Multi-region map construction method and device

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-region map construction method and device, and is applied to the field of gardening tools. By implementing the scheme, the mobile robot firstly establishes the boundary map of each working area and establishes the communication path between different working areas based on the remote control instruction of the remote control equipment, so that the mobile robot can freely explore each working area based on the boundary map of each working area and the established communication path; the regional map of each working region is autonomously constructed, and the construction of the regional map of the working region does not need the participation of a user, so that the waiting time of the user is reduced, and the method is user-friendly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of garden tools, and in particular to a method and device for constructing a multi-region map. Background Art

[0002] Currently, for the construction of maps of multiple work areas, some adopt the method of placing a mobile robot in each work area, and the mobile robots collect regional maps of the work areas where they are located. This method requires a mobile robot to be set up in each work area, which is costly. Some use a mobile robot to realize the construction of maps of multiple work areas. The user needs to wait for the mobile robot to complete the construction of a map in a work area, and then remotely control the mobile robot to go to the next work area to build a map until the construction of all work areas is completed. This will cause the user to wait too long, which is not user-friendly. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application discloses a method and device for constructing a multi-region map, which can save the waiting time of users in the process of constructing a multi-region map and is user-friendly.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present application provides a multi-area map construction method, which is applied to a mobile robot, the multi-area including a first working area and a second working area, the method comprising: moving along a boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; moving in response to a first remote control instruction of a remote control device to generate a first connecting path, the first connecting path being used to connect the first working area with the second working area; moving along a boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area; exploring the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0005] In the above method, the mobile robot first establishes the boundary map of each working area and establishes the connection paths between different working areas according to the remote control command. Then, the mobile robot can autonomously explore and construct the regional map of each working area based on the connection paths between different working areas and the boundary map of each working area. In this scheme, it takes a short time for the mobile robot to collect the boundary map of the working area. After the boundary map of each working area and the connection paths between different areas are established, the process of establishing the regional map of the working area does not require user participation. Therefore, the user waiting time is short and it is user-friendly.

[0006] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the moving along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area includes: moving along the boundary of the first working area and recording first positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; generating a boundary map of the first working area based on the first positioning information.

[0007] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the movement in response to a first remote control command of the remote control device to generate a first connecting path includes: in response to the first remote control command, moving from a first position on the boundary of the first working area to a second position on the boundary of the second working area, and generating the first connecting path according to the second positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the method also includes: receiving an exploration and mapping instruction from the remote control device; exploring the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area, including: in response to the exploration and mapping instruction, exploring the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the generating of the boundary map of the second working area is performed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are both established, and the exploring of the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area includes: exploring the second working area according to the boundary map of the second working area to generate an area map of the second working area; moving from the second working area to the first working area along the first connecting path; exploring the first working area according to the boundary map of the first working area to generate an area map of the first working area.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, charging piles are arranged in the multiple areas, the charging piles are used to charge the mobile robot, and the charging piles are arranged on the boundary of the first working area or outside the first working area.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, when the charging pile is arranged outside the first working area, before moving along the boundary of the first working area, the method also includes: charging at the charging pile; moving in response to a second remote control command of the remote control device to generate a second communication path, wherein the second communication path is used to connect the charging pile with the first working area.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the movement in response to a second remote control command of the remote control device to generate a second connection path includes: in response to the second remote control command, moving from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area, and generating the second connection path according to the third positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the boundary of the first working area and / or the boundary of the second working area is obtained by the mobile robot recognizing an image captured by a visual sensor.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the mobile robot is a lawn mowing robot, and the first working area and the second working area are lawns.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides a device for constructing a map of multiple areas, which is included in a mobile robot. The device includes a communication unit and a processing unit, wherein the multiple areas include a first working area and a second working area, and the processing unit is used to perform the following operations: causing the mobile robot to move along a boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; causing the mobile robot to move in response to a first remote control instruction from a remote control device received by the communication unit to generate a first connecting path, wherein the first connecting path is used to connect the first working area with the second working area; causing the mobile robot to move along a boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area; causing the mobile robot to explore the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0016] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the first aspect, the processing unit is specifically used to: make the mobile robot move along the boundary of the first working area, and record the first positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; and generate a boundary map of the first working area based on the first positioning information.

