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 control method comprises the following steps: determining a water depth value of the pool bottom of the automatic pool cleaning device, and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate by a first preset angle under the condition that the water depth value is smaller than a first threshold value; in the rotating process, attitude information of the automatic cleaning device for the pool and distance information between the automatic cleaning device and a front obstacle are obtained; determining a target advancing direction based on the attitude information and the distance information; and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target advancing direction until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold value. According to the method, the pool cleaning device can be accurately moved to the deepwater area, so that the robot can normally perform subsequent cleaning work in the deepwater area, and the cleaning efficiency of the automatic pool cleaning device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the development of computer technology, robotics technology has also developed rapidly. Currently, underwater robots are used more and more widely in various fields, and can assist people in working in the water, including underwater cleaning, underwater exploration, underwater sightseeing, etc.

[0003] Robots that perform underwater cleaning, such as automatic pool cleaning devices, are placed into the pool by users when cleaning operations are required on areas such as the pool bottom, pool surface or pool wall. However, some pools may have shallow water platforms, and the water depth on the platforms is shallower than the water depth at the pool bottom. For example, some swimming pools may have rest areas, and the rest areas may be rest platforms that are higher than the pool bottom, so that the water depth at the rest platforms is shallower than the water depth in other areas of the pool. Therefore, if the automatic pool cleaning device is placed in a shallow water area, it is easy to cause the automatic pool cleaning device to float due to air suction, inaccurate motion trajectory, and chaotic ultrasonic data when cleaning the pool bottom, making it difficult for the automatic pool cleaning device to perform cleaning work normally, thereby affecting the cleaning efficiency of the automatic pool cleaning device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present application, a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, comprising: determining a water depth at the bottom of a pool at which the automatic pool cleaning device is located, and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate by a first predetermined angle if the water depth is less than a first threshold; obtaining, during the rotation process, posture information of the automatic pool cleaning device and distance information from a front obstacle; determining a target forward direction based on the posture information and distance information; and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target forward direction until the water depth is greater than a second threshold.

[0005] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, wherein the posture information includes a pitch angle; determining the target direction of travel based on the posture information and distance information includes: judging whether the pitch angles are both less than a preset pitch angle threshold; if so, determining the target direction of travel based on the size of the distance information.

[0006] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, wherein the posture information also includes a yaw angle, if the maximum pitch angle among the pitch angles is greater than a predetermined pitch angle threshold, the target forward direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum pitch angle.

[0007] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, wherein the posture information includes a yaw angle, the target direction of travel is determined based on the posture information and the distance information, including: judging whether there is an obstacle-free area through the distance information; if there is an obstacle-free area, determining the target direction of travel based on the yaw angle corresponding to the obstacle-free area.

[0008] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, if there is no obstacle-free area, the target moving direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum value in the distance information.

[0009] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, wherein the obstacle-free area corresponds to a plurality of yaw angles, determining the target forward direction based on the yaw angles corresponding to the obstacle-free area includes: arbitrarily selecting one of the plurality of yaw angles or selecting one of the yaw angles according to a preset rule to determine the target forward direction.

[0010] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, the obstacle-free area refers to an area in front of the automatic pool cleaning device where no obstacle distance information can be detected.

[0011] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, wherein the controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target direction of advance until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold value includes: during the movement process, continuing to obtain the water depth value of the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device; if the water depth value gradually increases, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to continue moving until the water depth value is greater than the second threshold value; if the water depth value gradually decreases, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move in the opposite direction of the target direction of advance.

[0012] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, the method further includes: in the process of controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target forward direction, continuing to obtain distance information between the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle in front; when the distance information is less than a predetermined distance, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to cross the obstacle or bypass the obstacle.

[0013] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application, the first threshold value is 15 cm-20 cm; and / or the second threshold value is 25 cm-30 cm.

