Method for mapping target area and related device

Abstract

The invention provides a method for mapping a target area and a related device, the method relates to the technical field of computers, the target area comprises m working areas, the method comprises the following steps: a robot obtains a path, and the path passes through m working areas in a non-working area and the target area; the robot moves along the path, in the moving process, under the condition that it is determined that the position of the robot is located in one working area and mapping is not completed in the working area, mapping is conducted on the working area, and under the condition that it is determined that the position of the robot is located in a non-working area or the position of the robot is located in the working area and mapping is completed in the working area, mapping is conducted on the working area; and continuously moving along the path. According to the method provided by the invention, the user only needs to participate in the process of acquiring the path by the robot, and the subsequent mapping process is autonomously completed by the robot, so that the waiting time of the user can be greatly shortened, and the user experience is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a method for mapping a target area and a related device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous advancement of technology, robots are gradually playing an increasingly important role in modern homes and work environments. For example, lawn mower robots are already able to complete tasks such as mowing and charging autonomously with almost no user intervention, greatly improving the convenience of daily life. However, before the robot can start to perform a specific task, it usually needs to complete the construction of maps of multiple work areas. This process is crucial to the autonomous operation of the robot, ensuring that the robot can accurately identify the environment, avoid obstacles, and effectively complete the task.

[0003] In the prior art, the process of robot multi-area map construction is as follows: first, the user controls the robot to move to the first working area, the robot collects environmental information, and completes the map construction of the working area based on the environmental information; then, the user controls the robot to move from the first working area to the second working area, the robot collects environmental information of the second working area, and constructs the map of the second working area based on the collected environmental information. This process is repeated until the robot completes the map construction of all working areas.

[0004] However, this operation mode in the prior art requires the user to participate in the whole process of building a map of the work area, which is cumbersome to operate, resulting in a long waiting time for the user and a poor user experience. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a method and related device for mapping a target area, which can reduce the waiting time of users and improve the user experience.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for mapping a target area, wherein the target area includes m working areas, where m is any positive integer greater than 1, and the method includes:

[0007] The robot obtains a path, wherein the path passes through m unconnected working areas in the non-working area and the target area;

[0008] The robot moves along the path. During the movement: when it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the working area is mapped. When it is determined that the robot is located in the non-working area, or when the robot is located in the working area and the working area has been mapped, the robot continues to move along the path.

[0009] In the above scheme, first, the robot acquires a path that passes through m working areas in the non-working area and the target area; then, the robot moves along the path, and during the movement, if the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the working area is mapped, and if the robot is located in the non-working area, or if the robot is located in the working area and the working area has been mapped, the robot continues to move along the path. Compared with the existing scheme in which the user needs to participate in the entire mapping process until the mapping of m working areas is completed before leaving, in this scheme, the user only needs to participate in the process of the robot acquiring the path, and the subsequent mapping process is completed by the robot autonomously, which can greatly reduce the user's waiting time and improve the user experience.

[0010] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the robot acquires a path including:

[0011] The robot receives the command from the remote control device, moves in response to the command and collects multiple position points that the robot passes through, and obtains the path based on the multiple position points.

[0012] In the above scheme, the robot obtains the path in the following way: the robot receives the command of the remote control device, moves in response to the command and collects multiple position points that the robot passes through, and obtains the path based on the multiple position points. In this way, the robot can quickly obtain a path that can pass through m working areas, saving time and cost. In addition, the user can flexibly adjust the movement of the robot according to the actual situation, so that the path obtained by the robot is more accurate, and the efficiency of subsequent mapping tasks is improved.

[0013] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the process of the robot moving along the path is:

[0014] The robot moves along the path from the end point of the path to the starting point of the path. The end point of the path is the end point reached in response to the instruction, and the starting point of the path is the starting point of the path in response to the instruction.

[0015] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the starting point of the path is the location of the charging pile, and the end point of the path is any location in the last working area passed by the path.

[0016] It can be understood that setting the starting point of the path to the location of the charging pile can ensure that the robot is fully charged before starting the task, ensuring that the robot has sufficient power support during the entire task, avoiding interruption of the task or affecting the efficiency of task execution due to insufficient power. Setting the end point of the path to any position in the last work area passed by the path can make the robot stay in the work area, saving map construction time.

