Cleaning robot control method, cleaning method and cleaning robot

Abstract

The invention provides a control method of a cleaning robot, a cleaning method and the cleaning robot, and the method comprises the steps: controlling the cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode after the cleaning robot moves to a pool wall close to a swimming pool, and collecting the topographic feature information of the swimming pool; wherein the first driving mode is to control the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall; the second driving mode is to control the cleaning robot to float upwards; if the topographic feature information meets a preset topographic contour condition, identifying a pool wall contour of the swimming pool; wherein the outline of the pool wall comprises at least one of a non-transition surface area, a chamfer area, a slope area, a step area and a bowl-shaped area; according to the different types of pool wall contour information, the cleaning robot is controlled to move in the first driving mode or the second driving mode, and mapping is conducted on the swimming pool.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of intelligent robot technology, and more specifically, to a control method, a cleaning method, and a cleaning robot. Background Technology

[0002] Existing underwater pool cleaning robots primarily rely on single-line LiDAR or collision sensors for sensing, positioning, and navigation control. In these technologies, the robot walks along the pool wall in a preset sequence (e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise) around the pool bottom. During this process, various sensors collect distance information between the robot and the pool wall, allowing the robot to adjust and control the preset distance between itself and the pool wall. After completing one cycle, the robot maps the pool. However, this method relies on a single driving mechanism for mapping different pool wall contours, especially when the contours vary significantly. The robot's inability to climb the walls leads to insufficient data collection and slippage issues, making the collected data unreliable. Consequently, the robot cannot accurately identify different pool wall contours, resulting in a map that differs significantly from the actual pool conditions, and it may even be unable to map complex pool contours. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a control method for a cleaning robot, a control method, and a cleaning robot, in order to solve the problem that the single drive mode of the robot in the prior art cannot accurately collect complex pool contour data, resulting in unreliable pool contour data, which leads to a large difference between the pool map identified by the pool cleaning robot and the actual situation of the pool, or even the inability to map complex pool contours.

[0004] Additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this disclosure.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a cleaning robot is provided, comprising: when the cleaning robot moves to a position close to the wall of a swimming pool, controlling the cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode to collect terrain feature information of the swimming pool; wherein, the first driving mode is to control the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall; the second driving mode is to control the cleaning robot to float upwards; if the terrain feature information meets preset terrain contour conditions, then identifying the contour of the pool wall; wherein, the contour of the pool wall includes at least one of a region without transition surfaces, a chamfered region, a slope region, a step region, and a bowl-shaped region; and controlling the cleaning robot to move in the first driving mode or the second driving mode according to different types of pool wall contour information to map the swimming pool.

[0006] Through the above implementation method, the executing entity can identify the different trends in the contours of the pool wall where the cleaning robot is located, such as areas without transition surfaces, chamfered areas, sloping areas, stepped areas, and bowl-shaped areas, based on the terrain features of the pool. It can then adaptively control the cleaning robot's movement using either a first or second driving method based on these differences. This allows the cleaning robot to move using different driving methods for different pool wall contours, such as areas without transition surfaces, chamfered areas, sloping areas, stepped areas, and bowl-shaped areas. For example, when the robot encounters a pool wall with significant contour changes, if it moves using the first driving method, the cleaning robot may slip due to steep slopes or be unable to reach the complex terrain, resulting in missing map data for parts of the pool wall. In this case, the cleaning robot can be controlled to collect data on the pool wall contour using the second driving method, thereby obtaining the corresponding pool wall terrain data and acquiring more comprehensive data. The robot can also switch to the second drive mode based on the operation of the first drive mode, thereby adapting to different pool wall contours. This allows the robot to be controlled in a more suitable way to reach different positions on complex pool wall contours, collecting data on different complex pool wall contours. This makes the data collected by the cleaning robot more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable, enabling the cleaning robot to build maps based on the data collected in this way, resulting in map data that is more consistent with the actual environment of the pool.

[0007] The area without a transition surface is defined as a region where the pool wall and bottom form an approximately perpendicular angle, creating a boundary line. This boundary line constitutes an area without a transition surface, and it falls into this category when the angle between the pool wall and bottom is less than or equal to 90°. In such cases, if the angle between the pool wall and bottom is too small, the cleaning robot cannot acquire the pool wall contour using the first drive method. In this case, the cleaning robot can choose the second drive method to acquire the pool wall contour information, or directly acquire this type of pool wall contour information using the second drive method, thereby further improving the efficiency and reliability of the cleaning robot's pool wall contour acquisition.

[0008] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a cleaning robot is provided, comprising: during the control of the cleaning robot's movement in a swimming pool, a detection component of the cleaning robot identifies horizontal and tilted distance values, wherein the horizontal distance value is the distance between the cleaning robot and a first position of the pool wall contour in a first detection direction, and the tilted distance value is the distance between the cleaning robot and a second position of the pool wall contour in a second detection direction, wherein the first detection direction is horizontal, and the second detection direction has a non-zero angle with the first detection direction in the vertical direction; the detection component may be, for example, two sets of single-line lidars mounted on the top of the cleaning robot at a horizontal and a preset tilt angle. In practical applications, the first and second detection directions are not limited to this, and can be adjusted according to actual needs to set detection directions capable of acquiring distance values ​​at two different positions (e.g., height positions), and the implementation of the detection component is not limited to the single-line lidars.

[0009] Terrain feature data is generated based on the changes in horizontal and tilted distance measurements. The cleaning robot is then controlled to move using either a first or second driving method. In this embodiment, the changes in the horizontal and tilted distance measurements refer to the difference between the horizontal and tilted distance measurements along the pool wall contour, or how this difference changes during the cleaning robot's movement (e.g., whether it changes, or the magnitude of the change). These different changes directly correspond to the changing trend of the pool wall contour's shape. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on these different changes, the changing trend of the pool wall contour's shape can be determined, and the executing entity will control the cleaning robot's movement accordingly using either the first or second driving method. Specifically, the first driving method controls the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall; the second driving method controls the cleaning robot to float upwards.

[0010] If the terrain features meet the preset terrain contour conditions, the pool wall contour is marked; wherein, the pool wall contour includes at least one of the following: a region without transition surface, a chamfered region, a sloping region, a stepped region, and a bowl-shaped region; based on the different types of pool wall contour information, the cleaning robot is controlled to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode to map the pool.

[0011] After identifying different types of pool wall contours, the cleaning robot can be controlled to move using either a first or second driving mode according to the corresponding type. During the movement, data of the pool wall contour can be acquired, allowing for pool mapping. In this embodiment, for different types of pool wall contours, the executing entity can determine the corresponding driving mode based on the characteristics of the identified pool wall contour (e.g., terrain features, boundary features), and can also adjust the corresponding driving mode based on changes in horizontal and tilt distance values.

[0012] Through the above implementation method, the executing entity can identify the different trends in the contours of the pool wall where the cleaning robot is located, such as areas without transition surfaces, chamfered areas, sloping areas, stepped areas, and bowl-shaped areas, based on the changes between horizontal and inclined distance measurements. It can then adaptively control the cleaning robot's movement using either a first or second driving method. This allows the cleaning robot to move using different driving methods for different pool wall contours, such as areas without transition surfaces, chamfered areas, sloping areas, stepped areas, and bowl-shaped areas. For example, when the cleaning robot encounters a pool wall with significant contour changes, if it moves using the first driving method, it may slip due to steep slopes or be unable to reach the complex terrain, resulting in missing map data for parts of the pool wall. In this case, the cleaning robot can be controlled to collect data on the pool wall contour using the second driving method, thereby obtaining the corresponding pool wall terrain data and acquiring more comprehensive data. Depending on the operation of the robot's first drive mode, it can be switched to the second drive mode, thus adapting to different pool wall contours. This allows the robot to be controlled in a more suitable way to reach different positions on complex pool wall contours, collecting data on different complex pool wall contours. This makes the data collected by the cleaning robot more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable, enabling the cleaning robot to build maps based on the data collected in this way, resulting in map data that is more consistent with the actual environment of the pool.

[0013] The areas without transition surfaces are those where the pool wall and pool bottom form an approximately perpendicular angle, creating a boundary line. These boundary lines constitute areas without transition surfaces, and this category applies when the angle between the pool wall and pool bottom is less than or equal to 90°. In such cases, if the angle between the pool wall and pool bottom is too small, the robot cannot acquire the pool wall contour using the first drive method. The cleaning robot can then choose the second drive method to acquire the pool wall contour information, or directly acquire this type of pool wall contour information using the second drive method, thereby further improving the efficiency and reliability of the cleaning robot's pool wall contour acquisition.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if the terrain features meet preset terrain contour conditions, the pool wall contour is identified, including: if the terrain features meet the condition that, in the vertical direction, a local arc-shaped trend is identified in the terrain contour, the pool wall contour is identified as a chamfered region; if the terrain features meet the condition that, in the vertical direction, the terrain contour includes at least three regions, one of which is a deep water area, one of which is a shallow water area, and a transition area with an inclined plane located between the deep water area and the shallow water area, the pool wall contour is identified as a slope area; if the terrain features meet the condition that, in the vertical direction, the terrain contour exhibits a stepped trend, the pool wall contour is identified as a stepped area; if the terrain features meet the condition that, in the vertical direction, the terrain contour includes at least two regions, one of which is a deep water area where the terrain contour exhibits an arc-shaped trend around its circumference, and the other of which is a shallow water area adjacent to the deep water area, the pool wall contour is identified as a bowl-shaped region.

[0015] Through the above-described embodiments, the control method for the cleaning robot provided in this disclosure can analyze the pool wall contour features by combining the differences in specific characteristics within the pool wall contour and compare them with preset terrain contour conditions, thereby accurately identifying the specific type of pool wall contour detected by the cleaning robot. Furthermore, for different pool wall contours, specific regional features can be identified to achieve precise classification of each type of pool wall contour. The pool wall contour and its regional features accurately identified through the above process are an important foundation for the subsequent control of the cleaning robot to adaptively move on corresponding types of pool wall contours. This provides a more accurate basis for determining which driving method to use for the subsequent control of the cleaning robot, further improving the reliability of controlling the cleaning robot's movement in the swimming pool.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall in a first driving mode includes: activating an anti-slip mode, in which the friction between the bottom of the cleaning robot and the pool wall increases, controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the contour of the pool wall. Activating the anti-slip mode includes: increasing the output power of the cleaning robot's water pump to increase the friction between the bottom of the cleaning robot and the pool wall; the water pump is used to generate negative pressure to draw water from the pool into the filtration assembly. Controlling the cleaning robot to float in a second driving mode includes: activating a buoyancy adjustment mode, controlling the cleaning robot to float towards the water surface. Activating the buoyancy adjustment mode includes: adjusting the buoyancy chamber of the cleaning robot, the buoyancy chamber including a gas-liquid exchange chamber that can exchange the volume of gas and liquid with the outside environment to control the weight of the cleaning robot.

