Automatic pool cleaning device and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic pool cleaning device and a control method thereof. The method can comprise the following steps: circularly executing the following operations to complete traversal cleaning operation on the pool bottom: controlling an automatic pool cleaning device to advance at the pool bottom along a first direction to execute cleaning operation; when the first preset condition is met, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to retreat in the second direction opposite to the first direction so as to execute cleaning operation; in the retreating process, when a second preset condition is met, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to stop retreating; and after the automatic pool cleaning device stops retreating, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to rotate by a first angle, and the automatic pool cleaning device continues to advance after rotating so as to execute cleaning operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of pool cleaning, and in particular to an automatic pool cleaning device and a control method thereof. 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 proposed, comprising cyclically performing the following operations to complete a traversal cleaning operation of the pool bottom: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to advance along a first direction on the pool bottom to perform a cleaning operation; when a first preset condition is met, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to retreat along a second direction opposite to the first direction to perform a cleaning operation, wherein the first preset condition includes: the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall, the distance between the front end and the pool wall is less than or equal to a first distance threshold, the front end is tilted, or the duration for which the automatic pool cleaning device advances along the first direction reaches a first time threshold; during the retreat process, when a second preset condition is met, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to stop retreating, wherein the second preset condition includes: the retreat distance reaches a second distance threshold, or the retreat time reaches a second time threshold; and after the automatic pool cleaning device stops retreating, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate by a first angle and continue to advance after the rotation to perform the cleaning operation.

[0004] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second distance threshold or the second time threshold is randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value.

[0005] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the value of the first angle is randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the forward and / or backward movement of the automatic pool cleaning device is performed along a straight path.

[0007] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above method may further include: detecting whether the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall by using a posture sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device; wherein the posture sensor includes an inertial measurement unit IMU.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the distance between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall is detected by a distance sensor, image sensor or radar equipped by the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the value of the first angle is not greater than 60 degrees.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, stopping of the cycle is triggered based on a duration recorded by a timer.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, stopping of the loop is triggered based on measurement data of an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, in the above method, the second distance threshold is inversely proportional to the value of the first angle.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic pool cleaning device is provided, which may include: a processor configured to cause the automatic pool cleaning device to perform the above method when executing one or more instructions.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned automatic pool cleaning device may further include: a posture sensor to detect whether the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall; and / or at least one of the following: a distance sensor, an image sensor or a radar to detect the distance between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall. 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 2 The 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 4The diagram schematically illustrates the path of the automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure performing a cleaning operation in the pool.

[0020] Figures 5A-5C The figure shows a working scene of the automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure near the edge of the pool bottom.

[0021] Figure 6 The structural block diagram of the automatic pool cleaning device according to 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 1The 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 spraying mechanism, such as a pump motor and an impeller, 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 moving on the pool wall, in the water and / or on the water surface; for example, the thrust difference generated by the water spraying mechanism on both sides of the axis of the automatic pool cleaning device body can be used in conjunction with the moving mechanism of the automatic pool cleaning device to make the automatic pool cleaning device rotate on the pool bottom, move laterally on the pool wall, etc.; the water spraying mechanism can also be used to spray water from a water spraying port (for example, a nozzle in the opposite direction of the moving direction) opposite to the moving direction. Figure 1 The thrust generated by the water flow ejected from the water outlet 140 shown in the figure pushes the automatic pool cleaning device forward or backward on the water surface; or, when the automatic pool cleaning device is climbing the pool wall, the water spraying mechanism can be used to eject water from the water outlet (for example, the water outlet 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 be equipped with various sensors to enable various operations such as detecting the underwater environment, determining a travel route, and / or performing cleaning operations. As an 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. As examples, the image sensor may include, but is not limited to, a monocular camera, a binocular camera, and / or a panoramic camera.

[0031] In addition, the automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may also be equipped with a distance sensor for obtaining distance information between the automatic pool cleaning device and the object. As examples, the distance sensor may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a lidar sensor, a time-of-flight sensor, and a 3D structured light sensor.

[0032] 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 three axes X, Y, and Z in the three-dimensional space of the pool, thereby obtaining attitude data of the automatic pool cleaning device such as the pitch angle, yaw angle, and / or roll angle, and thus determining the travel state of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the attitude data.

