Multi-region mapping method, robot and computer program product

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-region mapping method, a robot and a computer program product, and the method comprises the steps: the robot obtains the position information of a first path, then moves along the first path according to the position information, and collects the environment information of a target working region when the robot moves to a target intersection point, and then the robot returns to the first path from the target working area and continues to move along the first path. Wherein the first path and the boundaries of the at least two working areas have intersection points, the intersection points of the first path and the boundaries of the at least two working areas comprise a target intersection point, the target working area is a working area to which the target intersection point belongs, and the environment information of the target working area is used for establishing a map of the target working area. According to the scheme, efficient multi-region mapping can be realized, and the time of the user is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of artificial intelligence technology, and in particular to a multi-region mapping method, a robot, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, robots are widely used in various scenarios. For example, in a factory environment, inspection robots are used for inspection; in a home environment, sweeping robots are used to clean the floor; in an outdoor environment, lawn mowing robots are used to mow the lawn. When entering a work area for the first time, the robot usually needs to actively explore the work area to build a map of the work area.

[0003] Currently, when there are multiple work areas that need to be mapped, the user needs to remotely control the robot to move between adjacent work areas. For example, the user first remotely controls the robot to work area A for exploration and mapping. After the user waits for the robot to complete mapping in work area A, the user manually remotely controls the robot to move from work area A to work area B to establish (determine / record) a connection path between work area A and work area B. The user continues to wait for the robot to complete mapping in work area B, and then manually remotely controls the robot to move from work area B to work area C to establish a connection path between work area B and work area C... and so on, until all work areas are mapped.

[0004] In the above scheme, the user needs to wait for the robot to complete the mapping of the current work area before manually remotely controlling the robot to move to the next work area that needs to be mapped for mapping. The user's waiting time is long. The user's waiting time is positively correlated with the number of work areas N that need to be mapped. The user's waiting time is the sum of the mapping time of the first N work areas. In addition, to determine the connection path between the N work areas, the user needs to remotely control it at least N-1 times, which is cumbersome to operate. Especially when the N value is large, the user's waiting time will be very long and the number of operations will be large, resulting in a poor user experience. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a multi-region mapping method, a robot and a computer program product, which can realize efficient multi-region mapping and save user time.

[0006] In the first aspect, the present application provides a multi-area mapping method, which is used for a robot, and the method includes: the robot obtains the position information of the first path, and then the robot moves along the first path according to the position information, when the robot moves to the target intersection, the robot collects the environmental information of the target working area, and then the robot returns from the target working area to the first path, and continues to move along the first path. Wherein, there is an intersection between the first path and the boundaries of at least two working areas, the intersection of the first path and the boundaries of at least two working areas includes the target intersection, the target working area is the working area to which the target intersection belongs, and the environmental information of the target working area is used to establish a map of the target working area.

[0007] In the above scheme, the robot can move along the first path according to the position information by obtaining the position information of the first path (the first path has an intersection with the boundaries of at least two working areas). When moving to the target intersection on the first path, the robot collects the environmental information of the target working area to which the target intersection belongs, so as to establish a map of the target working area, and then the robot returns from the target working area to the first path and continues to move along the first path. The above contents are repeatedly executed until the robot obtains the environmental information of the at least two working areas, so as to establish a map of the at least two working areas.

[0008] Since the robot in the above scheme automatically moves along the first path according to the position information, and each time the robot moves to the target intersection, it enters the work area to which the target intersection belongs to collect the corresponding environmental information, and then returns to the first path to continue moving, the robot can automatically collect the environmental information of all work areas that intersect with the first path, so as to establish a map of all work areas that intersect with the first path. Moreover, when the robot moves along the first path according to the position information, the user does not need to operate or wait, which saves time and effort. Therefore, this multi-area mapping solution has a good user experience and high mapping efficiency.

[0009] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation scheme, the robot receives remote control instructions sent by a remote control device, the robot moves according to the remote control instructions, and collects coordinates of multiple position points passed by the robot, these multiple position points are located on a first path, and then the position information of the first path is determined based on the coordinates of these multiple position points.

[0010] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, during the process of the robot moving according to the remote control instruction, the robot uses a sensor to identify the boundary of the first working area, obtains boundary information, and determines the intersection of the first path and the boundary of the first working area according to the boundary information and the position information of the first path, wherein the first working area is one of the at least two working areas. Alternatively, during the process of the robot moving according to the remote control instruction, when the robot receives the intersection mark instruction, the position of the robot is marked as an intersection of the first path and the boundary of the at least two working areas.

[0011] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation scheme, the target intersection point belongs to a working area of ​​the robot where no environmental information is currently collected.

[0012] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation scheme, when the robot moves along the first path to a non-target intersection, the robot continues to move along the first path, wherein the intersection of the first path and the boundaries of at least two working areas includes the non-target intersection, and the non-target intersection belongs to the working area for which the robot has currently collected environmental information.

