Automatic detection method and liquid application device

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application provide an automatic detection method and a liquid-using device. The automatic detection method is used to detect the state of a liquid storage container in a liquid-using device. The liquid storage container is detachably arranged in the liquid-using device. The liquid-using device includes a plurality of container liquid level sensors. The plurality of container liquid level sensors are detachably arranged at different heights of the liquid storage container. The method includes: obtaining a plurality of first liquid level signals detected by the plurality of container liquid level sensors; based on the plurality of first liquid level signals, determining the state of the liquid storage container, wherein the state of the liquid storage container includes an in-place state and an out-of-place state. The detection method can be implemented without an additional detection device, which can significantly reduce costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of liquid-using equipment, and more specifically to an automatic detection method and a liquid-using equipment. Background Art

[0002] Liquid-using equipment is widely used in various usage scenarios, such as water-using cleaning equipment. Liquid-using equipment is usually provided with a liquid storage container and can only be used normally when the liquid storage container is installed in place. In some usage scenarios of liquid-using equipment, its liquid storage container and the liquid-using end may need to be temporarily separated. Taking cleaning equipment such as a floor scrubber as an example, when the user adds water to or cleans the clean water tank of the floor scrubber, the clean water tank needs to be separated from the cleaning host. In order to ensure the good use of the liquid-using equipment, it is expected to accurately identify the status of the liquid storage container.

[0003] In the prior art, the state of the liquid storage container is often detected by a complex sensing device. For example, when the clean water tank of the floor scrubber is connected to the cleaning main body, a contact sensing device provided on the cleaning main body is squeezed to detect whether the clean water tank is in place. However, this solution has a complex structure and high cost. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application is proposed in view of the above problems. According to one aspect of the present application, an automatic detection method is provided for detecting the state of a liquid storage container in a liquid-using device, wherein the liquid storage container is detachably arranged in the liquid-using device, and the liquid-using device comprises a plurality of container liquid level sensors, and the plurality of container liquid level sensors are detachably arranged at different heights of the liquid storage container, and the method comprises: obtaining a plurality of first liquid level signals detected by the plurality of container liquid level sensors; and determining the state of the liquid storage container based on the plurality of first liquid level signals, wherein the state of the liquid storage container comprises an in-place state and an out-of-place state.

[0005] Exemplarily, the container liquid level sensor is a photoelectric liquid level sensor; based on multiple first liquid level signals, the state of the liquid storage container is determined, including: determining the electrical parameters of each first liquid level signal according to the multiple first liquid level signals; and determining the state of the liquid storage container according to the number of multiple electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval; wherein, when the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage container is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the first parameter interval; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor or the container liquid level sensor is not in contact with the liquid storage container, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the second parameter interval.

[0006] Exemplarily, the state of the liquid storage container is determined based on the number of electrical parameters that fall into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval, including: if the number of electrical parameters that fall into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval is not 0, determining first information; and based on the first information, determining that the liquid storage container is in place; wherein the first information includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container is not full.

[0007] Exemplarily, the state of the liquid storage container is determined based on the number of electrical parameters that fall into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval, including: if the multiple electrical parameters all fall into the second parameter interval, determining the second information; and determining the state of the liquid storage container based at least on the second information; wherein the second information includes whether the liquid in the liquid storage container is in a full water state or the liquid storage container is in an out-of-place state.

[0008] Exemplarily, the liquid-using device includes a water pump, which is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container, and the liquid outlet is located at the bottom of the liquid storage container; based on at least the second information, the state of the liquid storage container is determined, including: controlling the operation of the water pump and obtaining the pumping state; determining the state of the liquid storage container according to the pumping state and the second information; wherein the pumping state includes a state with no water outflow and a state with water outflow.

[0009] Exemplarily, the state of the liquid storage container is determined based on the pumping state and the second information, including: if the pumping state is a no-water-out state, determining that the liquid storage container is an out-of-position state; if the pumping state is a water-out-flow state, determining that the liquid storage container is an in-position state, and the liquid in the liquid storage container is a full-water state.

[0010] Exemplarily, the liquid-using equipment also includes a pipeline liquid level sensor, which is arranged on the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end. The method also includes: determining the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal based on the second liquid level signal obtained by the pipeline liquid level sensor detecting the liquid in the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end; if the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into a third parameter interval, determining that the pumping state is a state without water outflow; if the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into a fourth parameter interval, determining that the pumping state is a state with water outflow; wherein, when the liquid level is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the third parameter interval; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the fourth parameter interval.

[0011] Exemplarily, the state of the liquid storage container is determined according to the number of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval, including: if the plurality of electrical parameters all fall into the first parameter interval, determining that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state.

[0012] Exemplarily, the liquid-using device also includes a water pump and a liquid-using end, and the water pump is arranged on a pipe between the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container and the liquid-using end. The method also includes: controlling the water pump to pump water from the liquid storage container and obtaining a pumping state, wherein the pumping state includes a no-water-outflow state and a water-outflow state; based on the water-outflow state, determining that the liquid storage container is in a situ state; at least based on the no-water-outflow state, determining that the liquid storage container is in a non-situ state.

[0013] Exemplarily, the method further includes: when it is determined that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state, determining the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage container based on electrical parameters of the plurality of first liquid level signals.

[0014] According to the second aspect of the present application, an automatic detection method is also provided for detecting the state of a liquid storage container in a liquid-using device. The liquid storage container is detachably arranged in the liquid-using device. The liquid-using device includes a water pump, which is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container. The method includes: controlling the operation of the water pump and obtaining the pumping state; determining the state of the liquid storage container according to the pumping state; wherein the pumping state includes a state with no water outflow and a state with water outflow; the state of the liquid storage container includes an in-place state and an out-of-place state.

[0015] Exemplarily, the state of the liquid storage container is determined according to the pumping state, including: if the pumping state is a state with water flowing out, determining that the liquid storage container is in place; if the pumping state is a state with no water flowing out, determining third information; wherein the third information includes that the liquid storage container is not in place and that the liquid in the liquid storage container is dry.

[0016] Exemplarily, the liquid-using equipment is provided with a plurality of container liquid level sensors, the plurality of container liquid level sensors are arranged at different heights of the liquid storage container, the container liquid level sensor comprises a detection pair of tubes and an optical guide structure, the optical guide structure is arranged in the liquid storage container, the detection pair of tubes and the optical guide structure are detachably connected; if the pumping state is a state where no water flows out, determining the third information comprises: obtaining a plurality of first liquid level signals detected by the plurality of container liquid level sensors; determining the electrical parameters of each first liquid level signal according to the plurality of first liquid level signals; if the plurality of electrical parameters all fall into the first parameter range If the water pumping state is in the state of no water outflow, then it is determined that the liquid in the liquid storage container is in the state of no water; if multiple electrical parameters all fall into the second parameter interval, and the water pumping state is in the state of no water outflow, then it is determined that the liquid storage container is not in the state; wherein, when the liquid level in the liquid storage container is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the first parameter interval; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor or the container liquid level sensor is not in contact with the liquid storage container, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the second parameter interval.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the present application, there is also provided a liquid-using device, comprising a liquid storage container, a plurality of container liquid level sensors and a processor, wherein the liquid storage container is detachably arranged on the liquid-using device, and the plurality of liquid level sensors are detachably arranged at different heights of the liquid storage container, for detecting the liquid storage container to obtain a plurality of first liquid level signals; the processor is connected to the plurality of liquid level sensors, for: obtaining the plurality of first liquid level signals; and determining the state of the liquid storage container based on the plurality of first liquid level signals, wherein the state of the liquid storage container includes an in-place state and an out-of-place state.

