Cat litter basin control method and device and cat litter basin

Abstract

The invention provides a cat litter box control method and device and a cat litter box, and relates to the technical field of intelligent control. The method comprises the steps that when it is detected that a pet leaves the cat litter basin, a cat litter tray surface image collected by a camera device is obtained; based on the surface image of the cat litter tray, relative position data of a to-be-cleaned object representing excrement on the cat litter tray is determined; based on the relative position data, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated, the roller is controlled to rotate according to the rotation strategy, the to-be-cleaned object is covered with cat litter, the rotation strategy comprises at least one of the rotation direction, the rotation angle and the alternate rotation strategy, and the alternate rotation strategy is used for indicating and controlling the roller to rotate alternately. The cleaning efficiency of the cat litter basin is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of intelligent control technology, in particular to a control method and device for a cat litter box and a cat litter box. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the pet economy and people's increasing attention to the quality of life of pets, the demand for intelligent and convenient pet products continues to grow. In the field of cat litter boxes, traditional open cat litter boxes are gradually being replaced by more advanced flip-type cat litter boxes due to problems such as inconvenient cleaning and odor diffusion. The flip-type cat litter box can effectively reduce the workload of users' manual cleaning through automated design, improve the convenience and hygiene level of use, and is therefore widely favored by the market.

[0003] The core advantage of a flip-type litter box is its automatic cleaning function, that is, through a built-in mechanical structure (such as a roller or flip mechanism), the cat litter box can automatically flip over after the cat uses it, separate the excrement from the clean cat litter, and collect the excrement into a dedicated sealed container. This design not only reduces the trouble of users manually shoveling feces, but also effectively controls the spread of odor and improves indoor environmental hygiene. In addition, flip-type litter boxes are usually equipped with smart sensors that can detect the use of cats and automatically start the cleaning program after the cat leaves, further improving the user experience.

[0004] However, existing flip-type cat litter boxes usually adopt a fixed flip control strategy, that is, after detecting that the cat has left, the flip program is automatically executed according to a preset time or number of times. This fixed strategy may cause a large flip when the feces are not completely covered by the cat litter, which can easily cause the feces to adhere to the inner wall of the drum, resulting in incomplete cleaning and sanitation problems, which obviously increases the cleaning intensity. In fact, according to statistics, existing flip-type cat litter boxes need to be cleaned once every 15 days at most, which is obviously contrary to the original design intention of the flip-type cat litter box.

[0005] Therefore, the cleaning efficiency of the existing flip-type cat litter box is low. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a control method and device for a cat litter box and a cat litter box, which are used to solve the problem of low cleaning efficiency of the existing flip-type cat litter box.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for controlling a cat litter box, which is applicable to a cat litter box equipped with a camera device and a drum, wherein a cat litter tray is provided in the drum, and the method comprises: When it is detected that the pet has left the cat litter box, acquiring the surface image of the cat litter box captured by the camera device; Based on the surface image of the cat litter tray, determining relative position data of the object to be cleaned representing the excrement on the cat litter tray; Based on the relative position data, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated, and the rotation of the drum is controlled according to the rotation strategy so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, wherein the rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, and the alternating rotation strategy is used to instruct and control the drum to rotate alternately.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the relative position data includes a first distance value from the left side of the cat litter tray and a second distance value from the right side of the cat litter tray, the left side and the right side are respectively parallel to the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the horizontal center line is perpendicular to the rotation plane corresponding to the drum; generating a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data includes: Based on the comparison result of the first distance value and the second distance value, detecting that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, wherein the first area is located on the left side of the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the second area is located on the right side of the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area, the first direction is used as the rotation direction, and the rotation angle is determined based on the second distance value; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area, the second direction is used as the rotation direction, and the rotation angle is determined based on the first distance value; The first direction is used to indicate a clockwise direction, and the second direction is used to indicate a counterclockwise direction.

[0009] In a possible implementation, generating a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data includes: When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, and a third distance value between the object to be cleaned and the edge of the cat litter tray is less than a preset edge distance threshold, a rotation angle and a number of alternating rotations are determined according to the third distance value, and an alternating rotation strategy is generated according to the rotation angle and the number of alternating rotations; A rotation strategy is generated based on the rotation direction corresponding to the area where the object to be cleaned is located and the alternating rotation strategy.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: Acquire cat litter depth data collected by the camera device, the camera device includes a depth camera, the cat litter depth data includes first depth data and second depth data, the first depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the first area, and the second depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the second area; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area but the second depth data is smaller than the first depth data, or when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area but the first depth data is smaller than the second depth data, the rotation strategy is determined based on the distance difference and the depth difference, wherein the distance difference is the difference between the first distance value and the second distance value, and the depth difference is the difference between the first depth data and the second depth data.

[0011] In a possible implementation, determining the rotation strategy according to the distance difference and the depth difference includes: When it is detected that the distance difference is within a preset first difference interval, but the depth difference is not within a preset second difference interval, the rotation angle is determined based on the depth difference, and the magnitude of the first depth data and the second depth data is determined; When the first depth data is greater than the second depth data, the rotation direction is determined according to the second direction; Alternatively, when the second depth data is greater than the first depth data, the rotation direction is determined according to the first direction.