[0013] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation scheme, the robot establishes a map of the target work area according to the environmental information of the target work area, and then the robot determines a return path according to the map and position information of the target work area, and then the robot returns from the target work area to the first path according to the return path. Wherein, the end point of the return path is the first intersection point that the robot passes when leaving the target work area along the first moving direction of the first path, the first moving direction is the moving direction of the first path corresponding to when the robot moves to the target intersection point, and the first intersection point is one of all intersection points of the boundary of the target work area and the first path.

[0014] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation scheme, the robot determines the section between the first intersection and the second intersection in the first path as a connecting path between the map of the first working area and the map of the second working area, wherein the first working area and the second working area belong to at least two working areas, the first intersection is the intersection of the boundary of the first working area and the first path, and the second intersection is the intersection of the boundary of the second working area and the first path.

[0015] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation scheme, when the environmental information of the at least two working areas mentioned above has been collected, the robot returns to the first charging pile along the first path, wherein the first charging pile is located on the first path; or, when the environmental information of the at least two working areas mentioned above has been collected, the robot establishes a map of the at least two working areas based on the environmental information of the at least two working areas, and then returns to the second charging pile based on the map of the at least two working areas, wherein the second charging pile is located at the boundary or inside the at least two working areas.

[0016] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a multi-region mapping device, comprising a unit for instructing a robot to execute a method as any possible implementation scheme in the first aspect.

[0017] In a third aspect, the present application also provides a robot, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is used to execute instructions stored in the memory so that the robot executes a method as any possible implementation method in the first aspect.

[0018] In a fourth aspect, the present application also provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a robot, enables the robot to execute a method as in any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0019] In a fifth aspect, the present application also provides a computer storage medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a robot, causes the robot to execute a method as in any possible implementation manner in the first aspect.

[0020] Based on the implementation schemes provided in the above aspects, this application can also be further combined to provide more implementation schemes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a multi-region mapping method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the relationship between a first path and multiple working areas provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of another relationship between a first path and multiple working areas provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a multi-region mapping device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 It is a flowchart of a multi-region mapping method provided in an embodiment of the present application, including steps S101 to S103.

[0028] S101. The robot obtains position information of a first path, wherein the first path has intersections with boundaries of at least two working areas.

[0029] This application does not make any specific restrictions on the types of the above-mentioned robots. For example, assuming that the robot is a lawn mowing robot, its working area can be lawns, gardens, agricultural and forestry land, livestock farms and other areas. For another example, assuming that the robot is a sweeping robot, its working area can be living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, toilets and other areas in a home environment, and can also be lawns, roads, activity squares and other areas in an outdoor environment. For another example, assuming that the robot is an inspection robot, its working area can be different factory buildings, workshops and the like in a factory environment.

[0030] The present application does not make any specific restrictions on the number, shape and size of the working areas. For example, the robot may have multiple working areas, and the shapes and sizes of different working areas may be the same or different. Each working area may be a regular shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a sector, a triangle, a rectangle, or other polygons, or an irregular shape.

[0031] The first path has intersections with the boundaries of at least two working areas of the robot, and the above-mentioned at least two areas may be part or all of the working areas of the robot. For the convenience of description, the above-mentioned at least two working areas are hereinafter referred to as N working areas, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. The value of N can be set according to the actual application scenario, and this application does not limit this. For any one of the N working areas, there is at least one intersection between the first path and the boundary of the working area. The number of intersections between the boundaries of different working areas in the N working areas and the first path may be the same or different.

[0032] For example, Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the relationship between a first path and multiple working areas provided in an embodiment of the present application. The first path in the figure is represented by a thick solid line, and the working area is represented by a rectangle. The first path has intersections with the boundaries of three working areas (N=3 at this time), and these three working areas are respectively recorded as working areas A, B and C. Among them, the boundary of working area A and the boundary of working area B have two intersections with the first path respectively, and the boundary of working area C has only one intersection with the first path. The first end of the first path is located at a charging pile (or charging station) for charging the robot, and the second end of the first path is located on the boundary of working area C (i.e., intersection 5). The moving direction of the robot on the first path is not limited here, and it can move from the first end to the second end, or from the second end to the first end.

[0033] It should be noted that Figure 2 The number, shape, size and positional relationship of the working areas in are only examples, and the positional relationship between the first path and each working area is also only an example and does not constitute a limitation. In actual application scenarios, the first path may also have intersections with the boundaries of more or fewer working areas, the number of intersections between the first path and the boundaries of each working area and the positions of the intersections may also be adjusted, the first path may pass through the working area (there are at least two intersections with the boundary of the working area), the first path may not pass through the working area (there is only one intersection with the boundary of the working area), and the positions of the two ends of the first path (i.e., the first end and the second end) may also be adjusted, and this application does not make specific limitations. Figure 2 The positional relationship between the first path and the charging pile is also only an example ( Figure 2 The charging pile is located at the first end of the first path), which does not constitute a limitation. In addition to the first end, the charging pile can be located at other positions on the first path, such as the charging pile can be located at the second end of the first path, or can be located at the boundary or inside a certain working area. The first path may not pass through the charging pile, and this application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0034] For example, Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the relationship between a first path and multiple working areas provided in an embodiment of the present application. In the figure, the first path is represented by a thick solid line, and the working area is represented by a rectangle. Figure 3 There are four working areas, denoted as working areas A, B, C and D, the first path has two intersections with the working area A, and the first path has only one intersection with each of the working areas B, C and D. The first end of the first path is located at a charging pile, which is located on the boundary of the working area A, and the second end of the first path is located at the intersection 4 of the first path and the boundary of the working area D.

