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

Abstract

The invention provides a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device and a corresponding automatic pool cleaning device. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in a pool; obtaining pose data of the automatic pool cleaning device; based on the distance information and the pose data, generating positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom about the automatic pool cleaning device; and based on the positioning information with the at least three degrees of freedom, controlling the automatic cleaning device for the water pool to advance in the water pool.

Description

Technical Field

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

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

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device is proposed, which may include: obtaining distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in a pool; obtaining posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device; generating positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom about the automatic pool cleaning device based on the distance information and the posture data; and controlling the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device in the pool based on the positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom.

[0004] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference position includes a first reference position and a second reference position, and the posture data includes yaw angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0005] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may further include: determining two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device based on distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a first reference position and a second reference position in the pool; and fusing the two-dimensional plane positioning data with the yaw angle data to generate the positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference position may further include a third reference position, and the posture data may further include at least one of pitch angle data and roll angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device; as an example, the above method may further include: determining the three-dimensional spatial positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the first reference position, the second reference position and the third reference position in the pool; and fusing the three-dimensional spatial positioning data with at least one of the yaw angle data, the pitch angle data and the roll angle data to generate the positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom.

[0007] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first base station is set at the first reference position, and a second base station is set at the second reference position; the automatic pool cleaning device is equipped with a positioning sensor; as an example, the above method may also include: obtaining the distance information based on the ranging of the first base station and the second base station by the positioning sensor.

[0008] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first base station is set at the first reference position, a second base station is set at the second reference position, and a third base station is set at the third reference position; the automatic pool cleaning device is equipped with a positioning sensor; as an example, the above method may also include: obtaining the distance information based on the ranging of the first base station, the second base station and the third base station by the positioning sensor.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the distance information includes distance values ​​between the automatic pool cleaning device and each reference position; or, the distance information includes distance differences between the automatic pool cleaning device and each reference position.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ranging includes: underwater ranging or ultrasonic ranging.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic pool cleaning device is also proposed, which may include: a memory storing instructions executable by a processor; and a processor configured to enable the automatic pool cleaning device to implement the above method when executing the instructions stored in the memory.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the above-mentioned automatic pool cleaning device may further include at least one of the following: a ranging sensor, which collects distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in the pool; an inertial measurement unit, which collects posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device; a magnetometer, which collects magnetic field data of the location of the automatic pool cleaning device; and an odometer, which collects mileage data of the automatic pool cleaning device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] 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.

[0014] Figure 1 The figure schematically shows the appearance of an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 The working environment of the automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0016] Figure 3 The flowchart of a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown.

[0017] Figure 4 The diagram schematically illustrates a scenario in which an automatic pool cleaning device interacts with a smart terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 The structure block diagram of the automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device may also be equipped with a water spray mechanism, such as a water pump and an impeller, so that the automatic pool cleaning device can use the water spray mechanism to spray water outward from the water spray port to assist the automatic pool cleaning device to move on the pool wall, in the water and / or on the water surface; for example, the water spray mechanism can be used to spray water from a water spray port (e.g., a nozzle with a direction opposite to the direction of travel) in the direction of the spray port. Figure 1 Alternatively, when the automatic pool cleaning device is climbing the pool wall, the water jetting mechanism can be used to eject water from the water jetting port (e.g., the water jetting port 140) on the top of the body of the automatic pool cleaning device. Figure 1 The water flow sprayed from the water nozzle 150 as shown generates pressure applied to the bottom surface of the automatic pool cleaning device to improve the adhesion between the travel mechanism of the automatic pool cleaning device and the pool wall, thereby maintaining the stability of its body in a vertical state.

[0025] 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.

[0026] although Figure 1The 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.

[0027] The automatic pool cleaning device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may also be equipped with various sensors to enable various operations such as detecting the underwater environment, determining a travel route, and / or performing cleaning operations. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be equipped with a positioning sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a magnetic field sensor, and / or an odometer.

