Walking control method for swimming pool cleaning robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot. The walking control method comprises the steps that the distance values between the two ends of the face, close to a wall, of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained; according to the distance value, the distance difference between the two ends of the face, close to the wall, of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall is obtained; and according to the distance difference, the advancing direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot is adjusted. According to the walking control method designed by the invention, the distance sensors can be utilized to effectively collect the distance values between the two ends, close to one side of the wall, of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall, so that walking control is carried out on the swimming pool cleaning robot, and the swimming pool cleaning robot can accurately walk along the wall; the swimming pool cleaning robot can solve the problem that an existing swimming pool cleaning robot is poor in wall-attached walking effect in a swimming pool.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of swimming pool cleaning equipment, and in particular to a walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot. Background Art

[0002] As we all know, swimming pools are the main places for people to swim, and some garbage or bacteria will appear in the swimming pool during use, so the swimming pool needs to be cleaned regularly. Among them, underwater cleaning equipment is currently commonly used to clean the swimming pool, such as a swimming pool cleaning robot, which can effectively move and clean in the swimming pool.

[0003] In order to effectively clean the swimming pool, the existing intelligent pool cleaning robots are usually required to clean along the pool walls. When the pool cleaning robot cleans along the wall, it can not only effectively clean the corners of the pool, but also sense the size of the pool during operation, thereby better assisting in building a pool map. However, research has found that in the current existing technology, the pool cleaning robot lacks a control method that can better walk along the pool wall, and the pool cleaning robot does not perform well in walking along the wall in the swimming pool.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot, so as to solve the problem that the existing swimming pool cleaning robot has a poor walking effect close to the wall in the swimming pool.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a walking control method of a swimming pool cleaning robot, which comprises the steps of: obtaining the distance values ​​of the two ends of the swimming pool cleaning robot close to the wall from the wall respectively; according to the distance values, obtaining the distance difference between the two ends of the swimming pool cleaning robot close to the wall and the wall; according to the distance difference, adjusting the moving direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

[0007] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, the distance values ​​of the two ends of the swimming pool cleaning robot close to the wall from the wall are obtained, specifically:

[0008] The distances between the left front and left rear of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through the distance sensor; or the distances between the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through the distance sensor.

[0009] Furthermore, in the walking control method described in the present invention, distance sensors are provided on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot, and the distance sensors are TOF sensors.

[0010] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, adjusting the traveling direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot according to the distance difference specifically includes the following steps:

[0011] According to the distance difference between the left front and the left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall or the distance difference between the right front and the right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall, the output angular velocity is calculated by a proportional control method or a proportional integral differential control method;

[0012] The sum of the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the left wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot;

[0013] The difference between the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the right wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

[0014] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, adjusting the traveling direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot according to the distance difference specifically includes the following steps:

[0015] The output angular velocity is obtained by multiplying the difference between the left front and the left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall or the difference between the right front and the right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall by a pre-calibrated coefficient;

[0016] The sum of the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the left wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot;

[0017] The difference between the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the right wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

[0018] Furthermore, the walking control method of the present invention further includes the step of obtaining distance values ​​between two ends of two adjacent surfaces of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall, so as to determine whether the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner.

[0019] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, the distance values ​​of the two ends of the two adjacent surfaces of the swimming pool cleaning robot from the wall are obtained, specifically:

[0020] The distances between the left front, left rear and right front of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through distance sensors; or, the distances between the right front, right rear and left front of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through distance sensors.

[0021] Further, in the walking control method described in the present invention, if the distances between the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall are respectively less than preset thresholds, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner; or, if the distances between the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall are respectively less than preset thresholds, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner.

[0022] Furthermore, the walking control method described in the present invention also includes the steps of: if the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner, controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to continue moving forward until it touches the wall; after the swimming pool cleaning robot touches the wall, retreating a preset distance, and then controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to turn and move forward.