[0018] Exemplarily, the liquid-using device also includes a water pump, which is arranged on a pipe between the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container and the liquid-using end; the processor is also used to: control the water pump to pump water from the liquid storage container and obtain a pumping status, wherein the pumping status includes a no-water-outflow state and a water-outflow state; based on the water-outflow state, determine that the liquid storage container is in a situ state; at least based on the no-water-outflow state, determine that the liquid storage container is in a non-situ state.

[0019] Exemplarily, the liquid-using equipment also includes a pipeline liquid level sensor, which is arranged on the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end. The processor is also used to: determine the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal based on the second liquid level signal obtained by the pipeline liquid level sensor detecting the liquid in the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end; if the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into a third parameter interval, determine that the pumping state is a state without water outflow; if the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into a fourth parameter interval, determine that the pumping state is a state with water outflow; wherein, when the liquid level is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the third parameter interval; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the fourth parameter interval.

[0020] Exemplarily, the fluid-consuming device is a cleaning device.

[0021] According to the above technical solution, the presence of the liquid storage container can be quickly determined by detecting multiple first liquid level signals from multiple container liquid level sensors. This detection method can be implemented without the need for additional detection devices, which can significantly reduce costs.

[0022] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] By describing the embodiments of the present application in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent. The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the embodiments of the present application, they are used to explain the present application and do not constitute a limitation of the present application. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same components or steps.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a liquid-using device according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of an automatic detection method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of an automatic detection method according to another embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic block diagram of a liquid-using device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown; and

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a liquid-using device according to another embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more obvious, the example embodiments according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the example embodiments described herein. Based on the embodiments of the present application described in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0030] In order to at least partially solve the above technical problems, according to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an automatic detection method is provided. The method can be used to detect the state of a liquid storage container in a liquid-using device. The liquid-using device can be any suitable liquid-using device such as a humidifier, a floor scrubber, etc.

[0031] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a liquid using device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1As shown, the liquid device 100 may include a liquid storage container 110. The liquid storage container 110 is detachably arranged on the liquid device 100. Taking the clean water tank of a floor scrubber as an example, the clean water tank is usually detachable to facilitate users to add water or clean it. The liquid device 100 also includes a plurality of container liquid level sensors 120. The container liquid level sensor 120 can be any existing or future developed liquid level sensor that can realize single-point detection or multi-point detection of liquid level. Exemplarily but not restrictively, the container liquid level sensor can be a photoelectric liquid level sensor, an electrode liquid level sensor, a capacitive liquid level sensor, or a sensor that can detect a waterless state and a water state. Photoelectric liquid level sensors include integrated photoelectric liquid level sensors, separate photoelectric liquid level sensors, and multi-point photoelectric liquid level sensors. The number of container liquid level sensors in the liquid device 100 can be any number, such as 2, 3, 5, etc. The number of container liquid level sensors can be freely set according to actual detection requirements, such as the height and detection accuracy of the liquid storage container.

[0032] The plurality of container level sensors 120 may be detachably disposed at different heights of the liquid storage container 110. Figure 1As shown, a plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 are respectively arranged at different liquid level heights within the corresponding detection range, so as to detect the position of the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 in the liquid storage container 120. The height of each container liquid level sensor can be arbitrarily set according to the actual detection requirements and the detection range. The height difference between any two adjacent container liquid level sensors can be equal or unequal. For example, the number of container liquid level sensors is 3. The liquid capacity of the liquid storage container is 100ml and has a uniform cross-sectional area along its vertical direction. The setting height of the three container liquid level sensors can be arbitrarily set between the scales [0, 100ml] corresponding to the liquid storage container. Optionally, the three container liquid level sensors can correspond to the positions of the 90ml scale, the 60ml scale, and the 30ml scale in the liquid storage container from high to low. Alternatively, the height difference between two adjacent container liquid level sensors may also be unequal. For example, the spacing between the liquid level sensors located below can be smaller than the spacing between the liquid level sensors located above. The three container liquid level sensors can correspond to the positions of the 90ml scale, 50ml scale, and 20ml scale in the liquid storage container from high to low. In one example, the height difference between adjacent container liquid level sensors can be set to be greater than the height difference threshold. Alternatively, for the case where the height difference between adjacent container liquid level sensors is less than or equal to the height difference threshold, the adjacent container liquid level sensors can be staggered in the horizontal direction. This can avoid crosstalk between the signals generated by the adjacent container liquid level sensors. It can be understood that by setting a plurality of liquid level sensors at different liquid level heights, it is convenient to detect a plurality of different liquid levels of the liquid in the liquid storage container. In the above example, the three container liquid level sensors correspond to the positions of the 90ml scale, 50ml scale, and 20ml scale in the liquid storage container, respectively, and at least the above three different liquid levels of the liquid in the liquid storage container can be accurately detected.

[0033] It is understandable that in real life, most of the scale lines of liquid containers are marked with volume units. Such a design of the liquid container can not only indicate the volume of the liquid at the scale line, but also display the height of the liquid level at the scale line. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the liquid level height is expressed in volume units of milliliters (ml). In the embodiment of the present application, the liquid level height of the liquid container can also be marked with height units of millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), decimeters (dm), etc., which can be determined according to actual conditions. That is, the liquid level sensor in the embodiment of the present application detects a certain height, and the height can be expressed on the liquid container in volume units of milliliters (ml), cubic centimeters (cm), etc. 3 dm 3 , cubic meter mm 3 The height may be marked with units of millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), decimeters (dm), meters (m), etc. How a certain height is marked does not affect the automatic detection of the embodiments of the present application.

[0034] Figure 2 FIG. 2 shows a schematic flow chart of an automatic detection method 200 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the automatic detection method 200 includes step S210 and step S220.

[0035] Step S210 , obtaining a plurality of first liquid level signals detected by the plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 .

[0036] Taking the case where multiple container level sensors are all separate photoelectric level sensors as an example, each container level sensor can be arranged on the side wall of the liquid storage container and corresponds to a certain liquid level height of the liquid. By way of example and not limitation, a prism can also be arranged at the position where the container level sensor is arranged on the inner wall of the liquid storage container. The photoelectric level sensor can include a light emitting diode and a photosensitive receiver. When the liquid level reaches the liquid level height, the liquid immerses the prism, and the light emitted by the light emitting diode enters the prism and refracts into the liquid, so that the photosensitive receiver cannot receive or can only receive a small amount of light. When the liquid storage container is not at the corresponding position of the liquid-using device, the prism does not correspond to the photoelectric level sensor, and the light emitted by the light emitting diode is emitted into the air, so that the photosensitive receiver cannot receive or can only receive a small amount of light. If the liquid level does not reach the liquid level height and thus does not immerse the prism, the light emitted by the light emitting diode can be directly reflected back to the photosensitive receiver through the prism. The photoelectric level sensor can generate different electrical signals according to the presence or absence or amount of light received. The electrical signal is the first liquid level signal. Therefore, the separate photoelectric liquid level sensor can detect first liquid level signals of multiple different liquid levels in the liquid storage container.

[0037] The above description uses a photoelectric liquid level sensor as an example. For other types of liquid level sensors, other suitable methods may also be used to determine a plurality of first liquid level signals corresponding to a plurality of different liquid levels in the liquid storage container.

