Wireless charging system and method for robot in pool

Abstract

The invention discloses a wireless charging system for a robot in a pool. The wireless charging system comprises an underwater robot and a wireless charging device, the underwater robot comprises a robot body, and a dynamic positioning subsystem, a suspension arm assembly and an electric energy receiving module which are arranged on the robot body; the wireless charging device comprises a supporting seat, and a wireless charging module and a hanging groove which are arranged on the supporting seat; the dynamic positioning subsystem is used for positioning and controlling the robot body to move; the suspension arm assembly is electrically connected with the dynamic positioning subsystem, and the electric energy receiving module is wirelessly connected with the wireless charging module and used for supplying power to the dynamic positioning subsystem and the suspension arm assembly; the suspension arm assembly is connected with the suspension groove in an inserted mode and used for suspending the robot body to the wireless charging device. The underwater robot is stably suspended on the supporting seat by inserting the suspension arm assembly into the suspension groove, so that charging interruption or butt joint failure caused by displacement or instability due to underwater disturbance is prevented, and continuity and reliability of the charging process are ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wireless charging technology, and in particular to a wireless charging system and method for a robot in a pool. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of underwater operation technology, underwater robots are increasingly used in industries, scientific research, public utilities, etc., especially in underwater equipment maintenance and water cleaning. However, existing underwater robots are mainly powered by batteries. After the battery is exhausted, the robot needs to return to the surface for charging. This process not only interrupts the continuity of the operation, but also involves repositioning, complex operations, and frequent wear and tear on the equipment. In order to solve the above problems, underwater wireless charging technology came into being and became a key technology to improve the autonomy and operation efficiency of underwater robots.

[0003] The Chinese patent application with publication number CN118826306A discloses that a de-energized magnet is provided on one of the wireless charging base station and the pool cleaning robot, and a metal part is provided on the other. The de-energized magnet is used to absorb the metal part to fix the position of the pool cleaning robot in the wireless charging base station; however, the magnetic fixation method has its limitations: first, the magnetic field attraction will consume part of the energy during the charging process, especially in an underwater environment, due to the conductive properties of water and the disturbance of the water flow, the fluctuation of the magnetic field strength may further affect the charging efficiency, resulting in an extended charging cycle or incomplete charging. Secondly, the de-energized magnet maintains its magnetism when the power is off, and loses its magnetic properties when the power is on. Although it is conducive to fixation, it may increase the operational risk in an emergency because the connection cannot be quickly released, affecting the emergency response capability of the system. In addition, other existing underwater charging technologies generally face the problems of limited transmission distance and significant energy attenuation, so the distance control capability between the underwater robot and the charging device is required to be high. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a wireless charging system and method for a robot in a pool, which are used to solve the problems of unstable charging process of existing underwater robots, low wireless charging efficiency and difficulty in underwater charging docking in the prior art.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a wireless charging system for a robot in a pool, comprising an underwater robot and a wireless charging device disposed at a position where the waterline of a pool wall is located;

[0007] The underwater robot comprises:

[0008] Robot body;

[0009] The dynamic positioning subsystem is arranged on the robot body, and is used to locate the wireless charging device and control the robot body to move to the location of the wireless charging device;

[0010] A suspension arm assembly is disposed on the robot body and is electrically connected to the dynamic positioning subsystem to suspend the robot body on the wireless charging device;

[0011] The power receiving module is arranged on the robot body and is electrically connected to the power positioning subsystem and the suspension arm assembly respectively, so as to receive power and supply power to the power positioning subsystem and the suspension arm assembly;

[0012] The wireless charging device comprises:

[0013] A support seat, on which a fixing plate for fixing and supporting the underwater robot is provided;

[0014] A wireless charging module is disposed on the support base and is wirelessly connected to the power receiving module to wirelessly transmit power to the power receiving module;

[0015] The fixing plate is provided with a suspension groove for plugging with the suspension arm assembly.

[0016] Optionally, the dynamic positioning subsystem includes a positioning perception module, a propulsion module and a control module;

[0017] The output end of the positioning sensing module is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the relative position information between the robot body and the wireless charging device and send it to the control module;

[0018] The output end of the control module is electrically connected to the input end of the propulsion module, so as to control the propulsion module according to the relative position information fed back by the positioning sensing module, so as to drive the underwater robot to move.

[0019] Optionally, the suspension arm assembly includes at least one rotating motor and at least one telescopic arm;

[0020] The rotary motor is arranged on the upper surface of the robot body, the bottom end of the telescopic arm is connected to the power output end of the rotary motor, and the top end of the telescopic arm is connected to a suspension member for inserting into the suspension groove;

[0021] The input ends of the rotating motor and the telescopic arm are both electrically connected to the output end of the control module.

[0022] Optionally, it further includes at least one infrared transmitter, at least one infrared receiver and at least one first pressure sensor;

[0023] The infrared transmitter and the first pressure sensor are both arranged inside the suspension groove, and the infrared receiver is arranged on the suspension member;

[0024] The output end of the infrared transmitter is wirelessly connected to the input end of the infrared receiver, and the output end of the infrared receiver is electrically connected to the input end of the control module, so as to detect whether the hanging member is inserted into the hanging slot;

[0025] The output end of the first pressure sensor is wirelessly connected to the input end of the control module to detect the contact state between the suspension member and the suspension groove.

