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 method comprises the following steps: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to advance in a pool; in the advancing process of the automatic pool cleaning device, image information of an object around the automatic pool cleaning device is obtained through an image sensor, and the distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object is obtained through a distance measuring sensor; determining the type of the object based on the image information; the type comprises to-be-cleaned garbage or obstacles; based on the type of the object and the distance value, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to execute corresponding actions; wherein the corresponding action comprises an obstacle avoiding action or a cleaning operation action.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Automatic pool cleaning devices are generally used to clean pools, for example, to collect and clean garbage / debris on the bottom, side walls and / or water surface of a pool such as a swimming pool, so as to filter and purify the water 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 an automatic pool cleaning device is provided. The method may include: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to travel in a pool; during the travel of the automatic pool cleaning device, acquiring image information of objects surrounding the automatic pool cleaning device using an image sensor, and acquiring a distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object using a distance measuring sensor; determining the type of the object based on the image information; the type of object may include garbage or an obstacle to be cleaned; and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a corresponding action based on the object type and the distance value; wherein the corresponding action may include avoiding an obstacle or performing a cleaning operation.

[0004] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform corresponding actions based on the type of the object and the distance value may include: when the type of the object belongs to garbage to be cleaned, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform the cleaning operation based on the distance value, and the cleaning operation includes continuing to move along the original path or moving toward the object to clean the garbage.

[0005] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, traveling toward the object to clean up the garbage may include: traveling toward the object along a re-planned path to clean up the garbage.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, based on the type of the object and the distance value, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a corresponding action may include: when the type of the object is an obstacle, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform the obstacle avoidance action when the distance value falls within a first threshold range.

[0007] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the action of avoiding the obstacle may include: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a turn or a U-turn to change the direction of travel and avoid the obstacle.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above method may further include: after avoiding the obstacle, continuing to move toward the original moving target.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the rotation direction of the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled according to the relative positional relationship between the object and the automatic pool cleaning device to control the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the object or avoid the obstacle.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the relative position relationship is obtained based on acquisition data and installation positions of the image sensor and / or the ranging sensor.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the travel path of the automatic pool cleaning device when controlling its travel in the pool includes multiple first sub-paths and multiple second sub-paths, and the length of the first sub-path is greater than the length of the second sub-path.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the image sensor includes at least one of the following: a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a multi-camera, and a panoramic camera.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging sensor includes at least one of the following: an ultrasonic sensor, a lidar sensor, a DTOF sensor, an infrared sensor, and an optical communication sensor.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic pool cleaning device is proposed, which may include: an image sensor for acquiring image information of objects around the automatic pool cleaning device when it is moving; a ranging sensor for acquiring a distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object; and a processor configured to cause the automatic pool cleaning device to perform 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 briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 The figure schematically shows the appearance of an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2The working environment of the automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0018] Figure 3 The flowchart of a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0019] Figure 4 The diagram schematically shows a scene in which an automatic pool cleaning device operates in a rectangular pool.

[0020] Figures 5A-5B An example of an automatic pool cleaning device traveling along a planned travel path according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0021] Figure 6 The structure block diagram of the automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The detailed description set forth below, 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 may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details intended to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details.

[0023] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", "one side", "the other side", "front end", "rear end" 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 disclosure and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present disclosure.

[0024] Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" that relate to order are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features being referred to. Thus, features defined with terms such as "first," "second," and "third" that relate to order may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of this disclosure, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0025] Furthermore, in the drawings, for clarity of illustration, dimensions may be exaggerated and not drawn to scale. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to like elements.

[0026] Figure 1 The figure schematically shows the appearance of an automatic pool cleaning device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The automatic pool cleaning device 100 can clean the bottom, walls, water and surface of a pool (e.g., a swimming pool) as needed, for example, to remove garbage in the water, on the bottom and on the surface of the water, and to clean dirt on the bottom and walls of the pool. Figure 1 As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 may include structures / components such as a shell 110, a travel mechanism 120, and a cleaning unit 130. As an example, a control compartment, a power compartment, and a filter compartment (not shown) may be provided in the shell 100, wherein a control circuit such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), or a microcontroller may be installed in the control compartment, a driving mechanism such as a water pump or a drive motor may be provided in the power compartment, and a filter unit such as a filter basket may be provided in the filter compartment to filter and purify the water entering the filter compartment through the water inlet, filter out impurities therein, and discharge the cleaned water from the automatic pool cleaning device through the water outlet. In addition, the automatic pool cleaning device may also be equipped with a rechargeable battery as a power source to power components such as the drive motor, the water pump, and the control circuit. 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 here.