[0023] Furthermore, the walking control method described in the present invention also includes the step of: after the swimming pool cleaning robot completes turning and moving forward, it moves backward again until the swimming pool cleaning robot touches the wall.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the inventor has optimized and designed a walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot, and has reasonably arranged the distance sensors on the swimming pool cleaning robot, which can use the distance sensors to effectively collect the distance values ​​of the two ends of the swimming pool cleaning robot close to the wall from the wall, so as to control the walking of the swimming pool cleaning robot, thereby ensuring that the swimming pool cleaning robot walks along the wall accurately. At the same time, in some preferred embodiments, using the walking control method, the swimming pool cleaning robot can also effectively determine whether the current movement encounters a corner, and after encountering a corner, clean the dirt at the corner of the swimming pool. It can be seen that through this optimized walking control method, the swimming pool cleaning robot can not only ensure a high level of cleaning of the swimming pool, but also better perceive the size of the swimming pool, which is convenient for assisting in the establishment of a swimming pool map, and has good promotion prospects and application value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the steps of a walking control method of a swimming pool cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 The schematic diagram shows the structure of a swimming pool cleaning robot when the walking control method of the present invention is applied;

[0027] Figure 3Schematic showing the wall-following control principle of the controller in a pool cleaning robot.

[0028] Description of labels:

[0029] 1. Pool cleaning robot;

[0030] 2. Controller;

[0031] 3. Distance sensor;

[0032] 4. Wall. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In order to explain the technical content, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, the following is an explanation in conjunction with the implementation modes and the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Research has found that in the current prior art, swimming pool cleaning robots often have the need to walk along the walls when working, but the current swimming pool cleaning robots lack a walking control method that can better control the swimming pool cleaning robots to walk along the swimming pool walls.

[0035] To do this, please refer to Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, the present invention designs a walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot, which includes the steps of:

[0036] Obtain the distance values ​​of the two ends of the side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 close to the wall 4 from the wall 4 respectively; obtain the distance difference between the two ends of the side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 close to the wall 4 and the wall 4 according to the distance values; and adjust the travel direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 according to the distance difference.

[0037] From the above description, it can be seen that in the present invention, the inventor has optimized and designed a new walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot, which can calculate the distance difference between the two ends of the side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 close to the wall 4 and the wall 4 by obtaining the distance values ​​of the two ends of the side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 close to the wall 4 and the wall 4, so that the moving direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can be adjusted according to the distance difference, thereby ensuring that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can accurately walk along the swimming pool wall 4.

[0038] When the walking control method is actually applied to the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, the user no longer needs to remotely control the swimming pool cleaning robot 1. The swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can automatically clean in the swimming pool according to a preset travel trajectory through the distance sensor 3 and the controller 2 provided by itself, and automatically walk along the swimming pool wall 4 when approaching the swimming pool wall. It is easy to use and has a good application effect.

[0039] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, the distance values ​​of the two ends of the side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 close to the wall 4 from the wall 4 are obtained, specifically:

[0040] The distances between the left front and left rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are obtained through the distance sensor 3; or, the distances between the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are obtained through the distance sensor 3.

[0041] Furthermore, in the walking control method described in the present invention, distance sensors 3 are provided on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, and the distance sensors 3 are TOF sensors.

[0042] Combined with reference Figure 1 It can be seen that in the above technical solution of the present invention, the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can specifically detect and obtain the distance between the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, or obtain the distance between the right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, through the distance sensor 3.

[0043] It should be pointed out that, on the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, in order to ensure the detection effect, a distance sensor 3 can be set on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, that is, when the shape of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is a rectangle, the distance sensors 3 can be set on the four corners of the rectangle of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, and the distance sensors 3 used are fewer, and the detection is accurate and the calculation is convenient.

[0044] Based on this configuration, it can be ensured that two distance sensors 3 are included on the four sides of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, thereby ensuring the distance detection capability of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, that is, when the left side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is closer to the swimming pool wall 4, the distance sensors 3 arranged on the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can effectively obtain the distances between the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 respectively; and once the right side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is closer to the swimming pool wall 4, the distance sensors 3 arranged on the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can effectively obtain the distances between the right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 respectively.