[0038] Step S120, based on the plurality of first liquid level signals, determining the state of the liquid storage container, wherein the state of the liquid storage container includes an in-place state and an out-of-place state.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present application, the in-place state of the liquid storage container 110 may be a state indicating that the liquid storage container has been installed to the corresponding position of the liquid-using device. At this time, the container liquid level sensor corresponds to the position of the prism, and the container liquid level sensor is on the outer wall of the liquid storage container. The out-of-place state of the liquid storage container 110 may be a state indicating that the liquid storage container has not yet been installed to the corresponding position of the liquid-using device. That is, the automatic detection method 200 can detect whether the liquid storage container is installed on the liquid-using device. For example, it can be used to detect whether the liquid storage containers of various household appliances are in the in-place state. For example, it can be used to detect whether the water tank in the humidifier is installed in place, whether the clean water tank of the cleaning equipment is installed in place, and so on.

[0040] It can be understood that the multiple first liquid level signals detected by the multiple container liquid level sensors 120 correspond to information of different liquid level heights in the liquid storage container. First, based on the multiple first liquid level signals, the liquid level in the liquid storage container can be roughly determined. Then, it can be further determined whether the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state according to the determined liquid level. According to the embodiment of the present application, any suitable method can be used to determine the liquid level in the liquid storage container 110 based on the multiple first liquid level signals. Exemplarily but not restrictively, for the liquid level height at which each container liquid level sensor 120 is located, it will be referred to as the sensor liquid level hereinafter for simplicity. For example, the local liquid level state of each sensor liquid level can be determined based on the first liquid level signal from each container liquid level sensor. Then, the first liquid level signals of the multiple liquid level sensors can be combined to determine the comprehensive liquid level state of the liquid in the liquid storage container 120. Finally, it can be determined whether the liquid storage container 120 is in the in-place state according to the comprehensive liquid level state of the liquid. For example, the local liquid level state can include a low liquid level state lower than the sensor liquid level and a high liquid level state not lower than the sensor liquid level. Alternatively, the local liquid level state may also include a liquid state in which liquid exists at the position corresponding to the sensor liquid level and a liquid-free state in which liquid does not exist at the position corresponding to the sensor liquid level. Of course, other suitable liquid level states may also be used, which can be set according to actual detection requirements and hardware conditions. The comprehensive liquid level state in the liquid storage container 110 can be roughly determined by combining the local liquid level state corresponding to each sensor liquid level. The comprehensive liquid level state in the liquid storage container 110 can also be arbitrarily set according to actual detection requirements. In one example, the comprehensive liquid level state may include an underfull liquid level state in which the liquid in the liquid storage container is not full and a full liquid level state in which the liquid in the liquid storage container is full. For example, in the embodiment in which the number of the above-mentioned container liquid level sensors is 3, if the first liquid level signal detected by at least one of the 3 container liquid level sensors indicates that the local liquid level state corresponding to the sensor liquid level is a low liquid level state or a liquid-free state, it can be explained that the liquid in the current liquid storage container is not full. Then, based on the underfull liquid level state, it can be determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state. On the contrary, if the first liquid level signals detected by the three container liquid level sensors all indicate that the local liquid level state corresponding to the sensor liquid level is a high liquid level state or a liquid state, there may be two situations. One is that the liquid in the current liquid storage container may be full, that is, the current liquid storage container is in place and the liquid level in the liquid storage container is higher than the liquid level heights corresponding to the three liquid level sensors. The other is that the current liquid storage container may not be in place, and the first liquid level signal is not a real liquid level signal.For the second case, taking the case where multiple container liquid level sensors are photoelectric liquid level sensors as an example, as mentioned above, when the liquid storage container 110 is not in place, the container liquid level sensor 120 is separated from the liquid storage container 110, the prism on the liquid storage container does not correspond to the photoelectric liquid level sensor, and the light emitted by the light-emitting diode is directly emitted into the air, so that the photosensitive receiver cannot receive or can only receive a small amount of light. Therefore, in this state, the first liquid level signal obtained by the container liquid level sensor detection is the same as the first liquid level signal obtained when there is liquid at the sensor level. Therefore, when the comprehensive liquid level state of the liquid level is determined to be a full liquid level state based on multiple first liquid level signals, any other suitable method can be used to further detect whether the liquid storage container is in place. For example, whether there is actually water in the liquid storage container 110 can be determined based on whether the part of the liquid-using equipment that is directly connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container can detect water.

[0041] It can be understood that, compared with the prior art method of using additional contact sensing devices to detect whether the liquid storage container is in place, the above automatic detection method of the embodiment of the present application does not require these special detection devices, but can be implemented only by the container liquid level sensor already in the liquid-using equipment. Therefore, the device cost can be effectively reduced.

[0042] According to the above technical solution, through the multiple first liquid level signals detected by the multiple container liquid level sensors, it is possible to quickly determine whether the liquid storage container is in place. The detection method is easy to implement, has high detection efficiency, and has high detection accuracy and sensitivity. In addition, the detection method can be implemented without additional detection devices, which can significantly reduce costs. Therefore, the user experience is also good.

[0043] Exemplarily, the container liquid level sensor 120 may be a photoelectric liquid level sensor. Based on the plurality of first liquid level signals, determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 includes at least the following steps.

[0044] First, the electrical parameters of each first liquid level signal are determined based on the multiple first liquid level signals. Secondly, the state of the liquid storage container 110 is determined based on the number of the multiple electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval. Among them, when the liquid level in the liquid storage container 110 is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the first parameter interval. When the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120 or the container liquid level sensor 120 is not in contact with the liquid storage container 110, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the second parameter interval.

[0045] As mentioned above, the photoelectric liquid level sensor can generate different electrical signals according to the presence or amount of light received. The first liquid level signal is the electrical signal generated by the photoelectric liquid level sensor. The setting method and working principle of the photoelectric liquid level sensor have been described in detail in the above embodiment. For simplicity, it will not be repeated here.

[0046] Exemplarily, the electrical parameters of the electrical signal as the first liquid level signal can be determined, and the liquid level state of the liquid can be determined based on the size of the electrical parameters. As mentioned above, when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120, or when the container liquid level sensor 120 is not in contact with the liquid storage container 110, the photoelectric liquid level sensor can not receive or can only receive a small amount of light. Therefore, when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120, and when the container liquid level sensor 120 is not in contact with the liquid storage container 110, in these two cases, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal obtained by the liquid level sensor detection are roughly the same. The electrical parameters can be voltage, current, etc. In one embodiment, the corresponding relationship between the electrical parameters of the electrical signal and the local liquid level state at the sensor liquid level can be pre-tested and obtained. For example, the corresponding relationship between different local liquid level states and different voltage intervals of the electrical signal can be pre-obtained. The voltage interval corresponding to the low liquid level state or the liquid-free state corresponding to each sensor liquid level is [2.8V, ∞), and this voltage interval is the first parameter interval. The voltage interval corresponding to the high liquid level state or liquid state corresponding to each sensor liquid level is [0, 0.4V], and this voltage interval is the second parameter interval. The high liquid level state corresponding to the liquid level of the container liquid level sensor means that the liquid level is higher than the height of the container liquid level sensor, that is, the container liquid level sensor can detect the state of no liquid; similarly, the low liquid level state corresponding to the liquid level of the container liquid level sensor means that the liquid level is lower than the height of the sensor, that is, the container liquid level sensor can detect the state of liquid. Therefore, in the above-mentioned embodiment where the number of container liquid level sensors is 3, if the electrical parameters corresponding to the three container liquid level sensors from bottom to top are 0.2V, 0.3V and 3V respectively, the number falling into the first parameter interval is 1, and the number falling into the second parameter interval is 2. Appropriate determination logic can be set to determine the state of the liquid storage container 110 according to the number. For example, when the number of electrical parameters of multiple first liquid level signals falling into the first parameter interval is greater than the number threshold, it can be determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state.

