Automatic pool cleaning device and its control method

Abstract

This application provides an automatic pool cleaning device and its control method. The automatic pool cleaning device includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and the control method includes: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move downwards along the wall of the pool; the IMU measuring the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device in real time; and based on the acceleration information, determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool. This method can timely and accurately determine whether the pool cleaning device has touched the bottom based on the inertial measurement unit on the device, providing a guarantee for subsequent control of the automatic pool cleaning device to descend from the wall in a timely manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cleaning device technology, and in particular to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device and an automatic pool cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of computer technology, robotics technology has also advanced rapidly. Currently, underwater robots are increasingly widely used in various fields, assisting people in underwater operations, including underwater cleaning, underwater exploration, and underwater tourism. For example, underwater cleaning robots, such as pool cleaning devices, are prone to slipping off the pool walls when changing routes to clean them along a predetermined path. Therefore, it is usually necessary to control the cleaning device to move down the pool wall from the waterline to the junction of the wall and the bottom of the pool. After confirming that the cleaning device has touched the bottom, it is controlled to descend from the wall to the bottom of the pool, then turns at the bottom and climbs back up to continue cleaning the wall.

[0003] Therefore, in the process of cleaning the walls of a pool, how to determine in a timely and accurate manner when the pool cleaning device contacts the bottom of the pool has become an urgent technical problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of this application, a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, the automatic pool cleaning device including an inertial measurement unit (IMU), the control method comprising:

[0005] Control the automatic pool cleaning device to move downwards along the wall of the pool;

[0006] The inertial measurement unit (IMU) measures the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device in real time.

[0007] Based on the acceleration information, it is determined whether the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool.

[0008] According to the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application, the acceleration information includes the amount of acceleration change in the vertical direction.

[0009] According to the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application, the step of determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool based on the acceleration information includes: when the change in acceleration is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool.

[0010] According to the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application, if the change in acceleration is always less than the preset threshold within a preset time period, then it is determined whether the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool based on the historical wall-down time.

[0011] According to the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application, the preset duration is greater than 90s.

[0012] According to the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application, the step of determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool based on the historical wall-mounting time includes: if the change in acceleration is always less than the preset threshold during the historical wall-mounting time, then it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool.

[0013] According to the control method of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application, the historical wall-mounted duration is obtained based on at least one of the following methods:

[0014] Based on the historical duration of the wall;

[0015] Data acquisition based on depth gauge and wheel speed gauge / downward wall speed;

[0016] Data is obtained based on historical wall-climbing time, climbing speed, and descending speed / wheel speed measurements.

[0017] According to the control method of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application, the historical wall cleaning time is obtained based on the wall detection sensor and the water outlet detection sensor; the wall detection sensor includes an IMU or a downward-looking sensor.

[0018] According to the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application, the measurement interval for real-time measurement of the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device is less than or equal to 300ms; preferably, the real-time measurement includes measuring the acceleration information once every 200ms or 300ms.

[0019] According to a second aspect of this application, an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, which is capable of performing the control method of any of the above-described automatic pool cleaning devices.

[0020] The embodiments described in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The automatic pool cleaning device moves downwards along the pool wall towards the bottom of the pool for cleaning. Because the device's speed drops sharply when it reaches the bottom, it is obstructed by the pool's surface. Therefore, during the device's movement, the inertial measurement unit (IMU) can measure the device's speed change (acceleration) in real time. Based on this acceleration information, it can be accurately determined whether the device has contacted the pool bottom, ensuring that the device can promptly descend from the wall to continue cleaning the next cleaning route. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. The accompanying drawings in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the swimming pool cleaning device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] This application provides a control method for an automatic water tank cleaning device, the automatic water tank cleaning device including an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

[0027] It is understood that the automatic pool cleaning device is capable of cleaning the pool. The pool is, for example, a pool-shaped structure. The pool-shaped structure can be a swimming pool, a water storage tank, a spa pool, a water tank, a water reservoir, etc. The automatic pool cleaning device can be a device such as an automatic cleaning device or a pool cleaning robot, capable of cleaning the pool-shaped structure. This application does not limit the specific presentation of the automatic pool cleaning device or the pool-shaped structure, as long as the principle of this application is achieved. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, a robot will be used as an example of the automatic pool cleaning device, and a swimming pool will be used as an example of a pool or pool-shaped structure. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "pool bottom," "pool bottom surface," and "pool base" all refer to the bottom surface of the swimming pool.