[0012] In a possible implementation, determining the rotation strategy according to the distance difference and the depth difference further includes: When it is detected that the depth difference is within the second difference interval, but the distance difference is not within the first difference interval, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated based on the relative position data of the object to be cleaned.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the generating a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data further includes: When the first distance value and the second distance value detect that the object to be cleaned is located on the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, the corresponding rotation direction is determined according to the larger value of the first depth data and the second depth data, and the rotation angle is determined by the depth difference.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the method further includes: After executing the rotation strategy, acquiring the surface image of the cat litter tray currently captured by the camera device; When the current cat litter tray surface image detects that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, triggering a dumping operation on the object to be cleaned, wherein the dumping operation is used to instruct the object to be cleaned covered with cat litter to be separated from other cat litters; When it is detected by the current cat litter tray surface image that the object to be cleaned is not covered by cat litter, the rotation direction is updated with a third direction opposite to the rotation direction in the executed rotation strategy, and / or, based on a third distance value indicated by the current cat litter tray surface image, the rotation angle in the executed rotation strategy is updated to update the rotation strategy.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides a control device for a cat litter box, which is applicable to a cat litter box equipped with a camera device and a drum, wherein a cat litter tray is provided in the drum, and the device comprises: An image acquisition module, used to acquire the surface image of the cat litter tray captured by the camera device when detecting that the pet has left the cat litter tray; An image recognition module is used to determine the relative position data of the object to be cleaned representing the excrement on the cat litter tray based on the surface image of the cat litter tray; A strategy generation module is used to generate a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data, and control the rotation of the drum according to the rotation strategy so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, wherein the rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, and the alternating rotation strategy is used to instruct the drum to rotate alternately.

[0016] In a third aspect, the present application provides a cat litter box, comprising: a camera device, a drum and a control device, wherein a cat litter tray is provided in the drum, the camera device and the drum are both connected to the control device, and the control device executes the control method of the cat litter box described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect.

[0017] The control method, device and cat litter box provided in the present application obtain a surface image of the cat litter tray through a camera device, identify the relative position data of the object to be cleaned in the cat litter tray, and generate and execute a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data. The rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, so as to control the rotation of the drum so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter. In this way, the rotation strategy can be dynamically adjusted according to the relative position of the object to be cleaned, thereby increasing the possibility that excrement is covered by cat litter, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the cat litter tray, keeping the cat litter covered and the inside of the tray clean, and solving the problem of low cleaning efficiency of the existing flip-type cat litter tray. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a process for controlling a cat litter box provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a control device for a cat litter box provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3A schematic structural diagram of a cat litter box provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 1 A flow chart of a method for controlling a cat litter box provided in an embodiment of the present application is applicable to a cat litter box equipped with a camera device and a drum, wherein a cat litter tray is provided in the drum, and the method for controlling the cat litter box includes steps S101 to S103.

[0021] S101. When it is detected that a pet has left the cat litter box, an image of the surface of the cat litter box captured by the camera device is obtained.

[0022] It should be noted that in a cat litter box, the drum is used to separate clean cat litter and clumped waste (such as excrement wrapped in cat litter). That is, the cat litter will clump after being used by the pet. When the drum rotates, the clumped waste will be separated by the filtering structure and then fall into the feces collection box at the bottom, while the clean cat litter will be retained for continued use.

[0023] In the present application, the cat litter box is also equipped with a camera device, which can be a rotatable camera for collecting images (i.e., images of the surface of the cat litter tray). The camera range of the rotatable camera is the cat litter tray, and the corresponding rotation strategy is generated by obtaining the relative position data of the object to be cleaned (i.e., excrement) on the cat litter tray. The camera device can also be a depth camera, which is a camera device that can obtain the depth information of an object. The depth camera measures the light (usually infrared light) reflected by the object to achieve accurate measurement of the depth of the object, and the corresponding rotation strategy is generated by obtaining the cat litter coverage status of the cat litter tray. Optionally, the camera device includes a rotatable camera and a depth camera, and the corresponding rotation strategy is generated by the relative position data of the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray and the cat litter coverage status of the cat litter tray.

[0024] In an optional embodiment, the cat litter box is also equipped with a weight sensor, which is arranged inside the drum, and the weight sensor is used to monitor the weight of the cat litter in the drum and monitor whether the pet is inside the cat litter box. Therefore, the present application detects whether the pet has left the cat litter box through the weight sensor, thereby triggering the acquisition of the cat litter tray surface image from the camera device after detecting that the pet has left the cat litter box.

[0025] S102: Based on the surface image of the cat litter tray, determine relative position data of the object to be cleaned representing the excrement on the cat litter tray.

[0026] In the present application, the surface image of the cat litter tray is a surface image showing a cat litter tray. Optionally, in combination with image recognition, the object to be cleaned and the cat litter are distinguished based on color and shape, and the relative position of the object to be cleaned in the cat litter tray is determined. It should be noted that image recognition refers to the process of understanding, analyzing and classifying information such as targets, scenes, features, etc. in an image using computer technology. It is a practical application of deep learning algorithms, which recognizes the content in an image through specific algorithms and models, such as identifying people, animals, objects, text, etc. in the image, and determining their category, position, posture and other related information.

[0027] S103. Generate a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data, and control the rotation of the drum according to the rotation strategy so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, wherein the rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, and the alternating rotation strategy is used to instruct and control the drum to rotate alternately.