[0047] According to the above technical solution, by setting the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval, and according to the number of electrical parameters of the first liquid level signals falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval, it is possible to quickly and accurately determine whether the liquid storage container is in the in-place state. In addition, the execution logic of the solution is relatively simple and the amount of calculation is relatively small, so real-time detection of the state of the liquid storage container can be achieved.

[0048] Exemplarily, determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 according to the number of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval may include the following steps.

[0049] If the number of the multiple electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval is not 0, the first information is determined. Based on the first information, it is determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state. The first information includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is not full.

[0050] For example, in the embodiment where the first parameter interval is [2.8V, ∞) and the second parameter interval is [0, 0.4V], if the number of container liquid level sensors is 5, and the electrical parameters determined by the first liquid level signal corresponding to them from high to low are 3.2V, 2.9V, 0.3V, 0.3V and 0.3V. Then the number falling into the first parameter interval is 2, and the number falling into the second parameter interval is 3. That is, the number falling into both parameter intervals is not 0. Thus, the first information can be determined, and it can be determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in place based on the first information. At the same time, the first information also includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container is not full. Because the liquid level height corresponding to each container liquid level sensor is different. For example, the above 5 container liquid level sensors correspond to the positions of the 100ml scale, 80ml scale, 60ml scale, 40ml scale and 20ml scale in the liquid storage container from high to low. According to the electrical parameters, it can be determined that the liquid level in the current liquid storage container is lower than 80 ml and not lower than 60 ml, that is, the liquid in the current liquid storage container is not full.

[0051] According to the above technical solution, by using the fact that the number of multiple electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval is not 0, it is determined that the liquid storage container is not full of liquid, and then it is determined that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state. This technical solution is simple and convenient, with a small amount of calculation and a high detection accuracy.

[0052] Exemplarily, determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 according to the number of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval may include the following steps.

[0053] If the plurality of electrical parameters all fall within the second parameter range, the second information is determined. At least based on the second information, the state of the liquid storage container 110 is determined. The second information includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is full of water and the liquid storage container 110 is not in place.

[0054] Similarly, in the above-mentioned embodiment where the first parameter interval is [2.8V, ∞) and the second parameter interval is [0, 0.4V], if the number of container liquid level sensors is 5, and the electrical parameters determined by the first liquid level signal corresponding to the first liquid level from high to low are 0.2V, 0.3V, 0.3V, 0.2V and 0.3V. Then all electrical parameters fall into the second parameter interval. Thus, the second information can be determined. Since the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120 and the electrical parameters when the container liquid level sensor 120 is not in contact with the liquid storage container 110 are the same. Therefore, when all electrical parameters fall into the second parameter interval, it can be determined that the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is full of water or the liquid storage container 110 is not in place. That is, the liquid storage container 110 at this time may be in place and full of water, or it may be out of place. Which specific state it is can be further determined by any other suitable method.

[0055] According to the above technical solution, when multiple electrical parameters all fall into the second parameter range, it can be determined that the liquid storage container is full of water or the liquid storage container is not in place. The technical solution is simple and convenient, with small calculation amount and high detection accuracy.

[0056] Exemplarily, the liquid using device includes a water pump, which is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container 110, and the liquid outlet is located at the bottom of the liquid storage container 110. Determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 based on at least the second information may include the following steps.

[0057] The water pump is controlled to run and the pumping state is obtained; and the state of the liquid storage container 110 is determined according to the pumping state and the second information. The pumping state includes a state without water outflow and a state with water outflow.

[0058] As mentioned above, when the electrical parameters of multiple first liquid level signals all fall into the second parameter interval, the liquid storage container 110 may be in the in-place state and full of water, or it may be out of place. According to an embodiment of the present application, the state of the liquid storage container 110 can be further determined by controlling the pumping result of the water pump. The pumping result can be an acquired pumping state, including a water outflow state where the water pump can pump out water and a water-free outflow state where the water pump cannot pump out water. For example, the liquid-using device can be a cleaning device, and the liquid storage container 110 can be a water tank. It can be understood that if there is water in the water tank and it is installed on the cleaning device, water will flow out when the water pump is running. If the water tank is not in place, the water pump cannot pump out water. Therefore, the state of the liquid storage container 110 can be determined based on the pumping state in combination with the second information.

[0059] Any suitable method can be used to obtain the pumping state of the water pump. Optionally, the pumping state of the water pump can be determined directly according to the instantaneous power of the water pump or the current size during operation. Alternatively, after the water pump is running, the state of the liquid storage container 110 can also be determined according to whether the electrical parameters determined by the first liquid level signal change. For example, if the liquid storage container 110 is in place, during the operation of the water pump, the water level in the liquid storage container 110 will continue to decrease, and the electrical parameters corresponding to the first liquid level signal collected by the container liquid level sensor 120 will change. On the contrary, the electrical parameters corresponding to the first liquid level signal collected by the container liquid level sensor 120 will not change. In the above-mentioned embodiment where the number of container liquid level sensors is 5, the capacity of the liquid storage container is 100ml, and the 5 container liquid level sensors correspond to the positions of the 100ml scale, 80ml scale, 60ml scale, 40ml scale and 20ml scale in the liquid storage container from high to low. If the water tank is in place and full of water, the water level of the liquid storage container drops during the operation of the water pump. At this time, the electrical parameter determined by the first liquid level signal collected by the container liquid level sensor at the top changes from 0.3V to 3V. At this time, the pumping state of the water pump can be determined as a water outflow state according to the change of the electrical parameter. In other embodiments, the pumping state can also be determined according to other components in the liquid-using device. For example, in the liquid-using device, another liquid level sensor is arranged downstream of the outlet pipe where the water pump is located. The liquid level sensor can be used to detect whether there is water downstream of the outlet pipe of the obtained liquid level signal, thereby determining the pumping state of the water pump. Alternatively, it can also be obtained by detecting the temperature of the pipe between the water pump and the liquid-using end or the flow rate in the pipe. For example, when the pumping state is a water outflow state, the temperature in the pipe will change due to water flowing through the pipe. Therefore, it can be determined whether the pumping state is a water outflow state according to whether the temperature signal sensed by the temperature sensor changes. A flow meter can also be installed on the pipe. If the flow rate displayed by the flow meter changes, the pumping state is a water outflow state.

[0060] After the pumping state of the water pump is determined, the state of the liquid storage container 110 can be determined according to the pumping state of the water pump and the second information.

[0061] Exemplarily, determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 according to the pumping state and the second information may include the following steps.

[0062] If the pumping state is a no-water-out state, the liquid storage container 110 is determined to be out of position. That is, when the electrical parameters of the plurality of first liquid level signals all fall within the second parameter range and the water pump does not pump out water, it can be determined that the liquid storage container 110 is out of position.

[0063] If the pumping state is a water outflow state, it is determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in place, and the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is full of water. That is, if the water pump can pump out water, it can be said that the liquid storage container 110 is in place. Since the electrical parameters of the multiple first liquid level signals all fall into the second parameter range, it can be determined that the liquid level in the liquid storage container 110 is not lower than the height of the container liquid level sensor 120 located at the top, that is, the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is full of water. It can be understood that this full water state can be a user-defined state in which the liquid exceeds a preset liquid level.