[0028] The robot may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which can measure the robot's acceleration during the cleaning process. The IMU may include one or more components such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, microprocessor, and communication interface. The IMU can measure the robot's movement state and attitude. Those skilled in the art can select and configure the IMU according to actual needs, as long as the technical principles of this application are implemented.

[0029] Specifically, when using a robot to clean pool walls, it's typically necessary to control the robot to clean along a planned route. This planned route might involve moving back and forth (e.g., in an N-shape) between the junction of the pool wall and the waterline and the junction of the pool wall and the pool bottom. After cleaning one route, the robot needs to move to the next. However, due to the robot's large size and weight, controlling it to change routes by rotating at a preset angle or moving laterally on the pool wall could cause it to fall off the wall, hindering its cleaning work and potentially causing damage. Based on this, when controlling the robot to clean the pool walls, it is generally possible to first control the robot to move from the waterline position to the boundary between the wall and the pool bottom (i.e., the lower edge of the wall), then control the robot to move down from the pool wall to the pool bottom, then control the robot to turn on the pool bottom, and then move to the boundary between the "next cleaning route on the wall" and the "pool bottom," and then control the robot to move from the pool bottom back to the pool wall to clean the next cleaning route. In the following text, for ease of description and to keep the instruction manual concise, unless otherwise specified, the process of the robot moving down along the pool wall will be referred to as "down the wall"; the process of the robot moving up along the pool wall will be referred to as "up the wall"; the term "waterline" refers to the position where the pool water surface contacts the wall; and contact with the pool bottom will be referred to as "bottom contact."

[0030] The control method 100 of the automatic water tank cleaning device will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method 100 of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application. Figure 1 As shown, the control method 100 includes steps 101 to 103. Steps 101 to 103 will be described in detail below.

[0032] In step 101, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move downward along the wall of the pool.

[0033] Based on the above discussion of the process of controlling a robot to clean the pool walls, accurately identifying when the robot contacts the bottom of the pool is crucial for timely control of the robot to descend to the bottom and switch to the next cleaning route. Therefore, when controlling a robot to clean the pool walls, it is necessary to lower the robot down to the bottom and switch to the next cleaning route.

[0034] It is understandable that when controlling the robot to move downwards along the pool wall, the robot can move head-down forward along the wall, or head-up backwards along the wall, depending on the orientation of the robot's head when it climbs the wall. For example, if the robot moves head-up forward along the wall when climbing, then it moves head-up backwards downwards; if the robot moves head-down backwards upwards when climbing, then it moves head-down forwards downwards. After moving head-up along the wall to the waterline, the robot can also turn around and move head-down along the wall. The above description of the robot's movement along the pool wall is merely exemplary. Those skilled in the art can choose the appropriate movement method according to actual needs, as long as it achieves the technical principles of this application.

[0035] Next, proceed to step 102. In step 102, the inertial measurement unit (IMU) measures the acceleration information of the automatic water tank cleaning device in real time.

[0036] Specifically, during the process of controlling the robot to move down the wall of the pool, the change in the robot's speed during the movement can be measured in real time by the inertial measurement unit (IMU), that is, the robot's acceleration information.

[0037] In one embodiment, the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device is measured in real time via an IMU at intervals of less than or equal to 300 ms. Preferably, the real-time measurement includes measuring the acceleration information every 200 ms or 300 ms.

