operation system 1. FIG. 10 shows the position of the flying object 200 at each of times T31, T32, and T33.

At time T31, flying body 200A and flying body 200B are flying in the positive direction of the Y axis along the planned flight route. Flying body 200A and flying body 200B each transmit signal quality data to base station 300. The signal strength of flying body 200B at time T31 is weaker than the signal strength of flying body 200A, and the signal strength of flying body 200B is less than the threshold. Here, flying body 200 receives an instruction to descend. Therefore, flying body 200 lowers its altitude while remaining along the planned flight route.

At time T32, which is after time T31, the flying body 200 supplies signal quality data at the descended position to the traffic management system 100. At time T32, the signal strength of the flying body 200B is assumed to be below the threshold. In this case, the flying body 200 receives an instruction to change the flight path in the left or right direction. Here, the flying body 200 receives an instruction to shift the flight path to the left. Therefore, the flying body 200 shifts the flight path to the left of the planned flight path while maintaining the altitude.

The above describes the fourth embodiment. With the above-mentioned configuration, the traffic management system 100 can suppress deviations in the flight route of the flying object while suppressing deterioration of the communication state between the flying object and a base station. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traffic management system, a traffic management method, and a program that suppress deterioration of the communication state between the flying object and a base station.

<Fifth embodiment>
Next, a description will be given of embodiment 5. Embodiment 5 includes a process to be performed when multiple flying objects are not sufficiently separated from each other.

The quality data acquisition unit 120 acquires signal quality data from multiple flying objects flying along a flight path at positions that are separated by a threshold distance or more in the left and right directions relative to the direction of travel.

The traffic management system 100 has an instruction unit 150. When the multiple flying objects related to the signal quality data are not separated by a threshold distance or more when viewed along the direction of travel, the instruction unit 150 instructs them to move away from each other by a threshold distance or more.

The processing according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the traffic management method according to the present disclosure. The processing between steps S23 and S24 in the flowchart of FIG. 11 differs from that in the flowchart shown in FIG. 5.

If the determination unit 130 does not determine in step S23 that the signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S23: NO), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S51.

In step S51, the determination unit 130 of the traffic management system 100 calculates the distance between the flying bodies 200A and 200B from the position information of the flying bodies 200 contained in the signal quality data. The determination unit 130 determines whether the distance between the flying bodies is less than a threshold value (step S51). If the determination unit 130 does not determine that the distance between the flying bodies is less than the threshold value (step S51: NO), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S24. If the determination unit 130 determines that the distance between the flying bodies is less than the threshold value (step S51: YES), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S52.

In step S52, the instruction unit 150 instructs the flying objects 200 to move away from each other by a threshold or more, depending on the judgment of the judgment unit 130 (step S52). Specifically, for example, the instruction unit 150 may output information to the flying object management device 400 to instruct the flying objects 200 to move away from each other. In this case, the flying object management device 400 controls the position of the flying object 200 depending on the information received from the instruction unit 150. After step S52, the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S53.

In step S53, the traffic management system 100 acquires signal quality data from each of the flying objects 200A and 200B that have secured a distance equal to or greater than the threshold, and determines whether the acquired signal strength is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S53). If the determination unit 130 determines that the signal strength acquired from the flying object 200 is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S53: YES), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S26. If the determination unit 130 does not determine that the signal strength acquired from the flying object 200 is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S53: NO), the traffic management system 100 proceeds to step S24.

Next, an example of the movement of the flying object 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a fourth diagram showing the movement of the flying object 200 in the flight operation system 1. FIG. 12 shows the position of the flying object 200 at each of time T41, time T42, and time T43.

At time T41, flying body 200A and flying body 200B are flying in the positive direction of the Y axis along the planned flight path. At this time, the distance between flying body 200A and flying body 200B is D41. Flying body 200A and flying body 200B each transmit signal quality data to base station 300. As described above, the signal quality data includes location information. Flying body 200A and flying body 200B are instructed to move away from each other. Therefore, flying bodies 200 move while flying so that the distance between them is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

At time T42 after time T41, the flying body 200, whose mutual distance is equal to or greater than the threshold value, reaches distance D42, again supplies signal quality data to base station 300. At this time, the signal strength of flying body 200B is weaker than the signal strength of flying body 200A, and is less than the threshold value. Next, flying body 200 receives an instruction to shift its flight path to the left. Therefore, flying body 200 shifts its flight path to the left of the planned flight path while maintaining the mutual distance. At time T43 after time T42, the signal strength of flying body 200 is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

The above describes the fifth embodiment. With the above-mentioned configuration, the traffic management system 100 can appropriately acquire the signal quality trend. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traffic management system, a traffic management method, and a program that suppress deterioration of the communication state between the aircraft and the base station.