[0017] Through the above implementation methods, the two driving modes can work independently or collaboratively depending on the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contour. The cleaning robot can be controlled to collect data on the pool wall contour using the second driving mode, or it can switch to the second driving mode based on the operation of the robot's first driving mode. This allows the cleaning robot to adapt to various types of terrain features in the pool, enabling it to reach deeper into the pool to collect environmental feature data. This makes the data collected by the cleaning robot more comprehensive and accurate, allowing it to build a map based on the data collected in this way. The resulting map data is more closely aligned with the actual environment of the pool.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, controlling a cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information to map the pool includes: controlling the cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour; wherein, controlling the cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour includes: when controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall in the first driving mode, determining the position where the pitch angle of the cleaning robot changes as... The first starting position is determined by restoring the cleaning robot's pitch angle to be parallel to the bottom of the pool, which is then defined as the first ending position. The boundary of the pool wall profile is determined based on the first starting position and the first ending position. When the cleaning robot is controlled to float upwards using the second driving method, the position where the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value differ in the horizontal direction is determined as the second starting position. The position where the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value of the pool wall are restored to the same value in the horizontal direction is determined as the second ending position. The boundary of the pool wall profile is determined based on the second starting position and the second ending position. The pool is then mapped based on the boundaries of different types of pool wall profiles.

[0019] Through the above implementation methods, the two driving modes can work independently or collaboratively depending on the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contour. The cleaning robot can be controlled to collect the pool wall contour using the second driving mode, or it can switch to the second driving mode based on the operation of the robot's first driving mode. This allows the cleaning robot to adapt to various types of terrain features in the pool, enabling it to reach deeper into the pool and collect boundary information of various terrain features. This makes the boundary information collected by the cleaning robot more comprehensive and accurate, conforming to different terrain features. The map data obtained by combining this boundary information can more accurately and comprehensively reflect the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contour, thus better matching the actual environment of the pool.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the pool is mapped according to the boundaries of different types of pool wall contours, including: if the pool wall contour information is a bowl-shaped region, the pool wall contour information is identified as a layered region, the layered region includes the boundary of the bowl-shaped region and two pool regions adjacent to the bowl-shaped region; wherein, the first layer of the bowl-shaped layered region is the deep water area formed by the boundary of the bowl-shaped region and one pool region adjacent to the bowl-shaped region; the second layer of the layered region is the shallow water area formed by the other pool region; the distance from the lowest point in the deep water area to the water surface of the pool is greater than the distance from the lowest point in the shallow water area to the water surface of the pool.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if the pool wall contour information is a slope region, it is identified as a single-layer slope region or a layered slope region based on the slope's inclination angle. The layered slope region includes the boundary of the slope region and two pool regions adjacent to the slope region. Identifying a single-layer slope region or a layered slope region based on the slope's inclination angle includes: if the inclination angle is less than or equal to a preset angle, the slope region and the two pool regions adjacent to the slope region are identified as a single-layer region; if the inclination angle is greater than the preset angle, the deep water area formed by the boundary of the slope region and one adjacent pool region is identified as a first layered slope region; the shallow water area formed by the other pool region is identified as a second layered slope region; the distance from the lowest point in the deep water region to the water surface of the pool is greater than the distance from the lowest point in the shallow water region to the water surface of the pool.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if the pool wall contour information is a chamfered area, then the first starting position or the second starting position of the chamfered area and the pool area adjacent to the chamfered area are identified as a horizontal pool area.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, if the pool wall contour information is a stepped area, then multi-level step information is identified based on the boundary of the stepped area, and the multi-level step information is identified as a pool stepped area. Identifying multi-level step information based on the boundary of the stepped area includes: when the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the stepped area in a first driving mode, marking the height information of a single step based on the distance the cleaning robot climbs in a single climb, and marking the width information of a single step based on the distance the cleaning robot moves before the next climb; when the cleaning robot is controlled to float upwards in a second driving mode, marking the height information of a single step based on the distance the cleaning robot floats upwards at the second starting position and the second ending position, and marking the width information of a single step based on the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value of the pool wall in the horizontal direction; and generating multi-level step information based on the height and width information of multiple single steps.

[0024] Through the above-described embodiments, the control method for the cleaning robot in this disclosure can control the cleaning robot to move along the pool wall contour using either a first driving method or a second driving method, depending on the different types and shapes of the pool wall contour. Furthermore, because different driving methods can be adaptively adopted according to the different pool wall contours, the cleaning robot can move at a closer distance to the pool wall contour, or even move along the pool wall contour, thereby acquiring the specific terrain features (e.g., shape, boundaries) of the pool wall contour. After identifying the boundary information of the pool wall contour, the pool can be mapped using this boundary information. Furthermore, layered mapping or single-layer mapping can be performed for different types of pool wall contours, so that the obtained map data can more accurately and comprehensively reflect the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contour in the pool. Based on this, the map information constructed according to the acquired specific terrain features can more comprehensively and accurately depict the specific features within the pool, and better reflect the actual environment of the pool.

[0025] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the control method further includes detecting whether the cleaning robot is at least partially above the water surface; if the cleaning robot is completely submerged below the water surface, returning to the steps of identifying horizontal and tilt distance information on the pool wall during the process of controlling the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool, to mapping the pool based on different types of pool wall contour information, until at least part of the cleaning robot is above the water surface.

[0026] Through the above embodiments, the control method for the cleaning robot provided in this disclosure can identify the different trends in the changing contours of the pool wall where the cleaning robot is located based on the changes between horizontal and tilted distance measurements. It then adaptively employs either a first or second driving method to control the movement of the cleaning robot according to these different trends. This allows the cleaning robot to move using different driving methods for different pool wall contours, enabling it to adapt to various contours and reach deeper into the pool wall to collect data. This results in more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable data collection, allowing the cleaning robot to build a map based on this data, producing map data that more closely matches the actual environment of the swimming pool.

[0027] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the control method further includes adjusting the posture of the cleaning robot based on the pitch angle change of the cleaning robot. To ensure the stability of the cleaning robot, the executing entity can acquire the pitch angle change of the cleaning robot and adjust the posture of the cleaning robot according to the pitch angle change. This further improves the stability of the cleaning robot's movement process while enabling it to adapt to different types of pool wall contour movements, thereby ensuring that the map data obtained based on the cleaning robot's movement trajectory within the pool is more stable and accurate, and improving the accuracy of the pool mapping.

[0028] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a cleaning method using a cleaning robot is provided, comprising: constructing a map of a swimming pool using a control method for a cleaning robot according to any embodiment of the first aspect; and controlling the cleaning robot to perform cleaning tasks according to the map.

[0029] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a cleaning robot is provided, comprising: a controller for performing the method of any embodiment of the first aspect or any embodiment of the second aspect, and a detection component, the detection component being a lidar, the lidar being disposed on the top of the robot, the lidar including a first laser detection element and a second laser detection element, the first laser detection element being used to acquire horizontal distance values ​​along a first detection direction at a first position relative to the contour of a pool wall, and the second laser detection element being used to acquire tilt distance values ​​of the cleaning robot along a second detection direction at a second position relative to the contour of a pool wall.

[0030] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0031] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating another control method for a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 4 A partial schematic side view of a cleaning robot moving at the bottom of a pool, according to an embodiment of this disclosure, is shown; Figures 5A-5E A partial schematic side view of the contours of different types of pool walls in embodiments of this disclosure is shown; Figures 6A-6D A schematic diagram illustrating the movement of a cleaning robot in different types of pool wall contours according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating another control method for a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figures 8A-8D A schematic diagram illustrating the process of a cleaning robot buoying in different types of pool wall profiles according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 9 A layered schematic diagram of the bowl-shaped region in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the layering of the slope region in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the boundary division of the chamfered region in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 12A This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot identifying step information in a step area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 12B This illustration shows a schematic diagram of another cleaning robot identifying step information in a step area according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 13 A flowchart illustrating another control method for a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown; Figure 14 A flowchart illustrating a control method for a cleaning robot in an application scenario according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 15 A schematic diagram illustrating the quantitative calculation of step width in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 111-Bottom surface; 112-Receiving cavity; 113-Top surface; 114-Filter channel; 115-Inlet; 116-Outlet; 117-One-way valve; 118-Sealing cavity; 121, 122-Roller brush; 130-Filter assembly; 131-Filter cavity; 140-Suction assembly; 10-Cleaning robot; a1, a1', L1, L1'-Horizontal distance measurement value; a2, a2', L2, L2'-Inclined distance measurement value; 31, 34, S1, S2-Deep water area; 32, 35, Q1, Q2-Shallow water area; 33-Area between deep and shallow water areas; x, y, z-Position of cleaning robot; W1, W2, W3-Boundary; d1, d2-Distance; b-Step width. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0035] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another, these terms are used only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that if the device of the icon is flipped so that it is upside down, the component described as "upper" will become the component described as "lower." When a structure is "upper" of another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" mounted on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" mounted on the other structure through another structure.

[0036] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first” and “second” are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0037] This disclosure provides a cleaning robot, primarily used for cleaning and maintaining swimming pools. Specifically, the cleaning robot can move on the surface or in the water of a swimming pool to perform cleaning and maintenance. The cleaning robot includes a controller or control system for executing the control method described in this disclosure. The cleaning robot mainly includes: a body, a suction assembly, and a filter assembly. The bottom of the body has a water inlet connected to the filter assembly. The suction assembly, filter assembly, and water inlet are located in the same flow channel. In a working state, the suction assembly is activated, and water containing impurities flows through the water inlet into the filter assembly for filtration and is then discharged to the outside of the body. Figure 1As shown, the main body includes a bottom surface 111 and a receiving cavity 112. The bottom surface 111 is provided with a water inlet 115 communicating with the receiving cavity 112. Exemplarily, the receiving cavity 112 can be used to house the mechanical and electronic components required by the cleaning robot, such as circuit boards, batteries, suction components (e.g., water pumps), filter components, drive devices for the walking parts, and transmission devices. In this embodiment, the type and quantity of mechanical and electronic components housed within the receiving cavity 112 are not further limited. Exemplarily, a sealed cavity 118 can be provided within the receiving cavity 112, wherein the circuit boards, electronic components, batteries, etc., of the cleaning robot are all housed within the sealed cavity 118 to prevent short circuits caused by contact with liquid, thus preventing damage to the cleaning robot.