[0028] It should be noted that in the prior art, automatic cat litter boxes usually push agglomerated excrement into a collection container in a fixed direction. As the fixed single direction rotates, the feces are greatly turned over when they are not completely covered by the cat litter, which easily causes the feces to adhere to the inner wall of the drum, resulting in low cleaning efficiency and the inability to ensure the sanitary condition of the cat litter box.

[0029] In the present application, the rotation direction includes clockwise and counterclockwise, and the rotation direction is determined by the relative position of the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray, that is, the relative position data. By controlling the rotation direction in the rotation strategy, the object to be cleaned may roll with the rotation, so that the object to be cleaned can be covered by the cat litter, which increases the possibility of excrement being covered by the cat litter.

[0030] In the present application, the rotation angle in the rotation strategy is determined based on the relative position data. It should be noted that the maximum value of the rotation angle prevents the cat litter from passing through the filter structure adjacent to the cat litter tray and falling into the feces collection box at the bottom. For example, the rotation angle is 30°, which can be changed according to the different hardware settings of the cat litter box. Therefore, by controlling the rotation angle in the rotation strategy, the object to be cleaned is caused to roll or the cat litter falls on the object to be cleaned as it rotates, thereby increasing the coverage of the excrement and improving the cleaning efficiency of the cat litter box.

[0031] For the alternating rotation strategy, the alternating rotation strategy includes the alternating rotation times of the alternating rotation, and the drum is controlled to perform alternating rotation (such as left and right swinging) according to the alternating rotation strategy, and the alternating rotation includes clockwise rotation and counterclockwise rotation. By controlling the alternating rotation of the drum and controlling the alternating rotation times (such as the swinging times), the cat litter can fully cover the object to be cleaned, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0032] Therefore, the present application generates a corresponding rotation strategy by adjusting at least one of the rotation direction, rotation angle and alternating rotation strategy according to the relative position of the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray, so that the drum is controlled to rotate according to the rotation strategy, and the cat litter tray rotates accordingly, so that the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray is covered with cat litter, which can improve the efficiency of excrement being covered by cat litter, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the cat litter box.

[0033] The control method of the cat litter box provided in the present embodiment obtains the surface image of the cat litter box through a camera device, identifies the relative position data of the object to be cleaned in the cat litter box, and generates and executes a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data. The rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, so as to control the rotation of the drum so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter. In this way, the rotation strategy can be dynamically adjusted according to the relative position of the object to be cleaned, thereby increasing the possibility that excrement is covered by cat litter, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the cat litter box, keeping the cat litter covered and the inside of the box clean, and solving the problem of low cleaning efficiency of the existing flip-type cat litter box.

[0034] In some embodiments, the relative position data includes a first distance value from the left side of the cat litter tray and a second distance value from the right side of the cat litter tray, the left side and the right side are respectively parallel to the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the horizontal center line is perpendicular to the rotation plane corresponding to the drum; generating a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data includes: Based on the comparison result of the first distance value and the second distance value, detecting that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, wherein the first area is located on the left side of the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the second area is located on the right side of the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area, the first direction is used as the rotation direction, and the rotation angle is determined based on the second distance value; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area, the second direction is used as the rotation direction, and the rotation angle is determined based on the first distance value; The first direction is used to indicate a clockwise direction, and the second direction is used to indicate a counterclockwise direction.

[0035] In this embodiment, the relative position data includes a first distance value from the left side of the cat litter tray and a second distance value from the right side of the cat litter tray. Exemplarily, the width between the left side and the right side of the cat litter tray is 20 cm, the horizontal center line is located at a position of 10 cm on the cat litter tray, the first distance value represents the distance value of the object to be cleaned from the left side of the cat litter tray, such as the first distance value is 6 cm, and the second distance value represents the distance value of the object to be cleaned from the right side of the cat litter tray, such as the second distance value is 14 cm.

[0036] Then, optionally, the first distance value is compared with the second distance value. When the first distance value is consistent with the second distance value, it is determined that the object to be cleaned is located on the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray. When the first distance value is less than the second distance value, it is determined that the object to be cleaned is on the left side of the horizontal center line (i.e., the first area). When the first distance value is greater than the second distance value, it is determined that the object to be cleaned is on the right side of the horizontal center line (i.e., the second area).

[0037] Further, optionally, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area, the first direction is used as the rotation direction, that is, the drum is controlled to rotate in a clockwise direction, and the object to be cleaned in the first area rolls as the cat litter tray rotates, or the cat litter falls on the object to be cleaned as it rotates, so that the object to be cleaned is fully covered by the cat litter. Secondly, the rotation angle is determined by the second distance value between the object to be cleaned and the right side, and when the drum rotates, the coverage of the object to be cleaned is increased while ensuring that the object to be cleaned and the cat litter do not enter the filter structure as it rotates, so as to avoid excrement that is not completely wrapped in cat litter affecting the sanitary state in the cat litter tray, thereby improving the rotation efficiency. Furthermore, based on the first direction and the currently determined rotation angle, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated to control the rotation of the drum according to the rotation strategy.

