Method and device for cleaning a vehicle interior

Abstract

The application discloses an in-vehicle cleaning method and device, and relates to the technical field of automobiles. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring image information of an in-vehicle area to be cleaned collected by a camera; determining a target to be cleaned in the area to be cleaned according to the image information of the area to be cleaned; and controlling an in-vehicle cleaning robot to automatically clean the target to be cleaned. The application can ensure that the cleaning robot only automatically cleans garbage and does not clean useful items in the vehicle, thereby improving the cleaning accuracy of the cleaning robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive technology, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for cleaning vehicle interiors. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle cleaning can be divided into exterior cleaning and interior cleaning. Exterior cleaning is mostly done manually, while interior cleaning is mostly done manually using a vacuum cleaner and wiping with a cloth. Currently, there are automatic car wash devices that can automatically clean the exterior surfaces of vehicles, but there are no automatic cleaning devices that can automatically clean the interiors.

[0003] To achieve automatic cleaning inside the car, a cleaning robot could be installed. However, cleaning inside the car is different from cleaning outside. The items inside the car include useful items and trash (such as wads of paper, scraps, and dust). When cleaning the car interior, the cleaning robot may accidentally remove useful items, resulting in poor cleaning accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention solves the technical problem of how to improve the cleaning accuracy of in-vehicle cleaning robots by providing a method and apparatus for cleaning in-vehicle interiors.

[0005] On the one hand, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A vehicle interior cleaning method, applied to a vehicle interior cleaning robot, includes:

[0007] Acquire image information of the area inside the vehicle to be cleaned, captured by the camera;

[0008] The image information is sent to the display screen to show an image of the area to be cleaned;

[0009] In response to a first selection operation on the image of the area to be cleaned, the target to be cleaned corresponding to the image selected by the first selection operation is determined;

[0010] The target to be cleaned is automatically cleaned.

[0011] Optionally, the automatic cleaning includes automatic vacuuming;

[0012] After sending the image information to the display screen to display the image of the area to be cleaned, and before automatically cleaning the target to be cleaned, the method further includes:

[0013] In response to a second selection operation on the image of the area to be cleaned, a target item corresponding to the image selected by the second selection operation is determined; the target item is an item that does not need to be cleaned.

[0014] The automatic cleaning of the target to be cleaned includes:

[0015] Determine whether the target item exists within a preset range of the target to be cleaned;

[0016] If the target item exists within the preset range of the target to be cleaned, the target item is first moved outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner before the target to be cleaned is automatically vacuumed.

[0017] Optionally, moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner includes:

[0018] Move the target item to another location inside the vehicle outside the area to be cleaned.

[0019] Optionally, after automatically cleaning the target to be cleaned, the method further includes:

[0020] After the automatic vacuuming is completed, the target item is returned from other locations in the vehicle to the area to be cleaned.

[0021] Optionally, before moving the target item to another location outside the area to be cleaned inside the vehicle, moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner further includes:

[0022] Record the actual position of the target item within the area to be cleaned;

[0023] The step of placing the target item back from another location in the vehicle to the area to be cleaned includes:

[0024] The target item is moved from another location inside the vehicle to its actual location.

[0025] Optionally, moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner includes:

[0026] Move the target item to the target area; the target area is located within the area to be cleaned, but outside the preset range of the target to be cleaned.

[0027] Optionally, moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner includes:

[0028] The target item is lifted into the air;

[0029] After automatically cleaning the target to be cleaned, the method further includes:

[0030] After the automatic vacuuming is completed, the target item is placed into the area to be cleaned.

[0031] On the other hand, the present invention also provides the following technical solution:

[0032] An in-vehicle cleaning device, used in an in-vehicle cleaning robot, includes:

[0033] The acquisition module is used to acquire image information of the area inside the vehicle to be cleaned, captured by the camera.

[0034] The sending module is used to send the image information to the display screen to display the image of the area to be cleaned;

[0035] A determination module is configured to, in response to a first selection operation on an image of the area to be cleaned, determine the target to be cleaned corresponding to the image selected by the first selection operation;

[0036] The cleaning module is used to automatically clean the target to be cleaned.

