JP7832765B2 - control system - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to control technology.

Technologies for controlling flight have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a spatial path search device for determining the optimal flight path according to a specific purpose. This device, based on judgment criteria corresponding to the input flight purpose and spatial path environment information, assigns scores to each block of the flight space, which is divided into predetermined blocks, indicating whether each block is suitable for flight.

Patent No. 3050277

To provide technology for appropriately controlling the movement of mobile objects.

The control unit performs a process to calculate the flight path of an aircraft based on aircraft network information representing a linear network in three-dimensional space and three-dimensional information representing the position and range of each of the multiple regions into which the three-dimensional space is divided, wherein the aircraft network information and the three-dimensional information are related, the aircraft network information includes cost information indicating the difficulty of passing through each of the multiple nodes and the multiple links connecting the nodes, the three-dimensional information includes presence/absence information indicating whether or not a feature exists in each of the regions, and feature distance information indicating the distance between each of the regions and the nearest feature, and the control unit processes the presence/absence information included in the three-dimensional information corresponding to each of the regions The control system provides a control system that calculates cost information for each of the aforementioned areas based on the information and the feature distance information, searches for a path for the aircraft based on the cost information of the node, the cost information of the link, and the calculated cost information for each of the aforementioned areas , and generates aircraft path information for the aircraft's movement. The control unit, upon receiving a distance-prioritized path search request, searches for a path prioritizing a shorter overall travel distance over proximity to features in areas where features are determined not to exist based on the presence/absence information, and upon receiving a safety-prioritized path search request, searches for a path prioritizing avoiding areas where the feature distance information is less than a predetermined distance compared to the overall travel distance .

This is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment. These are diagrams illustrating the first and second embodiments. These are diagrams illustrating the first and second embodiments. These are diagrams illustrating the first and second embodiments. These are diagrams illustrating the first and second embodiments. This is a diagram illustrating the first embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment.

(First embodiment)
Figure 1 shows a mobile system 1 of the first embodiment, which includes a first control system 2, second control systems 3, 4, and 5, and a third control system 6. The first control system 2 (control unit 11), the second control systems 3, 4, and 5, and the third control system 6 each include a functional unit that realizes a predetermined function, and is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), which are not shown. The CPU realizes the functions related to various programs by reading various programs stored in the ROM, expanding them into the RAM, and executing them. The map information storage unit 11 is composed of a large-capacity storage medium such as a hard disk or SD-RAM.

The first control system 2 includes a control unit 11 and a map information storage unit 12. The control unit 11 has the function of transmitting information corresponding to a predetermined request signal received from the second control systems 3, 4, 5 and the third control system 6. Specifically, the control unit 11 transmits the first map information 21 and the second map information 22 stored in the map information storage unit 12 to the second control systems 3, 4, 5 and the third control system 6. It also performs processing for controlling the flight of the aircraft, such as calculating information about the aircraft's path (hereinafter referred to as "aircraft path information") using the first map information 21, and evaluating the aircraft's path using the first map information 21. Furthermore, it transmits the aircraft path information to the second control systems 3, 4, and 5.

The map information storage unit 12 stores first map information 21 and second map information 22. The first map information 21 includes aircraft network information 41, flight space information 42, three-dimensional information 43, two-dimensional information 44, and related information 45. The second map information includes dynamic information 51, flight restriction information 52, obstacle information 53, and terrain information 54.

The first map information 21 is information concerning the flight network (hereinafter referred to as the "flight network"), which is a connection of flight paths over which aircraft fly. The aircraft network information 41 is information concerning linear flight networks along major rivers such as Class 1 and Class 2 rivers (hereinafter referred to as "major rivers"), which are linear first features, and along main roads (expressways, national highways, etc.), railways, and power transmission lines, which are linear second features that intersect multiple major rivers. The aircraft network information 41 is not limited to linear flight networks along the first and second features, but also includes linear flight networks established over buildings, fields, mountains, etc. In other words, it is a linear network in the three-dimensional space above linear features, buildings, fields, mountains, etc. The flight space information 42 is information concerning spatial areas in a predetermined area within Japan. The 3D information 43 is information regarding the location and extent of each of the multiple regions into which the 3D space on all regions (hereinafter referred to as the "2D region") is divided, including linear regions along major rivers and main roads, railways or power lines, and other regions such as fields, houses, buildings, non-main roads, and relatively small rivers. The 2D information 44 is information regarding the location and extent of each of the multiple regions into which the 2D region is divided. Furthermore, the aircraft network information 41, 3D information 43, and 2D information 42 include information that enables processing for aircraft control, such as calculating the optimal route and evaluating the route, and includes information that can calculate information representing the difficulty of flying over a predetermined section (such as the time to fly over that predetermined section, the distance to fly, and the degree of risk of flying) (hereinafter referred to as "flight cost information"). The related information 45 is information that links the aircraft network information 41, flight space information 42, 3D information 43, and 2D information 44.