[0035] The following describes how the robot obtains the position information of the first path.

[0036] Optionally, the robot receives remote control instructions sent by a remote control device, then moves according to the remote control instructions and collects coordinates of multiple position points passed by the robot, which are located on the first path, and then determines the position information of the first path based on the coordinates of the multiple position points.

[0037] Specifically, the user can send remote control instructions to the robot through a remote control device, and the remote control instructions are used to instruct the robot how to move. The remote control device here can establish a wireless communication connection with the robot, and can be a smart phone, a remote control handle, a remote control, a computer (such as a laptop, tablet, etc.), a wearable device, etc., which is not specifically limited in this application. When the robot receives the remote control instruction, the robot moves according to the remote control instruction, and the robot positions itself during the movement, thereby collecting the coordinates of multiple position points that it passes through, and these multiple position points are located on the first path.

[0038] Regarding the positioning method of the robot, it can be one or more of real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning (also known as real-time differential positioning), visual positioning (such as visual inertial odometry (VIO)), lidar positioning, etc., and this application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0039] The type of coordinates may be longitude and latitude in a geographic coordinate system, Mercator projection coordinates, or coordinates in a plane coordinate system, etc., and this application does not specifically limit this. Then, the robot can determine the position information of the first path based on the coordinates of the multiple position points, or the robot sends the coordinates of the multiple position points to the server for processing, and the server determines the position information of the first path based on the coordinates of the multiple position points, and then sends the position information of the first path to the robot.

[0040] Regarding how to determine the intersection points between the first path and each working area, it can be implemented by the following method 1 and / or method 2.

[0041] Method 1: When the robot moves according to the remote control command, the robot can use the sensor to identify the boundary of the first working area and obtain the boundary information of the first working area. Then, the robot determines the intersection of the first path and the boundary of the first working area according to the boundary information and the position information of the first path, wherein the first working area is one of the at least two working areas (i.e., N working areas) (can be any or a specific one).

[0042] That is to say, in the process of the robot moving according to remote control instructions, in addition to collecting the coordinates of multiple position points passed by the robot, the robot can also use sensors to identify the boundaries of the first working area, and then obtain boundary information, which is used to indicate part or all of the boundaries of the first working area.

[0043] The above-mentioned sensor may be a camera, a laser radar or other types of sensors, and this application does not make specific restrictions on this. Assuming that the sensor is a camera, the robot can use the camera to collect images of the surrounding environment. When the robot passes near the first working area, the robot's camera collects an image containing part or all of the boundaries of the first working area, and then the boundary information of the first working area can be determined based on the image. Then, based on the boundary information of the first working area and the position information of the first path, the robot can determine the location of the intersection of the boundary of the first working area and the first path.

[0044] Method 2: During the process of the robot moving according to the above remote control command, when the robot receives the endpoint command, the position of the robot (i.e., the current position of the robot) is marked as an intersection of the first path and the boundaries of the above at least two working areas (i.e., N working areas).

[0045] Specifically, the user can send a remote control command to the robot through the remote control device to instruct the robot how to move. The user can also observe the distance between the robot and the boundary of the first working area while the robot moves according to the remote control command. When the robot moves to the boundary of the first working area, the user can send an intersection marking command to the robot through the remote control device. When the robot receives the intersection marking command, it marks the current position of the robot (i.e., the current position) as one of the intersections between the first path and the boundaries of the N working areas. The user can also label the intersection currently marked by the robot to indicate which working area the intersection belongs to.

[0046] Optionally, in the process of the robot moving according to the remote control command, the robot may use the boundary of the first working area of ​​the sensor, wherein the first working area is one of the N working areas (can be any or a specific working area). When the robot detects that it is located on the boundary of the first working area, the robot automatically marks the current position as the intersection of the first path and the boundary of the first working area.

[0047] Optionally, before the robot moves according to the remote control instruction, the robot's remote control device can prompt the user to mark the intersection when entering the boundary of the working area and / or leaving the boundary of the working area to avoid missing the opportunity to mark the intersection. The present application does not specifically limit the method of prompting the user here. For example, assuming that the remote control device is a mobile phone, before the user sends the remote control instruction to the robot through the remote control device, the mobile phone can pop up a window to prompt the user to mark the intersection when entering the boundary of the working area and / or leaving the boundary of the working area; assuming that the remote control device is a remote control, before the user sends the remote control instruction to the robot through the remote control device, the signal light on the remote control can flash red to prompt the user to mark the intersection when entering the boundary of the working area and / or leaving the boundary of the working area. Subsequently, the user sends the remote control instruction to the robot through the remote control device. During the process of the robot moving according to the remote control instruction, the user can observe the position of the robot. When the robot is about to enter the boundary of the first working area or leave the boundary of the first working area, the user can send the intersection marking instruction to the robot through the remote control device. Among them, the first working area is one of the N working areas mentioned above (it can be any or a specific working area). When the robot receives the intersection marking instruction, the robot marks the current position as the intersection of the first path and the boundary of the first working area.