[0017] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, during the movement, determining that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas includes:

[0018] During the movement, the robot obtains environmental information and determines that the robot is located in one of the working areas based on the environmental information.

[0019] In the above scheme, by obtaining environmental information, the robot can accurately identify whether the current position is a working area, avoiding wasting time on mapping in non-working areas. This helps to improve the efficiency and accuracy of mapping tasks, ensuring that the robot performs corresponding operations in the working area where mapping is really needed, saving resources and time costs. Secondly, by using environmental information to determine whether the current position is a working area, the robot can flexibly adjust its action strategy according to actual conditions to avoid wasting resources by performing mapping operations in non-working areas. This intelligent location confirmation method improves the autonomy and intelligence of the robot, enabling it to perform tasks more intelligently, and improving the efficiency and success rate of task execution.

[0020] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the process of determining that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas according to the environmental information is:

[0021] The robot identifies the boundary of the working area based on the environmental information and determines the intersection of the boundary and the path. If the robot reaches the intersection, it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas.

[0022] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, when it is determined that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the process of mapping the working area is as follows:

[0023] When it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the mapping of the working area has not been completed, the robot moves autonomously in the working area to explore and map the working area.

[0024] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, when it is determined that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, after mapping the working area, the method further includes:

[0025] The robot determines a first intersection point between the path and the work area, and moves to the position of the first intersection point, wherein the first intersection point is the first intersection point that the robot passes through the work area in the process of moving from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path;

[0026] The robot continues to move along the path toward the starting point of the path. During the movement, if it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the working area is mapped. If it is determined that the robot is located in a non-working area, or if the robot is located in a working area and the working area has been mapped, the robot continues to move along the path.

[0027] Repeat the above steps until the robot moves to the starting point of the path.

[0028] It should be understood that the robot moves to the first intersection of the path and the work area (the first intersection of the current work area that the robot passes through in the process of moving from the starting point of the target area to the end point of the target area), which can ensure that the robot can smoothly return to the path and continue to perform the mapping task after leaving the current work area where the mapping has been completed. This method effectively plans the movement trajectory of the robot, avoids getting lost or wasting time between work areas, and improves the consistency and efficiency of task execution. Secondly, by moving to the first intersection of the path and the work area, the robot can promptly discover and enter the next work area to be mapped while continuing to move along the path to the starting point of the target area, and accurately perform the mapping task. This precise position adjustment method helps the robot to efficiently complete the mapping task, avoids duplication or omission of mapping, and improves the accuracy and completeness of task execution.

[0029] Based on the first aspect, in a possible implementation, the process of the robot acquiring a path includes:

[0030] The robot obtains a path from an external device, wherein the path is collected by the external device.

[0031] It should be understood that when the robot obtains the path from the external device, the user does not need to participate in the robot's map-building process at all, thereby reducing the user's waiting time.

[0032] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a device for mapping a target area, wherein the target area includes m working areas, where m is any positive integer greater than 1, including:

[0033] An acquisition module, used for acquiring a path, wherein the path passes through a non-working area and m working areas in a target area;

[0034] The determination module is used to determine that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, map the working area, determine that the robot is located in a non-working area, or continue to move along the path when the robot is located in the working area and the working area has been mapped.

[0035] Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the acquisition module is used to:

[0036] Receive instructions from the remote control device, move in response to the instructions and collect multiple location points that the robot passes through, and obtain the path based on the multiple location points.

[0037] Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the robot moves along the path from the end point of the path to the starting point of the path, the end point of the path is the end point reached in response to the instruction, and the starting point of the path is the starting point of the path in response to the instruction.

[0038] Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the starting point of the path is the location of the charging pile, and the end point of the path is any location in the last working area passed by the path.

[0039] Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the determining module is used to:

[0040] During the movement, the robot obtains environmental information and determines that the robot is located in one of the working areas based on the environmental information.

[0041] Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the determination module is used to: identify the boundary of the working area according to the environmental information, determine the intersection of the boundary and the path, and if the robot reaches the intersection, determine that the robot is located in one of the working areas.