<Sixth embodiment>
Next, a sixth embodiment will be described. This embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that the flying object 200 includes some or all of the functions of the traffic management system.

The flying object 200 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of the flying object including the traffic management system. The flying object 200 mainly comprises a position information acquisition unit 201, a communication unit 202, a camera 203, an flying object control unit 204, a drive unit 205, a memory unit 210, and a traffic management system 220.

The location information acquisition unit 201 acquires location information of the flying object 200, for example, by using a location information acquisition system that uses GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) or Wi-Fi radio waves. The communication unit 202 has a function for performing wireless communication with the base station 300. That is, the communication unit 202 may include, for example, an antenna, a modulation circuit, a demodulation circuit, etc. The camera 203 includes an objective lens, an image sensor, etc., and generates image data.

The aircraft control unit 204 includes a calculation device such as a CPU or MCU, and controls each component of the aircraft 200. That is, for example, the aircraft control unit 204 exchanges information with the base station 300 via the communication unit 202, and issues instructions to each component of the aircraft 200 accordingly. The drive unit 205 includes a motor for rotating the propeller, which is the means of movement of the aircraft 200. The memory unit 210 includes a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or SSD, and stores identification information 211 including authentication data for the aircraft 200. The memory unit 210 may store part or all of the flight plan for the aircraft 200.

Air vehicle 200 has the above configuration and moves while periodically transmitting an identification signal stored in memory unit 206. Air vehicle 200 transmits an identification signal, for example, every several hundred milliseconds. Air vehicle 200 transmits this signal using a method that complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi standards, for example. Air vehicle 200 continues to transmit this identification signal while moving.

The traffic management system 220 has a plan acquisition unit 110, a quality data acquisition unit 120, a judgment unit 130, and an output unit 140. The plan acquisition unit 110 in this embodiment acquires at least a part of the flight plan from the aircraft management device 400. In this case, the flight plan acquired by the aircraft 200 includes a flight path at a time later than the position where the aircraft 200 is flying. The flight plan acquired by the plan acquisition unit 110 also includes information regarding the presence of other aircraft in the group of aircraft. For example, the aircraft 200A acquires information regarding the presence of the aircraft 200B.

The quality data acquisition unit 120 acquires signal quality data for a group of flying objects. That is, in this case, for example, flying object 200A and flying object 200B share each other's signal quality data. At this time, flying object 200A and flying object 200B may directly communicate wirelessly. Also, flying object 200A and flying object 200B may share the above-mentioned information via flying object management device 400.

The determination unit 130 determines, based on the signal quality data, that when an aircraft has lost communication with the base station 300, it should control the operation of a group of aircraft via an aircraft that can communicate with the base station 300. This allows the aircraft 200 to effectively suppress deterioration of the communication conditions between the aircraft 200 and the base station 300.

The output unit 140 outputs information regarding the change in flight path to other flying objects or to the flying object management device 400. This allows the group of flying objects to fly along the flight path while coordinating to prevent degradation of signal quality.

FIG. 14 is a fifth diagram showing the movement of an aircraft in an operation system. FIG. 14 shows the position of the aircraft 200 at each of time T51 and time T52.

At time T51, flying body 200A and flying body 200B are flying in the positive direction of the Y axis along the planned flight route. At this time, flying body 200A is in a state where it can communicate with base station 300. On the other hand, flying body 200B is in a state where it cannot communicate with base station 300. Therefore, flying body 200A and flying body 200B share each other's status by communicating directly. Furthermore, flying body 200A and flying body 200B have built-in determination unit 130 that makes a determination regarding route changes. Furthermore, output unit 140 outputs information regarding the route changes to base station 300.

At T52, aircraft 200A and aircraft 200B fly along the planned flight path while shifting to a position where the signal strength is above the threshold.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traffic management system, a traffic management method, and a program that suppress deterioration of communication conditions between an aircraft and a base station.

<Example of hardware configuration>
Below, a case will be described in which each functional configuration in the present disclosure is realized by a combination of hardware and software.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a computer. The traffic management system of the present disclosure can realize the above-mentioned functions by a computer 500 including the hardware configuration shown in the figure. The computer 500 may be a portable computer such as a smartphone or tablet terminal, or a stationary computer such as a PC. The computer 500 may be a dedicated computer designed to realize each device, or may be a general-purpose computer. The computer 500 can realize the desired functions by installing a specified application.