[0048] S102: The robot moves along the first path according to the position information of the first path.

[0049] Specifically, when the robot obtains the position information of the first path, it can move along the first path according to the position information. This application does not specifically limit the moving direction (also referred to as the driving direction) of the robot on the first path. Figure 2 As shown, the robot can start from the first end of the first path and move from the first end to the second end along the first path, and the moving direction at this time is called the first moving direction of the first path; the robot can also start from the second end of the first path and move from the second end to the first end along the first path, and the moving direction at this time is called the second moving direction of the first path, that is, the moving direction of the first path includes the first moving direction and the second moving direction, and the second moving direction is exactly opposite to the first moving direction, allowing the robot to move in the first moving direction or the second moving direction on the first path; the robot can also start from any point on the first path except the first end and the second end, and move from the point to the first end first, and turn around and continue to move along the first path to the second end when reaching the first end. In other words, the robot can move along the same direction on the first path all the time, or it can move back and forth on the first path (until the environmental information of N areas is collected), and this application does not limit this.

[0050] S103. When the robot moves to the target intersection, the robot collects environmental information of the target working area, and then the robot returns from the target working area to the first path and continues to move along the first path, wherein the intersection of the first path and the boundaries of the at least two working areas includes the target intersection, the target working area is the working area to which the target intersection belongs, and the environmental information of the target working area is used to establish a map of the target working area.

[0051] As can be seen from the introduction of step S101, the first path has intersections with the boundaries of the N working areas (i.e., the at least two working areas mentioned above), N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and the first path has at least one intersection with the boundary of each of the N working areas, so the number of intersections between the first path and the N working areas is greater than or equal to N. For ease of description, the number of intersections between the first path and the boundaries of the N working areas is recorded as M, M is greater than or equal to N, that is, the first path has a total of M intersections with the boundaries of the N working areas. The intersections of the first path and the boundaries of the at least two working areas mentioned above include the target intersection, that is, the target intersection belongs to the above M intersections, it is possible that all of the M intersections are target intersections, or it is possible that some of the M intersections are target intersections, which will be discussed below in different cases.

[0052] Case 1: Each of the above M intersection points is a target intersection point.

[0053] Specifically, when the robot obtains the position information of the first path, the robot can move along the first path according to the position information. When the robot moves to any one of the M intersections (all of which are target intersections in case 1), the robot can enter the working area to which the intersection belongs (the target working area in this case) from the intersection. The robot actively explores the working area (traverses the working area) to collect the environmental information of the working area, and the environmental information of the working area is used to establish a map of the working area.

[0054] That is to say, every time the robot moves to an intersection on the first path, it will collect environmental information of the work area to which the intersection belongs. Since the first path has intersections with the boundaries of N work areas, the robot will eventually collect environmental information of N work areas for building a map of the N work areas.

[0055] by Figure 2 For example, there are 5 intersections between the first path and the boundaries of the working areas A to C (N=3, M=5), which are recorded as intersections 1 to 5. In case 1, these 5 intersections are all target intersections. At this time, the working logic of the robot is that every time it moves to an intersection, it enters the working area to which the intersection belongs to collect the corresponding environmental information, and after collecting the corresponding environmental information, it returns to the first path and continues to move along the first path.

[0056] Assuming that the robot currently does not have the environmental information of any of the three working areas, the robot starts from the first end of the first path and moves from the first end to the second end according to the position information of the first path. When the robot moves to the intersection 1 between the working area A and the first path, since intersection 1 is one of the above five intersections, intersection 1 is the target intersection, so the robot enters the working area A to which intersection 1 belongs from intersection 1, and the robot actively explores in the working area A, thereby collecting the environmental information of the working area A, and the environmental information of the working area A is used to establish a map of the working area A. This application does not make specific restrictions on the type of map. Then, the robot returns from the working area A to the first path and continues to move along the first path to the second end.

[0057] When the robot moves to the intersection 2 of the working area B and the first path, since intersection 2 is one of the above five intersections, intersection 2 is also the target intersection. Based on the above working logic, the robot will also enter the working area A to which intersection 2 belongs from intersection 2. The robot actively explores the working area A again, thereby collecting the environmental information of the working area A. The environmental information of the working area A is used to establish a map of the working area A.

[0058] Optionally, for multiple sets of environmental information obtained by multiple acquisitions of the same working area (one set of environmental information is obtained each time), the robot can save only any one set of environmental information, or save a set of environmental information with higher information quality (such as clearer images), or fuse multiple sets of environmental information (such as image fusion) to generate a set of environmental information with higher quality, and then save the fused set of environmental information, which is not specifically limited in this application. Therefore, for the first set of environmental information collected by the robot when entering the working area A from the intersection 1 and the second set of environmental information collected by the robot when entering the working area A from the intersection, the robot can choose to save the first set or the second set of environmental information, or fuse the two sets of environmental information to generate a set of environmental information with higher quality for use in constructing a map of the working area A. Then, the robot returns to the first path from the working area A and continues to move along the first path to the second end.