[0042] Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the determination module is used to: when it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the robot moves autonomously in the working area to explore and map the working area. Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation, the determination module is used to:

[0043] Determine a first intersection point between the path and the work area, and move the robot to the position of the first intersection point, wherein the first intersection point is the first intersection point that the robot passes through the work area when moving from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path;

[0044] The robot continues to move along the path toward the starting point of the path. During the movement, if it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the working area is mapped. If it is determined that the robot is located in a non-working area, or if the robot is located in a working area and the working area has been mapped, the robot continues to move along the path.

[0045] Repeat the above steps until the robot moves to the starting point of the path.

[0046] Based on the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner, the robot obtains a path from an external device, wherein the path is collected by the external device.

[0047] Each functional module in the second aspect is used to implement the method of the above-mentioned first aspect and possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0048] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer storage medium comprising program instructions, which, when executed by a robot, enables the robot to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0049] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, including program instructions, and when the computer program product is executed by a robot, the robot is used to execute the method of the aforementioned first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect. The computer program product can be a software installation package, and when it is necessary to use the method provided by any possible design of the aforementioned first aspect, the computer program product can be downloaded and executed on the robot to implement the method of the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0050] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a robot comprising program instructions, which, when executed by the robot, enables the robot to execute the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application or the background technology will be described below.

[0052] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a process for mapping a target area provided in this application;

[0053] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a target area provided for this application;

[0054] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another target area provided for this application;

[0055] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a device for mapping a target area provided in the present application;

[0056] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0058] It should be noted that the terms used in the embodiments 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 of "a", "said" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0059] It should be noted that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms "comprises" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a system, product or device including a series of units / devices is not limited to the listed units / devices, but may optionally include units / devices not listed, or may also optionally include other units / devices inherent to these products or devices.

[0060] The present application provides a method for mapping a target area. The target area includes m unconnected working areas. The target area can be different types of places, such as hospitals, schools, and playgrounds, etc., which are not specifically limited in the present application. The working area can be a specific area within these places, such as a lawn, etc., which are not specifically limited in the present application. In the present application, the working area is a lawn and the robot is a lawn mowing robot.

[0061] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a method for mapping a target area provided in the present application, the method includes but is not limited to the description of the following content.

[0062] S101. The robot obtains a path.

[0063] The path is the trajectory that the robot walks when mapping the target area. The path passes through the non-working area in the target area and m working areas in the target area, where m is any positive integer greater than 1.

[0064] The m working areas are m independent working areas in the target area, and there is no direct connection or overlap between these working areas. In other words, these working areas are independent of each other, and the robot will not directly pass from one working area to another when moving, but must pass through the non-working area in the target area to reach another working area. The size and shape of the m working areas can be the same or different, and this application does not make specific restrictions. The working area can be a regular shape, such as a rectangle, square, and circle, or an irregular shape.

[0065] The process of the robot obtaining the path is:

[0066] (1) The user sends commands to the robot through the remote control device, and the robot moves remotely from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, the remote control device can be various smart devices such as a mobile phone, a remote control handle and a tablet computer. The user can choose a suitable remote control device to control the robot according to their own needs and habits.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, the robot and the remote control device can be connected wirelessly, and the wireless connection can be at least one of Bluetooth, infrared, Wifi, data traffic, etc.

[0069] The user can control the movement direction and speed of the robot as needed. Therefore, the instructions may include movement instructions in four directions, namely, forward, backward, left, and right, and may also include instructions such as stop, accelerate, and decelerate. Regarding the instructions, this application does not make specific restrictions.

[0070] It should be noted that when the user uses the remote control device to control the movement of the robot, the remote control device can provide guidance and prompts to help the user correctly operate the robot so that it passes through the m working areas in the target area. Through the prompts of the remote control device, the user can understand how to control the movement of the robot, including how to adjust the direction, speed, and stop operations. In this way, even if the user is not familiar with the remote control device, it can easily guide the robot to pass through the m working areas in the target area and complete the task of the robot obtaining the path.

[0071] (2) The robot receives instructions from the remote control device and moves in response to the instructions. During the movement, the robot collects coordinates of multiple position points it passes through, and obtains a path through the non-working area in the target area and m working areas in the target area through the multiple position points.

