Control method of automatic pool cleaning device and automatic pool cleaning device

Abstract

The invention provides a control method of an automatic pool cleaning device and the automatic pool cleaning device. The automatic pool cleaning device comprises an image acquisition sensor, the position of the image acquisition sensor is lower than the waterline position when the automatic pool cleaning device floats or moves on the water surface, and the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device comprises the steps that the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move on the water surface for cleaning; acquiring a water surface image through the image acquisition sensor; the water surface image is recognized, and a to-be-cleaned target is recognized; the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move towards the to-be-cleaned target; and when the automatic pool cleaning device moves towards the to-be-cleaned target and the image acquisition sensor cannot acquire the image of the to-be-cleaned target, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to continuously move for a target distance or a target duration in the current direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of automatic pool cleaning, and in particular to a control method of an automatic pool cleaning device and an automatic pool cleaning device. Background Art

[0002] As people's living standards continue to improve, swimming pools are widely used as a leisure and entertainment facility. However, the maintenance and cleaning of swimming pools have always been an important part of operation and management, especially the cleaning of floating objects on the water surface. If the cleaning is not timely or inadequate, it will not only affect the beauty of the swimming pool, but may also cause water pollution, which in turn affects the health of users. Therefore, a variety of pool cleaning equipment has appeared on the market, which has solved a lot of cleaning work for users and provided significant help.

[0003] At present, most common pool cleaning equipment on the market uses blind scanning to clean, that is, covering the cleaning range in a targeted path or randomly moving manner. This cleaning method has significant limitations: on the one hand, since the specific location and distribution of floating objects cannot be sensed in real time, the equipment may miss floating objects, resulting in incomplete cleaning; on the other hand, the equipment may repeat work in areas that have already been cleaned, resulting in energy waste and reduced work efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, wherein the automatic pool cleaning device comprises an image acquisition sensor, and when the automatic pool cleaning device is floating or moving on the water surface, the position of the image acquisition sensor is below the waterline position, and the control method comprises: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move and clean on the water surface; acquiring a water surface image by means of the image acquisition sensor; identifying the water surface image and identifying a target to be cleaned; controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned; and when the automatic pool cleaning device is moving toward the target to be cleaned and the image acquisition sensor cannot acquire an image of the target to be cleaned, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to continue moving in the current direction for a target distance or a target duration.

[0005] In one example, after identifying the target to be cleaned, the control method further includes: calculating the azimuth angle between the target to be cleaned and the automatic pool cleaning device based on the water surface image; and controlling the rotation of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the azimuth angle so that the rotated automatic pool cleaning device faces the target to be cleaned.

[0006] In one example, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned includes: after controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned, wherein, during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device toward the target to be cleaned, a line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0007] In one example, the automatic pool cleaning device changes the direction of the automatic pool cleaning device at least by controlling the rotation speed of the propeller motors or the water nozzle motors on both sides of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0008] In one example, while controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned, the control method further includes: acquiring the real-time position of the target to be cleaned through a tracking algorithm; and adjusting the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the real-time position of the target to be cleaned.

[0009] In one example, the identifying the water surface image includes: processing the water surface image through a pre-trained intelligent model.

[0010] In one example, the target distance and the target duration are determined at least according to the size of a blind spot of the field of view of the image acquisition sensor.

[0011] In one example, the image acquisition sensor is located lower than the water suction port of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0012] In one example, the target to be cleaned includes one or more of plastic objects, leaves, branches, foam blocks, toys, and insects floating on the water.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, wherein the automatic pool cleaning device is capable of executing any of the control methods described above.

[0014] The embodiments described in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0015] This embodiment obtains water surface images through image acquisition sensors and identifies targets to be cleaned based on the water surface images, so as to locate and directionally clean floating objects on the water surface, thereby reducing the occurrence of cleaning omissions or repeated work caused by traditional blind scanning methods, reducing unnecessary energy waste, and improving the efficiency of cleaning work.

