Automatic pool cleaning device and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic pool cleaning device and a control method thereof, which are used for controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to clean a pool. The control method comprises the steps that the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move on the water surface so as to execute water surface cleaning operation; whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped or not is judged, and if it is judged that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled by a water surface driving device to execute a first escape action of advancing, retreating or steering so that the automatic pool cleaning device can escape. According to the method, when the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to escape as soon as possible, and the cleaning efficiency and user experience of the automatic pool cleaning device are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of cleaning devices, and in particular to an automatic pool cleaning device and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development of computer technology, robotics technology has also developed rapidly. Currently, underwater robots are used more and more widely in various fields, and can assist people in working in the water, including surface cleaning operations.

[0003] Underwater cleaning robots, such as pool cleaning robots, will encounter many complex situations while cleaning the pool surface. These complex situations can easily cause the pool cleaning robot to get stuck. For example, the pool cleaning robot may get stuck in the pool water inlet, escalator, net, etc., making it difficult to continue cleaning operations, thus affecting the pool cleaning efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, when the pool cleaning robot is cleaning the pool water surface, how to overcome complex situations and not get stuck, so as to smoothly perform the cleaning operation becomes a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present application, a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, which is used to control the automatic pool cleaning device to clean a pool, and the control method includes: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface to perform a water surface cleaning operation; and determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, wherein, if it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a first escape action through a water surface driving device so that the automatic pool cleaning device can escape, wherein the first escape action includes moving forward, backward and / or turning.

[0006] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, if the first escape action includes moving forward and turning, the moving forward is before the turning, the moving forward and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the moving forward is after the turning; and if the first escape action includes moving backward and turning, the moving backward is before the turning, the moving backward and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the moving backward is after the turning.

[0007] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, the water surface driving device includes a water spraying device, a propulsion blade, or a driving wheel.

[0008] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, the walking includes straight-line walking.

[0009] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, the water spraying device includes a water pump and a drain outlet; and the propulsion blades are arranged on the side of the robot body.

[0010] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, it also includes judging whether the first escape action is successful. If not, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a second escape action through the water surface driving device, wherein the second escape action includes moving forward, backward and / or turning.

[0011] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, if the second escape action includes moving forward and turning, the moving forward is before the turning, the moving forward and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the moving forward is after the turning; and if the second escape action includes moving backward and turning, the moving backward is before the turning, the moving backward and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the moving backward is after the turning.

[0012] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, the first escape action is different from or the same as the second escape action.

[0013] According to a control method of an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, it also includes judging whether the second escape action achieves escape, and if not, issuing an alarm.

[0014] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, the first escape action or the second escape action includes repeating the same action multiple times.

[0015] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, the direction of the first escape action or the second escape action is opposite to the direction of movement of the water surface.

[0016] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, wherein the determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped comprises: determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped through working parameters of the water surface driving device, data acquired by a sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device, or data acquired by a posture sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0017] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, wherein the water surface driving device includes a first water pump and a second water pump, wherein the judging whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped includes: calculating a predetermined steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within a first predetermined time period based on the power of the first water pump and the power of the second water pump; measuring the actual steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within the first predetermined time period by the attitude sensor; if the difference between the predetermined steering angle and the actual steering angle is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle threshold, judging that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

[0018] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, wherein the sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device includes a distance sensor, and the distance sensor is arranged on the head or side of the automatic pool cleaning device, and the judging whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped includes: measuring the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front within a second predetermined time period by the distance sensor; if the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front remains unchanged or fluctuates up and down by a predetermined distance threshold within the second predetermined time period, it is judged that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

[0019] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, wherein the determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped comprises: measuring, by means of the attitude sensor, an actual steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within a third predetermined time period, wherein if the actual steering angle within the third predetermined time period is less than or equal to a predetermined steering angle threshold, it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the present application, an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, wherein the automatic pool cleaning device is capable of executing any of the control methods described above.