[0045] Accordingly, see Figure 2It can be seen that in some specific embodiments, in actual application, the four distance sensors 3 arranged on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 can work together when the pool cleaning robot 1 is working. However, according to the detection properties of the distance sensors 3, the detection distance of the distance sensors 3 is usually limited. When the left side of the pool cleaning robot 1 is closer to the pool wall 4, only the distance sensors 3 arranged on the left front and right front of the pool cleaning robot 1 can detect the distances d1 and d2 of the left front and left rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4, respectively, while the distance sensors 3 arranged on the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 cannot detect the existence of the wall 4 on the right front or right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1, and cannot obtain the corresponding distance. To this end, the distance sensors 3 on the left front and right front of the above-mentioned swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can transmit the detected distance d1 and d2 information to the controller 2 of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1. At this time, the controller 2 of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can control the differential rotation of the left and right wheels of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 based on the above-mentioned distance d1 and d2 information, thereby adjusting the travel direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1.

[0046] It should be noted that in the present invention, the above-mentioned distance sensor 3 can specifically use a relatively low-cost TOF sensor. The TOF sensor belongs to an optical sensor, which is also a "time of flight" sensor and a type of laser radar. The TOF sensor can detect the distance to the obstacle, and has the advantages of a small measurement blind spot and a large inclination angle. Generally speaking, the underwater range of the TOF sensor ranges from 20 to 100 cm. Of course, in actual application, it is not limited to the above-mentioned TOF sensor. Manufacturers can choose any other distance sensor 3 or other distance measurement methods according to specific usage requirements, such as: sonic radar sensor, which uses sound waves for distance measurement.

[0047] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, the moving direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is adjusted according to the distance difference, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0048] According to the distance difference between the left front and the left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 or the distance difference between the right front and the right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, the output angular velocity is calculated by a proportional control method or a proportional integral differential control method;

[0049] The sum of the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the left wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1;

[0050] The difference between the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the output angular velocity is taken as the rotation speed of the right wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 .

[0051] In the above technical solution of the present invention, considering that distance sensors 3 are provided on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, when the left side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is closer to the wall 4, the distance sensors 3 on the left front and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can detect the distances d1 and d2 between the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 respectively.

[0052] Based on the above distances d1 and d2, the distance difference rd between the left front and left rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 can be obtained, rd=d1-d2. According to the distance difference rd, the moving direction of the pool cleaning robot 1 can be adjusted by controlling the wheels on both sides (including the left wheel and the right wheel) of the pool cleaning robot 1 to drive at a differential speed.

[0053] See also Figure 3 It can be seen that the controller 2 provided in the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 may specifically include an angular velocity controller. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the angular velocity controller is a P controller (i.e., a proportional controller). Of course, in some other embodiments, a PID controller (i.e., a proportional-integral-differential controller) may be used according to the response of the walking mechanism of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1. When the PID controller is used to obtain the output angular velocity using the proportional-integral-differential control method, it can ensure that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can move forward stably and smoothly along the swimming pool wall 4 without swinging too much left and right.

[0054] Therefore, based on the obtained distance difference rd between the left front and the left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can adopt a proportional control method or a proportional integral differential control method. Regardless of whether the proportional control method or the proportional integral differential control method is adopted to calculate and obtain the output angular velocity, the two methods of calculating and obtaining the output angular velocity are the same, and the specific calculation process includes the following contents:

[0055] In this embodiment, since the distance difference detected by the two distance sensors 3 disposed at the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 needs to be eliminated, the target distance difference td is 0. When td=0, it can be determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is maintaining a fixed distance from the wall 4 of the swimming pool and moving along the swimming pool wall 4.

[0056] In the actual process of moving forward, the distance difference rd=d1-d2 between the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 is the actual distance difference, which is not necessarily 0. Therefore, the actual distance difference rd should be kept at 0 as a whole, so as to ensure that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 maintains a fixed distance from the swimming pool wall and moves along the swimming pool wall 4.