[0037] On the other hand, the present invention also provides the following technical solution:

[0038] A computer device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, the processor executing the computer program to implement the steps of any of the vehicle interior cleaning methods described above.

[0039] On the other hand, the present invention also provides the following technical solution:

[0040] A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the vehicle interior cleaning methods described above.

[0041] One or more technical solutions provided by this invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0042] This invention first determines the target to be cleaned based on the image information of the area to be cleaned inside the vehicle, that is, the garbage in the area to be cleaned, and then automatically cleans the target. Thus, the cleaning robot will only automatically clean the garbage and will not clean the useful items in the vehicle, thereby improving the cleaning accuracy of the cleaning robot. Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the vehicle interior cleaning method in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 2 This is another schematic diagram of the vehicle interior cleaning method in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the in-vehicle cleaning device in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The embodiments of the present invention provide a vehicle interior cleaning method and apparatus, thereby solving the technical problem of how to improve the cleaning accuracy of vehicle interior cleaning robots.

[0048] To better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0049] The cleaning robot in this embodiment of the invention can be a robot with a robotic arm. The robot may only have a robotic gripper, thus only having the function of grabbing trash and putting it into a trash bag; the robot may only have a vacuuming function; or the robot may have both grabbing and vacuuming functions. In other words, cleaning can be either grabbing trash and putting it into a trash bag, or vacuuming.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle interior cleaning method applied to the vehicle interior cleaning robot includes:

[0051] Step S1: Obtain image information of the area inside the vehicle to be cleaned captured by the camera;

[0052] In some embodiments, the area to be cleaned can be a door storage compartment; in some embodiments, the area to be cleaned can also be the trunk; in some embodiments, the area to be cleaned can also be a floor mat, seat cushion, a tabletop under the windshield, a tabletop under the rear windshield, etc.; in some embodiments, the camera can be a camera installed in a fixed position inside the vehicle. If the area to be cleaned is a door storage compartment, floor mat, or seat cushion, the camera can be installed on the vehicle roof, and the robot can be installed in the storage compartment between the driver and passenger seats. If the area to be cleaned is the trunk, the camera can be installed on the top of the trunk, and the robot can be installed inside the trunk; in some embodiments, the camera can also be a camera at the end of the robot's robotic arm; in some embodiments, the camera can also be a camera on the user's mobile terminal, whereby the user uses the mobile terminal to capture image information of the area to be cleaned and then transmits it to the robot.

[0053] Understandably, the distribution of useful items and trash in the area to be cleaned can be determined from the image information of the area to be cleaned. Useful items include pens, small toys, USB drives, etc., while trash includes waste, dust, wads of paper, and waste paper towels.

[0054] Step S2: Send image information to the display screen to show an image of the area to be cleaned;

[0055] In some implementations, the display screen can be the vehicle's infotainment system display screen; in some implementations, the display screen can also be the user's mobile terminal display screen; the display screen can display the distribution of useful items and trash, for example, if a USB flash drive and a wad of waste paper are placed in the door storage compartment, and a camera captures an image of the door storage compartment, then the image of the USB flash drive and the wad of waste paper can be seen on the display screen.

[0056] Step S3: In response to the first selection operation on the image of the area to be cleaned, determine the target to be cleaned corresponding to the image selected by the first selection operation;

[0057] The first selection operation can be to select one or more targets to be cleaned, such as selecting images of wads of paper and tissues in the image of the area to be cleaned, which means that the user wants to clean the wads of paper and tissues; the first selection operation can also be to select a cleaning area, such as selecting the left half of the image of the area to be cleaned, which means that the user wants to clean the left half of the area to be cleaned.

[0058] Step S4: Automatically clean the target area.

[0059] In some implementations, automatic cleaning can be grabbing the target to be cleaned into a garbage bag; in some implementations, automatic cleaning can be automatic vacuuming; in some implementations, automatic cleaning can also be vacuuming first and then grabbing, or grabbing first and then vacuuming; however, when the user selects an area as the target to be cleaned, automatic cleaning can only be automatic vacuuming.