[0033] 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 2As shown, the pool 200 is oval in shape and includes facilities such as a platform 230 and steps 240. The automatic pool cleaning device 100 can travel on the pool bottom 210, water surface 220, platform 230, steps 240, 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, pool wall 250, platform 230 and / or steps 240, so as to provide users with a clean and hygienic environment. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device can move along a planned route (e.g., bow-shaped, Z-shaped, U-shaped) on the pool bottom 210, and clean up garbage 280 such as fallen leaves, sludge, sand, and stones that may exist on the pool bottom during the movement; during the movement, it is necessary to avoid various underwater facilities and obstacles, such as the drain 260, ground lights 270, and / or the edges of the platform 230 and steps 240 that are part of the pool wall.

[0034] It should be noted that although Figure 2 In the example shown, the pool 200 as a swimming pool is elliptical in shape. However, the principles of the present disclosure may also be applicable to pools of circular, rectangular, L-shaped, kidney-shaped, or other shapes, without limitation.

[0035] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the automatic pool cleaning device 100 travels on the pool bottom 250, it may encounter various complex situations depending on the topography of the pool bottom, for example, there is a large slope on the pool bottom (for example, greater than 40 degrees), the pool bottom and the pool wall are bowl-shaped or have a large R angle (a rounded corner (Radius Corner) is formed where the pool bottom and the pool wall meet), the pool bottom is a combined pool bottom including double steps, or there are pillars in the pool, forming a narrow passage between the pillars. In this case, when the automatic pool cleaning device travels on the pool bottom, it is necessary to detect obstacles in front of it in real time and perform obstacle avoidance operations.

[0036] However, current automatic pool cleaning devices generally travel along a planned route on the pool bottom to traverse the entire pool bottom for cleaning operations. This planned route is usually set in advance and will not be adjusted according to the specific conditions of the pool to be cleaned. For example, when the automatic pool cleaning device is performing cleaning operations along the planned route on the pool bottom, when an obstacle is detected on the route, it will perform an obstacle avoidance operation and after completing the obstacle avoidance operation, it will return to the original planned route to continue cleaning the garbage on the pool bottom. This not only reduces the efficiency of the cleaning operation, but may also cause large areas to be missed, such as missing the area blocked by the obstacle.

[0037] To this end, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a method for an automatic pool cleaning device to perform pool bottom cleaning operations based on a random cleaning mode. Unlike the existing mode of cleaning the pool bottom along a pre-planned travel route, the method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can randomly change the travel route during the travel process and complete the traversal cleaning operation of the entire pool bottom during the travel process, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned defects of cleaning the pool bottom along a pre-planned travel route.

[0038] Figure 3 The present invention schematically illustrates a process of a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method may include cyclically performing the following operations to complete a traversal cleaning operation on the bottom of a pool: S310, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to advance along a first direction on the bottom of the pool to perform a cleaning operation; S320, when a first preset condition is met, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to retreat along a second direction opposite to the first direction; S330, during the retreat process, when a second preset condition is met, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to stop retreating; and, S340, after stopping retreating, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to rotate by a first angle, and continuing to advance after the rotation to perform the cleaning operation.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first preset condition may include at least one of the following: the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall, the distance between the front end and the pool wall is less than or equal to a first distance threshold, the front end is tilted, or the time duration for the automatic pool cleaning device to move forward in the first direction reaches a first time threshold.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second preset condition may include at least one of the following: the retreat distance reaches a second distance threshold, or the retreat time reaches a second time threshold.

[0041] As an example, the second distance threshold or the second time threshold may be randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value;

[0042] As an example, the value of the first angle may be randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value.

[0043] 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.

[0044] Figure 4 The schematic diagram shows the scene of the automatic pool cleaning device operating in a rectangular pool. Figure 4As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can move on the bottom 410 of the pool to perform cleaning operations on the pool bottom. As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can start the random cleaning operation mode at any position on the bottom of the pool. For example, when the automatic pool cleaning device is located at the P0 position near the middle of the pool bottom, the random cleaning operation mode can be turned on. At this time, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can move in a straight line along a first direction. As an example, the first direction can be the direction in which the front end 4010 of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device is facing. Figure 4 As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 can move along the straight line route indicated by the dotted arrow R10 until the first preset condition is met, and then stop moving forward.

[0045] As an example, the first preset condition may include: the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall. Figure 4 As shown, when the automatic pool cleaning device 400 travels along the straight line indicated by the dotted arrow R10 to the point where its front end 4010 contacts the pool wall 420, the automatic pool cleaning device stops advancing. As an example, whether the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device has touched the pool wall can be determined based on acceleration data detected by an IMU sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, during normal movement, the triaxial acceleration data acquired by the IMU sensor is relatively stable. However, when the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall, the body of the automatic pool cleaning device is impacted, causing a sudden change in the triaxial acceleration acquired. Therefore, whether the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device has touched the pool wall can be determined based on whether the acceleration data acquired by the IMU has changed, thereby determining whether the first preset condition has been met.