[0014] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, the water depth value is obtained through a depth sensor; and / or the posture information is obtained through an inertial measurement unit; and / or the distance information to the obstacle in front is obtained through an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar ranging sensor, a lidar or a visual sensor.

[0015] According to a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application, before determining the water depth value at which the automatic pool cleaning device is at the bottom of the pool, the method also includes: detecting whether the automatic pool cleaning device has sunk to the bottom of the pool, and if so, triggering the acquisition of the water depth value through the depth sensor.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present application, a swimming pool cleaning device is provided, comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, and the processor executes any of the above-described control methods for the automatic pool cleaning device when processing the program instructions.

[0017] The embodiments described in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application determines whether the automatic pool cleaning device is located in a shallow water area by comparing the water depth value of the automatic pool cleaning device at the bottom of the pool with a first threshold value, and controls the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate to a first predetermined angle when it is located in the shallow water area, and determines the target forward direction based on the posture information of the automatic pool cleaning device and the distance information to the obstacle in front during the rotation process. Based on the target forward direction, the pool cleaning device can be controlled to accurately move to a deep water area with a water depth value greater than a second threshold value, so that the robot can perform subsequent cleaning work normally in the deep water area, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the automatic pool cleaning device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for describing the embodiments. The drawings described below are only exemplary embodiments of the present application.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device provided by the present application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a swimming pool structure viewed from above provided by this application; and

[0022] Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a swimming pool provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clear, the technical solutions in this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] The present application provides a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device. It is understood that the automatic pool cleaning device is capable of cleaning a pool. The pool is, for example, a pool-shaped structure. The pool-shaped structure may be a swimming pool, a reservoir, a spa pool, a water tank, a water storage tank, or the like. The automatic pool cleaning device may be a device such as an automatic cleaning device or a pool cleaning robot, capable of cleaning the pool-shaped structure. The present application does not limit the specific presentation of the automatic pool cleaning device or the pool-shaped structure, as long as the principles of the present application can be implemented.

[0025] Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the description will be made using a robot as an example of the automatic pool cleaning device, and a swimming pool as an example of a pool or pool-shaped structure. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the terms "pool bottom," "pool bottom surface," and "pool bottom" all refer to the bottom surface of a swimming pool.

[0026] The control method 100 of the automatic pool cleaning device will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a flow chart of the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided by this application. Figure 1 As shown, the control method 100 includes steps 101 to 104. Steps 101 to 104 are described in detail below.

[0028] According to a first aspect of the present application, a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, comprising:

[0029] In step 101, the water depth at which the automatic pool cleaning device is located at the bottom of the pool is determined.

[0030] Understandably, when a user needs to use a robot to clean the pool floor, they'll place it in the pool. However, if the robot is placed in the shallow end of the pool, this can easily lead to problems like floating due to air intake, inaccurate motion trajectory, and chaotic ultrasonic data, making it difficult for the robot to perform normal cleaning work in shallow water. Therefore, after the robot is placed in the pool and before it begins cleaning, it's necessary to obtain water depth information to determine the pool bottom's depth. This allows the robot to determine whether it's currently in shallow water.

[0031] Next, the process proceeds to step 102 . In step 102 , when the water depth value is less than a first threshold value, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to rotate to a first predetermined angle.

[0032] Specifically, after determining the water depth at the bottom of the pool, the robot is sent to the robot's control system, which then determines whether the water depth at the robot's location is below a predetermined first threshold. If the water depth at the robot's location is below the first threshold, it indicates that the robot has been deployed in the shallow end of the pool. Since it is difficult for the robot to perform normal cleaning work in shallow water, it is necessary to control the robot to move from the shallow end to the deep end in order to perform normal cleaning work.