[0027] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device may also be equipped with a water spray mechanism, such as a water pump and an impeller, so that the automatic pool cleaning device can use the water spray mechanism to spray water outward from the water spray port to assist the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the pool wall, in the water and / or on the water surface; for example, the water spray mechanism can be used to spray water from a water spray port (e.g., a nozzle with a direction opposite to the direction of travel) in the direction of the spray port. Figure 1 Alternatively, when the automatic pool cleaning device is climbing the pool wall, the water jetting mechanism can be used to eject water from the water jetting port (e.g., the water jetting port 140) on the top of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device. Figure 1 The water flow sprayed from the water nozzle 150 as shown generates pressure applied to the bottom surface of the automatic pool cleaning device to improve the adhesion between the travel mechanism of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall, thereby maintaining the stability of its body in a vertical state.

[0028] It should be noted that the position, shape and / or number of the water spray ports 140-150 provided on the housing 110 of the automatic pool cleaning device 100 may be adjusted accordingly according to the actual operational requirements of the automatic pool cleaning device and are not limited here.

[0029] although Figure 1 The overall appearance of an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. It should be understood that this is merely schematic and does not constitute any limitation to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0030] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an automatic pool cleaning device may also be equipped with various sensors to enable various operations such as detecting the underwater environment, determining a travel route, and / or performing cleaning operations. For example, an automatic pool cleaning device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be equipped with an image sensor for acquiring image information of objects surrounding the automatic pool cleaning device; it may also be equipped with a distance sensor for acquiring distance information between the automatic pool cleaning device and the objects.

[0031] As an example, the above-mentioned image sensor may include but is not limited to at least one of the following: a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a multi-camera, and a panoramic camera.

[0032] As an example, the above-mentioned ranging sensor may include but is not limited to at least one of the following: an ultrasonic sensor, a lidar sensor, a DTOF sensor, an infrared sensor, and an optical communication sensor.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automatic pool cleaning device may also be equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for obtaining attitude data of the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 may utilize the equipped inertial measurement unit to collect the acceleration and angular velocity values of the automatic pool cleaning device about the X, Y, and Z axes in the three-dimensional space of the pool, thereby obtaining attitude data such as the pitch angle, yaw angle, and / or roll angle of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0034] Figure 2 The working environment of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown, such as a pool 200 such as a swimming pool. As an example, Figure 2 As shown, the pool 200 includes facilities such as a platform 230 and steps 240. The automatic pool cleaning device 100 can travel on the pool bottom 210, the water surface 220, the platform 230, the steps 240, the pool wall 250 and / or in the water of the pool 200, and perform cleaning operations during the travel process, clearing garbage floating in the water and on the water surface, and removing dirt on the surface of the pool bottom 210, the pool wall 250, the platform 230 and / or the steps 240, so as to provide users with a clean and hygienic environment.

[0035] In order to improve the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality of the automatic pool cleaning device 100, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 can be controlled to move along a set route so as to perform obstacle avoidance, cleaning and other operations during the movement, thereby achieving all-round cleaning of the pool 200.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the process of controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move in the pool, image information of objects around the automatic pool cleaning device can be obtained through an image sensor, and the type of the object can be determined based on the obtained image information, for example, whether the object is garbage to be cleaned or an obstacle that needs to be avoided.

[0037] In addition, during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, the distance information between it and the surrounding objects can be obtained through the distance sensor it is equipped with, so that not only the type of the object can be determined but also the distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object can be determined; thus, based on the determined type of the object and the distance value to the object, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform corresponding actions, such as avoiding obstacles or performing cleaning operations to clean up garbage, thereby improving the operating efficiency and quality of the automatic pool cleaning device, reducing power consumption and improving battery life.

[0038] Figure 3 The flow chart of the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically. Figure 3 As shown, the method may include: S310, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move in the pool; S320, during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, obtaining image information of objects around the automatic cleaning device through an image sensor, and obtaining the distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object through a ranging sensor; S330, based on the image information, determining the type of the object, wherein the type includes: garbage or obstacles to be cleaned; S340, based on the type of the object and the distance value, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform corresponding actions; wherein the corresponding actions include: avoiding obstacles or cleaning operations.

[0039] The control method for the automatic pool cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to specific examples.