[0059] Similarly, when the robot moves to the intersection 3 between the work area B and the first path, the robot enters the work area B from the intersection 3, thereby collecting the environmental information of the work area B, and then the robot returns to the first path from the work area B. The robot continues to move along the first path to the second end, and when it arrives at the intersection 4 between the work area B and the first path, the robot enters the work area B at the intersection 4, thereby collecting the environmental information of the work area B again, and then the robot returns to the first path from the work area B.

[0060] The robot continues to move along the first path toward the second end. When the robot moves to the intersection 5 between the working area C and the first path (which is also the second end of the first path), the robot enters the working area C from the intersection 5, thereby collecting environmental information of the working area C. At this time, the robot has completed the first path from the first end and has collected environmental information of five working areas.

[0061] In case 2, the target intersection points belong to the working area where the robot is not currently collecting environmental information. Therefore, the number of target intersection points will change as the robot's collection process progresses.

[0062] Specifically, when the robot obtains the position information of the first path, the robot can move along the first path according to the position information. When the robot moves to any one of the above-mentioned M intersections, if the intersection belongs to the working area where the robot has not currently collected environmental information, it means that the intersection is now the target intersection, and the working area to which the intersection belongs is now the target working area, so the robot will enter the working area to which the intersection belongs from the intersection to actively explore, and then collect the environmental information of the working area to be used to establish a map of the working area, and then the robot returns to the first path from the working area and continues to move along the first path. When the robot moves to any one of the above-mentioned M intersections, if the intersection does not belong to the working area where the robot has not currently collected environmental information, but belongs to the working area where the robot has currently collected environmental information, it means that the intersection is not the target intersection, which can be called a non-target intersection, and the working area to which the non-target intersection belongs is not the target working area, so the robot will not enter the working area to which it belongs from the non-target intersection, but continues to move along the first path.

[0063] Continue with Figure 2 For example, there are 5 intersections between the first path and the boundary of the working areas A to C (N=3, M=5 at this time), which are recorded as intersections 1 to 5. In case 2, the working logic of the robot is that every time it moves to a target intersection, it enters the target working area to which the target intersection belongs to collect the corresponding environmental information, and after collecting the corresponding environmental information, it returns to the first path and continues to move along the first path. When moving to a non-target intersection, it will not enter the working area to which the non-target intersection belongs, but continue to move along the first path. Among them, the target intersection is the intersection of the above M intersections that belongs to the working area where the robot has not currently collected environmental information, and the non-target intersection is the intersection of the above M intersections that belongs to the working area where the robot has currently collected environmental information.

[0064] Assuming that the robot currently does not have the environmental information of any of the three working areas, the robot starts from the first end of the first path and moves from the first end to the second end according to the position information of the first path. When the robot moves to the intersection 1 between the working area A and the first path, since the intersection 1 is one of the above five intersections, and the working area to which the intersection 1 belongs has not yet collected the corresponding environmental information, the robot determines that the intersection 1 at this time is the target intersection, and determines that the working area A to which the intersection 1 belongs is the target working area at this time. According to the above working logic, the robot enters the working area A to which the intersection 1 belongs from the intersection 1, and the robot actively explores in the working area A, thereby collecting the environmental information of the working area A, and the environmental information of the working area A is used to establish a map of the working area A. Then, the robot returns from the working area A to the first path, and continues to move along the first path to the second end.

[0065] When the robot moves to the intersection 2 of the working area B and the first path, since the intersection 2 is one of the above five intersections and the robot has currently collected the environmental information of the working area A to which the intersection 2 belongs, the robot determines that the intersection 2 is not the target intersection but a non-target intersection. Based on the above working logic, the robot will not enter the working area A to which the intersection 2 belongs from the intersection 2, but will continue to move along the first path.

[0066] Similarly, when the robot moves to the intersection 3 between the working area B and the first path, since the intersection 3 is one of the above five intersections, and the working area to which the intersection 3 belongs has not yet collected the corresponding environmental information, the robot determines that the intersection 3 at this time is the target intersection, and determines that the working area B to which the intersection 3 belongs is the target working area at this time. According to the above working logic, the robot enters the working area B from the intersection 3, thereby collecting the environmental information of the working area B, and then the robot returns to the first path from the working area B. The robot continues to move along the first path to the second end, and when it comes to the intersection 4 between the working area B and the first path, since the robot has currently collected the environmental information of the working area B to which the intersection 4 belongs, the robot determines that the intersection 4 is not the target intersection, and the robot continues to move along the first path.

[0067] When the robot moves to the intersection 5 of the work area C and the first path, since the robot has not yet collected the environmental information of the work area C to which the intersection 5 belongs, the robot determines that the intersection 5 is the target intersection at this time, and determines that the work area C to which the intersection 5 belongs is currently the target work area. Based on the above working principle, the robot enters the work area C from the intersection 5, thereby collecting the environmental information of the work area C. At this time, the robot has collected the environmental information of 5 work areas.