[0057] Correspondingly, the control input error error can be obtained according to the above actual distance difference rd and the target distance difference td: error=td-rd.

[0058] Thus, the output angular velocity ang_vel can be calculated as:

[0059] ang_vel=error*p

[0060] Wherein, p is the steering force control coefficient, and the user can pre-calibrate the value of p.

[0061] In summary, for the calculated output angular velocity ang_vel, the left wheel and the right wheel of the pool cleaning robot 1 can also be controlled in conjunction with the current linear velocity linear_vel of the pool cleaning robot 1 to achieve differential driving. In actual application, the left wheel output (rotation speed of the left wheel) can be set to out[0], and the right wheel output (rotation speed of the right wheel) can be set to out[1]; wherein, out[0] or out[1]>0, it means that the left wheel or the right wheel rotates forward; out[0] or out[1]<0, it means that the left wheel or the right wheel rotates backward; when out[0] or out[1]=0, it means that the left wheel or the right wheel stops. In actual application, the left wheel output out[0] and the right wheel output out[1] can be limited according to actual conditions.

[0062] Therefore, in the present invention, the left wheel output out[0] and the right wheel output out[1] can be obtained by the following method:

[0063] out[0]=linear_vel+ang_vel;

[0064] out[1]=linear_vel-ang_vel.

[0065] Therefore, in practical application, the sum of the current linear velocity linear_vel and the output angular velocity ang_vel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can be used as the rotation speed of the left wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 (i.e., the left wheel output out[0]); the difference between the current linear velocity linear_vel and the output angular velocity ang_vel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can be used as the rotation speed of the right wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 (i.e., the right wheel output out[1]).

[0066] It can be seen that when there is a certain deviation between the moving direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall of the swimming pool, the controller 2 of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can make the left wheel output out[0] and the right wheel output out[1] different, so as to make the left and right wheels of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 rotate differentially to correct the moving direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, so that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can walk along the wall of the swimming pool.

[0067] Of course, in actual use, the walking mechanism of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 used to drive the swimming pool cleaning robot to move may not be wheels. According to specific usage conditions, tracks or other driving devices may also be used, which can also achieve differential rotation of the left and right sides of the above-mentioned swimming pool cleaning robot 1, thereby allowing the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to walk along the wall of the swimming pool.

[0068] In addition, it should be noted that when the side of the pool cleaning robot 1 designed by the present invention close to the wall 4 is the right side, the pool cleaning robot 1 can also use the distance sensors 3 provided on the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 to obtain the distances between the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, and thereby obtain the distance difference between the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, and it can also use the above-mentioned proportional control method or proportional integral differential control method to calculate and obtain the output angular velocity. The other sides are similar, and the wheels on both sides of the pool cleaning robot 1 are controlled to drive at differential speeds so that the pool cleaning robot 1 runs parallel to the wall 4, and no further elaboration will be given here.

[0069] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, the moving direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is adjusted according to the distance difference, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0070] The difference in distance between the left front and the left rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 or the difference in distance between the right front and the right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 is multiplied by a pre-calibrated coefficient to obtain an output angular velocity;

[0071] The sum of the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the left wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1;

[0072] The difference between the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the output angular velocity is taken as the rotation speed of the right wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 .

[0073] See also Figure 2In the above technical solution of the present invention, in some specific embodiments, when the side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 designed by the present invention close to the wall 4 is the left side, according to the obtained distance difference rd between the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, rd=d1-d2, the distance difference rd can also be directly multiplied by a pre-calibrated coefficient to directly obtain the output angular velocity. Among them, the pre-calibrated coefficient is a value pre-set by the operator, and the pre-calibrated coefficient can be a positive number or a negative number. The reason why the pre-calibrated coefficient is set to a positive number or a negative number is to adapt to the two situations that the left side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 moves along the wall clockwise and the right side moves along the wall counterclockwise.