[0040] Figure 4 The schematic diagram shows a scene in which an automatic pool cleaning device operates in a rectangular pool. As an example, Figure 4As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can travel on the bottom of the pool 410 to perform a cleaning operation on the pool bottom. As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can move along a set bow-shaped path (such as Figure 4 The pool bottom is cleaned as shown by the dashed line in the figure. As the automatic pool cleaning device 400 moves, its image sensor can capture image information of surrounding objects and, based on analysis of the image information, determine whether the object is garbage to be cleaned or an obstacle to be avoided. Furthermore, as the automatic pool cleaning device 400 moves, its ranging sensor can measure the distance to the object to determine the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object. Based on the type of object and the distance to the object, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform obstacle avoidance or garbage removal operations.

[0041] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can travel along the bow-shaped planned path shown in dotted lines. Figure 4 As shown, the path includes a plurality of first sub-paths 4505 and a plurality of second sub-paths 4510 , wherein the length of the first sub-path 4505 is greater than the length of the second sub-path 4510 .

[0042] As another example, Figure 5A As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 500 can travel along the zigzag planning path shown by the dotted line. Figure 5A As shown, the path includes multiple first sub-paths 5505 and multiple second sub-paths 5510, wherein the length of the first sub-path 5505 is greater than the length of the second sub-path 5510.

[0043] As another example, Figure 5B As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 500 can travel along the U-shaped planning path shown by the dotted line. Figure 5B As shown, the path includes multiple first sub-paths 5605 and multiple second sub-paths 5610, wherein the length of the first sub-path 5605 is greater than the length of the second sub-path 5610.

[0044] It should be noted that the planned travel path of the automatic pool cleaning device described herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is only for the purpose of facilitating a better understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, and its specific type is not limited herein.

[0045] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automatic pool cleaning device can obtain image information about surrounding objects through the equipped image sensor, for example, obtaining still images and / or video frames about surrounding objects through a camera; based on the analysis of the image information, for example, by performing image recognition on the obtained still images and / or video frames, for example, models such as convolutional neural networks and deep learning can be used to perform target detection, semantic segmentation, instance segmentation, feature extraction, feature matching and other operations on the still images and / or video frames collected by the image sensor, so as to identify the type of the object, that is, determine whether the object is garbage such as fallen leaves, sand, paper, dirt, or obstacles such as pool walls, drains, platform edges, steps, escalators, wall lamps or floor lamps.

[0046] After determining the type of surrounding objects, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform corresponding actions based on the type of the object and the distance value to the object. For example, when it is determined that the object is an obstacle, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform an obstacle avoidance operation when it travels to a certain distance from the obstacle, such as 5-10 cm; thereby, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform a turn or U-turn to change the direction of travel, thereby avoiding the obstacle.

[0047] For example, continue to refer to Figure 4 When the automatic pool cleaning device 400 determines that the front object 4401 is a drain at the bottom of the pool by analyzing the acquired image information, it can turn to change the direction of travel when it reaches a certain threshold distance from the drain, for example, along Figure 4 Move in the direction indicated by arrow 1, avoid the drain outlet and continue to move forward to prevent the automatic pool cleaning device from being stuck due to the adsorption force generated by the drain outlet when it moves to the location of the drain outlet.

[0048] As another example, when the automatic pool cleaning device 400 determines that the front object 4402 is a floor lamp installed at the bottom of the pool through analysis of the acquired image information, it can turn to change the direction of travel when it reaches a certain threshold distance from the floor lamp, for example, along Figure 4 Move in the direction indicated by arrow 2, avoid the ground lamp and continue to move forward to prevent the automatic pool cleaning device from being stuck at the ground lamp due to the bottom of its body contacting the ground lamp protruding from the bottom surface of the pool when it moves to the location of the ground lamp, causing it to be suspended and trapped.

[0049] As another example, when the automatic pool cleaning device 400 determines that the object ahead is the pool wall, for example, the edge 4403 of the platform 420 that is part of the pool wall, by analyzing the acquired image information, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can make a U-turn or turn to change the direction of travel when it reaches a certain threshold distance from the pool wall, for example, along Figure 4 The vehicle moves in the direction of arrow 3 to continue cleaning the pool bottom along the originally set path.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, changing the travel direction of the automatic pool cleaning device may include but is not limited to: adjusting the wheel speed difference of the travel mechanism on both sides of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device; and / or adjusting the thrust difference generated by the water spray mechanism equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device on both sides of the body.