[0016] Furthermore, when the automatic pool cleaning device is moving toward the target to be cleaned and the image acquisition sensor cannot obtain an image of the target to be cleaned, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to continue moving in the current direction for a target distance or target duration, so that floating objects in the blind spot of the image acquisition sensor's field of view can be cleaned and collected, thereby reducing missed cleaning of floating objects and improving the efficiency of the cleaning work. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiment. The drawings described below are only exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1 A flow chart of a control method of an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the application of an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The technical solutions in this application will be described clearly and completely below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of this application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work belong to the protection scope of this application. It should be noted that the embodiments in this application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0021] First, the automatic pool cleaning device and the control method thereof of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 A flow chart showing a control method 100 of an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application is shown; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an application of an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application is shown.

[0022] like Figure 2As shown, the present application provides an automatic pool cleaning device 200. It is understandable that the automatic pool cleaning device 200 can clean a pool. The pool is, for example, a pool-shaped building. The pool-shaped building can be a swimming pool, a reservoir, a spa pool, a water tank, a water tank, etc. The automatic pool cleaning device 200 can be a device such as an automatic cleaning device, a pool cleaning robot, etc., which can clean the pool-shaped building. The present application does not limit the specific presentation of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool-shaped building, as long as the principle of the present application can be realized. In the following, if not otherwise specified, the robot will be used as an example of the automatic pool cleaning device, and the swimming pool will be used as an example of a pool or a pool-shaped building. In the following, if not otherwise specified, the terms "pool bottom", "pool bottom", and "pool bottom" all refer to the bottom surface of the swimming pool.

[0023] Exemplarily, the automatic pool cleaning device 200 includes an image acquisition sensor 210. When the automatic pool cleaning device 200 floats or moves on the water surface, the position of the image acquisition sensor 210 is lower than the waterline position, that is, the position of the image acquisition sensor 210 is below the water surface.

[0024] When the automatic pool cleaning device 200 floats or moves on the water surface, the water suction port of the automatic pool cleaning device 200 is located at the waterline position (i.e., the water suction port intersects with the horizontal plane) to absorb floating objects, dirt, impurities, etc. on the water surface, thereby cleaning the water surface. The position of the image acquisition sensor 210 can be set lower than the position of the water suction port of the automatic pool cleaning device 200.

[0025] For example, while the automatic pool cleaning device 200 is floating or moving on the water surface, the image acquisition sensor 210 is arranged at the bottom of the body or shell of the automatic pool cleaning device 200 along the up and down directions, or the image sensor 210 is arranged in the middle of the body or shell of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0026] It is understandable that the specific setting position of the automatic pool cleaning device 200 can be set according to the structural requirements of the automatic pool cleaning device or the experience of technical personnel in this field, as long as the position of the image acquisition sensor can be lower than the waterline position while the automatic pool cleaning device is floating or moving on the water surface.

[0027] like Figure 2As shown, the image acquisition sensor 210 can shoot or scan the water surface at a certain angle or direction below the water surface, so as to obtain the water surface image in front of the automatic pool cleaning device 200. Compared with the image acquisition sensor 210 being set on the water surface, it can effectively reduce the interference of sunlight reflection or other ambient light on the image acquisition process, and can enable the image acquisition sensor to reduce the acquisition of water surface reflections, thereby improving image quality.

[0028] However, since the image acquisition sensor 210 is disposed in the middle or bottom of the body or housing of the automatic pool cleaning device, the image acquisition sensor 210 has a certain visual blind spot (such as Figure 2 When the floating object is in the blind area of ​​the visual field, although the image acquisition sensor 210 cannot capture the image of the floating object, the floating object is still within the cleaning range of the automatic pool cleaning device 200. At this time, the automatic pool cleaning device 200 can be controlled to continue to move and clean in the current moving direction, so that the automatic pool cleaning device 200 can suck the floating object in the blind area of ​​the visual field from the water suction port.

[0029] The image acquisition sensor 210 may include a camera, a laser scanner, a laser radar, or other devices capable of acquiring the water surface image data.

[0030] The camera can be used for distance measurement and image acquisition. For example, a camera can be used underwater to capture the water surface image, and feature points can be extracted from the captured image, such as using edge detection, corner detection and other methods to extract feature points in the image. The extracted feature points can be used for subsequent distance measurement and image recognition.

