Autonomous mobile device, control method and device thereof and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to autonomous mobile equipment, a control method and device thereof and a storage medium. The method comprises the steps of judging whether a first obstacle exists in a first space range in front of the autonomous mobile equipment or not according to point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile equipment; when it is determined that the first obstacle does not exist in the first spatial range, it is determined whether a non-passable lower empty obstacle exists in a second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device, the second spatial range being above the first spatial range. The lower empty type obstacle is different from the first obstacle, and the lower empty type obstacle is provided with a lower space allowing at least a part of the autonomous mobile device to enter. When it is determined that there is a non-passable lower empty obstacle in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, an obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the non-passable lower empty obstacle. Therefore, the empty obstacle can be judged and avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of smart home technology, and in particular to an autonomous mobile device, a control method and device thereof, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Generally, autonomous mobile devices need to move autonomously in a workspace (such as a user's house) and determine obstacles and passable areas based on different types of sensors to avoid obstacles and enter the passable area to work. For example, the collision sensor senses the front obstacle (such as a wall, refrigerator, floor cabinet, etc.) through a frontal collision, and the proximity sensor senses the obstacles in front or on the side at a close distance (such as a wall, etc.). The autonomous mobile device can take evasive or escape actions to avoid these obstacles based on the information from the above sensors.

[0003] However, in the related art, autonomous mobile devices, especially autonomous mobile devices with obvious protrusions on the upper surface (such as a tower equipped with a laser radar), may encounter a lower air type obstacle with a certain space below during operation, and may be trapped in it and difficult to escape. Lower air type obstacles refer to objects with a lower space below, such as furniture with space below, such as beds supported by legs, tables, cabinets, sofas, etc. According to the size of the lower space, they can be divided into passable lower air type obstacles that can allow all autonomous mobile devices to enter or pass through, and impassable lower air type obstacles that can only allow part of the autonomous mobile device to enter but cannot allow the autonomous mobile device to pass through. When the autonomous mobile device enters the lower space of the lower air type obstacle, the lower air type obstacle is located above the autonomous mobile device. For autonomous mobile devices that can only sense obstacles in front and on the sides, when entering the above-mentioned lower space, its protrusions are easily stuck at the bottom of the lower air type obstacle, and it is easy to damage the sensor of the autonomous mobile device, and cause damage to the lower air type obstacle (such as a wall or furniture) that the autonomous mobile device collides with.

[0004] The method for solving this problem in the related art is usually that when the autonomous mobile device is entering the lower-space obstacle, a sensor arranged at the front of the autonomous mobile device at a lower position relative to the protrusion detects whether there is an obstacle at a set distance above it. However, due to the fast running speed of the autonomous mobile device, the short warning distance, and the calculation delay of the processor, the autonomous mobile device that has partially entered the bottom of the lower-space obstacle may still have its protrusion stuck by the bottom of the lower-space obstacle or trapped in the lower space of the lower-space obstacle before the risk is determined. Damage to the autonomous mobile device, furniture, and household appliances cannot be avoided. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, the present disclosure proposes an autonomous mobile device, a control method and device thereof, and a storage medium, so that the impassable lower-space type obstacle in front of the autonomous mobile device can be judged and avoided early, thereby effectively avoiding the autonomous mobile device from being stuck or trapped in the lower space of the impassable lower-space type obstacle, and avoiding damage to the sensors of the autonomous mobile device and the impassable lower-space type obstacle.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a control method for an autonomous mobile device is provided, comprising: a first judging step for judging whether there is a first obstacle in a first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device; a second judging step for judging whether there is an impassable lower-space type obstacle in a second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device when it is judged that the first obstacle does not exist in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, wherein the second spatial range is above the first spatial range, wherein the lower-space type obstacle is different from the first obstacle, and the lower-space type obstacle has a lower space in its lower part that can allow at least a part of the autonomous mobile device to enter, and the lower space of the impassable lower-space type obstacle cannot allow the autonomous mobile device to fully enter or pass; and an execution step for executing an obstacle avoidance operation to avoid the impassable lower-space type obstacle when it is judged that the impassable lower-space type obstacle exists in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

[0007] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a control device for an autonomous mobile device is provided, comprising: a first judgment unit, for judging whether there is a first obstacle in a first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device; a second judgment unit, for judging whether there is an impassable lower-space type obstacle in a second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device when it is judged that the first obstacle does not exist in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, wherein the second spatial range is above the first spatial range, wherein the lower-space type obstacle is different from the first obstacle, and the lower-space type obstacle has a lower space at its lower part that can allow at least a part of the autonomous mobile device to enter, and the lower space of the impassable lower-space type obstacle cannot allow the autonomous mobile device to fully enter or pass; and an execution unit, for executing an obstacle avoidance operation to avoid the impassable lower-space type obstacle when it is judged that the impassable lower-space type obstacle exists in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a control device for an autonomous mobile device is provided, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the control method described in the first aspect.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an autonomous mobile device is provided, comprising: a motion unit for moving the autonomous mobile device on a working surface in a working area; and the control device according to the second aspect or the third aspect.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium is provided. When instructions in the storage medium are executed by a processor, the processor is enabled to execute the control method described in the first aspect.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, compared with the autonomous mobile device in the prior art that may encounter a lower-space-type obstacle with a lower space during operation and may be trapped therein and difficult to escape, the autonomous mobile device of the present disclosure determines whether there is an impassable lower-space-type obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device, and performs an obstacle avoidance operation for avoiding the lower-space-type obstacle when it is determined that there is an impassable lower-space-type obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, thereby being able to early determine and avoid the impassable lower-space-type obstacle in front, thereby preventing the autonomous mobile device from being stuck or trapped in the lower space of the impassable lower-space-type obstacle, and avoiding damage to the sensors of the autonomous mobile device and the impassable lower-space-type obstacle.