[0074] Of course, when the side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 designed by the present invention close to the wall 4 is the right side, the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can also use the distance sensors 3 provided on the right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to obtain the distances between the right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, respectively, and thereby obtain the distance difference between the right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4. The above method can also be used to calculate and obtain the output angular velocity, and no further details will be given here.

[0075] Furthermore, the walking control method of the present invention further includes the step of obtaining distance values ​​between two ends of two adjacent surfaces of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4, so as to determine whether the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner.

[0076] In the above technical solution of the present invention, the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can also use the distance sensor 3 to obtain the distance values ​​of the two ends of its two adjacent sides from the wall 4, so as to determine whether the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner. Figure 2 As shown, in actual application, the four distance sensors 3 arranged on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 can work together when the pool cleaning robot 1 is working. However, when a total of three distance sensors 3 at both ends of two adjacent sides of the pool cleaning robot 1 detect the distance values ​​of the three directions corresponding to the pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4, it can be determined whether the pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner, so as to facilitate the subsequent cleaning of the corner by the pool cleaning robot 1.

[0077] Furthermore, in the walking control method of the present invention, the distance values ​​of the two ends of the two adjacent surfaces of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4 are obtained, specifically:

[0078] The distances between the left front, left rear and right front of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are obtained through the distance sensor 3; or, the distances between the right front, right rear and left front of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are obtained through the distance sensor 3.

[0079] See also Figure 2 It can be seen that in the above technical solution of the present invention, a distance sensor 3 is provided on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the above swimming pool cleaning robot 1. Based on this configuration, when the distance sensors 3 provided on the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 respectively obtain the distance values ​​of the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4, it indicates that the front side and the left side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 are close to the wall 4 of the swimming pool. At this time, it can be further judged whether the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner according to the measured distance values ​​of the three directions.

[0080] Correspondingly, when the distance sensors 3 arranged at the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 respectively obtain the distance values ​​of the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4, it indicates that the front side and the right side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 are close to the wall 4 of the swimming pool. At this time, it can be further determined whether the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner based on the measured distance values ​​of the three directions.

[0081] Further, in the walking control method described in the present invention, if the distances between the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are respectively less than preset thresholds, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner; or, if the distances between the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are respectively less than preset thresholds, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner.

[0082] It should be pointed out that in the above technical solution, the operator can set a preset threshold in advance before the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 leaves the factory. Once the distance sensor 3 detects that the distances between the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are respectively less than the preset threshold, it is judged that the front side and the left side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounter a corner, which facilitates the controller 2 of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to perform subsequent movement control.

[0083] Correspondingly, in some other embodiments, when the distance sensor 3 detects that the distances between the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 are respectively less than a preset threshold, it is determined that the front side and the right side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounter a corner.

[0084] Furthermore, the walking control method described in the present invention also includes the following steps: if the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner, the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is controlled to continue moving forward until it touches the wall 4; after the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 touches the wall, it retreats a preset distance, and then the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is controlled to turn and move forward.

[0085] In the above technical solution of the present invention, in order to ensure that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can effectively clean the stains at the corner of the swimming pool after encountering a corner, when the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 determines that it encounters a corner, the controller 2 can control the walking mechanism of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to drive the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to continue moving forward until it contacts the wall 4 of the swimming pool, thereby achieving cleaning of the corner of the swimming pool.

[0086] Furthermore, the walking control method of the present invention further includes the step of: after the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 completes turning and moving forward, the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 moves backward again until the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 touches the wall 4.

[0087] In the above technical solution of the present invention, of course, in some preferred embodiments, in order to further improve the cleaning effect of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 on the corners of the wall, after the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 completes turning and moving forward, the controller 2 can control the traveling mechanism of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to drive the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to retreat until the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 contacts the wall 4 again, thereby completing the deep cleaning.

[0088] Embodiment 1:

[0089] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first embodiment of the present invention is: a swimming pool cleaning robot 1, which includes a shell, a controller 2 and four TOF sensors arranged in the shell, and the four TOF sensors are connected to the controller 2; at the same time, the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is also provided with a walking mechanism, and the walking mechanism includes four rollers, and the four rollers are arranged at the bottom of the shell of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, and two rollers are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the shell.