[0026] Optionally, the positioning sensing module is arranged on the upper surface of the robot body; the positioning sensing module includes a sonar sensor, an underwater depth sensor and an infrared ranging sensor group;

[0027] The output end of the sonar sensor is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the underwater environment structure; the output end of the underwater depth sensor is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the water depth information of the position of the upper surface of the robot body; the output end of the infrared ranging sensor group is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the three-dimensional spatial position information of the robot body in the pool;

[0028] The infrared distance measuring sensor group includes an X-axis infrared distance measuring sensor, a Y-axis infrared distance measuring sensor and a Z-axis infrared distance measuring sensor.

[0029] Optionally, the wireless charging device further includes a positioning rail, at least two second pressure sensors and at least one third pressure sensor;

[0030] The positioning rail is fixedly arranged at the lower end of the support seat, and is used to guide the robot to move to a preset charging position along a predetermined path underwater; a pressure groove is provided in the positioning rail; the at least two second pressure sensors are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the pressure groove, and are used to detect whether the underwater robot is located at the center position of the positioning rail; the at least one third pressure sensor is arranged at a predetermined position in the pressure groove, and is used to detect whether the underwater robot has reached the correct docking position;

[0031] The output ends of the at least two second pressure sensors and the at least one third pressure sensor are wirelessly connected to the input end of the control module respectively; the control module pre-stores the position information of the wireless charging device.

[0032] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for wirelessly charging a robot in a pool, which is applied to a wireless charging system for a robot in a pool as described above, and comprises the following steps:

[0033] S1: When the underwater robot triggers the charging condition, the relative position information between the underwater robot and the wireless charging device is obtained, the underwater robot is controlled to move to a preset position near the wireless charging device, and the telescopic arm is rotated to a vertical state and extended;

[0034] S2: The underwater robot continues to move toward the location of the wireless charging device and adjusts the underwater robot's posture until the underwater robot is completely docked with the positioning guide rail of the wireless charging device and then stops moving;

[0035] S3: The control module controls the telescopic arm to shorten until the telescopic arm assembly is completely docked with the suspension slot and stops shortening after the telescopic arm assembly meets the wireless charging range, so as to fix the position of the underwater robot in the wireless charging device;

[0036] S4: the underwater robot sends a charging request to the wireless charging device. After receiving the charging request, the wireless charging device wirelessly charges the underwater robot until the underwater robot reaches a preset power level or charging is completed. Then, the underwater robot sends a power-off request to the wireless charging device to stop charging.

[0037] S5: The control module controls the telescopic arm to extend, so as to enable the underwater robot to detach from the suspension slot, and to enable the underwater robot to exit the wireless charging device along the positioning guide rail.

[0038] Optionally, the S1 specifically includes the following steps:

[0039] S101: Construct a coordinate system, with the ground where the robot is located as the origin, the horizontal direction of the robot as the X-axis, the front of the robot as the positive direction of the X-axis, the horizontal direction of the robot as the Y-axis, the right direction of the robot as the positive direction of the Y-axis, the vertical direction of the robot as the Z-axis, and the top as the positive direction of the Z-axis;

[0040] S102: When the underwater robot triggers the charging condition, the relative position information between the underwater robot and the wireless charging device is obtained, and the underwater robot moves to the location of the wireless charging device;

[0041] S103: measuring the actual distance between the underwater robot and the pool wall through the infrared ranging sensor group, and matching the actual distance with the pre-stored position information of the wireless charging device through the control module; if they match, proceed to the next step; if they do not match, adjust the robot posture until the two match and then stop moving;

[0042] S104: The water depth position information of the upper plane of the underwater robot is obtained through the Z-axis infrared ranging sensor and the water depth sensor, and the underwater robot is moved along the positive direction of the Z-axis. When the underwater robot reaches a preset position near the wireless charging device, it stops moving, and the telescopic arm is rotated to a vertical state and extended.

[0043] Optionally, the S2 specifically includes the following steps:

[0044] S201: Based on the position information of the wireless charging device, the underwater robot moves along the positive direction of the X-axis until the sonar sensor detects that the underwater robot as a whole is in the positioning guide rail of the wireless charging device, and the underwater robot stops moving;

[0045] S202: The control module determines whether the underwater robot is located at the center of the positioning rail according to whether the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors are received; if so, step S203 is executed; if not, the underwater robot is moved along the Y-axis direction until the control module stops moving after receiving the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors, and step S203 is executed;

[0046] S203: The control module determines the docking status of the underwater robot and the positioning rail based on whether it receives the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor; if so, it means that the underwater robot and the positioning rail are docked successfully; if not, the underwater robot is moved along the positive direction of the X-axis until the control module stops moving after receiving the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor, thereby completing the correct docking of the underwater robot and the positioning rail.