The second map information 22 includes dynamic information 51, flight restriction information 52, obstacle information 53, and terrain information 54. Dynamic information 51 is information about events that change over time and moving objects, as well as events that occur suddenly, and includes meteorological observation information (wind direction, wind speed, cloud cover, visibility, etc.), aircraft information (for collision avoidance), radio wave intensity information, GPS intensity information, traffic information (concentration of people, vehicles, etc.), and bird (birds of prey) information. Flight restriction information 52 is information about areas where the flight of aircraft is restricted, and includes information on densely populated areas, public areas, airport areas, Self-Defense Force bases, nuclear power plants, government facilities, foreign embassies, airspace where flight is permitted, and airspace where flight is permitted. Obstacle information 53 is information on the location and area of obstacles that hinder the flight of aircraft, and includes information on power transmission towers, high-voltage lines, utility poles, power lines, substations, power plants, high-rise buildings, tower apartments, construction cranes, stadiums, factories, trees, etc. The terrain information 54 is two-dimensional map information and includes information such as the aircraft's landing site, emergency landing site, terrain (rivers, mountains, roads), and measurement targets (bridges, roads, construction sites, farmland, etc.).

The second control systems 3, 4, and 5 are systems of the operator managing the flight of the aircraft. They transmit predetermined request signals to the first control system to make necessary requests, and manage the flight of the aircraft using information received from the first control system 2 corresponding to those request signals (including the first map information 21, the second map information 22, and aircraft path information).

The third control system 6 receives aircraft path information from the second control systems 3, 4, and 5, respectively, and determines whether the paths of these aircraft paths overlap geographically within the same time period, and monitors the flights of multiple aircraft.

Figure 2 shows the details of the first map information 21 and its relationship to actual geographical features. The aircraft network information 41 includes node information 70 representing the locations above the intersection (bridge) 62 of the main river 60 and the main road 61, and above the branching point 63 of the main river; and link information 71 representing the locations above the roads or rivers between the locations represented by the node information 70. The node information 70 includes location information corresponding to that node information 70 and node cost information (including information that can calculate the cost information) that quantifies the difficulty of passing through that location. The link information 71 includes location information corresponding to the link information 71 (a location obtained by adding height to the location representing the shape of the road or river), information identifying the connecting node information 70, and link cost information (including information that can calculate the cost information) that quantifies the difficulty of passing over that road or river.

The three-dimensional information 43 includes information representing the position (e.g., the position of the centroid of the cube) and range (e.g., the distance from the centroid to each vertex of the cube) of each cubic region 65 obtained by dividing the three-dimensional space on the two-dimensional region 64 into multiple cubic regions (in Figure 2, only a portion is shown, and other parts are omitted, but in reality, three-dimensional information 43 exists corresponding to the positions in three-dimensional space on all regions of the two-dimensional region 64). Note that the three-dimensional space on the two-dimensional region 64 may be divided into multiple rectangular prism regions instead of cubes. Furthermore, the three-dimensional information 43 includes information indicating whether or not features such as buildings and trees exist at each position within the cubic region 65 (hereinafter referred to as "presence/absence information") and information indicating the distance to the nearest such feature (hereinafter referred to as "feature distance information").

The two-dimensional information 44 includes information representing the position (e.g., the centroid of the square) and range (e.g., the length from the centroid to each vertex of the square) of each square region 66 obtained by dividing the two-dimensional region 64 into multiple square regions (in Figure 2, only a part is shown and other parts are omitted, but in reality, two-dimensional information 44 exists corresponding to positions on all regions of the two-dimensional region 64). Note that the two-dimensional information 64 may be divided into multiple rectangular regions instead of squares. In addition, the two-dimensional information 44 includes information representing the occupancy ratio of features such as rivers and roads (hereinafter referred to as "occupancy information") and information representing elevation values (hereinafter referred to as "elevation information") at each position within the square region 66. By using the presence/absence information, feature distance information, occupancy information, and elevation information, it becomes possible to calculate cost information of the cubic region 65, which quantifies the difficulty of passing through the cubic region 65. The flight cost information includes the cost information of the nodes mentioned above, the cost information of the links, their availability information, feature distance information, occupancy information, and elevation information.

The related information 45 includes information 45 indicating that each node information 70 of the aircraft network information 41 is associated with the cubic region 65 represented by the 3D information 43 at the position closest to the node information (for example, the position where the distance between the node information 70 and the center of gravity of the cubic region 65 is closest), and information 45 indicating the association between each cubic region 65 represented by the 3D information 43 and each square region 66 represented by the 2D information 44. The related information 45 is not necessarily configured to be associated with all node information 70 of the aircraft network information 41. For example, it may be configured to associate the node information 70 representing the position above the bridge 62 where the main river 60 and the main road 61 intersect with the 3D information 43, but not the node information 70 representing the position above the branching point 63 of the main river with the 3D information 43.

Figure 3 shows the data structure of the first map information 21. The flight network information 41 is associated with cube region a among multiple cube regions represented by 3D information A43 at the first position of the flight network represented by the flight network information 41, via related information 45. At the second position of the flight network, it is associated with cube region d among multiple cube regions represented by 3D information B43, via related information 45. 3D information A43 and 2D information A44 are associated via related information 45 in such a way that it can be seen that square region a exists vertically below cube region a, and square region a exists vertically below cube region a. 3D information B43 and 2D information B44 are associated via related information 45 in such a way that it can be seen that square region c exists vertically below cube region c, and square region d exists vertically below cube region d.