[0033] Therefore, when it is determined that the water depth value at the position of the robot at the bottom of the pool is lower than the first threshold value, the robot can be controlled to rotate first by a first predetermined angle, and the target forward direction of the robot moving from the shallow water area to the deep water area can be determined by the change in the robot's posture during the rotation and the distance information of the obstacle in front. Exemplarily, the robot can rotate in situ (that is, the robot rotates around its current position in the shallow water area), or it can rotate after moving a certain distance (for example, the robot moves a certain distance in a certain direction and then rotates in situ). The above-mentioned first predetermined angle can be, for example, 360 degrees, or close to 360 degrees. The embodiments of the present application are not specifically limited here, as long as the angle of rotation of the robot can realize the technical principles of the present application. Among them, the rotation of the robot can be achieved, for example, by the difference in wheel speed between the left and right sides.

[0034] Execute step 103 to obtain the posture information of the automatic pool cleaning device and the distance information from the obstacle in front during the rotation process.

[0035] Specifically, the robot's posture, such as its orientation, changes during rotation. Therefore, acquiring the robot's posture information and the distance to any obstacles ahead during rotation facilitates determining the robot's direction of movement toward deeper water based on these information.

[0036] Next, step 104 is executed. In step 104, a target moving direction is determined based on the posture information and the distance information; and the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move along the target moving direction until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold.

[0037] It is understood that after determining the target direction based on the posture information and distance information, the robot can be controlled to move in the target direction to escape the shallow water area. During the process of controlling the robot to move in the target direction, the water depth at each moment of the robot's position can be determined in real time. If the water depth is greater than a predetermined second threshold, it indicates that the robot has moved to a deep water area and can perform normal cleaning operations. At this time, the robot can be controlled to begin cleaning operations. It is understood that the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

[0038] Wherein, the posture information includes a pitch angle; in step 104, determining the target's direction of travel based on the posture information and distance information includes: judging whether the pitch angles are both less than a preset pitch angle threshold; if so, determining the target's direction of travel based on the size of the distance information.

[0039] Specifically, the robot's posture information may include the robot's pitch angle. In this application, a body coordinate system (i.e., a three-dimensional orthogonal rectangular coordinate system) is constructed for the robot. In this body coordinate system, the robot's center of mass is the origin O, the direction of the robot's head is the OX axis, the right side of the robot's body is the OY axis, and the upward direction perpendicular to the XY plane of the robot is the OZ axis. During the robot's rotation, the angle between the OX axis and the horizontal plane is the pitch angle. In this application, when the OX axis is below the horizontal plane, the robot's pitch angle is positive; when the OX axis is above the horizontal plane, the robot's pitch angle is negative.

[0040] It's understandable that the robot's pitch angle can be used to determine whether it's on a slope. However, if the pool floor isn't sloped but rather horizontal, and this horizontal floor may have slight undulations due to construction, there will be variations in the robot's pitch angle during rotation, but these variations are minimal. In such a horizontal pool floor, it's difficult for the robot to quickly locate deep water based on pitch angle variations. Therefore, a preset pitch angle threshold is set to exclude situations where the pool floor has only slight undulations.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a swimming pool structure viewed from above. Figure 2 As shown in , a swimming pool can be distinguished between shallow water area and deep water area by a shallow water platform, the shallow water platform protrudes from the bottom of the swimming pool, the area above the shallow water platform is the shallow water area, and the other areas of the pool bottom outside the shallow water platform are the deep water area. Figure 2In the shallow water scenario of the platform shown, the robot's pitch angle changes relatively slightly during rotation. Therefore, if the robot's pitch angle is determined to be less than a preset pitch angle threshold, it indicates that the robot's current location is not on a slope. In this case, it is difficult for the robot to determine the direction of the deep water area through changes in the pitch angle. In this case, the target's forward direction towards the deep water area can be determined by the size of the distance information. In other words, when the pool bottom is relatively flat, the robot detects the distance to the surrounding obstacles and moves in the direction that is farthest or farther away from the obstacles, which is usually the direction of entering the deep water area. The posture information also includes the yaw angle. If the maximum pitch angle among the pitch angles is greater than the preset pitch angle threshold, the target's forward direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum pitch angle.