[0012] Further features and aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of an autonomous mobile device in the related art that does not avoid an obstacle below.

[0015] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a control method of an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0017] Figure 4is a schematic diagram of collecting an environment image by an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5a is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5b is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0020] Figure 5c is a schematic diagram of a first spatial range and a second spatial range according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a control method of an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a control apparatus of an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Various exemplary embodiments, features and aspects of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings represent elements with the same or similar functions. Although various aspects of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale unless otherwise specified.

[0024] The word “exemplary” is used exclusively herein to mean “serving as an example, example, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0025] In addition, in order to better illustrate the present disclosure, numerous specific details are given in the following specific embodiments. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure can also be implemented without certain specific details. In some examples, methods, means, components and circuits well known to those skilled in the art are not described in detail in order to highlight the subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0026] Underground space obstacles refer to objects with lower space, such as beds supported by legs, tables, cabinets, sofas and other furniture with space underneath. According to the size of the lower space, they can be divided into passable underground space obstacles that can allow all autonomous mobile devices to enter or pass through, and impassable underground space obstacles that can only allow part of the autonomous mobile device to enter but not all of it to enter or pass through.

[0027] See also Figure 1The lower space type obstacle 200 includes a transverse shielding portion 201 and a longitudinal shielding portion 202. The longitudinal shielding portion 202 is supported on the ground, and the transverse shielding portion 201 is separated from the ground by a certain distance under the support of the longitudinal shielding portion 202. The lower part of the lower space type obstacle 200 has a lower space 203 defined by the lower surface of the transverse shielding portion 201 and the ground. The height of the lower space 203 is the distance H0 between the transverse shielding portion 201 and the ground.

[0028] The autonomous mobile device 10 includes motion units 21 and 22, which are used to move the autonomous mobile device 10 on the working surface in the working area. The specific form of the motion unit can be wheels or tracks, and of course it can also be other forms that can carry objects, such as magnetic levitation or propeller forms of motion units. The present disclosure does not limit the specific form of the motion unit.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the top of the body of the autonomous mobile device 10 has a protrusion 30, in which a laser radar or other devices or apparatuses may be disposed. The present disclosure does not limit the devices or apparatuses disposed in the protrusion 30. The distance (i.e., the height of the autonomous mobile device) from the upper surface of the protrusion 30 (i.e., the highest position of the autonomous mobile device) to the ground (i.e., the lowest position of the autonomous mobile device) is Z3. The highest position (e.g., Figure 1 The distance from the top of the main body of the autonomous mobile device 10 excluding the protrusion 30 to the ground is Z2, and the height of the protrusion 30 is δZ=Z3-Z2. Figure 1 In the spatial coordinate system shown, the autonomous mobile device 10 moves along the x-axis direction (that is, the positive direction of the autonomous mobile device 10 is the x-axis direction, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 The z-axis direction is perpendicular to the working surface (such as the ground), that is, the height direction.

[0030] See also Figure 1 If the autonomous mobile device 10 enters the lower space 203 of the lower air type obstacle 200, and the height H0 of the lower space 203 is less than the height Z3 of the autonomous mobile device, the protrusion 30 of the autonomous mobile device 10 may collide with the bottom of the lower air type obstacle 200 or get stuck on the lower air type obstacle 200, which may cause the autonomous mobile device 10 to be stuck or trapped, which may affect the normal operation of the autonomous mobile device 10, and may also damage the sensor set in the protrusion 30 of the autonomous mobile device 10, and may also cause the lower air type obstacle 200 (such as indoor furniture or household appliances) to be damaged.

[0031] To this end, considering that the autonomous mobile device can collect and update point cloud data, and calculate the obstacle information in the surrounding environment based on the point cloud data (such as calculating the relative coordinates and absolute coordinates of the obstacle, and calculating the distance between the autonomous mobile device and each obstacle in the surrounding environment, etc.), therefore, according to the present disclosure, the autonomous mobile device determines whether there is an impassable lower air type obstacle in front based on the point cloud data in front, and if it is determined that there is an impassable lower air type obstacle, the obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the lower air type obstacle as soon as possible. Therefore, the present disclosure can judge and avoid the impassable lower air type obstacle, and then can avoid the autonomous mobile device from being stuck or trapped in the lower space of the lower air type obstacle, thereby avoiding damage to the sensor and the lower air type obstacle of the autonomous mobile device, and thus can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0032] Based on the above ideas, Figure 2 The control method of the autonomous mobile device shown is executed by the autonomous mobile device. The autonomous mobile device refers to an intelligent mobile device that performs a predetermined task on a working surface in a working area, and may include but is not limited to: a cleaning robot (Robot Vacuum Cleaner, RVC), such as: an intelligent sweeper, an intelligent floor scrubber, a window cleaning robot, etc.; a logistics robot, a handling robot, etc.; a weeding robot, an ice scraping robot, etc.; a companion mobile robot, such as: an intelligent electronic pet, a nanny robot; a service mobile robot, such as: a reception robot for a hotel, a hostel, or a meeting place; an industrial inspection intelligent device, such as an electric power inspection robot, an intelligent forklift, etc.; a security robot, such as: a household or commercial intelligent guard robot, etc. It should be noted that the autonomous mobile device is not limited to the aforementioned types, and any device with an autonomous mobile function should belong to the autonomous mobile device described in this embodiment.