The flight space information A42, the 3D information A43, and the 2D information A44 are linked by related information 45 in such a way that it can be seen that multiple cubic regions, including cubic region a and cubic region b, represented by 3D information A43, and multiple square regions, including square region a and square region b, represented by 2D information A44, are located within the spatial region represented by the flight space information A42. The flight space information B42, the 3D information B43, and the 2D information B44 are linked by related information 45 in such a way that it can be seen that multiple cubic regions, including cubic region c and cubic region d, represented by 3D information B43, and multiple square regions, including square region c and square region d, represented by 2D information B44, are located within the spatial region represented by the flight space information B42. Furthermore, the flight space information 42 includes flight space information A42 and flight space information B42, the three-dimensional information 43 includes three-dimensional information A43 and three-dimensional information B43, and the two-dimensional information 44 includes two-dimensional information A44 and two-dimensional information B44.

As described above, the aircraft network information 41 exists for the entire region (for example, the entire country of Japan), while the 3D information 43 and 2D information 44 exist for each region that is a part of the entire region, such as the spatial region represented by the flight space information A and the spatial region represented by the flight space information B.

Figure 4 shows another example of the data structure of the first map information 21, and the aircraft network information 41 is also an example where it exists for each part of the spatial region represented by the space region A, the space region represented by the space region B, etc. The flight network information A 41 is the first position of the flight network represented by the flight network information A 41, and is associated with cube region a among the multiple cubic regions represented by the 3D information A 43 by the related information 45. The flight network information B 41 is the second position of the flight network represented by the flight network information B 41, and is associated with cube region d among the multiple cubic regions represented by the 3D information B 43 by the related information 45. The rest of the structure is the same as the data structure in Figure 3 above. Furthermore, the flight network information 41 includes flight network information A41 and flight network information B41, the flight space information 42 includes flight space information A42 and flight space information B42, and includes 3D information 43, 3D information A43, and 3D information B43, and the 2D information 44 includes 2D information A44 and 2D information B44. In addition to the configuration described above, for example, the spatial region represented by flight space information A may contain only flight network information A41, or only 3D information A43 and 2D information A44.

Figure 5 shows the specific configuration of the flight space information 42 and the spatial region represented by the flight space information 42. The flight space information 42 is information that represents the position and range of the rectangular parallelepiped region of spatial region 421 and the rectangular parallelepiped region 422 of spatial region 422. The position and range are represented by information that represents the positions (for example, the centroid position of the cubes) and range (for example, the length from the centroid position to each vertex of the cubes) of two cubes 423 and cube 424, which are the positions of diagonally opposite vertices of the rectangular parallelepiped region. The cubic region represented by the 3D information 43 and the square region represented by the 2D information 44, as described in Figures 1 to 4, are located within the spatial region represented by the flight space information, which is associated by the related information 45. In the example of the data structure in Figure 3, there is no 3D information 43 or 2D information 44 at position 425 between spatial region 421 and spatial region 422. Furthermore, in the example data structure shown in Figure 4, the position 425 between spatial region 421 and spatial region 422 does not contain the aircraft network information 41, 3D information 43, or 2D information 44.

Figure 6 shows the details of the 3D information 43. Each cubic region 65 represented by the 3D information 43 has a different size depending on the degree of danger when flying over that location. In other words, the degree of danger is the same for all locations within a given cubic region 65. The 3D information 43 includes "Features Present" information to indicate the presence or absence of features if any features exist within a part of the cubic region 65, and "Features Absent" information to indicate the absence of features if no features exist within the cubic region 65 (Note that in Figure 6, cubic regions without the "Features Present" notation are "Features Absent"). Furthermore, the 3D information 43 contains, as ground object distance information, corresponding to the position of each cubic region 65, information on the distance between the nearest vertices (the distance between the vertices of the cubic regions shown by the shaded areas in Figure 6) between that cubic region 65 and the cubic region 65 closest to it that contains a feature, as well as information on which cubic region the distance is to. Note that in the above example, the attributes of the cubic region include ground object distance information and feature presence/absence information, but for example, wind speed information could be added, and the size of the cubic region could be changed for each attribute.

Figure 7 shows the processing flow of the control unit 11. The control unit 11 calculates the flight path in three-dimensional space based on the flight network information 41 and the three-dimensional information 43. This will be explained in detail below.

The control unit 11 receives a request for route search, including the departure point, destination, and various conditions, from at least one of the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 (step S1). The control unit acquires flight space information 42 from the map information storage unit 12 (step S2). The control unit 11 determines whether or not flight space information 42 corresponding to the departure point and destination exists (step S3). If the control unit 11 determines that both exist (there are cases where the flight space information 42 corresponding to the departure and destination are the same, and cases where they are different) (Y), it acquires flight network information 41 from the map information storage unit 12 (step S4). If the control unit 11 determines that either one does not exist (N), it transmits error information to the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 indicating that it is not possible to generate aircraft route information. Following step S4, the control unit 11 acquires related information 45 from the map information storage unit 12 and uses the related information 45 to acquire 3D information 43 and 2D information 44 associated with the flight space information 42 corresponding to the departure point, as well as 3D information 43 and 2D information 44 associated with the flight space information 42 corresponding to the destination (step S6).