[0038] Optionally, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area, the second direction is used as the rotation direction, that is, the drum is controlled to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, and the object to be cleaned in the second area rolls as the cat litter tray rotates, or the cat litter falls on the object to be cleaned as it rotates, so that the object to be cleaned is fully covered by the cat litter. Secondly, the rotation angle is determined by the first distance value between the object to be cleaned and the left side, and when the drum rotates, the coverage of the object to be cleaned is increased while ensuring that the object to be cleaned and the cat litter do not enter the filter structure as it rotates, so as to avoid excrement that is not completely wrapped in cat litter affecting the sanitary state in the cat litter tray. Furthermore, based on the second direction and the currently determined rotation angle, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated to control the rotation of the drum according to the rotation strategy.

[0039] It should be noted that the rotation strategy may also include a rotation angular velocity, that is, when the object to be cleaned is detected to be in the first area, the rotation angular velocity is determined based on the first distance value and / or the second distance value; when the object to be cleaned is detected to be in the second area, the rotation angular velocity is determined based on the first distance value and / or the second distance value, which can improve the cleaning efficiency and coverage of excrement.

[0040] Therefore, this embodiment controls the drum to rotate in a corresponding rotation direction and rotation angle through the relative position of the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray, thereby realizing dynamic adjustment of the rotation strategy according to the relative position data of the object to be cleaned, thereby improving the flexibility of rotation, meeting the actual cleaning requirements, and being able to increase the coverage of excrement, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency and ensuring the hygienic state of the cat litter tray.

[0041] In an optional embodiment, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area, the rotation angle and the number of alternating rotations in the alternating rotation strategy are determined based on the first distance value and the corresponding rotation angle, and a corresponding rotation strategy is generated in combination with the first direction and the alternating rotation strategy to control the rotation of the drum.

[0042] When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area, the rotation angle and the number of alternating rotations in the alternating rotation strategy are determined based on the second distance value and the corresponding rotation angle, and a corresponding rotation strategy is generated in combination with the second direction and the alternating rotation strategy to control the rotation of the drum.

[0043] In this embodiment, an alternating rotation strategy is generated by the rotation direction and the rotation angle, and a corresponding rotation strategy is generated based on this, so that the object to be cleaned can be fully covered, thereby further improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0044] In some embodiments, step S103 includes: When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, and a third distance value between the object to be cleaned and the edge of the cat litter tray is less than a preset edge distance threshold, a rotation angle and a number of alternating rotations are determined according to the third distance value, and an alternating rotation strategy is generated according to the rotation angle and the number of alternating rotations; A rotation strategy is generated based on the rotation direction corresponding to the area where the object to be cleaned is located and the alternating rotation strategy.

[0045] In this embodiment, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, and the third distance value between the object to be cleaned and the edge of the cat litter tray is small, it can be considered that the object to be cleaned is close to the edge of the cat litter tray or is located in the corner of the cat litter tray. At this time, the possibility of the object to be cleaned being completely covered during the rotation of the drum is low. Then, this embodiment determines the rotation angle and the number of alternating rotations in the alternating rotation strategy through the third distance value, so that the object to be cleaned can be covered and the visibility of the excrement residue is reduced.

[0046] It should be noted that the alternating rotation strategy also includes the rotation angular velocity, which can improve the cleaning efficiency.

[0047] Furthermore, after executing the alternating rotation strategy, the rotation of the drum is controlled according to the rotation direction corresponding to the area, so that the object to be cleaned is fully covered.

[0048] Therefore, this embodiment generates an alternating rotation strategy and a rotation direction to generate a corresponding rotation strategy for the object to be cleaned near an edge or a corner, thereby increasing the coverage of the object to be cleaned and further improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0049] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: Acquire cat litter depth data collected by the camera device, the camera device includes a depth camera, the cat litter depth data includes first depth data and second depth data, the first depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the first area, and the second depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the second area; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area but the second depth data is smaller than the first depth data, or when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area but the first depth data is smaller than the second depth data, the rotation strategy is determined based on the distance difference and the depth difference, wherein the distance difference is the difference between the first distance value and the second distance value, and the depth difference is the difference between the first depth data and the second depth data.

[0050] In this embodiment, the camera device also includes a depth camera, which is used to obtain depth information of cat litter on the cat litter tray. The depth camera generates a corresponding rotation strategy based on the cat litter coverage status of the cat litter tray and the relative position of the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray, thereby improving the flexibility of the rotation strategy and further improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0051] On the one hand, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is located in the first area (i.e., the left side of the horizontal midline), the rotation direction in the rotation strategy is clockwise, so that the object to be cleaned in the first area rolls and is covered by the cat litter. At this time, if the second depth data of the second area is greater than the first depth data of the first area, it is considered that the object to be cleaned in the first area can be fully covered by the cat litter as it rotates and rolls, and the rotation direction in the rotation strategy is maintained in the clockwise direction. If the second depth data is less than the first depth data, the rotation strategy is determined based on the distance difference and the depth difference.

[0052] Similarly, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area (i.e., to the right of the horizontal midline), the rotation direction in the rotation strategy is counterclockwise, so that the object to be cleaned in the second area rolls and is covered by the cat litter. At this time, if the first depth data is greater than the second depth data, it is considered that the object to be cleaned in the second area can be fully covered by the cat litter as it rotates and rolls, and the rotation direction in the rotation strategy is kept counterclockwise. If the first depth data is less than the second depth data, the rotation strategy is determined based on the distance difference and the depth difference.