[0028] By using a positioning sensor, the automatic pool cleaning device can determine its position in the pool; by using an inertial measurement unit, it can collect data on the position and posture of the automatic pool cleaning device, and based on the position and posture data, it can control the body posture of the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, the IMU may include a (three-axis) gyroscope and a (three-axis) accelerometer, wherein the (three-axis) accelerometer can detect the acceleration signals of the automatic pool cleaning device in the three-dimensional space in the directions of the X, Y, and Z axes, and the (three-axis) gyroscope can detect the angular velocity signals of the automatic pool cleaning device in the three-dimensional space relative to each axis of the reference coordinate system; based on the collected angular velocity and / or acceleration signals of the automatic pool cleaning device in the three-dimensional space, information about the position and posture of the automatic pool cleaning device in the three-dimensional space can be calculated; by using a magnetic field sensor, it can collect magnetic field data about the location of the automatic pool cleaning device; by using an odometer, it can collect mileage data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0029] As an example, the positioning sensor may include a distance measuring sensor, wherein the distance measuring sensor may include, but is not limited to, an ultrasonic sensor, a hydroacoustic sensor, an infrared sensor, and / or a TOF (time of flight) sensor.

[0030] Figure 2 The schematic diagram shows a working environment of an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a pool 200 such as a swimming pool. As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 can travel on the pool bottom 210, water surface 220, pool wall 230, platform 240, steps (not shown), and / or 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 pool bottom 210, pool wall 230, platform 240 and / or steps, so as to provide a clean and hygienic environment for users.

[0031] In order to improve the cleaning efficiency and cleaning quality of the automatic pool cleaning device 100, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 can be controlled to move along a planned route and / or intelligently identify surrounding objects so as to perform obstacle avoidance, cleaning and other operations during the movement, thereby achieving all-round cleaning of the pool 200.

[0032] To this end, it is necessary to obtain the position and posture of the automatic pool cleaning device during its movement, and according to operational requirements such as cleaning up garbage and avoiding obstacles, based on the acquired position information about the automatic pool cleaning device, control the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device in the pool, improve the operating efficiency and quality of the automatic pool cleaning device, reduce power consumption and increase battery life.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device is proposed, which can generate positioning information about multiple degrees of freedom of the automatic pool cleaning device and control the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the positioning information of multiple degrees of freedom.

[0034] Figure 3 The flow chart of the method for controlling the automatic pool cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically. Figure 3 As shown, the method may include: S310, obtaining distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in the pool; S320, obtaining posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device; S330, generating positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom about the automatic pool cleaning device based on the distance information and the posture data; and, S340, controlling the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device in the pool based on the positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom.

[0035] The method for controlling an automatic pool cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to specific examples.

[0036] Automatic pool cleaning devices typically operate both on the surface and underwater. In underwater environments, electromagnetic signals, such as those from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), are severely attenuated in water, making it difficult to directly locate and navigate underwater targets. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, underwater positioning and / or navigation of the automatic pool cleaning device can be achieved using hydroacoustic or ultrasonic signals.

[0037] As an example, a reference position can be set in the operating environment of the automatic pool cleaning device (such as a pool like a swimming pool), and the distance information between the automatic pool cleaning device and the reference position can be obtained by using hydroacoustic signals or ultrasonic signals to obtain the positioning information of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0038] In addition, as an example, sensors such as IMUs can be used to obtain attitude information of the automatic pool cleaning device, such as yaw angle, roll angle and / or pitch angle, and positioning information about multiple degrees of freedom of the automatic pool cleaning device can be generated by fusing the positioning information of the automatic pool cleaning device with the attitude information.

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a reference position can be set in the pool (for example, on the pool wall), and the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the reference position can be obtained during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device to locate its position in the pool. Figure 2 As shown, reference positions 310, 320 and 330 can be set on the wall of the pool 200, and the position of the automatic pool cleaning device 100 in the pool can be determined by obtaining the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device 100 and the reference positions 310, 320 and / or 330 during the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device 100.