[0046] As another example, the first preset condition may also include: the distance between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall is less than or equal to a first distance threshold, for example, Figure 5A As shown, when the distance between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device 400 and the pool wall 420 is less than or equal to the first distance threshold T, it can be determined that the first preset condition is met, wherein the specific value of the first distance threshold T is not limited here. For example, a certain range can be set for the first distance threshold T, such as 2-5 cm. As an example, the distance sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device can be used to detect the distance value to the front pool wall, thereby determining whether the distance value between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall is less than or equal to the first distance threshold, thereby determining whether the first preset condition is met. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance sensor may include but is not limited to an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a lidar sensor, etc.

[0047] As another example, the first preset condition may also include: the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device is tilted. When the automatic pool cleaning device moves normally on the pool bottom, its front end is basically in a horizontal state. When the automatic pool cleaning device moves to the position where the pool bottom 410 and the pool wall 420 meet, such as Figure 5B As shown, when the automatic pool cleaning device 500 continues to move forward, the front end will be tilted up, and the body will be ready to climb the wall. In this case, it can be determined that the first preset condition is met. Figure 5C As shown, when the bottom 410 of the automatic pool cleaning device climbs up the slope 440 with a large inclination angle, its front end will also tilt up. In the above cases, the posture of the automatic pool cleaning device can be detected by a posture sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device, such as an IMU sensor. For example, when the pitch angle is determined to be greater than a certain angle threshold based on the three-axis angular velocity data detected by the IMU, it can be determined that the front end is tilted, thereby determining that the first preset condition is met. The specific value of the angle threshold is not limited here. For example, the angle threshold can be set to 40 degrees.

[0048] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to determine whether the front of the automatic pool cleaning device is on the wall, whether the entire body of the automatic pool cleaning device has just climbed the wall, whether it has climbed up the slope at the junction of the pool wall and the pool bottom, or crossed the bowl-shaped edge of the pool bottom by detecting whether the front of the automatic pool cleaning device is tilted. Since the automatic pool cleaning device does not turn and / or make a U-turn during the forward movement, it can ensure that the automatic pool cleaning device climbs to the slope or the upper edge of the bowl-shaped bottom as much as possible, and can smoothly get off the slope or the bowl-shaped bottom by retreating, without causing the risk of slipping or overturning due to turning.

[0049] As another example, the first preset condition may also include: the duration of the automatic pool cleaning device moving in the first direction reaches a first time threshold. For example, the first time threshold may be pre-set based on the size of the pool bottom along a certain direction and the speed of the automatic pool cleaning device traveling along the pool bottom. For example, in the case of a rectangular pool, the first time threshold may be set based on the length / width of the pool and the speed of the automatic pool cleaning device traveling along the pool bottom. When the duration of the automatic pool cleaning device moving in the first direction reaches the first time threshold, the first preset condition is considered to be satisfied.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when a first preset condition is met, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move backward in a second direction opposite to the first direction to perform a cleaning operation. Figure 4As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 retreats in a direction opposite to its original forward direction, i.e., a straight line indicated by a dotted arrow R15, until it stops retreating at position P1 when a second preset condition is satisfied. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to retreat in a direction opposite to its original forward direction, problems that may arise when the automatic pool cleaning device is required to turn around in complex road conditions (e.g., at the edge of a bowl-shaped pool bottom or on a steep slope), such as difficulty in turning around, severe slipping, or even overturning of the device, can be avoided.

[0051] As an example, the second preset condition may include: the distance the automatic pool cleaning device retreats reaches a second distance threshold, wherein the specific value of the second distance threshold is not limited, and it can be randomly generated, updated based on previous historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value. For example, the second distance threshold can be randomly generated by the control device of the automatic pool cleaning device, that is, the retreat distance value can be randomly selected from a certain numerical range, such as a random selection within a numerical range of 2-5m, and it can be unrelated to the previous forward distance value, for example, Figure 4 The backward stop point P1 shown can be located at any position on the straight line where the dotted arrow R15 is located; in addition, the backward distance can also be updated based on previous historical data according to preset rules, wherein the historical data can include the distance of the previous advance, for example, the distance from point P0 to the pool wall 420 along the straight line; or the historical data can also include the distance of the previous retreat, such as Figure 4 As shown, for example, the second retreat distance L2 in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow R25 can be related to the first retreat distance L1 in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow R15, for example, by a certain mathematical function relationship, with the first retreat distance increasing or decreasing at equal intervals, or changing proportionally, based on the first retreat distance. The specific functional relationship is not limited here. Alternatively, a weighted value can be used based on historical data of multiple forward or backward distances, and the weighted value is used as the second distance threshold. The specific method is not limited here. In addition, the second distance threshold can also be a preset fixed value. For example, depending on the bottom size of the pool, the fixed value can be in the range of 3-5 meters, which is not limited here.