[0017] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is specifically used to: in response to the first remote control instruction, move the mobile robot from a first position on the boundary of the first working area to a second position on the boundary of the second working area, and generate the first connecting path according to the second positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0018] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the communication unit is also used to: receive exploration and mapping instructions from the remote control device; the processing unit is specifically used to: respond to the exploration and mapping instructions, enable the mobile robot to explore the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area and the first connecting path, so as to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0019] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the generation of the boundary map of the second working area is performed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are both established, and the processing unit is specifically used to: enable the mobile robot to explore the second working area according to the boundary map of the second working area to generate an area map of the second working area; enable the mobile robot to move from the second working area to the first working area along the first connecting path; enable the mobile robot to explore the first working area according to the boundary map of the first working area to generate an area map of the first working area.

[0020] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, charging piles are arranged in the multiple areas, the charging piles are used to charge the mobile robot, and the charging piles are arranged on the boundary of the first working area or outside the first working area.

[0021] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, when the charging pile is arranged outside the first working area, before moving along the boundary of the first working area, the processing unit is also used to: enable the mobile robot to charge at the charging pile; and move the mobile robot in response to a second remote control instruction of the remote control device to generate a second communication path, wherein the second communication path is used to connect the charging pile with the first working area.

[0022] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is specifically used to: in response to the second remote control instruction, move the mobile robot from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area, and generate the second connecting path according to the third positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0023] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the boundary of the first working area and / or the boundary of the second working area is obtained by the mobile robot recognizing an image captured by a visual sensor.

[0024] In combination with the second aspect, in a possible implementation manner of the second aspect, the mobile robot is a lawn mowing robot, and the first working area and the second working area are lawns.

[0025] In a third aspect, the present application provides a map construction chip, which includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store program instructions; the processor calls the program instructions in the memory to enable a mobile robot installed with the above-mentioned chip to execute the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0026] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a mobile robot, which includes the device in the above-mentioned second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or includes the chip described in the third aspect.

[0027] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, enables a mobile robot equipped with the processor to implement the method in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0028] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which, when executed by a processor, enables a mobile robot equipped with the processor to implement the method in the above-mentioned first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect.

[0029] Exemplarily, the computer program product may be a software installation package. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a map construction system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a multi-region map construction method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 It is another schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another multi-region map construction method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 6 It is another schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 7 It is another schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 9 It is a structural schematic diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only 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 this application.

[0041] It is understood that the terms in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. Unless the context clearly states otherwise, the singular forms "one" and "said" are also intended to include plural forms. The term "including" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes 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. In addition, the present application can be implemented in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described in this embodiment. The purpose of providing the following specific embodiments is to facilitate a clearer and more thorough understanding of the disclosure of the present application, wherein the words indicating the orientation such as upper, lower, left, right, etc. are only for the position of the structure shown in the corresponding drawings. In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", and "set on" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0042] The following description is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the above description is for the purpose of explaining the general principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0043] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a map construction system provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the map construction system includes a mobile robot and a remote control device, wherein the remote control device can control the movement of the mobile robot, and the remote control device and the mobile robot communicate with each other in a wireless manner.

[0044] Here, the mobile robot includes a wireless communication module, a positioning sensor and a visual sensor. The wireless communication module can be, for example, a long-range radio (Long Range Radio, LoRa) module or other types of radio frequency modules. The positioning sensor can realize self-positioning, and the positioning sensor can be a real-time dynamic differential module (Real Time Kinematic, RTK), a laser radar, an ultrasonic radar, an inertial sensor (such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope), etc. The visual sensor can collect images of the surrounding environment and support target (such as the boundary of the working area) identification and classification. The visual sensor can be, for example, a camera, a camera, etc.

[0045] Exemplarily, the mobile robot may be a lawn mower robot, a lawn mower, a snowplow, a sweeping robot, or other device or apparatus having a map building function and a moving function.

[0046] Exemplarily, the remote control device may be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc.), a remote control handle, or other device that can control the mobile robot. When the remote control device is a terminal device, a client for controlling the mobile robot is installed in the terminal device, and the client may be software running on the terminal device or implemented in the form of an application (APP), a plug-in, or other software. In some solutions, the client may also be an application client or a web client accessed through a browser.