[0053] Therefore, this embodiment dynamically updates the rotation strategy based on the cat litter coverage status on the cat litter tray and the relative position of the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray, thereby improving the flexibility of the rotation strategy, further improving the efficiency of covering the object to be cleaned, and improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0054] Based on the above embodiments, in some embodiments, determining the rotation strategy according to the distance difference and the depth difference includes: When it is detected that the distance difference is within a preset first difference interval, but the depth difference is not within a preset second difference interval, the rotation angle is determined based on the depth difference, and the magnitude of the first depth data and the second depth data is determined; When the first depth data is greater than the second depth data, the rotation direction is determined according to the second direction; Alternatively, when the second depth data is greater than the first depth data, the rotation direction is determined according to the first direction.

[0055] In this embodiment, it is determined whether the distance difference is within the first difference interval and whether the depth difference is within the second difference interval. If the distance difference is within the first difference interval, it is considered that the distance from the object to be cleaned to the left side is close to the distance from the object to be cleaned to the right side, that is, the object to be cleaned is close to the horizontal center line. If the depth difference is within the second difference interval, it is considered that the difference between the depth of the cat litter in the first area and the depth of the cat litter in the second area is small.

[0056] Therefore, when the distance difference is within the first difference interval, but the depth difference is not within the second difference interval, it is considered that the distance difference is small, the object to be cleaned is close to the horizontal midline, and the depth difference is large, the depth on one side is large and the depth on the other side is small. At this time, it can be considered that the influence of the cat litter depth data on the cat litter tray on the rotation effect is greater than the influence of the relative position data of the object to be cleaned on the cat litter tray on the rotation effect. The rotation effect can be the coverage rate and coverage effect of the object to be cleaned, the cleaning efficiency, etc., then this embodiment generates a corresponding rotation strategy based on the factor with greater influence (cat litter depth data in this case).

[0057] Specifically, first, determine the corresponding rotation angle based on the depth difference and / or the distance difference. Then, when the first depth data is greater than the second depth data, it is considered that the depth of the first area is larger, and the depth of the second area is smaller, then control is used to determine the rotation direction in the rotation strategy in a counterclockwise direction (i.e., the second direction), so that the object to be cleaned rolls in the area with more cat litter, so that the object to be cleaned is fully covered. More specifically, when the object to be cleaned is located in the first area, but the first depth data of the first area is greater than the second depth data of the second area, and the depth difference is large, the cat litter depth data is considered, and the counterclockwise direction is used as the rotation direction.

[0058] When the second depth data is greater than the first depth data, it is considered that the depth of the second area is greater, while the depth of the first area is smaller, and the control updates the rotation direction in the rotation strategy in a clockwise direction (i.e., the first direction) so that the object to be cleaned rolls in the area with more cat litter, so that the object to be cleaned is fully covered. More specifically, when the object to be cleaned is located in the second area, but the second depth data of the second area is greater than the first depth data of the first area, and the depth difference is large, the cat litter depth data is considered, and the clockwise direction is used as the rotation direction.

[0059] Optionally, based on the above discussion, after determining the rotation direction, the rotation angle is determined according to the first distance value / second distance value, the first depth data and the second depth data of the object to be cleaned. In addition, an alternating rotation strategy can also be determined to determine the rotation strategy.

[0060] Therefore, when this embodiment determines that the cat litter depth data has a greater impact on the rotation effect, the rotation direction in the rotation strategy is adjusted according to the cat litter depth data, so that the cat litter on the deeper side covers the object to be cleaned, thereby achieving flexible adjustment of the rotation direction and improving the coverage efficiency of the object to be cleaned.

[0061] Based on the above embodiments, in some embodiments, determining the rotation strategy according to the distance difference and the depth difference further includes: When it is detected that the depth difference is within the second difference interval, but the distance difference is not within the first difference interval, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated based on the relative position data of the object to be cleaned.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the depth difference is within the second difference interval, but the distance difference is not within the first difference interval, it is considered that the depth difference is small, the cat litter depths in the first area and the second area are relatively close, and the object to be cleaned is not near the horizontal center line, or even far from the horizontal center line. At this time, it can be considered that the relative position of the object to be cleaned on the sand tray has a greater influence on the rotation effect than the cat litter depth data on the cat litter tray. In this case, the embodiment generates a corresponding rotation strategy based on the factor with a greater influence (in this case, the relative position data of the object to be cleaned on the sand tray).

[0063] Specifically, when the object to be cleaned is located in the first area, the first depth data of the first area is greater than the second depth data of the second area, but the distance difference is large, the relative position data is considered, and the clockwise direction (i.e., the first direction) is used as the rotation direction. When the object to be cleaned is located in the second area, the second depth data of the second area is greater than the first depth data of the first area, but the distance difference is large, the relative position data is considered, and the counterclockwise direction (i.e., the second direction) is used as the rotation direction.

[0064] Optionally, the rotation angle in the rotation strategy is updated according to the depth difference and / or the distance difference, thereby improving control efficiency.

[0065] Therefore, when it is determined that the relative position data has a greater influence on the rotation effect, this embodiment generates a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data of the object to be cleaned, thereby improving control efficiency and flexibility.