[0021] The embodiments described in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0022] During the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, it is determined whether it is stuck. If it is stuck, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move forward, backward and / or turn to adjust the relative posture of the automatic pool cleaning device and the stuck position. After the posture is adjusted, the automatic pool cleaning device is further controlled to move forward, backward and / or turn. If it still cannot get out of the trap, an alarm is issued. This allows the automatic pool cleaning device to get out of the trap as soon as possible, and then the automatic pool cleaning device can clean the pool smoothly, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency and user experience of the automatic pool cleaning device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the description of the embodiment. The drawings described below are only exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0024] Figure 1 is a flow chart of a control method of an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application; and

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the components of the swimming pool cleaning device provided by the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] The present application provides a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device. It is understandable that the automatic pool cleaning device can be mobile and clean in a pool-shaped building, and the pool-shaped building can be, for example, a swimming pool, a reservoir, a spa pool, a water tank, a water tank, etc. The pool cleaning device can be a device such as an automatic cleaning device, a pool cleaning robot, etc., which can clean the pool-shaped building. The present application does not limit the specific presentation of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool-shaped building, as long as the principle of the present application can be implemented. In the following, if not otherwise specified, the robot will be used as an example of the automatic pool cleaning device, and the swimming pool will be used as an example of the pool-shaped building.

[0028] When cleaning the surface of a swimming pool, the robot usually cleans according to a planned cleaning path, wherein the planned cleaning path may be, for example, reciprocating (e.g., bow-shaped, N-shaped, Z-shaped, etc.) cleaning between two opposite sides of the swimming pool surface, and the robot may also clean according to a random path. The robot may include a water pump, and may also be provided with one or more water suction ports, which may be provided at the robot's abdomen, bottom, front, side, etc., so as to suck in garbage from the pool bottom, water surface, etc.; the robot may also be provided with one or more drainage ports, which may be provided at the robot's back, top, rear, side, etc., so as to discharge filtered water from the drainage ports, and provide the robot with a certain driving force, steering force, etc. The water pump is used to guide the water flow into the robot's water suction port and out of the robot's drainage port, thereby filtering the garbage in the water flow and cleaning the swimming pool.

[0029] The control method 100 of the automatic pool cleaning device is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 1 is a flow chart of a control method 100 of an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the control method 100 includes step 101, step 102 and step 103. Step 101, step 102 and step 103 are described in detail below.

[0031] In step 101, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move on the water surface to perform a water surface cleaning operation.

[0032] For example, the robot can be controlled to move along a planned cleaning path on the surface of a swimming pool to perform cleaning work. The cleaning path can be planned based on historical cleaning records, the shape of the swimming pool surface, the surface area, and environmental information. The cleaning path can also be a path pre-set by the user. The cleaning path can also be a random path. The above description of the cleaning path is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can select the cleaning path according to actual needs, as long as the technical principles of the present application can be implemented.

[0033] When the robot moves along the planned cleaning path, its movement mode is related to the planned cleaning path. For example, the movement can be a straight line movement, a reciprocating movement, a curved movement, etc., and the movement can also be a movement in the direction indicated by the head of the robot, or a movement in the direction indicated by the tail of the robot. It should be noted that, in view of the fact that the robot is easily affected by wind force, resistance of surface garbage, etc. when moving on the water surface, when the robot moves in a straight line, its movement path may not be an absolute straight line, but a curve with a certain curvature. The movement modes shown above are only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can select and set the movement mode of the robot according to actual conditions, as long as the technical principles of the present application can be implemented.

[0034] When the robot moves on the water surface, it can suck water containing garbage into the filtering device through the water suction port and discharge the filtered water from the drain port, thereby performing water surface cleaning operations.

[0035] During the moving process, step 102 is performed. In step 102, it is determined whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

[0036] It is understandable that there may be water inlets, nets, and obstacles such as escalators that are set on the side walls of the pool and extend to the surface of the pool on the surface of the pool. When the robot is moving to clean the surface of the pool, it may get stuck due to the obstruction of the obstacles when it moves to the position of the above obstacles, causing the robot to be unable to move further, resulting in the inability to continue cleaning the pool. Therefore, when the robot is trapped, the cleaning efficiency of the pool will be seriously affected. Based on this, in the process of the robot cleaning the surface of the pool, it is necessary to determine whether the robot is trapped during the cleaning process, so as to promptly detect that the robot is trapped and get out of trouble in time. Among them, there can be many ways to determine whether the robot is trapped, and the present application will be described in the following embodiments.