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device can be determined based on the distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to at least two reference positions in the pool, for example, a first reference position and a second reference position. As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device 100 can use its equipped positioning sensor to obtain real-time distance information from the first reference position 310 and the second reference position 320 during its movement, and use the equipped inertial measurement unit IMU to obtain its position data in real time, for example, the yaw angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device; based on the obtained distance information from the first reference position 310 and the second reference position 320 and the obtained yaw angle data, positioning information with three degrees of freedom can be generated for the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0041] As an example, Figure 2 As shown, a first reference position 310 and a second reference position 320 can be set on the wall of the pool 20. For example, the first reference position 310 and the second reference position 320 are set at the same depth so that they are located on the same plane. When the automatic pool cleaning device 100 moves on the plane, the distance information between it and the first reference position 310 and the second reference position is obtained by the positioning sensor equipped therewith, and the two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device 100 on the plane can be determined; in addition, the yaw angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device can be obtained by the IMU equipped therewith.

[0042] Based on the fusion of the determined two-dimensional plane positioning data and the yaw angle data, the positioning information of the automatic pool cleaning device including three degrees of freedom can be generated, that is, the three-degree-of-freedom positioning information including the X coordinate, Y coordinate and yaw angle (Yaw) information of the automatic pool cleaning device on the plane.

[0043] As an example, a base station (e.g., an underwater base station) may be set up at each of the aforementioned reference locations, and a positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device may be used to obtain distance information between the automatic pool cleaning device and each base station, thereby positioning the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, the positioning sensor may include, but is not limited to, an acoustic sensor or an ultrasonic sensor; that is, the positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device may be used to measure the distance between each base station to obtain distance information between the automatic pool cleaning device and each reference location; for example, the automatic pool cleaning device may be positioned based on the transmission of signals, such as acoustic signals or ultrasonic signals, between the positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device and the base stations set up at the reference locations.

[0044] For example, a first base station and a second base station can be set at the first reference position 310 and the second reference position 320 respectively, and the distance information between the automatic pool cleaning device and the first reference position and the second reference position can be obtained by measuring the distance between the first base station and the second base station through the positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device, for example, using an underwater acoustic sensor / ultrasonic sensor.

[0045] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device may acquire the distance information by transmitting a water acoustic signal / ultrasonic signal between the equipped water acoustic sensor / ultrasonic sensor and the first base station and the second base station.

[0046] As an example, the distance information includes the distance values ​​between the automatic pool cleaning device and the first reference position and the second reference position, respectively. For example, the positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device can be used to measure the distance to the first reference position and the second reference position, and the automatic pool cleaning device can be positioned using the time of arrival (TOA) positioning method. Specifically, the positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device can be used to transmit signals to base stations respectively set at the first reference position and the second reference position, and the distance value between the automatic pool cleaning device and each base station is calculated by measuring the propagation time of the signal from the automatic pool cleaning device to each base station, forming a circular positioning area with each base station as the center, and the position of the automatic pool cleaning device in the pool can be determined by determining the intersection of the circular trajectory, thereby determining the two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device. Generally, when the automatic pool cleaning device is positioned based on two base stations on a two-dimensional plane, when there are two intersections of the two circular trajectories formed by the distance measurement values ​​between the automatic pool cleaning device and the two base stations, the unique position of the automatic pool cleaning device in the pool can be further determined by other means. For example, the reflection of the ultrasonic signal emitted by the automatic pool cleaning device by the pool wall can be used to eliminate one of the intersection points, thereby locating the automatic pool cleaning device. Alternatively, the angle information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the first base station and the second base station can be combined to use trigonometric functions to eliminate one of the intersection points, thereby locating the automatic pool cleaning device. As another example, a third base station can be provided so that the position of the automatic pool cleaning device on the two-dimensional plane can be directly determined using the unique intersection point of three circular trajectories formed by the distance measurement values ​​between the automatic pool cleaning device and the three base stations, thereby obtaining two-dimensional plane positioning data for the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0047] As another example, the distance information includes the distance difference between the automatic pool cleaning device and the first reference position and the second reference position. For example, the first reference position and the second reference position can be measured using a positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device, and the automatic pool cleaning device can be positioned using the time difference of arrival (TDOA) positioning method, thereby determining the two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device. Unlike TOA, TDOA does not require the automatic pool cleaning device to be time synchronized with each base station; only time synchronization between each base station is required. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the target position can be calculated based on the time difference between the signals emitted by the positioning sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device arriving at different base stations, and a hyperbola can be constructed using the time difference to achieve positioning. For example, by measuring the time difference between the signals emitted by the positioning sensor of the automatic pool cleaning device arriving at two base stations, the distance difference between the automatic pool cleaning device and the two base stations can be determined; the automatic pool cleaning device is located on a branch of the hyperbola with the two base stations as the foci and the real axis length equal to the distance difference. As an example, the time difference between each pair of base stations can be used to generate a hyperbola, with the intersection of the two hyperbolas corresponding to the position of the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, a first reference position, a second reference position, and a third reference position can be set at the same depth in the pool. The two hyperbolas can be generated using the signal transmission time difference between the two pairs of base stations. The intersection of the two hyperbolas corresponds to the position of the automatic pool cleaning device on the two-dimensional plane of the pool, thereby determining the two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0048] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the three-dimensional spatial positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device can be determined based on the distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to at least three reference positions in the pool, for example, a first reference position, a second reference position and a third reference position; and the posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device can be obtained using a sensor such as an IMU, and the posture data can include at least one of the yaw angle data, pitch angle data and roll angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device; by fusing the three-dimensional spatial positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device with at least one of the yaw angle data, pitch angle data and roll angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device, positioning information of the automatic pool cleaning device with at least three degrees of freedom can be generated.

