Swimming pool partition searching, mapping and cleaning method and device and swimming pool cleaning robot

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a swimming pool partition searching, mapping and cleaning method and device and a swimming pool cleaning robot, which comprises: controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move along the pool bottom of the swimming pool, and acquiring attitude data of the swimming pool cleaning robot during movement; and according to the attitude data, controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move along a flat slope searching path of a flat slope area or a slope searching path of a slope area to perform a searching task of the flat slope area or the slope area. In this way, the present disclosure can quickly and accurately identify different areas in the swimming pool, thereby helping to improve the execution efficiency of subsequent swimming pool cleaning tasks.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to international application number PCT / CN2024 / 084559, entitled “Pool Cleaning Method, Apparatus, Electronic Equipment and Pool Cleaning Robot”, filed on March 28, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of cleaning control technology, and in particular to a method, apparatus, electronic device, storage medium, and pool cleaning robot for searching, mapping, and cleaning pool zones. Background Technology

[0004] Pool cleaning robots are a type of cleaning robot developed to meet the needs of pool cleaning. They can repeatedly clean the pool bottom and pool walls, as well as filter and clean the pool water.

[0005] Swimming pools come in various shapes and sizes, primarily including standard pools, shallow pools, and mixed-use pools. Mixed-use pools typically feature a deep end, a shallow end, and a sloping area (or gentle slope) connecting the two. The shallow end usually has vertical walls, and the side of the shallow end away from the deep end may have steps or platforms. The deep end walls may include steep walls extending upwards from the pool bottom and vertical walls extending upwards from the steep walls. Due to the varying depths within a mixed-use pool, waste from the shallow and sloping areas tends to drift to the deep end; therefore, the deep end usually requires the most cleaning.

[0006] In conclusion, since the cleaning needs of different areas of a swimming pool vary, effectively differentiating these areas is crucial for improving pool cleaning efficiency. Therefore, an efficient pool zoning technology is needed to enhance the cleaning effectiveness of different zones within the pool. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, this disclosure provides an improved pool zone search scheme to at least partially resolve these issues.

[0008] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a swimming pool zone search method is provided, applied to a swimming pool including adjacent flat and sloping zones. The method includes: controlling a swimming pool cleaning robot to move along the bottom of the pool and acquiring posture data of the swimming pool cleaning robot during the movement; based on the posture data, if it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot is located in the flat zone, controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move along a flat slope search path in the flat zone to perform a search task in the sloping zone, or if it is determined that the swimming pool cleaning robot is located in the sloping zone, controlling the swimming pool cleaning robot to move along a sloping slope search path in the sloping zone to perform a search task in the flat zone; wherein the flat slope search path includes multiple sequentially connected flat slope straight sections, and the sloping slope search path is a sloping straight section extending along the slope of the sloping zone.

[0009] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for mapping swimming pool zones is provided, the method comprising: controlling a swimming pool cleaning robot to move within a work area defined by the swimming pool using the swimming pool zone search method as described in the first aspect, in order to search for each flat slope zone and each sloping slope zone in the swimming pool; and generating a swimming pool zone map based on each flat slope zone and each sloping slope zone in the swimming pool.

[0010] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a method for cleaning swimming pool zones is provided, the method comprising: determining deep water zones, shallow water zones, and sloping zones in a swimming pool using a swimming pool zone search method as described in the first aspect, or a swimming pool zone mapping method as described in the second aspect; and performing zone cleaning tasks of the swimming pool according to a zone cleaning strategy for the deep water zone, the shallow water zone, and the sloping zone.

[0011] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a pool zone search device is provided, applied to a pool including adjacent flat and sloping zones. The device includes: a detection module for controlling a pool cleaning robot to move along the bottom of the pool and acquiring posture data of the pool cleaning robot during movement; and a search module for, based on the posture data, controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along a flat search path in the flat zone to perform a search task in the sloping zone when it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in the flat zone, or controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along a sloping search path in the sloping zone to perform a search task in the flat zone when it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in the sloping zone; wherein the flat search path includes multiple sequentially connected flat straight road segments, and the sloping search path is a sloping straight road segment extending along the slope of the sloping zone.

[0012] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a swimming pool zoning mapping apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a search module for controlling a swimming pool cleaning robot to move within a work area defined by the swimming pool using a swimming pool zoning search device as described in the fourth aspect, to search for each flat slope zone and each sloping slope zone in the swimming pool; and a mapping module for generating a swimming pool zoning map of the swimming pool based on each flat slope zone and each sloping slope zone in the swimming pool.

[0013] According to a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a swimming pool zoning cleaning device is provided, the device comprising: a zoning module for determining a deep water zone, a shallow water zone, and a sloping zone in a swimming pool by means of a swimming pool zoning search device as described in the fourth aspect, or by means of a swimming pool zoning mapping device as described in the fifth aspect; and a cleaning module for performing zoning cleaning tasks of the swimming pool according to a zoning cleaning strategy for the deep water zone, the shallow water zone, and the sloping zone.

[0014] According to a seventh aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program; wherein the program includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations corresponding to the methods described in the first, second, or third aspects above.

[0015] According to an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause a computer to perform the methods described in the first, second, or third aspects described above.

