Method for controlling automatic pool cleaning device and corresponding automatic pool cleaning device

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device and the corresponding automatic pool cleaning device. The method comprises the steps that the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to advance in a pool; in the advancing process, the current actual distance value of an object in front of the automatic pool cleaning device is obtained through a sensor arranged on the automatic pool cleaning device; calculating a current predicted distance value of the object based on at least a portion of the stored historical distance data; and the type of the object is judged based on comparison of the predicted distance value and the actual distance value, wherein the type of the object comprises one of an object to be cleaned and an obstacle needing to be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of pool cleaning, and particularly to a method for controlling a pool automatic cleaning device and a corresponding pool automatic cleaning device. Background Art

[0002] Pool automatic cleaning devices are generally used for cleaning pools. For example, they collect and clean garbage / debris on the bottom, side walls, and / or water surface of pools such as swimming pools, so as to filter and purify the water body in the pool, and the filtered and purified water can be discharged into the pool. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a pool automatic cleaning device is provided, which includes: controlling the pool automatic cleaning device to travel in the pool; during the travel, obtaining the current actual distance value of an object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device through a sensor equipped on the pool automatic cleaning device; calculating the current predicted distance value of the object based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data; and determining the type of the object based on a comparison between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value, wherein the type of the object includes one of the following: an object to be cleaned and an obstacle.

[0004] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above method further includes: when it is determined that the type of the object is an object to be cleaned, controlling the pool automatic cleaning device to perform a cleaning operation on the object and / or continue to travel along the planned route.

[0005] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above method further includes: when it is determined that the type of the object is an obstacle, controlling the pool automatic cleaning device to perform an obstacle avoidance action when approaching the object.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, determining the type of the object based on a comparison between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value includes:

[0007] When the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value is less than a first distance threshold, determining that the object is an obstacle;

[0008] When the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value is greater than a second distance threshold, determining that the object is an object to be cleaned.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the absolute values of the first distance threshold and the second distance threshold are equal.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, calculating the predicted distance value based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data includes: fitting the predicted distance value by using a data fitting method based on a plurality of stored historical distance data.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the data fitting method includes the least squares method.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, at least a part of the stored historical distance data includes distance values of an object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device obtained at a plurality of previous time points; the above method further includes: storing the obtained distance value into the historical distance data so as to update the historical distance data.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or a lidar.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a pool automatic cleaning device, which includes: at least one sensor configured to obtain an actual distance value of an object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device; and at least one processor configured to cause the pool automatic cleaning device to execute the above method when executing one or more instructions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0016] Figure 1 Schematically shows the external shape of a pool automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 Schematically shows an example of the pool automatic cleaning device traveling in a pool such as a swimming pool.

[0018] Figure 3 Schematically shows a flowchart of a method for controlling a pool automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 Graphically schematically shows the relationship between a part of the stored historical distance data of an object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device and the traveling time according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5It is a schematic structural block diagram of a pool automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed implementation manners

[0021] The following detailed description presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details.

[0022] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", "one side", "the other side", "front end", "rear end", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure 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 thus should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0023] In addition, terms such as "first", "second", "third", etc. that involve order are only used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with terms such as "first", "second", "third", etc. that involve order may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically and clearly defined.

[0024] In addition, in the drawings, for the sake of clarity of illustration, the dimensions may be exaggerated and are not drawn to actual scale. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals generally refer to the same elements.

[0025] Figure 1 Schematically shows the external shape of a pool automatic cleaning device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The pool automatic cleaning device 100 can perform cleaning operations on the bottom, pool wall, water, and water surface of a pool (such as a swimming pool) as needed. For example, it is used to clean the garbage in the water, at the bottom, and on the water surface, and clean the dirt on the pool bottom and pool wall. As Figure 1As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 may include structures / components such as a housing 110, a traveling mechanism 120, a cleaning unit 130, etc. As an example, a control compartment, a power compartment, and a filtration compartment (not shown) may be provided within the housing 100. Among them, control circuits such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a microcontroller may be installed in the control compartment, drive mechanisms such as a water pump and a drive motor may be provided in the power compartment, and a filtration unit may be provided in the filtration compartment to filter and purify the water entering the interior of the filtration compartment through the water inlet, remove debris therein, and discharge the cleaned water out of the automatic pool cleaning device through the water outlet. As an example, Figure 1 The traveling mechanism 120 of the automatic pool cleaning device 100 shown is a crawler-type traveling mechanism. However, the automatic pool cleaning device may also adopt a wheel-type traveling mechanism, which is not limited herein.