[0064] According to the above technical solution, by setting a water pump and combining the pumping state information of the water pump with the second information, it is possible to accurately determine whether the liquid storage container is in the in-place state, and also to accurately determine the liquid level state in the liquid storage container. This solution is simple to implement, has a high detection accuracy, and is not easily affected by other interference factors.

[0065] Exemplarily, the liquid-using device further includes a pipeline liquid level sensor, which is arranged on the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end. The automatic detection method 200 may further include the following steps.

[0066] The electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are determined based on the second liquid level signal obtained by the pipeline liquid level sensor detecting the liquid in the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid end. If the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into the third parameter interval, it is determined that the pumping state is a state without water outflow; if the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into the fourth parameter interval, it is determined that the pumping state is a state with water outflow. When the liquid level is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the third parameter interval; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the fourth parameter interval.

[0067] Exemplarily, the pipeline liquid level sensor can be any existing or future developed liquid level sensor that can realize single-point detection or multi-point detection of liquid level. For example, the pipeline liquid level sensor can be a photoelectric liquid level sensor, an electrode liquid level sensor, a capacitive liquid level sensor, etc.

[0068] In one embodiment, the pipeline liquid level sensor adopts a photoelectric liquid level sensor. A prism is arranged on the inner wall of the pipeline. The photoelectric liquid level sensor may include a light emitting diode and a photosensitive receiver. When water flows through the pipeline, the liquid immerses the prism, and the light emitted by the light emitting diode is refracted into the liquid, so that the photosensitive receiver cannot receive or can only receive a small amount of light. When no water flows through the pipeline, the light emitted by the light emitting diode can be directly reflected back to the photosensitive receiver through the prism. Similar to the first liquid level signal, the second liquid level signal is an electrical signal generated according to the presence or amount of light received.

[0069] In one embodiment, similar to the electrical parameters of the electrical parameters of the electrical signal of the first liquid level signal, the corresponding relationship between the electrical parameters of the electrical signal and the liquid level state of the liquid can be pre-tested and obtained, that is, the third parameter interval and the fourth parameter interval are pre-obtained. For example, the third parameter interval is [2.8V, ∞), and the fourth parameter interval is [0, 0.4V]. When the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal is 3V, the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal falls into the third parameter interval, and the pumping state is a state without water outflow. When the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal is 0.3V, the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal falls into the fourth parameter interval, and the pumping state is a state with water outflow.

[0070] According to the above technical solution, the electrical parameters corresponding to the second liquid level signal collected by the pipeline liquid level sensor in the liquid-using device can be used to accurately determine the current pumping state. The technical solution is simple and convenient, and can provide a reliable basis for determining the state of the liquid storage container.

[0071] Exemplarily, determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 according to the number of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval may include the following steps.

[0072] If the plurality of electrical parameters all fall within the first parameter range, it is determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state.

[0073] In one embodiment, if the multiple electrical parameters all fall within the first parameter range, it means that the photosensitive receivers of the multiple photoelectric liquid level sensors can all receive the light emitted by the light emitting diodes, that is, the liquid storage container 110 is in place, and at this time, there is no water in the liquid storage container 110.

[0074] According to the above technical solution, when multiple electrical parameters all fall into the first parameter range, it can be accurately determined that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state. The technical solution has a small amount of calculation, simple execution logic, and high detection efficiency and detection accuracy.

[0075] Exemplarily, the automatic detection method 200 may further include the following steps.

[0076] When it is determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state, the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is determined based on the electrical parameters of the plurality of first liquid level signals.

[0077] In the above-mentioned embodiment using a photoelectric liquid level sensor as the container liquid level sensor 120, the detected liquid level of the liquid can represent the real liquid level of the liquid. The detected liquid level of the liquid can be determined by comprehensive analysis of the first liquid level signals obtained by multiple container liquid level sensors 120. In the above-mentioned example where the local liquid level state of the liquid includes a low liquid level state and a high liquid level state, the voltage interval (0.4V, 2.8V) can also correspond to the middle liquid level state. The liquid level height at which the liquid level sensor where the first liquid level signal indicates the middle liquid level state of the liquid is located can be determined as the detected liquid level. When the liquid level of the liquid is equal to the liquid level of any sensor, the liquid level state at which the liquid is located can be accurately detected, that is, the detected liquid level obtained at this moment is closer to the real liquid level. When the liquid level signals detected by two upper and lower adjacent container liquid level sensors 120 respectively indicate the low liquid level state of the liquid and the high liquid level state of the liquid, a certain liquid level between the two container liquid level sensors 120 can be determined as the detected liquid level. In this case, the detected liquid level is located between the heights of the two adjacent liquid level sensors, and a value is estimated within the height range as the value of the detected liquid level, or the range between the heights of the two adjacent liquid level sensors is used as the range of the value of the detected liquid level. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment where the number of container liquid level sensors is 5, the capacity of the liquid storage container is 100ml, and the 5 container liquid level sensors correspond to the positions of the 100ml scale, 80ml scale, 60ml scale, 40ml scale and 20ml scale in the liquid storage container from high to low. If the electrical parameter of the first liquid level signal of the container liquid level sensor at the 60ml scale is 1V, it is determined that the liquid level is equal to the middle liquid level state of the 60ml scale. If the voltage of the liquid level signal of the liquid level sensor at the 60ml scale is 3V, and the voltage of the liquid level signal of the liquid level sensor at the 40ml scale is 0.3V, it is determined that the liquid level is between 40-60ml.

[0078] According to the above technical solution, the detection level of the liquid in the liquid storage container can be determined more accurately through the detection of multiple container level sensors located at different liquid level heights. The technical solution is simple to operate, the output liquid level is reasonable, and the user experience is also good.

[0079] Exemplarily, after determining the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 based on the electrical parameters of the plurality of first liquid level signals, the automatic detection method 100 further includes: if the determined liquid level is equal to the first liquid level, determining the subsequent liquid level to be output based on the first liquid level and the current output liquid level. The first liquid level is equal to the liquid level height at which the first liquid level sensor is located, and the first liquid level sensor is any liquid level sensor among the plurality of container liquid level sensors 120; and outputting the liquid level to be output.

[0080] In the above example of using three liquid level sensors to detect the liquid level state of the liquid in the 100ml liquid storage container, the first liquid level sensor can be any one of the three liquid level sensors. It can be understood that if the first liquid level sensor detects that the liquid level is equal to the liquid level height where it is located, that is, when the liquid level of the determined liquid is equal to the liquid level height where the container liquid level sensor is located, the detected liquid level is the real liquid level, there is no error between the two, and the first liquid level sensor can detect the liquid level. If the detected liquid level at the current moment is equal to any one of the sensor liquid levels corresponding to the three liquid level sensors, for example, equal to the height of the 90ml scale, the height of the 90ml scale and the current output liquid level can be used to determine the subsequent output liquid level. The determined output liquid level can be output to a connected display device for display. For example, the above method can be used to detect the water level in a clean water tank such as a cleaning device, and the above method can be used to determine the output liquid level after the detection liquid level is equal to, for example, the 90ml scale. Cleaning equipment includes automatic sweeping and mopping robots, floor scrubbers, and commercial floor scrubbers. The determined liquid level to be output is output to the display screen of the cleaning device for display, so that the user can intuitively understand the water level status in the clean water tank and add water in time when there is a water shortage, thereby ensuring the good use of the cleaning device. The determined liquid level to be output can also be output to the voice module of the cleaning device for voice prompting, so that the user can understand the water volume in the water tank.