[0033] Embodiment 1:

[0034] See also Figure 2 , the control method of this exemplary embodiment may include the following steps:

[0035] In step S120 (first determination step), it is determined whether there is a first obstacle within a first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device.

[0036] During the operation of the autonomous mobile device, point cloud data is collected and updated in real time as the autonomous mobile device moves. When the autonomous mobile device is moving, the spatial coordinates of the autonomous mobile device in the absolute coordinate system can be obtained through a positioning system or positioning algorithm (such as a Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) algorithm), and the autonomous mobile device can calculate the spatial coordinates of the point cloud data around it.

[0037] In this embodiment, a line laser set approximately perpendicular to the ground can be used to emit a line laser approximately perpendicular to the ground in front of the autonomous mobile device. When the line laser irradiates the obstacle in front, a light spot will be formed on the obstacle surface (i.e., a laser point generated on the obstacle surface when irradiating the obstacle in front and being blocked by the obstacle in front). Then, an image acquisition unit set in front of the autonomous mobile device takes a picture of the front of the autonomous mobile device to acquire an image containing the light spot; and the spatial coordinates of each laser point are calculated from the image to obtain point cloud data, i.e., the point cloud data is a light spot or laser point with known spatial coordinates. According to the spatial coordinates (relative coordinates) of each laser point in the relative coordinate system of the autonomous mobile device, combined with the coordinates of the autonomous mobile device in the absolute coordinate system, the spatial coordinates of each laser point in the point cloud data in the absolute coordinate system can be calculated. For specific calculation methods, please refer to Laser Scanner Calibration Dependency on the Line Detection Method (Martens, et al. Elektronika Ir Elektrotechnika (2015).), Low-Cost 3d Laser Scanning In Air Or Water Using Self-Calibrating Structured Light (Bleier M, A Nüchter. 3D ARCH 2017.2017.).

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, two line lasers and an image acquisition unit are used as an example. Figure 3 and Figure 4In the autonomous mobile device shown, an image acquisition unit 3 (such as a camera) is set at the front center of the device body 1, and two line lasers 2a and 2b are respectively set on the left and right sides of the image acquisition unit 3, which are approximately perpendicular to the ground. When the autonomous mobile device is operating normally, the two line lasers 2a and 2b emit line lasers approximately perpendicular to the ground to the front of the autonomous mobile device. If there is an obstacle in front of the autonomous mobile device, the obstacle will block the line laser, so that the line laser presents a number of laser points LP on the obstacle. The image in front of the device body 1 is acquired by the image acquisition unit 3, and the image usually includes the obstacle TG in front of the device body 1 and the light spot / laser point LP irradiated on the obstacle TG. In the indoor working area, common obstacles TG include, but are not limited to, walls, furniture, household appliances, steps, thresholds, etc. Further, the image is processed to obtain the spatial coordinates of each laser point LP to obtain point cloud data, and parameters such as the distance between the autonomous mobile device and the obstacle TG (hereinafter referred to as the distance of the obstacle TG) can also be obtained. In the present disclosure, an image containing an obstacle surface and having laser points on the obstacle surface can also be referred to as an environmental image.

[0039] The two line lasers 2a, 2b and the image acquisition unit 3 that realize the above functions are generally referred to as a three-dimensional space sensor (3D sensor).

[0040] Since the line laser is set in a direction roughly perpendicular to the ground, the image acquisition unit can acquire the laser points in front of and below the autonomous mobile device, and obtain the point cloud data in front of and below the autonomous mobile device through calculation; for the line laser that is not set horizontally, when the autonomous mobile device is moving straight or turning, the image acquisition unit can also acquire the laser points on the side of the autonomous mobile device, and obtain the point cloud data on the side of the autonomous mobile device through calculation. Therefore, the laser points around the autonomous mobile device acquired by the image acquisition unit include the laser points in front of, on the side of, and below (also called the bottom) of the autonomous mobile device, and the point cloud data in front of, on the side of, and below (also called the bottom) of the autonomous mobile device can be obtained through calculation. In some embodiments, after obtaining the point cloud data around the autonomous mobile device, the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device can be filtered out from the point cloud data according to the spatial coordinates of the point cloud data, especially the point cloud data in a certain spatial range in front of it. In a possible implementation, the point cloud data whose spatial coordinates are within the first spatial range can be filtered out from the acquired point cloud data.

