Automatic pool cleaning equipment and method for creating pool map

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic pool cleaning device and a method for creating a pool map. The method comprises the steps that the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move on the water surface or the bottom of a pool; in the process of controlling the automatic pool cleaning equipment to move, at least one of posture data of the automatic pool cleaning equipment and the water flow speed in a pool and distance data from a distance sensor of the automatic pool cleaning equipment are obtained; and generating a pool map based on at least one of the attitude data and the water flow velocity and the distance data, where the generated pool map is a calibrated pool map based on at least one of the attitude data and the water flow velocity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an automatic pool cleaning device and a method for creating a pool map in the field of automatic pool cleaning. Background Art

[0002] For pool facilities such as swimming pools, automatic pool cleaning devices can be used for automatic cleaning or auxiliary cleaning. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device can be designed to move along the bottom, walls and / or surface of the pool while running its cleaning mechanism to filter the pool water and absorb dirt. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Disclosed is a method for creating a pool map, comprising: controlling an automatic pool cleaning device to move on the surface or bottom of a pool; obtaining, during the process of controlling the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device, at least one of a water flow velocity in the pool, and distance data from a distance sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device; and generating a pool map based on the posture data, at least one of the water flow velocity, and the distance data, wherein the generated pool map is a calibrated pool map based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow velocity.

[0004] In some embodiments, generating a pool map based on the distance data and at least one of the posture data and the water flow rate includes: determining an offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow rate; calibrating the distance data based on the offset; and generating the pool map based on the calibrated distance data.

[0005] In some embodiments, determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed includes: determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed and a predetermined correspondence between the posture data and / or water flow speed and the distance offset.

[0006] In some embodiments, determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed includes: determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed and historical data, wherein the historical data includes historical posture data and / or historical water flow speed and historical distance data.

[0007] In some embodiments, determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed includes: determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the change in the posture data and the change in the water flow speed within a specified time period.

[0008] In some embodiments, when controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface of the pool, the distance sensor is located above or below the water surface.

[0009] In some embodiments, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface or bottom of the pool includes: when the distance sensor is located below the water surface when the automatic pool cleaning device moves on the water surface of the pool, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface within a predetermined distance range from the pool wall.

[0010] In some embodiments, the water flow velocity is a preset water flow velocity or a water flow velocity collected in real time.

[0011] In some embodiments, the posture data includes at least one of a pitch angle, a roll angle, and a yaw angle of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0012] In some embodiments, the distance sensor includes at least one of a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a time-of-flight sensor, and a visual sensor.

[0013] Also disclosed is an automatic pool cleaning device, comprising: a distance sensor configured to detect the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and an object in the pool while the automatic pool cleaning device moves on the water surface or bottom of the pool; and a processor configured to execute the method described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 An exemplary automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0015] Figure 2 An exemplary method for creating a pool map according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0016] Figure 3 An example of a process of creating a pool map according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0017] Figure 4 An example of a process of creating a pool map according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0018] Figure 5 An example of a process of creating a pool map according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0019] Figure 6 An example of a process of creating a pool map according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated.

[0021] The automatic pool cleaning device can be configured to utilize data from sensing devices such as ultrasonic sensors, lidars, infrared sensors, time-of-flight sensors, and / or visual sensors from the automatic pool cleaning device while moving in the pool (e.g., on the water surface or on the bottom of the pool) to create a pool map through technologies such as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). The created pool map can then be used in operations such as cleaning route planning.

[0022] When the automatic pool cleaning device moves on the water surface or bottom of the pool, due to factors such as water flow fluctuations and the device's own floating characteristics, the automatic pool cleaning device may actually be unable to maintain a stable posture. For example, the posture may shake to varying degrees, resulting in deviations in the data of the sensing device and affecting the accuracy and effectiveness of creating the pool map.

[0023] The automatic pool cleaning device and method disclosed herein can alleviate or at least partially eliminate the adverse effects of unstable posture on pool map creation, can reduce or at least partially eliminate data deviation and / or deviation accumulation, and can improve the accuracy of the created pool map.