[0026] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device may also be equipped with a water spraying mechanism. For example, a water pump and an impeller are provided, so that the automatic pool cleaning device can use the water spraying mechanism to spray water outward from the water spraying port to assist the automatic pool cleaning device in traveling on the pool wall, in the water, and / or on the water surface; for example, the thrust generated by the water flow ejected from the water spraying port (such as Figure 1 the water spraying port 140 shown) in the direction opposite to the traveling direction can be used to push the automatic pool cleaning device to travel on the water surface; or, when the automatic pool cleaning device climbs the pool wall, the water flow ejected from the water spraying port (such as Figure 1 the water spraying port 150 shown) at the top of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device can generate a pressure applied to the bottom surface of the automatic pool cleaning device, so as to increase the adhesion of the traveling mechanism of the automatic pool cleaning device to the pool wall and maintain the stability of its body in a vertical state.

[0027] It should be noted that the position, shape, and / or quantity of the above-mentioned water spraying ports 140-150 provided on the housing 110 of the automatic pool cleaning device 100 can be adjusted accordingly according to the actual operation requirements of the automatic pool cleaning device, which is not limited herein.

[0028] Although Figure 1 schematically shows the overall shape of an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be understood that this is only schematic and does not constitute any limitation to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0029] When the pool automatic cleaning device travels in a pool such as a swimming pool, due to the complex underwater environment, during the travel of the pool automatic cleaning device, obstacles such as pool walls, pits, and wall lights may be encountered in front of it, and objects to be cleaned such as leaves, silt, garbage, and / or sundries may also be encountered. If the road conditions ahead cannot be correctly identified, for example, when an object to be cleaned existing ahead is misidentified as an obstacle, an obstacle avoidance operation will be performed, not only unable to achieve the cleaning operation, but also frequently performing obstacle avoidance operations such as turning and avoiding when there are multiple objects to be cleaned ahead, and even spinning in place and unable to move forward.

[0030] For this reason, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a pool automatic cleaning device is proposed. According to this method, during the travel of the pool automatic cleaning device, the current actual distance value of the object ahead is obtained through the sensors equipped on it, and the current predicted distance value of the object ahead is calculated based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data, and the road conditions ahead are determined by comparing the predicted distance value and the actual distance value, that is, determining whether there is an object to be cleaned or an obstacle ahead, so as to control the pool automatic cleaning device to perform corresponding operations, and avoid the pool automatic cleaning device being unable to achieve normal operations due to misjudgment of the road conditions ahead.

[0031] For this reason, the pool automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is equipped with a variety of sensors for detecting the underwater environment. As an example, the pool automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be equipped with a detection sensor. Through the detection sensor, for example, a ranging sensor, the pool automatic cleaning device can sense the surrounding underwater environment, such as the distance from various obstacles existing around, so as to control the travel of the pool automatic cleaning device.

[0032] As an example, the detection sensor may include but is not limited to an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a TOF (time of flight) sensor, and a lidar.

[0033] As an example, the pool automatic cleaning device may also be equipped with a forward ranging sensor for obtaining the ranging values of various objects in front of the pool automatic cleaning device.

[0034] It should be understood that the number of detection sensors equipped on the pool automatic cleaning device may be one or more, and its type and installation position may be adjusted accordingly according to the actual operation requirements of the pool automatic cleaning device, which is not limited herein.

[0035] Figure 2 An example of the pool automatic cleaning device traveling in a pool such as a swimming pool is schematically shown. As Figure 2As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 travels in the pool 200, where there are facilities such as platforms 320 and steps 340 in the pool 200, as well as garbage and / or debris 360, 380 such as leaves and silt.

[0036] When the automatic pool cleaning device is traveling, the sensors it is equipped with (for example, ranging sensors such as ultrasonic sensors and lidar) can obtain the current actual distance value of the object in front in real time and store it in the historical distance data to update the historical distance data.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the predicted distance value of the object in front can be calculated based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data, and the road condition in front can be determined based on the comparison between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value, for example, determining the type of the object in front of the automatic pool cleaning device, such as whether the object in front is an object to be cleaned or an obstacle.

