Wide area sensing system, in-flight detection method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program of wide area sensing system

• US 9,709,993 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Tanahashi, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii, Behrang
• Application Number:
  US14/859,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/20 using radiated signals
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/00 Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/26 characterised by provision of fixed wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/30 with provision for reducing drag of inoperative rotor
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/40 for agriculture or forestry operations
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/21 Rotary wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/102 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A wide area sensor system includes an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight, a state detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane, the state detection sensor being driven to detect a state of a detection target, and an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane and driving of the state detection sensor. The external control apparatus performs high speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode. The control apparatus performs low speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode.

Claims

1. A wide area sensor system comprising:

an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight;

a state detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane, the state detection sensor being driven to detect a state of a detection target; and

an external control apparatus that controls flight of the unmanned airplane and driving of the state detection sensor,

wherein the external control apparatus performs high speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode and performs low speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode.

2. The wide area sensor system according to claim 1,

wherein the unmanned airplane has a main body and a propulsive unit provided in the main body to change an attitude of the unmanned airplane, and

the external control apparatus switches between the airplane mode and the VTOL mode by changing the attitude of the propulsive unit relative to the main body.

3. The wide area sensor system according to claim 2,

wherein the unmanned airplane has a movable wing provided on the main body to change an attitude of the unmanned airplane, and

the propulsive unit is a propeller provided in the movable wing.

4. The wide area sensor system according to claim 1,

wherein the unmanned airplane has a main wing provided on the main body, and

the movable wing is provided in front of the main wing in the main body and is rotatable about a rotary shaft extending horizontally from the main body.

5. The wide area sensor system according to claim 1,

wherein the external control apparatus extracts a necessary inspection point in the detection target based on a detection result of the high speed sensing and performs the low speed sensing on the extracted necessary inspection point.

6. The wide area sensor system according to claim 1,

wherein the external control apparatus moves the unmanned airplane to a predetermined necessary reconnaissance point in the detection target while performing the high speed sensing on the detection target, and performs the low speed sensing on the necessary reconnaissance point.

7. An in-flight detection method using an unmanned airplane being switchable between an airplane mode for high speed flight and a VTOL mode for low speed flight and a state detection sensor provided in the unmanned airplane, the state detection sensor being driven to detect a state of a detection target, the method comprising the steps of:

performing high speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the airplane mode; and

performing low speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor while performing the low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in the VTOL mode.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program for executing control process with an external control apparatus, the control process comprising:

performing high speed sensing by driving a state detection sensor provided in an unmanned airplane to detect a state of a detection target while performing high speed flight of the unmanned airplane in an airplane mode, and

performing low speed sensing by driving the state detection sensor to detect the state of the detection target while performing low speed flight of the unmanned airplane in a VTOL mode.