[0024] Figure 1 An exemplary automatic pool cleaning device 100 (hereinafter also referred to as “device 100 ”) in an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0025] The device 100 has a housing. For example, a water inlet and a water outlet may be configured on the housing, and a water pump, a filtering device, and a drive mechanism may be configured within the housing. The drive mechanism may include, for example, power components such as a motor, a water pump, and gears that can provide and / or transmit driving force, and components such as traveling wheels, tracks, water nozzles, and propellers that are driven by the power components and enable the device 100 to move or swim in the water, on the water surface, and / or on the pool wall.

[0026] For example, the device 100 can use its driving mechanism to move on the bottom, wall or water surface of the pool, and at the same time, suck the pool water together with the garbage or dirt in the water from the water inlet into the filtering device of the device 100 (for example, a filter box including a filter element, etc.) through a suction device such as a water pump, and then suck the pool water in the filtering device out of the filtering device through a suction device such as a water pump and guide it to the water outlet, and finally discharge it into the pool from the water outlet, wherein the garbage or dirt in the pool water is adsorbed by the filter element of the filtering device or intercepted in the filtering device, thereby achieving the cleaning of the pool.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, a controller 110 is configured in the device 100. The controller 110 may include any circuit and / or module with data processing capability and / or instruction execution capability and suitable for the device 100, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc., and may be configured to perform data processing and / or control related to the cleaning operation and / or other functions of the device 100 according to a program stored in a memory (not shown) of the device 100 and / or a signal and / or instruction from a control panel or a control terminal (not shown) of the device 100 and / or sensing data from one or more sensors of the device 100 (for example, a spatial attitude sensor, an odometer, a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a time-of-flight sensor, and a visual sensor, etc.).

[0028] For example, the controller 110 can be configured to execute program instructions to control the device 100 to move to the vicinity of the wall of the pool based on sensing data from distance sensors such as lidar, ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, time-of-flight sensors, and visual sensors of the device 100, and move along the pool wall in a manner that the distance between the device 100 and the pool wall is kept within a predetermined range.

[0029] For example, the controller 110 may also be configured to execute program instructions to create a pool map using a technique such as SLAM based on data from a distance sensor and / or other sensors such as a spatial attitude sensor and an odometer of the device 100 .

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the device 100 is also configured with at least one distance sensor 120 such as a lidar, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a time-of-flight sensor, and a visual sensor, so as to detect the distance between the device 100 and objects in the pool (for example, cleanable objects in the pool such as garbage, uncleanable objects such as pool walls, escalators, or fixed obstacles, etc.) when the device 100 moves on the surface or bottom of the pool.

[0031] For example, the distance sensor 120 may include a lidar, and the controller 110 may determine the real-time distance between the device 100 and a fixed obstacle such as a pool wall based on point cloud data about the surrounding environment of the device 100 acquired by the lidar.

[0032] For example, the distance sensor 120 may include a visual sensor such as a monocular camera or a binocular camera, and the controller 110 may determine the real-time distance between the device 100 and a fixed obstacle such as a pool wall, for example, based on a real-time image of the surrounding environment of the device 100 obtained by the visual sensor.

[0033] For example, the distance sensor 120 may include an ultrasonic sensor, and the controller 110 may determine the real-time distance between the device 100 and a fixed obstacle such as a pool wall based on ultrasonic signals emitted by the ultrasonic sensor to the surroundings or a specified direction and received feedback signals.

[0034] In addition, the device 100 is also equipped with one or more other sensors (not shown) such as a spatial attitude sensor (e.g., an inertial measurement unit) and / or a water flow velocity detector, so as to obtain attitude data such as the pitch angle, roll angle, and / or yaw angle of the device 100 and / or the water flow velocity in the pool in real time. Of course, the water flow velocity detector can also be set on the wall of the pool or inside the pool.

[0035] Figure 2 An exemplary method 200 for creating a pool map according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The method 200 may include steps 210 , 220 , and 230 , and may be implemented by the controller 110 by executing corresponding program instructions, for example.

[0036] In step 210 , the controller 110 may control the device 100 to move on the surface or bottom of the pool.

[0037] In different embodiments, depending on how the device 100 is configured, when the device 100 moves or floats on the water, the distance sensor 120 may be located above the water surface or below the water surface.