[0038] The robot body may also include a filter assembly 130, a suction assembly 140, a filter channel 114, a water outlet 116, and roller brushes 121 and 122. Exemplarily, the water outlet 116 is located on the top surface 113 of the robot body. It is understood that the top surface 113 and the bottom surface 111 are opposite to each other in the height direction of the cleaning robot. In the forward direction of the cleaning robot, roller brushes 121 and 122 are spaced apart from the water inlet 115. A one-way valve 117 may be provided at the water inlet 115. The one-way valve 117 is used to control the liquid entering from the water inlet 115 and prevent liquid or some impurities from flowing out of the water inlet 115. The filter assembly 130 of the cleaning robot includes a filter chamber 131. When the cleaning robot is in water, the suction assembly 140 is activated to apply suction to the water inlet 115, so that the water containing impurities enters the filter chamber 131 through the water inlet 115, is filtered, and then discharged out of the cleaning robot through the filter channel 114 and the water outlet 116. The filter assembly 130 can use different types of filters as needed, such as cloth bags or mesh filters. If the cleaning robot is equipped with a brush, it will use the brush to remove stains and dirt from the pool walls and floor during the cleaning process.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 A flowchart of a control method for a cleaning robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein process 200 includes the following steps: Step 201: After the cleaning robot moves to the pool wall, control the cleaning robot to move in either the first drive mode or the second drive mode to collect the terrain feature information of the pool; wherein, the first drive mode is to control the cleaning robot to climb up along the pool wall, and the second drive mode is to control the cleaning robot to float up.

[0040] This step aims to control the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool by the execution entity of the cleaning robot's control method (e.g., the cleaning robot's control system), such as... Figure 4The image shows a partial side view illustrating the movement of the cleaning robot 10 at the bottom of the pool. The arrows indicate the direction of movement of the cleaning robot 10, which is also the direction its front faces. The side borders represent the bottom or walls of the pool. After the cleaning robot moves close to the pool wall, it can move using either a first or second driving method and collect information about the pool's terrain features. The first driving method involves controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall, while the second driving method involves controlling the cleaning robot to float upwards. In this embodiment, when controlling the cleaning robot to float upwards using the second driving method, it can float in an approximately vertical direction or move towards the pool wall while floating upwards. The specific method of movement can be adaptively adjusted based on the accuracy and range of the detection components such as the lidar and vision sensors installed on the cleaning robot. If the sensing accuracy and range of these components are high, the pool's terrain features can be detected simply by floating upwards in an approximately vertical direction. If the sensing accuracy and range of these components are relatively low, the cleaning robot can be controlled to float upwards while moving towards the pool wall to detect the pool's terrain features. Collecting pool topographic feature information can be achieved in various ways. For example, a lidar sensor can be installed on the cleaning robot to sense the pool's topographic features using lidar signals; alternatively, a visual sensor can be installed on the cleaning robot to obtain the pool's topographic features through image recognition; or, the cleaning robot can be controlled to move to the corresponding topographic location, and the topographic features of the pool can be determined by combining the collision between the cleaning robot and the pool and the changes in its pitch angle. In this embodiment, the method of collecting this topographic feature information is not limited to these methods.

[0041] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, step 201, the main process of controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall in a first driving mode, includes: activating the anti-slip mode of the cleaning robot, in which the friction between the bottom of the cleaning robot and the pool wall increases, thereby enabling the cleaning robot to climb more stably along the contour of the pool wall. Exemplarily, the friction between the bottom of the cleaning robot and the pool wall can be increased by providing an increased output power of the water pump used to generate negative pressure, drawing water from the pool into the filtration assembly. When controlling the cleaning robot to float in a second driving mode, this includes: activating a buoyancy adjustment mode, controlling the cleaning robot to float towards the water surface, and after floating, controlling the robot to move forward within the surface. In this embodiment, the cleaning robot is also provided with a buoyancy chamber, which includes a gas-liquid exchange chamber that can exchange the volume of gas and liquid with the outside to control the weight of the cleaning robot, thereby adjusting the buoyancy of the cleaning robot in the pool water, and controlling the cleaning robot to float or submerge in the water. The rising process refers to the cleaning robot adjusting its buoyancy or structure to move towards the water surface under the influence of buoyancy, eventually partially or completely emerging from the water. The diving process refers to the cleaning robot adjusting its buoyancy or structure to overcome buoyancy and move underwater, eventually reaching a specific depth (e.g., the bottom) in the pool.

[0042] In this scenario, the first drive mode can be used to control the cleaning robot to move towards pool wall contours with relatively gentle changes. When encountering pool wall contours with significant changes, the cleaning robot may slip due to steep slopes or be unable to reach the contours due to complex terrain if moved using the first drive mode, resulting in missing map data for some pool walls. In this case, the second drive mode can be switched to control the cleaning robot to move towards the contours by buoyancy, allowing it to reach the contours with a more stable posture and acquire the corresponding pool wall terrain data, thus obtaining more comprehensive data. These two drive modes can work independently or collaboratively depending on the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contours, enabling the cleaning robot to adapt to various terrain features in the pool. This allows it to reach deeper into the pool to collect environmental feature data, resulting in more comprehensive and accurate data. Based on this data, the cleaning robot can build maps that more closely match the actual pool environment.

[0043] Step 202: If the terrain feature information meets the preset terrain contour conditions, then identify the pool wall contour; wherein, the pool wall contour includes at least one of the following: a region without transition surface, a chamfered region, a sloping region, a stepped region, and a bowl-shaped region.

[0044] Among them, the area without a transition surface is where the pool wall and the pool bottom form an approximately perpendicular angle, creating a boundary line. This type of boundary line constitutes an area without a transition surface. When the angle between the pool wall and the pool bottom is less than or equal to 90°, it falls into this category. Figure 5E As shown. In such cases, if the angle between the pool wall and the pool bottom is too small, the cleaning robot cannot collect the pool wall contour using the first driving method. In this case, the cleaning robot can choose the second driving method to collect the pool wall contour information, or directly collect such pool wall contour information using the second driving method, so as to further improve the efficiency and reliability of the cleaning robot when collecting the pool wall contour.

[0045] In this way, the cleaning robot can adaptively move to positions with different types of pool wall contours and identify the type of pool wall contour based on the terrain contour conditions corresponding to the different features of the identified pool wall contour. The types of pool wall contours mainly include at least one of the following: areas without transition surfaces, chamfered areas, sloping areas, stepped areas, and bowl-shaped areas (also known as recessed areas). Figures 5A-5E As shown, where, Figure 5A The diagram shown is of the chamfered area. Figure 5B The diagram shown is of the slope area. Figure 5C The diagram shown is of the stepped area. Figure 5D The diagram shown is of the bowl-shaped region. Figure 5E The diagram shown is of a region without a transition surface.

[0046] Step 203: Based on the different types of pool wall contour information, control the cleaning robot to move in the first drive mode or the second drive mode to map the pool.

[0047] After identifying different types of pool wall contours, the aforementioned execution entity can control the cleaning robot to move using either a first or second driving mode according to the corresponding type. During the movement, data of the pool wall contour can be acquired, allowing for pool mapping based on this data. In this embodiment, for different types of pool wall contours, the execution entity can determine the corresponding driving mode based on the characteristics of the identified pool wall contour (such as terrain features, boundary features, etc.).

[0048] In this scenario, the executing entity can identify different types of pool wall contours where the cleaning robot is located, and adaptively control the robot's movement using either a first or second driving method. This allows the cleaning robot to move using different driving methods for different pool wall contours, adapting to various contours and reaching deeper into the pool wall to collect data. This results in more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable data, enabling the robot to create maps that more closely match the actual pool environment.

[0049] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, the control method of the cleaning robot further includes: detecting whether the cleaning robot is at least partially floating on the water surface.

[0050] In this embodiment, the execution entity controls the cleaning robot's movement in the pool, primarily controlling its movement on the pool's bottom and in the water to collect map information for subsequent cleaning processes. In other words, the target area within the pool mainly includes the pool bottom, pool walls, and the water surface. If the cleaning robot moves out of the water or floats to the surface as the pool bottom changes during its movement, it indicates that the cleaning robot is about to leave the target area. Therefore, to ensure the cleaning robot can move within the target area, this embodiment adds a detection function to check whether at least part of the cleaning robot floats to the surface. In practical applications, this can be achieved by installing water pressure sensors or water level sensors on the cleaning robot.

[0051] If the cleaning robot is completely submerged below the water surface, return to steps 201 to 203 until at least part of the cleaning robot floats to the surface, completing the mapping or issuing a prompt message.

[0052] If the cleaning robot is completely submerged and does not surface, the operator can continue to control it to move around the bottom, walls, or water of the pool, collecting map data about the pool's interior, until at least part of the robot surfaces. This indicates that the robot has completed its map collection and mapping of the pool. Alternatively, the robot may move to the edge of the pool and surface, at which point a notification can be sent to relevant personnel who can then use a mobile phone or computer to control the robot to move back into the pool and continue its previous tasks.

[0053] Through the above process, the control method for the cleaning robot provided in this embodiment can identify the different trends in the changing contours of the pool wall where the cleaning robot is located based on the changes between horizontal and tilted distance measurements. It then adaptively employs either a first or second driving method to control the movement of the cleaning robot according to these different trends. This allows the cleaning robot to move using different driving methods for different pool wall contours, adapting to various contours and reaching deeper into the pool wall to collect data. This results in more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable data collection, enabling the cleaning robot to build a map based on this data, producing map data that more closely matches the actual environment of the swimming pool.

[0054] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, step 202, the process of identifying the pool wall outline if the terrain features meet preset terrain outline conditions, mainly includes: If the terrain features meet the condition that, in the vertical direction, a local arc-shaped change in the terrain outline is identified, then the pool wall outline is identified as a chamfered area. In this embodiment, such as... Figure 5A As shown, the characteristics of the chamfered area include: the terrain contour in the vertical direction has at least a part of an area that tends to change in an arc shape. For pool wall contours with such terrain contour characteristics, they are identified as chamfered areas.