[0052] As an example, the second preset condition may also include: the time it takes for the automatic pool cleaning device to retreat reaches a second time threshold, wherein, similar to the second distance threshold, the specific value of the second time threshold is not limited, and it may be randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to preset rules, or a preset fixed value. For example, the second time threshold may be randomly generated by the control device of the automatic pool cleaning device, for example, it may be randomly drawn from a certain time interval, for example, randomly generated within a time interval of tens of seconds to several minutes, that is, the duration of the retreat and the duration of the previous advance may be unrelated to each other; in addition, the second time threshold may also be updated based on previous historical data according to preset rules, wherein the historical data may include the duration of the previous advance, for example, the duration of the straight line from point P0 to the pool wall 420; or, the historical data may also include the duration of the previous retreat, for example, such as Figure 4 As shown, for example, the duration of the second retreat in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow R25 can be related to the duration of the first retreat in the direction indicated by the dotted arrow R15, showing a certain mathematical function relationship, such as an equidistant increase, decrease, or proportional change based on the duration of the first retreat, and the specific functional relationship is not limited here. Alternatively, a weighting can be performed based on historical data of the duration of multiple advances or retreats, and the weighted value is used as the second time threshold, and the specific method is not limited here. In addition, the second time threshold can also be a preset fixed value, for example, depending on the size of the pool bottom, the fixed value can be in the range of tens of seconds to several minutes, and is not limited here.

[0053] As an example, the second distance threshold or the second time threshold can be controlled so that when the automatic pool cleaning device stops retreating, its rear end is as close as possible to the pool wall in the retreat direction, for example, point P1' on the extension line of arrow R15, that is, the retreat distance of the automatic pool cleaning device is as far as possible, thereby ensuring that the cleaning operation of the automatic pool cleaning device on the pool bottom more fully covers the front and rear directions along the travel route, thereby improving the cleaning coverage rate and cleaning efficiency.

[0054] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 4As shown, after the automatic pool cleaning device 400 stops retreating at position P1, it can be controlled to rotate by a first angle as indicated by solid arrow A10 and continue to advance in the direction of the first angle after the rotation, for example, as indicated by dashed arrow R20, to perform the cleaning operation. As described above, during the movement, when a first preset condition is met, such as when the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the side wall of platform 430, which serves as the pool wall, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to retreat in the direction indicated by dashed arrow R25 until a second preset condition is met, at which point it stops retreating at position P2. The automatic pool cleaning device can then be controlled to rotate by the first angle as indicated by arrow A20 and advance in the direction of the rotated angle, i.e., along the route indicated by arrow R30, to continue cleaning the pool bottom 410. As an example, the value of the first angle can be obtained based on angular velocity data obtained by an IMU sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0055] When the automatic pool cleaning device 400 moves along the route indicated by the arrow R30, it stops moving at position P2' when a first preset condition is met. The first preset condition may be that the time duration along the route indicated by the arrow R30 reaches a first time threshold.

[0056] Next, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 retreats from position point P2' along the route indicated by arrow R35 until the second preset condition is met, stops retreating at position point P3, and rotates by a first angle as indicated by arrow A30, and advances in the direction of the rotated angle, that is, along the route indicated by arrow R40, so as to continue cleaning the pool bottom 410.

[0057] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled to cyclically perform the above-mentioned forward-backward-rotation-forward-backward-rotation operation, so that the automatic pool cleaning device can traverse the entire pool bottom to perform cleaning operations.

[0058] As an example, the cycle can be terminated based on the duration recorded by a timer in the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, when the automatic pool cleaning device has been operating in random cleaning mode for a certain period of time, it can be considered that the traversal cleaning operation of the pool bottom has been completed and the cycle can be exited. As an example, the timer can be integrated into the control device equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0059] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the loop can be stopped, thereby exiting the random cleaning mode, based on measurement data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU). For example, the values ​​of the first angle acquired by the IMU can be accumulated to determine whether the automatic pool cleaning device has completed a closed loop around the edge of the pool bottom. When the automatic pool cleaning device completes several closed loops, the loop can be stopped, thereby exiting the random cleaning mode.

