Automatic pool cleaning device, method for aligning automatic pool cleaning device with charging base and computer storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic pool cleaning device, a method for controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to be aligned with a charging base and a computer storage medium. An alignment mark is arranged at the preset position of the charging base, and the method comprises the steps that the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move towards the charging base, and in the moving process, an image of the alignment mark is collected through an image collecting device; and on the basis of the acquired image of the alignment identifier, adjusting the relevant parameters of the movement, so that the automatic pool cleaning device is aligned with the charging base.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of automatic pool cleaning, and in particular to an automatic pool cleaning device, a method for controlling the alignment of the automatic pool cleaning device with a charging base, and a computer storage medium. Background Art

[0002] As an automated cleaning device, a pool cleaning robot usually needs to work for a long time in a swimming pool. Due to the heavy body of the pool cleaning robot, the power consumption during operation is large. In order to ensure long-term working ability, the pool cleaning robot needs to be charged and recharged regularly. However, the traditional charging method requires the user to take the robot out of the swimming pool and place it in the charging base, which not only increases the workload of the user, but also reduces the convenience of robot operation. In order to improve convenience, many pool cleaning robots have been equipped with charging bases installed in the swimming pool. When the power of the robot is low, it can be charged by automatically entering the charging base, avoiding manual intervention. However, since the entrance width of the charging base is often almost the same as the body width of the robot, the robot needs to accurately identify the position of the charging port and adjust its posture in real time to successfully enter the charging base to complete the charging process, which puts higher requirements on the navigation accuracy of the robot. Usually, the robot uses ultrasonic sensors or proximity sensors to complete the docking with the charging base, which has the problems of insufficient docking accuracy and high misjudgment rate. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present application, a method for controlling the alignment of an automatic pool cleaning device and a charging base is provided, wherein an alignment mark is provided at a predetermined position of the charging base, and the method comprises: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the charging base, and during the movement, acquiring an image of the alignment mark by an image acquisition device; and adjusting relevant parameters of the movement based on the acquired image of the alignment mark so that the automatic pool cleaning device is aligned with the charging base.

[0004] Further, adjusting the relevant parameters of the movement based on the collected image of the alignment mark includes adjusting the relevant parameters according to the completeness of the alignment mark in the image.

[0005] Furthermore, the relevant parameters include a moving path, a yaw angle and / or a moving speed of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0006] Furthermore, the alignment mark includes an identification code.

[0007] Furthermore, there is at least one alignment mark, which is located on the symmetry axis of the charging base or symmetrically arranged on both sides of the charging base.

[0008] Furthermore, the automatic pool cleaning device is aligned with the charging base, including: a power interface of the automatic pool cleaning device is docked with a charging port of the charging base.

[0009] Furthermore, the charging seat is located on the wall or bottom of the pool.

[0010] Furthermore, when the charging base is located at the pool wall, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move toward the charging base, including controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move from the water surface toward the charging base, or controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to climb up the pool wall from the pool bottom and crawl on the pool wall toward the charging base.

[0011] Furthermore, the yaw angle is adjusted by a water spraying mechanism, a walking mechanism or a paddle on the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present application, an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, wherein the automatic pool cleaning device can perform any of the methods described above.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present application, a computer storage medium is provided, wherein the storage medium stores a computer program, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, any of the methods described above is implemented.

[0014] The embodiment described in the present application performs image capture and recognition of an alignment mark provided on a charging base during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, thereby adjusting relevant parameters of the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the charging base according to the position of the alignment mark in the captured image, thereby achieving alignment between the automatic pool cleaning device and the charging base, which can improve alignment accuracy and reduce misjudgment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiment. The drawings described below are only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1 A flow chart showing a method for controlling the alignment of an automatic pool cleaning device with a charging station according to an embodiment of the present application is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of controlling the alignment of an automatic pool cleaning device and a charging base according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The embodiments provided in this application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Reference Figure 1 The present application provides a method 100 for controlling the alignment of an automatic pool cleaning device with a charging station. The method 100 includes steps 101 and 102. Steps 101 and 102 will be described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0020] It is understandable that the automatic pool cleaning device is capable of cleaning a pool. The pool is, for example, a pool-shaped building. The pool-shaped building may be a swimming pool, a reservoir, a spa pool, a water tank, a water tank, or the like. The automatic pool cleaning device may be a device such as an automatic cleaning device, a pool cleaning robot, or the like, which is capable of cleaning a pool-shaped building. The present application does not limit the specific presentation of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool-shaped building, as long as the principle of the present application can be implemented. In the following, unless otherwise specified, a robot will be used as an example of the automatic pool cleaning device, and a swimming pool will be used as an example of a pool or a pool-shaped building. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the terms "pool bottom", "pool bottom", and "pool bottom" all refer to the bottom surface of a swimming pool.