[0016] According to a ninth aspect of this disclosure, a pool cleaning robot is provided, comprising a controller storing control instructions, which, when executed, cause the controller to perform a pool zoning search method as described in the first aspect, a pool zoning mapping method as described in the second aspect, or a pool zoning cleaning method as described in the third aspect.

[0017] In summary, the pool zoning search solutions provided in this disclosure determine the corresponding area search path by judging the zoning type where the pool cleaning robot is currently located. This enables the pool cleaning robot to quickly and accurately search for flat and sloping areas in the pool, thereby improving the efficiency of pool zoning search.

[0018] Furthermore, the swimming pool zoning mapping schemes provided in this disclosure, utilizing the aforementioned swimming pool zoning search scheme, can quickly and accurately determine different zones within a swimming pool, enabling the rapid construction of swimming pool zoning maps.

[0019] Furthermore, the pool zoning cleaning solutions provided in this disclosure can quickly identify different zones in the pool through the aforementioned pool zoning search or pool zoning mapping schemes, and then adopt different zoning cleaning strategies to perform pool zoning cleaning, which can effectively improve the efficiency and effectiveness of pool cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The following figures are intended only to illustrate and explain this disclosure and do not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0021] Figures 1A to 1C These are schematic diagrams of different swimming pools suitable for implementing the various embodiments of this disclosure, including methods or apparatus for searching, mapping, and cleaning swimming pool zones.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the pool partition search method as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a pool partition search method as another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a swimming pool zoning mapping method as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a swimming pool zoning cleaning method as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of a pool zone search device that is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of a swimming pool zoning mapping apparatus as an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a structural block diagram of a swimming pool zoning cleaning device, which is an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a structural block diagram of an electronic device that is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 2. Pool cleaning robot 15 704, mapping module

[0032] 100, swimming pool 800, swimming pool zone cleaning system

[0033] 102, Standard Swimming Pool; 802, Zoning Module

[0034] 104, irregularly shaped swimming pool (804), cleaning module

[0035] 106, Irregularly shaped swimming pool 900, Electronic equipment

[0036] 110. Flat slope area 20 901. Calculation unit

[0037] 112, Deep Water Zone 902, ROM

[0038] 114, Shallow Water Area 903, RAM

[0039] 120, Slope area 904, Bus

[0040] 600. Pool zone search device; 905. Input / output interface

[0041] 602. Detection module 25 906. Input unit

[0042] 604, Search Module; 907, Output Unit

[0043] 700: Pool zoning mapping device 908, storage unit

[0044] 702, Search Module; 909, Communication Unit. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To provide a clearer understanding of the technical features, objectives, and effects of the embodiments of this disclosure, specific implementation methods of the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, illustration or description”, and any illustration or implementation described herein as “illustrative” should not be construed as a more preferred or advantageous technical solution.

[0047] To keep the drawings concise, only the parts relevant to this disclosure are shown schematically in each drawing, and they do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, in some drawings, components with the same structure or function are shown only schematically, or only one or more are labeled.

[0048] For multi-level swimming pools with both shallow and deep sections, the varying depths cause debris from the shallow and sloping areas to drift towards the deeper areas, resulting in the greatest cleaning needs for the deep sections. Therefore, effectively differentiating between these different areas is crucial for improving pool cleaning efficiency.

[0049] In view of this, the embodiments of this disclosure provide a swimming pool zoning search scheme, which can realize the rapid search of different areas in the swimming pool. This not only helps to quickly build a swimming pool zoning map, but also enables the implementation of a swimming pool zoning cleaning strategy and improves the efficiency of swimming pool cleaning.

[0050] Figures 1A to 1C This is a top view schematic diagram of a swimming pool suitable for implementing the swimming pool zoning search, mapping, and cleaning schemes of the embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in the figure, swimming pool 100 is, for example, Figure 1A The standard-shaped swimming pool 102 shown, or for example, is Figure 1B and Figure 1C The irregularly shaped swimming pools 104 and 106 are shown.

[0051] In this embodiment, the swimming pool 100 includes a flat slope area 110 and a sloping slope area 120, and the swimming pool 100 may include multiple flat slope areas 110 with different depths. For example, in Figure 1A and Figure 1B In the example shown, the flat slope area 110 can be further divided into a deep water area 112 and a shallow water area 114 according to the pool depth. The sloping area 120 can serve as a transition area, located between the deep water area 112 and the shallow water area 114.

[0052] Based on the above application scenarios, the embodiments of this disclosure provide a swimming pool zone search, mapping and cleaning solution. The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Pool Zone Search Method

[0054] Figure 2 The processing flow of the pool partition search method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which mainly includes the following steps:

[0055] Step 202: Control the pool cleaning robot to move along the bottom of the pool and obtain the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement.

[0056] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot 2 includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU) comprising an accelerometer and an angular velocity sensor for detecting attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during movement.

[0057] In this embodiment, the position of the pool cleaning robot can be determined as flat or sloping in the pool based on its posture data.

[0058] For example, the roll angle and pitch angle parameters of the pool cleaning robot can be determined based on the attitude data, thereby determining whether the pool cleaning robot is located in a flat or sloping area of ​​the pool; or, the tilt angle value of the pool cleaning robot can be calculated based on the attitude data, thereby determining whether the pool cleaning robot is located in a flat or sloping area of ​​the pool.