[0081] This automatic detection method can not only improve the accuracy of the output liquid level, but also avoid unreasonable jumps in the output liquid level to a certain extent, thereby ensuring the rationality of the output liquid level and ensuring a better user experience for users.

[0082] Exemplarily, determining the subsequent liquid level to be output based on the first liquid level and the current output liquid level includes: determining the second liquid level based on the first liquid level; determining the subsequent liquid level to be output based on the first liquid level, the second liquid level and the current output liquid level, so that the correct liquid level is output when the liquid level drops to the second liquid level; wherein the second liquid level is equal to the liquid level height at which the second liquid level sensor is located, the second liquid level sensor is any one of a plurality of container liquid level sensors 120, and the second liquid level sensor is located below the first liquid level sensor.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present application, when the detected liquid level is equal to the liquid level height where the first sensor is located, the second liquid level sensor can be determined according to which liquid level sensor the first liquid level sensor is specifically, and then based on the second liquid level sensor, the liquid level height where the second liquid level sensor is located is determined as the second liquid level. For example, the sensor liquid level is equal to the 90ml scale height, 60ml scale height, and 30ml scale height of a 100ml liquid storage container from high to low. When the detected liquid level is equal to the 90ml scale height, the second liquid level below it can be determined accordingly. The second liquid level can be the 60ml scale height or the 30ml scale height. When the liquid level height of the liquid is equal to the sensor liquid level, the liquid level sensor can accurately detect the liquid level of the liquid, and the current detected liquid level determined is the real liquid level. Therefore, the detected liquid level when the liquid level is at the sensor liquid level can be used to correct the liquid level to be output based on the current output liquid level. Specifically, for example, when the current detected liquid level is equal to the 90ml scale height, the second liquid level is equal to the 60ml scale height, and the current output liquid level is, for example, 95ml scale height, then the subsequent liquid level to be output can be determined based on the 90ml scale height, 60ml scale height and 95ml scale height, and the output liquid level when the liquid level drops to the 60ml scale height is equal to the 60ml scale height.

[0084] This scheme can ensure the accuracy and rationality of the output liquid level. Secondly, the scheme has simple logic, is easy to implement, and has low calculation amount, so the implementation cost is also low.

[0085] Exemplarily, determining the subsequent liquid level to be output based on the first liquid level, the second liquid level and the current output liquid level includes: determining a first difference based on the first liquid level and the second liquid level; determining a second difference based on the current output liquid level and the second liquid level; determining a proportionality coefficient based on the ratio between the second difference and the first difference; determining an updated liquid level drop speed based on the proportionality coefficient and the liquid level drop speed of the current output liquid level; and determining the subsequent liquid level to be output based on the current output liquid level and the updated liquid level drop speed.

[0086] For example, the first liquid level corresponds to a 90ml scale height, and the second liquid level corresponds to a 60ml scale height. Then the first difference can be equal to the height corresponding to 30ml of liquid in the liquid storage container. If the current output liquid level is, for example, a 95ml scale height, and the second liquid level is, for example, a 60ml scale height, then the second difference can be the height corresponding to 35ml of liquid in the liquid storage container, and the proportional coefficient can be 1.167. The liquid level drop rate of the current output liquid level is, for example, the height corresponding to 1ml of liquid in the liquid storage container per minute. The updated liquid level drop rate can be the product of the liquid level drop rate of the current output liquid level and the proportional coefficient. If the proportional coefficient is, for example, 1.167, then the updated liquid level drop rate can be the height corresponding to 1.167ml of liquid in the liquid storage container per minute. Thereafter, the output liquid level in the first minute can be 95-1.167=93.833ml scale height, and thereafter, the output liquid level in the second minute can be 95-2*1.167=92.666ml scale height...

[0087] This solution can steadily and gradually correct the output liquid level to the correct liquid level, and the output liquid level is more reasonable and accurate. In addition, the execution logic of the solution is simple and the calculation amount is low.

[0088] Exemplarily, the liquid-using device includes a water pump and a liquid-using end, and the water pump is disposed on a pipe between the liquid outlet and the liquid-using end of the liquid storage container 110. The automatic detection method 200 further includes: controlling the water pump to pump water from the liquid storage container 110 and obtaining a pumping state, wherein the pumping state includes a no-water-outflow state and a water-outflow state; determining that the liquid storage container 110 is in a position state based on the water-outflow state; and determining that the liquid storage container 110 is not in a position state based at least on the no-water-outflow state.

[0089] According to an embodiment of the present application, in the case where the liquid-using device includes a water pump and a liquid-using end, the second information may not be determined based on the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal, but whether the liquid storage container 110 is in place may be determined directly based on the pumping state of the water pump in the water outlet pipe. If the pumping water pump can directly pump out water, it can be directly determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in place. If the pumping water pump cannot pump out water, the liquid storage container 110 may be in an out-of-place state, or the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 may have been used up, so no water can be pumped out. In this case, the liquid level state in the liquid storage container 110 can be further determined based on the first liquid level signal. For example, if there is no water outflow, and the number of electrical parameters of multiple first liquid level signals that fall into the second parameter interval is not 0, it can be determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in an out-of-place state.

[0090] According to the second aspect of the embodiment of the present application, an automatic detection method is also provided for detecting the state of a liquid storage container 110 in a liquid-using device, wherein the liquid storage container 110 is detachably arranged on the liquid-using device. The liquid-using device includes a water pump connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container 110.

[0091] Figure 3 FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow chart of an automatic detection method 300 according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the automatic detection method 300 includes step S310 and step S320.

[0092] Step S310, controlling the water pump to run and obtaining the pumping status.

[0093] The pumping state includes a state without water outflow and a state with water outflow. As mentioned above, the pumping state of the water pump can be obtained by detecting the instantaneous power or operating current of the water pump, detecting the temperature of the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid end, detecting the liquid level in the pipeline, or detecting the flow rate in the pipeline. Various implementation methods of this step have been described in detail in the above embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0094] Step S320, determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 according to the pumping state.

[0095] The state of the liquid storage container 110 includes an in-place state and an out-of-place state. In one embodiment, the liquid-using device may be a cleaning device, and the liquid storage container 110 may be a water tank. If there is water in the water tank and it is installed on the cleaning device, water will flow out when the water pump is running. If the water tank is not in place, the water pump cannot pump out water. Therefore, the state of the liquid storage container 110 can be determined based on the pumping state. Various implementation methods of this step have been described in detail in the above embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0096] According to the above technical solution, the pumping state is obtained by using a water pump, and the state of the liquid storage container is judged according to the pumping state. This technical solution is simple and convenient, and can accurately judge whether the liquid storage container is in place.

[0097] Exemplarily, determining the state of the liquid storage container 110 according to the pumping state may include the following steps.

[0098] If the pumping state is a state with water flowing out, it is determined that the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state; if the pumping state is a state without water flowing out, the third information is determined.

[0099] The third information includes that the liquid storage container 110 is not in place and the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is in a waterless state. That is, when the pumping state is a waterless outflow state, the current water storage container may be out of place, or the current water storage container may be in place but there is no water in the water storage container.

[0100] According to the above technical solution, by acquiring different pumping states, it is possible to accurately determine whether the liquid storage container is in the in-place state according to the different pumping states.