[0042] Specifically, posture information can also include the yaw angle. In constructing a robot's body coordinate system, the yaw angle is, for example, the angle between the horizontal projection of the OX axis and the Earth's axis. It reflects the robot's left-right deflection angle on the horizontal plane. If the maximum pitch angle of the robot's pitch angle is greater than the predetermined pitch angle, it indicates that the robot is currently located on a slope, with shallow water above the slope and deep water below the slope. Therefore, the robot's maximum pitch angle will be greater than the predetermined pitch angle during rotation.

[0043] Figure 3 This is another schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a swimming pool provided by this application, such as Figure 3 As shown in FIG, for example, the transition between the shallow water area and the deep water area can be achieved by tilting the bottom surface (i.e., the slope), and the top of the slope (e.g., Figure 3 The right side of the dotted line in the figure is the shallow water area, and the bottom of the slope (such as Figure 3 The left side of the dotted line in the figure is the deep water area. Figure 3 In the sloped shallow water scenario shown, the robot will experience large pitch angle changes during rotation. If the maximum pitch angle is greater than the predetermined pitch angle threshold, the robot's current position as described in the manual is on the slope. The direction of the deep water area can be determined by the robot's pitch angle.

[0044] It's understandable that in constructing the robot's body coordinate system, when the robot's pitch angle is maximum while rotating on a slope, the robot's head (i.e., the OX axis) is facing directly downward. Conversely, when the robot's pitch angle is minimum, the robot's head is facing directly upward. This head-downward pitch angle is the optimal pitch angle for the robot to navigate down the slope and into deep water as quickly as possible. Therefore, the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum pitch angle can be used to determine the robot's head orientation at that moment. This orientation is the robot's target heading.

[0045] The attitude information includes a yaw angle. In step 104, the target direction of travel is determined based on the attitude information and the distance information, including: judging whether there is an obstacle-free area through the distance information; if there is an obstacle-free area, determining the target direction of travel based on the yaw angle corresponding to the obstacle-free area.

[0046] Specifically, posture information can also include a yaw angle. When constructing a body coordinate system for the robot, the yaw angle is, for example, the angle between the projection of the OX axis on the horizontal plane and the earth's axis, which reflects the angle at which the robot deflects left or right on the horizontal plane. When determining the target forward direction based on posture information and distance information, the distance information is first used to determine whether there is an obstacle-free area. The sensor that perceives distance usually has a certain perception range, and the obstacle-free area is an area where the sensor that perceives distance does not detect any obstacles. Therefore, in the obstacle-free area, there are no obstacles within the perception range of the sensor that represents the robot's perceived distance, and the robot's movement is relatively unrestricted. Therefore, the robot's target forward direction can be determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the obstacle-free area. That is, the orientation of the robot's head can be determined based on the yaw angle of the robot when the obstacle-free area is detected. This orientation is the robot's target forward direction.

[0047] If there is no obstacle-free area, the target heading direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum value in the distance information.

[0048] Specifically, in cases where the swimming pool is small, it may be found through rotation detection that there is no obstacle-free area around the robot. In this case, the maximum distance information can be determined from the distance information, and then the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum value in the distance information can be used to determine the orientation of the robot's head at the moment of the maximum value of the distance information. This orientation is the target direction of the robot.

[0049] Exemplarily, when there are multiple yaw angles corresponding to the obstacle-free area, the target forward direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the obstacle-free area, including arbitrarily selecting one of the multiple yaw angles or selecting one of the yaw angles according to a preset rule to determine the target forward direction.