[0037] When the robot is trapped, there may be two situations: (1) the robot stops at the stuck position, in which case the robot's speed drops to 0 or close to 0; (2) the robot moves back and forth in a small area corresponding to the stuck position, in which case the robot's speed is also lower than its normal driving speed. The two situations described above are only exemplary descriptions of situations when the robot is trapped, and are not intended to limit the types of situations when the robot is trapped. Those skilled in the art can apply the principles of the present application to various situations in which the robot is trapped.

[0038] If it is determined in step 102 that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, proceed to step 103. In step 103, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled by a water surface driving device to perform a first escape action so that the automatic pool cleaning device escapes, wherein the first escape action includes moving forward, backward and / or turning.

[0039] It should be noted that, if there is no additional explanation in this application, "forward" and "forwards" correspond to the direction pointed by the head of the robot, and correspondingly, "backward" and "backwards" correspond to the direction pointed by the tail of the robot. For example, the robot moves forward along an existing path, which means that the robot moves in the direction pointed by its head; the robot moves backward, which means that the robot moves in the direction pointed by its tail.

[0040] Specifically, the first escape action may include controlling the robot to move forward, backward and / or turn.

[0041] For example, if the robot is stuck while moving forward and cannot continue to move, the robot can move backward to get out of the way. If the robot is stuck while moving backward and cannot continue to move, the robot can move forward to get out of the way.

[0042] If the robot is stuck while moving forward / backward and may not be able to escape by moving backward / forward along the original path, the robot can turn and move forward or backward along the path after turning to escape. Based on this situation, the robot can be controlled to rotate by a predetermined angle to adjust the posture of the robot at the stuck position or the relative posture of the robot and the obstacle.

[0043] It is understandable that the angle at which the robot rotates at the stuck position can be preset. If the rotation angle is set too small, the robot's posture adjustment is small, and the robot may be difficult to get out of trouble. However, due to the size and weight of the robot, the robot also needs to consume power to rotate its body, and the larger the rotation angle, the higher the power consumption. Therefore, the size of the predetermined rotation angle can be set according to the robot's body size, weight, etc. For example, if the body size is larger, the robot needs to rotate a larger predetermined angle to have a significant posture adjustment.

[0044] Exemplarily, the predetermined angle is small, which can save power when the robot is out of trouble, and the small rotation angle also makes it easier for the robot to continue cleaning near the path before the robot is out of trouble, thereby reducing the area that is missed. In one embodiment, the predetermined angle can be 30 to 90 degrees.

[0045] For example, in some cases, the predetermined angle can be set to a larger angle, such as more than 90 degrees, so that there are no more obstacles in the robot's forward direction after the robot is controlled to rotate a larger angle, and the robot can be controlled to move forward directly to escape. If there are still obstacles in the robot's forward direction after rotating a larger angle, the robot can be controlled to move backward to escape.

[0046] It is understandable that the first escape action may also be a combination of a series of actions such as moving forward, moving backward, and turning. For example, after being trapped, the robot sequentially uses a combination of the three actions of moving backward, turning, and moving forward to escape, or uses a combination of the two actions of turning and moving backward to escape, or uses a combination of the two actions of turning and moving forward to escape.

[0047] If the robot uses a combination of multiple actions to escape, the various actions and the sequential relationship between them can be one or more of the following: (1) If the first escape action includes moving forward and turning, the robot can move forward and then turn (that is, the forward action is before the turning action), can move forward and turn at the same time (that is, the forward action and the turning action are performed simultaneously), or can turn first and then move forward (that is, the forward action is after the turning action); (2) If the first escape action includes moving backward and turning, the robot can move backward and then turn (that is, the backward action is before the turning action), can move backward and turn at the same time (that is, the backward action and the turning action are performed simultaneously), or can turn before moving backward (that is, the backward action is after the turning action).