[0031] The automatic pool cleaning device 200 may further include a propeller motor or a water jet motor, which are respectively located on both sides of the automatic pool cleaning device 200. The movement of the automatic pool cleaning device 200 can be controlled by controlling the propeller motor or the water jet motor. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device 200 can be controlled to move forward by controlling the propeller motor or the water jet motor to rotate. The automatic pool cleaning device 200 can be controlled to rotate left or right by controlling the propeller motor or the water jet motor on both sides of the automatic pool cleaning device 200 to rotate at different speeds.

[0032] The present application provides a control method for the automatic pool cleaning device. The embodiments disclosed in the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Figure 1A flow chart of a control method 100 of the automatic pool cleaning device is shown. The control method 100 includes steps S101 to S105. Steps S101 to S105 will be described below.

[0033] In step S101, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move on the water surface for cleaning.

[0034] The mode in which the automatic pool cleaning device moves on the water surface to clean is also called the surface ship mode. In this mode, the vertical force of the automatic pool cleaning device is mainly gravity and buoyancy. The automatic pool cleaning device controls its floating up and down on the water surface by adjusting the buoyancy, that is, adjusting the height position of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the horizontal plane. At the same time, the robot working in this cleaning mode may also be affected by horizontal driving force, water surface resistance, wind force, etc. It can be understood that the automatic pool cleaning device can also be a surface ship, which can float on the water surface due to its own structure to clean the water surface.

[0035] In step S102, a water surface image is acquired by the image acquisition sensor.

[0036] The water surface image is image data of the water surface area acquired by the image acquisition sensor, and the image data may include information of floating objects on the water surface.

[0037] Floating objects on the water surface may include one or more of lifebuoys, plastic objects, leaves, branches, foam blocks, toys, paper scraps, insects, etc. floating on the water surface. The water surface background may include the texture of the ripples on the water surface, and the reflected images of the surrounding environment (such as people, trees or houses on the shore). Other visual information related to the water surface may include the boundaries of the pool or obstacles in the water.

[0038] In step S103, the water surface image is identified and the object to be cleaned is identified.

[0039] By identifying the water surface image, the target to be cleaned can be identified from the floating objects on the water surface. For example, a larger floating object (such as a life buoy) will not be sucked into the robot by the water suction port, or objects that should not be cleaned, such as water polo toys, are identified. Such floating objects are not the target to be cleaned. The target to be cleaned may include one or more of plastic objects, leaves, branches, foam blocks, toys, and insects floating on the water surface.

[0040] Among them, plastic items refer to other plastic items other than plastic toys, such as plastic cups, plastic bottles, plastic pacifiers, etc.

[0041] For example, the water surface image may be processed by a pre-trained intelligent model.

[0042] The pre-trained intelligent model is usually based on a deep learning algorithm and is trained using a large number of images of floating objects on the water surface. It can identify different types of floating objects, such as plastic objects, leaves, branches, foam blocks, paper scraps, toys, insects, etc., as well as their postures and sizes when floating on the water surface. The image data processed by the intelligent model can provide the automatic pool cleaning device with the location information of the target to be cleaned.

[0043] It should be noted that the above description of the method for obtaining the water surface image, the information of the water surface image collected, and the processing of the water surface image through a pre-trained intelligent model is only exemplary. The method for obtaining the water surface image, the information of the water surface image collected, and the pre-processing operation on the water surface image protected by this application are not limited to the contents listed above. Those skilled in the art can adjust the method for obtaining the water surface image and the information of the water surface image collected according to actual conditions, and can also adopt one or several pre-processing operation methods to process the water surface image according to actual conditions, as long as the technical principles of this application can be implemented.

[0044] After identifying the target to be cleaned, the control method 100 further includes: calculating the azimuth angle between the target to be cleaned and the automatic pool cleaning device according to the water surface image; and controlling the rotation of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the azimuth angle so that the rotated automatic pool cleaning device faces the target to be cleaned.

[0045] It is understandable that the azimuth angle refers to the angle between the target to be cleaned and the current position and reference direction of the automatic pool cleaning device. Specifically, the azimuth angle is the angle between the target to be cleaned and the current movement direction or reference reference direction of the automatic pool cleaning device in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, usually expressed as an angle value on a horizontal plane.