[0047] here, Figure 1 This is only an example of a map construction system and does not limit the map construction system to only Figure 1 As shown. The method provided in the embodiment of the present application may be applicable to the above-mentioned map construction system. In some schemes, the map construction system may also include a network-side device, which may be, for example, a cloud server or a service end, and the network-side device may be deployed in a cloud environment or an edge environment. Exemplarily, the network-side device may obtain positioning information recorded by the mobile robot during its movement from the mobile robot, and generate a boundary map of the corresponding working area, a connection path between working areas of different volumes, or a map of the area where the corresponding work is located based on the positioning information.

[0048] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 is a flowchart of a multi-region map construction method provided in an embodiment of the present application. The method can be applied to the above Figure 1The map construction system shown is specifically applied between a mobile robot and a remote control device. The map construction system is used to construct a map of multiple areas. The scheme is exemplified by taking the multiple areas including a first working area and a second working area as an example, and the multiple areas are not limited to only two working areas. For example, the mobile robot is a lawn mowing robot, and the first working area and the second working area are lawn areas.

[0049] Figure 2 The method shown in the embodiment includes but is not limited to the following steps S201-S204.

[0050] S201: The mobile robot moves along a boundary of a first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area.

[0051] In one implementation, the boundary of the first working area can be obtained by the mobile robot identifying an image collected by the visual sensor. Thus, the mobile robot moves along the identified boundary of the first working area. Here, the visual sensor can be integrated into the mobile robot or set independently of the mobile robot. Figure 1 In some embodiments, the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the first working area, or the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the first working area based on the remote control instruction of the remote control device, that is, the user controls the remote control device to make the mobile robot move along the boundary of the first working area, without using a visual sensor to identify the boundary of the first working area, which can reduce the data processing pressure of the mobile robot and save power consumption.

[0052] In one implementation, the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area, including: the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the first working area and records the first positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; the mobile robot generates the boundary map of the first working area according to the first positioning information. In some schemes, if the map construction system also includes a network side device, the mobile robot can send the first positioning information to the network side device after recording the first positioning information, so that the network side device generates the boundary map of the first working area according to the first positioning information.

[0053] Here, the first positioning information includes coordinate information of a plurality of position points of the mobile robot's own position recorded in the process of the mobile robot moving along the boundary of the first working area.

[0054] Exemplarily, the positioning of the mobile robot itself can be achieved in at least one of the following ways: RTK positioning, visual positioning, ultrasonic positioning, and laser radar positioning. Visual positioning can be, for example, visual-inertial odometry (VIO) positioning. RTK positioning is a differential positioning technology based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0055] In some schemes, the mobile robot can move at least one circle along the boundary of the first working area. In this way, the number of location points recorded in the first positioning information can be increased, and the boundary of the first working area can be avoided from being missed, which is conducive to improving the accuracy of the generated boundary map of the first working area.

[0056] Here, the boundary map of the first working area is used to characterize the boundary of the first working area or the outline of the first working area. The boundary map of the first working area does not contain obstacle information in the first working area or only contains a small amount of obstacle information in the first working area. Wherein, an obstacle refers to an entity that affects the walking trajectory of the mobile robot. Exemplarily, obstacles may be tables and chairs, pools, houses, trees, flower beds, construction signs, cartons, grass frames, electric poles, etc.

[0057] S202: In response to a first remote control instruction of the remote control device, the mobile robot moves to generate a first communication path, where the first communication path is used to connect the first working area with the second working area.

[0058] That is, the remote control device sends a first remote control instruction to the mobile robot, and the mobile robot moves based on the first remote control instruction to generate a first communication path.

[0059] In one implementation, a mobile robot moves based on a first remote control instruction to generate a first connecting path, including: the mobile robot moves from a first position on the boundary of a first working area to a second position on the boundary of a second working area based on the first remote control instruction, and generates the first connecting path according to second positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0060] Here, the first position may be any position on the boundary of the first working area, and the second position may be any position on the boundary of the second working area.

[0061] Here, the second positioning information includes coordinate information of multiple position points of the mobile robot's own position recorded during the process of the mobile robot moving from the first position to the second position. The first connecting path is a moving path connecting the first position on the boundary of the first working area and the second position on the boundary of the second working area. Exemplarily, the first connecting path can be a straight line or a curve.

[0062] S203: The mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area.

[0063] Exemplarily, the boundary of the second working area can be obtained by the mobile robot identifying an image collected by a visual sensor. In some schemes, the mobile robot can also move along the boundary of the second working area based on a remote control instruction from a remote control device, and the boundary of the second working area does not need to be identified by the mobile robot.