[0047] Optionally, S3 specifically includes the following steps:

[0048] S301: The control module controls the telescopic arm to shorten. When the control module receives the infrared signal sent by the infrared transmitter in the suspension groove through the infrared receiver on the suspension member, the control module determines whether the underwater robot is in the optimal wireless charging range through the water depth sensor; if so, the telescopic arm stops shortening; if not, the telescopic arm continues to shorten until the underwater robot is in the optimal wireless charging range and the telescopic arm stops shortening;

[0049] The function expression of the optimal wireless charging range is:

[0050]

[0051] In the formula, For optimal wireless charging range; The power received by the power receiving module; is the coupling efficiency; is the charging threshold function; The power output of the wireless charging module; is the reference power at the standard distance; is the distance between the power receiving module and the wireless charging module; n is the attenuation index; and are different constants respectively; m is the exponent that controls the variation of coupling efficiency with distance; is the maximum output power of the wireless charging module; is the impact strength of the control protection mechanism; k is the index of the influence of the control distance on the power limit;

[0052] S302: The underwater robot moves along the negative direction of the X-axis until the suspension member on the telescopic arm triggers the first pressure sensor in the suspension groove and then stops moving.

[0053] The beneficial effects brought by the embodiments provided by the present invention include:

[0054] The present invention securely suspends the underwater robot on the support seat by plugging the suspension arm assembly and the suspension slot, effectively preventing charging interruption or docking failure caused by displacement or instability caused by underwater disturbance, thereby ensuring the continuity and reliability of the charging process;

[0055] The present invention uses the coordinated work of several different high-precision sensors and dynamic positioning subsystems, combined with a positioning rail for guiding the directional movement of the underwater robot, to enable the underwater robot to accurately locate the wireless charging device in different water flow environments, and automatically dock and charge with the wireless charging device;

[0056] The present invention effectively adjusts the charging distance between the power receiving module and the wireless charging module in the underwater robot through the telescopic function of the suspension arm assembly, ensures that the charging distance is within the optimal wireless charging range, optimizes the charging efficiency, and ensures the high efficiency and continuity of the charging process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other embodiments can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0058] Figure 1 The overall structure diagram of the wireless charging system for a robot in a pool according to an embodiment of the present specification is shown;

[0059] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of an underwater robot according to an embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0060] Figure 3 Another schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an underwater robot according to an embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0061] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a three-dimensional structure of a wireless charging device according to an embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0062] Figure 5 shows an enlarged structural schematic diagram of a fixing plate and a wireless charging module according to an embodiment of the present specification;

[0063] Figure 6 An enlarged structural schematic diagram of a combination of a suspension member and a suspension slot according to an embodiment of the present specification is shown;

[0064] Figure 7 A flow chart of a method for wirelessly charging a robot in a pool according to an embodiment of the present specification is shown;

[0065] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing an underwater robot as a whole being inside a positioning rail according to an embodiment of the present specification;

[0066] Fig. 9 A partial schematic diagram of an underwater robot in position one in a positioning rail according to an embodiment of the present specification is shown;

[0067] Fig.10 A partial schematic diagram of an underwater robot in position two in a positioning rail according to an embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0068] Fig.11 A partial schematic diagram of an underwater robot in position three in a positioning rail according to an embodiment of this specification is shown;

[0069] Fig.12 A partial schematic diagram of an underwater robot in position four in a positioning rail according to an embodiment of the present specification is shown;

[0070] Fig.13 A schematic diagram showing the preliminary docking of an underwater robot and a wireless charging device according to an embodiment of this specification;

[0071] Fig.14 A schematic diagram showing the completion of docking between an underwater robot and a wireless charging device according to an embodiment of this specification;

[0072] Among them, 100 is an underwater robot; 101 is a robot body; 102 is a control module; 103 is a power receiving module; 104 is a rotating motor; 105 is a telescopic arm; 106 is a suspension member; 107 is a fixing rod; 108 is an infrared receiver; 109 is a sonar sensor; 110 is a water depth sensor; 111 is an X-axis infrared ranging sensor; 112 is a Y-axis infrared ranging sensor; 113 is a Z-axis infrared ranging sensor; 114 is a first propeller; 115 is a second propeller; 200 is a wireless charging device; 201 is a support seat; 202 is a fixing plate; 203 is a suspension groove; 204 is a wireless charging module; 205 is a positioning guide rail; 206 is a pressure groove; 207 is an infrared transmitter; 208 is a first pressure sensor; 209 is a second pressure sensor; 210 is a third pressure sensor; 211 is a first weight reduction groove; 212 is a second weight reduction groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0073] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below. In the detailed description below, many specific details are proposed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the present invention. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented without the need for some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present invention by illustrating examples of the present invention.

[0074] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0075] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0076] Example 1

[0077] like Figure 1-Figure 6 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless charging system for a robot in a pool, including an underwater robot 100 and a wireless charging device 200;

[0078] Exemplarily, the underwater robot 100 includes a robot body 101, a dynamic positioning subsystem, a suspension arm assembly, and an electric energy receiving module 103; wherein the dynamic positioning subsystem includes a positioning sensing module, a propulsion module, and a control module 102;

[0079] In some embodiments, the positioning sensing module is disposed on the robot body 101 to obtain the relative position information between the underwater robot 100 body and the wireless charging device 200;

[0080] The control module 102 is disposed in the robot body 101, and its input end is electrically connected to the output end of the positioning sensing module, and is used to send a control instruction to the propulsion module according to the position information fed back by the positioning sensing module;

[0081] The propulsion module is disposed on the robot body 101, and its input end is electrically connected to the output end of the control module 102, so as to receive control instructions and adjust the operation state of the underwater robot 100 according to the control instructions;

[0082] A suspension arm assembly is disposed on the robot body 101, and its input end is electrically connected to the output end of the control module 102, so as to suspend the robot body 101 on the wireless charging device 200;

[0083] The power receiving module 103 is disposed on the robot body 101, and its output end is electrically connected to the input end of the dynamic positioning subsystem and the suspension arm assembly respectively, so as to receive electric energy and supply power to the dynamic positioning subsystem and the suspension arm assembly.