[0021] A charging base is provided in the swimming pool. The charging base can be located on the wall of the swimming pool or on the bottom of the swimming pool. The specific location depends on the design of the swimming pool and the working range of the robot. For example, the charging base can be located in an area where the robot often passes through, so that the robot can easily identify and connect to the charging base. The charging base can be fixed to the pool wall or bottom by screws, or firmly attached to the pool wall or bottom using a special adhesive. The charging base is connected to an external power source via a cable. The main function of the charging base is to provide power to the robot. For example, when the robot finishes cleaning work, it returns to the charging base and automatically starts charging.

[0022] An alignment mark is provided at a predetermined position of the charging base. The main function of the alignment mark is to help the robot to locate and align when returning to the charging base. The robot can use an image acquisition unit (such as a camera) to capture an image of the alignment mark and perform image recognition, thereby identifying the alignment mark, and then judging the position, moving path, yaw angle and / or moving speed of the robot relative to the alignment mark according to the position of the alignment mark in the image, thereby adjusting the position, moving path, yaw angle and / or moving speed of the robot relative to the charging base to achieve alignment between the robot and the charging base.

[0023] The alignment mark can be set to a mark with a specific shape (such as a circle, square or arrow shape) or a mark with a specific color (such as red, orange, green or yellow), so that the robot can collect the image of the alignment mark underwater and on the water surface through the image acquisition unit and identify the alignment mark. Such a mark can be a flat mark (such as sprayed at a predetermined position on the surface of the charging seat) or a three-dimensional mark (such as protruding from the surface of the charging seat).

[0024] It is understandable that the alignment mark should have a certain size, for example, the alignment mark should be large enough to facilitate the robot to identify the alignment mark by image recognition, but its size should not be too large to affect the overall appearance and function of the charging stand. The charging stand can be made of water-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials (such as high-strength plastic or stainless steel, etc.) to ensure long-term use in a swimming pool environment without damage.

[0025] In one embodiment, the number of the alignment mark is at least one, in other words, the charging base may be provided with one or more alignment marks.

[0026] The alignment mark may be set at a predetermined position of the charging base. The predetermined position may be the axis of symmetry of the charging base, or both sides of the charging base. In other words, the alignment mark may be located at the axis of symmetry of the charging base or symmetrically arranged on both sides of the charging base. For example, two alignment marks are respectively arranged on both sides of the charging base. In one embodiment, the axis of symmetry may refer to an axis that makes the left and right sides of the charging base symmetrical when the viewing angle faces the charging base. In another embodiment, the axis of symmetry may refer to an axis that passes through the center of gravity of the charging base after the charging base is fixed to the pool wall or the bottom of the pool, and the axis makes the left and right sides of the charging base symmetrical or symmetrical up and down. The above descriptions of the predetermined position, axis of symmetry and other features are all exemplary, and those skilled in the art may select and set such features according to actual conditions, as long as the technical principles of the present application can be realized.

[0027] In one embodiment, the alignment mark includes an identification code. For example, the identification code can be a two-dimensional code or a bar code. The two-dimensional code can be composed of black and white squares or black and white bars, which are arranged in a square or rectangular grid. The bar code can be composed of a series of black and white bars of different widths, with the red and black bars representing numbers or letters, and the white bars serving as intervals to help identify different parts of the bar code.

[0028] The robot can capture an image of the identification code through an image acquisition unit, and then determine the robot's position, moving path, yaw angle and / or moving speed relative to the identification code based on the position of the identification code in the image or the completeness of the identification code in the image, thereby adjusting the robot's position, moving path, yaw angle and / or moving speed relative to the charging base, thereby achieving alignment of the robot with the charging base.