[0072] During the movement, the robot can use real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning to locate itself, so as to obtain the coordinates of multiple location points. Among them, the RTK positioning system consists of a base station and a mobile station. The base station receives satellite signals and measures errors, and sends correction information to the mobile station. The mobile station improves the positioning accuracy by receiving the correction information sent by the base station. RTK positioning utilizes the phase information of satellite signals, and can achieve high-precision positioning at the centimeter level or even the millimeter level. It is suitable for scenarios that require high-precision positioning. In addition to using RTK positioning, you can also use the global positioning system (GPS), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), etc., which are not specifically limited in this application.

[0073] The starting point and the end point of the path can be any position in the target area, but the starting point and the end point of the path cannot be the same position. For example, the starting point of the path can be the location of the charging pile, which can be located on the boundary of the working area or outside the working area, and the end point of the path can be any position in the last working area passed by the path. This application does not make specific restrictions on the specific locations of the starting point and the end point of the path.

[0074] It should be noted that once the robot obtains the path, the user can leave. The robot will then autonomously complete the mapping of the target area based on the obtained path without the user's participation.

[0075] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a target area provided in this application, Figure 2 The target area in includes three unconnected working areas, namely the first working area, the second working area and the third working area. The starting point of the path is the location of the charging pile, which is outside the working area, and the end point of the path is located at any position in the third working area, which is the last working area passed by the path. Figure 2 In the figure, the intersection point of the path with the third working area is intersection point 1, there are two intersection points with the second working area, namely intersection point 2 and intersection point 3, and there are also two intersection points with the first working area, namely intersection point 4 and intersection point 5.

[0076] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another target area provided for this application, Figure 3The target area in includes three unconnected working areas, namely the first working area, the second working area and the third working area. The starting point of the path is the location of the charging pile, which is located on the boundary of the working area. The end point of the path is located at any position in the third working area, which is the last working area passed by the path. Figure 3 In the figure, the intersection point of the path with the third working area is intersection point 1, there are two intersection points with the second working area, namely intersection point 2 and intersection point 3, and the intersection point with the first working area is intersection point 4.

[0077] In one possible implementation, the robot obtains the path in the following manner: a user obtains information of a path passing through a non-working area in a target area and m working areas in the target area through other external devices, wherein the path is collected by the external device, and then the path information is transmitted to the robot through programming or the like, so that the robot can obtain the path and complete subsequent mapping of the target area.

[0078] S102: The robot moves along the acquired path, and during the movement, determines whether the robot is located in the working area.

[0079] The robot moves along the acquired path from the end point of the path to the starting point of the path. During the movement, the robot can use sensors to obtain environmental information and determine whether the current position of the robot is in the working area based on the environmental information. Among them, environmental information refers to various sensory data around the robot, including but not limited to visual information, lidar data, etc. When the environmental information is visual information, the sensor can be a camera, and the camera can be a binocular camera, an ordinary camera, etc., which is not specifically limited in this application. When the environmental information is lidar data, the sensor can be a lidar, and the lidar can be a mechanical lidar, a solid-state lidar, a millimeter-wave radar, etc., which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0080] In a possible implementation, the robot can move along the acquired path from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path. During the movement, the robot can use sensors to obtain environmental information and determine whether the current position of the robot is in the working area based on the environmental information. This application does not specifically limit the direction in which the robot moves along the acquired path.

[0081] In one implementation, the environmental information acquired by the robot either only includes information about the working area or only includes information about the non-working area. In this case, the robot can use different features in the environmental information to determine whether its current position is in the working area. For example, the robot can determine whether the current position of the robot is in the working area based on the color features in the environmental information. When the working area is a lawn, the working area usually has obvious green features, especially on sunny days, the color of the working area is uniform green, or may contain different shades of green. The color of the non-working area is usually different from that of the working area, which may be a gray road, red bricks, etc., which usually form a sharp contrast with the green of the working area. When the robot uses the color features in the environmental information to make a judgment, it can use parameters such as the red green blue (RGB) color space and the hue saturation value (HSV) color space to determine whether the current position of the robot is in the working area. Regarding the measurement parameters of the color features, this application does not make specific restrictions. For another example, the robot can determine whether the current position of the robot is in the working area based on the features in the environmental information and the texture features. When the working area is a lawn, the surface of the working area usually presents a natural irregular texture, such as fine stripes on grass leaves, tiny undulations, and a relatively uniform surface. The texture of the non-working area is usually different from that of the working area. When the non-working area is a road, building, etc., the surface of the area is usually smoother and more regular, and may have obvious artificial design features, such as asphalt pavement or masonry textures. When the robot uses the texture features in the environmental information to make judgments, it can use parameters such as texture roughness, local contrast, directional characteristics, etc. to determine whether the robot's current position is in the working area. This application does not specifically limit the measurement parameters of texture features.