[0038] Specifically, the measurement interval cannot be too long. If the measurement interval is too long, the inertial measurement unit (IMU) will be in a "sleep" state when the robot's acceleration changes, making it difficult to capture the change in robot acceleration and consequently, difficult to accurately determine whether the robot has touched the bottom of the pool. Furthermore, it is understandable that if the measurement interval is too short, the IMU will need to frequently turn on and measure data, consuming excessive power. In practice, setting the measurement interval to less than or equal to 300ms helps to avoid missing changes in robot acceleration due to excessively long "sleep" periods and also helps to avoid frequent power consumption by the IMU. Preferably, the real-time measurement interval can be 200ms or 300ms. Of course, those skilled in the art can also choose the real-time measurement interval according to actual needs, as long as the technical principle of this application is achieved.

[0039] Next, proceed to step 103. In step 103, based on the acceleration information, determine whether the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool.

[0040] Specifically, when the automatic pool cleaning device moves downwards and contacts the bottom of the pool, it is obstructed by the bottom, causing a significant decrease in its speed, sometimes even a sudden drop or zero speed. Therefore, by measuring the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device, it is possible to determine whether the device has contacted the bottom of the pool. For example, by comparing the acceleration information collected at different times, it can be determined whether there is a decrease in acceleration.

[0041] The above embodiments have the following beneficial effects:

[0042] The automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move downwards (towards the bottom of the pool) along the pool wall to clean. When the automatic pool cleaning device moves downwards and touches the bottom of the pool, its speed will decrease (or even drop sharply). Therefore, during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device can be measured in real time by the inertial measurement unit (IMU). Based on this acceleration information, it is possible to determine in a timely and accurate manner whether the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool, which provides a guarantee for the subsequent control of the automatic pool cleaning device to descend from the wall in a timely manner.

[0043] In one embodiment, the acceleration information includes the amount of acceleration change in the vertical direction.

[0044] Specifically, the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device, measured in real time by the inertial measurement unit (IMU), can include the change in acceleration of the automatic pool cleaning device in the vertical direction. The term "vertical direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the pool wall surface and the pool bottom.

[0045] In one embodiment, as the robot moves downwards along the wall of the pool, its path is perpendicular to the pool floor; in other words, the robot moves vertically downwards along the pool wall. Therefore, the acceleration information measured by the inertial measurement unit (IMU) is the change in acceleration in the vertical direction.

[0046] In another embodiment, as the robot moves downwards along the wall of the pool, its path forms an angle with the bottom surface of the pool; in other words, the robot moves obliquely downwards along the pool wall. In this embodiment, the inertial measurement unit can measure: (1) the change in acceleration in the vertical direction; and (2) the change in acceleration of the robot in the horizontal direction. However, the change in acceleration in the vertical direction is the one that truly reflects whether the robot is in contact with the bottom of the pool. It is understood that the angle between the robot's path on the wall surface and the bottom of the pool is usually not too large; in other words, the robot can move downwards along the wall surface along a route that is generally perpendicular to the bottom of the pool. Therefore, using the change in acceleration in the vertical direction can more intuitively and quickly determine whether the robot is in contact with the bottom of the pool in the vertical direction.

[0047] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool based on the acceleration information includes: determining that the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool when the change in acceleration is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0048] It is understandable that during the process of controlling the robot to move downwards along the wall, in addition to the change in movement speed when the robot touches the bottom of the pool, the unevenness of the wall surface and encountering debris / garbage may also cause changes in the robot's movement speed (i.e., acceleration). However, the impact of unevenness and debris / garbage on the robot's movement speed is relatively small (i.e., the acceleration is small), while the impact of the robot touching the bottom of the pool, which prevents it from moving forward, has a significant impact on the robot's movement speed. Based on the above discussion, in order to exclude other situations that may cause changes in the robot's movement speed, such as unevenness of the wall surface, a preset threshold is set. Only when the change in acceleration measured by the inertial measurement unit (IMU) is greater than or equal to the preset threshold is it determined that the robot has touched the bottom of the pool. This preset threshold can be determined based on the robot's movement speed on the wall, the robot's own weight, and the flatness of the pool wall. This preset threshold can be a large value to exclude interference from other situations that may also cause small changes in the robot's movement speed. Those skilled in the art can set the preset threshold according to the technical principles described in this application, as long as the technical principles of this application are implemented.