[0060] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the value of the first angle can be randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value. For example, the value of the first angle can be randomly generated by a control device of an automatic pool cleaning device. For example, an angle value can be randomly selected from a range of multiple angle values ​​as the value of the first angle.

[0061] In addition, the value of the first angle may also be updated based on previous historical data according to a preset rule, wherein the historical data may include the angle value of the previous rotation, for example, Figure 4 As shown, the angle value of rotation in the direction indicated by arrow A20 can be related to the angle value of rotation in the direction indicated by arrow A10, showing a certain mathematical functional relationship, such as increasing, decreasing, or proportionally changing based on the angle of rotation in the direction indicated by arrow A10, and the specific functional relationship is not limited here. Alternatively, it can be based on the angle values ​​of multiple previous rotations. For example, the angle value of rotation in the direction indicated by arrow A50 can be a weighted value of the angle values ​​of previous rotations in the directions A10, A20, A30, and A40, respectively. In addition, the value of the first angle can also be a preset fixed value, and the specific numerical value is not limited here.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automatic pool cleaning device can also be controlled to rotate at a angle not exceeding a certain range each time, for example, not exceeding 60 degrees, so as to control the coverage fineness of the automatic pool cleaning device in cleaning the pool bottom.

[0063] As an example, the second distance threshold may be related to the value of the first angle, for example, the two may be inversely proportional. For example, the larger the angle at which the automatic pool cleaning device rotates each time, the smaller the distance it travels backward after moving forward in the direction of that angle until the first preset condition is met and the device stops. Thus, the angle at which the automatic pool cleaning device rotates and the distance it travels backward can be correlated.

[0064] As an example, controlling the rotation 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.

[0065] As an example, the control device of the automatic pool cleaning device may include, but is not limited to, a control unit such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP) equipped in the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0066] 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: a processor 610, which is configured to enable the automatic pool cleaning device to perform the above method when executing one or more instructions.

[0067] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned automatic pool cleaning device 600 may further include at least one of the following: a posture sensor 620, which detects whether the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall and / or is tilted; a distance sensor 630, which detects the distance between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall.

[0068] As an example, the distance sensor includes at least one of the following: an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a TOF sensor, a laser radar, or a 3D structured light sensor, to obtain ranging information about an object in front.

[0069] According to the above-mentioned method and automatic pool cleaning device of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the pool bottom is cleaned by the automatic pool cleaning device in a random cleaning operation mode, which not only improves the coverage uniformity of the cleaning operation, but also improves the cleaning efficiency, avoids repeated cleaning operations on areas that have been cleaned, and reduces the areas that are not covered by the pool bottom cleaning according to the conventional cleaning route.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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 cyclically performing the following operations to complete a traversal cleaning operation on the bottom of a pool: Controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along a first direction on the pool bottom to perform a cleaning operation; When the first preset condition is met, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to move backward in a second direction opposite to the first direction to perform a cleaning operation, wherein, The first preset condition includes: the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall, the distance between the front end and the pool wall is less than or equal to a first distance threshold, the front end is tilted, or the duration for which the automatic pool cleaning device moves in the first direction reaches a first time threshold; During the retreat process, when a second preset condition is met, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to stop retreating, wherein the second preset condition includes: the retreat distance reaches a second distance threshold, or the retreat time reaches a second time threshold; and After the automatic pool cleaning device stops moving backward, the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled to rotate to a first angle, and then continues to move forward after the rotation to perform a cleaning operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second distance threshold or the second time threshold is randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The value of the first angle is randomly generated, updated based on historical data according to a preset rule, or a preset fixed value.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The automatic pool cleaning device moves forward and / or backward along a straight path.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: The automatic pool cleaning device is equipped with a posture sensor to detect whether the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall; wherein the posture sensor includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU); The distance between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall is detected by a distance sensor, an image sensor or a radar equipped by the automatic pool cleaning device.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The value of the first angle is not greater than 60 degrees.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The stopping of the cycle is triggered based on the duration recorded by a timer or based on measurement data of an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The second distance threshold is inversely proportional to a value of the first angle.

9. An automatic pool cleaning device comprising: The processor is configured to cause the automatic pool cleaning device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 when executing one or more instructions.

10. The automatic pool cleaning device according to claim 9, further comprising: A gesture sensor that detects whether the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device touches the pool wall; and / or at least one of the following: A distance sensor, an image sensor, or a radar detects the distance between the front end of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall.

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