[0050] Specifically, if Figure 2As shown in , after detecting the distance information, the obstacle-free area detected during the rotation of the robot may be relatively large, or multiple scattered obstacle-free areas may be detected. In this case, the obstacle-free areas may include multiple yaw angles. In this case, a yaw angle can be arbitrarily selected from the multiple yaw angles corresponding to the obstacle-free areas to determine the target forward direction, or one of the yaw angles can be selected from the multiple yaw angles according to a preset rule to determine the target forward direction. The preset rule may, for example, include selecting a yaw angle close to the middle moment from the corresponding yaw angles of multiple consecutive moments, that is, when the obstacle-free area is relatively large, the target forward direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the area close to the middle position of the obstacle-free area. Of course, the preset rule can also be other rules that can implement the principles of the present application, and this embodiment is not specifically limited here.

[0051] The obstacle-free area refers to an area in front of the automatic pool cleaning device where no obstacle distance information can be detected.

[0052] It is understandable that the distance sensor has a certain sensing range. When the obstacle exceeds the sensing range of the distance sensor, the distance sensor cannot detect the obstacle distance information. Therefore, for the robot, the obstacle-free area refers to the area in front of the robot where no obstacle distance information can be detected.

[0053] Among them, in step 104, the controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target moving direction until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold value includes: during the movement process, continuing to obtain the water depth value of the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device; if the water depth value gradually increases, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to continue moving until the water depth value is greater than the second threshold value; if the water depth value gradually decreases, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move in the opposite direction of the target moving direction.

[0054] Specifically, in the process of controlling the robot to move along the target forward direction, the water depth value of the robot's position is continuously obtained. If the water depth value obtained gradually increases during the movement of the robot, it means that the robot is moving in the direction of the deep water area in the target forward direction. At this time, the robot is controlled to continue moving until the water depth value at the robot's position obtained is greater than the second threshold value, which indicates that the robot has moved to the deep water area. If the water depth value obtained gradually decreases during the movement of the robot, it means that the robot is moving in the direction of the shallow water area in the target forward direction, that is, the determined target forward direction is wrong. At this time, the robot needs to be controlled to move in the opposite direction of the target forward direction. It can be understood that if moving in the target forward direction is moving towards the shallow water area, then controlling the robot to move in the opposite direction of the target forward direction can quickly correct the robot's forward direction, so that the robot can quickly move to the deep water area.

[0055] Exemplarily, the control method further includes: in the process of controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target forward direction, continuing to obtain distance information between the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device and the obstacle ahead; when the distance information is less than a predetermined distance, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to cross the obstacle or bypass the obstacle.

[0056] It is understandable that there may be obstacles at the bottom of a swimming pool, such as ladders, steps, wall lamps, floor lamps, lampshades, water inlets, or outlets. Therefore, while controlling the robot to move in a target direction, it may encounter one of these obstacles, making it difficult for the robot to continue moving in the target direction. In this case, while controlling the robot to move in the target direction, the robot can continue to obtain distance information between the robot's current position and the obstacle ahead. If the distance information between the robot's current position and the obstacle ahead is less than a predetermined distance, the robot can be controlled to either traverse the obstacle or bypass it.

[0057] For example, the robot can be controlled to deflect a certain angle and then move forward to circumvent an obstacle. If the robot still has difficulty circumventing the obstacle after deflecting a certain angle, the robot can be controlled to deflect a certain angle again until it can circumvent the obstacle. The certain angle can be, for example, 10°-30°. It is understandable that after the robot rotates a certain angle and moves forward a certain distance, the robot may have already circumvented the obstacle. At this time, if the robot is controlled to continue moving in the direction after rotating a certain angle, the robot will deviate from the target direction. Therefore, during the process of controlling the robot to rotate a certain angle and move forward, the robot can monitor the obstacle in real time to determine whether the robot has circumvented the obstacle. If it is determined that the robot has circumvented the obstacle, the robot can be controlled to rotate a certain angle to continue moving in the target direction.

[0058] Exemplarily, the first threshold is 15 cm-20 cm; and / or the second threshold is 25 cm-30 cm.