[0049] In one embodiment, the robot moves down the wall of the pool at a certain speed. After the robot collides with the bottom of the pool, due to the elasticity of the robot wheels and the reaction force of the bottom of the pool, the robot may be bounced off the bottom of the pool and move a certain distance away from the bottom of the pool when the robot's speed drops suddenly. Then the robot will move down the wall again after being bounced off before it touches the bottom of the pool. In some cases, the robot may be bounced off the bottom of the pool multiple times before it touches the bottom of the pool. Based on this situation, a grace period Δt can be set when determining whether the robot has reached the bottom. Assuming that the moment when the acceleration change measured by the inertial measurement unit (IMU) is greater than or equal to the preset threshold is time t1, at which point the robot moves down the wall and makes its first contact with the bottom of the pool. During the grace period Δt, the robot rebounds along the wall (once or multiple times) and moves down again, contacting the bottom of the pool. Therefore, if the acceleration change measured by the IMU is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, it can be determined that the robot has reached the bottom after Δt from the moment the acceleration change is greater than or equal to the preset threshold (i.e., time t1). In other words, the robot has reached the bottom at time t1+Δt.

[0050] It is understandable that the terms "contacting the pool bottom" and "touching the bottom" mentioned above mean that the robot is in the following state: the robot is located on the wall of the pool and is in contact with (or almost in contact with) the bottom of the pool, and can continue to move to the bottom of the pool.

[0051] In one embodiment, the method further includes determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool based on the historical wall-mounting time if the change in acceleration is always less than a preset threshold within a preset time period.

[0052] The preset duration can be determined based on the distance the robot travels along the pool wall from the waterline to the bottom and the robot's moving speed (or average moving speed). The preset duration can also be a duration set by the user based on experience.

[0053] The preset time can also be the historical wall-descent time (described in detail below) or slightly less than the historical wall-descent time. Setting the preset time to be less than or equal to the historical wall-descent time is significant because, during the robot's movement along the wall from the waterline to the bottom edge, due to the relatively small amount of debris / garbage on the current path, the robot can maintain a faster speed (i.e., less deceleration caused by debris / garbage). Therefore, the time consumed by the robot to move from the waterline to the bottom edge of the wall is less than the historical wall-descent time. Thus, measuring the robot's acceleration information within the preset time (rather than within the historical wall-descent time) helps to determine earlier and faster whether the robot has reached the bottom. If the measured change in acceleration within the preset time is consistently less than the preset threshold, it further triggers a determination based on the historical wall-descent time to determine whether the robot has touched the bottom of the pool (the determination based on the historical wall-descent time to determine whether the robot has touched the bottom of the pool will be described in detail below).

[0054] Specifically, in certain special circumstances (such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU) malfunction, the IMU being in a "dormant" state at the moment the robot touches the bottom, or the robot's slow movement resulting in a small change in speed upon touching the bottom), the change in acceleration measured by the IMU within the preset time period during the robot's downward movement along the pool wall may always be less than the preset threshold. In such cases, simply comparing the IMU's measurement value with the preset threshold is insufficient to accurately determine whether the robot has touched the bottom. Therefore, it is possible to further determine whether the robot has contacted the pool bottom based on the robot's historical wall-climbing time.

[0055] In one embodiment, the preset duration is greater than 90 seconds. Those skilled in the art can set the preset duration according to actual circumstances, as long as it achieves the technical principles of this application.

[0056] In one embodiment, the step of determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool based on the historical wall-mounting time includes: if the change in acceleration is always less than the preset threshold during the historical wall-mounting time, then it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool.

[0057] It is understandable that the robot typically moves at a constant or near-constant speed when moving along the wall, meaning its acceleration is constant or substantially constant. Therefore, assuming the pool remains unchanged and the waterline position remains constant (assuming the water volume in the pool remains constant over a relatively long period (e.g., within one hour or several hours), or ignoring the water loss due to evaporation), the time it takes for the robot to move down the pool wall from the waterline to the bottom edge at different times is the same or substantially the same. Therefore, when determining bottoming based on historical wall-diving time, the historical wall-diving time of the robot can be determined first. Then, within that historical wall-diving time, the change in acceleration can be measured using the inertial measurement unit (IMU). If the measured change in acceleration is consistently less than the preset threshold, it indicates that the robot has reached the bottom.

