Formation setting apparatus, formation setting method, and computer readable medium

• US 10,203,690 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Inventors: Harada, Shinichi, Kuroyanagi, Satoshi, Tomonaga, Yukinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Rink, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US15/599,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/00 Aircraft indicators or protectors not otherwise provided for camouflage F41H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0027 involving a plurality of vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling fleet control of land vehicles from a control room G05D1/0297; traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00; for marine craft G08G3/00; for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0069 specially adapted for an unmanned aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91

Abstract

A formation setting apparatus includes a display unit, a selector, a region calculator, a display controller, and a communication controller. The display unit displays a formation of formation flying that includes aircrafts. The selector selects, as a first aircraft, one of the aircrafts displayed on the display unit, on a basis of an operation performed by a user. The region calculator calculates a movable region of the first aircraft, on a basis of a distance, to the first aircraft, from one or a plurality of second aircrafts of the aircrafts excluding the first aircraft. The display controller causes the calculated movable region to be displayed on the display unit. The communication controller transmits a control signal to the first aircraft when a position within the movable region displayed on the display unit is selected by the user. The control signal causes the first aircraft to move to the selected position.

Claims

1. A formation setting apparatus comprising:

a display unit configured to display a formation of formation flying, the formation flying including a plurality of aircrafts;

a selector configured to select, as a first aircraft, one of the aircrafts that are displayed on the display unit, on a basis of an operation performed by a user;

a region calculator configured to calculate a movable region as a region in which the first aircraft is movable, on a basis of a distance, to the first aircraft, from one or a plurality of second aircrafts of the aircrafts excluding the first aircraft;

a display controller configured to cause the movable region calculated by the region calculator to be displayed on the display unit; and

a communication controller configured to transmit a control signal to the first aircraft when a position within the movable region displayed on the display unit is selected by the user, the control signal causing the first aircraft to move to the position selected by the user.

2. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication controller transmits a control signal to the one or at least one of the plurality of second aircrafts when the position within the movable region displayed on the display unit is selected by the user, the control signal causing the one or the at least one of the plurality of second aircrafts to move and follow the first aircraft.

3. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the aircrafts each include a wireless communicator that allows a wireless communication to be performed between the aircrafts, and

the region calculator calculates, as the movable region, a distance region in which the first aircraft is able to perform the wireless communication with the one or at least one of the plurality of second aircrafts by the wireless communicator provided in the first aircraft.

4. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the aircrafts each include a wireless communicator that allows a wireless communication to be performed between the aircrafts, and

the region calculator calculates, as the movable region, a distance region in which the first aircraft is able to perform the wireless communication with the one or at least one of the plurality of second aircrafts by the wireless communicator provided in the first aircraft.

5. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the aircrafts include one lead aircraft as a manned aircraft and at least one wingman aircraft as an unmanned aircraft, and

the lead aircraft includes the formation setting apparatus.

6. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the aircrafts include one lead aircraft as a manned aircraft and at least one wingman aircraft as an unmanned aircraft, and

the lead aircraft includes the formation setting apparatus.

7. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the aircrafts include one lead aircraft as a manned aircraft and at least one wingman aircraft as an unmanned aircraft, and

the lead aircraft includes the formation setting apparatus.

8. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the aircrafts include one lead aircraft as a manned aircraft and at least one wingman aircraft as an unmanned aircraft, and

the lead aircraft includes the formation setting apparatus.

9. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a display provided integrally with a touch panel that receives a touch operation performed by the user.

10. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display unit comprises a display provided integrally with a touch panel that receives a touch operation performed by the user.

11. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display unit comprises a display provided integrally with a touch panel that receives a touch operation performed by the user.

12. The formation setting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display unit comprises a display provided integrally with a touch panel that receives a touch operation performed by the user.

13. A formation setting method comprising:

causing a formation of formation flying to be displayed on a display unit, the formation flying including a plurality of aircrafts;

selecting, as a first aircraft, one of the aircrafts that are displayed on the display unit, on a basis of an input operation;

calculating a movable region as a region in which the first aircraft is movable, on a basis of a distance, to the first aircraft, from one or a plurality of second aircrafts of the aircrafts excluding the first aircraft;

causing the calculated movable region to be displayed on the display unit; and

transmitting, with a communicator, a control signal to the first aircraft when a position within the movable region displayed on the display unit is selected, the control signal causing the first aircraft to move to the selected position.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a formation setting program, the formation setting program causing, when executed by a computer, the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

causing a formation of formation flying to be displayed on a display unit, the formation flying including a plurality of aircrafts;

selecting, as a first aircraft, one of the aircrafts that are displayed on the display unit, on a basis of an input operation;

calculating a movable region as a region in which the first aircraft is movable, on a basis of a distance, to the first aircraft, from one or a plurality of second aircrafts of the aircrafts excluding the first aircraft;

causing the calculated movable region to be displayed on the display unit; and

transmitting, with a communicator, a control signal to the first aircraft when a position within the movable region displayed on the display unit is selected, the control signal causing the first aircraft to move to the selected position.

15. A formation setting apparatus comprising:

a display that displays a formation of formation flying, the formation flying including a plurality of aircrafts; and

circuitry that

selects, as a first aircraft, one of the aircrafts that are displayed on the display, on a basis of an operation performed by a user,

calculates a movable region as a region in which the first aircraft is movable, on a basis of a distance, to the first aircraft, from one or a plurality of second aircrafts of the aircrafts excluding the first aircraft,

causes the calculated movable region to be displayed on the display; and

transmits a control signal to the first aircraft when a position within the movable region displayed on the display is selected by the user, the control signal causing the first aircraft to move to the position selected by the user.