[0049] As an example, at least three reference positions may be set in the pool. Figure 2As shown, a first reference position 310, a second reference position 320 and a third reference position 330 can be set on the wall of the pool 20. When the automatic pool cleaning device 100 moves in the pool, the distance information between it and the first reference position 310, the second reference position 320 and the third reference position is obtained by the positioning sensor equipped therein, so that the three-dimensional spatial positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device 100 in the pool can be determined; in addition, the yaw angle data, roll angle data and pitch angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device can be obtained by the IMU equipped therein.

[0050] As an example, based on the fusion of the determined three-dimensional spatial positioning data and the yaw angle data, roll angle data and pitch angle data, up to six degrees of freedom positioning information of the automatic pool cleaning device can be generated, that is, the three degrees of freedom positioning information including the X coordinate, Y coordinate, and Z coordinate of the automatic pool cleaning device in the three-dimensional space of the pool, as well as the yaw angle (Yaw), roll angle (Roll) and pitch angle (Pitch) information.

[0051] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first base station may be provided at a first reference position, a second base station may be provided at a second reference position, and a third base station may be provided at a third reference position; and the distance information from each base station may be obtained by measuring the distance to the first base station, the second base station, and the third base station through a positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0052] As described above, the distance information may include the distance values ​​between the automatic pool cleaning device and each reference location. The automatic pool cleaning device measures the distance to the base stations at each reference location to obtain the positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device. For example, the three-dimensional positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device may be obtained based on a time-of-arrival positioning method by transmitting signals, such as hydroacoustic or ultrasonic signals, between a positioning sensor equipped with the automatic pool cleaning device and the base stations located at each reference location.

[0053] In addition, the distance information may also include the distance difference between the automatic pool cleaning device and each reference position. The distance difference between the automatic pool cleaning device and the base station at each reference position is obtained through the positioning sensor equipped by the automatic pool cleaning device, and the positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device is obtained using the arrival time difference positioning method.

[0054] As an example, when performing three-dimensional spatial positioning of an automatic pool cleaning device, to improve positioning accuracy, one can consider increasing the number of reference locations. For example, whether using time-of-arrival positioning or time-difference-of-arrival positioning, the automatic pool cleaning device can be positioned using at least four reference locations within the pool. Accordingly, the location and number of base stations within the pool are not limited, as long as the automatic pool cleaning device can locate its position within the pool based on the distance information it obtains from each base station.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the acquired distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in the pool and the acquired pose data of the automatic pool cleaning device, positioning information of multiple degrees of freedom of the automatic pool cleaning device can be generated.

