Robot homing method and robot

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of smart homes, and discloses a homing method of a robot and the robot. A base station comprises a base station body and a wheel cleaning part, the base station body comprises a containing cavity, the containing cavity is used for containing the robot, the wheel cleaning part comprises a cleaning part body and a cleaning assembly, the cleaning part body is provided with a wheel groove, and the cleaning assembly is arranged on the wheel groove and used for cleaning the walking wheel when the walking wheel of the robot enters the wheel groove. Therefore, the cleaning assembly can automatically clean the walking wheel of the robot in the wheel groove, manual cleaning is not needed, and the cleaning efficiency and convenience of the wheel are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of smart home technology, specifically to a method for a robot to return to its home position and the robot itself. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of robotics technology, robots are entering ordinary households, freeing up people's hands and helping them clean their homes, reducing their cleaning workload. During the cleaning process, the robot's wheels also get dirty. If the dirtier wheels are not cleaned promptly, they can easily soil areas that have already been cleaned. Currently, people need to use cloths or paper towels to clean the wheels, which increases their cleaning workload. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One objective of this invention is to provide a robot return method and a robot, aiming to improve the problem of the prior art requiring manual cleaning of robot wheels.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a base station, comprising:

[0005] The base station body includes a accommodating cavity for accommodating a robot;

[0006] The wheel cleaning unit includes a cleaning unit body and a cleaning component. The cleaning unit body is provided with a wheel groove, and the cleaning component is disposed on the wheel groove. When the robot's walking wheel enters the wheel groove, the cleaning component cleans the walking wheel.

[0007] Optionally, the base station body includes a liquid supply component for providing clean liquid;

[0008] The cleaning assembly further includes a liquid inlet transfer assembly disposed within the cleaning unit body, wherein the liquid inlet of the liquid inlet transfer assembly is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid supply assembly, and the liquid outlet of the liquid inlet transfer assembly is connected to the liquid inlet of the wheel groove.

[0009] Optionally, the middle part of the wheel groove is lower than both ends of the wheel groove.

[0010] Optionally, the base station body also includes a wastewater recovery component for recovering wastewater from the wheels;

[0011] The cleaning assembly further includes a waste liquid transfer assembly disposed within the cleaning unit body, wherein the outlet of the waste liquid transfer assembly is connected to the inlet of the waste liquid recovery assembly, and the inlet of the waste liquid transfer assembly is connected to the outlet of the wheel groove.

[0012] Optionally, the wheel cleaning part is disposed at the bottom of the receiving cavity.

[0013] Optionally, the wheel cleaning unit is disposed adjacent to the base station body.

[0014] Optionally, the accommodating cavity includes a first channel opening and a second channel opening, the first channel opening and the second channel opening being disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the base station body and penetrating the base station body; or,

[0015] The accommodating cavity includes a third channel opening for the robot to enter and exit the base station body.

[0016] In a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for a robot to return to its home position, wherein the robot is capable of communicating with the aforementioned base station, the method comprising:

[0017] Receive return command;

[0018] According to the return command, the robot is controlled to walk along the edge of a preset marker to enter the accommodating cavity of the base station, wherein the back of the base station abuts against the edge of the preset marker, the preset marker abuts against the back of the base station with an edge of a preset length, and the direction in which the robot enters the accommodating cavity is consistent with the walking direction of the robot along the edge of the preset marker.

[0019] Optionally, the robot stores at least one edge position, the edge position being located on the edge of the preset marker abutting the back of the base station, and controlling the robot to walk along the edge of the preset marker to enter the accommodating cavity of the base station according to the return command includes:

[0020] Search the edge location according to the return command;

[0021] Based on the edge position, the robot is controlled to walk along the edge of a preset marker to enter the accommodating cavity of the base station.

[0022] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a robot, comprising:

[0023] At least one processor; and,

[0024] A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein,

[0025] The memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor, which enables the at least one processor to perform the robot's return-to-home method described above.

[0026] In the base station provided in the embodiments of the present invention, the base station body includes a receiving cavity for accommodating a robot. The wheel cleaning part includes a cleaning part body and a cleaning component. The cleaning part body is provided with a wheel groove, and the cleaning component is disposed on the wheel groove. When the robot's walking wheel enters the wheel groove, the cleaning component cleans the walking wheel. Therefore, the cleaning component can automatically clean the robot's walking wheel in the wheel groove without manual cleaning, which is beneficial to improving the cleaning efficiency and convenience of the wheel. Attached Figure Description

[0027] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a base station structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the robot is located inside the accommodating cavity;

[0029] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of a base station provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a base station structure is provided for another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the accommodating cavity is provided with two channel openings;

[0031] Figure 4 A front view of a base station provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid inlet transfer assembly and the waste liquid transfer assembly provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of a base station along its central axis, provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a base station structure provided in another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the functional channel port is disposed on a first side of the base station body that deviates from the direction of the wheel groove;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base station provided in another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the accommodating cavity is provided with a single channel opening;

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a base station structure provided in another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the wheel cleaning part is disposed adjacent to the base station body;

[0037] Figure 10 In order to be in Figure 9The diagram shown illustrates the state of the base station where the wheel cleaning unit has rotated to a position parallel to the ground.