[0058] In one embodiment, the historical wall-climbing time is obtained based on at least one of the following methods: based on historical wall-climbing time; based on data given by depth gauge and wheel speed gauge / wall-climbing speed; based on historical wall-climbing time, wall-climbing speed, and wall-climbing speed / wheel speed gauge.

[0059] Specifically, there are several ways to obtain the historical duration of wall access, as follows:

[0060] Method 1: Obtain historical wall-crossing time based on historical wall-crossing time. Since the robot typically moves at a constant or near-constant speed while on the wall, the time taken for the robot to climb the wall (from the bottom edge of the wall to the waterline) is the same or substantially the same as the time taken to descend the wall (from the waterline to the bottom edge of the wall). Therefore, the historical wall-crossing time can be used to obtain the historical wall-crossing time. For example, the robot's historical wall-crossing time can be directly used as the historical wall-crossing time for subsequent robot bottom-reaching determination.

[0061] Method 2: Obtain historical wall-climbing time based on data from depth gauges and wheel speed meters / wall-climbing speed. The pool depth can be determined using depth gauge data, and the robot's wall-climbing speed can be determined (e.g., based on wheel speed meter data). Then, the robot's historical wall-climbing time can be calculated based on the pool depth and the robot's wall-climbing speed. For example, when the robot is at the bottom of the pool, the pool depth can be measured using a depth gauge to obtain the pool depth data.

[0062] Method 3: Obtain historical wall-climbing time based on historical wall-climbing time, climbing speed, and descent speed / wheel speed measurement. The pool depth can be calculated based on the robot's historical wall-climbing time and climbing speed, and the robot's descent speed can be determined (or determined based on wheel speed measurement data). Then, the historical wall-climbing time can be calculated based on the pool depth and the robot's descent speed.

[0063] It is understandable that only one of the above methods can be used to obtain the robot's historical wall-falling time. To further increase the accuracy of the obtained historical wall-falling time, multiple methods can be used to determine the robot's historical wall-falling time (such as method 1 + method 2, or method 2 + method 3, or method 1 + method 2 + method 3).

[0064] The above description of the method for obtaining the historical wall-mounted time is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the method of obtaining the historical wall-mounted time. Those skilled in the art can obtain or set the historical wall-mounted time according to actual circumstances, as long as the technical principles of this application are implemented. For example, the time it took for the robot to move from the waterline to the lower edge of the wall in the previous cleaning operation can be recorded as the historical wall-mounted time, or the average time of the previous few moves from the waterline to the lower edge of the wall can be used as the historical wall-mounted time.

[0065] In one embodiment, the historical wall duration is obtained based on an upper wall detection sensor and a water discharge detection sensor; the upper wall detection sensor includes an IMU or a downward-looking sensor.

[0066] Specifically, the historical wall time can be obtained based on the wall detection sensor and the water discharge detection sensor. For example, the robot can be controlled to move from the bottom of the pool to the lower edge of the pool wall, and then the first moment when the robot is at the lower edge of the pool wall can be obtained based on the wall detection sensor. Then, the robot can be controlled to move from the lower edge of the wall to the waterline position. The second moment when the robot exits the water can be obtained through the water discharge detection sensor. Based on the first moment and the second moment, the historical wall time of the robot can be calculated.

[0067] The water discharge detection sensor can be, for example, a pressure sensor, which determines whether the robot has reached the waterline by measuring changes in external pressure. Alternatively, the water discharge detection sensor can be a capacitive sensor, which determines the water level by measuring changes in the dielectric constant of the water. Those skilled in the art can select the appropriate water discharge detection sensor based on actual needs, as long as it achieves the technical principles of this application.