[0060] As can be seen from the above, the vehicle interior cleaning method of the present invention first determines the target to be cleaned based on the image information of the area to be cleaned inside the vehicle, that is, determines the garbage in the area to be cleaned, and then automatically cleans the target to be cleaned. Thus, the cleaning robot will only automatically clean the garbage and will not clean the useful items in the vehicle, thereby improving the cleaning accuracy of the cleaning robot.

[0061] In this embodiment of the invention, considering that robot grasping is a single-point grasping method while vacuuming has a vacuuming range, when automatic cleaning includes automatic vacuuming, if there are useful items near the target to be cleaned, the vacuuming may mistakenly suck up the useful items. To avoid vacuuming sucking up useful items and to further improve the robot's cleaning accuracy, in some embodiments, when automatic cleaning includes automatic vacuuming, such as... Figure 2 As shown, after step S2 and before step S4, the vehicle interior cleaning method may also include:

[0062] Step S5: In response to the second selection operation on the image of the area to be cleaned, determine the target item corresponding to the image selected by the second selection operation; the target item is an item that does not need to be cleaned, i.e. a useful item.

[0063] Step S4 may include: determining whether there is a target item within the preset range of the target to be cleaned; if there is a target item within the preset range of the target to be cleaned, first moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner, and then automatically vacuuming the target to be cleaned.

[0064] The second selection operation is used to determine useful items in the user's eyes. In some implementations, distance information of the area to be cleaned, measured by a radar sensor, can be obtained. The distance between the target to be cleaned and each target item is determined based on this distance. Then, it is determined whether a target item exists within a preset range of the target to be cleaned. The preset range can be the suction range of the robot vacuuming process. Multiple automatic vacuuming experiments can be conducted beforehand to determine the critical distance at which the robot will pick up the target item and not pick it up—that is, the suction range. Therefore, moving the target item outside the automatic vacuuming range before automatically vacuuming the target can prevent the target item from being sucked up. Of course, if there are no target items within the preset range of the target to be cleaned, automatic vacuuming can be performed directly on the target.

[0065] In scenarios where the area to be cleaned is a partitioned area such as a car door storage compartment, if the target item is moved to a location outside the area to be cleaned, the robot vacuum will definitely not mistakenly suck up the target item. Therefore, in some implementations, moving the target item outside the vacuuming range can include moving the target item to another location inside the car outside the area to be cleaned. For example, if the target item in the car door storage compartment is a USB flash drive and the object to be cleaned is a wad of paper, the USB flash drive can be removed from the car door storage compartment and placed on the seat.

[0066] If the target item is moved to another location inside the vehicle outside the area to be cleaned, in some embodiments, the target item may not be returned to its original position after automatic vacuuming. However, changing the original location where the user stored the target item may make it difficult for the user to find the target item, potentially reducing the user experience. To avoid affecting the user experience, in some embodiments, after step S4, the vehicle interior cleaning method may further include: after automatic vacuuming, returning the target item from another location inside the vehicle to the area to be cleaned.

[0067] Since the area to be cleaned often has a certain range, if the target item is not returned to its original position from other locations inside the vehicle, and if it happens to be placed in a gap, the user may still have difficulty finding it. To further avoid affecting the user experience, in some embodiments, before moving the target item to another location outside the area to be cleaned inside the vehicle, moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner may also include:

[0068] Record the actual location of the target item within the area to be cleaned;

[0069] The step of moving the target item from another location inside the vehicle back to the area to be cleaned may include:

[0070] The target item is moved from another location inside the vehicle to its actual location.

[0071] This is equivalent to precisely returning the target item to its original position without any change in its location.

[0072] In scenarios where the area to be cleaned is the trunk, since the trunk is isolated from other areas of the vehicle, it is impossible to move the target item to another location outside the trunk before vacuuming. In this case, moving the target item outside the preset range of the target to be cleaned is sufficient. Therefore, in some embodiments, moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner can include: moving the target item to the target area; the target area is located within the area to be cleaned, but outside the preset range of the target to be cleaned.