[0055] If the terrain features meet the following criteria, and the vertical terrain outline includes at least three regions—one deep water region, one shallow water region, and a transitional region with an inclined plane between the deep water region and the shallow water region—then the pool wall outline is identified as a slope region. In this embodiment, as... Figure 5B As shown, the features of the slope area include: the terrain outline in the vertical direction includes at least three areas, one of which is a deep water area 31, one of which is a shallow water area 32, and another of which is an area 33 located between the deep water area and the shallow water area, and at least part of the area 33 is an inclined plane. For pool wall outlines with such terrain outline features, they are identified as slope areas.

[0056] If the terrain features meet the requirement that, in the vertical direction, the terrain outline exhibits a stepped change trend, then the pool wall outline is identified as a stepped area. In this embodiment, such as... Figure 5C As shown, the features of this stepped area include: the terrain outline shows a step-like change in the vertical direction. Pool wall outlines with such terrain outline features are identified as stepped areas.

[0057] If the terrain features meet the criteria, and the vertical terrain outline includes at least two regions—one being a deep water area where the outline curves in an arc around its circumference, and the other being a shallow water area adjacent to the deep water area—then the pool wall outline is identified as a bowl-shaped region. In this embodiment, as... Figure 5D As shown, the bowl-shaped area has the following characteristics: the topographic contour in the vertical direction includes at least two areas, one of which is a deep water area 34, and the topographic contour in the deep water area 34 has an arc-shaped trend around the perimeter, and the other area is a shallow water area 35 adjacent to the deep water area 34. For pool wall contours with such topographic contour characteristics, they are identified as slope areas.

[0058] Through the above implementation methods, by identifying different pool wall contours in combination with their corresponding terrain features, the cleaning robot can clearly identify the main features of each type of pool wall contour. For different pool wall contours, it can identify the specific regional features within them, thereby achieving accurate division of each type of pool wall contour. This provides accurate information support for subsequently controlling the movement of the cleaning robot based on the corresponding driving method according to these features, and can further improve the reliability of controlling the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool.

[0059] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, step 203, which involves controlling the cleaning robot to move in a first or second driving mode to map the pool based on different types of pool wall contour information, mainly includes: Step 1: Control the cleaning robot to move in either the first or second drive mode according to the different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour.

[0060] In this embodiment, when controlling the cleaning robot to move according to the corresponding driving method based on different types of pool wall contour information, the boundary of the pool wall contour must first be determined based on the different types of pool wall contour information. In practical applications, the boundary of some pool wall contours may have different effects on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot due to the different types of pool wall contours, which will be explained in detail below.

[0061] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, the process of controlling a cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour mainly includes: When the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the pool wall using the first driving method, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is defined as the first starting position, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to parallel with the bottom of the pool is defined as the first ending position. The boundary of the pool wall profile is determined based on the first starting position and the first ending position. In this embodiment, for the various types of pool wall profiles mentioned above, whether it is a chamfered area, a sloping area, a bowl-shaped area, or a stepped area, when the execution body can control the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall using the first driving method, such as Figures 6A-6D As shown, the pitch angle of the cleaning robot changes as it moves from position x to position y, or from position y to position z, due to the change in the pool wall profile. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is defined as the first starting position, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to being parallel to the bottom of the pool is defined as the first ending position, thereby determining the boundary of the pool wall profile.

[0062] When the cleaning robot is controlled to float using the second drive method, the boundary can be determined based on information sensed by the detection components installed on the cleaning robot. For example, horizontal and tilt distance values ​​can be obtained through the detection components. The position where the horizontal and tilt distance values ​​differ is determined as the second starting position, and the position where the pool wall returns to the same position when the horizontal and tilt distance values ​​are equal is determined as the second ending position. The boundary of the pool wall contour is determined based on the second starting and second ending positions. In this embodiment, for the various types of pool wall contours mentioned above, whether it is a chamfered area, a sloped area, a bowl-shaped area, or a stepped area, when the execution body can control the cleaning robot to float using the second drive method, such as Figures 8A-8D As shown, during the process of the cleaning robot rising from position x to position y, its pitch angle may not change. In this case, the boundary of the pool wall contour can be identified by the change between the horizontal and tilt distance measurements. The position where the horizontal and tilt distance measurements differ in the horizontal direction indicates the presence of terrain features such as chamfers, slopes, steps, or bowl-shaped terrain in the pool wall contour. Therefore, this position is determined as the second starting position. The position where the difference between the horizontal and tilt distance measurements in the horizontal direction returns to the same value indicates the end of the chamfer, slope, step, or bowl-shaped terrain. Therefore, this position is determined as the second ending position, and the boundary of the pool wall contour is determined based on the second starting position and the second ending position.

[0063] Step 2: Create a map of the swimming pool based on the boundaries of different types of pool wall outlines.

[0064] In this embodiment, during the movement of the cleaning robot near or within the pool wall contour using a corresponding driving method, the boundary information of the pool wall contour is identified. This boundary information is then used to map the pool, resulting in map data that more accurately and comprehensively reflects the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contour. The cleaning robot can use different driving methods to move along different pool wall contours, adapting to different contours and reaching deeper into the contour, even the boundary, to collect data. This makes the data collected by the cleaning robot more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable, allowing it to create a map that more closely matches the actual environment of the pool.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 A flowchart of a control method for a cleaning robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein process 200 includes the following steps: Step 301: During the process of controlling the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool, the detection components of the cleaning robot identify horizontal distance measurement values ​​and tilt distance measurement values.

[0066] This step aims to control the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool by the execution entity of the cleaning robot's control method (e.g., the cleaning robot's control system), such as... Figure 4 The image shown is a partial side view illustrating the movement of the cleaning robot 10 at the bottom of a swimming pool. The arrows indicate the direction of travel of the cleaning robot 10, which is also the direction its front is facing. The side borders represent the bottom or walls of the pool. During the robot's movement in the pool, its detection components can identify horizontal and tilt distance values. The horizontal distance value is the straight-line distance from the cleaning robot to the pool wall contour along a first detection direction, and the tilt distance value is the straight-line distance from the cleaning robot to the pool wall contour along a second detection direction. For example, the first detection direction can be horizontal (correspondingly, the horizontal distance value is...). Figure 4 (a1 in the original text) The second detection direction and the first detection direction have a non-zero angle in the vertical direction (correspondingly, the tilt distance measurement value is...). Figure 4 (a2 in the middle).

[0067] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, the detection component may be a lidar, comprising a first laser detection element and a second laser detection element. The first laser detection element is used to acquire horizontal ranging values ​​along a first detection direction at a first position relative to the pool wall contour, and the second laser detection element is used to acquire tilted ranging values ​​of the cleaning robot along a second detection direction at a second position relative to the pool wall contour. The first and second laser detection elements may, for example, be two sets of single-line lidars mounted on the top of the cleaning robot at a horizontal and a preset tilt angle. In practical applications, the first and second detection directions are not limited to these. The detection component mounted on the top can achieve 360° detection, thereby acquiring detection data around the cleaning robot. Alternatively, it can be adjusted according to actual needs to acquire ranging values ​​from two different detection directions. The implementation of the detection component is not limited to this single-line lidar.

[0068] Step 302: Generate terrain feature data based on the changes in horizontal and tilted distance measurements, and control the cleaning robot to move in either the first or second driving mode. If the terrain features meet the preset terrain contour conditions, then mark the contour of the pool wall.

[0069] In this step, the aforementioned executing entity can generate terrain feature data based on the changes in the acquired horizontal and tilted distance measurements, and control the cleaning robot to move using either a first or second driving method depending on the terrain feature data. In this embodiment, the changes in the horizontal and tilted distance measurements refer to the changes in the difference between the horizontal and tilted distance measurements during the cleaning robot's movement (e.g., whether it changes, or the magnitude of the change). These different changes directly correspond to the changing trend of the pool wall's shape. Therefore, in this embodiment, based on these different changes, the changing trend of the pool wall's shape can be determined, and the executing entity will control the cleaning robot to move accordingly using either the first or second driving method. In some optional implementations of this embodiment, the degree of change between the horizontal and tilted distance measurements can be defined using a first threshold and a second threshold, where the second threshold is greater than the first threshold. If the change does not exceed the first threshold, it indicates that the change between the horizontal and tilted distance measurements is small, and correspondingly, the change trend of the pool wall profile is small. The actuator can then control the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall using the first drive method. If the change exceeds the second threshold, it indicates that the change between the horizontal and tilted distance measurements is large, and correspondingly, the change trend of the pool wall profile is large. The actuator can then control the cleaning robot to float upwards using the second drive method.

[0070] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, the first driving method refers to controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall; the second driving method refers to controlling the cleaning robot to float. In this embodiment, when controlling the cleaning robot to float using the second driving method, it can float in an approximately vertical direction, or it can float upwards while simultaneously moving towards the pool wall. The specific method of movement can be adaptively adjusted based on the accuracy and range of the detection components such as the lidar and vision sensors installed on the cleaning robot. If the sensing accuracy and range of the detection components are high, the pool's terrain features can be detected simply by floating upwards in an approximately vertical direction; if the sensing accuracy and range of the detection components are relatively low, the cleaning robot can be controlled to float upwards while simultaneously moving towards the pool wall to detect the pool's terrain features.

[0071] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, step 302, the main process of controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall in the first driving mode, includes: activating the anti-slip mode of the cleaning robot, in which the friction between the bottom of the cleaning robot and the pool wall increases, thereby enabling the cleaning robot to climb more stably along the contour of the pool wall. For example, the friction between the bottom of the cleaning robot and the pool wall can be increased by providing an increased output power of the water pump used to generate negative pressure, drawing water from the pool into the filter assembly. When controlling the cleaning robot to float in the second driving mode, it includes: activating a buoyancy adjustment mode, controlling the cleaning robot to float towards the water surface, and after floating, controlling the robot to move forward within the surface. In this embodiment, the cleaning robot is also provided with a buoyancy chamber, which includes a gas-liquid exchange chamber. This gas-liquid exchange chamber can exchange the volume of gas and liquid with the outside to control the weight of the cleaning robot, thereby adjusting the buoyancy of the cleaning robot in the pool water, and controlling the cleaning robot to float or submerge in the water. The rising process refers to the cleaning robot adjusting its buoyancy or structure to move towards the water surface under the influence of buoyancy, eventually partially or completely emerging from the water. The diving process refers to the cleaning robot adjusting its buoyancy or structure to overcome buoyancy and move underwater, eventually reaching a specific depth (e.g., the bottom) in the pool.