[0068] The wall-mounted detection sensor can include an IMU or a downward-looking sensor. Since the robot's attitude angle on the pool bottom surface differs from its attitude angle on the pool wall, detecting the robot's attitude angle using an IMU allows us to determine the moment the robot moves from the pool bottom to the pool wall. Similarly, since a downward-looking sensor is capable of sensing ground conditions, its information allows us to determine the moment the robot moves from the pool bottom to the pool wall.

[0069] According to a second aspect of this application, an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, which is capable of performing the control method of any of the above-described automatic pool cleaning devices.

[0070] The above embodiments have the following beneficial effects:

[0071] The aforementioned automatic pool cleaning device, by executing the control method described in the above embodiments, controls the automatic pool cleaning device to move downwards (i.e., towards the bottom of the pool) along the wall of the pool for cleaning. Since the automatic pool cleaning device is blocked by the bottom of the pool when it moves downwards, the speed of the automatic pool cleaning device will decrease (or even drop sharply). Therefore, during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, the speed change (i.e., acceleration information) of the automatic pool cleaning device can be measured in real time by the inertial measurement unit (IMU). Furthermore, based on this acceleration information, it is possible to determine in a timely and accurate manner whether the automatic pool cleaning device has contacted the bottom of the pool, thus providing a guarantee for the subsequent control of the automatic pool cleaning device to descend from the wall in a timely manner.

[0072] According to a third aspect of this application, a computer storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, and when executed by a processor, the computer program implements a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device as described above, the automatic pool cleaning device including an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and the control method comprising:

[0073] Control the automatic pool cleaning device to move downwards along the wall of the pool;

[0074] The inertial measurement unit (IMU) measures the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device in real time.

[0075] Based on the acceleration information, it is determined whether the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool.

[0076] Fourthly, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer is able to execute the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided by the above methods. The automatic pool cleaning device includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and the control method includes:

[0077] Control the automatic pool cleaning device to move downwards along the wall of the pool;

[0078] The inertial measurement unit (IMU) measures the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaning device in real time.

[0079] Based on the acceleration information, it is determined whether the automatic pool cleaning device is in contact with the bottom of the pool.

[0080] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0081] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0082] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0083] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0084] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope described in this application, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an automatic pool cleaner, the automatic pool cleaner comprising an inertial measurement unit (IMU), the method comprising: controlling the automatic pool cleaner to move down a wall of the pool; measuring acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaner in real time by the inertial measurement unit (IMU); determining whether the automatic pool cleaner contacts a pool bottom of the pool based on the acceleration information; if it is detected that the automatic pool cleaner has contacted the pool bottom, controlling the automatic pool cleaner to turn on the pool bottom and continue to climb the wall; wherein the acceleration information comprises an acceleration change in a vertical direction; the automatic pool cleaner contacting the pool bottom comprises a state that the automatic pool cleaner is on the wall of the pool and in contact with the pool bottom and can continue to move to the pool bottom, when the acceleration change is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, determining that the automatic pool cleaner contacts the pool bottom; if the acceleration change is always less than the preset threshold within a preset time period, determining whether the automatic pool cleaner contacts the pool bottom based on a historical wall-down time; wherein the step of determining whether the automatic pool cleaner contacts the pool bottom based on the historical wall-down time comprises: if the acceleration change is always less than the preset threshold within the historical wall-down time, determining that the automatic pool cleaner contacts the pool bottom.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein The preset time period is greater than 90s.

3. The control method according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein, The historical wall-down time is obtained based on at least one of the following ways: based on a historical wall-up time; based on data provided by a depth gauge and a wheel speed gauge / wall-down speed; based on a historical wall-up time, a wall-up speed, and a wall-down speed / wheel speed gauge.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein The historical wall-up time is obtained based on a wall-up detection sensor and a water outlet detection sensor; the wall-up detection sensor comprises an IMU or a downward-looking sensor.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein The measurement interval of the acceleration information of the automatic pool cleaner is less than or equal to 300ms.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein The real-time measurement comprises measuring the acceleration information every 200ms. 7.An automatic pool cleaner capable of performing the control method of any one of claims 1-6.

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