[0066] In some embodiments, generating a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data further includes: When the first distance value and the second distance value detect that the object to be cleaned is located on the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, the corresponding rotation direction is determined according to the larger value of the first depth data and the second depth data, and the rotation angle is determined by the depth difference.

[0067] In the present embodiment, when it is detected that the first distance value is consistent with the second distance value, it is determined that the object to be cleaned is located on the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray. Optionally, the corresponding rotation direction is determined based on the larger value of the first depth data and the second depth data, aiming to make the object to be cleaned roll on the cat litter on the side with greater depth to improve the covering efficiency. Specifically, when the first depth data is greater than the second depth data, the counterclockwise direction (i.e., the second direction) is used as the rotation direction, so that the cat litter in the first area with greater depth covers the object to be cleaned. When the second depth data is greater than the first depth data, the clockwise direction (i.e., the first direction) is used as the rotation direction, so that the cat litter in the second area with greater depth covers the object to be cleaned. In addition, the rotation angle is determined based on the depth difference between the first area and the second area, and the corresponding rotation strategy is generated based on the determined rotation direction and rotation angle, thereby improving the flexibility and efficiency of the rotation.

[0068] Optionally, when the object to be cleaned falls on the horizontal midline, a rotation strategy is generated with a specified direction and a specified angle. Alternatively, a rotation strategy is generated with a specified alternating rotation strategy, which includes a specified rotation angle and an alternating rotation number.

[0069] Therefore, this embodiment generates a corresponding rotation strategy for the object to be cleaned located on the horizontal midline, which can be combined with cat litter depth data or specified rotation parameters, thereby improving the flexibility and efficiency of the rotation strategy.

[0070] In an optional embodiment, the corresponding rotation direction, rotation angle and alternating rotation strategy are determined based on the relative position data and the cat litter depth data, and the generated rotation strategy controls the rotation of the drum, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0071] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: After executing the rotation strategy, acquiring the surface image of the cat litter tray currently captured by the camera device; When the current cat litter tray surface image detects that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, triggering a dumping operation on the object to be cleaned, wherein the dumping operation is used to instruct the object to be cleaned covered with cat litter to be separated from other cat litters; When it is detected by the current cat litter tray surface image that the object to be cleaned is not covered by cat litter, the rotation direction is updated with a third direction opposite to the rotation direction in the executed rotation strategy, and / or, based on a third distance value indicated by the current cat litter tray surface image, the rotation angle in the executed rotation strategy is updated to update the rotation strategy.

[0072] In this embodiment, the rotation strategy is used to ensure that the object to be cleaned is fully covered. After the rotation strategy is executed, the camera device is triggered to capture the current surface image of the cat litter tray. Then, combined with image recognition, it is detected based on color and shape whether the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter. Optionally, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, a dumping operation is performed.

[0073] Exemplarily, the dumping operation may be: controlling the drum to rotate 40-90 degrees in one direction, pausing for 1 second, so that the object to be cleaned wrapped with cat litter rolls from the cat litter tray to the sieve (i.e., the filter structure) and is separated on the sieve, while the clean cat litter leaks from the sieve, so that the object to be cleaned wrapped with cat litter is separated from other cat litters. Then, resetting in the reverse direction, i.e., rotating 10-20 degrees in the reverse direction, and then rotating 10-20 degrees in the forward direction, ensuring that all clean cat litter can leak from the sieve, and then rotating 60-120 degrees in the forward direction, so that the object to be cleaned wrapped with cat litter falls into the closed container, so as to distinguish the object to be cleaned from the cat litter.

[0074] Optionally, when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is not completely covered by cat litter, the rotation direction in the previously executed rotation strategy can be changed, for example, the rotation direction in the previous rotation strategy is clockwise, and the rotation direction in the current rotation strategy is updated to counterclockwise. The rotation angle in the rotation strategy can also be re-determined based on the third distance value between the current object to be cleaned and the edge of the cat litter tray, for example, the rotation angle is increased. Among them, the larger the rotation angle, the larger the path of the cat litter movement, and the probability of being covered by the cat litter will increase accordingly, but the rotation angle determined in this embodiment needs to keep the object to be cleaned from rolling to the inner wall of the drum during the rotation process.

[0075] Optionally, the alternating rotation strategy is adjusted according to the third distance value indicated by the cat litter tray surface image, and the drum is controlled to rotate according to the alternating rotation strategy. Alternatively, the rotation direction, rotation angle and alternating rotation strategy in the rotation strategy can be adjusted according to the distance value and cat litter depth data.

[0076] Therefore, this embodiment performs a dumping operation when the object to be cleaned is completely covered, and when the object to be cleaned is not covered, adjusts the rotation direction, rotation angle and alternating rotation strategy based on the third distance value from the edge of the cat litter tray indicated by the surface image of the cat litter tray and / or the cat litter depth data, thereby improving the flexibility of the rotation strategy and further improving the cleaning efficiency of the cat litter tray.

[0077] In some embodiments, the cat litter box is equipped with an entrance sensor at the pet entrance, which can be a camera or an ultrasonic sensor. The entrance sensor detects whether a pet is approaching by acquiring sensing data, and when the pet is approaching, the drum is controlled to stop rotating. Similarly, when the pet is detected to enter the cat litter box, the drum is also controlled to stop rotating. Therefore, this embodiment ensures safety by configuring the entrance sensor.