[0038] Figure 11 In order to be in Figure 9 The diagram shows the state of the base station where the wheel cleaning unit has rotated to a position where it is attached to the back of the base station body.

[0039] Figure 12 for Figure 11 The diagram shows the state of the base station from another angle.

[0040] Figure 13 A flowchart illustrating a robot return-to-home method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0043] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the various features in the embodiments of this invention can be combined with each other, all of which are within the protection scope of this invention. Furthermore, although functional modules are divided in the device schematic diagram and a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be executed in a different order than the module division in the device or the order in the flowchart. Moreover, the terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this invention do not limit the data or execution order, but only distinguish identical or similar items with essentially the same function and effect.

[0044] This invention provides a base station. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 The base station 10 includes the base station body 20 and the wheel cleaning unit 30.

[0045] The base station body 20 includes a receiving cavity 20a, which is used to house the robot 40. The robot 40 may be a sweeping robot, a vacuuming robot, a mopping robot, a floor washing robot, or a food delivery robot, etc.

[0046] like Figure 1As shown, the accommodating cavity 20a includes a first channel opening 201 and a second channel opening 202. The first channel opening 201 and the second channel opening 202 are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the base station body 20 and pass straight through the base station body. The robot 40 can enter the accommodating cavity 20a through the first channel opening 201 and then leave the accommodating cavity 20a through the second channel opening 202. In this way, the robot 40 can enter the accommodating cavity 20a according to the original walking path, and after completing the wheel cleaning operation with the help of the wheel cleaning unit 30, it can leave the accommodating cavity 20a without having to leave the accommodating cavity 20a by using the first-in-the-backward method. This can improve the walking efficiency of the robot 40.

[0047] Please see Figure 2 The base station body 20 includes a shell 21, an outer cover 22, a first upper pile plate 23, a second upper pile plate 24, a liquid supply component 25, and a waste liquid recovery component 26.

[0048] The outer casing 21 is used to support and protect various components within the base station 10, wherein the bottom of the outer casing 21 is provided with the receiving cavity 20a. The outer casing 21 can be constructed into any suitable shape, such as square or circular.

[0049] The outer cover 22 is provided on the outer surface of the outer shell 21 to protect the outer shell 21, wherein the shape of the outer cover 22 is adapted to the shape of the outer shell 21.

[0050] The first upper pile plate 23 is located at the first channel opening 201, and the second upper pile plate 24 is located at the second channel opening 202. The robot 40 enters the receiving cavity 20a via the first upper pile plate 23, then reaches the second upper pile plate 24 from the receiving cavity 20a, and finally leaves the base station 10 from the second upper pile plate 24. Since the first upper pile plate 23 and the second upper pile plate 24 can assist the robot 40 to quickly and reliably enter the receiving cavity 20a of the base station body 20, this indirectly improves the efficiency of the cleaning wheels.

[0051] In some embodiments, the walking surfaces of the first upper plate 23 and / or the second upper plate 24 are provided with deceleration sections 27. The deceleration section 27 of the first upper plate 23 can reduce the speed at which the robot 40 enters the receiving cavity 20 via the first upper plate 23, thus allowing the robot 40 to slowly carry its wheels through the wheel cleaning section 30, giving the wheel cleaning section 30 relatively more time to clean the wheels. Alternatively, the deceleration section 27 of the second upper plate 23 can reduce the speed at which the robot 40 leaves the receiving cavity 20 via the second upper plate 24, which helps to increase the robot 40's walking strategy adjustment time.

[0052] In some embodiments, the deceleration unit 27 includes a first deceleration band 271 and a second deceleration band 272. The first deceleration band 271 and the second deceleration band 272 are disposed opposite to each upper pile plate on the walking surface. Thus, when the robot 40 enters the first upper pile plate 23 or the second upper pile plate 24, the first deceleration band 271 can decelerate one side of the robot 40's wheels, and the second deceleration band 272 can decelerate the other side of the robot 40's wheels, thereby effectively reducing the walking speed of the robot 40.

[0053] In some embodiments, each speed bump includes multiple speed strips 273 arranged side by side. The speed strips 273 can not only slow down the walking speed of the robot 40, but also increase the shaking amplitude of the robot 40 on the upper pile plate due to the certain height of the speed strips 273. Through shaking, some of the garbage carried by the wheels of the robot 40 can be shaken out, and the purpose of initially cleaning the wheels can also be achieved.

[0054] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the upper pile plate along the axis of symmetry is wedge-shaped.