[0072] In this scenario, the first drive mode can be used to control the cleaning robot to move towards pool wall contours with relatively gentle changes. When encountering pool wall contours with significant changes, the cleaning robot may slip due to steep slopes or be unable to reach the contours due to complex terrain if moved using the first drive mode, resulting in missing map data for some pool walls. In this case, the second drive mode can be switched to control the cleaning robot to move towards the contours by buoyancy, allowing it to reach the contours with a more stable posture and acquire the corresponding pool wall terrain data, thus obtaining more comprehensive data. These two drive modes can work independently or collaboratively depending on the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contours, enabling the cleaning robot to adapt to various terrain features in the pool. This allows it to reach deeper into the pool to collect environmental feature data, resulting in more comprehensive and accurate data. Based on this data, the cleaning robot can build maps that more closely match the actual pool environment.

[0073] In this way, the cleaning robot can adaptively move to positions with different types of pool wall contours and identify the type of pool wall contour based on the terrain contour conditions corresponding to the different features of the identified pool wall contour. The types of pool wall contours mainly include at least one of the following: areas without transition surfaces, chamfered areas, sloping areas, stepped areas, and bowl-shaped areas (also known as recessed areas). Figures 5A-5E As shown, where, Figure 5A The diagram shown is of the chamfered area. Figure 5B The diagram shown is of the slope area. Figure 5C The diagram shown is of the stepped area. Figure 5D The diagram shown is of the bowl-shaped region. Figure 5E The diagram shows a region without a transition surface. It should be noted that, in order to clearly distinguish between horizontal and inclined ranging values, the angle between the dashed lines of the two detection directions is shown as relatively large in the diagram. However, this should not be used to limit the invention. In practical applications, the angle between different detection directions of the detection component, the detection distance, etc., can be set or adjusted according to the actual situation. Minor changes in terrain can be detected based on the ranging values ​​of different detection directions, and are not limited to the situation shown in the diagram. Furthermore, since the detection component is located on top of the cleaning robot, a 360° detection angle can be achieved, thus not limited to detecting terrain features encountered in the direction of the cleaning robot's movement. Where the measurement range allows, the terrain data around the cleaning robot can be scanned 360° in one scan to identify the types of various pool wall contours mentioned above.

[0074] Step 303: Based on the different types of pool wall contour information, control the cleaning robot to move in the first drive mode or the second drive mode to map the pool.

[0075] After identifying different types of pool wall contours, the aforementioned execution entity can control the cleaning robot to move using either a first or second driving mode according to the corresponding type. During the movement, it can acquire data of the pool wall contour, thereby enabling the mapping of the pool based on this data. In this embodiment, for different types of pool wall contours, the execution entity can determine the corresponding driving mode based on the characteristics of the identified pool wall contour (such as terrain features, boundary features, etc.), and can also adjust the corresponding driving mode based on changes in horizontal and tilt distance measurements.

[0076] In this scenario, the executing entity can identify the different trends in the pool wall contour where the cleaning robot is located based on the changes between horizontal and tilted distance measurements. It can then adaptively control the robot's movement using either a first or second driving method. This allows the cleaning robot to move using different driving methods for different pool wall contours, better adapting to them and reaching deeper into the contours to collect data. This results in more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable data, enabling the robot to build maps that more closely match the actual pool environment.

[0077] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, step 302, the process of identifying the pool wall outline if the terrain features meet preset terrain outline conditions, mainly includes: If the terrain features meet the condition that, in the vertical direction, a local arc-shaped change in the terrain outline is identified, then the pool wall outline is identified as a chamfered area. In this embodiment, such as... Figure 5A As shown, the characteristics of the chamfered area include: the terrain contour in the vertical direction has at least a part of an area that tends to change in an arc shape. For pool wall contours with such terrain contour characteristics, they are identified as chamfered areas.

[0078] If the terrain features meet the following criteria, and the vertical terrain outline includes at least three regions—one deep water region, one shallow water region, and a transitional region with an inclined plane between the deep water region and the shallow water region—then the pool wall outline is identified as a slope region. In this embodiment, as... Figure 5BAs shown, the features of the slope area include: the terrain outline in the vertical direction includes at least three areas, one of which is a deep water area 31, one of which is a shallow water area 32, and another of which is an area 33 located between the deep water area and the shallow water area, and at least part of the area 33 is an inclined plane. For pool wall outlines with such terrain outline features, they are identified as slope areas.

[0079] If the terrain features meet the requirement that, in the vertical direction, the terrain outline exhibits a stepped change trend, then the pool wall outline is identified as a stepped area. In this embodiment, such as... Figure 5C As shown, the features of this stepped area include: the terrain outline shows a step-like change in the vertical direction. Pool wall outlines with such terrain outline features are identified as stepped areas.

[0080] If the terrain features meet the criteria, and the vertical terrain outline includes at least two regions—one being a deep water area where the outline curves in an arc around its circumference, and the other being a shallow water area adjacent to the deep water area—then the pool wall outline is identified as a bowl-shaped region. In this embodiment, as... Figure 5D As shown, the bowl-shaped area has the following characteristics: the topographic contour in the vertical direction includes at least two areas, one of which is a deep water area 34, and the topographic contour in the deep water area 34 has an arc-shaped trend around the perimeter, and the other area is a shallow water area 35 adjacent to the deep water area 34. For pool wall contours with such topographic contour characteristics, they are identified as slope areas.

[0081] Through the above implementation methods, by identifying different pool wall contours in combination with their corresponding terrain features, the cleaning robot can clearly identify the main features of each type of pool wall contour. For different pool wall contours, it can identify the specific regional features within them, thereby achieving accurate division of each type of pool wall contour. This provides accurate information support for subsequently controlling the movement of the cleaning robot based on the corresponding driving method according to these features, and can further improve the reliability of controlling the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool.

[0082] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, the executing entity can also determine the specific type of the pool wall profile by the change in the difference between the horizontal ranging value and the tilt ranging value. This process mainly includes: If the difference between the horizontal and inclined distance measurements at different heights of the pool wall is different, such as Figure 6AAs shown, when the cleaning robot is at position x, the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value is d1=|a1-a2|, and when it is at position y, the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value is d2=|a1'-a2'|. Since d1 and d2 are obviously different, it indicates that the position of the cleaning robot has a curvature change, so the pool wall contour is identified as a chamfered area.

[0083] If the difference between the horizontal and inclined distance measurements at different heights of the pool wall is the same, such as Figure 6B As shown, when the cleaning robot is at position x, the difference between the horizontal and tilted distance measurements is d1 = |a1 - a2|, and at position y, the difference is d2 = |a1' - a2'|. d1 and d2 are the same (because the slope angle remains constant, the difference in distance measurements at the same height difference should be the same). Furthermore, since there is an angle between the horizontal and tilted distance measurements, with a fixed slope angle, the changes in d1 and d2 conform to an almost linear trend, indicating that the cleaning robot is located on a slope with a fixed tilt angle. Therefore, the pool wall outline is identified as the slope region. It should be noted that... Figure 6B In order to show the distance measurement position of the cleaning robot at the same height difference detected at positions x and y, the detection direction at position y is shown to have a large deviation from that at position x. In actual applications, the detection directions of the horizontal distance measurement values ​​at positions x and y can coincide.

[0084] If the difference between the horizontal and inclined distance measurements of the pool wall at different locations exceeds a preset threshold, such as Figure 6C As shown, if the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value c1 and the inclined distance measurement value c2 is large, then the pool wall outline is identified as a stepped area. If the pitch angle of the cleaning robot changes negatively, and the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value is different at different heights of the pool wall, such as Figure 6D As shown, when the cleaning robot is at position x, the pitch angle changes to a negative angle. At position y, the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value is d1=|a1-a2|. At position z, the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value is d2=|a1'-a2'|. Since d1 and d2 are obviously different, it indicates that the position of the cleaning robot has an arc change around the whole circle, so the outline of the pool wall is identified as a bowl-shaped area.

[0085] Through the above process, the control method for the cleaning robot described in this embodiment can analyze the pool wall contour features by combining the differences in specific characteristics within the pool wall contour and compare them with preset terrain contour conditions, thereby accurately identifying the specific type of pool wall contour detected by the cleaning robot. Accurate identification of the pool wall contour is a crucial foundation for the subsequent control of the cleaning robot to adaptively move on corresponding types of pool wall contours, and provides a more precise basis for determining which driving method to use for subsequent movement.

[0086] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 7 As shown, step 303 above, which involves controlling the cleaning robot to move in either a first or second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information, to map the pool, mainly includes: Step 701: Control the cleaning robot to move in either the first or second drive mode according to the different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour.

[0087] In this embodiment, when controlling the cleaning robot to move according to the corresponding driving method based on different types of pool wall contour information, the boundary of the pool wall contour must first be determined based on the different types of pool wall contour information. In practical applications, the boundary of some pool wall contours may have different effects on the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot due to the different types of pool wall contours, which will be explained in detail below.

[0088] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, the process of controlling a cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode or a second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour mainly includes: When the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the pool wall using the first driving method, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is defined as the first starting position, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to parallel with the bottom of the pool is defined as the first ending position. The boundary of the pool wall profile is determined based on the first starting position and the first ending position. In this embodiment, for the various types of pool wall profiles mentioned above, whether it is a chamfered area, a sloping area, a bowl-shaped area, or a stepped area, when the execution body can control the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall using the first driving method, such as Figures 6A-6D As shown, the pitch angle of the cleaning robot changes as it moves from position x to position y, or from position y to position z, due to the change in the pool wall profile. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is defined as the first starting position, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to being parallel to the bottom of the pool is defined as the first ending position, thereby determining the boundary of the pool wall profile.

[0089] When the cleaning robot is controlled to float using the second drive method, the position where the horizontal and tilted distance measurements differ is determined as the second starting position, and the position where the pool wall returns to the same position when the horizontal and tilted distance measurements are equal is determined as the second ending position. The boundary of the pool wall profile is determined based on the second starting and second ending positions. In this embodiment, for the various types of pool wall profiles mentioned above, whether it is a chamfered area, a sloped area, a bowl-shaped area, or a stepped area, when the execution body can control the cleaning robot to float using the second drive method, such as Figures 8A-8D As shown, during the process of the cleaning robot rising from position x to position y, its pitch angle may not change. In this case, the boundary of the pool wall contour can be identified by the change between the horizontal and tilt distance measurements. The position where the horizontal and tilt distance measurements differ in the horizontal direction indicates the presence of terrain features such as chamfers, slopes, steps, or bowl-shaped terrain in the pool wall contour. Therefore, this position is determined as the second starting position. The position where the difference between the horizontal and tilt distance measurements in the horizontal direction returns to the same value indicates the end of the chamfer, slope, step, or bowl-shaped terrain. Therefore, this position is determined as the second ending position, and the boundary of the pool wall contour is determined based on the second starting position and the second ending position.