[0059] The first threshold value may be 15 cm to 20 cm, and the second threshold value may be 25 cm to 30 cm. The specific values ​​of the first and second threshold values ​​may be determined based on the size of the robot. A larger robot requires a greater water depth for normal cleaning, and vice versa. Accordingly, if the robot is smaller, the first and second threshold values ​​are smaller; if the robot is larger, the first and second threshold values ​​are larger.

[0060] Exemplarily, the water depth value is obtained through a depth sensor; and / or the posture information is obtained through an inertial measurement unit; and / or the distance information to the obstacle in front is obtained through an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter wave radar ranging sensor, a lidar or a visual sensor.

[0061] Specifically, the water depth value can be obtained by a depth sensor, which can be an ultrasonic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a capacitive sensor. For example, an ultrasonic sensor calculates the water depth by emitting sound waves and measuring their return time; a pressure sensor calculates the water depth by measuring the pressure exerted by a water column; and a capacitive sensor determines the depth of the water level by measuring the change in capacitance. The depth sensor can be installed on the robot's head, tail, bottom, or top housing, or inside the robot's housing, as long as it can sense the depth of the water at the robot's location. The above exemplary description of the depth sensor is not intended to limit the type of sensor. Those skilled in the art can select the type of depth sensor according to actual needs, as long as it can implement the technical principles of this application. The robot's posture information can be measured by an inertial measurement unit (IMU), which can include a gyroscope component and / or a magnetometer component. The distance information to the obstacle in front can be obtained by an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar ranging sensor, a lidar, or a visual sensor. Of course, other sensors capable of obtaining distance information can also be used, and this embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0062] The control method, before determining the water depth value at the bottom of the pool where the automatic pool cleaning device is located, further includes: detecting whether the automatic pool cleaning device has sunk to the bottom of the pool, and if so, triggering the acquisition of the water depth value by the depth sensor.

[0063] Specifically, when a user places the robot into the pool to clean it, it will first sink from the surface to the bottom of the pool to facilitate subsequent cleaning operations. Therefore, before determining the robot's water depth, it is necessary to first detect whether the robot has sunk to the bottom of the pool. Once this is determined, the robot triggers a depth sensor to obtain the water depth value to determine the robot's depth at the bottom of the pool, thereby determining whether the robot's current location allows for subsequent pool cleaning operations. A bottom sensor can be used to detect whether the robot has sunk to the bottom of the pool. The bottom sensor can be, for example, a pressure sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a capacitive sensor, an infrared sensor, an optical sensor, or a mechanical switch sensor.

[0064] The control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in the present application determines whether the automatic pool cleaning device is located in a shallow water area by comparing the water depth value of the automatic pool cleaning device at the bottom of the pool with a first threshold value, and controls the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate to a first predetermined angle when it is located in the shallow water area, and determines the target forward direction based on the posture information of the automatic pool cleaning device and the distance information to the obstacle in front during the rotation process. Based on the target forward direction, the pool cleaning device can be controlled to accurately move to a deep water area with a water depth value greater than a second threshold value, so that the robot can perform subsequent cleaning work normally in the deep water area, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0065] According to a second aspect of the present application, an automatic pool cleaning device is also provided. The automatic pool cleaning device is capable of executing the control method described above with reference to the various embodiments. A description of the control method executed by the automatic pool cleaning device in each embodiment is omitted here. The principles and schemes of the control method are described above in conjunction with the various embodiments and accompanying drawings, and will not be repeated here.

[0066] According to the third aspect of the present application, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it is implemented to execute the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided in the above embodiments. The control method includes: determining the water depth value of the automatic pool cleaning device at the bottom of the pool, and when the water depth value is less than a first threshold, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate a first predetermined angle; during the rotation process, obtaining the posture information of the automatic pool cleaning device and the distance information from the obstacle in front; determining the target forward direction based on the posture information and distance information; and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target forward direction until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold. The principle and scheme of the control method are described above in conjunction with the control method described in conjunction with the various embodiments and drawings, and will not be repeated here.

