IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,634,225
Granted Patent B2
US 11,634,225 · App. 16/955,216 · Granted Apr 25, 2023

Information-processing device and information-processing method

Inventors: Takefumi Yamada (Tokyo, JP); Ken Koumoto (Tokyo, JP); Hidetoshi Ebara (Tokyo, JP); Youhei Oono (Toyko, JP); Yuichiro Segawa (Toyko, JP); Yukiko Nakamura (Toyko, JP); Shinya Hanano (Toyko, JP)
Assignee: NTT DOCOMO, INC.
B64C39/024B64F5/60B64U2101/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,634,225
App. No.
16/955,216
Granted
Apr 25, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Flight cessation detection unit detects that drone has ceased flying at an unexpected site. Situation information acquisition unit acquires, as situation information indicating a situation related to retrieval of the drone, information on weather in an area in which the drone has flown. Retrieval procedure determination unit determines a retrieval procedure for the drone based on a situation indicated by the acquired situation information. Retrieval procedure determination unit, upon detecting a time period having specific weather based on the acquired information on weather, determines a retrieval procedure in which the time period is designated as a retrieval time.

Claims (41)

1. A flight control system comprising:

a processor configured to:

detect cessation of flight of an aerial vehicle at an unexpected site;

acquire situation information indicating a situation related to retrieval of the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected;

determine a retrieval procedure for the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected based on a situation indicated by acquired situation information; and

generate and transmit flight instruction data indicative of retrieval procedure information for retrieving the aerial vehicle based on the situation indicated by acquired situation information; and

a retrieval aerial vehicle configured to:

receive from the processor the flight instruction data indicative of the retrieval procedure information for retrieving the aerial vehicle;

generate flight control signals based on the received flight instruction data, and

control the flight of the retrieval aerial vehicle in accordance with the flight control signals to retrieve the aerial vehicle.

2. The flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire, as situation information, information on weather in an area in which the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected flies or has flown; and

upon detecting a time period having specific weather based on acquired information on weather, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the time period is designated as a retrieval time.

3. The flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire, as situation information, information indicating a level of damage that is caused to a retrieval target including the aerial vehicle when the aerial vehicle ceases its flight; and

upon detecting that acquired situation information indicates a level of damage smaller than a predetermined reference level, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the retrieval target is retrieved using the retrieval aerial vehicle capable of transporting the retrieval target, and is also configured, upon detecting that the level of damage is equal to or greater than the predetermined reference level, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the retrieval target is retrieved using a means other than the retrieval aerial vehicle.

4. The flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire, as situation information, information indicating a weight of a retrieval target including the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected; and

upon detecting that acquired situation information indicates a weight smaller than a threshold value, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the retrieval target is retrieved using the retrieval aerial vehicle capable of transporting the retrieval target, and is also configured, upon detecting that the weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the retrieval target is retrieved using a means other than the retrieval aerial vehicle.

5. The flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire, as situation information, information indicating whether the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected holds an object to be transported; and

upon detecting that acquired situation information is indicative that the aerial vehicle for which the detection been performed holds no object to be transported, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the aerial vehicle is retrieved using the retrieval aerial vehicle capable of transporting the aerial vehicle, and is also configured, upon detecting that the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected holds an object to be transported, to determine a retrieval procedure in which a retrieval target including the aerial vehicle is retrieved using a means other than the retrieval aerial vehicle.

6. The flight control system according to any claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire, as situation information, information indicating an attribute of an object transported by the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected; and

upon detecting that acquired situation information indicates a predetermined attribute, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected is retrieved using the retrieval aerial vehicle capable of transporting the aerial vehicle, and is also configured, upon detecting that the acquired situation information does not indicate the predetermined attribute, to determine a retrieval procedure in which a retrieval target including the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected is retrieved using a means other than the retrieval aerial vehicle.

7. The flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

acquire, as situation information, information indicating whether the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected has a function for unloading an object held by the aerial vehicle; and

upon detecting that acquired situation information is indicative that the aerial vehicle for which the detection been performed has the function, to determine a retrieval procedure in which the object is unloaded using the function and a retrieval procedure in which the object is retrieved using the retrieval aerial vehicle capable of transporting the object.

8. The flight control system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

the acquisition unit is configured to acquire, as situation information, information indicating an attribute of a site at which the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight of the aerial vehicle has been detected can land, the site being within an area including a current position of the aerial vehicle; and

determine a retrieval procedure in which the aerial vehicle for which situation information indicating a predetermined attribute has been acquired is caused to land at a site having the predetermined attribute.

9. A flight control method comprising:

performing by a processor:

detecting cessation of flight of an aerial vehicle at an unexpected site;

acquiring situation information indicating a situation related to retrieval of the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight that has been detected;

determining a retrieval procedure for the aerial vehicle for which the cessation of flight that has been detected based on a situation indicated by the acquired situation information; and

generating and transmitting flight instruction data indicative of retrieval procedure information to a retrieval aerial vehicle for retrieving the aerial vehicle based on the situation indicated by acquired situation information; and

performing by a retrieval aerial vehicle:

receiving from the processor the flight instruction data indicative of the retrieval procedure information for retrieving the aerial vehicle;

generating flight control signals based on the received flight instruction data; and

control the flight of the retrieval aerial vehicle in accordance with the flight control signals.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2020
From: YAMADA, TAKEFUMI; KOUMOTO, KEN; EBARA, HIDETOSHI; OONO, YOUHEI; SEGAWA, YUICHIRO; NAKAMURA, YUKIKO; HANANO, SHINYA
To: NTT DOCOMO, INC.
Reel/Frame 054349/0411 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-009013 · Jan 23, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200331607A1 · Oct 22, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,505,752