[0064] In one implementation, the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area, including: the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area and records the third positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; the mobile robot generates the boundary map of the second working area according to the third positioning information. The third positioning information includes the coordinate information of multiple position points of the mobile robot's own position recorded during the movement of the mobile robot along the boundary of the second working area.

[0065] Exemplarily, the moving of the mobile robot along the boundary of the second working area may be: the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area for at least one circle.

[0066] The boundary map of the second working area is used to characterize the boundary of the second working area or the outline of the second working area. The boundary map of the second working area does not contain obstacle information in the second working area or only contains a small amount of obstacle information in the second working area. Here, obstacles can refer to the description of the corresponding content in S201, which will not be repeated here.

[0067] For example, in the above S201-S203, S202 may be executed between S201 and S203, for example, S201, S202 and S203 are executed in sequence, or S203, S202 and S201 are executed in sequence. In some schemes, S202 may also be executed before S201 and S203, for example, S202, S203 and S201 are executed in sequence, or S202, S201 and S203 are executed in sequence.

[0068] S204: The mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0069] It can be understood that S204 needs to be executed after S201-S203.

[0070] In one implementation, before executing S2034, the mobile robot may also receive an exploration and mapping instruction from the remote control device; the mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area, including: in response to the exploration and mapping instruction, the mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0071] In one implementation, when the above S203 (i.e., generating a boundary map of the second working area) is executed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are both established, the mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area, including: the mobile robot first explores the second working area according to the boundary map of the second working area to generate an area map of the second working area; then the mobile robot moves from the second working area to the first working area along the first connecting path; finally, the mobile robot explores the first working area according to the boundary map of the first working area to generate an area map of the first working area.

[0072] Taking the example of a mobile robot exploring the first working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, "exploration" means that the mobile robot can move freely within the area restricted by the boundary map of the first working area (that is, the unknown environment within the first working area), and the mobile robot collects environmental perception information around itself through the sensors it carries (such as the above-mentioned lidar, camera, inertial measurement unit, etc.), and uses simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology to process the environmental perception information to achieve positioning and construction of an area map of the first working area.

[0073] Exemplarily, the exploration strategy of the mobile robot in the first working area may be spiral exploration, grid exploration, dynamic exploration, etc. Spiral exploration means starting from a starting point, moving forward in a certain spiral pattern, and gradually covering the first working area; grid exploration means dividing the first working area into multiple grids based on a boundary map of the first working area, and the mobile robot explores the area where each grid is located in a predetermined order; dynamic exploration means that during the exploration process of the mobile robot, the mobile robot adjusts its own exploration route and strategy according to changes in the environment or feedback from sensors.

[0074] It can be understood that after the mobile robot executes S203, it is in the second working area. Considering the proximity principle, the mobile robot can first explore the second working area to generate an area map of the second working area, and then move to the first working area along the first connecting path, and then detect the first working area to generate an area map of the first working area, which reduces the number of times the mobile robot travels back and forth between the first working area and the second working area, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of map construction.

[0075] Taking the area map of the first working area as an example, it can be understood that the area map of the first working area not only includes the boundary map of the first working area, but also includes map information within the first working area. The area map of the first working area can be a high-precision map.

[0076] Exemplarily, the map information in the first working area includes obstacle information in the first working area, wherein the obstacles in the first working area include one or more of tables and chairs, pools, houses, trees, flower beds, construction signs, cartons, grass frames, electric poles, etc. Similarly, the area map of the second working area can be similarly described with reference to the area map of the first working area, and for the sake of brevity of the specification, it will not be repeated here.

[0077] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 Two working areas and a connecting path between the two working areas are shown, wherein the two working areas are the first working area and the second working area, position A is the first position on the boundary of the first working area, position B is the second position on the boundary of the second working area, and the path connecting position A and position B is called the first connecting path, which can connect the first working area with the second working area.

[0078] exist Figure 3In the method, the user controls the remote control device to enable the mobile robot to move from the first working area to the second working area, or from the second working area to the first working area, along the path between the first working area and the second working area based on the remote control command of the remote control device, so that the mobile robot generates the above-mentioned first connecting path based on the positioning information recorded during the process of moving from the first working area to the second working area, or the mobile robot generates the above-mentioned first connecting path based on the positioning information recorded during the process of moving from the second working area to the first working area.

[0079] Depend on Figure 3 It can be seen that the first communication path is the shortest path connecting the first working area and the second working area. In some solutions, the first communication path can also be other paths connecting the first working area and the second working area.