Furthermore, if the data structure of the first map information 21 is as shown in Figure 4, the processing in step S3 will be as follows: If both the departure location information and the destination location information are included in the same spatial region represented by the flight space information 42, the process proceeds to step S4; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S5.

The control unit 11 performs pathfinding using the flight network information 41 acquired in step S4, and the three-dimensional information 43 and two-dimensional information 44 acquired in step S6 (step S7). This is explained in detail below. The three-dimensional information 43 includes presence/absence information and feature distance information, and the two-dimensional information 44 includes occupancy information and elevation information. Furthermore, the cubic region represented by the three-dimensional information 43 and the square region vertically below that cubic region are associated by association information 43. Therefore, cost information for each cubic region is calculated using the presence/absence information, feature distance information, occupancy information, and elevation information. For example, if the presence/absence information is "feature present," the cost information for that cubic region is set to infinity. As a result, the path represented by the aircraft path information does not include that cubic region in the search. Also, if the feature distance information value is small, the occupancy information shows that buildings occupy a higher proportion than rivers, and the elevation information value is large, the cost information is set even higher. Then, position information (hereinafter referred to as "center of gravity position information") is set at the center of gravity of each cubic region, and cost information for the cubic region containing that center of gravity position information is set as cost information for that center of gravity position information. The cubic regions and the flight network information 41 are connected by related information 45, and the node information includes node cost information, the link information 71 includes link cost information, and furthermore, each cubic region includes cost information for the cubic region. Therefore, a path search is performed using the known Dijkstra's algorithm to find the route from the position information corresponding to the departure point to the position information corresponding to the destination, and the aircraft path information is generated. In regions where 3D information and 2D information do not exist, the flight network information is used, and if 3D information 43 associated with the node information of the flight network information exists during the process of extending the search branches using Dijkstra's algorithm, the 3D information 43 and 2D information 44 are obtained from the map information storage unit 12, and the 3D information 43 and 2D information 44 are also used. The aircraft path information includes coordinate information of the center position of the cubic region, node information, and link information. Here, if a distance-prioritizing request is made for the route search, the system will search for a route that minimizes distance as much as possible, even if it is close to a feature, except for locations corresponding to the "Feature Present" information in the cubic region. If a safety-prioritizing request is made for the route search, the system will search for a route that flies at a predetermined distance or more away from the feature, even if it is not the shortest distance. The control unit 11 may also use the flight network information 41, 3D information 43, and 2D information 44 to evaluate whether the searched route is appropriate (for example, whether the route includes any features such as buildings, whether the route approaches any features such as buildings, and whether the aircraft can safely fly along that route).

The control unit 11 transmits the aircraft path information and the second map information 22 generated in step S7 to the second control systems 2, 3, and 4 that made the path search request (step S8). The control unit 11 also transmits the second map information 22 to the third control system 6 in response to a request from the third control system 6.

The processing of the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 will now be described. The second control system requests the first control system 2 to perform a route search including the departure point, destination, and various conditions. In response to this request, the second control system receives aircraft route information and second map information 22 from the first control system 2. The second control system transmits the aircraft route information to the third control system in order to apply for permission to fly based on the route represented by the aircraft route information, and waits to receive permission to fly from the third control system 6. When the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 receive permission to fly from the third control system 6, they perform the following processing. The second control systems 3, 4, and 5 transmit the aircraft route information to the aircraft, and the aircraft flies along the position represented by the coordinate information of the center position of the cubic region, node information, and link information included in the aircraft route information. The second control systems 3, 4, and 5 receive information on the aircraft's position at predetermined intervals, compare it with the dynamic information 51, flight restriction information 52, obstacle information 53, and terrain information 54 of the second map information 22, and monitor whether the aircraft is flying as planned.

The processing of the third control system 6 will now be explained. The third control system 6 receives aircraft path information from each of the control systems 3, 4, and 5, determines whether the paths represented by each aircraft path information overlap during the same time period, and if they overlap, sends information to the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 prompting them to correct their paths. Furthermore, while each aircraft is in flight, the third control system 6 receives position information from multiple aircraft at predetermined timings, compares it with the dynamic information 51, flight restriction information 52, obstacle information 53, and terrain information 54 of the second map information 22, and monitors whether multiple aircraft will collide with each other.

(Second embodiment)
Figure 8 shows the mobile system 100 of the second embodiment. In the mobile system 100, components that are the same as those in the mobile system 1 of the first embodiment are given the same numbers, and the differences will be described below. The mobile system 100 includes a first control system 20, second control systems 3, 4, and 5, and a third control system 6. The first control system 20 (control unit 110), the second control systems 3, 4, and 5, and the third control system 6 include a functional unit that realizes a predetermined function, and is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), which are not shown. The CPU realizes the functions related to various programs by reading various programs stored in the ROM, expanding them into the RAM, and executing them. The map information storage unit 11 is composed of a large-capacity storage medium such as a hard disk or SD-RAM.