[0101] Exemplarily, the liquid-using equipment is provided with a plurality of container liquid level sensors 120, and the plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 are arranged at different heights of the liquid storage container 110. The container liquid level sensor 120 includes a detection pair of tubes and an optical guide structure, and the optical guide structure is arranged in the liquid storage container 110. The detection pair of tubes and the optical guide structure are detachably connected.

[0102] If the pumping state is a state where no water flows out, determining the third information may include the following steps.

[0103] First, a plurality of first liquid level signals detected by a plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 are acquired.

[0104] Then, an electrical parameter of each first liquid level signal is determined according to the plurality of first liquid level signals.

[0105] If multiple electrical parameters all fall into the first parameter range, and the pumping state is a state of no water outflow, then it is determined that the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 is in a state of no water; if multiple electrical parameters all fall into the second parameter range, and the pumping state is a state of no water outflow, then it is determined that the liquid storage container 110 is not in place; wherein, when the liquid level in the liquid storage container 110 is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the first parameter range; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor 120 or the container liquid level sensor 120 is not in contact with the liquid storage container 110, the electrical parameters of the first liquid level signal are within the second parameter range.

[0106] In the embodiment where the container liquid level sensor is an optical liquid level sensor, the detection pair of tubes is a light emitting diode and a photosensitive receiver, and the optical guiding structure is a prism. The specific working principle and installation method have been described in detail in the above embodiment, and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0107] When it is determined to be the third information, the state of the liquid storage container 110 can be further determined according to the multiple first liquid level signals detected by the multiple container liquid level sensors 120. In one embodiment, when the multiple electrical parameters all fall into the first parameter interval, it means that the photosensitive receivers of the multiple photoelectric liquid level sensors can all receive the light emitted by the light emitting diode. That is, the liquid storage container 110 is in the in-place state. And at this time, the liquid storage container 110 is in the water-free state. Otherwise, the liquid storage container 110 is not in the in-place state.

[0108] According to the above technical solution, by utilizing the number of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval and combining with the third information, the state of the liquid storage container 110 can be determined quickly and accurately.

[0109] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a liquid using device is also provided. Figure 4 FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a liquid using device 400 according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, the liquid using device 400 at least comprises a liquid storage container 110, a plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 and a processor 410. The liquid storage container 110 is detachably arranged on the liquid using device 400.

[0110] Exemplarily, the plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 may be detachably arranged outside the liquid storage container 110, or may be embedded in the side wall of the liquid storage container 110. For example, a plurality of detection points may be arranged on the side wall of the liquid storage container 110. The plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 may be directly arranged outside the liquid storage container 110, and then the liquid level at each detection position on the side wall of the liquid storage container 110 may be detected. Moreover, the disassembly, assembly and maintenance of the liquid storage container 110 are also facilitated.

[0111] Exemplarily, an anti-shake cavity may also be provided on the side wall of the liquid storage container 110, and the top and bottom of the anti-shake cavity may be respectively connected to the accommodating cavity formed by the shell of the liquid storage container 110, and the anti-shake cavity and the container liquid level sensor 120 may be provided correspondingly. By using the anti-shake cavity for anti-shake, it is possible to prevent the liquid in the shell from being violently shaken by the reciprocating motion of the liquid device 400, which may affect the detection of the liquid level, thereby improving the accuracy of the liquid level measurement. The anti-shake cavity may be provided on the side wall of the liquid storage container 110, so that the container liquid level sensor 120 provided outside the liquid storage container 110 can directly detect the liquid level at the side wall of the liquid storage container 110. Multiple container liquid level sensors 120 may be detachably provided at different heights of the liquid storage container 110, and are used to detect the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage container 110 to obtain multiple first liquid level signals.

[0112] The processor 410 is connected to a plurality of container liquid level sensors 120 to obtain a plurality of first liquid level signals and determine the state of the liquid storage container based on the plurality of first liquid level signals, wherein the state of the liquid storage container includes an in-place state and an out-of-place state.

[0113] The liquid using device has a simple structure and can accurately determine the state of the liquid storage container in real time without setting up an additional detection device, thereby ensuring good use of the liquid using device.

[0114] Figure 5 FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a liquid-using device according to another embodiment of the present application. Figure 5As shown, the liquid-using device further includes a water pump. The water pump is disposed on a pipe between the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container 110 and the liquid-using end. The processor 410 is further configured to: control the water pump to pump water from the liquid storage container 110 and obtain a pumping state, wherein the pumping state includes a no-water-outflow state and a water-outflow state; based on the water-outflow state, determine that the liquid storage container 110 is in a position state; at least based on the no-water-outflow state, determine that the liquid storage container 110 is not in a position state.

[0115] For example, Figure 5 As shown, the liquid-using device also includes a pipeline liquid level sensor. The pipeline liquid level sensor is arranged on the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end. The processor 410 is also used to determine the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal according to the second liquid level signal obtained by the pipeline liquid level sensor detecting the liquid in the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end; if the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into the third parameter interval, it is determined that the pumping state is a state without water outflow; if the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal fall into the fourth parameter interval, it is determined that the pumping state is a state with water outflow; wherein, when the liquid level is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the third parameter interval; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the fourth parameter interval.

[0116] Exemplarily, the liquid-using device may also be a cleaning device. For example, the cleaning device may be a floor scrubber. When the user removes the water tank to add water during use, the floor scrubber can effectively identify that the water tank is not in place, and then control the floor scrubber to pause cleaning to avoid ineffective use of the device, thereby ensuring good use of the cleaning device and providing a better user experience.

[0117] A person skilled in the art can easily understand the implementation structure, working principle and beneficial effects of the automatic detection method 300 and the liquid using device 400 by reading the automatic detection method 200 described above. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail here.

[0118] Although example embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the above example embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application to this. Those of ordinary skill in the art may make various changes and modifications therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. All these changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present application as required by the appended claims.

[0119] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0120] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of units is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another device, or some features can be ignored or not executed.

[0121] In the description provided herein, a large number of specific details are described. However, it is understood that the embodiments of the present application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques are not shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0122] Similarly, it should be understood that in order to streamline the present application and help understand one or more of the various inventive aspects, in the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present application, the various features of the present application are sometimes grouped together into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, the method of the present application should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: the claimed application requires more features than the features clearly stated in each claim. More specifically, as reflected in the corresponding claims, the inventive point is that the corresponding technical problem can be solved with features less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the specific embodiment are hereby explicitly incorporated into the specific embodiment, wherein each claim itself serves as a separate embodiment of the present application.

[0123] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, except for mutually exclusive features, all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device disclosed in this specification may be combined in any combination. Unless otherwise expressly stated, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstracts and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that provides the same, equivalent or similar purpose.

[0124] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not other features, the combination of features of different embodiments is meant to be within the scope of the present application and form different embodiments. For example, in the claims, any one of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

[0125] The various component embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware, or implemented in a software module running on one or more processors, or implemented in a combination thereof. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP) can be used in practice to implement some or all functions of some modules in the liquid equipment according to the present application embodiment. The application can also be implemented as a part or all of the device program (for example, computer program and computer program product) for performing the method described herein. Such a program realizing the present application can be stored in a computer-readable medium, or can have the form of one or more signals. Such a signal can be downloaded from an Internet website, or provided on a carrier signal, or provided in any other form.

[0126] It should be noted that the above embodiments illustrate the present application rather than limit the present application, and that those skilled in the art may design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference symbol between brackets should not be constructed as a limitation to the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "one" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of multiple such elements. The present application may be implemented by means of hardware including several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a unit claim that lists several devices, several of these devices may be embodied by the same hardware item. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc. does not indicate any order. These words may be interpreted as names.

