Flying Vehicle Guiding System And Flying Vehicle Guiding Method

• US 20140371952A1
• Filed: 06/06/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Ohtomo, Fumio, Kumagai, Kaoru, Osaragi, Kazuki, Otani, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,073,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones

Abstract

A flying vehicle guiding system, which comprises a remotely controllable flying vehicle system, a surveying instrument being able to measure distance, angle, and track, and a ground base station for controlling a flight of the flying vehicle system based on measuring results by the surveying instrument, wherein the flying vehicle system has a retro-reflector as an object to be measured, wherein the surveying instrument has a non-prism surveying function for performing distance measurement and angle measurement without a retro-reflector, a prism surveying function for performing distance measurement and angle measurement with respect to the retro-reflector, and a tracking function for tracking the retro-reflector and for performing distance measurement and angle measurement, wherein the surveying instrument performs non-prism measurement on a scheduled flight area, the ground base station sets a safe flight area based on the results of the non-prism measurement, and controls so that the flying vehicle system flies in the safe flight area based on the results of tracking measurement by de surveying instrument.

Claims

1. A flying vehicle guiding system comprising, a remotely controllable flying vehicle system, a surveying instrument being able to measure distance, angle, and track, and a ground base station for controlling a flight of said flying vehicle system based on measuring results by said surveying instrument, wherein said flying vehicle system has a retro-reflector as an object to be measured, wherein said surveying instrument has a non-prism surveying function for performing distance measurement and angle measurement without a retro-reflector, a prism surveying function for performing distance measurement and angle measurement with respect to said retro-reflector, and a tracking function for tracking said retro-reflector and for performing distance measurement and angle measurement, wherein said surveying instrument performs non-prism measurement on a scheduled flight area, said ground base station sets a safe flight area based on the results of said non-prism measurement, and controls so that said flying vehicle system flies in said safe flight area based on the results of tracking measurement by said surveying instrument.

2. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 1, wherein said surveying instrument acquires the results of measurement as polar coordinates of a distance and a directional angle, and said ground base station controls said flying vehicle system based on said polar coordinates.

3. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 1, wherein said flying vehicle system comprises a GPS unit, wherein said ground base station controls the flight of said flying vehicle system based on either a positional information of said flying vehicle system acquired by said surveying instrument or a positional information of said flying vehicle system acquired by said GPS unit.

4. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 1, wherein two or more of said surveying instruments are set place at different positions, wherein said ground base station commonly owns measurement results of said flying vehicle system by two or more of said surveying instruments, wherein the flight of said flying vehicle system is controlled based on a measurement data by said surveying instruments set place at positions where said surveying instruments can measure said flying vehicle system.

5. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 3, wherein two or more of said surveying instruments are set place at different positions, wherein said ground base station commonly owns measurement results of said flying vehicle system by two or more of said surveying instruments, wherein the flight of said flying vehicle system is controlled based on a measurement data by said surveying instruments set place at positions where said surveying instruments can measure said flying vehicle system.

6. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 3, wherein said ground base station converts a polar coordinate data from said surveying instrument to an orthogonal coordinate data measured by said GPS unit, and controls the flight of said flying vehicle system based on said orthogonal coordinate data.

7. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 1, wherein said flying vehicle system comprises a camera tiltably supported in an arbitrary direction via a gimbal, and said retro-reflector tilted integrally with said camera and provided in a relation already known with said camera.

9. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 2, wherein said flying vehicle system comprises a GPS unit, wherein said ground base station controls the flight of said flying vehicle system based on either a positional information of said flying vehicle system acquired by said surveying instrument or a positional information of said flying vehicle system acquired by said GPS unit.

10. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 2, wherein two or more of said surveying instruments are set place at different positions, wherein said ground base station commonly owns measurement results of said flying vehicle system by two or more of said surveying instruments, wherein the flight of said flying vehicle system is controlled based on a measurement data by said surveying instruments set place at positions where said surveying instruments can measure said flying vehicle system.

11. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 9, wherein two or more of said surveying instruments are set place at different positions, wherein said ground base station commonly owns measurement results of said flying vehicle system by two or more of said surveying instruments, wherein the flight of said flying vehicle system is controlled based on a measurement data by said surveying instruments set place at positions where said surveying instruments can measure said flying vehicle system.

12. A flying vehicle guiding system according to claim 9, wherein said ground base station converts a polar coordinate data from said surveying instrument to an orthogonal coordinate data measured by said GPS unit, and controls the flight of said flying vehicle system based on said orthogonal coordinate data.

8. A flying vehicle guiding method, using a remotely controllable flying vehicle system, and a surveying instrument which can perform a non-prism measurement and a tracking measurement, wherein said flying vehicle guiding method comprises a step of measuring the flight area by non-prism measurement in advance, a step of setting a safe flight area based on the results of preliminary measurement, and a step of remotely controlling said flying vehicle system so as to fly within said safe flight area.