# US 12,190,742 B2 · Flight management apparatus, flying object, flight management system, distributed system, flight management method, flight control method and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,190,742 B2 - Document ID: US12190742B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/026,346 - Filed: 2021-10-27 - Published: 2023-12-07 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-27 - Applicants: Aaron Sanjaya Benedek - Inventors: Aaron Sanjaya Benedek - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12190742B2 ## CPC - G08G 5/55: for a single aircraft - G08G 5/22: located on the ground - G08G 5/25: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft - G08G 5/26: Transmission of traffic-related information between aircraft and ground stations - G08G 5/34: for flight plan modification - G08G 5/59: in accordance with predefined flight zones, e.g. to avoid prohibited zones - G08G 5/57: for unmanned aircraft - G08G 5/76: for monitoring atmospheric conditions - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## Abstract An object of the present disclosure is to provide a flight management apparatus capable of improving the safety of flying objects. In one example, a flight management apparatus (10) of the present disclosure includes a determination unit (12) configured to determine whether a specific space cell in a space is already reserved based on a reservation state about the specific space cell, when the flight management apparatus receives a request for permission to move to the specific space cell from a flying object; and a permission unit (13) configured to permit the movement to the specific space cell of the flying object when the determination unit determines the specific space cell is not reserved, and not to permit the movement to the specific space cell of the flying object when the determination unit determines the specific space cell is already reserved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flight management apparatus comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: receive, from one of a plurality of flying objects, a first request for permission to move to a specific space cell in a space on a flight route of the one flying object determined by the one flying object; determine whether the specific space cell is already reserved for another flying object of the plurality of flying objects based on a reservation state about the specific space cell, when the at least one processor receives the first request; permit movement to the specific space cell of the one flying object when the at least one processor determines the specific space cell is not reserved for the another flying object, and not to permit the movement to the specific space cell of the one flying object when the at least one processor determines the specific space cell is already reserved for the another flying object; cause a transmitter to transmit its own vote with a predetermined weighting for the specific space cell in a space to other flying objects; and execute an adjudication to determine which one of the flying objects is allocated the specific space cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: transmit, to the one flying object, non-permission information indicating that the at least one processor does not permit the movement to the specific space cell of the one flying object when the at least one processor does not permit it; determine whether another space cell in the space other than the specific space cell is already reserved for another flying object based on a reservation state of another space cell, when the at least one processor receives a second request from the one flying object requesting permission to move to another space cell after the at least one processor transmits the non-permission information; and permit the movement to another space cell of the one flying object when the at least one processor determines another space cell is not reserved for another flying object, and not to permit the movement to another space cell of the one flying object when the at least one processor determines another space cell is already reserved for another flying object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein; the at least one memory is further configured to store reservation states of the plurality of flying objects related to a plurality of space cells into which the space is divided; and at least one processor is further configured to cancel the reservation state of the specific space cell related to a third request, being for canceling the reservation of the specific space cell passed by the one flying object, when the at least one processor receives the third request from the one flying object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one memory is further configured to store reservation states of a plurality of space cells into which the space is divided; and the at least one processor is further configured to control the plurality of flying objects to fly two-dimensionally in a plane constituted of space cells of a same height to manage traffic of the plurality of flying objects in the plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The flight management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: permit movement of the plurality of flying objects in a predetermined axial direction in the plane, and not to permit movement in any other direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The flight management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: set a plurality of lanes for moving the flying objects in the predetermined axial direction in the plane, reference speeds of the flying object being different from each other in the plurality of lanes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The flight management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: set a plurality of lanes for moving the flying objects in the predetermined axial direction in the plane, and; determine moving direction of the lanes by using at least one of time information and date information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one memory is further configured to store reservation states of a plurality of space cells into which the space is divided; and the at least one processor is further configured to change size of space cells according to at least one of locations where the plurality of space cells are located or time information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one memory is further configured to store reservation states of a plurality of space cells into which the space is divided; and wherein predetermined priority is set to the one flying object, and the at least one processor is further configured to permit movement to a first space cell or movement in a predetermined direction from a second space cell to the one flying object having high priority, and not to permit the movement to the one flying object having low priority. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one memory is further configured to store reservation states of a plurality of space cells into which the space is divided; and the at least one processor is further configured to switch, according to predetermined conditions, whether or not the one flying object can move to a predetermined space cell constituting an area where weather unsuitable for flight has occurred, or to a predetermined space cell in which density of flying objects in surrounding space cells is equal to or greater than a threshold value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein; the at least one memory is further configured to store reservation states of a plurality of space cells into which the space is divided; and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to switch propriety of movement to a space cell above the one flying object according to at least one of real-time data of the one flying object and a state of a driver's license relating to the one flying object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein; the at least one memory is further configured to store reservation states of a plurality of space cells into which the space is divided; and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to reserve an adjacent space cell adjacent to a space cell in which the one flying object is located and permit the one flying object to move to the adjacent space cell, when receiving an emergency request from the one flying object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The flight management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to set each space cell dividing the space in a shape of a regular hexagonal column. ### Claim 14 A flying object comprising: at least one memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to: determine own flight route; and generate a first request for permission to move to a specific space cell on the flight route in a space; transmit the first request to a flight management apparatus; move an airframe to the specific space cell when the specific space cell is not reserved by another flying object and the at least one processor receives permission information permitting movement to the specific space cell from the flight management apparatus, and not to move the airframe to the specific space cell when the specific space cell is already reserved by the another flying object and the at least one processor receives non-permission information not permitting the movement to the specific space cell from the flight management apparatus; update the flight route based on the non-permission information received from the flight management apparatus; cause a transmitter to transmit its own vote with a predetermined weighting for the specific space cell in a space to other flying objects; and execute an adjudication to determine which one of the flying objects is allocated the specific space cell. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The flying object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: generate a second request for permission to move to another space cell other than the specific space cell, when the at least one processor receives the non-permission information; and transmit the second request to the flight management apparatus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The flying object according to claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine another space cell by using at least one of positional relationships between a present position and a destination, weather information, a remaining amount of resources necessary for the flight of the flying object, and speed of the flying object. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The flying object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: generate a third request for canceling reservation of a space cell passed by the flying object; and transmit the third request to the flight management apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The flying object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: detect an emergency situation in the flying object; generate an emergency request for permission to move to an adjacent space cell adjacent to a space cell where the flying object is located, when the at least one processor detects the emergency situation; and transmit the emergency request to the flight management apparatus. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The flying object according to claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to move the airframe along the determined flight route through the space cell where the movement is permitted by the permission information. ### Claim 20 A flight management method comprising: receiving, from one of a plurality of flying objects, a request for permission to move to a specific space cell in a space on a flight route of the one flying object determined by the one flying object; determining whether the specific space cell is already reserved for another flying object of the plurality of flying objects based on a reservation state about the specific space cell; permitting movement to the specific space cell of the one flying object when determining the specific space cell is not reserved for another flying object and not permitting the movement to the specific space cell of the one flying object when determining the specific space cell is already reserved for another flying object; causing a transmitter to transmit its own vote with a predetermined weighting for the specific space cell in the space to other flying objects; and executing an adjudication to determine which one of the flying objects is allocated the specific space cell.