[0090] Step 702: Map the swimming pool based on the boundaries of different types of pool wall contours.

[0091] In this embodiment, during the movement of the cleaning robot near or within the pool wall contour using a corresponding driving method, the boundary information of the pool wall contour is identified. This boundary information is then used to map the pool, resulting in map data that more accurately and comprehensively reflects the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contour. The cleaning robot can use different driving methods to move along different pool wall contours, adapting to different contours and reaching deeper into the contour, even the boundary, to collect data. This makes the data collected by the cleaning robot more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable, allowing it to create a map that more closely matches the actual environment of the pool.

[0092] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, in step 702, during the process of mapping the swimming pool based on the boundaries of different types of pool wall contours, the swimming pool map can be divided differently according to the different types of pool wall contours, thereby constructing maps of different levels. Specifically, this process mainly includes: For terrain where the pool wall outline is a bowl-shaped region, this outline can be identified as a layered region, wherein the layered region includes: the boundary of the bowl-shaped region and the two pool areas adjacent to the bowl-shaped region. For example, as shown... Figure 9 As shown, the bowl-shaped area can be divided into two layers. The first layer consists of the boundary W1 of the bowl-shaped area and a deep-water area S1 formed by an adjacent pool area. The second layer consists of a shallow-water area Q1 formed by another pool area. The main difference between the deep and shallow areas is that the distance from the lowest point in the deep area to the pool surface is greater than the distance from the lowest point in the shallow area. In practical applications, since the bowl-shaped area is divided into layers, the boundary W1 of each layer is marked as a cliff, reminding the cleaning robot to stop and change direction when it reaches this boundary.

[0093] For pool walls with sloping contours, the terrain can be further divided based on the slope's angle of inclination, classifying the sloping area as either a single-layer or layered region. A layered region includes the boundary of the sloping area and the two adjacent pool areas. This division is primarily because, for slopes with different angles, the actuator can control the cleaning robot to move along the pool wall contour using different driving methods. For example, if the slope angle is small (e.g., less than or equal to 30 degrees), the cleaning robot can move upwards by increasing friction with the pool bottom. If the slope angle is large (e.g., greater than 30 degrees), the cleaning robot may slip or fall due to insufficient friction caused by the steep slope. Therefore, for steep slopes, the actuator can control the cleaning robot to float upwards using a second driving method. Correspondingly, areas where the cleaning robot can climb along a slope can be designated as continuous single-layer slope areas, while areas where the cleaning robot needs to float to reach can be designated as tiered slope areas. For example, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the sloping area can be divided into two layers. The first layer consists of the sloping area boundary W2 and a deep-water area S2 formed by an adjacent pool area. The second layer consists of a shallow-water area Q2 formed by another pool area. The main difference between the deep and shallow areas is that the distance from the lowest point in the deep area to the pool surface is greater than the distance from the lowest point in the shallow area. In practical applications, because the slope is steep and the sloping area is divided into layers, the boundary W2 of this layer is marked as a cliff, reminding the cleaning robot to stop and change direction when it reaches this boundary.

[0094] For terrain where the pool wall profile is chamfered, the horizontal pool area can be identified based on the characteristics of this profile. For example, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the chamfered area may exist at the edge of the pool wall. That is, the chamfered area is formed at the connection between the pool bottom and the pool wall. For this area, the boundary of the horizontal pool area on the pool bottom can be determined based on the boundary W3 of the chamfered area. Specifically, the first starting position of the chamfered area (i.e., the starting position of the chamfer determined during the movement of the cleaning robot controlled by the first drive mode) or the second starting position (i.e., the starting position of the chamfer determined during the movement of the cleaning robot controlled by the second drive mode) and the pool area adjacent to the chamfered area can be identified as the horizontal pool area, so that the chamfered area can be defined by the boundary position of the horizontal pool area.

[0095] For terrain where the pool wall outline is a stepped area, the stepped area can be identified as such based on whether its boundary is defined by multiple steps. For example, such as... Figure 12A As shown, for a stepped area, when the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the stepped area in the first driving mode, the height information of a single step is marked according to the distance d1 of the cleaning robot's single climb, and the width information of a single step is marked according to the distance d2 the cleaning robot moves before the next climb. For multi-step steps, if the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the edge of the step in the first driving mode, then the distance d1 of its single climb along the step indicates the height of that single step, and then the distance d2 the cleaning robot moves before the next climb indicates the width of that single step. Figure 12B As shown, when the cleaning robot is controlled to float using the second driving method, the height information of a single step is marked according to the distance d1 that the cleaning robot floats up from the second starting position and the second ending position, and the width information of a single step is marked according to the difference in the horizontal direction between the horizontal distance measurement value a1 and the inclined distance measurement value a2 of the pool wall. For example, for the step area, the second starting position indicates the starting position of a single step, and the second ending position indicates the ending position of the single step. Therefore, the height of the single step can be determined based on the distance the cleaning robot floats up when it reaches the second starting position and the second ending position, and the width of the single step can be determined based on the difference in the horizontal direction between the horizontal distance measurement value and the inclined distance measurement value of the cleaning robot on the pool wall. In this embodiment, the water depth information of the cleaning robot during its floating process can be collected by a water depth sensor installed in the cleaning robot, and the floating distance can be obtained based on the change in the water depth information, but this embodiment is not limited to this. After obtaining the corresponding single step information for different types of pool wall contours, the height and width of multiple single steps can be integrated to generate information on multiple steps in the step area.

[0096] Through the above process, the control method for the cleaning robot in this embodiment can control the cleaning robot to move on the pool wall contour using either a first driving method or a second driving method, depending on the different types and shapes of the pool wall contour. Furthermore, because different driving methods can be adaptively adopted according to the different pool wall contours, the cleaning robot can move at a closer distance to the pool wall contour, or even move along the pool wall contour, thereby acquiring the specific terrain features (e.g., shape, boundaries) of the pool wall contour. After identifying the boundary information of the pool wall contour, the pool can be mapped using this boundary information. Furthermore, layered mapping or single-layer mapping can be performed for different types of pool wall contours, so that the obtained map data can more accurately and comprehensively reflect the specific type or characteristics of the pool wall contour in the pool. Based on this, the map information constructed according to the acquired specific terrain features can more comprehensively and accurately depict the specific features within the pool, and better reflect the actual environment of the pool.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 13 , Figure 13 A flowchart of another control method for a cleaning robot provided in an embodiment of the present invention, wherein process 1200 includes the following steps: Step 1301: During the process of controlling the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool, the detection components of the cleaning robot identify horizontal distance measurement values ​​and tilt distance measurement values.

[0098] Step 1302: Generate terrain feature data based on the changes in horizontal and tilted distance measurements, and control the cleaning robot to move in either the first or second driving mode. If the terrain features meet the preset terrain contour conditions, then mark the contour of the pool wall.

[0099] Step 1303: Based on the different types of pool wall contour information, control the cleaning robot to move in the first drive mode or the second drive mode to map the pool.

[0100] The above steps 1301-1303 and as follows Figure 3 The steps 301-303 shown are the same. For the same parts, please refer to the corresponding parts of the previous embodiment. They will not be repeated here.

[0101] Step 1304: Check if the cleaning robot is at least partially above the water surface.

[0102] In this embodiment, the execution entity controls the cleaning robot's movement in the pool, primarily controlling its movement on the pool's bottom and in the water to collect map information for subsequent cleaning processes. In other words, the target area within the pool mainly includes the pool bottom, pool walls, and the water surface. If the cleaning robot moves out of the water or floats to the surface as the pool bottom changes during its movement, it indicates that the cleaning robot is about to leave the target area. Therefore, to ensure the cleaning robot can move within the target area, this embodiment adds a detection function to check whether at least part of the cleaning robot floats to the surface. In practical applications, this can be achieved by installing water pressure sensors or water level sensors on the cleaning robot.

[0103] Step 1305: If the cleaning robot is completely submerged below the water surface, return to steps 1301 to 1303 until at least part of the cleaning robot floats to the surface, completing the mapping or issuing a prompt message.

[0104] If the cleaning robot is completely submerged and does not surface, the operator can continue to control it to move around the bottom, walls, or water of the pool, collecting map data about the pool's interior, until at least part of the robot surfaces. This indicates that the robot has completed its map collection and mapping of the pool. Alternatively, the robot may move to the edge of the pool and surface, at which point a notification can be sent to relevant personnel who can then use a mobile phone or computer to control the robot to move back into the pool and continue its previous tasks.

[0105] Through the above process, the control method for the cleaning robot provided in this embodiment can identify the different trends in the changing contours of the pool wall where the cleaning robot is located based on the changes between horizontal and tilted distance measurements. It then adaptively employs either a first or second driving method to control the movement of the cleaning robot according to these different trends. This allows the cleaning robot to move using different driving methods for different pool wall contours, adapting to various contours and reaching deeper into the pool wall to collect data. This results in more comprehensive, accurate, and reliable data collection, enabling the cleaning robot to build a map based on this data, producing map data that more closely matches the actual environment of the swimming pool.

[0106] In some optional embodiments of the present disclosure, during the process described in any of the above embodiments, when the executing entity controls the cleaning robot to move in the pool, the cleaning robot may travel on different pool wall contours (e.g., areas without transition surfaces, chamfered areas, sloping areas, bowl-shaped areas, or stepped areas). Whether it is climbing along the pool wall contour in the first driving mode or floating upwards in the second driving mode, the posture of the cleaning robot may be affected, making it impossible for the cleaning robot to remain in contact with or parallel to the bottom of the pool, resulting in a certain pitch angle or tilt angle. Therefore, in order to ensure the stability of the cleaning robot, the executing entity can obtain the pitch angle change of the cleaning robot and adjust the posture of the cleaning robot according to the pitch angle change, so that the cleaning robot can adapt to different types of pool wall contour movement, further improving the stability of the cleaning robot's movement process, thereby ensuring that the map data obtained from the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot in the pool is more stable and accurate, and improving the accuracy of the mapping of the pool.

[0107] This disclosure also provides a specific implementation scheme in conjunction with a specific application scenario, please refer to the following example. Figure 14 As shown.

[0108] Step 1401: During the movement of the cleaning robot within the pool, acquire horizontal and tilt distance values. Specifically, this can be achieved using detection components (e.g., horizontally positioned and tilted LiDAR sensors).

