Automatic pool cleaning device, control method, base station and computer storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic pool cleaning devices, in particular to an automatic pool cleaning device, a control method, a base station and a computer storage medium. The control method comprises the following steps: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move towards the base station underwater; in the moving process, recognizing a projection light beam image on the bottom and / or the wall of the pool through an image acquisition device; and the moving direction of the automatic pool cleaning device is controlled based on the projection beam image. According to the control method of the automatic pool cleaning device, invalid actions and time consumption when the automatic pool cleaning device returns to the charging base station can be reduced, the recharging failure rate and the number of retry times are reduced, and the recharging accuracy and efficiency are effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the technical field of automatic water tank cleaning devices, and more particularly to an automatic water tank cleaning device, control method, base station, and computer storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] Underwater robots are increasingly used in various fields, assisting people in underwater operations. In some situations, underwater robots need to return to a base station. Currently, the method for controlling the robot to return to the base station generally involves using cameras or ultrasonic sensors for coarse localization, followed by path planning to guide the robot towards the base station.

[0003] However, in real-world applications, once the robot has coarsely located its way into the area below the base station, the limited field of view of the camera means that the base station target may be obscured or outside the camera's field of view. Furthermore, in nighttime or complex lighting conditions, the camera is susceptible to interference. These factors cause the robot to easily lose effective detection of the base station, making it difficult for the robot to continuously track the base station's location. This results in the robot failing to return to the base station or requiring multiple attempts to do so. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application addresses the shortcomings of the prior art by disclosing a control method for an automatic water tank cleaning device. The automatic water tank cleaning device includes an image acquisition device, and the control method includes: controlling the automatic water tank cleaning device to move underwater toward a base station; during the movement, identifying projected beam images on the bottom and / or walls of the pool using the image acquisition device; and controlling the movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device based on the projected beam images.

[0005] The control method for the automatic water tank cleaning device includes controlling the movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device based on the projected beam image, which includes: processing the projected beam image to identify the extension direction of the projected beam; and controlling the movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device based on the extension direction of the projected beam.

[0006] In one possible implementation, controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the projected beam image includes: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move toward the pool wall where the projected beam image is located or the pool wall closest to the projected beam image.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the projected beam image is formed by a single-color visible beam or by multiple-color visible beams.

[0008] The control method of the automatic water tank cleaning device includes, during the process of the automatic water tank cleaning device moving toward the base station, acquiring images of projected beams on the bottom and / or walls of the pool through the image acquisition device, including: during the movement, determining whether the automatic water tank cleaning device meets predetermined conditions; if it does, acquiring images of projected beams on the bottom and / or walls of the pool through the image acquisition device.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the predetermined conditions include: the distance between the automatic water tank cleaning device and the base station is less than or equal to a preset value; or the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot receive the ultrasonic signal from the base station; or the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot identify the base station through the image acquisition device.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the direction of extension of the projected beam indicates the path along which the automatic water cleaning device moves toward the base station.

[0011] In one possible implementation, controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the extension direction of the projection beam includes: calculating the offset of the current orientation of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the extension direction of the projection beam; and adjusting the heading angle of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the offset, so that the automatic pool cleaning device moves along the extension direction of the projection beam.

[0012] In one possible implementation, controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the extension direction of the projected beam includes: during the movement towards the base station along the extension direction, re-identifying the image of the projected beam through the image acquisition device; if the image of the projected beam cannot be identified, adjusting the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device to re-identify the image of the projected beam.

[0013] In one possible implementation, during the movement, it is determined whether the automatic pool cleaning device meets the predetermined conditions. If it does, the image acquisition device acquires the projected beam image on the pool bottom and / or pool wall. Further, during the movement, it is determined whether the automatic pool cleaning device meets the predetermined conditions. If it does, a signal to open the projection device is sent to the base station, and the image acquisition device acquires the projected beam image on the pool bottom and / or pool wall.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the projection beam includes an infrared beam and a near-infrared beam.

[0015] This application also discloses an automatic water tank cleaning device, which is capable of performing any of the control methods described above.