[0055] In some embodiments, the walking surface of the upper pile plate is set at an angle relative to the horizontal plane, wherein the height of the upper pile plate gradually decreases from the direction of the upper pile plate near the outer shell to the direction of the upper pile plate away from the outer shell, and the side of the upper pile plate near the outer shell is aligned with the bottom of the accommodating cavity, which facilitates the robot 40 to quickly enter the first upper pile plate 23 or the second upper pile plate 24.

[0056] The liquid supply assembly 25 is used to provide a clean liquid for cleaning the robot's wheels. The clean liquid includes purified water or an aqueous solution containing a mixture of chemical reagents.

[0057] In some embodiments, the liquid supply assembly 25 includes a purified liquid tank 251, a liquid supply pipe 252, and a purified liquid pump 253. The purified liquid tank 251 is disposed inside the housing 21 and is used to store purified liquid. The purified liquid tank 251 is provided with a liquid supply inlet. One end of the liquid supply pipe 252 is connected to the liquid supply inlet. The purified liquid pump 253 is disposed on the liquid supply pipe. The other end of the liquid supply pipe 252 is used to output purified liquid. It can be understood that the other end of the liquid supply pipe 252 can serve as the liquid outlet of the liquid supply assembly 25.

[0058] When the purified liquid pump 253 is operating under control, the purified liquid in the purified liquid tank 251 is output through the outlet of the supply pipe 252. When the purified liquid pump 253 is stopped under control, the purified liquid in the purified liquid tank 251 cannot be output through the outlet of the supply pipe 252.

[0059] The wastewater recovery assembly 26 is used to recover wastewater from wheels, specifically the wastewater used to clean the wheels. In some embodiments, the wastewater recovery assembly 26 includes a wastewater tank 261, a wastewater pipe 262, and a wastewater pump 263. The wastewater tank 261 is disposed within the housing 21 and is used to store wheel wastewater. The wastewater tank 261 and the clean water tank 251 are arranged side-by-side within the housing 21.

[0060] The waste tank 261 is provided with a waste inlet, one end of the waste pipe 262 is connected to the waste inlet, the waste pump 263 is installed on the waste pipe 262, and the other end of the waste pipe 262 is used to introduce waste from the wheel. It can be understood that the other end of the waste pipe 262 can serve as the inlet of the waste recycling component 26.

[0061] When the waste pump 263 is operating under control, the waste from the wheel is collected into the waste tank 261 through the inlet of the waste pipe 262. When the waste pump 263 is stopped under control, the waste from the wheel cannot be collected into the waste tank 261 through the inlet of the waste pipe 262.

[0062] The wheel cleaning unit 30 is used to clean the walking wheels of the robot 40. The wheel cleaning unit 30 is located at the bottom of the receiving cavity 20a, for example, the wheel cleaning unit 30 is located at the bottom of the receiving cavity 20a.

[0063] In some embodiments, the wheel cleaning part 30 can be integrally formed with the base station body 20, for example, the cleaning part body 31 is integrally formed with the base station body 20.

[0064] In some embodiments, the wheel cleaning part 30 is designed separately from the base station body 20. For example, the accommodating cavity 20a is provided with a fixing groove, the shape of which is adapted to the shape of the wheel cleaning part 30, and the wheel cleaning part 30 is disposed in the fixing groove.

[0065] Please continue reading. Figure 2 The wheel cleaning unit 30 includes a cleaning unit body 31 and cleaning components.

[0066] The cleaning unit body 31 has wheel grooves 32, and the cleaning components are disposed on the wheel grooves 32. When the robot 40 enters the receiving cavity 20a, the wheels of the robot 40 can walk within the wheel grooves 32. Since the cleaning components can contact and rub against the wheel grooves 32, it helps the wheels to shake off debris, thus achieving the purpose of cleaning the wheels. Therefore, the cleaning components can automatically clean the robot's wheels in the wheel grooves without manual cleaning, which improves the cleaning efficiency and convenience of the wheels.

[0067] The direction of the wheel groove 32 is consistent with the direction in which the robot 40 enters the receiving cavity 20a. In this way, the robot 40 can directly enter the receiving cavity 20a without changing its original walking path in order to clean the wheels. The wheels of the robot 40 can then enter the wheel groove 32. The wheel groove 32 can contact and rub against the wheels, which can also achieve the purpose of cleaning the wheels and improve the walking efficiency of the robot.

[0068] The wheel groove 32 has a semi-elliptical cross-section along the radial direction, wherein the width of the wheel groove 32 is approximately the same as the width of the wheel. In some embodiments, the number of wheel grooves 32 is the same as the number of wheels of the robot 40. See also Figure 3 The cleaning unit body 31 is provided with three wheel grooves 32. The first wheel groove is used to accommodate the left wheel of the robot, the second wheel groove is used to accommodate the right wheel of the robot, and the third wheel groove is used to accommodate the universal wheel of the robot.

[0069] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The cleaning component includes a cleaning element 33, which is disposed within the wheel groove 32. When the base station 10 enters the dry cleaning mode, when the wheels of the robot 40 enter the wheel groove 32 to move, the cleaning element 32 can scrape or sweep off the debris on the wheels, thereby cleaning the wheels.

