Granted Patent B2

US 12,198,560 · App. 17/770,058 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Inventor: Hiroshi Miyagawa (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION

G08G5/006G08G5/0013G08G5/003G08G5/0043G08G5/0069G08G5/045B64U2201/10

Abstract

Claims (57)

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a transceiver; and

a control circuit operatively connected to the transceiver and configured to:

determine a number of flight vehicles within a predetermined region adjacent to exclusive controlled airspace, and

transmit one or more control signals to limit a number of the flight vehicles within the predetermined region that enter the exclusive controlled airspace, the exclusive controlled airspace including an area where the flight vehicles cannot report their own locations,

wherein the control circuit limits the number of the flight vehicles that enter the exclusive controlled airspace to one of the flight vehicles,

wherein, based on the control circuit receiving an entry application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to enter the exclusive controlled airspace, the control circuit transmits an entry permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that none of the flight vehicles other than the one of the flight vehicles have entered the exclusive controlled airspace, and

wherein, based on the control circuit receiving an exit application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to leave the exclusive controlled airspace, the control circuit transmits an exit permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that there is no other flight vehicle of the flight vehicles within a predetermined region around the one of the flight vehicles.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

when on a determination that any of the flight vehicles other than the one of the flight vehicles have entered the exclusive controlled airspace, the control circuit transmits a standby instruction to the one of the flight vehicles.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

based on the control circuit receiving the entry application from the one of the flight vehicles that seeks to enter the exclusive controlled airspace, the control circuit updates entering flight vehicle information for the exclusive controlled airspace based on a determination that none of the flight vehicles other than the one of the flight vehicles have entered the exclusive controlled airspace, based on the entry permission that has been transmitted to the one of the flight vehicles flight-vehicle, or based on an entry notification is that has been received from the one of the flight vehicles.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the exclusive controlled airspace includes a special control area and an entry/exit control area, the special control area being an area where a self-location report cannot be made by any of the flight vehicles, the entry/exit control area being set around the special control area,

the entry application is received before the one of the flight vehicles enters the entry/exit control area, and

the entry notification is received after the one of the flight vehicles enters the entry/exit control area.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control circuit transmits a standby instruction to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that there is at least one other flight vehicle of the flight vehicles around the one of the flight vehicles.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the control circuit updates entering flight vehicle information for the exclusive controlled airspace based on the exit application having been received from the one of the flight vehicles that seeks to leave the exclusive controlled airspace, based on the exit permission having been transmitted to the flight vehicle, or based on an exit notification having been received from the one of the flight vehicles to which the exit permission has been transmitted.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

based on a determination that there are a predetermined number of the flight vehicles in an entry waiting state, the control circuit transmits entry permission to a flight vehicle of the predetermined number of the flight vehicles in the entry waiting state that has been put in the waiting state the earliest.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the exclusive controlled airspace includes a special control area and an entry/exit control area, the special control area being an area where a self-location report cannot be made by any of the flight vehicles, the entry/exit control area being set around the special control area,

the exit application is received after the one of the flight vehicles enters the entry/exit control area, and

the exit notification is received after the one of the flight vehicles leaves the entry/exit control area.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit limits the number of the flight vehicles that enter the exclusive controlled airspace to the one of the flight vehicles based on the one of the flight vehicles not having an ability to avoid at least one other of the flight vehicles.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the control circuit transmits the entry permission to the one of the flight vehicles after all of the flight vehicles that previously entered the exclusive controlled airspace leave the exclusive controlled airspace.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the exclusive controlled airspace is an airspace including an area where the flight vehicles cannot perform wireless communication or an area where the flight vehicles cannot obtain their own location.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the flight vehicles are drone aircraft.

13. An information processing method performed by an information processing apparatus that includes a transceiver and a control circuit, the method comprising:

determining a number of flight vehicles within a predetermined region adjacent to exclusive controlled airspace; and

transmitting one or more control signals to limit a number of the flight vehicles within the predetermined region that enter the exclusive controlled airspace, the exclusive controlled airspace including an area where the flight vehicles cannot report their own locations,

wherein the method further comprises:

limiting the number of the flight vehicles that enter the exclusive controlled airspace to one of the flight vehicles;

based on receiving an entry application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to enter the exclusive controlled airspace, transmitting an entry permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that none of the flight vehicles other than the one of the flight vehicles have entered the exclusive controlled airspace; and

based on receiving an exit application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to leave the exclusive controlled airspace, transmitting an exit permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that there is no other flight vehicle of the flight vehicles within a predetermined region around the one of the flight vehicles.

14. A non-transitory computer program containing instructions for causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining a number of flight vehicles within a predetermined region adjacent to exclusive controlled airspace; and

transmitting one or more control signals to limit a number of the flight vehicles within the predetermined region that enter the exclusive controlled airspace, the exclusive controlled airspace including an area where the flight vehicles cannot report their own locations,

wherein the method further comprises:

limiting the number of the flight vehicles that enter the exclusive controlled airspace to one of the flight vehicles:

based on receiving an entry application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to enter the exclusive controlled airspace, transmitting an entry permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that none of the flight vehicles other than the one of the flight vehicles have entered the exclusive controlled airspace; and

based on receiving an exit application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to leave the exclusive controlled airspace, transmitting an exit permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that there is no other flight vehicle of the flight vehicles within a predetermined region around the one of the flight vehicles.

15. A flight vehicle system comprising:

a control system including an information processing apparatus that comprises a transceiver and a control circuit; and

a predetermined number of flight vehicles existing in an airspace controlled by the control system,

wherein an exclusive controlled airspace is set in the controlled airspace, the exclusive controlled airspace including an area where the flight vehicles cannot report their own locations to the control system,

the flight vehicles transmit entry applications and exit applications to the control system based on the flight vehicles having flight paths that pass through the exclusive controlled airspace, and

the control system configured to:

determine a number of the flight vehicles within a predetermined region adjacent to exclusive controlled airspace, and

transmit one or more control signals to limit a number of the flight vehicles within the predetermined region that enter the exclusive controlled airspace based on the entry applications and the exit applications transmitted from the flight vehicles

wherein the control circuit limits the number of the flight vehicles that enter the exclusive controlled airspace to one of the flight vehicles,

wherein, based on the control circuit receiving an entry application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to enter the exclusive controlled airspace, the control circuit transmits an entry permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that none of the flight vehicles other than the one of the flight vehicles have entered the exclusive controlled airspace, and

wherein, based on the control circuit receiving an exit application from the one of the flight vehicles indicating that the one of the flight vehicles seeks to leave the exclusive controlled airspace, the control circuit transmits an exit permission to the one of the flight vehicles based on a determination that there is no other flight vehicle of the flight vehicles within a predetermined region around the one of the flight vehicles.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (23)