[0068] Optionally, when the robot collects environmental information of a work area, the robot can create a map of the work area based on the environmental information of the work area. This application does not specifically limit the timing of the robot's map creation. For example, when the robot collects environmental information of a work area, it can immediately create a map of the work area based on the environmental information of the work area. The robot can also create maps of N work areas based on the environmental information of N work areas when the robot collects environmental information of all work areas (i.e., the N work areas mentioned above).

[0069] Optionally, the robot can send the environmental information of the target work area to the server, and the server will establish a map of the target work area based on the environmental information of the target work area, and then the server will send the map of the target work area to the robot. In other words, the robot is only responsible for collecting the environmental information of the target work area, and is not responsible for building the map. The map building is performed by the server, which can reduce the computing power requirements and processor load of the robot. The server builds a map of the corresponding work area based on the environmental information collected by the robot, and then sends the map of the work area to the robot, and the robot can navigate according to the map of the work area.

[0070] Optionally, the robot establishes a map of the target work area based on the environmental information of the target work area, and then determines a return path based on the map and location information of the target work area, and then returns to the first path from the target work area according to the return path. Wherein, the end point of the return path is the first intersection that the robot passes when leaving the target work area along the first moving direction of the first path, the first moving direction is the moving direction of the first path corresponding to when the robot moves along the first path to the target intersection, and the first intersection is one of all intersections of the boundary of the target work area and the first path. It should be understood that the robot entering a work area means that the robot moves from the outside of the work area to the work area (the inside and boundary of the work area belong to the work area), and the robot leaving a work area means that the robot moves from the work area to the outside of the work area.

[0071] Continue with Figure 2For example, assuming that the robot currently does not have any environmental information of any working area, the robot starts from the first end of the first path and moves along the first path from the first end to the second end. The first intersection that the robot moves to along the first path is intersection 1 on the boundary of working area A. Since intersection 1 belongs to the working area where the robot has not currently collected environmental information, the robot determines that intersection 1 is the target intersection, and then enters working area A from intersection 1 to collect environmental information of working area A. It should be understood that when the robot moves along the first path to the above-mentioned intersection 1, the corresponding moving direction of the first path is from the first end to the second end (corresponding to the first moving direction described above). When the robot collects environmental information of working area A, intersection 1 is no longer the target intersection.

[0072] The robot establishes a map of the work area A according to the environmental information of the work area A, and then determines a return path according to the map of the work area A and the position information of the first path. The starting point of the return path is the current position of the robot, and the end point of the return path is the intersection point 2 (corresponding to the first node described above) that the robot passes when leaving the work area A along the first moving direction of the first path (in this case, the direction is moving from the first end of the first path to the second end), wherein the intersection point 2 is an intersection point of the boundary of the work area A and the first path, and leaving the work area A means moving from the work area A to the outside of the work area A. Then the robot returns to the first path according to the return path, and continues to move toward the second end along the first moving direction of the first path.

[0073] Optionally, the robot determines the section between the first intersection and the second intersection in the first path as a connecting path between the map of the first working area and the map of the second working area, wherein the first working area and the second working area belong to the above-mentioned at least two working areas, the first intersection is the intersection of the boundary of the first working area and the first path, and the second intersection is the intersection of the boundary of the second working area and the first path.

[0074] Continue with Figure 2 For example, intersection 2 is an intersection of the first path and the boundary of working area A, and intersection 3 is an intersection of the first path and the boundary of working area B. The robot can determine the path segment between intersection 2 and intersection 3 in the first path as a connecting path between the map of working area A and the map of working area B. Assuming that the robot is a lawn mowing robot, and its working area is a lawn, then the connecting path between intersection 2 and intersection 3 is a path that allows the robot to move outside the lawn.

[0075] Similarly, intersection 4 is an intersection of the first path and the boundary of working area B, and intersection 5 is an intersection of the first path and the boundary of working area C. The robot can determine the path segment between intersection 4 and intersection 5 in the first path as a connecting path between the map of working area B and the map of working area C.

[0076] because Figure 2 If the charging pile is outside the working area, the robot can also determine the section between the intersection 1 in the first path that is closest to the charging pile and the charging pile as the connection path of the map from the charging pile to the working area A.

[0077] Optionally, when the environmental information of at least two working areas has been collected, the robot can return to the first charging pile along the first path. The first charging pile is located on the first path, and the first charging pile can be located at any end of the first path, or at a position other than the two ends of the first path, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0078] For example, Figure 2 As shown, the charging pile is located outside the working area and at the first end of the first path (corresponding to the above-mentioned first charging pile). When the robot has completed collecting the environmental information of the working areas A, B and C, the robot can return to the charging pile along the first path for charging.

[0079] Optionally, when the environmental information of the at least two working areas has been collected, the robot can establish a map of the at least two working areas based on the environmental information of the at least two working areas, and then return to the second charging pile based on the map of the at least two working areas, wherein the second charging pile is located within the at least two working areas or on the boundary of the at least two working areas.

[0080] For example, Figure 3 As shown, the charging pile is located at the first end of the first path and at the boundary of the working area A (corresponding to the second charging pile mentioned above). When the robot has collected the environmental information of the working areas A, B, C and D, the robot can establish maps of the working areas A, B, C and D according to the environmental information of the working areas A, B, C and D. Then, the robot can plan the path according to the maps of the working areas A, B, C and D, so as to return to the charging pile at the boundary of the working area A for charging.