[0059] In this embodiment, since the bottom of the pool is not completely level, the area with a slope within ±30 degrees is defined as a flat slope area, and the area with a slope greater than +30 degrees or less than -30 degrees is defined as a sloping slope area.

[0060] Step 204: Based on the attitude data, if it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in a flat area, control the pool cleaning robot to move along the flat slope search path in the flat area to perform the search task in the slope area.

[0061] In some embodiments, when the posture data of the pool cleaning robot falls within the flat slope posture range, a determination result can be obtained that the pool cleaning robot is located in the flat slope area.

[0062] In some embodiments, the flat slope attitude range can be determined based on the slope of the flat slope area in the pool. Generally, when the roll angle parameter value and pitch angle parameter value of the pool cleaning robot are within ±30 degrees, or when the tilt angle value of the pool cleaning robot is within ±30 degrees, the determination result that the pool cleaning robot is located in the flat slope area can be obtained.

[0063] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot can be controlled to move sequentially along each straight segment of the flat slope search path, acquire attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement, analyze the attitude data, and if the attitude data falls within a given slope attitude range (refer to...). Figure 1A position e or Figure 1C If the position is A), the pool cleaning robot is found to have searched for the slope area 120. Otherwise, the pool cleaning robot is controlled to continue moving along each straight section of the flat slope search path.

[0064] In some embodiments, at least one endpoint of each flat, straight section falls at the junction of the pool bottom and the pool wall.

[0065] In some embodiments, the straight sections of flat slopes in the flat slope search path are distributed in a serpentine pattern (see reference). Figure 1B ), zigzag distribution.

[0066] In some embodiments, the slope search path may include multiple sequentially connected straight slope segments, which may be distributed in a pentagonal shape (see reference). Figure 1A and Figure 1C This mobile search path design allows pool cleaning robots to quickly explore a large area with fewer turning movements, thus improving search efficiency in sloping areas.

[0067] Specifically, when the straight road segments of the flat slopes in the search path are distributed in a pentagonal shape, the current flat slope segment and the subsequent flat slope segment in each straight road segment can be determined. The subsequent straight road segment is the next straight road segment following the current flat slope segment. The pool cleaning robot can be controlled to move along the current flat slope segment, and its posture data during movement can be detected. If the posture data indicates that the pool cleaning robot has collided with a wall, the subsequent flat slope segment is updated to the new current flat slope segment, and the process returns to the step of determining the current flat slope segment and the subsequent flat slope segment in each straight road segment. If no collision is detected, the process returns to the step of controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope segment.

[0068] For example, referring to Figure 1, when the current flat slope segment is ab and the subsequent flat slope segment is bc, the pool cleaning robot can be controlled to move along the slope segment ab, and the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement can be detected. If the judgment result of the pool cleaning robot hitting the wall is obtained based on the attitude data, it represents the end position of the pool cleaning robot moving to the slope segment ab. Then, based on the slope angle between the subsequent flat slope segment bc and the current flat slope segment ab (e.g., 144 degrees), the pool cleaning robot is controlled to move from the slope segment ab to the slope segment bc. After updating the slope segment bc to the new current flat slope segment, the process returns to the step of determining the current flat slope segment and the subsequent flat slope segment in each flat slope straight segment. If the judgment result of the pool cleaning robot hitting the wall is not obtained based on the attitude data, the pool cleaning robot is controlled to continue moving along the current flat slope segment.

[0069] Step 206: Based on the attitude data, if it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in the slope area, control the pool cleaning robot to move along the slope search path in the slope area to perform the search task in the flat slope area.

[0070] In some embodiments, when the posture data of the pool cleaning robot falls within the slope posture range, a determination result can be obtained that the pool cleaning robot is located in the slope area.

[0071] In some embodiments, the slope attitude range can be determined based on the slope of the sloping area in the pool. Generally, when the roll angle and pitch angle parameters of the pool cleaning robot are greater than +30 degrees or less than -30 degrees, or when the tilt angle of the pool cleaning robot is greater than +30 degrees or less than -30 degrees, the determination result that the pool cleaning robot is located in the sloping area can be obtained.

[0072] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot can be controlled to move along a slope search path, continuously acquiring attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during its movement, analyzing the attitude data, and determining if the attitude data falls within a given flat slope attitude range (refer to...). Figure 1A Position f, or Figure 1C If the position is C), the pool cleaning robot will be able to determine if it has found a flat area; otherwise, the robot will continue to move along the slope search path.

[0073] In some embodiments, the slope search path may include a straight section of the slope extending along the slope of the slope region (see reference). Figure 1A (ef) section of road.

[0074] In summary, the pool zoning search method of this embodiment determines the current area type (flat or sloping) of the pool cleaning robot based on its posture data, and executes the search task of adjacent areas according to the area search path corresponding to the area type, thereby quickly and accurately searching for flat and sloping areas in the pool and improving the efficiency of pool zoning search.