[0048] Whether to use forward, backward, turn, or a combination of these actions to escape is related to factors such as the environment in which the robot is currently trapped and the object that traps the robot, and the embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations here. In the following, for the convenience of description and to make the specification concise, if there is no additional explanation, the "posture of the robot in the stuck position" and the "relative posture of the robot and the obstacle" are collectively referred to as "posture of the robot" or "posture"; the terms "stuck", "trapped", and "trapped" have the same or substantially the same meaning.

[0049] The above embodiments have the following beneficial effects:

[0050] When it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to perform a first escape action so that the automatic pool cleaning device can escape as quickly as possible, thereby allowing the automatic pool cleaning device to continue cleaning operations, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the automatic pool cleaning device and user experience.

[0051] In one embodiment, the water surface driving device includes a water jet device, a propulsion blade, or a driving wheel.

[0052] Specifically, various devices that drive the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface can be collectively referred to as a water surface driving device. The water surface driving device includes a water spray device, a propulsion blade, or a driving wheel.

[0053] The water spray device may include a water pump and a drain. As described above, the drain of the robot may be located at the tail or upper part of the robot, and the direction of the drain may be adjusted. The direction of the discharged water flow may be adjusted by adjusting the direction of the drain, thereby providing the robot with thrust in different directions. Based on this, in the process of controlling the robot to move forward or backward, in order to enable the robot to escape from the stuck position smoothly and quickly, the robot may be provided with forward or backward thrust by adjusting the drainage direction of the drain based on the robot's escape method, thereby increasing the success rate of the robot's escape.

[0054] For example, if the robot escapes by moving forward, the direction of the drain outlet can be adjusted so that the drain outlet sprays water toward the rear or obliquely above the rear of the robot, thereby providing a forward thrust to the robot, and the forward thrust can push the robot forward together with the driving wheels of the robot, thereby increasing the success rate of the robot escaping from the trap. If the robot escapes by moving backward, the direction of the drain outlet can be adjusted so that the drain outlet sprays water toward the front or obliquely above the front of the robot, thereby providing a backward thrust to the robot, and the backward thrust can push the robot backward together with the driving wheels of the robot, thereby increasing the success rate of the robot escaping from the trap. If the escape fails, the first escape action of the robot can be adjusted to try to escape again.

[0055] It is understood that, corresponding to adjusting the direction of the drain outlet, the robot has a drain outlet adjustment device that can adjust the drainage direction of the drain outlet, and those skilled in the art can selectively set the drain outlet adjustment device according to the principle of this application, and this application does not specifically limit it. The adjustment includes rotating the drain outlet or switching different drain outlets.

[0056] In one embodiment, the power of the water pump is adjustable, for example, the water pump has two working powers, low power and high power. When the robot moves forward or backward when getting out of trouble, after turning on the water pump, the water pump can be controlled to run at low power first, so that the robot attempts to get out of trouble, and the water pump first uses low power to help the robot get out of trouble, which can help the robot save electricity during the process of getting out of trouble. If the robot fails to get out of trouble, the water pump is controlled to run at high power, thereby increasing the thrust on the robot forward or backward, and increasing the success rate of the robot getting out of trouble.

[0057] The propulsion blade can be a reaction-type drive device. When the propulsion blade rotates, the blade pushes the water backward (or forward) and is subjected to the reaction force of the water to generate a forward (or backward) thrust. The propulsion blade has a simple structure, light weight, high efficiency, and reliable operation. It is a widely used drive device. The propulsion blade can be set on the side of the robot.

[0058] The number of driving wheels can be an even number, and they are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the robot body. The driving wheels can provide additional driving force for the robot to move on the water surface when in working state. Usually, the thrust provided by the water spray device is greater than the thrust provided by the driving wheels.

[0059] The control method 100 also includes determining whether the first escape action is successful. If not, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a second escape action through the water surface driving device, wherein the second escape action includes moving forward, backward and / or turning.