[0078] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a control device for a cat litter box provided in an embodiment of the present application is applicable to a cat litter box equipped with a camera device and a drum, wherein a cat litter tray is provided in the drum. The control device 200 for the cat litter box includes: An image acquisition module 201 is used to acquire the surface image of the cat litter tray captured by the camera device when it is detected that the pet has left the cat litter tray; An image recognition module 202 is used to determine the relative position data of the object to be cleaned representing the excrement on the cat litter tray based on the surface image of the cat litter tray; The strategy generation module 203 is used to generate a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data, and control the rotation of the drum according to the rotation strategy so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, wherein the rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, and the alternating rotation strategy is used to instruct the drum to rotate alternately.

[0079] In some embodiments, the relative position data includes a first distance value from the left side of the cat litter tray and a second distance value from the right side of the cat litter tray, the left side and the right side are respectively parallel to the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the horizontal center line is perpendicular to the rotation plane corresponding to the drum; the strategy generation module 203 includes: An area judgment unit, configured to detect whether the object to be cleaned is in a first area or a second area based on a comparison result of the first distance value and the second distance value, wherein the first area is located to the left of a horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the second area is located to the right of the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray; a first strategy generating unit, configured to, when detecting that the object to be cleaned is within the first area, use a first direction as the rotation direction, and determine the rotation angle based on the second distance value; a second strategy generating unit, configured to, when detecting that the object to be cleaned is in the second area, use a second direction as the rotation direction, and determine the rotation angle based on the first distance value; The first direction is used to indicate a clockwise direction, and the second direction is used to indicate a counterclockwise direction.

[0080] In some embodiments, the policy generation module 203 includes: An alternating rotation strategy generating unit, configured to determine a rotation angle and an alternating rotation number according to the third distance value when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, and a third distance value between the object to be cleaned and the edge of the cat litter tray is less than a preset edge distance threshold, and generate an alternating rotation strategy according to the rotation angle and the alternating rotation number; The third strategy generating unit is configured to generate a rotation strategy based on a rotation direction corresponding to the area where the object to be cleaned is located and the alternating rotation strategy.

[0081] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 further includes: A depth data acquisition unit, used to acquire cat litter depth data collected by the camera device, the camera device includes a depth camera, the cat litter depth data includes first depth data and second depth data, the first depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the first area, and the second depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the second area; The first strategy adjustment unit is used to determine the rotation strategy based on the distance difference and the depth difference when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area but the second depth data is smaller than the first depth data, or the object to be cleaned is in the second area but the first depth data is smaller than the second depth data, wherein the distance difference is the difference between the first distance value and the second distance value, and the depth difference is the difference between the first depth data and the second depth data.

[0082] In some embodiments, the first policy adjustment unit includes: a judging unit, configured to determine the rotation angle based on the depth difference and judge the size of the first depth data and the second depth data when it is detected that the distance difference is within a preset first difference interval but the depth difference is not within a preset second difference interval; A first rotation direction updating unit, configured to determine the rotation direction according to the second direction when the first depth data is greater than the second depth data; The second rotation direction updating unit is configured to determine the rotation direction according to the first direction when the second depth data is greater than the first depth data.

[0083] In some embodiments, the first policy adjustment unit includes: A strategy maintaining unit is used to generate a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data of the object to be cleaned when it is detected that the depth difference is within the second difference interval but the distance difference is not within the first difference interval.

[0084] In some embodiments, the policy generation module 203 further includes: The fourth strategy generating unit is used to determine the corresponding rotation direction according to the larger value of the first depth data and the second depth data when it is detected by the first distance value and the second distance value that the object to be cleaned is located on the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and determine the rotation angle according to the depth difference.

[0085] In some embodiments, the apparatus 200 further includes: A cat litter tray surface image acquisition unit, used to acquire the cat litter tray surface image currently captured by the camera device after executing the rotation strategy; A dumping operation triggering unit, used for triggering a dumping operation on the object to be cleaned when it is detected from the current cat litter tray surface image that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, wherein the dumping operation is used to instruct the object to be cleaned covered with cat litter to be separated from other cat litters; A second strategy adjustment unit is used to update the rotation direction with a third direction opposite to the rotation direction in the executed rotation strategy when it is detected by the current cat litter tray surface image that the object to be cleaned is not covered by cat litter, and / or, based on a third distance value indicated by the current cat litter tray surface image, update the rotation angle in the executed rotation strategy to update the rotation strategy.

[0086] The device of the embodiments of the present application can execute the method provided by the embodiments of the present application, and the implementation principles are similar. The actions performed by each module in the device of each embodiment of the present application correspond to the steps in the method of each embodiment of the present application. For the detailed functional description of each module of the device, please refer to the description in the corresponding method shown in the previous text, which will not be repeated here.

[0087] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a cat litter box provided in an embodiment of the present application. The present application also provides a cat litter box 300, including: a camera device 301, a drum 302 and a control device 303, wherein a cat litter tray is provided in the drum, the camera device 301 and the drum 302 are both connected to the control device 303, and the control device executes the above-mentioned cat litter box control method.

[0088] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "center", "top", "bottom", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention. Among them, "inside" refers to an internal or enclosed area or space. "Periphery" refers to the area surrounding a specific component or a specific area.