[0082] It should be noted that the robot can also judge the current position of the robot based on the color features and texture features in the environmental information. The robot can also use machine learning or deep learning models, using environmental information of marked working areas and non-working areas for training, and the model can learn more complex features of working areas. After the training is completed, the robot inputs the environmental information into the trained model (such as a convolutional neural network CNN), and the model determines whether the current position of the robot is in the working area based on the learned features. This application does not specifically limit the way the robot determines whether the robot's position is in the working area.

[0083] In a specific embodiment, the robot is a lawn mowing robot, the working area is a lawn, the non-working area is a road, the sensor is a camera, and the environmental information includes an image of the surface. During the movement of the lawn mowing robot, the camera is turned on to capture an image of the surface. Then, the lawn mowing robot can obtain the area of ​​the lawn mowing robot in the captured surface image based on the current position information. Next, the lawn mowing robot can use the grayscale co-occurrence matrix to calculate the texture features of the area of ​​the lawn mowing robot in the captured surface image. Usually, the texture of the lawn will show a higher contrast and a certain directionality (the arrangement of grass leaves), while the texture of the road is usually more uniform and has a lower local contrast. Finally, by analyzing the grayscale co-occurrence matrix, the lawn mowing robot can determine whether the position of the lawn mowing robot is located in the working area.

[0084] In another implementation, the environmental information includes both the environmental information of the working area and the environmental information of the non-working area. In this case, the robot identifies the boundary of the working area according to the environmental information and determines the intersection of the boundary and the path. If the robot reaches the intersection, it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas.

[0085] S103: When it is determined that the robot is located in a non-working area, the robot continues to move along the path.

[0086] S104: When it is determined that the robot is located in the working area, the robot determines whether the working area has been mapped.

[0087] Specifically, when it is determined that the robot is located in the working area, first, the robot can obtain the current position coordinates through positioning technology. Next, the robot checks whether the current position is located in an existing map. Among them, the robot's existing map is usually stored in a certain format, such as a grid map, a topological map, a point cloud map, etc. If the existing map is a grid map, the robot can calculate whether the current coordinates are in the valid area of ​​the map, or whether they are in a known occupied area. For example, check whether the grid at the (x, y) position is marked as "occupied". If the existing map is a point cloud map, the robot can match the coordinates of the current position with the known point cloud data. Generally, a point cloud matching algorithm, such as the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm, is used to determine whether the current position is close to an existing map point. Finally, the robot determines whether the work area has been mapped based on the results.

[0088] It should be understood that the above method of determining whether the mapping of the work area is completed is only a specific example. In practical applications, it can also be implemented in other ways, and this application does not make any specific limitation.

[0089] S105: When it is determined that the robot is located in the working area and the mapping of the working area has been completed, the robot continues to move along the path.

[0090] S106: When it is determined that the robot is located in the working area and mapping of the working area has not been completed, the robot maps the working area.

[0091] When it is determined that the robot is located in the working area and the working area has not been mapped, the robot needs to map the working area. The specific steps are as follows:

[0092] (1) The robot needs to collect data about the surrounding environment through the sensors it carries (such as lidar, cameras, etc.). The sensors can obtain data such as ground height information, obstacle locations, and the outline of the work area.

[0093] (2) The robot needs to extract features from the data obtained by sensors to identify features such as the boundaries of the working area, the location of obstacles, and the height of the ground.

[0094] (3) Based on the sensor data and feature extraction results, the robot can build an initial map of the work area.

[0095] (4) The robot needs to plan its own moving path in the working area to ensure that it can cover the entire working area and obtain more data. Path planning can use map-based algorithms, such as the A* algorithm and the Dijkstra algorithm.

[0096] (5) The robot moves in the work area according to the planned path while continuously collecting sensor data. During the movement, the map information is continuously updated, including the shape of the work area, the location of obstacles, etc.