[0067] In a fourth aspect, the present application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program. The computer program can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer can execute the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device provided by the above methods. The control method includes: determining the water depth value of the automatic pool cleaning device at the bottom of the pool, and when the water depth value is less than a first threshold, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate a first predetermined angle; during the rotation process, obtaining the posture information of the automatic pool cleaning device and the distance information from the obstacle in front; determining the target forward direction based on the posture information and distance information; and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target forward direction until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold. The principle and scheme of the control method are described above in conjunction with the various embodiments and drawings, and will not be repeated here.

[0068] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, i.e., they may be located in one location or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected based on actual needs to achieve the objectives of the present embodiment. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will be able to understand and implement the present invention without inventive effort.

[0069] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, or of course, by hardware. Based on this understanding, the essence of the above technical solution or the part that contributes to the existing technology can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc., and includes a number of instructions for enabling 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 certain parts of the embodiments.

[0070] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" mean 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 appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as features of different embodiments or examples, unless they are mutually inconsistent.

[0071] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0072] The above is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various modifications or substitutions within the technical scope described in this application, and such modifications or substitutions should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device, comprising: determining a water depth at the bottom of the pool at which the automatic pool cleaning device is located, and controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate by a first predetermined angle if the water depth is less than a first threshold; During the rotation process, obtaining the posture information of the automatic pool cleaning device and the distance information from the obstacle in front; Determine the target's heading based on the posture information and the distance information; as well as The automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move along the target forward direction until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The attitude information includes a pitch angle; The determining of the target moving direction based on the posture information and the distance information includes: Determining whether the pitch angles are all less than a preset pitch angle threshold; If so, the target's heading direction is determined based on the distance information.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein: The attitude information also includes a yaw angle. If a maximum pitch angle among the pitch angles is greater than a predetermined pitch angle threshold, the target heading direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum pitch angle.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein: The attitude information includes a yaw angle, and determining the target heading based on the attitude information and the distance information includes: Determining whether there is an obstacle-free area based on the distance information; If there is an obstacle-free area, the target heading direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the obstacle-free area.

5. The control method according to claim 4, wherein: If there is no obstacle-free area, the target heading direction is determined based on the yaw angle corresponding to the maximum value in the distance information.

6. The control method according to claim 4, wherein: The obstacle-free area corresponds to a plurality of yaw angles, and determining the target direction based on the yaw angles corresponding to the obstacle-free area includes: arbitrarily selecting one of the plurality of yaw angles or selecting one of the yaw angles according to a preset rule to determine the target direction.

7. The control method according to claim 4, wherein the obstacle-free area refers to an area in front of the automatic pool cleaning device where no obstacle distance information can be detected.

8. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target forward direction until the water depth value is greater than a second threshold value includes: During the movement, the water depth value of the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device is continuously obtained; If the water depth value gradually increases, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to continue moving forward until the water depth value exceeds a second threshold; If the water depth value gradually decreases, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move in a direction opposite to the target moving direction.

9. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: In the process of controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the target forward direction, continuously acquiring distance information between the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device and a front obstacle; When the distance information is less than a predetermined distance, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to go over the obstacle or bypass the obstacle.

10. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The first threshold is 15 cm-20 cm; And / or, the second threshold is 25 cm-30 cm.

11. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The water depth value is obtained by a depth sensor; and / or, the posture information is obtained via an inertial measurement unit; And / or, the distance information to the obstacle ahead is obtained through an ultrasonic sensor, a millimeter-wave radar ranging sensor, a lidar, or a visual sensor.

12. The control method according to claim 11, before determining the water depth of the automatic pool cleaning device at the pool bottom, further comprising: Detect whether the automatic pool cleaning device sinks to the bottom of the pool. If it sinks to the bottom of the pool, it triggers the depth sensor to obtain the water depth value.

13. An automatic pool cleaning device, wherein: The automatic pool cleaning device is capable of performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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