[0075] Furthermore, this embodiment utilizes a pentagonal star-shaped slope search path, enabling the pool cleaning robot to quickly explore a large area of ​​flat slopes with fewer turning movements, thus improving search efficiency in sloping areas.

[0076] Figure 3 This embodiment illustrates the processing flow of a pool zone search method as another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. This embodiment primarily demonstrates the specific implementation of step 204 described above. In this embodiment, the pool cleaning robot includes a ranging unit and an inertial measurement unit.

[0077] like Figure 3 As described above, this embodiment mainly includes the following steps:

[0078] Step 302: Determine the current flat slope segment and subsequent flat slope segments in each flat slope straight road segment.

[0079] In this embodiment, the subsequent straight road segment is the next straight road segment following the current flat road segment.

[0080] For example, in Figure 1A In the example shown, if the current flat slope section is ab, the subsequent flat slope section will be bc.

[0081] Step 304: Control the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope section at the first speed, and measure the distance between the pool wall in the direction of the pool cleaning robot's movement by the ranging unit during the movement to obtain the actual obstacle avoidance distance between the pool cleaning robot and the pool wall.

[0082] In some embodiments, the ranging unit of the pool cleaning robot may include a laser sensor and a sonar sensor, and the pool cleaning robot may also include a vision sensor.

[0083] Specifically, during the movement of the pool cleaning robot, the turbidity of the pool water can be detected by a visual sensor. If the turbidity exceeds a given turbidity threshold, the distance to the pool wall in the direction of the robot's movement can be measured by a sonar sensor. If the turbidity does not exceed the turbidity threshold, the distance to the pool wall in the direction of the robot's movement can be measured by a laser sensor.

[0084] Specifically, water significantly scatters and absorbs laser light, especially in turbid water, greatly reducing its penetration and effective range. Suspended particles and optical impurities in the water also affect laser propagation and reflection. Therefore, introducing a visual sensor to determine the turbidity of the pool water, and prioritizing sonar sensor data when the turbidity exceeds a set standard, can improve the reliability of distance measurement results, thereby enhancing the safety and stability of the pool cleaning robot's movement.

[0085] Step 306: Determine whether the actual obstacle avoidance distance between the pool cleaning robot and the pool wall is less than the minimum obstacle avoidance distance. If yes, proceed to step 308; otherwise, return to step 304.

[0086] In some embodiments, the minimum obstacle avoidance distance can be determined based on parameters such as the moving speed and body length of the pool cleaning robot.

[0087] Step 308: Control the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope section at a second speed lower than the first speed, and acquire the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot through the inertial measurement unit during the movement.

[0088] When the pool cleaning robot is detected approaching the pool wall, the robot can be controlled to slow down, while the inertial measurement unit detects the robot's attitude data.

[0089] Step 310: Determine if the pool cleaning robot has bumped into the wall. If so, proceed to step 312; otherwise, return to step 308.

[0090] Specifically, the slope of the moving surface of the pool cleaning robot can be significantly changed based on the posture data. If so, it means that the pool cleaning robot has collided with the pool wall, and then step 312 is performed.

[0091] Step 312: Control the pool cleaning robot to move from the current flat slope section to the subsequent flat slope section, update the subsequent flat slope section to the new current flat slope section, and return to step 302.

[0092] Specifically, if it is determined that the pool cleaning robot has hit a wall, it means that the current flat and straight section of the road that the pool cleaning robot is traveling on has ended. Then, the pool cleaning robot is controlled to turn around to the next flat and straight section (i.e. the subsequent flat section) and return to step 302 to perform the search task in the slope area.

[0093] In summary, this embodiment controls the movement of the pool cleaning robot by fusing detection data from visual sensors, laser sensors, sonar sensors, and inertial measurement units. This reduces the risk of the robot getting stuck when turning around near the pool wall, thereby improving the safety and stability of its movement and enhancing the efficiency of its search tasks on slopes.

[0094] Swimming pool zoning mapping method

[0095] Figure 4 The processing flow of the swimming pool zoning mapping method, which is an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, is shown in the figure. This embodiment mainly includes the following steps:

[0096] Step 402: Control the pool cleaning robot to move within the work area defined by the pool to determine the location information of each flat and sloping area in the pool.

[0097] In this embodiment, the pool zoning search method described in any of the above embodiments can be used to control the pool cleaning robot to search for each sloping area and each flat area in the pool, and determine the location information of each sloping area and each flat area.

[0098] Step 404: Based on the location information of each flat slope area and each sloping slope area in the pool, generate a pool zoning map of the pool.

[0099] In summary, this embodiment utilizes the pool zoning search method described in the foregoing embodiments to quickly and accurately determine different zones within a pool, achieving the technical effect of rapidly constructing a pool zoning map.

[0100] Pool cleaning methods

[0101] Figure 5 The processing flow of the swimming pool zoning cleaning method, which is an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, is shown in the figure. This embodiment mainly includes the following steps:

[0102] Step 502: Determine the deep water area, shallow water area, and sloping area in the pool.

[0103] In this embodiment, the deep water area, shallow water area, and slope area in the pool can be determined by using the pool zoning search method or the pool zoning mapping method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0104] Step 504: Perform zoned cleaning of the pool according to the zoned cleaning strategies for deep water, shallow water, and sloping areas.