[0060] After executing the first escape action, it is determined whether the robot is out of trouble. If the first escape action enables the robot to escape, then after escaping, the robot can continue to move on the water surface to perform the water surface cleaning operation. If the first escape action fails to enable the robot to escape (i.e., the robot fails to escape), the second escape action is performed by the water surface driving device.

[0061] In one embodiment, the first escape action or the second escape action includes repeating the same action multiple times.

[0062] For example, the first escape action may include repeating the same action multiple times. Specifically, if the first escape action fails to free the robot, the first escape action may be repeated several times to try to escape. For example, the first escape action is to move backward, then the robot first executes a backward action to try to escape, and if the backward action fails to free the robot, then the backward action is executed again (for the second time) to try to escape. If the robot fails to escape after two backward actions, it indicates that the first escape action has failed, and the second escape action is executed. Similarly, the second escape action may also include repeating the same action multiple times, in other words, repeatedly executing the same second escape action.

[0063] In one embodiment, if the first escape action fails to free the robot, different types of first escape actions may be performed to try to escape. For example, if the first escape action selected by the robot is to retreat, the robot first performs a retreat action to try to escape. If the retreat action fails to free the robot, one or a combination of forward, backward and turning actions or multiple actions may be used as the first escape action to try to escape again. If the robot fails to escape after two actions, it indicates that the first escape action has failed, and the second escape action may be performed. Similarly, if the second escape action fails to free the robot, different types of second escape actions may be performed to try to escape again.

[0064] For example, the first escape action and the second escape action can be performed three times each. If the robot has not escaped after six escape actions, it can be determined that the robot cannot escape, and an alarm can be issued (described in detail below).

[0065] The first escape action and the second escape action may be different or the same.

[0066] For example, the first escape action is to move backward, and the second escape action is to move forward; the first escape action is to move backward, and the second escape action is to turn; the first escape action is to turn + move backward in sequence, and the second escape action is to turn + move forward in sequence; the first escape action is to move backward and turn simultaneously, and the second escape action is to move forward and turn simultaneously; the first escape action is to move backward + turn + move forward in sequence, and the second escape action is to move backward + turn + move forward in sequence. It can be understood that the above selection between the first escape action and the second escape action is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can selectively set the first escape action and the second escape action according to the principles described above.

[0067] The above description of the connection relationship between the first escape action and the second escape action is only exemplary and is not intended to limit the type and number of relationships between the first escape action and the second escape action. Those skilled in the art can select and set the relationship between the first escape action and the second escape action according to actual needs, as long as the technical principles of the present application can be implemented.

[0068] In one embodiment, the control method 100 further includes: determining whether the second escape action achieves escape, and if not, issuing an alarm.

[0069] For example, if the second escape action fails to achieve escape, an alarm message may be sent to the user to remind the user that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

[0070] The alarm information may be one or more of a voice prompt, a sound prompt, a text message prompt, an incoming call prompt, an email prompt, a mobile phone application prompt, and the like.

[0071] In one embodiment, the direction of the first escape action or the second escape action is opposite to the direction of movement of the water surface.

[0072] Specifically, if the direction in which the automatic pool cleaning device moves on the water surface is forward, backward, turn left, or turn right, then correspondingly, the first escape action or the second escape action is performed backward, forward, turn right, or turn left.

[0073] The following is a detailed description of determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped in step 102. Determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped includes: determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped based on the working parameters of the water surface driving device, the data obtained by the sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device, or the data obtained by the posture sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0074] In one embodiment, the water surface driving device includes a first water pump and a second water pump, wherein the judging whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped includes: calculating a predetermined steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within a first predetermined time period based on the power of the first water pump and the power of the second water pump; measuring the actual steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within the first predetermined time period by the posture sensor; if the difference between the predetermined steering angle and the actual steering angle is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle threshold, judging that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

[0075] Specifically, a first water pump and a second water pump are respectively provided on both sides of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device. There is a power difference between the power of the first water pump and the power of the second water pump. Due to the power difference, the robot will turn under the action of the two water pumps. Under the premise that the power difference is known, according to the corresponding relationship between the power difference and the rotation angle, the predetermined turning angle of the robot along the predetermined path within the first predetermined time length can be obtained. For example, the first predetermined time length is 10s, and the predetermined turning angle a can be obtained.