[0029] For example, the robot captures the image of the barcode through the image acquisition unit, but due to the positional relationship between the robot and the charging base and the limitation of the field of view of the image acquisition unit, only the right half of the barcode is captured in the image. The robot can judge that it is biased to the right relative to the charging base. Therefore, the robot can move to the left or slightly to the left so that the re-captured image can display the complete barcode (that is, the left half of the barcode is also captured in the image), or even the barcode is located in the middle of the re-captured image, so that the robot is aligned with the charging base.

[0030] It can be seen that by setting the identification code (such as a QR code or a barcode), the accuracy and efficiency of the robot aligning with the charging station can be improved. The application of the identification code will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0031] Go to step 101. In step 101, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move toward the charging seat, and during the movement, an image acquisition device is used to acquire an image of the alignment mark.

[0032] Reference Figure 2 Step 101 will be described. Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the alignment of the automatic pool cleaning device and the charging station according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the robot 10 includes an image acquisition unit 11 and a power interface 12; the charging base 20 includes an alignment mark 21. In one embodiment, the robot described above is aligned with the charging base, including: the power interface 12 of the robot 10 is docked with the charging port (not shown) of the charging base 20. By docking the power interface 12 with the charging port of the charging base 20, the charging base 20 can charge the robot 10.

[0033] The robot 10 can be controlled to move toward the charging seat 20. For example, when the charging seat 20 is located at the pool wall, controlling the robot 10 to move toward the charging seat 20 includes: controlling the robot 10 to move toward the charging seat 20 from the water surface, or controlling the robot 10 to climb up the pool wall from the pool bottom, and crawling toward the charging seat 20 on the pool wall. For another example, when the charging seat 20 is located at the pool bottom, controlling the robot 10 to move toward the charging seat 20 includes: controlling the robot 10 to move toward the charging seat 20 along the pool bottom, or controlling the robot 10 to sink from the water surface to the pool bottom, and then moving toward the charging seat 20 at the pool bottom. The above-mentioned controlled movement of the robot 10 toward the charging seat 20 is only exemplary, and those skilled in the art can select the movement method of the robot toward the charging seat according to actual needs, as long as the technical principles of the present application can be implemented.

[0034] Correspondingly, the robot 10 can have a pool bottom cleaning mode, a pool wall cleaning mode (also known as a wall climbing mode) and a water surface cleaning mode (also known as a surface ship mode). Among them, the pool bottom cleaning mode is the traditional operating mode possessed by the robot. In this mode, the water and impurities in the pool are sucked into the automatic pool cleaning device by a water pump. When passing through the garbage basket, the impurities enter and are retained in the garbage basket, and the water is discharged, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning the bottom of the pool. In the pool wall cleaning mode, the robot mainly uses the vacuum adsorption principle to attach to the pool wall and clean the pool wall. In the water surface cleaning mode, the automatic pool cleaning device floats on the water surface and travels on the water surface, thereby achieving the cleaning of the water surface debris. The above selection and setting of the pool bottom cleaning mode, the pool wall cleaning mode and the water surface cleaning mode can be set according to actual conditions, and this application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0035] The image acquisition unit 11 can be a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor, or other devices that can realize the image acquisition function. After the image acquisition unit 11 acquires the image, the robot can analyze the acquired image through an image processing algorithm to identify the alignment mark 21 therein. The image processing algorithm can be pre-stored in the robot 10, or stored in a cloud server, or set in a memory outside the robot. The above selection of the type of image acquisition unit 11 is exemplary, as long as the technical principle of the present application can be realized.

[0036] It should be noted that the field of view of the image acquisition unit 11 usually has a certain angle and range. In other words, the image acquisition unit 11 has a certain field of view. If the target object (such as the alignment mark 21) is within the field of view of the image acquisition unit 11, the image acquisition unit 11 can acquire the image of the target object. Therefore, the robot 10 can acquire images through the image acquisition unit 11 at predetermined time intervals during the process of being controlled to move toward the charging station 20. When the robot 10 is far away from the charging station 20 (for example, the charging station 20 is outside the field of view of the image acquisition unit 11), the predetermined time interval can be set to be larger to save the power consumption of the robot in acquiring images; when the robot 10 is close to the charging station 20, the predetermined time interval can be set to be smaller so that the robot can acquire the image of the alignment mark 21 in time and align with the charging station 20 according to the alignment mark 21.