[0070] In some embodiments, there are multiple cleaning components 33, which are evenly distributed on the wheel groove 32, so that the wheel can be cleaned more effectively.

[0071] In some embodiments, the cleaning component 33 is made of silicone. Because silicone is soft and has strong adsorption properties, the cleaning component 33 is less likely to damage the wheels of the robot 40 and can effectively clean the debris on the wheels. In some embodiments, the cleaning component 33 is a silicone brush.

[0072] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 and combined Figure 2 The cleaning assembly also includes a liquid inlet transfer assembly 34, which is disposed inside the cleaning unit body 31. The liquid inlet of the liquid inlet transfer assembly 34 is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid supply assembly 25, and the liquid outlet of the liquid inlet transfer assembly 34 is connected to the liquid inlet of the wheel groove 32. The wheel groove 32 is provided with a first through hole, which serves as the liquid inlet.

[0073] When the base station 10 enters the wet washing mode, when the wheel of the robot 40 enters the wheel groove 32, the clean liquid of the liquid supply component 25 is transferred to the inlet of the liquid inlet transmission component 34 through the liquid outlet. The liquid transmission component 34 sprays the clean liquid into the wheel groove 32 through the liquid inlet of the wheel groove 32, thus washing the wheel of the robot 40. This method can clean the wheel more thoroughly.

[0074] In some embodiments, the liquid inlet of the wheel groove 32 is located at one or both ends of the wheel groove 32, that is, the first through hole is located at one or both ends of the wheel groove 32. When the liquid inlet of the wheel groove 32 is located at one end of the wheel groove 32, the clean liquid can clean the wheels of the robot 40 when the robot 40 enters or exits the receiving cavity 20a. When the liquid inlet of the wheel groove 32 is located at both ends of the wheel groove 32, the clean liquid can clean the wheels of the robot 40 when the robot 40 enters and exits the receiving cavity 20a, resulting in a higher degree of cleaning.

[0075] In some embodiments, when there are multiple wheel grooves 32, each wheel groove 32 may be provided with a first through hole as a liquid inlet, and the liquid outlet of the liquid inlet transmission component 34 is connected to the liquid inlet of each wheel groove 32. Thus, when the base station 10 enters the wet washing mode, the liquid inlet transmission component 34 can spray clean liquid onto each wheel groove 32 to wash each wheel of the robot 40.

[0076] In some embodiments, the number of first through holes in each groove 32 can be one or more, such as Figure 3 As shown, each end of the first, second, and third wheel grooves has a first through hole as a liquid inlet, meaning each wheel groove 32 has two first through holes as liquid inlets, for a total of six first through holes across the three wheel grooves 32. Since the two first through holes are located at both ends of the wheel groove 32, the liquid inlet transmission component 34 can spray water at both ends of each wheel groove 32. Thus, when the robot 40 enters the entrance and exit of the base station 10, the clean liquid can clean the wheels, ensuring the cleanliness of the wheels.

[0077] In some embodiments, the liquid inlet transfer assembly 34 includes at least one liquid inlet pipe 341, wherein the number of liquid inlet pipes 341 is the same as the number of first through holes, such as... Figure 3 As shown, since there are 6 first through holes, there are 6 inlet pipes 341.

[0078] In some embodiments, when there are multiple inlet pipes 341, the inlet transfer assembly 34 further includes an inlet connector 342. The inlet connector 342 includes a purified liquid inlet and a purified liquid outlet. The purified liquid inlet is connected to the outlet of the supply pipe 252, and the purified liquid outlet is connected to the inlet pipe 341. The number of purified liquid outlets is the same as the number of inlet pipes 341. Figure 3 As shown, there are 6 inlet pipes 341 and 6 purified liquid outlets. The purified liquid output from the supply pipe 252 is distributed to the corresponding inlet pipe 341 through the 6 purified liquid outlets, thus achieving a one-to-many effect and saving pipeline design costs.

[0079] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6The middle part of the wheel groove 32 is lower than both ends of the wheel groove 32. When the base station 10 enters the wet washing mode, the clean liquid is sprayed from one or both ends of the wheel groove 32 onto the wheels of the robot 40. Since the middle part of the wheel groove 32 is lower than both ends of the wheel groove 32, the clean liquid will flow from one end of the wheel groove 32 to the middle part of the wheel groove 32. Therefore, the flow direction of the clean liquid will be relatively fixed, avoiding splashing or random flow of the clean liquid to the surrounding area, thereby avoiding the clean liquid overflow and causing pollution to the ground or the surrounding area.

[0080] In some embodiments, the center of the wheel groove 32 is the lowest point of the wheel groove 32, so that the clean liquid sprayed onto the robot's wheel can flow back to the lowest point of the wheel groove 32, preventing the clean liquid from spreading to other locations.