[0127] The above is only a specific implementation or description of a specific implementation of the present application, and the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. The protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An automatic detection method for detecting the state of a liquid storage container in a liquid-using device, wherein the liquid storage container is detachably arranged on the liquid-using device, characterized in that: The liquid-using device comprises a plurality of container liquid level sensors, wherein the container liquid level sensors are photoelectric liquid level sensors, and the plurality of container liquid level sensors are detachably arranged at different heights of the liquid storage container. The method comprises: Acquiring a plurality of first liquid level signals detected by the plurality of container liquid level sensors; Determine first information or second information based on multiple first liquid level signals, wherein the first information includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container is not full, and the second information includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container is full or the liquid storage container is not in place; If it is determined to be the first information, then based on the first information, determining that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state; If it is determined to be the second information, then based at least on the second information, it is determined that the liquid in the liquid storage container is in a full water state or the liquid storage container is in an out-of-place state.

2. The automatic detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining of the first information or the second information based on the plurality of first liquid level signals comprises: determining an electrical parameter of each of the first liquid level signals according to the plurality of the first liquid level signals; and Determining first information or second information according to the number of the plurality of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval; Wherein, when the liquid level in the liquid storage container is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor, the electrical parameter of the first liquid level signal is within the first parameter range; When the liquid level of the liquid is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor or the container liquid level sensor is not in contact with the liquid storage container, the electrical parameter of the first liquid level signal is within the second parameter range.

3. The automatic detection method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The determining of the first information or the second information according to the number of the plurality of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval comprises: If the number of the plurality of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval is not 0, the first information is determined.

4. The automatic detection method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The determining of the first information or the second information according to the number of the plurality of electrical parameters falling into the first parameter interval and the second parameter interval comprises: If the plurality of electrical parameters all fall within the second parameter interval, the second information is determined.

5. The automatic detection method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The liquid-using device comprises a water pump, the water pump is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container, and the liquid outlet is located at the bottom of the liquid storage container; The step of determining the state of the liquid storage container based at least on the second information includes: Controlling the operation of the water pump and obtaining the pumping status; Determine the state of the liquid storage container according to the pumping state and the second information; The water pumping state includes a state without water outflow and a state with water outflow.

6. The automatic detection method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step of determining the state of the liquid storage container according to the pumping state and the second information includes: If the pumping state is a state where no water flows out, then determining that the liquid storage container is in the out-of-place state; If the pumping state is a water outflow state, it is determined that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state, and the liquid in the liquid storage container is in a full water state.

7. The automatic detection method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The liquid-using device further includes a pipeline liquid level sensor, and the pipeline liquid level sensor is arranged on the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end. The method further includes: Determine electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal according to a second liquid level signal obtained by the pipeline liquid level sensor detecting the liquid in the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid end; If the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal falls within a third parameter interval, determining that the pumping state is the no-water-outflow state; If the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal falls within a fourth parameter interval, determining that the pumping state is the water outflow state; Among them, when the liquid level is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the third parameter range; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the fourth parameter range.

8. The automatic detection method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: The step of determining, based on the first information, that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state comprises: If the plurality of electrical parameters all fall within the first parameter range, it is determined that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state.

9. The automatic detection method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The liquid using device further comprises a water pump and a liquid using end, wherein the water pump is arranged on a pipeline between the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container and the liquid using end, and the method further comprises: Controlling the water pump to pump water from the liquid storage container and obtaining a pumping state, wherein the pumping state includes a state where no water flows out and a state where water flows out; Based on the water outflow state, determining that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state; At least based on the no-water-outflow state, it is determined that the liquid storage container is in the out-of-place state.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: When it is determined that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state, the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage container is determined based on the electrical parameters of the plurality of first liquid level signals.

11. The automatic detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid-using device further includes a water pump, and the water pump is connected to the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container. The method further includes: Controlling the operation of the water pump and obtaining the pumping status; determining the state of the liquid storage container according to the pumping state; The pumping state includes a state without water outflow and a state with water outflow; the state of the liquid storage container includes an in-place state and an out-of-place state.

12. The automatic detection method according to claim 11, characterized in that: The step of determining the state of the liquid storage container according to the pumping state includes: If the pumping state is the water outflow state, determining that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state; If the pumping state is the no-water-out state, determining third information; The third information includes that the liquid storage container is not in place and the liquid in the liquid storage container is dry.

13. The automatic detection method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The container liquid level sensor comprises a detection pair of tubes and an optical guide structure, wherein the optical guide structure is arranged in the liquid storage container, and the detection pair of tubes and the optical guide structure are detachably connected; If the pumping state is the no-water-out state, the determining of the third information includes: determining an electrical parameter of each of the first liquid level signals according to the plurality of the first liquid level signals; If the plurality of electrical parameters all fall within the first parameter interval, and the pumping state is the water-free state, then it is determined that the liquid in the liquid storage container is in a water-free state; If the plurality of electrical parameters all fall within the second parameter interval, and the pumping state is the no-water-out state, then determining that the liquid storage container is in the out-of-place state; Wherein, when the liquid level in the liquid storage container is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor, the electrical parameter of the first liquid level signal is within the first parameter range; When the liquid level of the liquid is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the container liquid level sensor or the container liquid level sensor is not in contact with the liquid storage container, the electrical parameter of the first liquid level signal is within the second parameter range.

14. A liquid using device, characterized in that: The device comprises a liquid storage container, a plurality of container liquid level sensors and a processor, wherein the liquid storage container is detachably arranged on the liquid-using device. The plurality of liquid level sensors are detachably arranged at different heights of the liquid storage container, and are used to detect the liquid storage container to obtain a plurality of first liquid level signals; The processor is connected to the plurality of liquid level sensors and is used for: Acquire the plurality of first liquid level signals; Determine first information or second information based on multiple first liquid level signals, wherein the first information includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container is not full, and the second information includes that the liquid in the liquid storage container is full or the liquid storage container is not in place; If it is determined to be the first information, then based on the first information, determining that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state; If it is determined to be the second information, then based at least on the second information, it is determined that the liquid in the liquid storage container is in a full water state or the liquid storage container is in an out-of-place state.

15. The liquid using device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The liquid-using device further comprises a water pump, which is arranged on a pipeline between the liquid outlet of the liquid storage container and the liquid-using end; The processor is further configured to: Controlling the water pump to pump water from the liquid storage container and obtaining a pumping state, wherein the pumping state includes a state where no water flows out and a state where water flows out; Based on the water outflow state, determining that the liquid storage container is in the in-place state; At least based on the no-water-outflow state, it is determined that the liquid storage container is in the out-of-place state.

16. The liquid using device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The liquid-using device further includes a pipeline liquid level sensor, which is arranged on a pipeline between the water pump and the liquid-using end. The processor is further used for: Determine electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal according to a second liquid level signal obtained by the pipeline liquid level sensor detecting the liquid in the pipeline between the water pump and the liquid end; If the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal falls within a third parameter interval, determining that the pumping state is the no-water-outflow state; If the electrical parameter of the second liquid level signal falls within a fourth parameter interval, determining that the pumping state is the water outflow state; Among them, when the liquid level is lower than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the third parameter range; when the liquid level is higher than the liquid level height corresponding to the pipeline liquid level sensor, the electrical parameters of the second liquid level signal are within the fourth parameter range.

17. The liquid using device according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that: The liquid-using device is a cleaning device.

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