[0041] The first spatial range may be a spatial volume, for example, a regular spatial body (such as a sphere, an ellipsoid, a cylinder, a cone, a cube, a cuboid, a multi-faceted pyramid, etc.) or an irregular spatial body. Figure 5bAs shown, the first spatial range can be a spatial body V1 (corresponding to the first area) at a first distance X1 (for example, 16 cm) from the front of the autonomous mobile device, and the spatial body V1 has a first width b1 (for example, 30 cm), a first length a1 (for example, 8 cm) and a first height h1 (for example, 10 cm). The present disclosure does not limit the dimension and shape of the first spatial range. The first spatial range has a first height h1 in a direction perpendicular to the ground (that is, the z-axis direction perpendicular to the ground in the spatial coordinate system), that is, the highest point of the first spatial range in the z-axis direction of the spatial coordinate system will not exceed the first height h1. For example, taking the ground as the 0 point of the z-axis, the z-axis coordinate of the highest point of the first spatial range is h1. In some embodiments, such as Figure 5a As shown, the first height h1 of the first spatial range is equal to or slightly higher than the highest height Z2 of the autonomous mobile device except for the protruding portion. In some embodiments, the first height h1 of the first spatial range is equal to or slightly higher than the highest height Z3 of the autonomous mobile device. It should be noted that the first height h1 here is calculated from the ground, that is, the ground is used as a reference; as an optional embodiment, the first spatial range can also be set with a minimum height h0, in which case the first height h1 is the difference between the highest height of the first spatial range and its minimum height h0.

[0042] After obtaining the point cloud data within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, it is possible to determine whether there is a first obstacle within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on the point cloud data within the first spatial range in front (such as the distribution or number of laser points in the point cloud data). The first obstacle is an ordinary obstacle that will inevitably block the advancement of the autonomous mobile device, that is, the first obstacle does not have a lower space (for example, the first obstacle includes but is not limited to pillars, trash cans, walls, floor cabinets, etc.); in other words, the first obstacle is an obstacle other than a lower space-type obstacle. The definition of a lower space-type obstacle can be found in the previous description. It should be understood that a lower space-type obstacle has a space at the bottom that can allow at least a portion of the autonomous mobile device to enter; for example, refer to Figure 1 The lower space type obstacle 200 has a lower space 203 that can allow at least a portion of the autonomous mobile device 10 to enter. However, since the lower part of the first obstacle is a solid material (for example, the lower part of the wall is still a solid wall), there is no lower space, so the autonomous mobile device cannot enter the lower part of the first obstacle and can only be blocked by the first obstacle.

[0043] In a possible implementation, it may be determined whether there is a first obstacle in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on whether the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device contains point cloud data.

[0044] In a possible implementation in practice, whether there is a first obstacle in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device can be determined based on whether a sufficient amount of point cloud data is obtained from the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device. For details of this implementation, please refer to the following embodiment 3.

[0045] If it is determined that there is a first obstacle within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, the autonomous mobile device usually needs to avoid the first obstacle at this time, so there is no need to detect the lower air type obstacle. Therefore, the above-mentioned first judgment step, i.e., step S120, continues to be executed as the autonomous mobile device runs; if it is determined that there is no first obstacle within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, the following step S130 is executed.

[0046] In step S130 (second judgment step), it is judged whether there is an impassable lower space type obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device. The lower space type obstacle is different from the first obstacle; the lower space type obstacle has a lower space at its lower part that allows at least a part of the autonomous mobile device to enter; the lower space of the impassable lower space type obstacle cannot allow the autonomous mobile device to fully enter or pass.

[0047] In some embodiments, point cloud data whose spatial coordinates are within the second spatial range can be screened out from the acquired point cloud data. The second spatial range can be a spatial volume. For example, the corresponding spatial body can be a regular spatial body (such as a sphere, ellipsoid, cylinder, cone, cube, cuboid, polygonal pyramid, etc.) or an irregular spatial body. For example, in some embodiments, Figure 5cAs shown, the second spatial range can be a spatial body V2 (corresponding to the second area) at a second distance X2 (for example, 18 cm) in front of the autonomous mobile device, and the spatial body V2 has a second width b2 (for example, the second width can be the diameter of the widest part of the device body of the autonomous mobile device, or the second width can also be the diameter of the widest part of the protrusion 30 of the autonomous mobile device), a second length a2, and a height δh of the second spatial range. The present disclosure does not limit the dimensions and shapes of the second spatial range. The second spatial range has a second height h2 and a third height h3 in the direction perpendicular to the ground (i.e., the z-axis direction perpendicular to the ground in the spatial coordinate system); wherein the second height h2 is the lowest height of the second spatial range, and in some embodiments, the second height h2 is greater than or equal to the first height h1 of the above-mentioned first spatial range; the third height h3 is the maximum height of the second spatial range, so the third height h3 must be greater than the second height h2. That is, the lowest point of the second spatial range in the z-axis direction of the spatial coordinate system will not be less than the second height h2, and the highest point will not exceed the third height h3. That is to say, the second spatial range is limited to the range between the second height h2 and the third height h3 in the z-axis direction perpendicular to the ground, so the height δh of the second spatial range is h3-h2. For example, taking the ground as the zero point of the z-axis, the z-axis coordinate of the lowest point of the second spatial range is h2, and the z-axis coordinate of the highest point is h3. In some embodiments, the lowest height of the second spatial range, i.e., the second height h2, is equivalent to or slightly higher than the highest height Z2 of the autonomous mobile device except the protrusion 30. In some embodiments, the maximum height of the second spatial range, i.e., the third height h3, is equivalent to or slightly higher than the height Z3 of the autonomous mobile device. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the lowest point of the second spatial range in the z-axis direction of the spatial coordinate system may also be less than the second height h2 or the first height h1, or even less than or equal to the lowest height h0 of the first spatial range.

