IP Library Granted Patent US 10,908,621
Granted Patent B2
US 10,908,621 · App. 16/309,102 · Granted Feb 2, 2021

Unmanned aerial vehicle control system, unmanned aerial vehicle control method, and program

Inventor: Jun Takizawa (Chino, JP)
Assignee: RAKUTEN, INC.
G05D1/106B64C13/20B64C39/02B64C39/024B64D45/00G08G5/00B64C2201/027B64C2201/128
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,908,621
App. No.
16/309,102
Granted
Feb 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle is caused to fly by avoiding a no-fly zone, which changes as a moving object moves. Provided is an unmanned aerial vehicle control system, including: moving object position acquisition means for acquiring moving object position information on a current position of a moving object moving above a surface of an earth; zone setting means for setting a no-fly zone in which a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle is inhibited based on the moving object position information; and flight control means for controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle avoids the no-fly zone set based on the moving object position information.

Claims (42)

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle control system, comprising at least one processor configured to:

acquire moving object position information on a current position of a moving object moving above a surface of an earth;

set a no-fly zone in which a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle is inhibited based on the moving object position information, wherein the no-fly zone changes in accordance with movements of the moving object;

acquire time information on an arrival time and distance information on a movement distance at a time when the unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a destination by avoiding the no-fly zone; and

control the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle avoids the no-fly zone based on the time information and the distance information.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor:

acquires unmanned aerial vehicle position information on a current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

acquires destination information on a destination of the unmanned aerial vehicle; and

controls the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle arrives at the destination from the current position of the unmanned aerial vehicle by avoiding the no-flight zone based on the unmanned aerial vehicle position information and the destination information.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor determines at least one of a size or a shape of the no-fly zone based on the moving object position information.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor acquires moving object state information on a current state of the moving object, and

sets the no-fly zone based on the moving object state information.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 4 ,

wherein the moving object state information is information on a current movement state of the moving object, and

wherein the at least one processor sets the no-fly zone based on the current movement state indicated by the moving object state information.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor acquires moving object property information on a property of the moving object, and

sets the no-fly zone based on the moving object property information.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor estimates a movement of the moving object from the current position based on the moving object position information, and

sets the no-fly zone based on an estimation result.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 7 ,

wherein the at least one processor chronologically estimates the movement of the moving object,

sets the no-fly zone for each time point, and

carries out flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on a chronological change in the no-fly zone.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor receives a specification relating to whether priority is to be given to the arrival time or the movement distance, and

carries out the flight control for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on a specification result.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor causes the unmanned aerial vehicle to wait so that the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle is controlled to avoid the no-fly zone.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the moving object is a player or a golf cart moving in a golf course,

wherein the at least one processor acquires the moving object position information indicating a current position of the player or the golf cart based on a detection signal of a GPS sensor of a player terminal or a golf cart terminal,

sets the no-fly zone based on the current position of the player or the golf cart, and

controls the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle carrying a package to be transported to a predetermined position in the golf course so that the unmanned aerial vehicle avoids the no-fly zone set based on the current position of the player or the golf cart.

12. An unmanned aerial vehicle control method, comprising:

acquiring moving object position information on a current position of a moving object moving above a surface of an earth;

setting a no-fly zone in which a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle is inhibited based on the moving object position information, wherein the no-fly zone changes in accordance with movements of the moving object;

acquiring time information on an arrival time and distance information on a movement distance at a time when the unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a destination by avoiding the no-fly zone; and

controlling the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle avoids the no-fly zone based on the time information and the distance information.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium for storing a program for causing a computer to:

acquire moving object position information on a current position of a moving object moving above a surface of an earth;

set a no-fly zone in which a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle is inhibited based on the moving object position information, wherein the no-fly zone changes in accordance with movements of the moving object;

acquire time information on an arrival time and distance information on a movement distance at a time when the unmanned aerial vehicle flies to a destination by avoiding the no-fly zone; and

control the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle avoids the no-fly zone based on the time information and the distance information.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle control system according to claim 1 , wherein the no-fly zone contains the position of the moving object.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE PATENT NUMBERS 10342096;10671117; 10716375; 10716376;10795407;10795408; AND 10827591 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 58314 FRAME: 657. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 29, 2024
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 068066/0103 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 6, 2021
From: RAKUTEN, INC.
To: RAKUTEN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058314/0657 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2018
From: TAKIZAWA, JUN
To: RAKUTEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 047748/0850 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190250643A1 · Aug 15, 2019