[0081] In some embodiments, the cross-section of the wheel groove 32 along the central axis is arc-shaped, so that the clean liquid can flow back smoothly and slowly to the middle of the wheel groove 32, and at the same time, it also helps the robot's wheels to pass through the wheel groove 32 stably.

[0082] In some embodiments, please continue reading Figure 5 and combined Figure 2 The cleaning assembly also includes a wastewater transfer assembly 35, which is disposed within the cleaning unit body 31. The outlet of the wastewater transfer assembly 35 is connected to the inlet of the wastewater recovery assembly 26, and the inlet of the wastewater transfer assembly 35 is connected to the outlet of the wheel groove 32. The wheel groove 32 is provided with a second through hole, which serves as the outlet of the wheel groove 32.

[0083] When base station 10 enters wet washing mode, when the wheels of robot 40 enter wheel groove 32, the clean liquid is sprayed onto the wheels, turning into wheel waste liquid. The wheel waste liquid then flows back to the second through hole, that is, back to the liquid outlet of wheel groove 32. Under the action of waste liquid pump 263, waste liquid transfer component 35 can extract the wheel waste liquid located in the second through hole, thereby completing the waste liquid recycling operation. For example, waste liquid pump 263 can recycle the wheel waste liquid located in the second through hole into waste liquid tank 261. Since base station 10 can wash the wheels of robot 40 and can also recycle the wheel waste liquid after washing the wheels, base station 10 can prevent wheel waste liquid from overflowing to the outside or accumulating in wheel groove 32, causing secondary pollution to the wheels or bad smell caused by water accumulation.

[0084] In some embodiments, the outlet of the wheel groove 32 is located in the middle of the wheel groove 32, that is, the second through hole is located in the middle of the wheel groove 32. Since the middle of the wheel groove 32 is lower than the two ends of the wheel groove 32, the wheel sludge tends to concentrate in the middle of the wheel groove 32. When the outlet of the wheel groove 32 is located in the middle of the wheel groove 32, the wheel sludge can easily enter the sludge transfer assembly 35, which is beneficial to improving the recycling efficiency.

[0085] In some embodiments, when there are multiple wheel grooves 32, each wheel groove 32 can be provided with a second through hole as a liquid outlet, and the liquid inlet of the waste liquid transfer assembly 35 is connected to the liquid outlet of each wheel groove 32. Thus, when the base station 10 enters the wet washing mode, the waste liquid transfer assembly 35 can recover the wheel waste liquid from each wheel groove 32, thereby ensuring a reduction in the amount of waste liquid in each wheel groove 32.

[0086] In some embodiments, the number of second through holes in each groove 32 can be one or more, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first, second, and third wheel grooves each have a second through hole in the middle as an outlet, that is, the second through hole of each wheel groove 32 serves as an inlet, and the three wheel grooves 32 have a total of 3 second through holes.

[0087] In some embodiments, the second through hole is located at the lowest position of the wheel groove, so that the wheel sludge can be concentrated on the second through hole to the greatest extent, and the sludge recovery assembly 26 can recover the wheel sludge to the greatest extent through the sludge transfer assembly 35.

[0088] In some embodiments, the wastewater transfer assembly 35 includes at least one outlet pipe 351, wherein the number of outlet pipes 351 is the same as the number of second through holes, such as... Figure 3 As shown, since there are 3 second through holes, there are 3 outlet pipes 351.

[0089] In some embodiments, when there are multiple outlet pipes 351, the wastewater transfer assembly 35 further includes an outlet connector 352. The outlet connector 352 includes a wastewater inlet and a wastewater outlet, wherein the wastewater inlet is connected to the outlet of the outlet pipe 351, and the wastewater outlet is connected to the wastewater pipe 26. The number of wastewater inlets is the same as the number of outlet pipes 351. Figure 3 As shown, there are three outlet pipes 351 and three sewage inlets. The sewage from the wheels output by the three outlet pipes 351 is collected through the three sewage inlets, and the collected sewage is then input into the sewage pipe 26 through the sewage outlet. This achieves a one-to-many effect and saves on pipeline design costs.

[0090] The working principle of the base station provided in this embodiment for cleaning the robot's wheels is as follows:

[0091] When the base station receives a wheel cleaning command, it controls the clean liquid pump 253 to operate. The clean liquid pump 253 draws clean liquid from the clean liquid tank 251 and sprays it onto the wheel groove 32 through the liquid supply pipe 252, thus cleaning the wheels of the robot 40. Simultaneously, upon receiving a cleaning completion command, the base station stops the clean liquid pump 253 and starts the dirty liquid pump 263, which collects the dirty liquid from the wheels back into the dirty liquid tank 261, thereby completing the wheel cleaning operation.

[0092] When the base station does not receive a wheel cleaning command, the robot 40 enters the wheel groove 32, and the wheel achieves the purpose of cleaning the wheel debris by contacting the wheel groove 32 and the cleaning component 33.