[0081] In summary, in the multi-area mapping method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the robot can move along the first path according to the position information by obtaining the position information of the first path (the first path has an intersection with the boundaries of at least two working areas). When moving to the target intersection on the first path, the robot collects the environmental information of the target working area to which the target intersection belongs, so as to establish a map of the target working area, and then the robot returns to the first path from the target working area and continues to move along the first path. Repeat the above content until the robot obtains the environmental information of the above-mentioned at least two working areas, so that the map of the above-mentioned at least two working areas can be established.

[0082] Since the robot in the above scheme automatically moves along the first path according to the position information, and each time the robot moves to the target intersection, it enters the work area to which the target intersection belongs to collect the corresponding environmental information, and then returns to the first path to continue moving, the robot can automatically collect the environmental information of all work areas that intersect with the first path, so as to establish a map of all work areas that intersect with the first path. Moreover, when the robot moves along the first path according to the position information, the user does not need to operate or wait, which saves time and effort. Therefore, this multi-area mapping solution has a good user experience and high mapping efficiency.

[0083] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 A multi-region mapping device 400 provided in an embodiment of the present application includes an acquisition module 410 and a control module 420 .

[0084] The acquisition module 410 is used to acquire position information of a first path, wherein the first path has an intersection with boundaries of at least two working areas.

[0085] The control module 420 is used to control the robot to move along the first path according to the position information.

[0086] The control module 420 is also used to instruct the robot to collect environmental information of the target working area when the robot moves to the target intersection, wherein the intersection of the first path and the boundaries of the above-mentioned at least two working areas includes the target intersection, the target working area is the working area to which the target intersection belongs, and the environmental information of the target working area is used to establish a beautiful map of the target working area.

[0087] The control module 420 is further configured to return from the target working area to the first path and continue to move along the first path.

[0088] Optionally, the acquisition module 410 is specifically used to receive a remote control instruction sent by a remote control device, and the control module 420 is used to control the movement of the robot according to the remote control instruction, and collect the coordinates of multiple position points passed by the robot, and then determine the position information of the first path according to the coordinates of the multiple position points. The multiple position points are located on the first path.

[0089] Optionally, in the process of the control module 420 controlling the movement of the robot according to remote control instructions, the acquisition module 410 is also used to: obtain boundary information obtained by the robot using a sensor to identify the boundary of a first working area, and determine the intersection of the first path and the boundary of the first working area according to the boundary information and the position information of the first path, wherein the first working area is one of the at least two working areas mentioned above.

[0090] Optionally, when the control module 420 controls the movement of the robot according to the remote control command, the acquisition module 410 is further used to: mark the position of the robot as an intersection of the first path and the boundary of the at least two working areas when the robot receives the intersection marking command.

[0091] Optionally, the target intersection point belongs to a working area where the robot is not currently collecting environmental information.

[0092] Optionally, the control module 420 is also used to: when the robot moves along the first path to a non-target intersection, control the robot to continue moving along the first path, wherein the intersection of the first path and the boundary of the at least two working areas includes the non-target intersection, and the non-target intersection belongs to the working area for which the robot has currently collected environmental information.

[0093] Optionally, the control module 420 is specifically used to: establish a map of the target work area according to the environmental information of the target work area, determine the return path according to the map and position information of the target work area, and control the robot to return from the target work area to the first path according to the return path. The end point of the return path is the first intersection point that the robot passes when leaving the target work area along the first moving direction of the first path, the first moving direction is the moving direction of the first path corresponding to when the robot moves along the first path to the target intersection point, and the first intersection point is one of all intersection points of the boundary of the target work area and the first path.

[0094] Optionally, the control module 420 is also used to: determine the section between the first intersection and the second intersection in the first path as a connecting path between the map of the first working area and the map of the second working area, wherein the first working area and the second working area belong to the above-mentioned at least two working areas, the first intersection is the intersection of the boundary of the first working area and the first path, and the second intersection is the intersection of the boundary of the second working area and the first path.

[0095] Optionally, the control module 420 is further used to: when the environmental information of the at least two working areas mentioned above has been collected, control the robot to return to the first charging pile along the first path, wherein the first charging pile is located on the first path.

[0096] Optionally, the control module 420 is also used to: when the environmental information of the at least two working areas mentioned above has been collected, establish maps of the at least two working areas based on the environmental information of the at least two working areas, and control the robot to return to the second charging pile according to the map of the at least two working areas, wherein the second charging pile is located at the boundary or inside the at least two working areas.

[0097] It should be noted that Figure 4 The multi-region mapping device 400 is only divided into an acquisition module 410 and a control module 420 according to functions. In fact, Figure 4 The multi-region mapping device 400 may also include more or fewer modules. For example, a module above may be split into multiple functional modules, or two or more modules above may be combined into one functional module. Figure 4 Other functional modules may be added to the multi-region mapping device 400, and this application does not limit this. The acquisition module 410 and the control module 420 may be implemented by software or by hardware.