[0073] In scenarios where the target to be cleaned is the entire trunk, it is impossible to move the target item to another location outside the trunk, as the area outside the trunk is outside the vehicle, making it impossible to move the target item outside the trunk's preset area. To prevent the vacuum cleaner from accidentally sucking up the target item in this scenario, in some implementations, moving the target item outside the vacuum cleaner's suction range may include: grabbing the target item into the air;

[0074] After step S4, the vehicle interior cleaning method may also include: after automatic vacuuming is completed, placing the target item into the area to be cleaned.

[0075] This is equivalent to lifting the target item off the floor of the trunk before vacuuming, and then putting the target item back down after vacuuming. This can prevent the target item from being accidentally sucked up when the entire trunk is to be cleaned.

[0076] Considering that the largest object a robot can grasp is generally larger than the largest object a vacuum cleaner can pick up, vacuuming may be insufficient to clean large objects, while vacuuming is more efficient when the target is small. Therefore, to improve cleaning efficiency and success rate, in some implementations, step S4 may include:

[0077] Determine the volume of the target to be cleaned;

[0078] If the volume of the target to be cleaned is greater than the preset threshold, the target to be cleaned will be automatically grabbed and put into a garbage bag;

[0079] If the volume of the target to be cleaned is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the target will be automatically vacuumed.

[0080] In some implementations, the volume of the target to be cleaned can be calculated using ranging information obtained from radar sensors.

[0081] In some implementations, after the robot finishes cleaning, a notification can be sent to the user to remind them to check the cleaning results and whether the robot has mistakenly cleaned any useful items.

[0082] like Figure 3 As shown, embodiments of the present invention also provide an in-vehicle cleaning device for use with an in-vehicle cleaning robot, comprising:

[0083] The acquisition module is used to acquire image information of the area inside the vehicle to be cleaned, captured by the camera.

[0084] The sending module is used to send image information to the display screen to show the image of the area to be cleaned;

[0085] The determination module is used to determine the target to be cleaned corresponding to the image selected by the first selection operation in response to a first selection operation on an image of the area to be cleaned;

[0086] The cleaning module is used to automatically clean the target object.

[0087] In some implementations, automatic cleaning includes automatic vacuuming;

[0088] The determination module can also be used to: in response to a second selection operation on an image of the area to be cleaned, determine the target item corresponding to the image selected by the second selection operation; the target item is an item that does not need to be cleaned;

[0089] The cleaning module can also be used for:

[0090] Determine whether the target item exists within a preset range of the target to be cleaned;

[0091] If there is a target item within the preset range of the target to be cleaned, the target item will be moved out of the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner before the target to be cleaned is automatically vacuumed.

[0092] In some implementations, the cleaning module can also be used for:

[0093] Move the target item to another location inside the vehicle, outside the area to be cleaned;

[0094] In some implementations, the cleaning module can also be used for:

[0095] After the automatic vacuuming is complete, the target item is moved from another location in the vehicle back to the area to be cleaned.

[0096] In some implementations, the cleaning module can also be used for:

[0097] Record the actual location of the target item within the area to be cleaned;

[0098] Move the target item from another location in the vehicle back to its actual location.

[0099] In some implementations, the cleaning module can also be used for:

[0100] Move the target item to the target area; the target area is located within the area to be cleaned, but outside the preset range of the target to be cleaned.

[0101] In some implementations, the cleaning module can also be used for:

[0102] Grab the target item and launch it into the air;

[0103] After the automatic vacuuming is complete, place the target item into the area to be cleaned.

[0104] In some implementations, the cleaning module can also be used for:

[0105] Determine the volume of the target to be cleaned;

[0106] If the volume of the target to be cleaned is greater than the preset threshold, the target to be cleaned will be automatically grabbed and put into a garbage bag;

[0107] If the volume of the target to be cleaned is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the target will be automatically vacuumed.

[0108] Based on the same inventive concept as the aforementioned vehicle interior cleaning method, this embodiment of the invention also provides a computer device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of any of the aforementioned vehicle interior cleaning methods.