[0037] Next, the process proceeds to step 102. In step 102, based on the captured image of the alignment mark, the relevant parameters of the movement are adjusted so that the automatic pool cleaning device is aligned with the charging base.

[0038] As described above, the robot 10 can analyze and identify the image captured by the image acquisition unit 11, thereby identifying the alignment mark 21 in the image. For example, the alignment mark is located on the symmetry axis of the charging base 20 (eg Figure 2 As shown in the figure, if the alignment mark 21 is located at a position slightly to the left in the image captured by the image acquisition unit 11, it means that the alignment mark 21 is located at a position slightly to the left in the field of view of the image acquisition unit 11. At this time, the robot 10 is not aligned with the charging seat 20. In order to align the robot 10 with the charging seat 20, the alignment mark 21 can be located in the middle position or the central axis position of the captured image. Therefore, in this case, the relevant parameters of the robot 10 moving toward the charging seat 20 can be adjusted so that the robot 10 moves to the left of its forward direction or to the left of the direction indicated by the image acquisition unit 11, so that in the re-captured image, the alignment mark 21 is located in the middle position or the central axis position of the re-captured image. At this time, the robot 10 is aligned with the charging seat 20.

[0039] In one embodiment, adjusting the relevant parameters of the movement based on the captured image of the alignment mark includes adjusting the relevant parameters according to the completeness of the alignment mark in the image. Figure 2As shown) and the alignment mark is the two-dimensional code described above, if only the left part of the two-dimensional code appears in the image captured by the image acquisition unit 11, that is, the right part of the two-dimensional code is not captured by the image acquisition unit 11, it means that the two-dimensional code is located at a position slightly to the right in the field of view of the image acquisition unit 11, and the robot 10 is not aligned with the charging seat 20 at this time. In order to align the robot 10 with the charging seat 20, the entire two-dimensional code should be displayed in the captured image, and even the entire two-dimensional code should be located in the middle position or the central axis position of the captured image. Therefore, in this case, the relevant parameters of the robot 10 moving toward the charging seat 20 can be adjusted so that the robot 10 moves to the right of its forward direction or to the right of the direction indicated by the image acquisition unit 11, so that the entire two-dimensional code is displayed in the image captured again, and the two-dimensional code is located in the middle position or the central axis position of the image captured again. At this time, the robot 10 is aligned with the charging seat 20. The above examples about the integrity of the alignment mark are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art may select and set the application of the integrity of the alignment mark in the alignment process between the robot and the charging station according to the principles of the present application.

[0040] It is understandable that the robot 10 can analyze and identify the image captured by the image acquisition unit 11 through a known or future-developed image recognition algorithm, thereby identifying all or part of the alignment mark 21 in the image. The present application does not impose any specific restrictions on such image recognition algorithms, as long as the technical principles of the present application can be implemented.

[0041] In one embodiment, the relevant parameters include the moving path, yaw angle and / or moving speed of the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, in step 102, when it is determined that the robot 10 is not aligned with the charging station 20, the moving path of the robot 10 during the movement toward the charging station 20 can be adjusted so that after the robot 10 moves along the moving path for a predetermined time or a predetermined distance, in the image captured again by the image acquisition unit 11, the alignment mark 21 is located in the middle position or the central axis position in the image captured again, thereby achieving alignment between the robot 10 and the charging station 20.

[0042] For example, in a scenario similar to the above embodiment, the yaw angle of the robot 10 can be adjusted during the movement toward the charging station 20. Adjusting the yaw angle can ensure that the robot 10 moves along a planned path, and the planned path is a path that enables the robot to align with the charging station based on the alignment mark captured by the image acquisition device. In step 102, by adjusting the yaw angle, after the robot 10 moves along the adjusted yaw angle for a predetermined time or a predetermined distance, in the image captured again by the image acquisition unit 11, the alignment mark 21 is located in the middle position or the central axis position in the image captured again, thereby achieving alignment between the robot 10 and the charging station 20.