[0048] In a possible implementation, it may be determined whether there is an impassable under-air obstacle in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on whether the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device contains point cloud data.

[0049] In a possible implementation in practice, whether there is an impassable under-air obstacle in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device can be determined based on whether a sufficient amount of point cloud data is obtained from the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device and whether the product of the maximum length of the laser point and the maximum width of the laser point in the second spatial range is greater than the area threshold. For details of this implementation, please refer to the third embodiment below.

[0050] If it is determined that there is an impassable lower-space type obstacle within the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, since the impassable lower-space type obstacle will jam the protrusion 30 after a part of the autonomous mobile device enters its lower space, the autonomous mobile device needs to perform obstacle avoidance operation as soon as possible, and thus continues to execute the following execution step S140; conversely, if it is determined that there is no impassable lower-space type obstacle within the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, continue to operate in the original operation mode and continue to execute step S120 or S130.

[0051] In step S140 (execution step), an obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the impassable lower air obstacle.

[0052] In the case where it is determined in advance that there is an impassable under-air type obstacle ahead before the vehicle reaches the lower part of the under-air type obstacle, sufficient time is provided for the autonomous mobile device to execute obstacle avoidance operations such as backing up and / or turning to avoid the impassable under-air type obstacle in order to prevent the autonomous mobile device from being trapped therein and being unable to escape.

[0053] In a possible implementation, when there is an impassable under-air obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, the autonomous mobile device may be moved back a first distance from the current position and rotated a first angle to avoid the impassable under-air obstacle in front. It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the obstacle avoidance operation may also include other operations capable of avoiding the impassable under-air obstacle.

[0054] exist Figure 5a In the working area of ​​the embodiment of the present invention, there is a table with legs at the bottom and a lower space formed between the legs. Therefore, the table is a lower space type obstacle 200 as mentioned in the present disclosure. Figure 5a As shown, the height H0 of the lower space of the lower space obstacle 200 is the distance from the ground to the bottom of the table top. In this embodiment, the height H0 of the lower space is greater than the first height h1 of the first spatial range, and is also greater than the second height h2 and the third height h3 of the second spatial range (in this embodiment, it is assumed that the table legs are not within the first spatial range or the second spatial range). During the operation of the autonomous mobile device, the point cloud data around the autonomous mobile device (i.e., the laser points on the surface of the obstacle and their spatial coordinates) can be obtained via the 3D sensor, and the point cloud data within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device (i.e., the range below the first height h1) is filtered from the point cloud data according to the spatial coordinates of the point cloud data. Figure 5aIn the embodiment shown, no point cloud data is obtained within the first spatial range or very little point cloud data is obtained, and it is determined that there is no first obstacle within the first spatial range; then, point cloud data within the second spatial range (i.e., the range between the second height h2 and the third height h3) in front of the autonomous mobile device is screened from the point cloud data according to the spatial coordinates of the point cloud data. Figure 5a In the illustrated embodiment, no point cloud data is acquired within the second spatial range or the acquired point cloud data is very small, and it is determined that there is no impassable lower air obstacle 200 within the second spatial range at a distance X1 in front of the autonomous mobile device, and therefore the autonomous mobile device can continue to operate according to the original operating mode and route.

[0055] Figure 5b Examples and Figure 5a The difference between the embodiments is that the height H0 of the lower space of the table (i.e., the lower air-type obstacle 200) in the working area is greater than the second height h2 of the second spatial range but less than the third height h3, i.e., the desktop is within the second spatial range. During the operation of the autonomous mobile device, the point cloud data around the autonomous mobile device (i.e., the laser points on the surface of the obstacle and their spatial coordinates) can be obtained via the 3D sensor, and the point cloud data within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device (i.e., the range below the first height h1) is filtered from the point cloud data according to the spatial coordinates of the point cloud data. Figure 5b In the embodiment shown, no point cloud data is obtained within the first spatial range or very little point cloud data is obtained, and it is determined that there is no first obstacle within the first spatial range; then, point cloud data within the second spatial range (i.e., the range between the second height h2 and the third height h3) in front of the autonomous mobile device is screened from the point cloud data according to the spatial coordinates of the point cloud data. Figure 5b In the embodiment shown, the point cloud data (corresponding to Figure 5b The laser point LP in the autonomous mobile device satisfies the condition that the autonomous mobile device detects that there is an impassable lower air type obstacle in the second space range, thereby determining that there is an impassable lower air type obstacle 200 in the second space range at a distance X1 in front of the autonomous mobile device. Before the autonomous mobile device enters the lower space of the impassable lower air type obstacle 200, an obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the impassable lower air type obstacle 200.

[0056] Therefore, compared with the autonomous mobile device in the prior art, which may encounter a lower air type obstacle with a lower space during operation and may be trapped therein and difficult to escape, the autonomous mobile device disclosed in the present invention determines whether there is an impassable lower air type obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on the point cloud data in front, thereby being able to determine the impassable lower air type obstacle in front early. Moreover, if it is determined that there is an impassable lower air type obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, an obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the impassable lower air type obstacle, thereby preventing the autonomous mobile device from being stuck or trapped in the lower space of the impassable lower air type obstacle, and preventing damage to the sensors of the autonomous mobile device and the impassable lower air type obstacle (usually furniture, household appliances).