[0051] As an example, after avoiding an obstacle, the automatic pool cleaning device may continue to move along the originally set path, for example, may continue to move toward the original travel target.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when it is determined that the type of object is garbage to be cleaned based on the analysis of image information, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform corresponding actions based on the distance value to the object; for example, if the distance value between the garbage and the automatic pool cleaning device is less than a certain threshold distance, the travel path of the automatic pool cleaning device can be replanned so that it moves towards the object to clean up the garbage.

[0053] As an example, Figure 4 As shown, when the automatic pool cleaning device determines that object 4404 belongs to garbage to be cleaned (such as fallen leaves, dirt, algae) based on the analysis of image information, the control device of the automatic pool cleaning device, for example, a control unit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor (MPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP) equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device, can first determine whether object 4404 is on the travel path of the automatic pool cleaning device. If not, the travel path can be replanned, for example, along Figure 4 The re-planned travel path shown by the arrow 4 moves toward the object 4404 identified as garbage to complete the garbage cleaning operation, and after completing the garbage cleaning, continues to move along the originally planned path (such as the bow-shaped path) to traverse the entire bottom of the pool and clean the bottom of the pool in all directions.

[0054] As another example, when it is determined that the type of object is garbage to be cleaned, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform a corresponding action based on the distance value to the object; for example, if the distance between the garbage and the automatic pool cleaning device is not less than a certain threshold distance, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to continue to move along the originally set path. Figure 4As shown, when the automatic pool cleaning device 400 travels to position P1, the image sensor equipped therewith can obtain image information of object 4410, and based on the analysis of the image information of object 4410, it can be determined that it is garbage to be cleaned; in addition, the distance value to object 4410 can be obtained by the distance sensor equipped therewith of the automatic pool cleaning device 400. When the distance value is greater than the threshold distance, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to continue along the originally set travel route (for example, along Figure 4 ) until it moves along the originally set travel route to the vicinity of the object 4410, that is, the distance value to the object 4410 is not greater than the threshold distance, for example, Figure 4 At the position P2 shown, the object 4410 identified as garbage to be cleaned can be cleaned, such as Figure 4 As shown, object 4410 is on the travel path of the automatic pool cleaning device, and the automatic pool cleaning device can directly move along the original travel path to clean object 4410.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the rotation direction of the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled based on the relative positional relationship between the automatic pool cleaning device and surrounding objects, and the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to move toward the direction of the object to be cleaned or avoid obstacles depending on whether the type of the object is garbage to be cleaned or an obstacle to be avoided.

[0056] As an example, the above relative position relationship can be obtained based on the collected data and installation position of the image sensor and / or distance measuring sensor equipped by the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0057] For example, an automatic pool cleaning device can be equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and based on the acceleration and angular velocity data about the XYZ axes collected by the IMU, the yaw angle, pitch angle, and roll angle of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device can be calculated.

[0058] Thus, the relative position relationship between the automatic pool cleaning device and the data collection object can be obtained based on the installation position of the image sensor and / or the distance measuring sensor relative to the body of the automatic pool cleaning device and the corresponding collected data.

[0059] For example, a ranging sensor can be installed on the side of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device. When the ranging sensor detects the presence of an object on the right side of the body, it can obtain the distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object. In addition, based on the analysis of the image information of the object obtained by the image sensor, when it is determined that it is garbage to be cleaned, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to rotate right based on the IMU, and move to the garbage to be cleaned based on the above-mentioned ranging value in order to clean the garbage.

[0060] As another example, a ranging sensor may be installed at the front end of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device. When the ranging sensor detects the presence of an object in the front direction of the body, it may obtain a ranging value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object. Furthermore, based on analysis of the image information of the object acquired by the image sensor, when it is determined that the object is an obstacle such as a pool wall, the automatic pool cleaning device may be controlled to rotate by a certain angle based on the IMU after traveling a certain distance less than the ranging value along the original path, thereby avoiding obstacles such as the pool wall.

[0061] Of course, the relative positional relationship between objects around the automatic pool cleaning device and the automatic pool cleaning device may also be detected based on an image sensor installed on the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0062] Therefore, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, image information of surrounding objects can be obtained based on the image sensor equipped by the automatic pool cleaning device, and distance information to the object can be obtained based on the distance sensor equipped by the automatic pool cleaning device; based on the image information, the type of the object can be determined; thus, based on the type of the object and the corresponding distance information, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to perform garbage cleaning operations or obstacle avoidance operations, thereby improving the operating efficiency and quality of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0063] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic pool cleaning device is also provided. Figure 6 As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 600 includes: an image sensor 610, which obtains image information of objects around the automatic pool cleaning device when it is moving; a ranging sensor 620, which obtains the distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object; and a processor 630, which is configured to cause the automatic pool cleaning device to perform the above method when executing one or more instructions.