[0038] If the distance sensor 120 is still located below the water surface even when the device 100 moves or floats on the water surface, the distance sensor 120 may be located below the water surface. This depends on the type and performance of the distance sensor 120 (e.g., the propagation performance of the transmission signal of the distance sensor 120 and the feedback signal of the transmission signal in water, the effective detection distance of the distance sensor 120 in water, etc.). Figure 3 As shown, in step 210 or before step 210 , the controller 110 may control the device 100 to move in a certain direction on the water surface or the pool bottom until it reaches a predetermined distance range from the pool wall 300 based on sensing data from the distance sensor 120 .

[0039] Then, if Figure 3 As shown, the controller 110 can control the device 100 to adjust the body orientation so that the body of the device 100 is, for example, substantially parallel to the pool wall 300. Then, the controller 110 can control the device 100 to move along the pool wall 300 in the pool.

[0040] For example, when the control device 100 moves along the pool wall 300 in the pool, Figure 3As shown, the controller 100 can control the distance D between the device 100 and the pool wall 300 to always remain within a predetermined distance range based on the sensing data from the distance sensor 120, so as to ensure that the distance sensor 120 can obtain valid data.

[0041] If the type and performance of the distance sensor 120 allow for a longer effective detection distance in water (e.g., capable of covering the entire pool), then in step 210, the controller 110 may control the device 100 to move along a random route or any suitable route on the water surface or the bottom of the pool.

[0042] Generally, a distance sensor has a longer sensing distance in the air. If the distance sensor 120 can be positioned above the water surface while the device 100 is moving or floating on the water surface, the controller 110 can control the device 100 to move along a random route or any suitable route on the surface of the pool in step 210. Alternatively, the controller 110 can control the distance D between the device 100 and the pool wall 300 to always remain within a predetermined distance range based on the sensing data from the distance sensor 120.

[0043] Then, step 220 can be executed to obtain distance data from the distance sensor 120 while controlling the movement of the device 100, as well as one or more other sensing data such as posture data of the device 100 (for example, the pitch angle, roll angle and / or yaw angle of the device 100) and / or the water flow speed in the pool.

[0044] For example, the controller 110 can obtain attitude data such as the pitch angle, roll angle and / or yaw angle of the device 100 from the spatial attitude sensor of the device 100 (for example, an inertial measurement unit), and can also obtain real-time data about the water flow speed in the pool from a water flow speed detector, or determine the water flow speed in the pool based on a pre-set water flow speed, such as: the water flow speed value can be pre-set according to the season or weather or historical water flow detection data.

[0045] When the device 100 moves on the water surface or the bottom of a pool, it may not always maintain a stable or desired posture due to, for example, fluctuations in the water flow, the floating characteristics of the device 100 itself, the inertia of the device 100 when rotating in the water, etc.

[0046] For example, Figure 4 As shown, when the device 100 moves on the water surface or the bottom of the pool, the posture of the device 100 may change due to the influence of the fluctuation of the water flow, the floating characteristics of the device 100 itself, the inertia of the device 100 when rotating in the water, etc. Figure 4 As shown in the arrow on the right, the yaw angle becomes Y degrees, which results in the distance data Da actually obtained by the distance sensor 120 being larger than that in the case where no attitude change occurs (such as Figure 4 The distance data De under (as shown to the left of the arrow in) generates an offset or deviation d.

[0047] For example, Figure 5 As shown, when the device 100 moves on the water surface, the posture of the device 100 may change due to the fluctuation of the water flow, the floating characteristics of the device 100 itself, etc., for example, Figure 5 As shown in the right side of the arrow in FIG, the roll angle becomes R degrees, which results in the distance data Da actually obtained by the distance sensor 120 being larger than that in the case where no posture change occurs (such as Figure 5 The distance data De under (as shown to the left of the arrow in) generates an offset or deviation d.

[0048] For another example, when the device 100 moves on the bottom or surface of a pool, it may be affected by fluctuations in the water flow, undulating terrain on the bottom of the pool, or crushed obstacles, and the posture of the device 100 may change. For example, the pitch angle may become P degrees, which may cause the distance data Da actually obtained by the distance sensor 120 to have an offset or deviation d relative to the distance data De when no posture change occurs.

[0049] For another example, when the device 100 moves on the bottom of a pool or on the surface of the water, it is affected by the impact of the water flow. The device 100 may try to maintain a certain posture with the assistance of components such as the water spray mechanism of the device 100, but the posture still deviates from the expected situation where no posture change occurs, resulting in the distance data Da actually obtained by the distance sensor 120 being offset or deviated from the distance data De when no posture change occurs.