[0097] (6) The robot can use the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm to optimize the existing map and improve the accuracy and completeness of the map. The SLAM algorithm can simultaneously update the map and the robot's positioning information based on the sensor data and the robot's motion trajectory.

[0098] (7) The robot saves the optimized map of the work area for subsequent work.

[0099] It should be understood that the above-mentioned way of mapping the working area by the robot is only a specific example. In practical applications, it can also be implemented in other ways, and this application does not make any specific limitation.

[0100] After the robot completes mapping the work area, S107 is executed.

[0101] S107: The robot determines a first intersection point between the path and the working area, and moves to the position of the first intersection point.

[0102] The first intersection point is the first intersection point that the robot passes through the work area when moving from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path. Figure 2 or Figure 3 When the robot moves from the starting point of the path to the end point of the target area, the first intersection point of the third working area is intersection 1. Figure 2 or Figure 3 When the robot enters the second area in the path, the first intersection point through which the robot passes through the second working area in the process of moving from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path is intersection 3.

[0103] The process of the robot determining the position coordinates of the first intersection of the path and the work area is as follows: first, the robot obtains the boundary information of the work area based on the map of the work area. Then, the robot calculates the intersection of the path and the boundary of the work area by geometric methods to obtain the position coordinates of the intersection. Among them, the robot stores the information of the path and the map of the work area. Finally, the robot determines the number of intersections between the path and the boundary of the work area. If the number of intersections is 1, the position coordinates of the intersection are the position coordinates of the first intersection. If the number of intersections is 2, the position coordinates of the intersection that moves away from the current work area along the direction of the starting point of the path are selected as the position coordinates of the first intersection.

[0104] It should be understood that the above-mentioned method for the robot to determine the position coordinates of the first intersection of the path and the working area is only a specific example. In practical applications, it can also be implemented in other ways, and this application does not make any specific limitation.

[0105] It should be noted that after the robot obtains the position coordinates of the first intersection, it moves to the position of the first intersection. The robot continues to move along the path toward the starting point of the target area. S102 to S107 are selectively executed during the movement until the robot moves to the starting point of the target area, completing the mapping of m working areas. In addition, when the starting point of the path is a charging pile, the robot can be charged after reaching the starting point of the path.

[0106] In one specific embodiment, the robot first obtains Figure 2 The robot then follows the steps below to complete the Figure 2Mapping of the target area in: First, the robot maps the third working area and moves to the first intersection of the path and the third working area, that is, the position of intersection 1. Then, the robot continues to move along the path, and after reaching intersection 2, it autonomously maps the second working area to obtain a map of the second working area. After building a map of the second working area, the robot determines the first intersection of the path and the second working area, that is, intersection 3, and moves to the position of intersection 3 and continues to move along the path. After reaching intersection 4, the robot maps the first working area. Finally, after completing the mapping of the first working area, the robot moves to the position of intersection 5, and then continues to move along the path until it reaches the charging pile position for charging, completing the mapping task of the three working areas.

[0107] It should also be noted that after the robot completes mapping of m working areas, it calculates the intersection of each working area and the path, and intercepts the path between the intersections from the path as the connected path connecting the two working areas. Among them, the connected path is the path that the user allows the robot to move in the non-working area. The starting point and end point on the connected path are located on the boundaries of different working areas. For example, Figure 3 In the example, the path between intersection 1 and intersection 2 intercepted from the path is used as the connecting path connecting the second working area and the third working area, and the path between intersection 3 and intersection 4 intercepted from the path is used as the connecting path connecting the first working area and the second working area. When the starting point of the path is the location of the charging pile and the charging pile is located outside the working area, the robot can also intercept the path between the starting point of the path and the second intersection from the path as the connecting path between the charging pile and the working area, wherein the second intersection is the first intersection of the robot and the first working area when the robot passes through the first working area in the process of moving from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path. For example, Figure 2 In the example, the path between the charging pile and the intersection 5 intercepted from the path is used as the connecting path between the charging pile and the working area.