The first control system 20 includes a control unit 110 and a map information storage unit 120. The control unit 110 has the function of transmitting information corresponding to a predetermined request signal received from the second control systems 3, 4, 5 and the third control system 6. Specifically, the control unit 110 transmits the first map information 210 and the second map information 22 stored in the receiving map information storage unit 120 to the second control systems 3, 4, 5 and the third control system 6, or uses the first map information 210 to calculate the path taken by a moving object (referring to general vehicles, trains, buses, walking, aircraft, etc.; the same applies hereinafter), and transmits information about the path taken by the moving object (hereinafter referred to as "moving object path information") to the second control systems 3, 4, and 5.

The map information storage unit 120 stores the first map information 210 and the second map information 22. The first map information 210 includes road network information 31, railway route network information 32, bus route network information 33, pedestrian network information 34, aircraft information 35, and related information 36. The aircraft information 35 has the same configuration as the first map information 21 described in the first embodiment.

Road network information 31 is information about the road network (hereinafter referred to as the "road network"), which is the connection of roads at intersections and between intersections; railway line network information 32 is information about the railway line network (hereinafter referred to as the "railway line network"), which is the connection of railway lines; bus line network information 33 is information about the bus line network (hereinafter referred to as the "bus line network"), which is the connection of bus lines; pedestrian network information 34 is information about the pedestrian walkway network (hereinafter referred to as the "pedestrian walkway network"), which is the connection of pedestrian walkways; and aircraft information 35 is information about the aircraft network. Furthermore, this information includes information that enables the calculation of the optimal route, including information that can calculate the difficulty of travel over a predetermined section (time to travel over that predetermined section, distance to travel, degree of danger to travel, etc.) (hereinafter referred to as "travel cost information"). Related information 36 is information that associates a mobility network, including road networks, railway networks, bus networks, pedestrian networks, and aircraft networks, represented by road network information 31, railway network information 32, bus network information 33, pedestrian network information 34, and aircraft information 35, so that it is connected via points corresponding to transportation hubs where multiple different mobile entities connect (for example, stations, bus stops, bus terminals, airports and other transfer points, as well as station parking lots, retail facility parking lots, airport parking lots and other parking lots; hereinafter referred to as "transportation hubs"). In other words, the first map information makes it possible to calculate routes that include the movement of multiple mobile entities via transportation hubs. Furthermore, the road network information 31 may include map information for use in automated driving control, such as information showing road connections on a lane-by-lane basis (including point cloud information along the lanes) and information on features within or along the lanes (e.g., lane markings, signs, traffic lights, etc.), as well as other information (such as information on stopping positions indicated by stop lines, lane change information, and curvature information). The map information and the road network information 31 may be linked in this configuration. In some sections, this map information may be used to perform automated driving control of the moving vehicle (such as identifying the vehicle's position, guiding the vehicle's steering, stopping, and deceleration control based on understanding the stopping position and curvature of road sections).

Figure 9 shows the details of the first map information 210 and its relationship to actual features. The road network information 31 includes node information 311 representing intersections and link information 312 representing roads between intersections. The node information 311 includes information on the location of the intersection corresponding to the node information 311 and cost information (including information that can calculate the cost information) that quantifies the difficulty of passing through that intersection. The link information 312 includes information on the shape (location) of the road corresponding to the link information 312, information that identifies the connecting node information 311, and cost information (including information that can calculate the cost information) that quantifies the difficulty of passing through that road. The railway route network information 32 includes node information 321 representing stations and railway track branching points (collectively referred to as "station locations") and link information 322 representing railway tracks between station locations. The node information 321 includes location information of the station location corresponding to the node information 321 and cost information (including information that can calculate the cost information) that quantifies the difficulty of passing through that station location. The link information 322 includes shape (location) information of the railway track corresponding to the link information 322, information identifying the connecting node information 321, and cost information (including information that can calculate the cost information) that quantifies the difficulty of passing through that railway track. The bus route network information 33 corresponds to a bus route network and has the same configuration as the road network information 31, including node information 331 and link information 332. The pedestrian network information 34 corresponds to a pedestrian traffic network and has the same configuration as the road network information 31, including node information 341 and link information 342. The travel cost information includes cost information contained in road network information 31, railway route network information 32, bus route network information 33, and pedestrian network information 34, as well as presence/absence information, feature distance information, occupancy information, and elevation information as described in the first embodiment.

Related information 36 indicates that the node information 311 of the road network information 31, the node information 321 of the railway line network information 32, the node information 331 of the bus line network information 33, the node information 341 of the pedestrian network information 34, and the node information 70 of the aircraft information 35 are associated at the location of station 81, and that the node information 311 of the road network information 31 and the node information 70 of the aircraft information 35 are associated at the location of parking lot 82.

Figure 10 shows the data structure of the first map information 210. Road network information 31, railway route network information 32, bus route network information 33, pedestrian network information, and aircraft network information 41 are associated with each other via related information 36, connecting through points corresponding to transportation hubs.