[0084] Exemplarily, the wireless charging device 200 includes:

[0085] The support base 201 is disposed at the waterline of the pool wall to provide a stable support base for the wireless charging device 200;

[0086] The fixing plate 202 is fixedly arranged on the supporting seat 201 to fix and support the underwater robot 100; wherein the fixing plate 202 is provided with two hanging grooves 203, and the hanging grooves 203 are plugged with the hanging arm assembly;

[0087] The positioning rail 205 is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the support base 201 to guide the robot underwater to move along a predetermined path to a preset charging position; wherein the positioning rail 205 is located below the fixed plate 202, and a pressure groove 206 is provided in the positioning rail 205;

[0088] The wireless charging module 204 is disposed on the support base 201 and is wirelessly connected to the power receiving module 103 to wirelessly transmit power to the power receiving module 103 ; wherein the wireless charging module 204 is located between the positioning rail 205 and the fixing plate 202 .

[0089] In some embodiments, the suspension arm assembly includes two rotary motors 104 and two telescopic arms 105;

[0090] Specifically, the two rotating motors 104 are both arranged on the upper surface of the robot body 101; the bottom ends of the two telescopic arms 105 are respectively connected to the power output ends of the two rotating motors 104; the top ends of the two telescopic arms 105 are respectively connected to the suspension members 106 for inserting into the suspension slots 203; wherein the input ends of the rotating motors 104 and the telescopic arms 105 are both electrically connected to the output ends of the control module 102;

[0091] In this embodiment, the two suspension members 106 are connected by a fixing rod 107, and the two suspension members 106 are respectively matched with two corresponding suspension grooves 203 on the wireless charging device 200. The suspension members 106 can be firmly embedded in the suspension grooves 203, thereby realizing a stable connection between the underwater robot 100 and the wireless charging device 200.

[0092] In some embodiments, the wireless charging system further includes two infrared transmitters 207 , two infrared receivers 108 , and two first pressure sensors 208 ;

[0093] Specifically, two infrared transmitters 207 and two first pressure sensors 208 are respectively arranged on the inner side of the suspension groove 203, and two infrared receivers 108 are respectively arranged on the two suspension members 106; the output end of the infrared transmitter 207 is wirelessly connected to the input end of the infrared receiver 108, and the output end of the infrared receiver 108 is electrically connected to the input end of the control module 102 to detect whether the suspension member 106 is inserted into the suspension groove 203; the output end of the first pressure sensor 208 is wirelessly connected to the input end of the control module 102 to detect the contact state between the suspension member 106 and the suspension groove 203.

[0094] In some embodiments, the positioning sensing module includes a sonar sensor 109, an underwater depth sensor, and an infrared ranging sensor group; the sonar sensor 109, the underwater depth sensor, and the infrared ranging sensor group are all disposed on the upper surface of the robot body 101;

[0095] Specifically, the output end of the sonar sensor 109 is electrically connected to the input end of the control module 102 to obtain the environmental structure inside the pool and assist the underwater robot 100 in ranging; the output end of the underwater depth sensor is electrically connected to the input end of the control module 102 to obtain the water depth information of the position of the upper surface of the robot body 101; the output end of the infrared ranging sensor group is electrically connected to the input end of the control module 102 to obtain the three-dimensional spatial position information of the robot body 101 in the pool;

[0096] The infrared distance measuring sensor group includes an X-axis infrared distance measuring sensor 111 , a Y-axis infrared distance measuring sensor 112 and a Z-axis infrared distance measuring sensor 113 .

[0097] In some embodiments, the power receiving module 103 includes a wireless receiving coil, a power management unit, and a battery;

[0098] Specifically, the input end of the wireless receiving coil is wirelessly connected to the output end of the wireless charging module 204 to receive the electromagnetic energy sent by the wireless charging module 204; the input end of the power management unit is electrically connected to the output end of the wireless receiving coil to convert the electromagnetic energy received by the wireless receiving coil into electrical energy; the output end of the power management unit is electrically connected to the input end of the battery to transmit the converted electrical energy to the battery in the form of stable direct current for storage.

[0099] In some embodiments, the propulsion module includes at least four first propellers 114 and at least two second propellers 115;

[0100] Specifically, the input ends of at least four first propellers 114 are electrically connected to the output ends of the control module 102 respectively; wherein each first propeller 114 can be independently controlled to adjust the thrust generated by changing the rotation speed, and can generate a force in a specific direction by combining the thrust of two propellers to enable the underwater robot 100 to move forward, backward, left, and right on a horizontal plane;

[0101] Specifically, the input ends of at least two second propellers 115 are electrically connected to the output end of the control module 102 to provide a propulsion force along the Z-axis direction, so that the underwater robot 100 can move up and down.