[0038] For example, during the travel of the automatic pool cleaning device, since the ranging value of the object in front of the cleaning device is obtained in real time and stored in the historical distance data, as the automatic pool cleaning device travels, multiple ranging values of the object in front of the cleaning device changing with time are stored in the historical distance data.

[0039] Considering the speed of the automatic pool cleaning device traveling in the pool, the distance value of the object in front of the cleaning device can be predicted based on at least a part of the stored historical data, that is, predicting the change of the distance value of the object in front as the automatic pool cleaning device travels.

[0040] As an example, calculating the predicted distance value of the object in front based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data may include: fitting the predicted distance value of the obstacle in front using the data fitting method based on the stored multiple historical distance data.

[0041] As an example, the data fitting method may include but is not limited to the least squares method. For example, based on the multiple historical distance data stored in the automatic pool cleaning device, that is, based on the ranging values at multiple previous time points stored, the predicted distance value of the object in front can be fitted by the data fitting method using a function. As an example, the function includes but is not limited to functions such as linear functions and polynomial functions.

[0042] Figure 3 Schematically shows a flowchart of a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 3As shown in the figure, the method includes: S310, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to travel in the pool; S320, during the traveling process, obtaining the current actual distance value of the object in front of the automatic pool cleaning device through the sensors equipped on the automatic pool cleaning device; S330, calculating the current predicted distance value of the object based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data; and S340, judging the type of the object based on the comparison between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value, where the type of the object includes one of the following: objects to be cleaned and obstacles.

[0043] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the above method may further include: in the case that there is an obstacle ahead, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform an obstacle avoidance operation when approaching the obstacle.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the above method may further include: when it is determined that there is an object to be cleaned ahead, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to continue traveling along the planned route and / or perform a cleaning operation.

[0045] The following combines Figure 2 to describe in detail the above method for controlling the automatic pool cleaning device proposed by the present disclosure.

[0046] As Figure 2 shown in the figure, when the automatic pool cleaning device 100 travels in the pool from the pool wall 210 towards the direction where the pool wall 220 is located, the ranging value of the pool wall 220 obtained in real time by its ranging sensor gradually decreases with time, and the change trend is related to the traveling speed of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the real-time obtained ranging value can be stored in the historical distance data regarding the ranging value, and based on the analysis of the historical distance data, the law of the change of the distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall 220 in front with time can be obtained by the data fitting method. For example, a mathematical function of the change trend of the distance value with the pool wall 220 over time can be obtained. As an example, the mathematical function can be a linear function or a non-linear function.

[0048] As the pool automatic cleaning device performs real-time ranging on the object in front, the historical distance data will be continuously updated. As an example, based on at least a part of the historical distance data, the data fitting method can be used to calculate the predicted distance value between the pool automatic cleaning device and the object in front at present. For example, by obtaining the law of the ranging value of the pool wall 220 changing with time, the pool automatic cleaning device 100 can predict the predicted distance value from the pool wall 220 at the current moment. At the same time, the ranging sensor equipped on the pool automatic cleaning device 100 can also obtain the actual ranging value of the object in front at the current moment, that is, it can obtain the actual ranging value of the pool wall 220 at the current moment in real time.

[0049] By comparing the actual ranging value at the current moment obtained with the predicted distance value calculated based on the historical distance data, it can be determined whether there is a change in the road conditions ahead. For example, as the pool automatic cleaning device 100 moves towards the direction where the pool wall 220 is located, the historical distance data stored by it includes, for example, 5.88m, 5.80m, 5.73m, 5.65m, 5.57m; based on the stored historical distance data, the pool automatic cleaning device 100 can predict the predicted distance value from the pool wall 220 at the current moment. For example, the predicted distance value can be 5.49m; at the same time, the actual ranging value obtained by the ranging sensor equipped on the pool automatic cleaning device at the current moment may be 5.46m.