[0046] The azimuth angle between the target to be cleaned and the automatic pool cleaning device is calculated to determine the relative direction of the target to be cleaned with respect to the automatic pool cleaning device, thereby controlling the steering direction and the rotation angle of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the azimuth angle, so that the automatic pool cleaning device can face or substantially face the target to be cleaned, and then the automatic pool cleaning device can continue to be controlled to move toward the target to be cleaned, thereby improving the movement and cleaning efficiency.

[0047] For example, the automatic pool cleaning device can face the object to be cleaned in the following manner: the angle between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object to be cleaned and the cross section of the automatic pool cleaning device is in the range of 80 degrees to 100 degrees.

[0048] The cross section of the automatic pool cleaning device is, for example, a plane extending in the width direction of the automatic pool cleaning device. In other words, the cross section is perpendicular to the travel direction of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0049] When the angle between "the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned" and the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device is in the range of 80 to 100 degrees, the automatic pool cleaning device can clean the target to be cleaned without changing the moving direction or significantly changing the moving direction while moving toward the target to be cleaned.

[0050] For example, the automatic pool cleaning device facing the object to be cleaned may be: the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object to be cleaned is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the cross section of the automatic pool cleaning device. In other words, the angle between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object to be cleaned and the cross section of the automatic pool cleaning device is 90 degrees or close to 90 degrees.

[0051] It should be noted that the above description of the range of values ​​of the angle between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned and the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device is only exemplary, and the angle between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned and the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device protected by the present application is not limited to the contents listed above. Those skilled in the art can set the angle between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned and the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device based on experience, and can also obtain the angle between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned and the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device by calculation during the automatic pool cleaning process. As long as the technical principles of the present application can be realized, no specific limitation is made here.

[0052] The automatic pool cleaning device can also be directed toward the target to be cleaned in the following manner: determining the position offset of the target to be cleaned within the cleaning range of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the azimuth; controlling the rotation of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the position offset so that the target to be cleaned is always within the cleaning range, thereby ensuring that the target to be cleaned is always within the field of view of the image acquisition device.

[0053] The cleaning range is the water surface range that can be cleaned by the automatic pool cleaning device when the automatic pool cleaning device moves in the current direction.

[0054] The automatic pool cleaning device can control the rotation speed of the water jet motors on both sides of the automatic pool cleaning device to change the direction of the automatic pool cleaning device. Alternatively, the automatic pool cleaning device can control the rotation speed of the propeller motors on both sides of the automatic pool cleaning device to change the direction of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0055] Taking the propeller motor as an example, the left and right sides of the automatic pool cleaning device are respectively provided with a left propeller motor or a right propeller motor. The present application can adjust the speed difference of the propeller motors on the left and right sides based on the PID control algorithm to change the steering angle of the automatic pool cleaning device so that the automatic pool cleaning device can face the target to be cleaned.

[0056] In step S104, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move toward the object to be cleaned.

[0057] After the intelligent model identifies the target to be cleaned and its location, the direction of the automatic pool cleaning device can be adjusted, and the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to move toward the target, so as to move to the target to be cleaned and clean and collect the target. In this way, floating objects on the water surface can be located and cleaned in a directional manner, reducing the occurrence of cleaning omissions or repeated work caused by traditional blind or random cleaning methods, reducing unnecessary energy waste, and improving the efficiency of cleaning work.

[0058] The propeller motors or the water jet motors on both sides of the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to rotate so that the automatic pool cleaning device moves forward and moves toward the target to be cleaned.