[0050] For another example, when the water flow velocity changes, the posture of the device 100 may change, for example, due to failure to adjust the propulsion force in time, such as changes in the yaw angle, roll angle and / or pitch angle, which in turn causes the distance data Da actually obtained by the distance sensor 120 to produce an offset or deviation d relative to the distance data De when no posture change occurs.

[0051] The offset or deviation d of the distance data caused by the change in the posture of the device 100 will affect the accuracy of the created pool map. For example, it may cause at least part of the boundary of the created pool map to be inaccurate (for example, the boundary is too large or too small) or even deformed, which may affect subsequent operations such as cleaning path planning or obstacle avoidance.

[0052] To this end, in step 230, the controller 110 may calculate the distance data (eg, Figure 4 or Figure 5 Da in step 220), and the posture data obtained in step 220 (for example, Figure 4 In the example, the yaw angle Y, or Figure 5 The roll angle R) and / or water flow velocity in the example are used to generate a pool map calibrated based on the posture data and / or water flow velocity.

[0053] For example, in step 230, based on the posture data obtained in step 220 (for example, Figure 4 The yaw angle Y in Figure 5 The offset d of the distance data Da obtained in step 220 is determined by using data such as the roll angle R in the flow chart and / or the water flow velocity.

[0054] In one embodiment, the correspondence between the offset d and the attitude data (e.g., the yaw angle, roll angle, and / or pitch angle of the device 100) and / or the water velocity can be predetermined by any suitable means, such as pre-testing and / or debugging before shipment or after startup. Then, in step 230, the offset d of the distance data Da can be determined based on the attitude data and / or water velocity acquired in step 220 and the predetermined correspondence between the attitude data and / or water velocity and the distance offset d.

[0055] For example, the corresponding offset d can be retrieved from a predetermined correspondence between the posture data and / or water flow velocity and the distance offset d based on the posture data and / or water flow velocity obtained in step 220. Alternatively, the predetermined correspondence between the posture data and / or water flow velocity and the distance offset d can be interpolated, and then the offset d can be determined based on the distance data Da obtained in step 220 and the interpolated correspondence.

[0056] In another embodiment, in the current step 230, the offset d of the distance data Da obtained in the current step 220 can be determined based on the posture data and / or water flow velocity obtained in the current step 220, and historical data such as historical distance data, historical posture data and / or historical water flow velocity obtained in at least one previous step 220.

[0057] For example, before executing step 230, step 220 may be executed one or more times to obtain historical data such as one or more historical distance data, historical posture data, and / or historical water velocity. Then, in step 230, a correspondence between the offset d and the posture data and / or water velocity may be determined based on the obtained historical data such as one or more historical distance data, historical posture data, and / or historical water velocity. For example, the determined correspondence may be interpolated.

[0058] Then, in step 230, the offset d of the distance data Da obtained in the current step 220 can be determined based on the posture data and / or water flow velocity obtained in the current step 220, and the correspondence between the determined posture data and / or water flow velocity and the distance offset d.

[0059] In another embodiment, in step 230 , the offset d of the distance data Da may also be determined based on the change in the posture data and / or the change in the water flow velocity within a specified time period.

[0060] For example, Figure 6 As shown, when the device 100 starts at position P0 and moves to position P1 after a period of time T1, and the change in the yaw angle of the device 100 during the period of time T1 is ΔY1, the offset d1 of the distance data Da1 relative to the distance data obtained by the device 100 at position P0 in step 220 can be determined based on the change in the yaw angle ΔY1 and the distance data Da1 obtained by the device 100 at position P1 in step 220.

[0061] Then, when the device 100 starts at position P1 and moves to position P2 after a time period T2 (T2 can be the same as or different from T1), and the change in the yaw angle of the device 100 during the time period T2 is ΔY2, the offset d2 of the distance data Da relative to Da1 can be determined based on the change in the yaw angle ΔY2 and the distance data Da obtained by the device 100 at position P2 in step 220.

[0062] Furthermore, the offset d of the distance data Da relative to the distance data acquired by the device 100 at the position P0 in step 220 may be determined based on the offsets d1 and d2.

[0063] The offset d2 of the distance data Da relative to Da1 can also be determined based on the change ΔY1+ΔY2 of the yaw angle of the device 100 within the time period T1+T2 and the distance data Da obtained by the device 100 at the position P2 in step 220.