[0043] In one embodiment, the yaw angle can be adjusted by a water spraying mechanism, a walking mechanism or a paddle on the automatic pool cleaning device. Specifically, the robot 10 can be provided with a water spraying mechanism, which can be arranged at the tail or side of the robot 10, for example. The yaw angle of the robot 10 can be adjusted by spraying water from the water spraying mechanism or adjusting the spraying direction of the water spraying mechanism. The walking mechanism is, for example, a driving wheel of the robot 10, which is arranged on the left and right sides of the robot 10 respectively. The yaw angle of the robot 10 can be adjusted by adjusting the speed difference of the driving wheels on the left and right sides. The paddle can be arranged at the tail or side of the robot 10, and the yaw angle of the robot can be adjusted by paddling the paddle. The above description of the implementation method of adjusting the yaw angle of the robot 10 is only exemplary, and the adjustment method of the yaw angle can be selected and combined according to actual needs, as long as the technical principle of the present application can be realized.

[0044] It is understandable that during the movement of the robot 10 toward the charging base 20, the movement speed of the robot 10 will also affect its alignment with the charging base 20. The closer the robot 10 is to the charging base 20, the lower the movement speed needs to be, so as to ensure that when the image acquisition unit detects misalignment or poor alignment, there is space and time to correct the deviation. If the speed is not reduced, the robot 10 will quickly abut against the charging base, and there will be no time to adjust the path or yaw angle when it is not against the charging base.

[0045] The embodiment described in the present application performs image capture and recognition of an alignment mark provided on a charging base during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, thereby adjusting relevant parameters of the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the charging base according to the position of the alignment mark in the captured image, thereby achieving alignment between the automatic pool cleaning device and the charging base, which can improve alignment accuracy and reduce misjudgment.

[0046] The present application also provides an automatic pool cleaning device. The automatic pool cleaning device can be aligned with the charging base described above. An alignment mark is provided at a predetermined position of the charging base. The automatic pool cleaning device includes a control unit, which is configured to: control the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the charging base, and during the movement, capture an image of the alignment mark by an image acquisition device; and adjust relevant parameters of the movement based on the captured image of the alignment mark so that the automatic pool cleaning device is aligned with the charging base.

[0047] The technical concepts such as the alignment mark, the image acquisition unit, adjusting relevant parameters of the automatic pool cleaning device during movement, and how to align the automatic pool cleaning device with the charging base based on the acquired image of the alignment mark have been described in detail in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0048] This embodiment discloses a computer storage medium, in which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the various control methods described above are implemented.

[0049] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative labor.

[0050] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution can be essentially or in other words, the part that contributes to the relevant technology can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a disk, an optical disk, etc., including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiment.

[0051] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0052] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0053] In the present application, unless otherwise specified, directional words such as "up" and "down" are generally used with reference to the directions shown in the drawings, or with reference to the vertical, perpendicular or gravity direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" are generally used with reference to the left and right shown in the drawings; "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself, but the above directional words are not used to limit the present application.

[0054] The above is only an exemplary embodiment of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various changes or substitutions within the technical scope recorded in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the alignment of an automatic pool cleaning device and a charging base, wherein an alignment mark is provided at a predetermined position of the charging base, the method comprising: Controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the charging seat, and during the movement, capturing an image of the alignment mark by an image capture device; Based on the captured image of the alignment mark, the relevant parameters of the movement are adjusted so that the automatic pool cleaning device is aligned with the charging base.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: adjusting the relevant parameters of the movement based on the acquired image of the alignment mark, Including adjusting the relevant parameters according to the completeness of the alignment mark in the image.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The relevant parameters include the moving path, yaw angle and / or moving speed of the automatic pool cleaning device.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The alignment mark includes an identification code.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The number of the alignment mark is at least one, and it is located on the symmetry axis of the charging base or symmetrically arranged on both sides of the charging base.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The automatic pool cleaning device is aligned with the charging base, including: a power interface of the automatic pool cleaning device is docked with a charging port of the charging base.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The charging seat is located on the pool wall or the pool bottom.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: When the charging base is located at the pool wall, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the charging base includes controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move from the water surface to the charging base, or controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to climb up the pool wall from the pool bottom and crawl on the pool wall toward the charging base.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The yaw angle is adjusted by a water spraying mechanism, a walking mechanism or a paddle on the automatic pool cleaning device.

10. An automatic pool cleaning device, wherein: The automatic pool cleaning device can execute the control method described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. A computer storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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