[0076] The above describes calculating the predetermined steering angle based on the power difference between the water pumps on the left and right sides. In one embodiment, the predetermined steering angle can also be calculated based on the parameters of the propulsion blades on the left and right sides (such as power difference, speed difference, etc.). The above description of the cause of the predetermined steering angle is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can select the cause and calculation method of the predetermined steering angle according to actual needs, as long as the technical principles of the present application can be implemented.

[0077] The robot also includes a posture sensor. The posture sensor can be an inertial measurement unit IMU. The inertial measurement unit IMU can measure the angular velocity of the robot. The actual steering angle b of the robot within the first predetermined time period is measured by the posture sensor. If the robot is not trapped, the actual steering angle b should be equal to or substantially equal to the predetermined steering angle a. It should be noted that due to the influence of wind force, resistance of surface garbage, etc., the actual steering action of the robot may not be sufficient, resulting in the actual steering angle b being unequal to the predetermined steering angle a, but the difference between the two should be within a smaller numerical range. Therefore, if the actual steering angle b is much smaller than (or to a greater extent smaller than) the predetermined steering angle a, it indicates that the robot cannot achieve steering or if the steering is very insufficient, it further indicates that the robot has been trapped. In one embodiment, if ab>5°, it can be determined that the robot is trapped.

[0078] In one embodiment, the automatic pool cleaning device includes a distance sensor, and the distance sensor is arranged on the head or side of the automatic pool cleaning device. The judging whether the automatic pool cleaning device is stuck includes: measuring the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front within a second predetermined time period by the distance sensor; if the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front remains unchanged or fluctuates up and down by a predetermined distance threshold within the second predetermined time period, it is judged that the automatic pool cleaning device is stuck.

[0079] Exemplarily, the robot may include a distance sensor. The distance sensor may be one or more of an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a laser sensor, and a phased array ultrasonic sensor. The distance between the robot and the obstacle in front can be measured by the distance sensor, and then it can be determined whether the robot is stuck based on the distance between the robot and the predetermined object. If the reading of the distance sensor within the second predetermined time period remains at a relatively stable value or within a smaller predetermined distance threshold range, it indicates that the position of the robot has not changed or has not changed significantly within the second time period, and then it can be determined that the robot is trapped. It should be pointed out that the setting of the predetermined distance threshold is due to the fact that the robot may be affected by factors such as wind and water flow, so that when it is trapped, it will still move within a small range. For example, the second predetermined time period can be set to 10s, and the predetermined distance threshold can be set to 0.1 meters.

[0080] In one embodiment, the attitude sensor may be used to measure an actual steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within a third predetermined time period, wherein if the actual steering angle within the third predetermined time period is less than or equal to a predetermined steering angle threshold, it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

[0081] As described above, when the robot cleans the surface of the swimming pool, it usually cleans according to the planned cleaning path, wherein the planned cleaning path can be a reciprocating path between two opposite sides of the swimming pool surface, such as a Z-shape, a bow-shape, etc. Then, over a sufficiently long period of time, when the robot moves along the planned path, there will be a cumulative steering angle, and a predetermined steering angle threshold can be set based on the cumulative steering angle. The actual steering angle of the robot within a third predetermined time period is measured by the posture sensor. If the actual steering angle within the third predetermined time period is less than or equal to the predetermined steering angle threshold, it is determined that the robot has been trapped. For example, the third predetermined time period can be set to 80s, and the predetermined steering angle threshold can be set to 5°.

[0082] The above describes three embodiments: (1) judging whether the robot is trapped by the difference between the predetermined steering angle and the actual steering angle; (2) judging whether the robot is trapped by judging the distance between the robot and a predetermined object; (3) judging whether the robot is trapped by accumulating the steering angle.

[0083] It is understandable that the three conditions described above for determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped (corresponding to the above embodiment (1), embodiment (2) and embodiment (3) respectively) can be combined with each other to further improve the accuracy of determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device is determined to be trapped only when the difference between the predetermined steering angle and the actual steering angle is greater than or equal to the predetermined angle threshold, and the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front remains unchanged or fluctuates up and down by the predetermined distance threshold.