Figure 11 shows the processing flow of the control unit 110. Based on road network information 31, transportation network information representing the transportation network providing transport services (e.g., railway network information 32, bus route network information 33, etc.), and aircraft network information representing the aircraft network, the control unit 110 calculates the routes taken by multiple different mobile vehicles passing through points where the user changes mobile vehicles, and the routes taken by vehicles and aircraft passing through points where the transport of goods is changed from vehicles to aircraft. Further details will be explained below.

The control unit 110 receives a request for route search, including the origin, destination, and various conditions, from at least one of the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 (step S10). Here, the conditions are described as a case where goods to be delivered and an aircraft are loaded onto a vehicle from the origin to a transit hub, and the aircraft delivers the goods from the transit hub to the destination. The control unit 110 acquires flight space information 42 from the map information storage unit 120 (step S20). The control unit 110 determines whether or not flight space information 42 corresponding to the destination exists (step S30). If the control unit 110 determines that it exists (Y), it acquires road network information 31 and flight network information 41 from the map information storage unit 120 (step S40). If the control unit 110 determines that it does not exist (N), it transmits error information to the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 indicating that it cannot generate mobile route information (step S50). Following step S40, the control unit 110 acquires related information 45 from the map information storage unit 120 and uses the related information 45 to acquire three-dimensional information 43 and two-dimensional information 44 associated with the flight space information 42 corresponding to the destination (step S60).

The control unit 110 performs a route search from the departure point to the destination using the road network information 31 and flight network information acquired in step S40, and the three-dimensional information 43 and two-dimensional information 44 acquired in step S60 (step S70). The specific route search process using the aircraft network information 41, three-dimensional information 43, and two-dimensional information 44 is the same as the process in step S7 described in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the specific route search process using the road network information is performed using the known Dijkstra's algorithm. The control unit 11 may also use the flight network information 41, three-dimensional information 43, and two-dimensional information 44 to evaluate whether the searched route is appropriate (for example, whether there are any structures such as buildings along the route, whether the route approaches structures such as buildings, and whether the aircraft can safely fly along that route).

The control unit 110 transmits the information from the vehicle's position to a predetermined range (hereinafter referred to as "partial road network information") and the second map information 22, which were generated in step S70, to the second control systems 2, 3, and 4 that made the route search request (step S8). The control unit 110 also transmits the second map information 22 to the third control system 6 in response to a request from the third control system 6. Furthermore, the control unit 110 may, in response to a route search request from at least one of the second control systems 3, 4, and 5, including the origin, destination, and various conditions, use road network information 31, railway route network information 32, bus route network information 33, and pedestrian network information 34 to calculate routes such as those involving a transfer from a vehicle to a railway at a transportation hub station, a transfer from walking to a bus at a transportation hub bus stop, a transfer from the bus to a railway at a transportation hub station, and a transfer from the railway to a vehicle (taxi) at a transportation hub station, using the known Dijkstra's algorithm.

The processing of the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 will now be described. The second control systems make a request to the first control system 2 for route search, including the departure point, destination, and various conditions. In response to this request, they receive mobile object route information, partial road network information, and second map information 22 from the first control system 2. The second control systems 3, 4, and 5 transmit the flight path information to the third control system in order to apply for permission to fly based on the route represented by the flight path information, and wait for permission to fly to be received from the third control system 6. When the second control systems 3, 4, and 5 receive permission to fly from the third control system 6, they transmit the mobile object route information and partial road network information to the vehicle carrying the aircraft (meaning a vehicle delivering goods; the same applies hereinafter). The vehicle then uses the partial road network information to display road images on a display unit inside the vehicle, and superimposes the route represented by the mobile object route information onto the road images. The driver of the vehicle then drives the vehicle to move along that route. Then, after the vehicle arrives at a traffic hub (station, parking lot, etc.) determined by the route search process, which is the point where the transport of goods is changed from vehicle to aircraft, the following processing is performed. The second control systems 3, 4, and 5 transmit aircraft route information to the aircraft transporting the goods, and the aircraft flies along the position represented by the coordinate information, node information, and link information of the center position of the cubic region included in the flight route information. The second control systems 3, 4, and 5 receive information on the aircraft's current position at predetermined timings, compare it with the dynamic information 51, flight restriction information 52, obstacle information 53, and terrain information 54 of the second map information 22, and monitor whether the aircraft is flying as planned. The third control system 6 performs the same processing as in the first embodiment.

Furthermore, the method of transporting goods may be other than the above-mentioned transport by vehicle and aircraft via conversion from vehicle to aircraft. For example, it may be transport by rail, vehicle, and aircraft via conversion from rail to vehicle at a station (a transportation hub), and from vehicle to aircraft at a parking lot (a transportation hub); or it may be transport by rail and aircraft via conversion from rail to aircraft at a station (a transportation hub). It may also be transport by land and aircraft via conversion from land-based vehicles to aircraft at a transportation hub.

Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the configuration may not include the two-dimensional information 44.