[0080] For example, in Figure 3 In the process of the mobile robot performing multi-area map construction, please refer to the following A11 and A12.

[0081] A11: The mobile robot establishes a boundary map of the first working area, a boundary map of the second working area, and a first connecting path for connecting the first working area with the second working area.

[0082] For example, the mobile robot first moves along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; then the mobile robot moves from the first working area based on the first remote control instruction from the remote control device. Figure 3 Move position A to Figure 3 The mobile robot moves to position B in the second working area, and stores its walking trajectory from position A to position B as a first connected path; then the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area.

[0083] A12: The mobile robot freely explores the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to respectively construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0084] For example, assuming that the mobile robot stays in the second working area after executing A11, the mobile robot first freely explores the second working area based on the boundary map of the second working area to generate an area map of the second working area. After the area map of the second working area is established, the mobile robot moves along the first connected path from Figure 3 Move position B to Figure 3 Finally, the first working area is freely explored based on the boundary map of the first working area to generate an area map of the first working area.

[0085] Implementation Figure 2 In the embodiment, the mobile robot first establishes the boundary map of each working area and establishes the connection paths between different working areas according to the remote control command. Then, the mobile robot can autonomously explore and construct the regional map of each working area based on the connection paths between different working areas and the boundary map of each working area. In this scheme, it takes a short time for the mobile robot to collect the boundary map of the working area. After the boundary map of each working area and the connection paths between different areas are established, the mobile robot can freely explore and autonomously construct the regional map of each working area based on the boundary map of each working area and the connection paths between different areas without user participation. Therefore, the user waiting time is short and it is user-friendly.

[0086] In some possible embodiments, charging piles are provided in the above-mentioned multiple areas, and the charging piles are used to charge the mobile robot. The charging piles can be provided at the boundary of any working area, or the charging piles can be provided outside the working area.

[0087] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 is another schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in the application embodiment. Figure 3 , Figure 4 The multiple areas shown also include charging piles, which are arranged on the boundary of the first working area. Therefore, before executing the aforementioned S201, the mobile robot first performs charging at the charging pile to ensure that the mobile robot has sufficient power when constructing a map of the multiple areas.

[0088] In some embodiments, the charging pile is set outside the first working area. The multi-area map construction method provided in the embodiment of the present application refers to Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 The method shown in the embodiment includes but is not limited to the following steps S501-S506, wherein S503 is the same as S201, S504 is the same as S202, S505 is the same as S203, and S506 is the same as S204. For the sake of brevity, they are not described here. The following mainly describes S501 and S502.

[0089] S501: The mobile robot is charged at a charging station.

[0090] S502: The mobile robot moves in response to a second remote control instruction of the remote control device to generate a second communication path, where the second communication path is used to connect the charging pile with the first working area.

[0091] In one implementation, the mobile robot moves in response to a second remote control command from a remote control device to generate a second connectivity path, including: the mobile robot receives the second remote control command from the remote control device, the mobile robot moves from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area based on the second remote control command, and records fourth positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; the mobile robot generates a second connectivity path based on the fourth positioning information.

[0092] Here, the fourth positioning information includes coordinate information of a plurality of position points of the mobile robot's own position recorded in the process of the mobile robot moving from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area.

[0093] In some solutions, after the area map of each working area is established, the mobile robot can also go to the charging station to charge.

[0094] See also Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 Compared to Figure 3 , Figure 6 The multiple areas shown include a charging pile, and the charging pile is set outside the first working area. In this case, the mobile robot is charged at the charging pile first. After charging is completed, the mobile robot moves from the charging pile to the first working area based on the second remote control instruction of the remote control device. Figure 6 Position C in the first working area, where position C is any position on the boundary of the first working area, and the walking path of the mobile robot in the process of moving from the charging pile to position C is stored as the second connected path, and then the mobile robot can execute the above S201-S204 (or S503-S506), and can also refer to the above Figure 3 The relevant description will not be repeated here.

[0095] The following is based on Figure 7 The application of the above method is explained by taking the multiple areas including the first working area, the second working area and the third working area as an example. Figure 7 This is another schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0096] For example, in Figure 7 In the process of the mobile robot performing multi-area map construction, please refer to B11 and B12 below.