[0056] As an example, the acquired distance information and the acquired posture data may be fused to generate positioning information of multiple degrees of freedom of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0057] For example, based on the acquired distance information, the two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device can be determined. For example, the two-dimensional plane positioning data includes the X coordinate value and Y coordinate value of the automatic pool cleaning device on the two-dimensional plane; the acquired posture data includes the yaw angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device; using the timestamp information carried by the two-dimensional plane positioning data and the timestamp information carried by the posture data, the two-dimensional plane positioning data and the yaw angle data can be fused to generate positioning information with three degrees of freedom of X coordinate, Y coordinate and yaw angle information.

[0058] As another example, the three-dimensional spatial positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device can be determined based on the acquired distance information. For example, the three-dimensional spatial positioning data includes the X coordinate value, Y coordinate value, and Z coordinate value of the automatic pool cleaning device in three-dimensional space; the acquired posture data includes yaw angle data, roll angle data, and pitch angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device; using the timestamp information carried by the three-dimensional spatial positioning data and the timestamp information carried by the posture data, the three-dimensional spatial positioning data and the yaw angle data, roll angle data, and pitch angle data can be fused to generate positioning information with up to six degrees of freedom including X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate, and yaw angle, roll angle, and pitch angle information.

[0059] As an example, one or two of the yaw angle data, roll angle data, and pitch angle data may be selected for data fusion with the three-dimensional spatial positioning data, thereby generating positioning information including an X coordinate, a Y coordinate, a Z coordinate, and one or two of the yaw angle, roll angle, and pitch angle information. That is, the number of degrees of freedom of the positioning information may be adjusted. For example, the generated positioning information may have four degrees of freedom or five degrees of freedom. For example, the generated positioning information with four degrees of freedom may include the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, the Z coordinate, and the yaw angle information, or the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, the Z coordinate, and the roll angle information, or the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, the Z coordinate, and the pitch angle information; the generated positioning information with five degrees of freedom may include the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, the Z coordinate, the yaw angle, and the roll angle information, or the X coordinate, the Y coordinate, the Z coordinate, the pitch angle, and the roll angle information.

[0060] As an example, based on positioning information with multiple degrees of freedom, the route of an automatic pool cleaning device in the pool can be controlled, and / or its posture during travel can be flexibly adjusted to perform cleaning operations or avoid obstacles. For example, based on positioning information with multiple degrees of freedom, the route of an automatic pool cleaning device can be controlled and / or adjusted, obstacle avoidance can be performed, garbage and dirt in the water, on the water surface, on the pool walls and / or on the pool bottom can be cleaned, and / or operation modes can be switched, thereby improving its operating efficiency and quality.

[0061] According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, Figure 4 As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 may be configured to communicate with the smart terminal 410. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device 400 may send the generated positioning information including multiple degrees of freedom to the smart terminal 410.

[0062] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the smart terminal 410 may include but is not limited to a mobile phone, a personal computer, a tablet computer, a laptop computer or a server (e.g., a cloud server) connected to the automatic pool cleaning device 400 via wired and / or wireless means.

[0063] As an example, based on the positioning information including multiple degrees of freedom received from the automatic pool cleaning device 400, the position, travel trajectory, travel posture and other information of the automatic pool cleaning device can be displayed to the user on the screen of the smart terminal 410. The user can also perform various controls on the automatic pool cleaning device through the smart terminal 410. For example, the user can monitor the operation of the automatic pool cleaning device 400 in the pool in real time through the picture displayed on the screen of the smart terminal 410, and can use the smart terminal 410 to control and / or adjust the travel route, travel posture and / or switch the operation mode of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0064] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an automatic pool cleaning device is also provided. Figure 5 As shown, the automatic pool cleaning device includes: a memory 510 storing instructions executable by a processor; and a processor 520 configured to enable the automatic pool cleaning device to implement the above method when executing the instructions stored in the memory.