[0090] See also Figure 2 It can be seen that in this embodiment, the housing of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 is a rectangular housing, and the four TOF sensors are specifically arranged at the four corners of the rectangular housing, namely, the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1, so as to detect the distances of the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 from the swimming pool wall 4. At the same time, the distance detection direction of each TOF sensor has an angle of 45° with the front side or rear side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1.

[0091] When the pool cleaning robot 1 is actually used, the pool cleaning robot 1 can clean the pool underwater, and the four TOF sensors arranged on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 can work together when the pool cleaning robot 1 is working. However, according to the detection properties of the TOF sensor, the detection distance of the TOF sensor is usually limited, and its underwater range is 20 to 100 cm; when the left side of the pool cleaning robot 1 is closer to the pool wall 4, only the TOF sensors arranged on the left front and right front of the pool cleaning robot 1 can detect the distances d1 and d2 of the left front and left rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4, respectively, while the TOF sensors arranged on the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 cannot detect the existence of the wall 4 on the right front or right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1, and cannot obtain the corresponding distance.

[0092] To this end, the TOF sensors on the left front and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can transmit the detected distance d1 and d2 information to the controller 2 of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1. At this time, the controller 2 of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can obtain the distance difference rd between the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 based on the above-mentioned distance d1 and d2, rd=d1-d2.

[0093] According to the distance difference rd, the controller 2 can use a proportional control method or a proportional integral differential control method to calculate the value of the output angular velocity. The controller 2 can cooperate with the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to control the two wheels on the left side and the two wheels on the right side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 to achieve differential travel. In this embodiment, the sum of the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the above-mentioned output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the two wheels on the left side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1; the difference between the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the above-mentioned output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the two wheels on the right side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1. It can be seen that when there is a certain deviation between the travel direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the pool wall, the controller 2 of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can make the left and right wheels of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 rotate differentially to correct the travel direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 by controlling the rotation speed of the two wheels on the left side and the rotation speed of the two wheels on the right side to be different, so that the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 can travel along the pool wall.

[0094] Correspondingly, in the present embodiment, once the TOF sensors arranged at the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 respectively obtain the distance values ​​of the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4, it means that the front side and right side of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 are close to the wall 4 of the swimming pool. At this time, it can be further judged whether the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 encounters a corner according to whether the measured distance values ​​of the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4 are less than a preset threshold: if the distances of the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 from the wall 4 are less than the preset threshold, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner; otherwise, it does not encounter a corner.

[0095] It should be noted that in this embodiment, when the pool cleaning robot 1 determines that it encounters a corner, the controller 2 can control the four wheels of the pool cleaning robot 1 to drive the pool cleaning robot 1 to continue to move forward until it touches the wall 4 of the pool, thereby achieving cleaning of the corner of the pool. Correspondingly, after the pool cleaning robot 1 touches the wall, the controller 2 can control the travel mechanism to drive the pool cleaning robot 1 to retreat a preset distance, and then control the pool cleaning robot 1 to turn forward; when the pool cleaning robot 1 completes the turn forward, the controller 2 can control the four wheels of the pool cleaning robot 1 to drive the pool cleaning robot 1 to retreat until the pool cleaning robot 1 touches the wall 4 again, thereby completing the deep cleaning.

[0096] Embodiment 2:

[0097] In the second embodiment, the structure of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 designed in the second embodiment is exactly the same as that of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 in the first embodiment. However, it should be pointed out that the walking control method adopted by the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 in the second embodiment is different from the walking control method adopted by the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 in the first embodiment, and the two have different schemes for calculating the output angular velocity.

[0098] The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is:

[0099] In the second embodiment, the operator pre-sets the calibration coefficient in the controller 2, and obtains the distance between the left front and left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 through the distance sensor 3; or obtains the distance between the right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 through the distance sensor 3.