According to the first and second embodiments described above, the aircraft network information 41 is information relating to an aircraft network along a linear first feature, which is a major river, and along a linear second feature that intersects multiple major rivers, which is a main road (expressway, national highway, etc.), railway, and power transmission line. The three-dimensional information 43 is information corresponding to a position in three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional region 64, and the two-dimensional information 44 is information corresponding to a position on the two-dimensional region 64. Therefore, if only three-dimensional information 43 and two-dimensional information 44 are provided, there is a problem that pathfinding will take an enormous amount of time. However, by providing aircraft network information 41 in addition to three-dimensional information 43 and two-dimensional information 44, corresponding to positions on linear regions such as major rivers, main roads, railways, and power transmission lines, it becomes possible to reduce the pathfinding time. Then, by searching for paths along the linear first feature and paths that cross the linear first path, a path is found that appropriately balances reduced search time and selection of an appropriate path. Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, if only the aircraft information 35 is used, only the aircraft's route can be calculated, and there is a problem in that complex transportation including ground vehicles cannot be performed. However, by linking it with other information such as road network information 31, complex transportation becomes possible.

The transportation hubs are not limited to those described in the above embodiment, but may also be the following: Transportation hubs that serve as transfer points for people traveling include, for example, railway stations, ports where merchant ships dock, airports, bus terminals, bus stops, facility parking lots, facilities including parking lots where rental vehicles are parked (facilities of businesses that provide vehicle rental services), and parking lots where rental vehicles (shared cars) are parked. All of the road network information 31, railway route network information 32, bus route network information 33, pedestrian network information 34, and shipping route network information representing the shipping network (hereinafter referred to as "shipping route network information"), or any two or more combinations thereof, are connected by related information (information that associates these pieces of information so that they are connected via points corresponding to the transportation hubs; hereinafter referred to as "related information"). When the control unit 110 receives the user's selection of a means of transportation and a predetermined destination, the control unit 110 uses related information, as well as railway network information 32, pedestrian network information 34, road network information 31, and sea route network information, to present a route that connects multiple means of transportation via transportation hubs from the starting point to the destination. For example, the railway network information 32 and the pedestrian network 34 are connected by related information via a point corresponding to a transportation hub as a railway station. Also, the pedestrian network information 34 and the road network information 31 are connected by related information via a point corresponding to a transportation hub as a facility including a parking lot where a rental car is parked and/or a parking lot where a shared car is parked. When the control unit 110 receives the user's selection of a railway, rental car, or shared car as a means of transportation, and a predetermined destination, the control unit 110 uses relevant information, as well as railway network information 32, pedestrian network information 34, and road network information 31, to present the railway route from the departure station to the arrival station, the pedestrian route from the arrival station to the facility including the parking lot where the rental car is parked or the parking lot where the shared car is parked, and the vehicle route from there to the destination.

Furthermore, transportation hubs where goods are transferred from a first means of transport to a second means of transport include, for example, factories, warehouses, agricultural cooperative shipping centers, wholesale markets, oil refineries, large post offices, ports where merchant ships and fishing boats dock, airports, train stations where freight trains stop, and service areas and parking areas on expressways or toll roads. Additionally, transportation points where goods are transferred from a first means of transport to a second means of transport, located near the final destination of the goods (for example, the home of the user who requested the transport) (points where long-distance transport is carried out by the first means of transport and short-distance transport is carried out by the second means of transport), include, for example, department stores, shopping centers, retail stores, convenience stores, drugstores and other commercial facilities, railway stations, roadside stations, gas stations, agricultural shipping centers, and service areas and parking areas on expressways or toll roads. Furthermore, the combination of the first and second means of transportation may be such that the first means of transportation is a land-based means of transportation (transport vehicles, freight trains, etc.) or a sea-based means of transportation, and the second means of transportation is an aircraft, or vice versa. Moreover, the combination of the first and second means of transportation may be such that the first means of transportation is a freight train traveling by rail, and the second means of transportation is a transport vehicle traveling by road, or vice versa. Furthermore, the combination of the first and second means of transportation may be such that the first means of transportation is a land-based means of transportation, and the second means of transportation is a sea-based means of transportation, or vice versa.

Furthermore, all of the road network information 31, railway line network information 32, bus line network information 33, pedestrian network information 34, aircraft information 35, and sea route network information, or any two or more combinations thereof, are connected by related information through points corresponding to such transportation hubs. When the control unit 110 receives the user's selection of a means of transportation and a predetermined destination, the control unit 110 uses the related information, as well as the railway line network information 32, pedestrian network 34, road network information 31, and aircraft information 35 and sea route network information, to present a route that connects the routes of multiple means of transportation via transportation hubs from the starting point to the destination. For example, road network information 31, railway line network information 32, or ship network information and aircraft information 35 are connected by related information through points corresponding to such transportation hubs. When the control unit 110 receives the user's selection of a land-based means of transportation and an aircraft, as well as a predetermined destination, the control unit 110 uses the relevant information, road network information 31, and aircraft information 35 to present vehicle routes for transporting objects from the starting point to a transportation hub, and aircraft routes for transporting objects from the transportation hub to the destination. Alternatively, the aircraft route may be to the transportation hub, and the vehicle route from the transportation hub onward. Here, the aircraft information 35 may consist only of aircraft network information 41; in this case, it presents linear aircraft routes along rivers and roads, and vehicle routes from the transportation hub. The relevant information may also include positional information representing areas for aircraft landing; in this case, the aircraft uses this positional information to land.