[0093] Understandably, the wheel cleaning command and / or cleaning end command can be sent to the base station 10 by the mobile terminal. Alternatively, the wheel cleaning command and / or cleaning end command can be sent to the base station 10 by the robot 40, for example, after the robot 40 has entered the receiving cavity 20a, the robot 40 sends the wheel cleaning command to the base station. Alternatively, the wheel cleaning command and / or cleaning end command can be detected by sensors of the base station, such as weight sensors, which are installed on the first pile plate 23 and the second pile plate 24. When the robot enters the first pile plate 23, the weight sensor detects the robot's entry and generates a wheel cleaning command; when the robot enters the second pile plate 24, the weight sensor detects the robot's entry and generates a cleaning end command.

[0094] In some embodiments, the base station 10 has a power supply function, wherein the power supply electrode of the base station 10 can be disposed on the side wall of the accommodating cavity 20a. Since the charging electrode of the robot 40 is disposed on its side, when the robot 40 enters the accommodating cavity 20a from the first channel port 201, the charging electrode of the robot 40 can dock with the power supply electrode of the base station 10 to complete the charging operation.

[0095] The difference from the above embodiments lies in that, to achieve the power supply function, the base station 10 includes a first telescopic mechanism and a power supply electrode. The first telescopic mechanism is connected to the power supply electrode to drive the power supply electrode to extend and retract. A power supply port is provided at the top of the accommodating cavity 20a, and the first telescopic charging component can extend or retract from the power supply port. Since the charging electrode of the robot 40 is located on the top surface, when the robot 40 enters the accommodating cavity 20a through the first channel 201, the charging electrode of the robot 40 faces the power supply port. The first telescopic mechanism drives the power supply electrode to extend out of the power supply port, and the power supply electrode docks with the charging electrode to complete the charging operation. After charging is complete, the first telescopic mechanism drives the power supply electrode to retract back into the power supply port.

[0096] In some embodiments, the base station 10 has a dust collection function. The base station 10 includes a dust collection box, a dust collection pipe, a second telescopic mechanism, and a fan. A dust collection port is provided at the top of the accommodating cavity 20a. One end of the dust collection pipe is connected to the dust collection box, and the other end is opposite to the dust collection port. The second telescopic mechanism is connected to the dust collection pipe to drive the dust collection pipe to extend and retract. The fan is mounted on the dust collection pipe. When the robot 40 enters the accommodating cavity 20a through the first channel opening 201, the second telescopic mechanism drives the dust collection pipe to extend beyond the dust collection port, so that the dust collection pipe connects to the garbage outlet of the robot 40. The fan then starts working to recycle the garbage collected by the robot 40 into the dust collection box.

[0097] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 7 The accommodating cavity 20a includes a functional channel port 20b, which is located on the first side 20c of the base station body 20, which is offset from the wheel groove 32. The robot 40 enters the base station body 20 through the functional channel port 20b to perform corresponding functional operations.

[0098] Please continue reading. Figure 7 To facilitate the robot 40's entry into the functional passageway 20b, the base station body 20 also includes a third upper piling plate 28. The third upper piling plate 28 is disposed at the functional passageway 20b, and its walking surface is also provided with a deceleration section. In some embodiments, the cross-section of the third upper piling plate 28 along the axis of symmetry is wedge-shaped. In some embodiments, the walking surface of the third upper piling plate 28 is set at an angle relative to the horizontal plane, wherein the height of the third upper piling plate 28 gradually decreases from the direction of the third upper piling plate 28 near the outer shell to the direction of the third upper piling plate 28 away from the outer shell, and the side of the third upper piling plate 28 near the outer shell is aligned with the bottom of the accommodating cavity, which facilitates the robot 40's rapid entry into the third upper piling plate 28.

[0099] Please continue reading. Figure 7 The second side 20d, which is directly opposite the first side 20c, is provided with a power supply electrode 20e. After the robot 40 enters the base station body 20 through the functional channel port 20b, the charging electrode of the robot 40 can connect with the power supply electrode 20e, thereby completing the charging operation.

[0100] Unlike the base station body 20 provided in the above embodiments, which has a straight-through first channel opening 201 and a second channel opening 202, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 8 The accommodating cavity 20a includes a third channel port 203 for the robot 40 to enter and exit the base station body 20.

[0101] When robot 40 enters the receiving cavity 20a through the third channel 203, base station 10 controls the clean liquid pump 253 to operate. The clean liquid pump 253 draws clean liquid from the clean liquid tank 251 and sprays it onto the wheel groove 32 through the supply pipe 252, thus cleaning the wheels of robot 40. Simultaneously, the base station receives a cleaning completion command, controls the clean liquid pump 253 to stop operating, and controls the waste liquid pump 263 to operate. The waste liquid pump 263 collects the waste liquid from the wheels into the waste liquid tank 261, thereby completing the wheel cleaning operation. After the wheel cleaning operation is completed, robot 40 performs a backward movement, retracting out of the receiving cavity 20a.