[0057] On the basis of the technical solution described in the first embodiment, the second embodiment can be obtained by further introducing step S110.

[0058] Embodiment 2:

[0059] See also Figure 2 , the control method comprises the following steps:

[0060] In step S110 (third judgment step), it is judged whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data based on the point cloud data below the autonomous mobile device.

[0061] In this embodiment, similar to the description of Embodiment 1 above, during the operation of the autonomous mobile device, point cloud data around the autonomous mobile device (i.e., laser points hitting the surface of obstacles and their spatial coordinates) can be obtained via the 3D sensor, and point cloud data below the autonomous mobile device can be filtered from the point cloud data based on the spatial coordinates of the point cloud data; whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire the point cloud data can be judged based on the point cloud data below (such as the distribution or number of laser points in the point cloud data).

[0062] In a possible implementation, whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data may be determined based on whether the area below the autonomous mobile device contains point cloud data.

[0063] In a possible implementation in practice, whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data can be determined based on whether a sufficient amount of point cloud data is acquired from below the autonomous mobile device. For details of this implementation, please refer to the third embodiment below.

[0064] If it is determined that the autonomous mobile device cannot normally acquire point cloud data, it means that the 3D sensor of the autonomous mobile device is not working properly at this time, and the subsequent first obstacle and second obstacle detection cannot be performed, and an error or alarm message can be issued at this time. If it is determined that the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data, it means that the 3D sensor of the autonomous mobile device can work properly at this time, so the 3D sensor can be used to perform the first judgment step S120 to detect the first obstacle.

[0065] Similar to the first embodiment, in step S120, based on the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device, it is determined whether there is a first obstacle in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device. If the determination result is "yes", the first determination step S120 is continued to be executed as the autonomous mobile device is running; if the determination result is "no", the second determination step S130 is continued to be executed.

[0066] In step S130, it is determined whether there is an impassable under-air obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device. If the determination is "yes", the following execution step S140 is continued; if the determination is "no", the original operation mode is continued, and step S120 or S130 is continued.

[0067] In step S140, an obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the impassable under-air obstacle.

[0068] Regarding steps S120 to S140, please refer to the description of steps S120 to S140 in the first embodiment for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0069] Therefore, the autonomous mobile device of the present invention first determines whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire the point cloud data according to the point cloud data below the autonomous mobile device, thereby determining whether the 3D sensor of the autonomous mobile device can work normally, and only when the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire the point cloud data, the autonomous mobile device can perform the 3D scanning. Figure 2 The subsequent steps of S110 in the control method shown can avoid performing obstacle detection (i.e., steps S120-S130) when the autonomous mobile device cannot normally obtain point cloud data (i.e., the 3D sensor cannot work normally), thereby avoiding possible damage to the autonomous mobile device due to failure to detect potential obstacles ahead.

[0070] Based on the technical solution described in the first embodiment, the third embodiment can be obtained by specifically expanding steps S120 and S130.

[0071] Embodiment three:

[0072] Figure 6 A flow chart showing a method for controlling an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the control method includes the following steps:

[0073] In step S220, it is determined whether the first quantity of point cloud data within the first spatial range reaches a first quantity threshold. For details about the first spatial range, please refer to the first determination step description of step S120 in embodiment 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0074] In this embodiment, point cloud data within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device can be obtained in the manner described in Embodiment 1, and the number of point cloud data within the first spatial range in front (first number) can be calculated to determine whether there is a first obstacle in the first spatial range in front.

[0075] The first number can be compared with a set first number threshold (e.g., 20); if the first number is greater than or equal to the first number threshold, it means that there is a sufficient amount of point cloud data in the first spatial range, and it can be determined that there is a first obstacle in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device. At this time, the autonomous mobile device usually needs to avoid the first obstacle, so there is no need to detect the lower air type obstacle, and thus step S220 is continued to be executed as the autonomous mobile device runs. Otherwise, the following step S230 is continued to be executed.

[0076] In step S230, it is determined whether the second quantity of point cloud data within the second spatial range reaches a second quantity threshold (hereinafter referred to as "second quantity determination"), and whether the product of the maximum length of the laser point and the maximum width of the laser point in the second area (hereinafter referred to as "length-width product") is greater than an area threshold (hereinafter referred to as "area determination"). Regarding the second area, please refer to the description of the second determination step of step S130 in embodiment 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0077] In this embodiment, point cloud data within the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device can be obtained in the manner described in Example 1, and the number of point cloud data within the second spatial range in front (second number) and the product of the length and width of the laser point can be calculated to determine whether there is an impassable lower air obstacle in the second spatial range in front.

[0078] The second number can be compared with a set second number threshold (for example, 40), and the length-width product of the laser points in the second area (i.e., the second spatial range) can be compared with a set area threshold (for example, 0.01 cm 2). If the second number is greater than or equal to the second number threshold, and the length-width product is greater than the area threshold, it can be determined that there is an impassable under-air obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, so the autonomous mobile device needs to perform obstacle avoidance operations as soon as possible, and then continue to execute the following execution step S240. Otherwise, if the second number is less than the second number threshold and / or the length-width product of the laser point in the second space range is less than the area threshold, continue to operate in the original operation mode, and continue to execute the above steps S220 or S230.