[0064] As an example, the number, type, and installation location of image sensors, ranging sensors, and processors are not limited here.

[0065] For example, the image sensor may include at least one of the following: a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a multi-camera, or a panoramic camera. Using the cameras, the automated pool cleaning device can acquire image data about surrounding objects, such as still images and / or video frames of surrounding objects. This data can provide information for identifying object features, such as shape, texture, size, and color. Based on analysis of the image data, for example, by performing image recognition on the acquired still images and / or video frames, the type of object can be identified, such as whether it is trash to be cleaned or an obstacle to be avoided.

[0066] As an example, the ranging sensor includes at least one of the following: an ultrasonic sensor, a lidar sensor, a DTOF sensor, an infrared sensor, and an optical communication sensor.

[0067] For example, ultrasonic sensors can be installed on the front, rear and / or side of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device to detect objects in the front, rear and side directions of the automatic pool cleaning device and obtain distance information between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object.

[0068] For example, laser radar can be used to obtain point cloud information about surrounding objects. For example, while an automatic pool cleaning device is moving, laser radar can be used to scan and collect point cloud data about surrounding objects. Based on the analysis of the point cloud data, the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object can be obtained.

[0069] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device may further include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to collect posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device, whereby the control device of the automatic pool cleaning device may control the moving posture of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the posture data.

[0070] According to the above-mentioned method and automatic pool cleaning device of the embodiments of the present disclosure, by obtaining image information of objects around the automatic pool cleaning device and distance information relative to the object, the type of the object can be determined, and based on the type of the object and the distance to the object, corresponding actions are performed, thereby improving the flexibility of the automatic pool cleaning device in performing operations, and dynamically adjusting and optimizing the operating process of the automatic pool cleaning device, thereby improving operating efficiency.

[0071] 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 accompanying 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 the design constraints on the overall system.

[0072] Thus, in one or more example embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored or encoded as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media. The storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the disclosed process / flowcharts is illustrative of example methods. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process / flowcharts may be rearranged. In addition, some blocks may be combined or omitted. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various blocks in a sample order and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0073] The embodiments described above are only some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the 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 disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, for those skilled in the art, it is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned specific embodiments, or to perform equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. Any equivalent structure made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, directly or indirectly used in other related technical fields, is also within the scope of patent protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device, comprising: Controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move in the pool; During the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device, image information of objects around the automatic pool cleaning device is acquired through an image sensor, and a distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object is acquired through a distance measuring sensor; Determine the type of the object based on the image information; the type includes: garbage or obstacles to be cleared; Based on the type of the object and the distance value, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to perform a corresponding action; wherein the corresponding action includes: an obstacle avoidance action or a cleaning operation action.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a corresponding action based on the type of the object and the distance value includes: When the type of the object is garbage to be cleaned, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to perform the cleaning operation based on the distance value, and the cleaning operation includes continuing to move along the original path or moving towards the object to clean the garbage.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The moving toward the object to clean up the garbage comprises: Travel toward the object along the re-planned path to clean up the garbage.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to perform a corresponding action based on the type of the object and the distance value includes: When the type of the object is an obstacle, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to perform the obstacle avoidance action when the distance value falls within a first threshold range.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The obstacle avoidance action includes: The automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to perform steering or U-turn to change the direction of travel and avoid the obstacle.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The method further comprises: After avoiding the obstacle, continue to move toward the original moving target.

7. The method according to claim 2 or 5, wherein: According to the relative positional relationship between the object and the automatic pool cleaning device, the rotation direction of the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to control the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the object or avoid the obstacle.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The relative position relationship is obtained based on the collected data and the installation position of the image sensor and / or the distance measuring sensor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein The travel path of the automatic pool cleaning device when controlling the travel in the pool includes a plurality of first sub-paths and a plurality of second sub-paths, and the length of the first sub-path is greater than the length of the second sub-path.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein The image sensor includes at least one of the following: Monocular camera, binocular camera, multi-camera, panoramic camera.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein The distance measuring sensor includes at least one of the following: Ultrasonic sensors, lidar sensors, DTOF sensors, infrared sensors, and optical communication sensors.

12. An automatic pool cleaning device comprising: An image sensor, which obtains image information of objects around the automatic pool cleaning device as it moves; A distance measuring sensor is used to obtain a distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object; as well as The processor is configured to cause the automatic pool cleaning device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 when executing one or more instructions.

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