[0109] Since the computer device described in this embodiment of the invention is the computer device used to implement the vehicle interior cleaning method described in this embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art can understand the specific implementation methods and various variations of the computer device in this embodiment of the invention based on the vehicle interior cleaning method described in this embodiment of the invention. Therefore, how the computer device implements the method in this embodiment of the invention will not be described in detail here. Any computer device used by those skilled in the art to implement the vehicle interior cleaning method in this embodiment of the invention falls within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0110] Based on the same inventive concept as the aforementioned vehicle interior cleaning method, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the aforementioned vehicle interior cleaning methods.

[0111] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present invention can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present invention can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0112] This invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0113] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0114] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

[0115] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior cleaning method, applied to a vehicle interior cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: Acquire image information of the area inside the vehicle to be cleaned, captured by the camera; The image information is sent to the display screen to show an image of the area to be cleaned; In response to a first selection operation on the image of the area to be cleaned, the target to be cleaned corresponding to the image selected by the first selection operation is determined; In response to a second selection operation on an image of the area to be cleaned, the target item corresponding to the image selected by the second selection operation is determined; The target item is an item that does not require cleaning; The target to be cleaned is automatically cleaned; The automatic cleaning includes automatic vacuuming, and the automatic cleaning of the target to be cleaned includes: Determine whether the target item exists within a preset range of the target to be cleaned; If the target item exists within the preset range of the target to be cleaned, the target item is first moved outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner, and then the target to be cleaned is automatically vacuumed so that the target item is not sucked up during vacuuming. Moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner includes: The target item is lifted into the air; After automatically cleaning the target to be cleaned, the method further includes: After the automatic vacuuming is completed, the target item is placed into the area to be cleaned; The automatic cleaning of the target to be cleaned also includes: Determine the volume of the target to be cleaned; If the volume of the target to be cleaned is greater than a preset threshold, the target to be cleaned will be automatically grabbed and placed into a garbage bag. If the volume of the target to be cleaned is less than or equal to a preset threshold, then the target to be cleaned will be automatically vacuumed.

2. The vehicle interior cleaning method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner includes: Move the target item to another location inside the vehicle outside the area to be cleaned.

3. The vehicle interior cleaning method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, After automatically cleaning the target to be cleaned, the method further includes: After the automatic vacuuming is completed, the target item is returned from other locations in the vehicle to the area to be cleaned.

4. The vehicle interior cleaning method as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Before moving the target item to a location outside the area to be cleaned inside the vehicle, moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner also includes: Record the actual position of the target item within the area to be cleaned; The step of placing the target item back from another location in the vehicle to the area to be cleaned includes: The target item is moved from another location inside the vehicle to its actual location.

5. The vehicle interior cleaning method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Moving the target item outside the suction range of the automatic vacuum cleaner includes: Move the target item to the target area; the target area is located within the area to be cleaned, but outside the preset range of the target to be cleaned.

6. An in-vehicle cleaning device, applied to an in-vehicle cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire image information of the area inside the vehicle to be cleaned, captured by the camera. The sending module is used to send the image information to the display screen to display the image of the area to be cleaned; A determination module is configured to, in response to a first selection operation on an image of the area to be cleaned, determine the target to be cleaned corresponding to the image selected by the first selection operation; In response to a second selection operation on an image of the area to be cleaned, the target item corresponding to the image selected by the second selection operation is determined; The target item is an item that does not require cleaning; The cleaning module is used to automatically clean the target to be cleaned; The automatic cleaning includes automatic vacuuming, and the cleaning module is further used for: The target item is lifted into the air; After the automatic vacuuming is completed, the target item is placed into the area to be cleaned; The cleaning module is also used for: Determine the volume of the target to be cleaned; If the volume of the target to be cleaned is greater than a preset threshold, the target to be cleaned will be automatically grabbed and placed into a garbage bag. If the volume of the target to be cleaned is less than or equal to a preset threshold, then the target to be cleaned will be automatically vacuumed.

7. A computer device, characterized in that, The method includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-5.

8. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1-5.

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