Computer 500 has a bus 502, a processor 504, a memory 506, a storage device 508, an input/output interface (I/F) 510, and a network interface (I/F) 512. Bus 502 is a data transmission path through which processor 504, memory 506, storage device 508, input/output interface 510, and network interface 512 transmit and receive data to each other. However, the method of connecting processor 504 and the like to each other is not limited to bus connection.

The processor 504 is a variety of processors, such as a CPU, a GPU, or an FPGA. The memory 506 is a main storage device realized using a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like.

Storage device 508 is an auxiliary storage device realized using a hard disk, SSD, memory card, or ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. Storage device 508 stores programs for realizing desired functions. Processor 504 reads this program into memory 506 and executes it to realize each functional component of each device.

The input/output interface 510 is an interface for connecting the computer 500 to an input/output device. For example, an input device such as a keyboard and an output device such as a display device are connected to the input/output interface 510.

The network interface 512 is an interface for connecting the computer 500 to a network.

The present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

The drawings are merely examples for describing one or more embodiments. Each drawing may relate not only to one particular embodiment, but also to one or more other embodiments. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing may be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other figures to create, for example, an embodiment not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing are necessarily required to describe an exemplary embodiment, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

A part or all of the above-described embodiments can be described as, but is not limited to, the following supplementary notes.
(Appendix 1)
A plan acquisition unit that acquires in advance a flight plan including a flight path of a group of two or more aircraft;
a quality data acquisition unit that acquires signal quality data regarding the signal quality of a signal received from a base station by at least two or more of the aircraft flying apart when viewed along the direction of travel of the aircraft;
A determination unit that determines, based on a trend in signal quality included in the signal quality data, to change the flight path after the time when the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves the signal quality;
and an output unit that outputs information about the changed flight route.
(Appendix 2)
The quality data acquisition unit acquires the signal quality data from each of the plurality of flying objects flying along the flight path at positions separated by a threshold distance or more in a left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction.
2. The traffic management system of claim 1.
(Appendix 3)
An instruction unit that instructs the flying objects according to the signal quality data to move away from each other by more than the threshold distance when the flying objects are not separated from each other by more than the threshold distance when viewed along the traveling direction,
3. The traffic management system of claim 2.
(Appendix 4)
The quality data acquisition unit further acquires the signal quality data from the aircraft after the flight path is changed,
the determination unit determines, based on the signal quality data acquired from the flying object flying along the changed flight path, to update the changed flight path so as to approach the flight path before the change.
2. The traffic management system of claim 1.
(Appendix 5)
The determination unit determines to change the flight path in a direction that improves the signal quality, and
determining to change the path of a follow-up air vehicle that is scheduled to fly along the flight path after the air vehicle;
2. The traffic management system of claim 1.
(The following air vehicle may be one or more, and may be a formation of multiple air vehicles.)
(Appendix 6)
the determination unit determines the change of the flight path by estimating a position where a signal strength acquired by the aircraft after changing the flight path will be equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold based on the signal quality data;
2. The traffic management system of claim 1.
(Appendix 7)
the determination unit determines, based on a flight permission area of the aircraft, to change the flight path upward or downward within the range of the flight permission area, and, when the signal strength acquired from the aircraft after changing the flight path upward or downward is less than the threshold, determines to change the flight path in a leftward or rightward direction relative to the traveling direction;
7. The traffic management system of claim 6.
(Appendix 8)
A weather data acquisition unit for acquiring weather data on the flight path is further provided,
The determination unit determines whether to change the flight path by taking into account the weather data.
2. The traffic management system of claim 1.
(Appendix 9)
The determination unit determines, based on the signal quality data, that when there is an aircraft that has lost communication with the base station, to control the operation of the group of aircraft via the aircraft that can communicate with the base station.
2. The traffic management system of claim 1.
(Appendix 10)
The computer
A flight plan including a flight path of a group of two or more aircraft is obtained in advance;
Acquire signal quality data regarding the signal quality of a signal received from a base station by each of at least two or more of the aircraft flying apart when viewed along the direction of travel of the aircraft;
Based on the trend of signal quality included in the signal quality data, determining to change the flight path after the time when the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves the signal quality;
Outputting information about the changed flight path.
Operational management methods.
(Appendix 11)
A flight plan including a flight path of a group of two or more aircraft is obtained in advance;
Acquire signal quality data regarding the signal quality of a signal received from a base station by each of at least two or more of the aircraft flying apart when viewed along the direction of travel of the aircraft;
Based on the trend of signal quality included in the signal quality data, determining to change the flight path after the time when the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves the signal quality;
Outputting information about the changed flight path.
A traffic control program that causes a computer to execute a traffic control method.