[0102] In some embodiments, the wireless charging device 200 further includes two second pressure sensors 209 and one third pressure sensor 210;

[0103] Specifically, two second pressure sensors 209 are symmetrically arranged on the left and right sides of the pressure tank 206 to detect whether the underwater robot 100 is located at the center of the positioning rail 205; the third pressure sensor 210 is arranged at a predetermined position in the pressure tank 206 to detect whether the underwater robot 100 has reached the correct docking position; wherein, the output ends of the second pressure sensor 209 and the third pressure sensor 210 are wirelessly connected to the input end of the control module 102 respectively. In this embodiment, by designing the step difference between the positioning rail 205 and the pressure tank 206, the underwater robot 100 triggers the second pressure sensor 209 and the third pressure sensor 210 in the pressure tank 206 to accurately detect the position of the robot, ensuring that it is accurately docked to the preset charging position.

[0104] In this embodiment, the control module 102 pre-stores the position information of the wireless charging device 200 for navigating the underwater robot 100 to a preset position near the wireless charging device 200 .

[0105] In some embodiments, a first weight-reducing groove 211 is opened on the fixing plate 202, and a plurality of second weight-reducing grooves 212 are opened in the pressure groove 206. The first weight-reducing groove 211 and the second weight-reducing groove 212 are used to reduce the weight of the positioning guide rail 205 without affecting the structural strength.

[0106] Example 2

[0107] like Figure 7 As shown, this embodiment provides a method for wireless charging of a robot in a pool, which is applied to a wireless charging system for a robot in a pool as described in Example 1, and includes the following steps:

[0108] S1: When the underwater robot 100 triggers the charging condition, the relative position information between the underwater robot 100 and the wireless charging device 200 is obtained, the underwater robot 100 is controlled to move to a preset position near the wireless charging device 200, and the telescopic arm 105 is rotated to a vertical state and extended;

[0109] In some embodiments, S1 specifically includes the following steps:

[0110] S101: Construct a coordinate system, with the ground where the robot is located as the origin O, the horizontal direction of the robot as the X-axis, the front of the robot as the positive direction of the X-axis, the horizontal direction of the robot as the Y-axis, the right direction of the robot as the positive direction of the Y-axis, the vertical direction of the robot as the Z-axis, and the top as the positive direction of the Z-axis; wherein the XOY plane is a plane parallel to the bottom of the pool;

[0111] S102: When the underwater robot 100 triggers the charging condition, the relative position information between the underwater robot 100 and the wireless charging device 200 is obtained, and the underwater robot 100 moves to the position where the wireless charging device 200 is located;

[0112] Among them, the triggering charging conditions include the following three situations: the power of the underwater robot 100 is lower than the preset threshold, the charging time set in the predetermined schedule is reached, the underwater robot 100 completes all the predetermined tasks or reaches the task end condition;

[0113] S103: Measure the actual distance between the underwater robot 100 and the pool wall through the infrared ranging sensor group, and match the actual distance with the pre-stored position information of the wireless charging device 200 through the control module 102; if it matches, proceed to the next step; if it does not match, adjust the robot posture until the two match and stop moving;

[0114] S104: The water depth position information of the upper plane of the underwater robot 100 is obtained through the Z-axis infrared ranging sensor and the water depth sensor 110, and the underwater robot 100 is moved along the positive direction of the Z-axis. When the underwater robot 100 reaches a preset position near the wireless charging device 200, it stops moving, and at the same time, the telescopic arm 105 is rotated to a vertical state and extended.

[0115] S2: The underwater robot 100 continues to move toward the location of the wireless charging device 200 and adjusts the posture of the underwater robot 100 until the underwater robot 100 is completely docked with the positioning rail 205 of the wireless charging device 200 and then stops moving;

[0116] In some embodiments, S2 specifically includes the following steps:

[0117] S201: Based on the position information of the wireless charging device 200, the underwater robot 100 moves along the positive direction of the X axis until the sonar sensor 109 detects that the underwater robot 100 is entirely within the positioning guide rail 205 of the wireless charging device 200, and the underwater robot 100 stops moving; wherein the underwater robot 100 is entirely within the positioning guide rail 205 of the wireless charging device 200, such as Figure 8 As shown;

[0118] S202: The control module 102 determines whether the underwater robot 100 is located at the center of the positioning rail 205 according to whether the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors 209 are received; if so, step S203 is executed; if not, the underwater robot 100 is moved along the Y-axis direction until the control module 102 stops moving after receiving the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors 209, and step S203 is executed;

[0119] In this embodiment, when the underwater robot 100 is not located at the center of the positioning rail 205, the distance information between the two sides of the positioning rail 205 of the underwater robot 100 is obtained through the Y-axis infrared ranging sensor 112 and the sonar sensor 109, and the position of the underwater robot 100 in the positioning rail 205 at this time is determined based on the distance information;

[0120] The position of the underwater robot 100 in the positioning rail 205 can be divided into the following three situations:

[0121] like Fig. 9 As shown, at this time, the underwater robot 100 is located on the left side of the positioning rail 205, and the underwater robot 100 should be adjusted to move rightward, so the underwater robot 100 is controlled to move along the positive direction of the Y axis until the control module 102 receives the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors 209 and stops moving;