[0016] This application also discloses a charging base station for an automatic water tank cleaning device. The base station includes a positioning module, a projection device, and a controller. The positioning module can send a positioning signal to the automatic water tank cleaning device or receive a positioning signal from the automatic water tank cleaning device. The controller can control the opening and closing of the projection device. The projection device can project a projected beam image onto the bottom and / or wall of the water tank. The projected beam image enables the automatic water tank cleaning device to control its movement direction toward the base station.

[0017] This application also discloses a non-volatile computer storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements any one of the control methods.

[0018] The embodiments described in this application have the following beneficial effects:

[0019] The control method for the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application visualizes the reference path for the device's return to the base station using projected beam images. The automatic water tank cleaning device detects the projected beam images and adjusts its own attitude through image acquisition equipment, effectively improving the accuracy and efficiency of its return to the base station. This solves the problem that the automatic water tank cleaning device easily loses effective detection of the base station, making it difficult to continuously track the base station's position, leading to failures in returning to the base station or requiring multiple attitude adjustments. It reduces invalid actions and time consumption during the return to the base station, lowering the failure rate and the number of retries. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. The accompanying drawings in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic pool cleaning device moving underwater toward a base station, as provided in this application.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a projected beam image in one example provided in this application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a projected beam image in another example provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of a projected beam image in yet another example provided in this application;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a projected beam image in another example provided in this application;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating, as provided in this application, the control of the movement direction of an automatic pool cleaning device based on a projected beam image; and,

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another example provided in this application of controlling the movement direction of an automatic pool cleaning device based on a projected beam image. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments described herein. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the protection scope of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0030] This application provides a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device, including the automatic pool cleaning device, a base station, and a computer storage medium. The automatic pool cleaning device of this application is capable of cleaning a pool. The pool is, for example, a pool-shaped structure. The pool-shaped structure can be a swimming pool, a water storage tank, a spa pool, a water tank, a water storage trough, etc. The automatic pool cleaning device can be a device such as an automatic cleaning device or a pool cleaning robot, capable of cleaning the pool-shaped structure. This application does not limit the specific presentation of the automatic pool cleaning device or the pool-shaped structure, as long as the principle of this application is achieved.

[0031] Unless otherwise specified, the following description will use a robot as an example of the automatic pool cleaning device, and a swimming pool as an example of a pool or pool-shaped structure. The terms "pool bottom," "pool surface," and "pool bottom" all refer to the surface of the pool bottom.

[0032] In this application, the robot is equipped with an image acquisition device (e.g., a camera), and the base station is equipped with a projection device (e.g., a projection lamp). Unless otherwise specified, a camera will be used as an example of an image acquisition device, and a projection lamp will be used as an example of a projection device.

[0033] The robot can be equipped with drive devices such as water pumps and drive wheels. These drive devices enable the robot to move in the water, and during movement, the water pump draws waste from the pool into the robot's dustbin, where the waste is filtered, thus cleaning the pool. In some cases, it is necessary to control the robot to move underwater towards a base station. For example, when the robot has finished cleaning the pool, it can be controlled to move towards the base station for cleaning and maintenance. For example, when the robot's remaining battery power is below a set threshold, it can be controlled to move towards the base station to recharge it promptly, preventing it from being stranded in the water due to depleted power, which would affect cleaning work and user experience. For example, when the robot receives a user's return command or other situations requiring it to return to the base station, it can be controlled to move towards the base station. In short, by controlling the robot to move underwater towards the base station, not only can the problem of the robot being stranded in the water due to depleted power be avoided, but it can also be controlled to quickly return to the base station when necessary, thereby reducing the cost of manual intervention and improving the automation and intelligence level of pool cleaning.

[0034] The control method 100 of the automatic cleaning device for the water tank will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the control method of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application. Figure 1 As shown, the control method 100 includes steps S101 to S103. Steps S101 to S103 will be described in detail below.

[0036] Step S101: Control the automatic cleaning device of the water tank to move underwater toward the base station.

[0037] Specifically, when the robot completes its cleaning work or needs to return to the base station, the robot uses image acquisition equipment or sensors to locate and identify the base station. After identifying the base station, the robot continuously moves closer to it.