[0105] Because the shallow and sloping areas of a swimming pool are relatively shallow, pollutants from these areas tend to drift towards the deeper water. Therefore, the deep water area often requires the most cleaning. In this embodiment, different cleaning strategies are implemented for different areas of the pool. For example, the deep water area is cleaned twice, while the shallow and sloping areas are cleaned sequentially to meet the cleaning needs of different areas and improve the overall pool cleaning efficiency.

[0106] The following is for reference Figure 1C The swimming pool zone cleaning method of this embodiment is described in detail below:

[0107] After the pool cleaning robot 2 is deployed into area 114 of the pool 100, the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot 2 can be used to determine that area 114 is a flat slope area.

[0108] The controllable pool cleaning robot 2 moves along the straight sections of the flat slopes, which are distributed in a pentagonal shape, to search for the sloping area of ​​the pool. When the pool cleaning robot 2 moves to point A, it is detected that the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot 2 falls within the sloping attitude range, and it is determined that the pool cleaning robot 2 has entered the sloping area from the flat slope area.

[0109] The pool cleaning robot 2 is controlled to move along the slope search path (line segment BC) in the slope area. Based on the travel direction and posture data of the pool cleaning robot 2, it can be determined that the pool cleaning robot 2 is moving to a deeper pool area. Therefore, the area label of area 114 can be updated to shallow water area 114.

[0110] The attitude data of the pool cleaning robot 2 as it moves along the slope search path (line segment BC) is continuously acquired. When the pool cleaning robot 2 moves to point C, it is detected that the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot 2 has fallen back into the flat slope attitude range. It is then determined that the pool cleaning robot 2 has entered the deep water area 112 from the slope area 120. At this point, the deep water area 112, shallow water area 114 and slope area 120 in the pool 100 have all been searched. Based on the area cleaning strategy of different areas, the zone cleaning task of the pool 100 can be executed.

[0111] For example, the location point C at the bottom of the pool can be used as the first starting cleaning point of the deep water area 112. The pool cleaning robot 2 is controlled to move along the serpentine cleaning route in the pool 100 until it reaches the location point D at the bottom of the pool, so as to complete the first cleaning of the bottom and walls of the deep water area 112.

[0112] The location point E on the bottom of the pool (where location point E and location point D can substantially coincide) can be used as the second starting cleaning point. The pool cleaning robot 2 is controlled to move along the serpentine cleaning route in the pool 100 from the deep water area 112 to the shallow water area 114 until it reaches the location point F on the bottom of the pool in the shallow water area 114, so as to complete the cleaning of the bottom of the entire area of ​​the pool 100 (including the bottom of the deep water area 112, the ramp area 120 and the shallow water area 114).

[0113] The controllable pool cleaning robot 2 starts from position F at the bottom of the pool and performs a wall-climbing task to move to position G on the pool wall. It then cleans the entire area of ​​the pool wall along the cleaning route on the pool wall until it reaches position H. Afterward, it cleans the waterline of the entire area of ​​the pool 100 along the waterline cleaning route (line segment HI) on the pool wall, thereby completing the entire cleaning task of the pool 100.

[0114] In summary, the swimming pool zoning cleaning scheme of this embodiment implements different cleaning strategies based on different zones in the pool. Specifically, two cleanings are performed on the deep water zone with a higher degree of pollution, while one cleaning is performed on the shallow water zone and the sloping zone with a lower degree of pollution. This can effectively meet the cleaning needs of different areas of the pool and improve the cleaning effect of the pool.

[0115] Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of a swimming pool zone search device 600, which is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The swimming pool zone search device of this embodiment can be applied to, for example... Figures 1A to 1C The swimming pool 100 shown includes a flat slope area 110 and a sloping slope area 120 arranged adjacent to each other.

[0116] As shown in the figure, the pool zone search device 600 in this embodiment includes:

[0117] The detection module 602 is used to control the pool cleaning robot to move along the bottom of the pool and acquire the posture data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement.

[0118] The search module 604 is used to, based on the posture data, control the pool cleaning robot to move along the flat slope search path in the flat slope area to perform the search task in the slope area when it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in the flat slope area, or control the pool cleaning robot to move along the slope search path in the slope area to perform the search task in the flat slope area when it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in the slope area.

[0119] The flat slope search path includes multiple straight flat slope sections connected in sequence, while the sloping slope search path is a straight sloping slope section extending along the slope of the sloping area.

[0120] In some embodiments, the search module 604 is further configured to: perform a flat slope movement step, control the pool cleaning robot to move sequentially along each flat slope straight section in the flat slope search path, and obtain the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement; analyze the attitude data, and if the attitude data falls within a given slope attitude range, obtain a judgment result that the pool cleaning robot has searched for the slope area, otherwise return to perform the flat slope movement step.

[0121] In some embodiments, the search module 604 is further configured to: perform a ramp movement step, control the pool cleaning robot to move along the ramp search path, continuously acquire the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement; analyze the attitude data, and if the attitude data falls within a given flat slope attitude range, obtain a judgment result that the pool cleaning robot has searched the flat slope area; otherwise, return to perform the ramp movement step.