[0122] like Fig.10As shown, at this time, the underwater robot 100 is located on the right side of the positioning rail 205, and the underwater robot 100 should be adjusted to move to the left, so the underwater robot 100 is controlled to move along the negative direction of the Y axis until the control module 102 receives the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors 209 and stops moving;

[0123] like Fig.11 As shown, at this time, the underwater robot 100 is located in the center of the positioning rail 205, indicating that the underwater robot 100 has completed the rough positioning with the wireless charging device 200;

[0124] S203: The control module 102 determines the docking status of the underwater robot 100 and the positioning rail 205 according to whether the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor 210 is received; if so, it means that the underwater robot 100 and the positioning rail 205 are successfully docked; if not, the underwater robot 100 is moved along the positive direction of the X-axis until the control module 102 stops moving after receiving the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor 210, and the underwater robot 100 and the positioning rail 205 are correctly docked;

[0125] In this embodiment, if the control module 102 does not receive the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor 210, it means that the underwater robot 100 is not in contact with the third pressure sensor 210. Fig.12 If the control module 102 receives the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor 210, it means that the underwater robot 100 has contacted with the third pressure sensor 210, and the underwater robot 100 and the positioning rail 205 are docked.

[0126] S3: The control module 102 controls the telescopic arm 105 to shorten until the telescopic arm 105 assembly is completely docked with the suspension slot 203 and stops shortening after the wireless charging range is met, so as to fix the position of the underwater robot 100 in the wireless charging device 200;

[0127] In some embodiments, S3 specifically includes the following steps:

[0128] S301: The control module 102 controls the telescopic arm 105 to shorten. When the control module 102 receives the infrared signal sent by the infrared transmitter 207 in the suspension groove 203 through the infrared receiver 108 on the suspension member 106, the water depth sensor 110 determines whether the underwater robot 100 is in the optimal wireless charging range; if so, the telescopic arm 105 stops shortening; if not, the telescopic arm 105 continues to shorten until the underwater robot 100 is in the optimal wireless charging range and the telescopic arm 105 stops shortening;

[0129] In this embodiment, when the infrared receiver 108 on the suspension member 106 receives the infrared signal emitted by the infrared transmitter 207 in the suspension groove 203, it indicates that the underwater robot 100 and the wireless charging device 200 have achieved preliminary docking. Fig.13 As shown;

[0130] In some embodiments, the function expression of the optimal wireless charging range is:

[0131]

[0132] In the formula, For optimal wireless charging range; is the power received by the power receiving module 103; is the coupling efficiency; is the charging threshold function; The power output by the wireless charging module 204;

[0133] Among them, the optimal wireless charging range is affected by distance, coupling efficiency, and battery protection mechanism;

[0134] Specifically, the power received by the power receiving module 103 is expressed as follows:

[0135]

[0136] In the formula, is the reference power at the standard distance; is the distance between the power receiving module 103 and the wireless charging module 204; n is the attenuation index; wherein the magnitude of the attenuation index is related to the material medium passed through during the power transmission process and the frequency of the electromagnetic wave of the wireless charging, and the value of n is usually greater than 2 when underwater;

[0137] Specifically, the functional expression of coupling efficiency is:

[0138]

[0139] In the formula, is the first constant, which indicates the maximum coupling efficiency when d is close to 0; is the second constant, used to prevent the coupling efficiency from approaching infinity when d=0; m is the exponent that controls the variation of coupling efficiency with distance, usually a positive value;

[0140] Among them, at very close distances, the magnetic field coupling may be too strong or too weak, which will affect the energy transmission efficiency. Describe the effect of distance on coupling efficiency;

[0141] Specifically, the functional expression of the charging threshold function is:

[0142]

[0143] In the formula, is the maximum output power of the wireless charging module 204; is the impact strength of the control protection mechanism; k is the index of the influence of the control distance on the power limit;

[0144] In this embodiment, the wireless charging module 204 is provided with a battery protection mechanism to prevent overcharging, overheating and other problems. Therefore, when the power receiving module 103 is too close to the wireless charging module 204, the wireless charging module 204 will automatically reduce the power output, which will affect the charging efficiency. Assume that the charging power will reach saturation after a certain threshold, and the threshold can be represented by a function to describe;

[0145] S302: the underwater robot 100 moves along the negative direction of the X-axis until the suspension member 106 on the telescopic arm 105 triggers the first pressure sensor 208 in the suspension groove 203 and then stops moving;

[0146] In this embodiment, when the suspension member 106 triggers the first pressure sensor 208 in the suspension groove 203, it indicates that the underwater robot 100 and the wireless charging device 200 have completed docking. Fig.14 shown.

[0147] S4: The underwater robot 100 sends a charging request to the wireless charging device 200. After receiving the charging request, the wireless charging device 200 wirelessly charges the underwater robot 100 until the underwater robot 100 reaches a preset power level or charging is completed. Then, the underwater robot 100 sends a power-off request to the wireless charging device 200 to stop charging.

[0148] S5: The control module 102 controls the telescopic arm 105 to extend, so that the underwater robot 100 can be separated from the suspension groove 203 and the underwater robot 100 can be withdrawn from the wireless charging device 200 along the positioning rail 205 .