[0097] B11: The mobile robot establishes a boundary map of the first working area, a boundary map of the second working area, a boundary map of the third working area, a connecting path 1 and a connecting path 2, wherein the connecting path 1 is used to connect the first working area with the second working area, and the connecting path 2 is used to connect the second working area with the third working area.

[0098] For example, the mobile robot first moves along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; after the boundary map of the first working area is generated, the mobile robot moves from Figure 3 Move position A to Figure 7 The mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area. After the boundary map of the second working area is generated, the mobile robot moves from the second working area based on the remote control instruction of the remote control device. Figure 7 Move position C to Figure 3 The mobile robot moves along the boundary of the third working area to generate a boundary map of the third working area. It can be seen that the generation order is: boundary map of the first working area → connection path 1 → boundary map of the second working area → connection path 2 → boundary map of the third working area.

[0099] B12: The mobile robot freely explores the first working area, the second working area and the third working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, the boundary map of the third working area, the connecting path 1 and the connecting path 2 to respectively construct the area map of the first working area, the area map of the second working area and the area map of the third working area.

[0100] For example, assuming that the mobile robot stays in the third working area after executing B11, the mobile robot first freely explores the third working area based on the boundary map of the third working area to generate an area map of the third working area; after the area map of the third working area is established, the mobile robot can plan the movement of the mobile robot from the current position to the third working area according to the area map of the third working area. Figure 7 The mobile robot navigates to position D according to the mobile path, and then moves along the connecting path 2 from Figure 7 Move position D to Figure 7 The mobile robot freely explores the second working area based on the boundary map of the second working area to generate an area map of the second working area; after the area map of the second working area is established, the mobile robot can plan the movement of the mobile robot from the current position to the area map of the second working area. Figure 7 The mobile robot navigates to position B according to the mobile path, and then moves along the connected path 1 from Figure 7 Move position B to Figure 7The mobile robot freely explores the first working area based on the boundary map of the first working area to generate a region map of the first working area. It can be seen that the order of generating the region maps is: the region map of the third working area → the region map of the second working area → the region map of the first working area.

[0101] In this way, in the process of generating boundary maps of each working area and area maps of each working area, the number of times the mobile robot travels back and forth between different working areas can be reduced as much as possible, and the paths that the mobile robot walks outside the working area can be reduced, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of multi-area composition. In addition, the map construction process of the working area does not require user participation, which reduces the user's waiting time and is user-friendly.

[0102] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 3 is a schematic diagram of a control device provided in an embodiment of the present application, wherein the computing device 30 includes a communication unit 310 and a processing unit 312. The computing device 30 may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0103] Here, the computing device 30 is included in the mobile robot. The processing unit 312 is used to perform the following operations: move the mobile robot along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; in response to the first remote control instruction from the remote control device received by the communication unit 310, move the mobile robot to generate a first connection path, the first connection path is used to connect the first working area with the second working area; move the mobile robot along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area; according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area and the first connection path, the mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area.

[0104] The computing device 30 may be used to implement Figure 2 The method described in this paper is a mobile robot. Figure 2 In the embodiment, the communication unit 310 and the processing unit 312 jointly execute S202, and the processing unit 312 is also used to execute S201, S203 and S204. In some schemes, the computing device 30 can be used to implement Figure 5 The method on the mobile robot side described in the embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0105] above Figure 8One or more of the various units in the computing device 30 shown may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. The software or firmware includes, but is not limited to, computer program instructions or codes, and may be executed by a hardware processor. The hardware includes, but is not limited to, various types of integrated circuits, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0106] See also Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 Schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Fig. 9 As shown, the electronic device 40 includes: a processor 411, a communication interface 412, a memory 413 and a bus 414. The processor 411, the memory 413 and the communication interface 412 communicate with each other via the bus 414. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the number of processors and memories in the electronic device 40.

[0107] In one implementation, the electronic device 40 may be the above-mentioned mobile robot or be included in the mobile robot.

[0108] The bus 414 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, Fig. 9 The bus 414 is represented by only one line, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus. The bus 414 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the electronic device 40 (for example, the memory 413, the processor 411, and the communication interface 412).

[0109] The processor 411 may be composed of one or more general-purpose processors, such as a central processing unit (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.

[0110] The memory 413 is used to provide a storage space, in which data such as an operating system and a computer program can be stored. The memory 413 can be a random access memory (RAM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a read-only memory (ROM), or a portable read-only memory (CD-ROM), etc., or a combination of multiple types. The memory 413 can exist alone or be integrated into the processor 411.