[0109] Step 1402: Generate terrain data based on the changes in horizontal and inclined distance measurements, and control the cleaning robot to move using either a first or second driving mode. If the terrain features meet preset terrain contour conditions, then mark the pool wall contour. In this embodiment, the preset terrain contour conditions mainly include conditions for chamfered areas, sloping areas, bowl-shaped areas, and stepped areas. These include: Step 1402a: If the terrain features satisfy the condition that, in the vertical direction, the terrain outline shows a local arc-shaped change trend, then the pool wall outline is identified as a chamfered area; then proceed with steps 1403a-1405a. Step 1402b: If the terrain features satisfy the following: in the vertical direction, the terrain outline is identified to include at least three regions, one of which is a deep water area, one of which is a shallow water area, and a transition area with an inclined plane located between the deep water area and the shallow water area, then the pool wall outline is identified as a slope area; then proceed with steps 1403b-1405b. Step 1402c: If the terrain features satisfy the condition that the terrain outline shows a stepped change trend in the vertical direction, then the pool wall outline is identified as a stepped area; then proceed with steps 1403c-1405c. Step 1402d: If the terrain features satisfy the following: in the vertical direction, the terrain outline is identified to include at least two regions, one of which is a deep water area where the terrain outline changes in an arc around its perimeter, and the other is a shallow water area adjacent to the deep water area, then the pool wall outline is identified as a bowl-shaped region; then proceed with steps 1403d-1405d.

[0110] For the chamfered area: Step 1403a: Control the cleaning robot to climb along the chamfered area using a first driving method (e.g., increasing the output power of the cleaning robot's water pump to increase the friction between the cleaning robot and the chamfered area surface, thus achieving an anti-slip effect). During the climbing process, obtain the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning robot; or, if it is detected that the arc of the chamfered area is too large and the cleaning robot may not be able to climb the chamfered area, then control the cleaning robot to float using a second driving method (e.g., adjusting the buoyancy of the cleaning robot). Step 1404a: Determine the corresponding boundary position according to different driving methods.

[0111] In the process of controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the chamfered area using the first drive method, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is determined as the chamfering start position, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to parallel with the bottom of the pool is determined as the chamfering end position. The boundary of the pool wall contour is determined based on the chamfering start position and the chamfering end position. During this process, the posture of the cleaning robot can also be adjusted according to the change in the cleaning robot's pitch angle to maintain the stability of the cleaning robot. During the process of controlling the cleaning robot to float upward in the second drive mode, the position where the distance difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value is determined as the chamfering start position, and the position where the pool wall returns to the same position as the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value is determined as the chamfering end position. The boundary position of the chamfering area is determined according to the chamfering start position and the chamfering end position. Step 1405a: Based on the determined boundary position of the chamfered area, determine the horizontal pool area on the bottom surface of the pool; and construct a map of the horizontal pool area and the chamfered area accordingly.

[0112] For sloping areas: Step 1403b: Based on the slope angle of the slope area, control the movement of the cleaning robot using the corresponding drive method.

[0113] Specifically, the tilt angle of the slope in the slope area is determined. If the tilt angle is less than or equal to a preset angle (e.g., 30 degrees), the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the slope area using a first driving method (e.g., increasing the output power of the water pump of the cleaning robot to increase the friction between the cleaning robot and the surface of the slope area, thus achieving an anti-slip effect). During the climbing process, the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning robot is obtained. If the tilt angle is greater than the preset angle, the cleaning robot is controlled to float upwards using a second driving method (e.g., adjusting the buoyancy of the cleaning robot). Step 1404b: Determine the corresponding boundary position according to different driving methods.

[0114] In the process of controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the slope area using the first driving method, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is determined as the starting position of the slope, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to parallel with the bottom of the pool is determined as the ending position of the slope. The boundary of the pool wall outline is determined based on the starting and ending positions of the slope. During this process, the posture of the cleaning robot can also be adjusted according to the change in the cleaning robot's pitch angle to maintain the stability of the cleaning robot. During the process of controlling the cleaning robot to float upward using the second drive method, the position where the horizontal and tilt distance measurements differ is determined as the starting position of the ramp, and the position where the pool wall returns to the same position when the horizontal and tilt distance measurements are the ending position of the ramp is determined. The boundary of the pool wall contour is determined based on the starting and ending positions of the ramp. During this process, the posture of the cleaning robot can also be adjusted according to the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning robot to maintain its stability. Step 1405b: Construct the corresponding slope map based on the different slope inclination angles.

[0115] If the slope's inclination angle is less than or equal to the preset angle, then the slope area and the two adjacent pool areas are marked as a single-layer slope map according to the determined boundary. If the inclination angle is greater than the preset angle, then the slope area is marked as a layered slope map according to the determined boundary. The deep water area formed by the boundary of the slope area and the adjacent pool area is marked as the first layered slope map, and the shallow water area formed by the other pool area is marked as the second layered slope map.

[0116] For the bowl-shaped area: Step 1403c: Control the cleaning robot to climb along the bowl-shaped area using a first driving method (e.g., increasing the output power of the cleaning robot's water pump to increase the friction between the cleaning robot and the surface of the bowl-shaped area, thus achieving an anti-slip effect). During the climbing process, obtain the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning robot; or, if it is detected that the arc of the bowl-shaped area is too large and the cleaning robot may not be able to climb the bowl-shaped area, then control the cleaning robot to float using a second driving method (e.g., adjusting the buoyancy of the cleaning robot). Step 1404c: Determine the corresponding boundary position according to different driving methods.

[0117] In the process of controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the bowl-shaped area using the first driving method, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is determined as the starting position of the bowl shape, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to parallel with the bottom of the pool is determined as the ending position of the bowl shape. The boundary of the pool wall outline is determined based on the starting and ending positions of the bowl shape. During this process, the posture of the cleaning robot can also be adjusted according to the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning robot to maintain the stability of the cleaning robot. During the process of controlling the cleaning robot to float using the second drive method, the position where the horizontal and tilt distance measurements differ is determined as the starting position of the bowl shape, and the position where the pool wall returns to the same position when the horizontal and tilt distance measurements are the ending position of the bowl shape is determined. The boundary of the pool wall contour is determined based on the starting and ending positions of the bowl shape. During this process, the posture of the cleaning robot can also be adjusted according to the change of the robot's pitch angle to maintain its stability. Step 1405c: Based on the determined boundary, the bowl-shaped area is identified as a bowl-shaped layered map. The bowl-shaped layered map includes the boundary of the bowl-shaped area and two pool areas adjacent to the bowl-shaped area. The first layer of the bowl-shaped map is the deep water area formed by the boundary of the bowl-shaped area and one pool area adjacent to the bowl-shaped area, and the second layer of the bowl-shaped map is the shallow water area formed by the other pool area.

[0118] For the stepped area: Step 1403d: Control the cleaning robot to climb along the step area using a first driving method (e.g., increasing the output power of the cleaning robot's water pump to increase the friction between the cleaning robot and the surface of the step area, thus achieving an anti-slip effect). During the climbing process, obtain the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning robot; or, the cleaning robot can be controlled to float using a second driving method (e.g., adjusting the buoyancy of the cleaning robot). Step 1404d: Determine the corresponding boundary position according to different driving methods.

[0119] In the process of controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the step area using the first driving method, the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle changes is determined as the starting position of the step, and the position where the cleaning robot's pitch angle returns to parallel with the bottom of the pool is determined as the ending position of the step. The boundary of the pool wall outline is determined based on the starting and ending positions of the step. During this process, the posture of the cleaning robot can also be adjusted according to the change in the cleaning robot's pitch angle to maintain the stability of the cleaning robot. During the process of controlling the cleaning robot to float upward using the second drive method, the position where the horizontal and tilt distance measurements differ is determined as the starting position of the step, and the position where the pool wall returns to the same position when the horizontal and tilt distance measurements are the ending position of the step is determined. The boundary of the pool wall contour is determined based on the starting and ending positions of the step. During this process, the posture of the cleaning robot can also be adjusted according to the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning robot to maintain its stability. Step 1405d: Based on the determined boundaries, identify multi-level step information and construct a pool step area map based on the multi-level step information. Specifically, when controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the step area using the first drive method, mark the height information of a single step based on the distance the cleaning robot climbs in a single climb, and mark the width information of a single step based on the distance the cleaning robot moves before the next climb; when controlling the cleaning robot to float upwards using the second drive method, mark the height information of a single step based on the distance the cleaning robot floats upwards at the second starting position and the second ending position, and mark the width information of a single step based on the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the inclined distance measurement value of the pool wall; generate multi-level step information based on the height and width information of multiple single steps, thereby generating a 3D point cloud map of the step area based on the width, height, and boundary information of the multi-level steps.

[0120] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, when the cleaning robot identifies the pool wall contour as a region without a transition surface (i.e., when the angle between the pool wall and the pool bottom is less than or equal to 90°), if the angle between the pool wall and the pool bottom is too small, the cleaning robot cannot collect the pool wall contour through the first driving method. In this case, the cleaning robot can select the second driving method to collect the pool wall contour information, or directly collect such pool wall contour information through the second driving method, so as to further improve the efficiency of the robot in collecting the pool wall contour and the reliability of the data.

[0121] In some optional embodiments of this disclosure, the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool mainly involves controlling its movement on the pool's bottom and in the water to collect map information for subsequent cleaning processes. That is, the target area within the pool mainly includes the pool bottom, pool walls, and the water surface. If the cleaning robot moves out of the water or floats to the surface as the pool bottom changes during its movement, it indicates that the cleaning robot is about to leave the target area. Therefore, to ensure the cleaning robot can move within the target area, this embodiment adds a detection function to check whether at least part of the cleaning robot floats to the surface. In practical applications, this can be achieved by installing water pressure sensors or water level sensors on the cleaning robot to detect whether it floats to the surface.

[0122] If the cleaning robot is completely submerged, the above process continues until at least part of the robot surfaces, completing mapping or issuing a notification. If the cleaning robot remains submerged and does not surface, the system can continue to control it to move across the pool's bottom, walls, or water, collecting map data until at least part of it surfaces, indicating that it has completed data collection and mapping of the pool. Alternatively, the robot may move to the edge of the pool and surface, in which case a notification can be issued to relevant personnel, who can then use mobile phones or computers to control the robot to return to the pool and continue its previous tasks.

[0123] Step 1406: Combine the maps constructed for the various types of areas mentioned above to generate a pool map, or send the map data to a navigation system used in conjunction with the cleaning robot to update the pool map data in the navigation system.