[0089] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the terms "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0090] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the term "and / or" herein is merely a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " herein generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0091] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a cat litter box, characterized in that: Applicable to a cat litter box equipped with a camera device and a drum, wherein a cat litter tray is provided in the drum, the method comprising: When it is detected that the pet has left the cat litter box, acquiring the surface image of the cat litter box captured by the camera device; Based on the surface image of the cat litter tray, determining relative position data of the object to be cleaned representing the excrement on the cat litter tray; Based on the relative position data, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated, and the rotation of the drum is controlled according to the rotation strategy so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, wherein the rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, and the alternating rotation strategy is used to instruct and control the drum to rotate alternately.

2. The method for controlling a cat litter box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The relative position data includes a first distance value from the left side of the cat litter tray and a second distance value from the right side of the cat litter tray, the left side and the right side are respectively parallel to the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the horizontal center line is perpendicular to the rotation plane corresponding to the drum; the corresponding rotation strategy is generated based on the relative position data, including: Based on the comparison result of the first distance value and the second distance value, detecting that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, wherein the first area is located on the left side of the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, and the second area is located on the right side of the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area, the first direction is used as the rotation direction, and the rotation angle is determined based on the second distance value; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area, the second direction is used as the rotation direction, and the rotation angle is determined based on the first distance value; The first direction is used to indicate a clockwise direction, and the second direction is used to indicate a counterclockwise direction.

3. The method for controlling a cat litter box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The generating a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data comprises: When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area or the second area, and a third distance value between the object to be cleaned and the edge of the cat litter tray is less than a preset edge distance threshold, a rotation angle and a number of alternating rotations are determined according to the third distance value, and an alternating rotation strategy is generated according to the rotation angle and the number of alternating rotations; A rotation strategy is generated based on the rotation direction corresponding to the area where the object to be cleaned is located and the alternating rotation strategy.

4. The method for controlling a cat litter box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Acquire cat litter depth data collected by the camera device, the camera device includes a depth camera, the cat litter depth data includes first depth data and second depth data, the first depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the first area, and the second depth data is used to characterize the depth of the cat litter in the second area; When it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the first area but the second depth data is smaller than the first depth data, or when it is detected that the object to be cleaned is in the second area but the first depth data is smaller than the second depth data, the rotation strategy is determined based on the distance difference and the depth difference, wherein the distance difference is the difference between the first distance value and the second distance value, and the depth difference is the difference between the first depth data and the second depth data.

5. The method for controlling a cat litter box according to claim 4, characterized in that: Determining the rotation strategy based on the distance difference and the depth difference includes: When it is detected that the distance difference is within a preset first difference interval, but the depth difference is not within a preset second difference interval, the rotation angle is determined based on the depth difference, and the magnitude of the first depth data and the second depth data is determined; When the first depth data is greater than the second depth data, the rotation direction is determined according to the second direction; Alternatively, when the second depth data is greater than the first depth data, the rotation direction is determined according to the first direction.

6. The method for controlling a cat litter box according to claim 5, characterized in that: Determining the rotation strategy according to the distance difference and the depth difference also includes: When it is detected that the depth difference is within the second difference interval, but the distance difference is not within the first difference interval, a corresponding rotation strategy is generated based on the relative position data of the object to be cleaned.

7. The method for controlling a cat litter box according to claim 6, characterized in that: The generating a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data further includes: When the first distance value and the second distance value detect that the object to be cleaned is located on the horizontal center line of the cat litter tray, the corresponding rotation direction is determined according to the larger value of the first depth data and the second depth data, and the rotation angle is determined by the depth difference.

8. The method for controlling a cat litter box according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After executing the rotation strategy, acquiring the surface image of the cat litter tray currently captured by the camera device; When the current cat litter tray surface image detects that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, triggering a dumping operation on the object to be cleaned, wherein the dumping operation is used to instruct the object to be cleaned covered with cat litter to be separated from other cat litters; When it is detected by the current cat litter tray surface image that the object to be cleaned is not covered by cat litter, the rotation direction is updated with a third direction opposite to the rotation direction in the executed rotation strategy, and / or, based on a third distance value indicated by the current cat litter tray surface image, the rotation angle in the executed rotation strategy is updated to update the rotation strategy.

9. A control device for a cat litter box, characterized in that: A cat litter box is suitable for being equipped with a camera device and a drum, wherein a cat litter tray is arranged in the drum, and the device comprises: An image acquisition module, used to acquire the surface image of the cat litter tray captured by the camera device when detecting that the pet has left the cat litter tray; An image recognition module is used to determine the relative position data of the object to be cleaned representing the excrement on the cat litter tray based on the surface image of the cat litter tray; A strategy generation module is used to generate a corresponding rotation strategy based on the relative position data, and control the rotation of the drum according to the rotation strategy so that the object to be cleaned is covered with cat litter, wherein the rotation strategy includes at least one of a rotation direction, a rotation angle and an alternating rotation strategy, and the alternating rotation strategy is used to instruct the drum to rotate alternately.

10. A cat litter box, characterized in that: include: A camera device, a drum and a control device, wherein a cat litter tray is arranged in the drum, the camera device and the drum are both connected to the control device, and the control device executes the steps of the control method of the cat litter tray according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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