[0050] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the absolute value of the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value is not greater than the first distance threshold, it is considered that the difference between the two belongs to the prediction deviation and there is no change in the road conditions ahead. As an example, the first distance threshold can be set to 1.2m. For example, as the pool automatic cleaning device 100 continues to move forward, if the absolute value of the difference between the predicted distance value calculated at the current moment and the actual ranging value obtained at the current moment is not greater than the first distance threshold; for example, the predicted distance value between the pool automatic cleaning device and the object in front at the current moment calculated based on the historical distance data is 4.8m, while the actual ranging value is 4.2m, and the absolute value of the difference between the two, 0.6m, is less than the first distance threshold of 1.2m. In this case, the difference between the two is a normal prediction deviation, which indicates that the predicted road conditions ahead are consistent with the road conditions actually measured by ranging, and the pool automatic cleaning device can continue with the previous task. For example, if it was previously determined that the object appearing ahead belongs to the pool wall 220, then an avoidance operation can be performed when approaching the pool wall.

[0051] As the pool automatic cleaning device 100 travels in the pool 200, as another example, if the actual ranging value obtained by the ranging sensor equipped on the pool automatic cleaning device 100 at the current moment drops suddenly compared to the predicted distance value, that is, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted distance value calculated at the current moment and the actual ranging value obtained at the current moment is greater than the first distance threshold, and the difference between the current predicted distance value and the actual ranging value is greater than the second distance threshold, it can be determined that the road condition ahead has changed.

[0052] As an example, the second distance threshold can be set to be equal to the first distance threshold. For example, the second distance threshold can be set to 1.2 m. For example, the predicted distance value of the object ahead at the current moment calculated by the pool automatic cleaning device based on historical distance data is 3.8 m, while the actual ranging value is 2.4 m, and the difference of 1.4 m between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value is greater than 1.2 m, which indicates that there is an object different from the previous ranging object ahead, that is, an object different from the previous pool wall 220 ahead, that is, the road condition ahead has changed. For example, a cleaning object 360 such as a floating leaf appears ahead of the pool automatic cleaning device 100; in this case, since the cleaning object does not affect the travel of the pool automatic cleaning device, the pool automatic cleaning device can be controlled to continue traveling along the planned route; or the pool automatic cleaning device can be controlled to perform a cleaning operation, such as traveling towards the cleaning object, so that when it reaches the cleaning object, a cleaning operation can be carried out to clean it up.

[0053] As the pool automatic cleaning device 100 continues to travel in the pool 200, if the actual ranging value obtained by the ranging sensor equipped on the pool automatic cleaning device 100 at the current moment rises suddenly compared to the predicted distance value, that is, the absolute value of the difference between the predicted distance value calculated at the current moment and the actual ranging value obtained at the current moment is greater than the first distance threshold, and the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value is less than the third distance threshold, it can be determined that the road condition ahead has changed.

[0054] As an example, the third distance threshold can be set to the opposite of the first distance threshold. For example, the third distance threshold can be set to -1.2 m. For example, the predicted distance value of the object in front at the current moment calculated by the pool automatic cleaning device based on historical distance data is 0.6 m, while the actual ranging value is 2.2 m. The difference -1.6 m between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value is less than -1.2 m, which indicates that there is an object different from the previous ranging object in front, that is, an object different from the object 360 to be cleaned in front previously, that is, the road condition in front has changed. For example, the pool wall 220 in front of the pool automatic cleaning device 100 is detected; in this case, when the pool automatic cleaning device travels to the pool wall 220, an avoidance operation can be performed. As an example, the distance between the pool automatic cleaning device 100 and the pool wall 220 is generally much higher than the distance between the pool automatic cleaning 100 and the object 360 to be cleaned; therefore, in this case, the predicted distance value of the object in front at the current moment calculated based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data reflects the predicted distance value in the case where the object in front is the object 360 to be cleaned, while the actual ranging value reflects the distance to the pool wall 220 at a farther distance; that is, at least a part of the historical distance data belongs to the ranging values of the object 360 to be cleaned obtained at multiple previous time points. Therefore, the predicted distance value calculated based on at least a part of the historical distance data corresponds to the object 360 to be cleaned, while the actual ranging value corresponds to the pool wall 220.

[0055] As an example, at least a part of the historical distance data includes a reasonable number of historical distance data selected according to actual needs, so that the historical distance data used to calculate the predicted distance value of the object in front belongs to the ranging values of the same object. As another example, in the case of determining that the road condition in front has changed, that is, in the case of determining that a new object has appeared in front, the historical distance data can be cleared or ignored, and the ranging value of the new object can be used to update the historical distance data, and the predicted distance value of the new object can be calculated based on the updated historical distance data, so that the historical distance data used to calculate the predicted distance value of the new object belongs to the ranging values of the new object, rather than the ranging values of other objects.

