Underwater automatic cleaning equipment grounding detection method and equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a grounding detection method and equipment for underwater automatic cleaning equipment. The grounding detection method comprises the following steps: judging whether the underwater automatic cleaning equipment enters water from water or not; if the underwater automatic cleaning equipment enters the water from the water, whether the underwater automatic cleaning equipment is in a steady state or not is judged, and if the underwater automatic cleaning equipment is in the steady state, it is judged that the underwater automatic cleaning equipment touches the bottom; and the underwater cleaning equipment is controlled to execute cleaning operation after touching the ground. After the equipment is recognized to be in the water, whether the equipment touches the ground or not is judged according to the state of the equipment, judgment according to the falling duration of the equipment in the water is avoided, invalid waiting time is shortened, the starting efficiency of the automatic cleaning equipment is improved, and user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of underwater equipment, and in particular to a bottom contact detection method and equipment for underwater automatic cleaning equipment. Background Art

[0002] At present, underwater automatic cleaning equipment faces certain technical difficulties in operation after being launched into the water. After entering the water, the equipment needs to go through a process of exhaust and sinking, in which the equipment sinks to the bottom of the pool by exhausting air or adjusting its own buoyancy. However, during the sinking process of the equipment, if the cleaning operation is started too early, the equipment may not have touched the bottom, causing the equipment to float and bump around in the water, and unable to effectively perform the cleaning task. This situation will seriously affect the work efficiency and user experience of the equipment.

[0003] To solve this problem, traditional methods usually set a maximum sinking time based on the type of equipment, the equipment sinking speed, and the actual depth of the swimming pool. After the equipment is put into the water, a timeout will be set. After waiting for the set timeout time (which is much longer than the expected sinking time), it will determine whether the equipment has touched the bottom and start the cleaning operation. Although this judgment method based on sinking time can avoid starting the equipment when it floats to a certain extent, it has obvious shortcomings: the sinking time is difficult to accurately match: different equipment sinking speeds, different pool depths, and environmental changes (such as water temperature, equipment weight, etc.) will affect the sinking time of the equipment. In order to avoid misjudgment, a longer timeout is usually set, which will cause the device to wait too long in a shallow swimming pool, affecting the user experience. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a bottom contact detection method and device for underwater automatic cleaning equipment, so as to solve the problem that the bottom contact determination of underwater equipment requires timeout waiting.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0006] A bottom contact detection method for underwater automatic cleaning equipment, characterized in that the method comprises:

[0007] Determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device enters the water from above the water;

[0008] If the device has entered the water from above the water, determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state, and if the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state, determining that the underwater automatic cleaning device has touched the bottom;

[0009] The underwater cleaning device is controlled to perform a cleaning operation after touching the bottom.

[0010] In order to solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0011] An underwater automatic cleaning device, which executes a bottom contact detection method for an underwater automatic cleaning device.

[0012] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: a bottom contact detection method and device for underwater automatic cleaning equipment provided by the present invention, when it is recognized that the equipment is in water, determines whether it has touched the bottom based on the status of the equipment itself, avoids judging based on the length of time the equipment has fallen in water, reduces invalid waiting time, improves the startup efficiency of the automatic cleaning equipment, and improves user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 The present invention is a flowchart of a bottom contact detection method for underwater automatic cleaning equipment in an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] In order to explain the technical content, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, the following is an explanation in combination with the implementation modes and the accompanying drawings.

[0015] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper, lower, inside, outside, top, bottom" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are for the components themselves in the vertical, perpendicular or gravity direction, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0016] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art of the technical field of the present application. The terms used herein are only for describing specific implementation purposes and are not intended to limit the present application. Terms such as "parts" and "components" appearing in this article may represent either a single part or a combination of multiple parts. Terms such as "installation", "setting", "connection" and the like appearing in this article should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may represent that one component is directly attached to another component, or that one component is attached to another component through an intermediate, or it may be the internal connection of two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances. The features described in one embodiment herein may be applied to another embodiment alone or in combination with other features, unless the feature is not applicable in the other embodiment or otherwise specified.

[0017] Please refer to Figure 1 In a first embodiment of the present invention, a bottom contact detection method for an underwater automatic cleaning device is provided, the method comprising:

[0018] Determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device enters the water from above the water;

[0019] If the device has entered the water from above the water, determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state, and if the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state, determining that the underwater automatic cleaning device has touched the bottom;

[0020] The underwater cleaning device is controlled to perform a cleaning operation after touching the bottom.

[0021] It can be understood that steady state refers to the underwater cleaning equipment reaching a balanced and stable state. For example, it can be evaluated from two aspects: time and state. That is, if there is no obvious tendency for the underwater cleaning equipment to move within a set time, the underwater cleaning equipment can be considered to be in a steady state.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the detecting whether the underwater cleaning device is in a steady state comprises the steps of:

[0023] It is determined whether the underwater cleaning device is in a non-tilted state and whether the underwater cleaning device is in a stationary state. If the cleaning device is in a non-tilted state and in a stationary state, it is determined that the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state.