[0098] It should also be noted that the multi-region mapping device 400 can be deployed in the robot described above to control the robot to perform Figure 1 The multi-region mapping method can be found in the previous article for details and will not be described here.

[0099] See also Figure 5 The present application also provides a schematic diagram of the structure of a robot 500, including a bus 502, a processor 504, a memory 506, and a communication interface 508. The processor 504, the memory 506, and the communication interface 508 communicate with each other via the bus 502. The present application also does not limit the number of processors 504 and memories 506 in the robot 500.

[0100] The bus 502 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 5The bus 502 is represented by only one line, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The bus 502 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the robot 500 (e.g., the memory 506, the processor 504, and the communication interface 508).

[0101] The processor 504 may include any one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0102] The memory 506 may include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM). The processor 504 may also include a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0103] The memory 506 stores executable program codes. The processor 504 executes the executable program codes to respectively implement Figure 4 The functions of the acquisition module 410 and the control module 420 in the present application are implemented Figure 1 The operation steps in the multi-region mapping method.

[0104] The communication interface 508 uses a transceiver module such as, but not limited to, a network interface card or a transceiver to implement communication between the robot 500 and other devices or communication networks.

[0105] The robot 500 may also include a sensor (not shown) for collecting environmental information of the working area. The present application does not specifically limit the type of the sensor.

[0106] The robot 500 may also include a moving device (not shown in the figure), such as wheels, a drive motor, a transmission system, etc., so that the robot 500 can move.

[0107] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be stored / used by the robot. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state hard disk). The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions, which are specifically used to instruct the robot to execute Figure 1 The operation steps of the multi-region mapping method are as follows: when the instruction is executed by the robot, the robot executes Figure 1 Multi-region mapping method.

[0108] The present application also provides a computer program product including instructions. The computer program product may be a software or program product including instructions that can be run on a robot or stored in any available medium. When the computer program product is run on a robot, the robot is enabled to execute Figure 1 The operation steps of the multi-region mapping method.

[0109] The embodiments described above are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0110] The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the term "comprising" and any variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0111] It should be noted that the terms of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" of the present application are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

Claims

1. A multi-region mapping method, characterized in that: The method is applied to a robot, and the method comprises: The robot acquires position information of a first path, wherein the first path intersects with boundaries of at least two working areas; The robot moves along the first path according to the position information; When the robot moves to a target intersection, the robot collects environmental information of a target working area, wherein the intersection of the first path and the boundary of the at least two working areas includes the target intersection, the target working area is a working area to which the target intersection belongs, and the environmental information of the target working area is used to establish a map of the target working area; The robot returns from the target working area to the first path and continues to move along the first path.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The robot obtains position information of a first path, including: The robot receives a remote control instruction sent by a remote control device; The robot moves according to the remote control instruction, and collects coordinates of a plurality of position points passed by the robot, wherein the plurality of position points are located on the first path; The location information of the first path is determined according to the coordinates of the multiple location points.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: In the process of the robot moving according to the remote control instruction, the robot uses a sensor to identify a boundary of a first working area to obtain boundary information, and determines an intersection point of the first path and a boundary of the first working area according to the boundary information and position information of the first path, wherein the first working area is one of the at least two working areas; Alternatively, during the process of the robot moving according to the remote control instruction, when the robot receives an intersection marking instruction, the position of the robot is marked as an intersection of the first path and the boundaries of the at least two working areas.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The target intersection point belongs to a working area of ​​the robot where no environmental information is currently collected.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the robot moves to a non-target intersection along the first path, the robot continues to move along the first path, wherein the intersection of the first path and the boundaries of the at least two working areas includes the non-target intersection, and the non-target intersection belongs to the working area for which the robot has currently collected environmental information.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The robot returns from the target working area to the first path, comprising: The robot establishes a map of the target working area according to the environmental information of the target working area; The robot determines a return path according to the map of the target working area and the position information, wherein an end point of the return path is a first intersection point that the robot passes when leaving the target working area along a first moving direction of the first path, the first moving direction is a moving direction of the first path corresponding to when the robot moves along the first path to the target intersection point, and the first intersection point is one of all intersection points of the boundary of the target working area and the first path; The robot returns from the target working area to the first path according to the return path.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The robot determines a section between a first intersection and a second intersection in a first path as a connecting path between a map of a first working area and a map of a second working area, wherein the first working area and the second working area belong to the at least two working areas, the first intersection is an intersection of a boundary of the first working area and the first path, and the second intersection is an intersection of a boundary of the second working area and the first path.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: When the environmental information of the at least two working areas has been collected, the robot returns to the first charging pile along the first path, wherein the first charging pile is located on the first path; Alternatively, when the environmental information of the at least two working areas has been collected, the robot establishes a map of the at least two working areas based on the environmental information of the at least two working areas, and returns to the second charging pile based on the map of the at least two working areas, wherein the second charging pile is located at the boundary or inside the at least two working areas.

9. A robot, characterized in that: The robot comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is used to execute instructions stored in the memory so that the robot executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A computer program product comprising instructions, characterized in that When the instructions are executed on a robot, the robot is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The method comprises instructions which, when executed by a robot, cause the robot to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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