[0102] In some embodiments, the end of the wheel groove 32 near the third channel opening 203 is higher than the other end away from the third channel opening 203. The liquid inlet of the wheel groove 32 is located at the end of the wheel groove 32 near the third channel opening 203, and the liquid outlet of the wheel groove 32 is located in the middle of the wheel groove 32.

[0103] Please continue reading. Figure 8 The base station body 20 also includes a fourth upper piling plate 29, which is located at the third channel opening 203. The robot 40 enters the third channel opening 203 through the fourth upper piling plate 29. Since the fourth upper piling plate 29 can assist the robot 40 to quickly and reliably enter the accommodating cavity 20a of the base station body 20, this indirectly improves the efficiency of the cleaning wheels.

[0104] Unlike the wheel cleaning section 30 provided in the above embodiments, which is located at the bottom of the receiving cavity 20a, in some embodiments, please refer to... Figure 9 The wheel cleaning unit 30 is arranged adjacent to the base station body 20.

[0105] Understandably, the liquid inlet transmission component 34 of the wheel cleaning unit 30 can be detachably or connected to the liquid supply component 25 of the base station 20 via a hose, so that the liquid supply component 25 can spray water into the wheel groove 32 through the liquid inlet transmission component 34. Similarly, the waste liquid transmission component 35 of the wheel cleaning unit 30 can be detachably or connected to the waste liquid recovery component 26 of the base station 20 via a hose, so that the waste liquid recovery component 26 can recover the wheel waste liquid accumulated in the wheel groove 32 through the waste liquid transmission component 35.

[0106] In some embodiments, the robot 40 may first go through the wheel cleaning process of the wheel cleaning section 30 before entering the base station body 20 to perform functional operations, such as charging or dust collection.

[0107] In some embodiments, the robot 40 may first enter the base station body 20 to perform functional operations, and then enter the wheel cleaning section 30 to perform wheel cleaning operations.

[0108] In some embodiments, the wheel cleaning unit 30 is folded and disposed on the back of the base station body 20. Thus, when the user does not need to clean the wheels of the robot 40, the user can fold and attach the wheel cleaning unit 30 to the back of the base station body 20. When the user needs to clean the wheels of the robot 40, the user can untie the wheel cleaning unit 30 from the back of the base station body 30 and place the wheel cleaning unit 30 on the ground, thereby reducing the space occupied by the wheel cleaning unit 30.

[0109] The wheel cleaning unit 30 has a movable connector near the back of the base station body 20. The wheel cleaning unit 30 is connected to the back of the base station body 20 via the movable connector, and the wheel cleaning unit 30 can rotate relative to the back of the base station body 20. (See also...) Figure 10 The wheel cleaning unit 30 can rotate to a position parallel to the ground, or, please refer to... Figure 11 The wheel cleaning unit 30 can rotate to a position where it is attached to the back of the base station body 20.

[0110] In some embodiments, the movable connector is a ratchet mechanism.

[0111] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 12 The side length of the wheel cleaning part 30 connected to the base station body 20 is equal to the side length of the base station body 20 connected to the wheel cleaning part 30. This allows the width of the wheel cleaning part 30 to match the width of the base station body 20 when the wheel cleaning part 30 is folded and attached to the back of the base station body 20, thus minimizing the space occupied by the wheel cleaning part 30.

[0112] As another aspect of this invention, this embodiment provides a method for a robot to return to its home position. The robot is capable of communicating with a base station, wherein the base station is the type described in the above embodiments. Please refer to... Figure 13 The robot's return-to-home method includes the following steps:

[0113] S131: Receive return command;

[0114] S132: According to the return command, control the robot to walk along the edge of the preset marker to enter the accommodating cavity of the base station, wherein the back of the base station abuts against the edge of the preset marker, the preset marker abuts against the back of the base station with an edge of a corresponding length, and the direction in which the robot enters the accommodating cavity is consistent with the walking direction of the robot along the edge of the preset marker.

[0115] In S131, the return-to-home command is used to instruct the robot to return to the base station. In some embodiments, the return-to-home command is generated when the robot detects that its battery level is below a threshold. In some embodiments, the return-to-home command is generated when the robot needs to switch between different cleaning areas.

[0116] In S132, the preset calibration object includes a designated obstacle or other objects specified by the user. The designated obstacle includes a wall or an object with a certain length of edge to allow the robot to walk along the edge. The edge is the boundary of the preset calibration object, and the length of the edge of the preset calibration object can be determined by the size of the preset calibration object. For example, the length of the edge of the preset calibration object is 50cm, 80cm, 1m, or 2m, etc. Further, when the preset calibration object is a wall, the length of the edge is determined by the length of the wall that the robot is against.