[0024] Among them, the non-tilted state means that the posture of the device is close to horizontal, without obvious tilt. When the device is operating in the water, the posture may change due to water flow, obstacles or its own movement. In order to determine whether the device is in a non-tilted state, the inclination angle of the device (that is, the angle of the device relative to the horizontal plane) can be used as a measure. Preferably, a first threshold is set, and when the inclination angle of the device is less than the first threshold (for example, 5-10 degrees) and lasts for at least a first preset time, the device is considered to be in a non-tilted state. If the inclination angle of the device is greater than or equal to the first threshold, it means that the device has not stabilized and may not fully contact the bottom of the pool or encounter an obstacle.

[0025] The stationary state means that the device no longer has obvious movement, especially the angular velocity is close to zero. The device may rotate or move during the sinking process due to factors such as water flow and motion inertia. By detecting the angular velocity of the device (that is, the speed at which the device rotates), it can be determined whether the device is in a stationary state. Preferably, a second threshold is set, and when the angular velocity is less than the second threshold (such as 2-4° / second) and lasts for at least a second preset time, the device is considered to be in a stationary state. If the angular velocity is greater than or equal to the second threshold, it means that the device is still moving and has not stopped.

[0026] Specifically, in some possible implementations, the step of determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state includes determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state through an IMU. IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is a sensor device, usually including an accelerometer and a gyroscope, which can measure the acceleration, tilt angle, angular velocity, linear velocity, rotation angle, rotation direction and other motion and attitude information of the device. In underwater cleaning equipment, IMU is used to detect the motion state and attitude of the device to help determine whether the device is in a non-tilted state and a stationary state. Specifically:

[0027] The accelerometer in the IMU can be used to measure the tilt angle (attitude angle) of the device to determine whether the device is in a non-tilted state. The accelerometer can measure the acceleration components of the device on three axes (usually the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis). It can be understood that when the machine is in a non-tilted state, the acceleration component of the Z-axis (the vertical positive direction of the device) is approximately equal to the acceleration of gravity. By analyzing these components, the tilt angle of the device relative to the direction of the earth's gravity can be calculated. If the Z-axis acceleration is less than the preset threshold (when the device is horizontal, the Z-axis acceleration is equal to or close to the preset threshold), the device is considered to be in a tilted state.

[0028] The angular velocity (rotation speed) of the device can also be detected by the gyroscope in the IMU to determine whether the device is in a stationary state. The gyroscope can accurately measure the angular velocity of the device around each axis. When the angular velocity is close to zero, it indicates that the device is not rotating or moving and is in a stationary state. Preferably, the angular velocity values ​​of the above three axes (gx, gy, gz) are calculated, and the modulus of the angular velocity vector is calculated When the device is stationary, the modulus of the machine is close to 0, and the vector modulus value is used to evaluate whether the device is in a stationary state.

[0029] When the device is in a non-tilted state, it means that the device is close to horizontal. At the same time, if the device is in a stationary state, it means that the device no longer has obvious rotation or movement and has touched the bottom of the pool or is close to the bottom of the pool, indicating that the device has stabilized in one position. Both states confirm that the device is in a steady state, indicating that the device's posture and position have reached ideal working conditions.

[0030] In some possible implementations, if it is determined that the cleaning device is in a tilted state and in a stationary state, the device is controlled to move forward or backward for a certain distance or duration, and then it is determined whether the underwater cleaning device is in a non-tilted state and whether the underwater cleaning device is in a stationary state. This is because the device is prone to abnormal states (tilted but stationary) during the falling process in the water, and the above steps provide the device with the ability to adaptively adjust, as follows:

[0031] When the underwater cleaning device is in a tilted state, it means that the posture angle of the device is greater than the preset threshold, and the device is not in a horizontal state. Possible reasons include that the device is stuck on a slope, an obstacle, or the bottom of the pool is uneven. At the same time, the static state means that the angular velocity of the device is close to zero, and the device has no further movement or rotation. Therefore, although the device has stopped moving in this case, it is not in the correct horizontal posture and cannot effectively perform the cleaning task. In order to cope with this situation, the device is controlled to move forward or backward for a distance or continue to move for a period of time. Through such adjustments, the device can be prevented from staying in an undesirable position. For example, the device may be stuck on a slope or a depression. By moving forward or moving, the device can be out of this unfavorable position and find a more suitable ground to perform the cleaning task. Specifically, the way to move forward or backward can be: control the device to move forward or backward for a distance or a period of time: control the device to move forward or backward for a few centimeters or longer from the perspective of space or time, trying to reach a flatter and more stable starting area.