[0079] It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the order of the second quantity judgment and the area judgment. The second quantity judgment may be performed first and then the area judgment, or the area judgment may be performed first and then the second quantity judgment, or the second quantity judgment and the area judgment may be performed simultaneously.

[0080] In step S240, an obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the lower air obstacle. For step S240, please refer to the description of the execution steps of step S140 in embodiment 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0081] Therefore, the autonomous mobile device disclosed in the present invention determines whether there is an impassable under-air obstacle in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on whether there is a sufficient number of point cloud data in the second spatial range in front and whether the length-width product of the laser point in the second spatial range is greater than the area threshold, thereby being able to determine the impassable under-air obstacle in front at an early stage.

[0082] On the basis of the technical solutions described in the first or third embodiment, the fourth embodiment can be obtained by further introducing step S210:

[0083] Embodiment 4:

[0084] See also Figure 6 , the control method comprises the following steps:

[0085] In step S210, it is determined whether a third quantity of point cloud data within a third spatial range reaches a third quantity threshold.

[0086] The third spatial range may be a spatial volume, and illustratively, the corresponding spatial body may be a regular spatial body (such as a cylinder, etc.). For example, in some embodiments, the third spatial range may be a third area with the center of the autonomous mobile device as the origin, the radius of the third area being the radius of the widest part of the device body of the autonomous mobile device, and the height of the third area being a third height h3 (such as a height from -2 cm to 1 cm). Therefore, the third spatial range may cover a partial spatial range below the autonomous mobile device.

[0087] In this embodiment, point cloud data whose spatial coordinates are within the third spatial range can be screened out from the acquired point cloud data, and then the number of point cloud data within the third spatial range (third number) can be used to determine whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire the point cloud data.

[0088] The third number can be compared with a set third number threshold (for example, 20); if the third number is greater than or equal to the third number threshold, it is determined that the autonomous mobile device can normally obtain point cloud data, indicating that the 3D sensor of the autonomous mobile device can work normally at this time, so the 3D sensor can be used to perform the first judgment step S120 or S220 to detect the first obstacle. Otherwise, it means that the 3D sensor of the autonomous mobile device is not working properly at this time, and the subsequent first obstacle and second obstacle detection cannot be performed, and an error or alarm message can be issued at this time.

[0089] The subsequent steps take Example 3 as an example. In step S220, it is determined whether the first quantity of point cloud data within the first spatial range reaches the first quantity threshold. If the determination is "no", step S230 is continued; otherwise, if the determination is "yes", step S220 is continued as the autonomous mobile device is running.

[0090] In step S230, it is determined whether the second quantity of point cloud data within the second spatial range reaches the second quantity threshold, and whether the length-width product of the laser points within the second area is greater than the area threshold. If the determination is "yes", it is determined that there is an impassable under-air obstacle within the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, and therefore the autonomous mobile device needs to perform obstacle avoidance operations as soon as possible, and the subsequent execution step S240 is continued; otherwise, the operation continues in the original operation mode, and step S220 or S230 is continued.

[0091] In step S240, an obstacle avoidance operation is performed to avoid the lower air obstacle.

[0092] Regarding steps S220 to S240, please refer to the description of steps S220 to S240 in embodiment 3 for details, which will not be repeated here.

[0093] In this embodiment, the autonomous mobile device disclosed in the present invention first determines whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data based on whether there is a sufficient amount of point cloud data within the third space range below it, thereby determining whether the 3D sensor of the autonomous mobile device can normally operate, and only when the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data is the subsequent step of detecting obstacles performed. Thus, it can be avoided that the autonomous mobile device still performs obstacle detection (i.e., steps S120-S130 or steps S220-S230) when the autonomous mobile device cannot normally acquire point cloud data, thereby causing possible damage to the autonomous mobile device due to failure to detect potential obstacles ahead.

[0094] Figure 7 A block diagram showing a control device of an autonomous mobile device according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. Figure 7 As shown, the control device 700 may include a first judgment unit 710 , a second judgment unit 720 and an execution unit 730 .

[0095] The first judgment unit 710 can judge whether there is a first obstacle in the first space range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device. The second judgment unit 720 is connected to the first judgment unit 710. The second judgment unit 720 can be used to judge whether there is an impassable lower space type obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device when the first judgment unit 710 judges that there is no first obstacle in the first space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, wherein the second space range is above the first space range, wherein the lower space type obstacle is different from the first obstacle, and the lower space type obstacle has a lower space in its lower part that allows at least a part of the autonomous mobile device to enter, and the lower space of the impassable lower space type obstacle cannot allow the autonomous mobile device to enter or pass completely. The execution unit 730 is connected to the second judgment unit 720. The execution unit 730 can be used to perform an obstacle avoidance operation to avoid the impassable lower space type obstacle when the second judgment unit 720 judges that there is an impassable lower space type obstacle in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

[0096] In a possible implementation, the first judgment unit 710 may be configured to: judge whether a first quantity of point cloud data within the first spatial range reaches a first quantity threshold, wherein the first spatial range is a first area that is a first distance away from the front of the autonomous mobile device, has a first length, a first width, and a first height, and the first height is greater than or equal to a maximum height of the autonomous mobile device excluding a protruding portion; if it is judged that the first quantity does not reach the first quantity threshold, it is judged that the first obstacle does not exist in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