[0122] In some embodiments, the slope attitude range is determined based on the slope of the slope region, and the flat slope attitude range is determined based on the slope of the flat slope region.

[0123] In some embodiments, at least one endpoint of each flat, straight section falls at the junction between the bottom and the wall of the pool.

[0124] In some embodiments, the straight sections of the flat slopes in the flat slope search path are distributed in a serpentine, sawtooth, or pentagonal pattern.

[0125] In some embodiments, the search module 604 is further configured to: for any target attitude range between the slope attitude range and the flat slope attitude range, obtain a determination result that the attitude data falls within the target attitude range by means of the following method:

[0126] Based on the attitude data, determine the roll angle parameter value and pitch angle parameter value of the pool cleaning robot, and / or calculate the tilt angle value of the pool cleaning robot; if the roll angle parameter value and pitch angle parameter value of the pool cleaning robot fall within the target attitude range, and / or the tilt angle value of the pool cleaning robot falls within the target attitude range, obtain the judgment result that the attitude data falls within the target attitude range.

[0127] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot includes a ranging unit and an inertial measurement unit, and the pool includes a pool wall. The search module 604 is further configured to: determine the current flat slope segment and subsequent flat slope segments in each flat slope straight section, wherein the subsequent straight section is the next flat slope straight section following the current flat slope segment; control the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope segment at a first speed, and during the movement, measure the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the pool wall in the direction of travel using the ranging unit to obtain the actual obstacle avoidance distance between the pool cleaning robot and the pool wall; if the actual obstacle avoidance distance is less than a given minimum obstacle avoidance distance, control the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope segment at a second speed lower than the first speed, and during the movement, obtain the distance between the pool cleaning robot and the pool wall using the inertial measurement unit. The robot's posture data; if the actual obstacle avoidance distance is not less than the minimum obstacle avoidance distance, return to the step of controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope section at a first speed; based on the posture data, if a judgment result is obtained that the pool cleaning robot has hit a wall, control the pool cleaning robot to move from the current flat slope section to the subsequent flat slope section, update the subsequent flat slope section to the new current flat slope section, and return to the step of determining the current flat slope section and the subsequent flat slope section in each flat slope straight section; if a judgment result is not obtained that the pool cleaning robot has hit a wall, return to the step of controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope section at a second speed lower than the first speed.

[0128] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot includes a laser sensor, a sonar sensor, and a vision sensor. The search module 604 is further configured to: detect the turbidity of the pool water using the vision sensor during the movement of the pool cleaning robot; if the turbidity exceeds a given turbidity threshold, measure the distance to the pool wall in the direction of travel of the pool cleaning robot using the sonar sensor; if the turbidity does not exceed the turbidity threshold, measure the distance to the pool wall in the direction of travel of the pool cleaning robot using the laser sensor.

[0129] Figure 7 A structural block diagram of a swimming pool zoning mapping apparatus 700, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, includes:

[0130] The search module 702 is used to control the pool cleaning robot to move within the work area defined by the pool, through the pool zone search device 600 as described in the above embodiment, in order to search for each flat and sloping zone in the pool.

[0131] Mapping module 704 is used to generate a pool zoning map of the pool based on each flat slope area and each sloping slope area in the pool.

[0132] Figure 8 A structural block diagram of a swimming pool zoning cleaning device 800, an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, includes:

[0133] The zoning module 802 is used to determine the deep water zone, shallow water zone, and sloping zone in the pool by means of the pool zoning search device 600 as described in the above embodiments, or by means of the pool zoning mapping device 700 as described in the above embodiments.

[0134] The cleaning module 804 is used to perform the zoned cleaning task of the swimming pool according to the zone cleaning strategy of the deep water zone, the shallow water zone and the slope zone.

[0135] Furthermore, the swimming pool zone search device 600, swimming pool zone mapping device 700, and swimming pool zone cleaning device 800 of the various embodiments of this disclosure can also be used to implement other steps in the aforementioned swimming pool zone search, mapping, and cleaning method embodiments, and have the beneficial effects of the corresponding method step embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0136] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device, including: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor, the computer program being executed by the at least one processor to cause the electronic device to perform methods according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0137] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a computer's processor, is used to cause the computer to perform methods according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0138] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer program product, including a computer program, wherein, when executed by a processor of a computer, the computer program is used to cause the computer to perform methods according to various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0139] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure also provide a swimming pool cleaning robot, which includes a controller storing control instructions. When executed, the control instructions cause the controller to perform the swimming pool zone search, mapping, and cleaning methods of various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0140] refer to Figure 9The present invention describes a structural block diagram of an electronic device 900 that can serve as a server or client of the present disclosure, which is an example of a hardware device that can be applied to various aspects of the present disclosure. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital electronic computer devices, such as laptops, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present disclosure described and / or claimed herein.

[0141] like Figure 9 As shown, the electronic device 900 includes a computing unit 901, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a computer program stored in a read-only memory (ROM) 902 or a computer program loaded from a storage unit 908 into a random access memory (RAM) 903. The RAM 903 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the device 900. The computing unit 901, ROM 902, and RAM 903 are interconnected via a bus 904. An input / output (I / O) interface 905 is also connected to the bus 904.