[0084] The above description of the combination of various conditions for judging whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped is only exemplary. Those skilled in the art can understand various combinations of the above judgment conditions based on the principles described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0085] According to a second aspect of the present application, an automatic pool cleaning device is provided for cleaning a swimming pool. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic pool cleaning device 20 provided in the present application. Figure 2 As shown in , the automatic pool cleaning device 20 includes: a control device 21, which is configured to execute any of the control methods described above; and a driving device 22, which is controlled by the control device 21 to drive the cleaning device to move forward, backward or turn.

[0086] The automatic pool cleaning device can use the principles of the various embodiments described above to determine whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, and perform an escape operation after determining that it is trapped. The technical principles of the determination operation and the escape operation can refer to the description of the various embodiments above, and will not be repeated here.

[0087] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative labor.

[0088] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a disk, an optical disk, etc., including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiments.

[0089] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0090] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0091] The above is only an exemplary embodiment of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various changes or substitutions within the technical scope recorded in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an automatic pool cleaning device, used to control the automatic pool cleaning device to clean a pool, the control method comprising: Controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the water surface to perform water surface cleaning operations; as well as Determine whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, wherein: If it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped, then The automatic pool cleaning device is controlled by a water surface driving device to perform a first escape action so that the automatic pool cleaning device can escape, wherein the first escape action includes moving forward, backward and / or turning.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: If the first escape action includes moving forward and turning, the moving forward is before the turning, the moving forward and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the moving forward is after the turning; as well as If the first escape action includes retreating and turning, the retreating is performed before the turning, the retreating and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the retreating is performed after the turning.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The water surface driving device includes a water spray device, a propulsion blade, or a driving wheel.

4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein: The water spraying device comprises a water pump and a water outlet; the propulsion blades are arranged on the side of the robot body.

5. The control method according to claim 1, further comprising judging whether the first escape action is successful, and if not successful, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a second escape action through the water surface driving device, wherein: The second escape action includes moving forward, moving backward and / or turning.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein: If the second escape action includes moving forward and turning, the moving forward is before the turning, the moving forward and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the moving forward is after the turning; as well as If the second escape action includes retreating and turning, the retreating is before the turning, the retreating and the turning are performed simultaneously, or the retreating is after the turning.

7. The control method according to claim 5, wherein: The first escape action is different from or the same as the second escape action.

8. The control method according to claim 5 further comprises determining whether the second escape action achieves escape, and if not, issuing an alarm.

9. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The first escape action or the second escape action includes repeating the same action multiple times.

10. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The direction of the first escape action or the second escape action is opposite to the direction of movement of the water surface.

11. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped comprises: determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped through working parameters of the water surface driving device, data acquired by a sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device, or data acquired by a posture sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device.

12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: The water surface driving device includes a first water pump and a second water pump, wherein the step of determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped includes: Calculating a predetermined steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within a first predetermined time period according to the power of the first water pump and the power of the second water pump; Measuring the actual steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within the first predetermined time period by the posture sensor; If the difference between the predetermined steering angle and the actual steering angle is greater than or equal to a predetermined angle threshold, it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device has been trapped.

13. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: The sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device includes a distance sensor, and the distance sensor is arranged on the head or side of the automatic pool cleaning device. The determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped includes: Measuring the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front within a second predetermined time period by the distance sensor; If the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front remains unchanged or fluctuates within a predetermined distance threshold within the second predetermined time period, it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device has been trapped.

14. The control method according to claim 11, wherein: The determining whether the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped comprises: The actual steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device within a third predetermined time period is measured by the posture sensor, wherein if the actual steering angle within the third predetermined time period is less than or equal to a predetermined steering angle threshold, it is determined that the automatic pool cleaning device is trapped.

15. An automatic pool cleaning device, comprising: a control device, the control device being configured to execute the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and a driving device, controlled by the control device to drive the automatic pool cleaning device to move forward, backward and / or turn.

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