[0117] Because the robot can enter the cavity along the edge, it can directly enter the base station's cavity without changing its original walking direction or adjusting its current trajectory. The wheel cleaning unit can then clean the robot's wheels. After the wheels are cleaned, the robot can leave the base station's cavity and continue walking in its original direction or current trajectory. This allows for wheel cleaning without changing the original walking direction or current trajectory, thus improving walking efficiency.

[0118] In some embodiments, the robot stores at least one edge position located on the edge of the back of a preset marker abutting the base station. Controlling the robot to walk along the edge of the preset marker to enter the base station's accommodating cavity according to a return-to-home command includes the following steps: searching for the edge position according to the return-to-home command; and controlling the robot to walk along the edge of the preset marker to enter the base station's accommodating cavity based on the edge position. When the robot needs to return for cleaning or recharging after performing its task, it can find the edge position and walk along it. This saves time searching for the return-to-home trajectory and allows direct entry into the base station for recharging or cleaning, thus avoiding the defect of inaccurate infrared signal capture due to indoor space obstacles.

[0119] In some embodiments, searching for edge locations based on a return-to-home command includes: using the base station location of the base station as the edge location based on the return-to-home command.

[0120] In some embodiments, searching for edge locations based on the return-to-home command includes: determining the edge line corresponding to the base station and marking both ends of the edge line as edge locations.

[0121] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, there is no necessarily a certain order between the steps. Those skilled in the art can understand from the description of the embodiments of the present invention that the above steps may have different execution orders in different embodiments, that is, they may be executed in parallel or in turn, etc.

[0122] Please see Figure 14 , Figure 14This is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 As shown, the robot 140 includes one or more processors 141 and a memory 142. Wherein, Figure 14 Take a processor 141 as an example.

[0123] Processor 141 and memory 142 can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 14 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0124] The memory 142, as a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, can be used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / modules corresponding to the robot's return-to-home method in the embodiments of the present invention. The processor 141 executes the function of the robot's return-to-home method provided in the above method embodiments by running the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and modules stored in the memory 142.

[0125] Memory 142 may include high-speed random access memory, and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, memory 142 may optionally include memory remotely located relative to processor 141, and such remote memory may be connected to processor 141 via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0126] The program instructions / modules are stored in the memory 142 and, when executed by one or more processors 141, execute the robot return method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0127] This invention also provides a storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that are executed by one or more processors, for example... Figure 9 One of the processors 141 can enable the one or more processors to execute the robot return method in any of the above method embodiments.

[0128] This invention also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program stored on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. The computer program includes program instructions that, when executed by a robot, cause the robot to perform any of the robot return methods described above.

[0129] The device or equipment embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The unit modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as module units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network module units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0130] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented using software plus a general-purpose hardware platform, or of course, using hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the parts that contribute to the related technology, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0131] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; under the concept of the present invention, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of the present invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for a robot to return to its starting point, characterized in that, The robot is capable of communicating with a base station; The base station includes: The base station body includes a accommodating cavity for accommodating a robot; The wheel cleaning unit includes a cleaning unit body and a cleaning component. The cleaning unit body is provided with a wheel groove, and the cleaning component is disposed on the wheel groove. When the robot's walking wheel enters the wheel groove, the cleaning component cleans the walking wheel. The method includes: Receive return command; According to the return command, the robot is controlled to walk along the edge of a preset marker to enter the accommodating cavity of the base station. The robot stores at least one edge position, which is located on the edge of the preset marker abutting against the back of the base station. The back of the base station abuts against the edge of the preset marker. The preset marker extends along the back of the base station with an edge of a corresponding length. The direction in which the robot enters the accommodating cavity is consistent with the direction in which the robot walks along the edge of the preset marker.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of controlling the robot to walk along the edge of a preset marker to enter the accommodating cavity of the base station according to the return command includes: Search the edge location according to the return command; Based on the edge position, the robot is controlled to walk along the edge of the preset marker to enter the accommodating cavity of the base station.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base station body includes a liquid supply component for providing clean liquid; The cleaning component includes a liquid inlet transfer component disposed within the cleaning unit body, wherein the liquid inlet of the liquid inlet transfer component is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid supply component, and the liquid outlet of the liquid inlet transfer component is connected to the liquid inlet of the wheel groove.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The middle part of the wheel groove is lower than both ends of the wheel groove.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The base station body also includes a wastewater recovery component for recycling wheel wastewater; The cleaning assembly further includes a waste liquid transfer assembly disposed within the cleaning unit body, wherein the outlet of the waste liquid transfer assembly is connected to the inlet of the waste liquid recovery assembly, and the inlet of the waste liquid transfer assembly is connected to the outlet of the wheel groove.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The wheel cleaning section is located at the bottom of the accommodating cavity.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The wheel cleaning unit is disposed adjacent to the base station body.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The accommodating cavity includes a first channel opening and a second channel opening, which are disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the base station body and penetrate the base station body; or, The accommodating cavity includes a third channel opening for the robot to enter and exit the base station body.

9. A robot, characterized in that, include: At least one processor; as well as, A memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the robot return method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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