[0142] Multiple components in electronic device 900 are connected to I / O interface 905, including: input unit 906, output unit 907, storage unit 908, and communication unit 909. Input unit 906 can be any type of device capable of inputting information to electronic device 900. Input unit 906 can receive input digital or character information and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and / or function control of electronic device. Output unit 907 can be any type of device capable of presenting information and may include, but is not limited to, a display, speaker, video / audio output terminal, vibrator, and / or printer. Storage unit 904 may include, but is not limited to, disk and optical disk. Communication unit 909 allows electronic device 900 to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks, and may include, but is not limited to, modems, network cards, infrared communication devices, wireless communication transceivers and / or chipsets, such as Bluetooth™ devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0143] The computing unit 901 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the computing unit 901 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various computing units running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The computing unit 901 performs the various methods and processes described above. For example, in some embodiments, the pool zoning search, mapping, and cleaning methods of the foregoing embodiments can be implemented as computer software programs tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as storage unit 908. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on the electronic device 900 via ROM 902 and / or communication unit 909. In some embodiments, the computing unit 901 can be configured to perform the pool zoning search, mapping, and cleaning methods by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0144] The program code used to implement the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. This program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code causes the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0145] In the context of this disclosure, a machine-readable medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium can be, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0146] As used in this disclosure, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, device, and / or apparatus (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including machine-readable media that receive machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0147] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having: a display device for displaying information to the user (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor); and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user provides input to the computer. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including sound input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0148] The systems and technologies described herein can be implemented in computing systems that include backend components (e.g., as a data server), or computing systems that include middleware components (e.g., an application server), or computing systems that include frontend components (e.g., a user computer with a graphical user interface or web browser through which a user can interact with embodiments of the systems and technologies described herein), or any combination of such backend, middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can be interconnected via digital data communication of any form or medium (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and the Internet.

[0149] Computer systems can include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally located far apart and typically interact through communication networks. Client-server relationships are created by computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other.

[0150] It should be understood that although this specification is described according to various embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0151] The above descriptions are merely illustrative embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Any equivalent changes, modifications, and combinations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the concept and principles of this disclosure should fall within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for searching a swimming pool divided into zones, applied to a swimming pool comprising a flat zone and a slope zone arranged adjacent to each other, wherein, The method comprises: controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the pool bottom of the pool, acquiring attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during movement; according to the attitude data, if it is judged that the pool cleaning robot is located in the flat slope area, controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the flat slope search path of the flat slope area to perform the search task of the slope area, or if it is judged that the pool cleaning robot is located in the slope area, controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the slope search path of the slope area to perform the search task of the flat slope area; wherein the flat slope search path comprises a plurality of flat slope straight line segments connected in sequence, and the slope search path is a slope straight line segment extending along the slope of the slope area; the two endpoints of each flat slope straight line segment fall on the intersection between the pool bottom and the pool wall of the pool; the control of the pool cleaning robot moving along the flat slope search path of the flat slope area comprises: determining a current flat slope segment and a subsequent flat slope segment in each flat slope straight line segment; controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope segment, and acquiring attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during movement through an inertial measurement unit; according to the attitude data, if a judgment result that the pool cleaning robot hits the wall is obtained, controlling the pool cleaning robot to move from the current flat slope segment to the subsequent flat slope segment.

2. The pool partition search method according to claim 1, wherein the control of the pool cleaning robot moving along the flat slope search path of the flat slope area to perform the search task of the slope area comprises: performing a flat slope movement step, controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along each flat slope straight line segment in the flat slope search path in sequence, and acquiring attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during movement; analyzing the attitude data, if the attitude data falls within a given slope attitude range, obtaining a judgment result that the pool cleaning robot searches the slope area, otherwise returning to perform the flat slope movement step; wherein the control of the pool cleaning robot moving along the slope search path of the slope area to perform the search task of the flat slope area comprises: performing a slope movement step, controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the slope search path, and continuously acquiring attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during movement; analyzing the attitude data, if the attitude data falls within a given flat slope attitude range, obtaining a judgment result that the pool cleaning robot searches the flat slope area, otherwise returning to perform the slope movement step.

3. The pool partition search method according to claim 2, wherein the slope attitude range is determined based on the slope of the slope area, and the flat slope attitude range is determined based on the slope of the flat slope area.

4. The pool partition search method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, Each flat slope straight line segment in the flat slope search path is distributed in a snake shape, a zigzag shape or a pentagram shape.

5. The pool partition search method of claim 2, wherein, For any one of the slope attitude range and the flat slope attitude range, the judgment result that the attitude data falls within the target attitude range is obtained by: According to the attitude data, a roll angle parameter value and a pitch angle parameter value of the pool cleaning robot are determined, and / or a tilt value of the pool cleaning robot is calculated; If the roll angle parameter value and the pitch angle parameter value of the pool cleaning robot respectively fall within the target attitude range, and / or the tilt value of the pool cleaning robot falls within the target attitude range, a determination result that the attitude data falls within the target attitude range is obtained.