[0032] After completing the forward movement or adjustment, the system checks the tilt angle and movement status of the device again. If the device becomes horizontal and stationary, it means that the device has entered a stable state and can start cleaning; if it is still in a tilted state, continue to adjust until the device reaches a steady state. Through this adjustment strategy, the device can adapt to complex terrain and avoid getting stuck on obstacles or slopes and being unable to work effectively. This linkage judgment ensures that the device can always perform cleaning tasks in the best position, improving the adaptability and work efficiency of the device.

[0033] In some optional embodiments, the step of determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device enters the water from above the water includes determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device enters the water from above the water by using a water entry detection sensor. By determining whether the device enters the water from above the water by using a water entry detection sensor, the working environment of the device can be more accurately identified, ensuring that the bottoming detection is started in the correct state, and preventing misjudgment when the device has not yet entered the water. Specifically, the water entry detection sensor includes a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a water pump power detection module.

[0034] In the second embodiment of the present invention, an underwater automatic cleaning device is provided, and the underwater automatic cleaning device is provided with a bottom contact detection method for the underwater automatic cleaning device. Preferably, the underwater automatic cleaning device includes an IMU and a water entry sensor, the IMU includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope, the accelerometer is used to obtain the acceleration of the three axes of the device, and the gyroscope is used to obtain the rotational angular velocity of the device.

[0035] In summary, the present invention provides a bottom contact detection method and device for underwater automatic cleaning equipment, and the beneficial effects are embodied in the following aspects:

[0036] Automatic identification of water entry status: Through water entry detection sensors (such as capacitive, optical, ultrasonic or water pump power detection modules), it can accurately determine whether the device has entered the water from above, avoiding the mistaken start of bottom detection and cleaning operations when the device is not in the water. This automatic identification function ensures that the device can perform cleaning tasks in the correct environment and improves work efficiency.

[0037] Steady-state based bottoming detection: The device is judged to be in steady state by detecting the tilt angle and angular velocity of the device. The definition of steady state combines the dual requirements of time and state (non-tilted and stationary). This judgment mechanism effectively avoids the misjudgment of the device cleaning before bottoming out or on uneven ground, ensuring that the device starts cleaning in the most stable state.

[0038] Adaptive adjustment when tilted but stationary: When the device is in a tilted state but stationary, the present invention provides an automatic adjustment function. The device can move forward or move a certain distance or time through the control system, thereby getting rid of the slope or depression, so that the device can stabilize on flat ground, effectively cope with complex terrain, and enable the device to continue to maintain the best working condition.

[0039] IMU-based high-precision detection: Using IMU (inertial measurement unit), combined with accelerometers and gyroscopes, the device's attitude angle and rotation speed are accurately measured. The accelerometer is used to detect the device's tilt angle in real time, and the gyroscope is used to detect the device's rotation angular velocity. The combination of these two types of data can accurately determine whether the device has reached a steady state, providing higher reliability and accuracy for the device's bottoming detection and stable operation.

[0040] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent transformations made using the contents of the present invention's specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A bottom contact detection method for underwater automatic cleaning equipment, characterized in that: The method comprises: Determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device enters the water from above the water; If the device has entered the water from above the water, determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state, and if the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state, determining that the underwater automatic cleaning device has touched the bottom; The underwater cleaning device is controlled to perform a cleaning operation after touching the bottom.

2. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method of detecting whether the underwater cleaning device is in a steady state comprises the steps of: It is determined whether the underwater cleaning device is in a non-tilted state and whether the underwater cleaning device is in a stationary state. If the cleaning device is in a non-tilted state and in a stationary state, it is determined that the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state.

3. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: Determining whether the underwater cleaning device is in a non-tilted state includes determining whether the tilt angle of the device is less than a first threshold.

4. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: Determining whether the underwater cleaning device is in a stationary state includes determining whether the angular velocity of the device is less than a second threshold.

5. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: If it is determined that the cleaning device is in a tilted state and in a stationary state, the device is controlled to move forward for a certain distance or duration, and then it is determined whether the underwater cleaning device is in a non-tilted state and whether the underwater cleaning device is in a stationary state.

6. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The non-tilted state includes a non-tilted state that lasts for a first preset time, and the static state includes a static state that lasts for a second preset time.

7. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The step of determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state includes determining whether the underwater automatic cleaning device is in a steady state through an IMU.

8. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The step of judging whether the underwater automatic cleaning device enters the water from above the water includes judging whether the underwater automatic cleaning device enters the water from above the water by using a water entry detection sensor.

9. The bottom contact detection method of underwater automatic cleaning equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The water ingress detection sensor includes a capacitive sensor, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor or a water pump power detection module.

10. An underwater automatic cleaning device, characterized in that: The underwater automatic cleaning device executes the bottom contact detection method for underwater automatic cleaning device described in any one of claims 1-9.

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