[0108] It can be seen that in the embodiment of the present application, first, the robot obtains a path, and the path passes through m working areas in the non-working area and the target area; then, the robot moves along the obtained path, and during the movement, if it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the mapping of the working area has not been completed, the working area is mapped, and if it is determined that the robot is located in the non-working area, or the robot is located in the working area and the mapping of the working area has been completed, it continues to move along the path. Compared with the existing solution in which the user needs to participate in the mapping process throughout the whole process until the mapping of m working areas is completed before leaving, in this solution, the user only needs to participate in the process of the robot obtaining the path, and the subsequent mapping process is completed by the robot autonomously, which can greatly reduce the user's waiting time and improve the user experience.

[0109] This application provides a device for mapping a target area, see Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a device 400 for mapping a target area provided in the present application, wherein the target area includes m working areas, where m is any positive integer greater than 1, and the device 400 includes:

[0110] An acquisition module 410 is used to acquire a path, wherein the path passes through a non-working area and m working areas in a target area;

[0111] The determination module 420 is used to determine that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, map the working area, determine that the robot is located in a non-working area, or continue to move along the path when the robot is located in the working area and the working area has been mapped.

[0112] In a possible implementation, the acquisition module 410 is used to:

[0113] Receive instructions from the remote control device, move in response to the instructions and collect multiple location points that the robot passes through, and obtain the path based on the multiple location points.

[0114] In a possible implementation, the robot moves along the path from the end point of the path to the start point of the path, the end point of the path is the end point reached in response to the instruction, and the start point of the path is the start point of the path in response to the instruction.

[0115] In a possible implementation, the starting point of the path is the location of the charging pile, and the end point of the path is any location in the last working area passed by the path.

[0116] In a possible implementation, the determination module 420 is used to:

[0117] During the movement, the robot obtains environmental information and determines that the robot is located in one of the working areas based on the environmental information.

[0118] In a possible implementation, the determination module 420 is used to: identify the boundary of the working area according to the environmental information, determine the intersection of the boundary and the path, and if the robot reaches the intersection, determine that the robot is located in one of the working areas.

[0119] In a possible implementation, the determination module 420 is used to: when it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the mapping of the working area has not been completed, the robot moves autonomously in the working area to explore and map the working area.

[0120] In a possible implementation, the determination module 420 is used to:

[0121] Determine a first intersection point between the path and the work area, and move the robot to the position of the first intersection point, wherein the first intersection point is the first intersection point that the robot passes through the work area when moving from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path;

[0122] The robot continues to move along the path toward the starting point of the path. During the movement, if it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the working area is mapped. If it is determined that the robot is located in a non-working area, or if the robot is located in a working area and the working area has been mapped, the robot continues to move along the path.

[0123] Repeat the above steps until the robot moves to the starting point of the path.

[0124] In a possible implementation, the robot obtains the path from an external device, wherein the path is collected by the external device.

[0125] Figure 4 The various functional modules in are used to implement Figures 1 to 3 For details of the steps of the method embodiment, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The description of the relevant contents in the method embodiment will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity of the specification.

[0126] The present application also provides a computing device, see Figure 5 , Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device 500 provided in this application, wherein the computing device 500 is used to implement Figures 1 to 3 In the method embodiment described above, the computing device 500 may be a robot, and the computing device 500 includes: a processor 510, a communication interface 520, and a memory 530. The processor 510, the communication interface 520, and the memory 530 may be interconnected via an internal bus 540, or may communicate via other means such as wireless transmission.

[0127] Taking the connection through bus 540 as an example, bus 540 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Bus 540 may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 5 Only one thick line is used in the diagram, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0128] The processor 510 may be composed of at least one general-purpose processor, such as a CPU, or a combination of a CPU and a hardware chip. The hardware chip may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a combination thereof. The PLD may be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof. The processor 510 executes various types of digital storage instructions, such as software or firmware programs stored in the memory 530, which enables the computing device 500 to provide a wide variety of services.

[0129] The memory 530 is used to store program codes and is controlled by the processor 510 to execute the above Figures 1 to 3 For the steps described in the embodiment, please refer to the relevant description of the embodiment shown above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0130] The memory 530 may include a volatile memory, such as a RAM; the memory 530 may also include a non-volatile memory, such as a ROM, a flash memory; the memory 530 may also include a combination of the above types.