[0124] In some optional implementation manners of the embodiments of the present disclosure, in the above steps 1402a - 1402d, the process of identifying the corresponding pool wall contour according to different terrain features can be performed not only by the methods described in any of the above embodiments, but also by a quantization index. Specifically, the proportional coefficient k = |L1 - L2| / min(L1, L2) of the geometric deviation between the horizontal ranging value L1 and the inclined ranging value L2 relative to the horizontal ranging value can be calculated to quantitatively distinguish the terrain features, and the terrain can be dynamically identified based on the k value and the subsequent corresponding control process can be triggered: when 0.12 < k < 0.18, it is determined that the position where the cleaning robot is located is a chamfered area; when 0.35 < k < 0.5, it is determined that the position where the cleaning robot is located is a slope area; when 0.75 < k < 0.85, it is determined that the position where the cleaning robot is located is a bowl-shaped area; when k > 2.0, it is determined that the position where the cleaning robot is located is a step area. Moreover, for the step area, during the floating process of the cleaning robot in the step area, the height of a single step can be determined according to the water depth change information of the cleaning robot when the k value jumps, and the width information of a single step can be calculated based on the horizontal ranging value L1' and the inclined ranging value L2' when the k value jumps. As Figure 15 shown, the width b of a single step = (L1 / L2) * L2' - L1'.

[0125] The embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a cleaning method for a cleaning robot, mainly including: obtaining a pool cleaning instruction. The pool cleaning instruction can be issued by the user in real time through a terminal device such as a mobile phone or a computer, or can be a scheduled task set by the user through the terminal device, and when the scheduled time arrives, the cleaning instruction is triggered, or can also be directly triggered by the user through a function button set on the cleaning robot. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. After receiving the pool cleaning instruction, the cleaning robot responds to the pool cleaning instruction and controls the cleaning robot to perform a cleaning task according to the map of the pool, where the map of the pool is constructed by using the control method of the cleaning robot described in any of the above embodiments.

[0126] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present invention can be provided as a method, a system, or a computer program product. Therefore, the present invention can take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the present invention can take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk memories, CD-ROMs, optical memories, etc.) containing computer-usable program codes.

[0127] This invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0128] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0129] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0130] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: Once the cleaning robot moves close to the pool wall, it is controlled to move in either a first driving mode or a second driving mode to collect the pool's terrain feature information; wherein, the first driving mode is to control the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall; and the second driving mode is to control the cleaning robot to float upwards. If the terrain feature information meets the preset terrain contour conditions, then the pool wall contour of the swimming pool is identified; wherein, the pool wall contour includes at least one of the following: a region without transition surface, a chamfered region, a sloping region, a stepped region, and a bowl-shaped region; Based on the different types of pool wall contour information, the cleaning robot is controlled to move in either the first driving mode or the second driving mode to map the pool.

2. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The detection function checks whether the cleaning robot is at least partially above the water surface; If the cleaning robot is completely submerged below the water surface, the process returns to the steps of controlling the cleaning robot to move in a first or second driving mode after it moves close to the pool wall and collecting the terrain feature information of the pool, and then to the steps of controlling the cleaning robot to move in the first or second driving mode according to the different types of pool wall contour information and mapping the pool, until at least part of the cleaning robot floats to the surface.

3. A control method for a cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: During the process of controlling the movement of the cleaning robot in the pool, the detection components of the cleaning robot identify horizontal distance measurement values ​​and tilt distance measurement values. The horizontal distance measurement value is the distance measurement value between the cleaning robot and the first position of the pool wall contour in a first detection direction, and the tilt distance measurement value is the distance measurement value between the cleaning robot and the second position of the pool wall contour in a second detection direction. The first detection direction is a horizontal direction, and the second detection direction and the first detection direction have a non-zero angle in the vertical direction. Based on the changes in the horizontal and tilted ranging values, terrain feature data is generated, and the cleaning robot is controlled to move in either a first or second driving mode. in; The first driving method is to control the cleaning robot to climb along the pool wall, and the second driving method is to control the cleaning robot to float upwards; If the terrain features meet the preset terrain contour conditions, the pool wall contour of the swimming pool is identified; wherein, the pool wall contour includes at least one of the following: a region without transition surfaces, a chamfered region, a sloping region, a stepped region, and a bowl-shaped region; Based on the different types of pool wall contour information, the cleaning robot is controlled to move in either the first driving mode or the second driving mode to map the pool.

4. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, If the terrain features meet the preset terrain contour conditions, then the pool wall contour of the swimming pool is identified, including: If the terrain feature satisfies the condition that, in the vertical direction, the terrain outline shows a local arc-shaped change trend, then the pool wall outline is identified as a chamfered area. If the terrain features satisfy the condition that, in the vertical direction, the terrain outline includes at least three regions, one of which is a deep water area, one of which is a shallow water area, and a transition area with an inclined plane located between the deep water area and the shallow water area, then the pool wall outline is identified as a slope area. If the terrain features satisfy the condition that, in the vertical direction, the terrain outline shows a stepped change trend, then the pool wall outline is identified as a stepped area. If the terrain features are satisfied, in the vertical direction, the terrain outline is identified as including at least two regions, one of which is a deep water area where the terrain outline changes in an arc around its circumference, and the other is a shallow water area adjacent to the deep water area, then the pool wall outline is identified as a bowl-shaped region.

5. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, Controlling the cleaning robot to move in a first driving mode includes: Activate the anti-slip mode. In this mode, the friction between the bottom of the cleaning robot and the pool wall increases, controlling the cleaning robot to climb along the contour of the pool wall.

6. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, Controlling the cleaning robot to move in a second driving mode includes: Activate the buoyancy adjustment mode to control the cleaning robot to float towards the water surface.

7. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The activation of the buoyancy adjustment mode includes: adjusting the buoyancy chamber of the cleaning robot, the buoyancy chamber including a gas-liquid exchange chamber, the gas-liquid exchange chamber being able to exchange the volume of gas and liquid with the outside world, so as to control the weight of the cleaning robot.

8. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The step of controlling the cleaning robot to move in either the first driving mode or the second driving mode according to different types of pool wall contour information, and mapping the pool, includes: Controlling the cleaning robot to move in either the first or second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour; wherein, controlling the cleaning robot to move in either the first or second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information to determine the boundary of the pool wall contour includes: When the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the pool wall in the first driving mode, the position where the pitch angle of the cleaning robot changes is determined as the first starting position, and the position where the pitch angle of the cleaning robot is restored to be parallel to the bottom surface of the pool is determined as the first ending position. The boundary of the pool wall contour is determined according to the first starting position and the first ending position. When the cleaning robot is controlled to float in the second driving mode, the position where the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value have a distance difference in the horizontal direction is determined as the second starting position, and the position where the distance between the horizontal distance measurement value and the tilt distance measurement value in the horizontal direction is restored to the same position is determined as the second ending position. The boundary of the pool wall contour is determined according to the second starting position and the second ending position. The swimming pool is mapped based on the boundaries of the different types of pool wall contours.

9. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The process of mapping the swimming pool based on the boundaries of different types of pool wall contours includes: If the pool wall outline information is a bowl-shaped area, then the pool wall outline information is identified as a layered area, and the layered area includes the boundary of the bowl-shaped area and two pool areas adjacent to the bowl-shaped area; If the pool wall outline information is a slope area, then it is identified as a single-layer slope area or a layered slope area according to the slope inclination angle in the slope area. The layered slope area includes the boundary of the slope area and two pool areas adjacent to the slope area. If the pool wall outline information is a chamfered area, then the first starting position or the second starting position of the chamfered area and the pool area adjacent to the chamfered area are identified as a horizontal pool area. If the pool wall outline information is a stepped area, then multi-level step information is identified based on the boundary of the stepped area, and the multi-level step information is identified as a pool stepped area.

10. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step of identifying a single-layer slope region or a layered slope region based on the slope's inclination angle includes: If the tilt angle is less than or equal to the preset angle, then the slope area and the two pool areas adjacent to the slope area are identified as the single-layer area; If the tilt angle is greater than the preset angle, the boundary of the slope area and the deep water area formed by the adjacent pool area are designated as the first slope layered area; the shallow water area formed by the other pool area is designated as the second slope layered slope area; the distance from the lowest position in the deep water area to the water surface of the pool is greater than the distance from the lowest position in the shallow water area to the water surface of the pool.

11. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first layer of the layered region is the deep water area formed by the boundary of the bowl-shaped region and a pool area adjacent to the bowl-shaped region; The second layer of the layered area is a shallow water area formed by another pool area; The distance from the lowest point in the deep water area to the water surface of the pool is greater than the distance from the lowest point in the shallow water area to the water surface of the pool.

12. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 9, characterized in that, The step of identifying multi-level step information based on the boundary of the step area includes: When the cleaning robot is controlled to climb along the step area in the first driving mode, the height information of a single step is marked according to the distance the cleaning robot climbs in a single climb, and the width information of a single step is marked according to the distance the cleaning robot moves before the next climb. When the cleaning robot is controlled to float in the second driving mode, the height information of a single step is marked according to the distance the cleaning robot floats at the second starting position and the second ending position, and the width information of a single step is marked according to the difference between the horizontal distance measurement value and the inclined distance measurement value of the pool wall in the horizontal direction. The multi-level step information is generated based on the height and width information of multiple single-level steps.

13. The control method for the cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, Also includes: The detection function checks whether the cleaning robot is at least partially above the water surface; If the cleaning robot is completely submerged below the water surface, the process returns to the steps of identifying horizontal and tilt distance values ​​through the detection components of the cleaning robot during its movement in the pool, and then to mapping the pool by controlling the cleaning robot to move in the first or second driving mode based on different types of pool wall contour information, until at least part of the cleaning robot floats to the surface.

14. A cleaning method for a cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: Get pool cleaning instructions; In response to the pool cleaning command, the cleaning robot is controlled to perform cleaning tasks according to a map of the pool; the map of the pool is constructed using the control method for the cleaning robot as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. A cleaning robot, characterized in that, include: The controller, for performing the method of any one of claims 1-14, further includes a detection component, the detection component being a lidar, the lidar being disposed on the top of the robot, the lidar including a first laser detection element and a second laser detection element, the first laser detection element being used to acquire horizontal distance values ​​along a first detection direction at a first position relative to the contour of the pool wall, and the second laser detection element being used to acquire tilt distance values ​​of the cleaning robot along a second detection direction at a second position relative to the contour of the pool wall.

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