[0097] In a possible implementation, the second judgment unit 720 can be configured to: judge whether the second quantity of point cloud data within the second spatial range reaches a second quantity threshold, wherein the second spatial range is a second area that is a second distance away from the front of the autonomous mobile device, has a second length, a second width, and a second height; judge whether the product of the maximum length of the laser point and the maximum width of the laser point in the second area is greater than an area threshold; when it is judged that the second quantity reaches the second quantity threshold and it is judged that the product of the maximum length of the laser point and the maximum width of the laser point in the second area is greater than the area threshold, it is judged that the impassable under-air type obstacle exists in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

[0098] In a possible implementation, the control device 700 may further include: a third judgment unit (not shown), configured to judge whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data based on the point cloud data below the autonomous mobile device, wherein, when it is judged that the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data, the first judgment unit 710 judges whether the first obstacle exists within the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the third judgment unit may be configured to: judge whether a third quantity of point cloud data within a third spatial range reaches a third quantity threshold; if it is judged that the third quantity reaches the third quantity threshold, judge that the autonomous mobile device is able to normally acquire point cloud data, wherein the third spatial range is a third area with the center of the autonomous mobile device as the origin, the radius of the autonomous mobile device as the radius, and the height as the third height.

[0100] In a possible implementation, the execution unit 730 may be configured to: cause the autonomous mobile device to retreat a first distance from a current position, and cause the autonomous mobile device to rotate a first angle.

[0101] Regarding the device in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each unit performs the operation has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0102] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A control method for an autonomous mobile device, characterized in that: include: A first determination step is used to determine whether there is a first obstacle in a first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device based on the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device; A second judgment step is used to judge whether there is an impassable lower space type obstacle in a second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device when it is judged that the first obstacle does not exist in the first space range in front of the autonomous mobile device, the second space range is above the first space range, wherein the lower space type obstacle is different from the first obstacle, the lower space type obstacle has a lower space at its lower part that can allow at least a part of the autonomous mobile device to enter, and the lower space of the impassable lower space type obstacle cannot allow the autonomous mobile device to fully enter or pass; as well as The execution step is used to perform an obstacle avoidance operation to avoid the impassable under-air type obstacle when it is determined that the impassable under-air type obstacle exists in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

2. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first determination step comprises: Determine whether a first quantity of point cloud data within the first spatial range reaches a first quantity threshold, wherein the first spatial range is a first area that is a first distance away from the front of the autonomous mobile device, has a first length, a first width, and a first height, and the first height is greater than or equal to a maximum height of the autonomous mobile device excluding a protruding portion; When it is determined that the first number does not reach the first number threshold, it is determined that the first obstacle does not exist within a first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

3. The control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second determination step comprises: Determining whether a second amount of point cloud data within the second spatial range reaches a second amount threshold, wherein the second spatial range is a second area that is a second distance from the front of the autonomous mobile device, has a second length, a second width, and a second height; Determine whether the product of the maximum length of the laser spot and the maximum width of the laser spot in the second area is greater than an area threshold; When it is determined that the second number reaches the second number threshold and when it is determined that the product of the maximum length of the laser spot and the maximum width of the laser spot in the second area is greater than the area threshold, it is determined that the impassable under-air obstacle exists in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

4. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Before the first judging step, the method further includes: The third judgment step is used to judge whether the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire the point cloud data according to the point cloud data below the autonomous mobile device. Wherein, when it is determined that the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire point cloud data, the first judgment step is performed.

5. The control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The third determination step comprises: Determining whether a third amount of point cloud data within a third spatial range reaches a third amount threshold; In the case where it is determined that the third number reaches the third number threshold, it is determined that the autonomous mobile device can normally acquire the point cloud data, The third spatial range is a third area with the center of the autonomous mobile device as the origin, the radius of the autonomous mobile device as the radius, and the height as the third height.

6. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Obstacle avoidance operations include: The autonomous mobile device is moved back a first distance from a current position, and the autonomous mobile device is rotated a first angle.

7. A control device for an autonomous mobile device, characterized in that: include: A first judgment unit, configured to judge whether there is a first obstacle in a first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device; a second judgment unit, configured to judge, if it is judged that the first obstacle does not exist in the first spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device, whether there is an impassable lower space type obstacle in the second spatial range in front of the autonomous mobile device according to the point cloud data in front of the autonomous mobile device, the second spatial range being above the first spatial range, wherein the lower space type obstacle is different from the first obstacle, the lower space type obstacle having a lower space at its lower part that can allow at least a part of the autonomous mobile device to enter, and the lower space of the impassable lower space type obstacle cannot allow the autonomous mobile device to fully enter or pass through; as well as The execution unit is used to execute an obstacle avoidance operation to avoid the impassable under-air type obstacle when it is determined that the impassable under-air type obstacle exists in the second space range in front of the autonomous mobile device.

8. A control device for an autonomous mobile device, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; as well as a memory storing instructions, Wherein, when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are caused to perform the control method according to any one of claims 1-6.

9. An autonomous mobile device, characterized in that: include: a motion unit for moving the autonomous mobile device on a work surface in a work area; as well as A control device according to claim 7 or 8. 10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, when instructions in the storage medium are executed by a processor, enables the processor to perform the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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