[0131] The communication interface 520 can be a wired interface (such as an Ethernet interface), an internal interface (such as a high-speed serial computer expansion bus (peripheral component interconnect express, PCIE) bus interface), a wired interface (such as an Ethernet interface) or a wireless interface (such as a cellular network interface or a wireless local area network interface) for communicating with other devices or modules.

[0132] The processor 510, communication interface 520, etc. in the computing device 500 can implement the functions and / or various steps and methods implemented in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, they are not described here. The acquisition module 410 and the determination module 420 in the apparatus 400 can be located in the processor 510 in the computing device 500.

[0133] Need to explain, Figure 5This is only a possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application. In practical applications, the computing device may also include more or fewer components, which is not limited here. For the contents not shown or described in the embodiment of the present application, please refer to the relevant description in the embodiment described in the aforementioned method, which will not be repeated here.

[0134] The present application also provides a computer storage medium, including program instructions. When the program instructions are executed by a computing device, the computing device executes part or all of the steps described in the above-mentioned method embodiment for mapping a target area.

[0135] The present application also provides a computer program product, including program instructions. When the program instructions are executed by a computing device, the computing device executes part or all of the steps described in the above-mentioned method embodiment for mapping a target area.

[0136] The present application also provides a robot, including program instructions, which, when executed by the robot, enable the robot to execute part or all of the steps described in the above-mentioned method embodiment for mapping a target area.

[0137] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0138] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product may include code. When the computer program product is read and executed by a computer, some or all steps of the method recorded in the above method embodiment may be implemented. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer storage medium, for example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from one website site, computer, server or data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode to another website site, computer, server or data center. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more available media integration. The available medium may be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium, or a semiconductor medium, etc.

[0139] The steps in the method of the embodiment of the present application can be adjusted in order, combined or deleted according to actual needs; the units in the device of the embodiment of the present application can be divided, combined or deleted according to actual needs.

[0140] The embodiments of the present application are introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of ​​the present application. At the same time, for general technical personnel in this field, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. A method for mapping a target area, characterized in that: The target area includes m working areas, where m is any positive integer greater than 1, and the method includes: The robot acquires a path, wherein the path passes through a non-working area and the m working areas in the target area; The robot moves along the path, and during the movement: when it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the working area is mapped; when it is determined that the robot is located in the non-working area, or when the robot is located in the working area and the working area has been mapped, the robot continues to move along the path.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The robot acquisition path includes: The robot receives an instruction from a remote control device, moves in response to the instruction and collects a plurality of position points that the robot passes through, and obtains the path according to the plurality of position points.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The robot moves along the path comprising: The robot moves along the path from the end point of the path to the starting point of the path, the end point of the path is the end point reached in response to the instruction, and the starting point of the path is the starting point of the path in response to the instruction.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The starting point of the path is the location of the charging pile, and the end point of the path is any position in the last working area passed by the path.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: During the movement, determining that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas includes: During the movement, the robot acquires environmental information and determines, based on the environmental information, that the robot is located in one of the working areas.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The step of determining, according to the environmental information, that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas comprises: The robot identifies the boundary of the working area according to the environmental information, and determines the intersection of the boundary and the path. If the robot reaches the intersection, it is determined that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: When it is determined that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas and mapping of the working area has not been completed, mapping the working area includes: When it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and mapping of the working area has not been completed, the robot moves autonomously in the working area to explore and map the working area.

8. The method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that: In the case where it is determined that the position of the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, after mapping the working area, the method further includes: The robot determines a first intersection of the path and the work area, and moves to the position of the first intersection, wherein the first intersection is the first intersection of the robot passing through the work area in the process of moving from the starting point of the path to the end point of the path; The robot continues to move along the path toward the starting point of the path. During the movement, if it is determined that the robot is located in one of the working areas and the working area has not been mapped, the working area is mapped. If it is determined that the robot is located in the non-working area, or if the robot is located in the working area and the working area has been mapped, the robot continues to move along the path. The above steps are repeated until the robot moves to the starting point of the path.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot acquisition path includes: The robot obtains the path from an external device, wherein the path is collected by the external device.

10. A computer storage medium, characterized in that: The method comprises program instructions, which, when executed by a robot, cause the robot to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A robot, characterized in that: The method comprises program instructions, which, when executed by the robot, cause the robot to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images