[0111] The communication interface 412 may be used to provide information input or output for the processor 411. Alternatively, the communication interface 412 may be used to receive data sent externally and / or send data externally, and may be a wired link interface such as an Ethernet cable, or a wireless link interface (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, general wireless transmission, etc.). Alternatively, the communication interface 412 may also include a transmitter (such as a radio frequency transmitter, an antenna, etc.) coupled to the interface, or a receiver, etc.

[0112] The processor 411 in the electronic device 40 is used to read the computer program stored in the memory 413 to execute the aforementioned method, for example Figure 2 , Figure 5 The method on the mobile robot side is described in the embodiment.

[0113] In a possible design, the electronic device 40 may be a processor for executing Figure 2One or more modules in the execution subject (e.g., mobile robot) of the method shown, the processor 411 can be used to read one or more computer programs stored in the memory to perform the following operations:

[0114] Moving along a boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area;

[0115] moving in response to a first remote control instruction of the remote control device to generate a first communication path, the first communication path being used to connect the first working area with the second working area;

[0116] moving along a boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area;

[0117] The first working area and the second working area are explored according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to respectively construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

[0118] In various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0119] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks (ILBs) and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or in a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel may use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0120] In the several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. For example, the division of units is only a logical function division. There may be other division methods in actual implementation. For example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0121] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0122] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0123] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware 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 includes one or more computer instructions. When loading and executing computer program instructions on a computer, the process or function according to the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from a website site, a computer, a server or a 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 can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server, a data center, etc. that contains one or more available media integration. 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), etc.

[0124] 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 of the present application and its core idea. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods 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 constructing a multi-region map, characterized in that: The method is applied to a mobile robot, the multiple areas include a first working area and a second working area, and the method includes: moving along a boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; moving in response to a first remote control instruction of the remote control device to generate a first communication path, wherein the first communication path is used to connect the first working area with the second working area; moving along a boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area; The first working area and the second working area are explored according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area includes: Moving along the boundary of the first working area, and recording first positioning information of the mobile robot during the moving process; A boundary map of the first working area is generated according to the first positioning information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The step of moving in response to a first remote control instruction of the remote control device to generate a first communication path comprises: In response to the first remote control instruction, the control unit moves from a first position on the boundary of the first working area to a second position on the boundary of the second working area, and generates the first communication path according to second positioning information recorded during the movement.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Receiving exploration and mapping instructions from the remote control device; The exploring the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area includes: in response to the exploration and mapping instruction, exploring the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The step of generating a boundary map of the second working area is performed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are both established. The step of exploring the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct an area map of the first working area and an area map of the second working area includes: exploring the second working area according to the boundary map of the second working area to generate an area map of the second working area; moving from the second working area to the first working area along the first communication path; The first working area is explored according to the boundary map of the first working area to generate an area map of the first working area.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Charging piles are arranged in the multiple areas, and the charging piles are used to charge the mobile robot. The charging piles are arranged on the boundary of the first working area or outside the first working area.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that In the case where the charging pile is arranged outside the first working area, before moving along the boundary of the first working area, the method further includes: Charging at the charging pile; The remote control device moves in response to a second remote control instruction to generate a second communication path, wherein the second communication path is used to connect the charging pile with the first working area.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The step of moving in response to a second remote control instruction of the remote control device to generate a second communication path comprises: In response to the second remote control instruction, the charging pile is moved to any position on the boundary of the first working area, and the second communication path is generated according to the third positioning information recorded during the movement.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The boundary of the first working area and / or the boundary of the second working area are obtained by the mobile robot recognizing an image collected by a visual sensor.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The mobile robot is a lawn mowing robot, and the first working area and the second working area are lawns.

11. A device for map construction, characterized in that: The device is a mobile robot or is included in the mobile robot. The device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The device is used to implement the method described in any one of claims 1 to 10, or the device enables the mobile robot to implement the method described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A chip for map construction, characterized in that: The chip includes a processor and a memory, the memory is used to store instructions, and the processor is used to execute the instructions stored in the memory, so that a mobile robot equipped with the chip can implement the method described in any one of claims 1-10.

13. A mobile robot, characterized in that: The mobile robot comprises the device as claimed in claim 11, or comprises the chip as claimed in claim 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The method comprises computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, enable a mobile robot equipped with the processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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