[0056] Thus, based on the comparison between the predicted distance value of the pool automatic cleaning device and the object in front at the current moment calculated based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data and the actual ranging value of the object in front obtained by the pool automatic cleaning device at the current moment, it can be determined whether the road condition in front has changed, and based on the comparison between the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value and the distance threshold (such as the first distance threshold, the second distance threshold, and / or the third distance threshold), it can be determined whether there is an object to be cleaned or an obstacle in front.

[0057] Figure 4Schematically shows the relationship between a part of the historical distance data of an object in front of a stored pool automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and the number of frames of ranging data collected by a sensor equipped with the pool automatic cleaning device. As Figure 4 shown, the horizontal axis represents the number of frames of ranging data collected by the sensor, and the vertical axis represents the actual ranging value (unit: mm). As Figure 4 shown, as the pool automatic cleaning device travels in the pool, between frames 0 - 18, the multiple actual ranging values obtained are all relatively small, less than 1.5 m; thus, the predicted distance value calculated by data fitting based on the multiple actual ranging values is also relatively small, and the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value is less than the first distance threshold. The absolute value of the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value can be, for example, 0.4 m, which is less than the first distance threshold set to 1.2 m; in this state, it can be determined that the road condition in front of the pool automatic cleaning device has not changed.

[0058] As the pool automatic cleaning device travels, when the number of frames collected approaches 18 frames, the actual ranging value suddenly becomes larger, approaching 2.5 m; at this time, the predicted distance value calculated based on the historical distance value approaches 1.2 m, while the actual ranging value is 2.5 m, and the difference between the two is -1.3 m, less than the third distance threshold -1.2 m, and the absolute value of the difference between the two is greater than the first distance threshold 1.2 m; thus, it can be determined that the road condition in front has changed at this time. Considering that the distance between the pool automatic cleaning device and the front pool wall is usually much higher than the distance between the pool automatic cleaning device and the object to be cleaned, it can be determined that the object in front is the pool wall.

[0059] As an example, as the pool automatic cleaning device travels, the actual ranging value may suddenly drop from 2.5 m to about 1.1 m; at this time, for example, the predicted distance value calculated based on the historical distance value (such as the ranging value for the pool wall 220) is 2.6 m, while the actual ranging value is 1.1 m, and the difference between the two is 1.5 m, greater than the second distance threshold 1.2 m, and its absolute value is greater than the first distance threshold 1.2 m; thus, it can be determined that the road condition in front has changed at this time, and it can be determined that the object for ranging in front is the object to be cleaned.

[0060] As an example, Figure 4 the upper envelope of the curve shown in Figure 4 the dashed line shown in Figure 2 reflects the distance change between the pool automatic cleaning device and the front pool wall (such as the pool wall 220 shown in Figure 4 as the pool automatic cleaning device travels, while the lower part of the curve shown in Figure 2The distances of the objects to be cleaned 360 and 380 shown in [the figure].

[0061] Thus, based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data, a predicted distance value of the object in front of the automatic pool cleaning device at the current moment can be calculated, and the actual ranging value of the object in front of it at the current moment can be obtained through the sensor equipped on the automatic pool cleaning device. By comparing the predicted distance value with the actual ranging value, it can be determined whether the road condition in front has changed; on this basis, based on the comparison between the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual ranging value and the distance threshold, for example, the comparison with the first distance threshold, the second distance threshold, and / or the third distance threshold, it can be determined whether there is an object to be cleaned or an obstacle in front.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the case where there is an object to be cleaned in front, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to continue to travel along the planned path, or the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to travel to the object to be cleaned for cleaning operations; in the case where there is an obstacle in front, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to perform an obstacle avoidance operation when approaching the obstacle.