[0059] The attitude and heading angle of the automatic pool cleaning device during the movement on the water surface can be obtained by an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and then the moving path of the automatic pool cleaning device during the movement on the water surface can be known. IMU usually includes an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer. The accelerometer is used to measure the acceleration of the robot in three-dimensional space, including the gravitational acceleration due to the gravity of the earth and the inertial acceleration caused by the change of the motion state of the object. The gyroscope is used to measure the angular velocity of the robot in three-dimensional space, that is, the rate at which the robot rotates around each spatial axis (X axis, Y axis and Z axis). The magnetometer is used to detect the magnetic field of the surrounding environment when the robot performs the cleaning task, helping to determine the direction of the robot in the earth's coordinate system. Through these data, the motion trajectory and position change of the robot can be calculated. Specifically, during the process of the automatic pool cleaning device traveling on the water surface, the IMU continuously collects its acceleration and angular velocity data, and analyzes the attitude and heading angle of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0060] For example, in step S104, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned includes: after controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned, wherein, during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device toward the target to be cleaned, a line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0061] In the present application, during the control of the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned can be made perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device, so that when the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device is deflected, the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device is adjusted so that the automatic pool cleaning device always moves toward or approximately toward the target to be cleaned, thereby reducing the occurrence of the automatic pool cleaning device deviating from the target to be cleaned or losing the target to be cleaned during the water surface cleaning process, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0062] The line connecting the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device, which may include the following two situations: 1. "The line connecting the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned" is perpendicular to the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device; 2. "The line connecting the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned" is not perpendicular to the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device, but the target to be cleaned is still within the cleaning range of the automatic pool cleaning device when the automatic pool cleaning device moves in the current direction.

[0063] For example, the cleaning range of the automatic pool cleaning device is 20 degrees, and the angle range between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object to be cleaned and the cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device is 80 degrees to 100 degrees.

[0064] When the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object to be cleaned is perpendicular to the cross section of the automatic pool cleaning device, that is, the angle between the line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object to be cleaned and the cross section of the automatic pool cleaning device is 90 degrees.

[0065] For example, while controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward a cleaning target, the control method 100 further includes: acquiring the real-time position of the target to be cleaned through a tracking algorithm; and adjusting the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the real-time position of the target to be cleaned.

[0066] During the control of the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, the real-time position of the target to be cleaned can be obtained through a tracking algorithm, and the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device can be adjusted according to the real-time position of the target to be cleaned. In this way, when the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device is deflected (for example, the target to be cleaned deviates from the center of the image in the water surface image acquired by the image acquisition sensor), the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device can be adjusted so that the automatic pool cleaning device always moves towards the target to be cleaned, thereby reducing the occurrence of the automatic pool cleaning device deviating from the target to be cleaned or losing the target to be cleaned during the water surface cleaning process, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0067] The real-time position of the target to be cleaned may be the relative position of the target to be cleaned and the automatic pool cleaning device at the moment when the image acquisition sensor acquires the water surface image during the period when the automatic pool cleaning device moves toward the target to be cleaned.

[0068] The tracking algorithm can be implemented in one or more of the following ways: Kalman filter algorithm: use Kalman filter to predict the motion trajectory of the target, and correct the target position in combination with the current observation value; optical flow tracking algorithm: calculate the relative motion direction and speed of the target to be cleaned in the image through the optical flow method, so as to infer the real-time position of the target to be cleaned; target matching algorithm: based on the feature descriptor of the target to be cleaned, match the position of the target to be cleaned in continuous frames to obtain the real-time coordinate position of the target to be cleaned.

[0069] In step S105, while the automatic pool cleaning device is moving toward the target to be cleaned and the image acquisition sensor cannot obtain an image of the target to be cleaned, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to continue moving in the current direction for a target distance or a target duration.

[0070] While the automatic pool cleaning device is moving toward the target to be cleaned, the image acquisition sensor can acquire the water surface image in real time, continuously or at intervals. If the image acquisition sensor cannot acquire the image of the target to be cleaned, it means that the target to be cleaned may be located in the blind spot of the image acquisition sensor and has not yet been cleaned and collected by the automatic pool cleaning device (that is, the target to be cleaned has not yet entered the water intake port of the automatic pool cleaning device). At this time, it is necessary to control the automatic pool cleaning device to continue moving in the current direction for the target distance or target duration so as to complete the cleaning of the target to be cleaned located in the blind spot, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency.

[0071] Exemplarily, the target distance and the target duration may be determined at least according to the size of a blind spot of the field of view of the image acquisition sensor.

[0072] For example, along the forward direction of the automatic pool cleaning device, the target distance is greater than or equal to the extension length of the blind spot of the field of view of the image acquisition sensor.