6. The pool partition search method of claim 2, wherein, The pool cleaning robot comprises a distance measuring unit and an inertial measurement unit, and the pool comprises a pool wall; The control of the pool cleaning robot to move along each flat slope straight line segment in the flat slope search path in turn comprises: determining a current flat slope segment and a subsequent flat slope segment in each flat slope straight line segment, wherein the subsequent straight line segment is the next flat slope straight line segment connected to the current flat slope segment; controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope segment at a first speed, and in the moving process, the distance measuring unit is used to measure the distance to the pool wall in the moving direction of the pool cleaning robot, so as to obtain the actual obstacle avoidance distance between the pool cleaning robot and the pool wall; if the actual obstacle avoidance distance is less than a given minimum obstacle avoidance distance, the pool cleaning robot is controlled to move along the current flat slope segment at a second speed lower than the first speed, and in the moving process, the inertial measurement unit is used to obtain the attitude data of the pool cleaning robot; if the actual obstacle avoidance distance is not less than the minimum obstacle avoidance distance, the step of controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope segment at the first speed is returned to; if a determination result that the pool cleaning robot hits the wall is obtained according to the attitude data, the pool cleaning robot is controlled to move from the current flat slope segment to the subsequent flat slope segment, the subsequent flat slope segment is updated as a new current flat slope segment, and the step of determining the current flat slope segment and the subsequent flat slope segment in each flat slope straight line segment is returned to; if the determination result that the pool cleaning robot hits the wall is not obtained, the step of controlling the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat slope segment at the second speed lower than the first speed is returned to.

7. The pool partition search method of claim 1, 2, or 6, wherein, The pool cleaning robot comprises a laser sensor, a sonar sensor and a vision sensor; The method further comprises: in the moving process of the pool cleaning robot, the vision sensor is used to detect the water turbidity of the pool; if the water turbidity exceeds a given turbidity threshold, the sonar sensor is used to measure the distance to the pool wall in the moving direction of the pool cleaning robot, and if the water turbidity does not exceed the turbidity threshold, the laser sensor is used to measure the distance to the pool wall in the moving direction of the pool cleaning robot.

8. A pool partition mapping method, the method comprising: controlling a pool cleaning robot to move in a working area defined by a pool by using the pool partition search method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, so as to search for each flat slope area and each inclined slope area in the pool. generate a pool partition map of the pool based on each flat area and each slope area in the pool.

9. A pool partition cleaning method, the method comprising: determining deep water areas, shallow water areas and slope areas in a pool by using the pool partition searching method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or by using the pool partition mapping method according to claim 8; performing a partition cleaning task of the pool according to a regional cleaning strategy of the deep water areas, the shallow water areas and the slope areas.

10. A swimming pool partition search device applied to a swimming pool including a flat area and a slope area disposed adjacent to each other, wherein, The device comprises: a detection module configured to control a pool cleaning robot to move along a pool bottom of the pool, and acquire attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement; a searching module configured to, according to the attitude data, control the pool cleaning robot to move along a flat searching path of the flat area to perform a searching task of the slope area, if it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in the flat area, or control the pool cleaning robot to move along a slope searching path of the slope area to perform a searching task of the flat area, if it is determined that the pool cleaning robot is located in the slope area; wherein the flat searching path comprises a plurality of flat straight line segments connected in sequence, and the slope searching path is a slope straight line segment extending along a slope of the slope area; and two end points of each flat straight line segment fall on an intersection between the pool bottom and a pool wall. The searching module is further configured to determine a current flat straight line segment and a subsequent flat straight line segment in the flat straight line segments, control the pool cleaning robot to move along the current flat straight line segment, and acquire attitude data of the pool cleaning robot during the movement by using an inertial measurement unit, and according to the attitude data, if a result of determining that the pool cleaning robot collides with the pool wall is obtained, control the pool cleaning robot to move from the current flat straight line segment to the subsequent flat straight line segment.

11. A pool partition mapping device, the device comprising: a searching module configured to control a pool cleaning robot to move in a working area defined by a pool by using the pool partition searching device according to claim 10, to search for each flat area and each slope area in the pool; a mapping module configured to generate a pool partition map of the pool based on each flat area and each slope area in the pool.

12. A pool partition cleaning device, the device comprising: a partitioning module configured to determine deep water areas, shallow water areas and slope areas in a pool by using the pool partition searching device according to claim 10, or by using the pool partition mapping device according to claim 11; a cleaning module configured to perform a partition cleaning task of the pool according to a regional cleaning strategy of the deep water areas, the shallow water areas and the slope areas.

13. An electronic device comprising: a processor, a memory, a communication interface and a communication bus, the processor, the memory and the communication interface complete communication with each other through the communication bus; The memory is configured to store at least one executable instruction, which causes the processor to perform operations corresponding to the pool partition searching method of any one of claims 1-7, or perform operations corresponding to the pool partition mapping method of claim 8, or perform operations corresponding to the pool partition cleaning method of claim 9. 14.A computer storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the pool partition searching method of any one of claims 1-7, or the pool partition mapping method of claim 8, or the pool partition cleaning method of claim 9. 15.A pool cleaning robot comprising a controller, wherein control instructions are stored in the controller, which, when executed, cause the controller to perform the pool partition searching method of any one of claims 1-7, or the pool partition mapping method of claim 8, or the pool partition cleaning method of claim 9.

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