[0100] The controller 2 multiplies the distance difference between the left front and left rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 or the distance difference between the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot 1 and the wall 4 by the above-mentioned pre-calibrated coefficient to obtain the output angular velocity.

[0101] The swimming pool cleaning robot 1 designed in the second embodiment can also realize the automatic wall-walking function and the wall corner cleaning function of the swimming pool cleaning robot 1 in the first embodiment, and it also has the above advantages and beneficial effects.

[0102] From the above, it can be seen that in the present invention, the inventor has optimized and designed a walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot, which reasonably arranges the distance sensors on the swimming pool cleaning robot, so as to effectively collect the distance values ​​of the two ends of the swimming pool cleaning robot close to the wall from the wall by using the distance sensors, thereby controlling the walking of the swimming pool cleaning robot and ensuring that the swimming pool cleaning robot walks along the wall accurately. At the same time, in some preferred embodiments, by using the walking control method, the swimming pool cleaning robot can also effectively determine whether the current movement encounters a corner, and after encountering a corner, clean the dirt at the corner of the swimming pool.

[0103] It can be seen that through this optimized walking control method, the swimming pool cleaning robot can not only ensure a high level of cleaning of the swimming pool, but also better perceive the size of the swimming pool, which is convenient for assisting in establishing a swimming pool map. It has good promotion prospects and application value.

[0104] 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 walking control method for a swimming pool cleaning robot, characterized in that: Includes steps: Obtain the distance values ​​of the two ends of the side of the pool cleaning robot close to the wall from the wall respectively; obtain the distance difference between the two ends of the side of the pool cleaning robot close to the wall and the wall according to the distance values; and adjust the travel direction of the pool cleaning robot according to the distance difference.

2. The walking control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance values ​​of the two ends of the swimming pool cleaning robot close to the wall from the wall are obtained as follows: The distances between the left front and left rear of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through the distance sensor; or the distances between the right front and right rear of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through the distance sensor.

3. The walking control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: Distance sensors are arranged on the left front, left rear, right front and right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot, and the distance sensors are TOF sensors.

4. The walking control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: According to the distance difference, adjusting the traveling direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot specifically comprises the following steps: According to the distance difference between the left front and the left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall or the distance difference between the right front and the right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall, the output angular velocity is calculated by a proportional control method or a proportional integral differential control method; The sum of the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the left wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot; The difference between the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the right wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

5. The walking control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: According to the distance difference, adjusting the traveling direction of the swimming pool cleaning robot specifically comprises the following steps: The output angular velocity is obtained by multiplying the difference between the left front and the left rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall or the difference between the right front and the right rear of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall by a pre-calibrated coefficient; The sum of the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the left wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot; The difference between the current linear velocity of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the output angular velocity is used as the rotation speed of the right wheel of the swimming pool cleaning robot.

6. The walking control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further includes the step of obtaining the distance values ​​between the two ends of two adjacent sides of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall, so as to determine whether the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner.

7. The walking control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method of obtaining the distances between the two ends of two adjacent sides of the swimming pool cleaning robot and the wall is as follows: The distances between the left front, left rear and right front of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through distance sensors; or, the distances between the right front, right rear and left front of the pool cleaning robot and the wall are obtained through distance sensors.

8. The walking control method according to claim 7, characterized in that: If the distances from the left front, left rear and right front of the swimming pool cleaning robot to the wall are respectively less than preset thresholds, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot has encountered a corner; or, if the distances from the right front, right rear and left front of the swimming pool cleaning robot to the wall are respectively less than preset thresholds, it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot has encountered a corner.

9. The walking control method according to claim 6, characterized in that: The method also includes the following steps: if the swimming pool cleaning robot encounters a corner, controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to continue moving forward until it touches the wall; after the swimming pool cleaning robot touches the wall, retreating a preset distance, and then controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to turn and move forward.

10. The walking control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The method further comprises the steps of: after the swimming pool cleaning robot completes turning and moving forward, the swimming pool cleaning robot moves backward again until the swimming pool cleaning robot touches the wall.

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