[0073] It should be noted that the target distance can be set when the automatic pool cleaning device leaves the factory, and can also be calculated during the operation of the automatic pool cleaning device based on one or more parameters such as the pitch angle when the image acquisition sensor acquires the water surface image, the distance between the image acquisition sensor and the water surface, the size of the automatic pool cleaning device, etc. As long as the automatic pool cleaning device can complete the cleaning of the target to be cleaned within the blind spot of the image acquisition sensor's field of view when moving the target distance, the method of acquiring the target distance is not specifically limited here.

[0074] For example, the target duration may be determined at least according to the size of the blind spot of the field of view of the image acquisition sensor.

[0075] For example, the target duration may also be determined based on at least the speed and acceleration of the automatic pool cleaning device and the extension length of the blind spot of the field of view of the image acquisition sensor.

[0076] It should be noted that the target duration can be set when the automatic pool cleaning device leaves the factory, or can be determined according to the speed and / or acceleration during the operation of the automatic pool cleaning device. As long as the automatic pool cleaning device can complete the cleaning of the target object within the blind spot of the image acquisition sensor when moving for the target duration, the method for obtaining the target duration is not specifically limited.

[0077] According to the above description, the automatic pool cleaning device and control method of the present application can obtain the water surface image through the image acquisition sensor and identify the target to be cleaned based on the water surface image, so as to locate and directionally clean the floating objects on the water surface, reduce the occurrence of cleaning omissions or repeated work caused by the traditional blind scanning method, reduce unnecessary energy waste, and improve the efficiency of cleaning work. In addition, when the automatic pool cleaning device moves toward the target to be cleaned and the image acquisition sensor cannot obtain the image of the target to be cleaned, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to continue moving in the current direction for the target distance or target duration, so that the target to be cleaned in the blind area of ​​the image acquisition sensor can be cleaned, so as to reduce the omission of cleaning of floating objects and improve the efficiency of cleaning work.

[0078] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative labor.

[0079] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution can be essentially or in other words, the part that contributes to the relevant technology can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a disk, an optical disk, etc., including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiment.

[0080] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0081] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0082] In the present application, unless otherwise specified, directional words such as "up" and "down" are generally used with reference to the directions shown in the drawings, or with reference to the vertical, perpendicular or gravity direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" are generally used with reference to the left and right shown in the drawings; "inside" and "outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself, but the above directional words are not used to limit the present application.

[0083] The above is only an exemplary embodiment of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various changes or substitutions within the technical scope recorded in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an automatic pool cleaning device, the automatic pool cleaning device comprising an image acquisition sensor, the position of the image acquisition sensor being below the waterline during the period when the automatic pool cleaning device is floating or moving on the water surface, the control method comprising: Controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move and clean on the water surface; Acquire a water surface image by using the image acquisition sensor; Recognizing the water surface image and identifying the target to be cleaned; Controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned; as well as During the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device toward the target to be cleaned, and when the image acquisition sensor cannot obtain an image of the target to be cleaned, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to continue moving in the current direction for a target distance or a target duration.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: After identifying the target to be cleaned, the control method further includes: Calculating the azimuth angle between the target to be cleaned and the automatic pool cleaning device according to the water surface image; The automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to rotate according to the azimuth angle so that the rotated automatic pool cleaning device faces the target to be cleaned.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein: The step of controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned comprises: After controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned, wherein, during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device toward the target to be cleaned, a line between the automatic pool cleaning device and the target to be cleaned is perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a cross-section of the automatic pool cleaning device.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The automatic pool cleaning device changes the direction of the automatic pool cleaning device at least by controlling the rotation speed of the propeller motors or the water nozzle motors on both sides of the automatic pool cleaning device.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: During the process of controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the target to be cleaned, the control method further includes: Acquiring the real-time position of the target to be cleaned by a tracking algorithm; The moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device is adjusted according to the real-time position of the object to be cleaned.

6. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The identifying of the water surface image comprises: The water surface image is processed by a pre-trained intelligent model.

7. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The target distance and the target duration are determined at least according to the size of the blind area of ​​the field of view of the image acquisition sensor.

8. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The position of the image acquisition sensor is lower than the position of the water suction port of the automatic pool cleaning device.

9. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The objects to be cleaned include one or more of plastic objects, leaves, branches, foam blocks, toys, and insects floating on the water surface.

10. An automatic pool cleaning device, wherein: The automatic pool cleaning device can execute the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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