Furthermore, during disasters, transportation hubs that serve as relay points for the movement of people and goods include, for example, private residences, schools, factories, and large commercial facilities. All of the road network information 31, pedestrian network information 34, and aircraft information 35, or any combination of two or more of them, are connected via related information through points corresponding to such transportation hubs. When the control unit 110 receives the user's selection of a means of transportation and a predetermined destination (administrative facility, school, gymnasium, general hospital, etc.), the control unit 110 uses the related information, as well as the road network information 31, pedestrian network information 34, and aircraft information 35, to present a route that connects multiple means of transportation routes via the transportation hubs from the starting point to the destination. For example, for the movement of people, a route connecting a vehicle route to the transportation hub and a pedestrian route from the transportation hub to the destination is presented. Similarly, for the movement of goods, a route connecting a vehicle route to the transportation hub and an aircraft route from the transportation hub to the destination is presented.

Furthermore, the transportation hub is not limited to those described in the above embodiments, but may also be the following: As a transportation hub for moving goods, for example, there may be a cargo vehicle capable of carrying an aircraft, a ship capable of carrying an aircraft, etc. Let's explain the case where the transportation hub is a cargo vehicle. In that case, in addition to the information explained using Figure 9, there is information indicating that the cargo vehicle and the aircraft are related, as information that the cargo vehicle and the aircraft are transportation hubs for moving goods. When the user specifies a route in the order of aircraft and cargo vehicle, by referring to that information, the location information of the cargo vehicle parked at an appropriate location (for example, specified by the user) is obtained based on the locations of the departure point and destination, and a route using aircraft information 35 from the departure point to the relay point, and a route using road network information 31 from the relay point to the destination are searched and presented via node information 70 corresponding to the relay point closest to the location of that location information. By presenting such a route, the aircraft can land on a cargo vehicle at any intermediate point along the route from the origin to the destination, and the cargo vehicle carrying the aircraft can then travel from that intermediate point to the destination to transport goods. Furthermore, if the user specifies a route in the order of cargo vehicle followed by the aircraft, the system refers to information indicating the relationship between the cargo vehicle and the aircraft. Based on the locations of the origin and destination, it identifies node information 70 corresponding to an appropriate location (e.g., specified by the user). Using this location as an intermediate point, the system searches for and presents a route from the origin to the intermediate point using road network information 31, and then a route from that intermediate point to the destination using aircraft information 35. By presenting such a route, the aircraft can take off from the cargo vehicle carrying it at any intermediate point along the route from the origin to the destination, and then fly from the intermediate point to the destination to deliver goods. The same configuration applies to the relationship between ships and aircraft.

The embodiments described in whole or in part above solve one of the following problems: appropriate flight management, appropriate control of aircraft, improved processing speed, improved processing accuracy, improved usability, improved functionality using data or provision of appropriate functionality, reduction of data and/or program capacity, miniaturization of devices and/or systems, provision of appropriate data, programs, recording media, devices and/or systems, and optimization of data, programs, recording media, devices and/or systems, such as reduction of production and manufacturing costs, simplification of production and manufacturing, and shortening of production and manufacturing time.

1 First control system 2 Second control system 5 Third control system 21 First map information 22 Second map information

Claims (4)

The system includes a control unit that performs processing to calculate the flight path of an aircraft based on aircraft network information representing a linear network in three-dimensional space and three-dimensional information representing the position and range of each of the multiple regions into which the three-dimensional space is divided.
The aforementioned aircraft network information and the aforementioned three-dimensional information are associated,
The aforementioned aircraft network information includes cost information indicating the difficulty of traversing each of the multiple nodes and the multiple links connecting those nodes,
The three-dimensional information includes presence/absence information indicating whether or not a feature exists within each region, and feature distance information indicating the distance between each region and the nearest feature.
The control unit calculates cost information for each of the regions based on the presence/absence information included in the three-dimensional information corresponding to each region and the feature distance information, and searches for the flight path of the aircraft based on the cost information of the node, the cost information of the link, and the calculated cost information of each of the regions, and generates flight path information of the aircraft's movement .
When the control unit receives a distance-prioritizing route search request, it searches for a route prioritizing a shorter overall travel distance over proximity to features in areas where features are determined not to exist based on the presence/absence information. When it receives a safety-prioritizing route search request, it searches for a route prioritizing avoiding areas where the feature distance information is less than a predetermined distance over the overall travel distance .
Control system. A control system according to claim 1, wherein the aircraft network information corresponds to a position along a linear first feature and a linear second feature that is different from the first feature and intersects the first feature. A control system according to claim 2, wherein the first feature is a river, and the second feature is at least one of a road, a railway, or a power transmission line. In the control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The aforementioned aircraft network information and the aforementioned three-dimensional information are associated with two-dimensional information representing the position and range of a two-dimensional region corresponding to the region in three-dimensional space.
The aforementioned two-dimensional information includes occupancy information indicating the proportion of a feature within each of the two-dimensional regions, and elevation information indicating the elevation value of a feature included in each of the two-dimensional regions.
The control unit calculates cost information for each of the areas based on the presence/absence information, the feature distance information, the occupancy information, and the elevation information.
Control system.