[0065] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device may further include at least one of the following: a ranging sensor for collecting distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in the pool; and an inertial measurement unit for collecting position data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0066] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device may further include at least one of the following: a magnetometer for collecting magnetic field data of the location of the automatic pool cleaning device; and an odometer for collecting mileage data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0067] As an example, the odometer may include but is not limited to a wheel speed meter. For example, the wheel speed of the travel mechanism of the automatic pool cleaning device may be measured by the wheel speed meter to further obtain the travel speed and accumulated travel distance of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0068] For example, an automated pool cleaning device can also be equipped with a sensor, such as a LiDAR, to acquire point cloud information about surrounding objects. For example, as the automated pool cleaning device moves, it can scan with the LiDAR to collect point cloud data about surrounding objects and, based on analysis of the point cloud data, determine characteristics of the surrounding environment.

[0069] As an example, the automatic pool cleaning device can also be equipped with a camera that can be used to collect image data about the pool wall. For example, the camera includes but is not limited to a monocular camera, a binocular camera, and / or a panoramic camera. Through the camera, the automatic pool cleaning device can obtain image data about the surrounding environment, for example, still images and / or video frames about the pool wall can be obtained, thereby providing features (such as color, texture) and related environmental detail features for identifying objects. Based on the analysis of the image data, for example, by performing image recognition on the acquired still images and / or video frames, various objects present in the pool are identified.

[0070] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the automatic pool cleaning device can fuse the collected magnetic field data, mileage data, point cloud information and / or image data with the posture data collected by the IMU and / or the distance data obtained by the ranging sensor, so as to improve the reliability and accuracy of the data when determining the two-dimensional plane / three-dimensional space positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0071] According to the above-mentioned method and automatic pool cleaning device of the embodiments of the present disclosure, by obtaining the distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the reference position in the pool and the posture data of the automatic pool cleaning device, positioning information about multiple degrees of freedom of the automatic pool cleaning device can be generated, so that the status and position of the automatic pool cleaning device can be monitored in real time, so that the operation of the automatic pool cleaning device can be dynamically adjusted and optimized, thereby improving the user experience.

[0072] Thus, several aspects of the present disclosure are presented above with reference to various devices and methods. These devices and methods are illustrated in the 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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: Obtaining distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in the pool; Obtain the position data of the automatic pool cleaning device; Based on the distance information and the position data, generating positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom about the automatic pool cleaning device; as well as Based on the positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom, the movement of the automatic pool cleaning device in the pool is controlled.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The reference positions include a first reference position and a second reference position, and the posture data include yaw angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: Determining two-dimensional plane positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device based on distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a first reference position and a second reference position in the pool; as well as The two-dimensional plane positioning data and the yaw angle data are fused to generate the positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The reference position further includes a third reference position, the posture data further includes at least one of pitch angle data and roll angle data of the automatic pool cleaning device, and the method further includes: Determining three-dimensional spatial positioning data of the automatic pool cleaning device based on distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position in the pool; and The three-dimensional spatial positioning data and at least one of the yaw angle data, the pitch angle data, and the roll angle data are fused to generate the positioning information with at least three degrees of freedom.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: A first base station is provided at the first reference position, and a second base station is provided at the second reference position; the automatic pool cleaning device is equipped with a positioning sensor; and the method further comprises: The distance information is acquired based on distance measurement of the first base station and the second base station by the positioning sensor.

6. The method according to claim 2 or 4, wherein: A first base station is provided at the first reference position, a second base station is provided at the second reference position, and a third base station is provided at the third reference position; the automatic pool cleaning device is equipped with a positioning sensor; and the method further comprises: The distance information is acquired based on distance measurement of the first base station, the second base station, and the third base station by the positioning sensor.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The distance information includes the distance values ​​between the automatic pool cleaning device and each reference position; or, The distance information includes the distance difference between the automatic pool cleaning device and each reference position.

8. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein: The ranging includes: Hydroacoustic ranging or ultrasonic ranging.

9. An automatic pool cleaning device comprising: Memory, which stores instructions executable by the processor; The processor is configured to, when executing the instructions stored in the memory, enable the automatic pool cleaning device to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The automatic pool cleaning device according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of the following: A distance sensor that collects distance information of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to a reference position in the pool; Inertial measurement unit, which collects position data of the automatic pool cleaning device; A magnetometer collects magnetic field data at the location of the automatic pool cleaning device; An odometer collects mileage data of the automatic pool cleaning device.

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