[0063] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the absolute value of the difference between the predicted distance value and the ranging value is not greater than the first distance threshold, it is determined that the road condition in front has not changed, and the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to continue to execute the current task; for example, if it was previously determined that the road condition in front was the appearance of an obstacle such as a pool wall, the current task can be to perform an obstacle avoidance operation when approaching the pool wall, for example, turning around, turning, etc.; if it was previously determined that the road condition in front was the appearance of an object to be cleaned, the current task can be to travel along the original planned path or perform a cleaning operation; for example, it can travel towards the object to be cleaned to perform a cleaning operation, such as cleaning floating leaves; when the absolute value of the difference between the predicted distance value and the ranging value is greater than the first distance threshold, it is determined that the road condition in front has changed.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the case where it is determined that the road condition in front has changed, when the difference between the predicted distance value and the ranging value is less than the second distance threshold, it is determined that there is an obstacle in front; when the difference between the predicted distance value and the ranging value is greater than the third distance threshold, it is determined that there is an object to be cleaned in front.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second distance threshold is the opposite number of the first distance threshold, and the third distance threshold is equal to the first distance threshold.

[0066] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, calculating the predicted distance value of the object in front based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data includes: based on a plurality of stored historical distance data, fitting the current predicted distance value of the object in front by using the data fitting method.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the data fitting method includes the least squares method.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a part of the stored historical distance data includes ranging values in front obtained at a plurality of previous time points; the method further includes: storing the obtained ranging value into the historical distance data so as to update the historical distance data.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sensor is a ranging sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor or a lidar.

[0070] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a pool automatic cleaning device is further provided. As Figure 5 shown, the pool automatic cleaning device 500 includes: at least one sensor 510 that obtains a current actual distance value of an object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device; and at least one processor 520 configured to cause the pool automatic cleaning device 500 to execute the above method when executing one or more instructions.

[0071] According to the above method and the pool automatic cleaning device of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the road conditions in front can be accurately identified based on the historical distance data and the current ranging value of the ranging sensor, and corresponding operations can be performed based on the identified road conditions, avoiding the inability of the pool automatic cleaning device to perform normal operations due to misjudgment of the road conditions in front, thereby enhancing the operation efficiency of the pool automatic cleaning device and improving the user experience.

[0072] Thus, several aspects of the present disclosure are presented above with reference to various devices and methods. These devices and methods are illustrated in the drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether these elements are implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the entire system.

[0073] Therefore, in one or more example embodiments, the described functions can be implemented using hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, these functions can be stored on or encoded as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes a computer storage medium. The storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer. It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of the blocks in the disclosed process / flowchart is an illustration of an example method. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of the blocks in the process / flowchart can be rearranged. In addition, some blocks can be combined or omitted. The appended method claims present the elements of the various blocks in a sample order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0074] The embodiments described above are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all embodiments. The present application can be implemented in many different forms. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosed content of the present application more thorough and comprehensive. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, for those skilled in the art, they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing specific embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features. Any equivalent structures directly or indirectly using the content of the specification and drawings of the present application in other related technical fields shall be similarly within the scope of patent protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a pool automatic cleaning device, comprising: Controlling the pool automatic cleaning device to travel in the pool; During the travel, obtaining the current actual distance value of an object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device through a sensor equipped on the pool automatic cleaning device; Calculating the current predicted distance value of the object based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data; And Judging the type of the object based on the comparison between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value, wherein the type of the object includes one of the following: an object to be cleaned and an obstacle.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: When judging that the type of the object is an object to be cleaned, controlling the pool automatic cleaning device to perform a cleaning operation on the object and / or continue to travel according to a planned route.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 further comprises: When judging that the type of the object is an obstacle, controlling the pool automatic cleaning device to perform an obstacle avoidance action when approaching the object.

4. The method according to claim 3, judging the type of the object based on the comparison between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value, comprising: When the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value is less than a first distance threshold, determining that the object is an obstacle; When the difference between the predicted distance value and the actual distance value is greater than a second distance threshold, determining that the object is an object to be cleaned.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The absolute values of the first distance threshold and the second distance threshold are equal.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, Calculating the predicted distance value based on at least a part of the stored historical distance data includes: Based on a plurality of stored historical distance data, fitting out the predicted distance value by using a data fitting method.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The data fitting method includes the least squares method.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, At least a part of the stored historical distance data includes the distance values of the object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device obtained at a plurality of previous time points; The method further comprises: Storing the obtained distance value into the historical distance data so as to update the historical distance data.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein The sensor is an ultrasonic sensor or a lidar.

10. A pool automatic cleaning device, comprising: At least one sensor for obtaining the actual distance value of an object in front of the pool automatic cleaning device; And At least one processor configured to cause the pool automatic cleaning device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1-9 when executing one or more instructions.

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