Some or all of the elements (e.g., configurations and functions) described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 9 that are dependent on Supplementary Note 1 may also be dependent on Supplementary Notes 10 and 11 in the same dependent relationship as Supplementary Notes 2 to 9. Some or all of the elements described in any of the supplementary notes may be applied to various hardware, software, recording means for recording software, systems, and methods.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-197599, filed November 21, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 Flight operation system 10 Flight operation management system 100 Flight operation management system 110 Plan acquisition unit 120 Quality data acquisition unit 130 Judgment unit 140 Output unit 150 Instruction unit 160 Weather data acquisition unit 170 Memory unit 171 Flight plan 200 Aircraft 201 Position information acquisition unit 202 Communication unit 203 Camera 204 Aircraft control unit 205 Driving unit 210 Memory unit 211 Identification information 220 Flight operation management system 300 Base station 400 Aircraft management device 410 Memory unit 411 Flight plan N1 Network

Claims (11)

A plan acquisition means for acquiring in advance a flight plan including a flight path of a group of two or more aircraft;
a quality data acquisition means for acquiring signal quality data relating to the signal quality of a signal received from a base station by each of at least two or more of the aircraft flying apart when viewed along the direction of travel of the aircraft;
A determination means for determining, based on a trend in signal quality included in the signal quality data, whether to change the flight path after the time when the signal quality data was acquired in a direction that improves the signal quality;
and an output means for outputting information about the changed flight route. the quality data acquisition means acquires the signal quality data from each of the plurality of flying objects flying along the flight path at positions separated by a threshold distance or more in a left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction,
The traffic management system according to claim 1. and an instruction means for instructing the flying objects according to the signal quality data to move away from each other by more than the threshold distance when the flying objects are not separated from each other by more than the threshold distance when viewed along the traveling direction.
The traffic management system according to claim 2. the quality data acquisition means further acquires the signal quality data from the flying object after the flight path has been changed;
the determination means determines, based on the signal quality data acquired from the flying object flying along the changed flight path, to update the changed flight path so as to approach the flight path before the change.
The traffic management system according to claim 1. The determination means determines to change the flight path in a direction that improves the signal quality, and
determining to change the path of a follow-up air vehicle that is scheduled to fly along the flight path after the air vehicle;
The traffic management system according to claim 1. the determination means determines the change in flight path by estimating a position where a signal strength acquired by the aircraft after changing the flight path will be equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold based on the signal quality data;
The traffic management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. the determination means determines whether to change the flight path upward or downward within the range of the flight-permitted area based on a flight-permitted area of the aircraft, and determines whether to change the flight path to the left or right with respect to the traveling direction when the signal strength acquired from the aircraft after changing the flight path upward or downward is less than the threshold value;
The traffic management system according to claim 6. A meteorological data acquisition means for acquiring meteorological data on the flight path is further provided,
The determination means determines whether to change the flight route by taking into account the meteorological data.
The traffic management system according to claim 1. The determination means determines, based on the signal quality data, that when there is an aircraft that has lost communication with the base station, to control the operation of the group of aircraft via the aircraft that can communicate with the base station.
The traffic management system according to claim 1. The computer
A flight plan including a flight path of a group of two or more aircraft is obtained in advance;
Acquire signal quality data regarding the signal quality of a signal received from a base station by each of at least two or more of the aircraft flying apart when viewed along the direction of travel of the aircraft;
Based on the trend of signal quality included in the signal quality data, determining to change the flight path after the time when the signal quality data was acquired in a direction to improve the signal quality;
Outputting information about the changed flight path.
Operational management methods. A flight plan including a flight path of a group of two or more aircraft is obtained in advance;
Acquire signal quality data regarding the signal quality of a signal received from a base station by each of at least two or more of the aircraft flying apart when viewed along the direction of travel of the aircraft;
Based on the trend of signal quality included in the signal quality data, determining to change the flight path after the time when the signal quality data was acquired in a direction to improve the signal quality;
Outputting information about the changed flight path.
A program that causes a computer to execute a traffic management method.

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