[0064] If the device 100's posture data remains unchanged for a certain period of time and remains fixed, i.e., the change in the posture data is zero, then no distance data correction is required. For example, if the device 100 maintains a slightly tilted posture while moving on the water surface, the pitch angle of the device 100 is not zero, but the change in the pitch angle is zero. This posture can be considered normal for the device on the water surface, and no distance data correction is required.

[0065] Similarly, the offset of the distance data may be determined based on the change in the water flow velocity, or the change in the posture data may be combined with the change in the water flow velocity to determine the offset of the distance data.

[0066] Then, in step 230, the distance data Da (or Figure 6 Da1 in the example of , thereby obtaining the calibrated distance data Da', so that the calibrated distance data Da' can be equal to or close to the expected De, and then the pool map can be generated according to the calibrated distance data Da'.

[0067] As described above, in method 200, the distance data collected by the distance sensor is corrected based on the posture data and / or water flow velocity, and a pool map is generated based on the corrected distance data. This can mitigate or at least partially eliminate the adverse effects of unstable posture on pool map creation, reduce or at least partially eliminate data deviation and / or deviation accumulation, and improve the accuracy of the created pool map.

[0068] The basic principles of the present disclosure have been described above in conjunction with the embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, strengths, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely illustrative and non-restrictive, and should not be construed as necessarily possessed by each embodiment of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the aforementioned details are provided for illustrative purposes and to facilitate understanding, not for limitation, and do not limit the present disclosure to necessarily being implemented using the aforementioned details.

[0069] The block diagrams of the devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems involved in this disclosure are intended to be illustrative examples only and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. In different embodiments, these devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems may be connected, arranged, or configured in any appropriate manner.

[0070] In addition, words such as "including," "comprising," and "having" are open-ended words that mean "including but not limited to," and are used interchangeably therewith. The words "or" and "and" used herein mean the words "and / or" and are used interchangeably therewith unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The word "such as" used herein means the phrase "such as, but not limited to," and is used interchangeably therewith.

[0071] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, device, and method of the present disclosure, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined. Such decomposition and / or recombination should be regarded as equivalent solutions of the present disclosure.

[0072] In this document, modifiers such as "first" and "second" without quantifiers are intended to distinguish different elements / components / circuits / modules / devices / steps, and are not used to emphasize the order, positional relationship, importance, priority, etc. In contrast, modifiers such as "first" and "second" with quantifiers can be used to emphasize the order, positional relationship, importance, priority, etc. of different elements / components / circuits / modules / devices / steps.

[0073] The above description is provided for the purpose of illustration and description. This description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although a number of example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, changes, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method for creating a pool map, comprising: Control the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface or bottom of the pool; In the process of controlling the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, obtaining at least one of posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device and a water flow velocity in the pool and distance data from a distance sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device; as well as A pool map is generated based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow velocity and the distance data, wherein the generated pool map is a calibrated pool map based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow velocity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein Generating a pool map based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed and the distance data includes: determining an offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow velocity; calibrating the distance data based on the offset; and The pool map is generated based on the calibrated distance data.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed includes: The offset of the distance data is determined based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed and a predetermined correspondence between the posture data and / or the water flow speed and the distance offset.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed includes: The offset of the distance data is determined based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow velocity and historical data, wherein the historical data includes historical posture data and / or historical water flow velocity and historical distance data.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: Determining the offset of the distance data based on at least one of the posture data and the water flow speed includes: The offset of the distance data is determined based on at least one of a change in the posture data and a change in the water flow speed within a specified time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein: When controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface of the pool, the distance sensor is located above or below the water surface.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface or bottom of the pool includes: When the distance sensor is located below the water surface when the automatic pool cleaning device moves on the water surface of the pool, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move on the water surface within a predetermined distance range from the pool wall.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: The water flow velocity is a preset water flow velocity or a water flow velocity collected in real time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein: The posture data includes at least one of a pitch angle, a roll angle, and a yaw angle of the automatic pool cleaning device.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein The distance sensor includes at least one of a laser radar, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a time-of-flight sensor, and a visual sensor.

11. An automatic pool cleaning device comprising: A distance sensor is configured to detect the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and an object in the pool during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device on the water surface or bottom of the pool; as well as A processor configured to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images