[0149] S501: After the underwater robot 100 stops charging, the control module 102 controls the telescopic arm 105 to extend until the underwater robot 100 triggers the second pressure sensor 209 on the positioning rail and stops extending;

[0150] S502: the control module 102 controls the underwater robot 100 to move along the positive direction of the X-axis until the underwater robot 100 triggers the third pressure sensor 210 on the positioning rail and stops moving, and controls the telescopic arm to extend to the longest position so that the suspension arm assembly is completely separated from the suspension slot;

[0151] S503: the control module 102 controls the underwater robot 100 to move along the negative direction of the X-axis until the underwater robot 100 as a whole leaves the charging device positioning rail 205 and stops moving;

[0152] S504: After the underwater robot 100 leaves the charging device positioning rail 205 as a whole, the underwater robot 100 is controlled to move to the bottom surface along the negative direction of the Z axis, the hydraulic telescopic arm 105 is retracted to the initial length, and the hydraulic telescopic arm 105 is rotated to the initial position by the rotating motor 104, thereby completing the entire charging operation.

[0153] In summary, in this embodiment, the underwater robot 100 is stably suspended on the support seat 201 by plugging the suspension arm assembly and the suspension slot 203, effectively preventing charging interruption or docking failure caused by displacement or instability caused by underwater disturbance, thereby ensuring the continuity and reliability of the charging process;

[0154] In this embodiment, the fixing method between the underwater robot 100 and the wireless charging device 200 does not rely on magnetic field attraction, thereby avoiding the energy loss that may be encountered in the magnetic attraction method in water, and the problem that the magnetic attraction force cannot be effectively maintained due to excessive water flow or robot position change. In addition, in an emergency, by moving and extending the telescopic arm 105, it is possible to quickly disconnect the connection with the wireless charging device 200, thereby enhancing the ability of the underwater robot 100 to cope with emergencies.

[0155] This embodiment, through the coordinated work of several different high-precision sensors and dynamic positioning subsystems, combined with the positioning rail 205 for guiding the directional movement of the underwater robot 100, can enable the underwater robot 100 to accurately locate the wireless charging device 200 in different water flow environments, and automatically dock and charge with the wireless charging device 200.

[0156] The present invention effectively adjusts the charging distance between the power receiving module 103 and the wireless charging module 204 in the underwater robot 100 through the telescopic function of the suspension arm assembly, ensures that the charging distance is within the optimal wireless charging range, optimizes the charging efficiency, and ensures the high efficiency and continuity of the charging process.

[0157] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wireless charging system for a robot in a pool, characterized in that: It includes an underwater robot and a wireless charging device arranged at the waterline of the pool wall; The underwater robot comprises: Robot body; The dynamic positioning subsystem is arranged on the robot body, and is used to locate the wireless charging device and control the robot body to move to the location of the wireless charging device; A suspension arm assembly is disposed on the robot body and is electrically connected to the dynamic positioning subsystem to suspend the robot body on the wireless charging device; The power receiving module is arranged on the robot body and is electrically connected to the power positioning subsystem and the suspension arm assembly respectively, so as to receive power and supply power to the power positioning subsystem and the suspension arm assembly; The wireless charging device comprises: A support seat, on which a fixing plate for fixing and supporting the underwater robot is provided; A wireless charging module is disposed on the support base and is wirelessly connected to the power receiving module to wirelessly transmit power to the power receiving module; The fixing plate is provided with a suspension groove for plugging with the suspension arm assembly.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The dynamic positioning subsystem includes a positioning perception module, a propulsion module and a control module; The output end of the positioning sensing module is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the relative position information between the robot body and the wireless charging device and send it to the control module; The output end of the control module is electrically connected to the input end of the propulsion module, so as to control the propulsion module according to the relative position information fed back by the positioning sensing module, so as to drive the underwater robot to move.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The suspension arm assembly includes at least one rotating motor and at least one telescopic arm; The rotary motor is arranged on the upper surface of the robot body, the bottom end of the telescopic arm is connected to the power output end of the rotary motor, and the top end of the telescopic arm is connected to a suspension member for inserting into the suspension groove; The input ends of the rotating motor and the telescopic arm are both electrically connected to the output end of the control module.

4. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that Also comprising at least one infrared transmitter, at least one infrared receiver and at least one first pressure sensor; The infrared transmitter and the first pressure sensor are both arranged inside the suspension groove, and the infrared receiver is arranged on the suspension member; The output end of the infrared transmitter is wirelessly connected to the input end of the infrared receiver, and the output end of the infrared receiver is electrically connected to the input end of the control module, so as to detect whether the hanging member is inserted into the hanging slot; The output end of the first pressure sensor is wirelessly connected to the input end of the control module to detect the contact state between the suspension member and the suspension groove.

5. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The positioning sensing module is arranged on the upper surface of the robot body; the positioning sensing module includes a sonar sensor, an underwater depth sensor and an infrared ranging sensor group; The output end of the sonar sensor is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the underwater environment structure; the output end of the underwater depth sensor is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the water depth information of the position of the upper surface of the robot body; the output end of the infrared ranging sensor group is electrically connected to the input end of the control module to obtain the three-dimensional spatial position information of the robot body in the pool; The infrared distance measuring sensor group includes an X-axis infrared distance measuring sensor, a Y-axis infrared distance measuring sensor and a Z-axis infrared distance measuring sensor.

6. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that The wireless charging device further includes a positioning rail, at least two second pressure sensors and at least one third pressure sensor; The positioning rail is fixedly arranged at the lower end of the support seat, and is used to guide the robot to move to a preset charging position along a predetermined path underwater; a pressure groove is provided in the positioning rail; the at least two second pressure sensors are respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the pressure groove, and are used to detect whether the underwater robot is located at the center position of the positioning rail; the at least one third pressure sensor is arranged at a predetermined position in the pressure groove, and is used to detect whether the underwater robot has reached the correct docking position; The output ends of the at least two second pressure sensors and the at least one third pressure sensor are wirelessly connected to the input end of the control module respectively; the control module pre-stores the position information of the wireless charging device.

7. A method for wirelessly charging a robot in a pool, applied to a wireless charging system for a robot in a pool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: When the underwater robot triggers the charging condition, the relative position information between the underwater robot and the wireless charging device is obtained, the underwater robot is controlled to move to a preset position near the wireless charging device, and the telescopic arm is rotated to a vertical state and extended; S2: The underwater robot continues to move toward the location of the wireless charging device and adjusts the underwater robot's posture until the underwater robot is completely docked with the positioning guide rail of the wireless charging device and then stops moving; S3: The control module controls the telescopic arm to shorten until the telescopic arm assembly is completely docked with the suspension slot and stops shortening after the telescopic arm assembly meets the wireless charging range, so as to fix the position of the underwater robot in the wireless charging device; S4: the underwater robot sends a charging request to the wireless charging device. After receiving the charging request, the wireless charging device wirelessly charges the underwater robot until the underwater robot reaches a preset power level or charging is completed. Then, the underwater robot sends a power-off request to the wireless charging device to stop charging. S5: The control module controls the telescopic arm to extend, so as to enable the underwater robot to detach from the suspension slot, and to enable the underwater robot to exit the wireless charging device along the positioning guide rail.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The S1 specifically includes the following steps: S101: Construct a coordinate system, with the ground where the robot is located as the origin, the horizontal direction of the robot as the X-axis, the front of the robot as the positive direction of the X-axis, the horizontal direction of the robot as the Y-axis, the right direction of the robot as the positive direction of the Y-axis, the vertical direction of the robot as the Z-axis, and the top as the positive direction of the Z-axis; S102: When the underwater robot triggers the charging condition, the relative position information between the underwater robot and the wireless charging device is obtained, and the underwater robot moves to the location of the wireless charging device; S103: measuring the actual distance between the underwater robot and the pool wall through the infrared ranging sensor group, and matching the actual distance with the pre-stored position information of the wireless charging device through the control module; if they match, proceed to the next step; if they do not match, adjust the robot posture until the two match and then stop moving; S104: The water depth position information of the upper plane of the underwater robot is obtained through the Z-axis infrared ranging sensor and the water depth sensor, and the underwater robot is moved along the positive direction of the Z-axis. When the underwater robot reaches a preset position near the wireless charging device, it stops moving, and the telescopic arm is rotated to a vertical state and extended.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The S2 specifically includes the following steps: S201: Based on the position information of the wireless charging device, the underwater robot moves along the positive direction of the X-axis until the sonar sensor detects that the underwater robot as a whole is in the positioning guide rail of the wireless charging device, and the underwater robot stops moving; S202: The control module determines whether the underwater robot is located at the center of the positioning rail according to whether the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors are received; if so, step S203 is executed; if not, the underwater robot is moved along the Y-axis direction until the control module stops moving after receiving the pressure signals sent by all the second pressure sensors, and step S203 is executed; S203: The control module determines the docking status of the underwater robot and the positioning rail based on whether it receives the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor; if so, it means that the underwater robot and the positioning rail are docked successfully; if not, the underwater robot is moved along the positive direction of the X-axis until the control module stops moving after receiving the pressure signal sent by the third pressure sensor, thereby completing the correct docking of the underwater robot and the positioning rail.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The S3 specifically includes the following steps: S301: The control module controls the telescopic arm to shorten. When the control module receives the infrared signal sent by the infrared transmitter in the suspension groove through the infrared receiver on the suspension member, the control module determines whether the underwater robot is in the optimal wireless charging range through the water depth sensor; if so, the telescopic arm stops shortening; if not, the telescopic arm continues to shorten until the underwater robot is in the optimal wireless charging range and the telescopic arm stops shortening; The function expression of the optimal wireless charging range is: ； In the formula, For optimal wireless charging range; The power received by the power receiving module; is the coupling efficiency; is the charging threshold function; The power output of the wireless charging module; is the reference power at the standard distance; is the distance between the power receiving module and the wireless charging module; n is the attenuation index; and are different constants respectively; m is the exponent that controls the variation of coupling efficiency with distance; is the maximum output power of the wireless charging module; is the impact strength of the control protection mechanism; k is the index of the influence of the control distance on the power limit; S302: The underwater robot moves along the negative direction of the X-axis until the suspension member on the telescopic arm triggers the first pressure sensor in the suspension groove and then stops moving.

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