[0038] For example, when a robot is cleaning the bottom of a pool and needs to return to a base station, in one example, the robot is equipped with a 360° camera. The robot uses this camera to locate and identify the base station. Once the base station is identified, the robot moves from the bottom of the pool towards the pool wall, gradually approaching it. Then, the robot climbs the pool wall to get closer to the base station. In another example, the robot is equipped with a standard wide-angle camera or another camera with a limited field of view. When the robot needs to return to the base station after cleaning the bottom of the pool, it first locates and identifies the base station by rotating the camera, or as... Figure 2The robot is first controlled to rotate (e.g., rotate one full turn) to locate and identify a base station. Once a base station is identified, the robot is controlled to move from the bottom of the pool towards the pool wall, and then continuously approaches the base station by climbing the pool wall.

[0039] For example, when a robot is cleaning a pool wall and needs to return to a base station, in one example, the robot is first controlled to rotate (e.g., complete a full rotation) or rotate its camera to locate and identify the base station. After identifying the base station, the robot is controlled to continuously move towards it along the pool wall. In another example, the robot uses a 360° camera to locate and identify the base station. After identifying the base station, the robot is controlled to continuously approach it along the pool wall.

[0040] It should be noted that, Figure 2 The diagram is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the robot's path for finding, identifying, and approaching the base station underwater. The robot's cleaning path can be a bow-shaped path, a U-shaped path, a Y-shaped path, a U-shaped path, or other paths. The path by which the robot continuously approaches the base station on the pool bottom and / or pool wall can be the path described above, or it can be a straight path or other paths.

[0041] Next, proceed to step S102, during the movement, identify the projected beam images on the pool bottom and / or pool wall through the image acquisition device.

[0042] Specifically, the projected beam image is an image formed by the projection beam emitted by the projection lamp projected onto the surface of the pool bottom and / or the pool wall. The projection lamp can emit a single-color visible beam or a multi-color visible beam; correspondingly, the projected beam image can be formed, for example, by a single-color visible beam or by a multi-color visible beam. The projected beam image can be formed by a single beam or by multiple beams. The projected beam image on the surface of the pool bottom and / or the pool wall can appear as a beam image (also called a beam pattern) or other shaped projection image (also called a projection pattern). In this application, unless otherwise specified, the terms "projected beam" and "projected beam image" have the same or similar meaning, both referring to the projection of a beam emitted by the base station onto the surface of the pool bottom and / or the pool wall; therefore, these two terms can be used interchangeably.

[0043] Specifically, the projected beam includes infrared beams and near-infrared beams. The projected pattern can also be a pattern composed of laser light, such as a pattern composed of colored light that has strong penetrating power in water or that is significantly different from the colors of the pool environment (e.g., violet light or red light).

[0044] In one example, the projected beam image could be as follows:Figure 3 The image shown is a beam of light. The projected beam is a linear beam that is projected only onto the surface of the pool wall and forms a "linear" beam image on the surface of the pool wall, that is, the linear beam extends along the pool wall to the junction of the pool wall and the pool bottom.

[0045] In one example, the projected beam image could be as follows: Figure 4 The image shown is a beam of light. The projected beam forms an overall "L"-shaped image on the surface of the pool walls and bottom. Figure 4 As shown, the projected beam is emitted by the projection lamp of the base station, forming a "linear" beam image on the surface of the pool wall and a "linear" beam image on the surface of the pool bottom, so that the beam image appears to extend along a straight line on the pool bottom and pool wall.

[0046] It should be noted that this application does not limit the number of beams. The projected beam image can be a projected beam image formed by a single beam or a projected beam image formed by multiple beams.

[0047] In one example, the projected beam image could be as follows: Figure 5 The projected pattern shown. (As shown in the image) Figure 5 As shown, the projected pattern is emitted by the base station's projection lamp, and the projection position is at the bottom of the pool. The projected beam image can be formed by a single-color visible light beam, a multi-color visible light beam, or a multi-color beam of light.

[0048] In one example, the projected beam image could be as follows: Figure 6 The projected pattern is shown. The projection position of the projected pattern is on one of the pool walls of the pool.

[0049] It should be noted that the above description of the projected beam image and the projection position on the bottom and / or wall of the pool is merely exemplary. This application does not protect the contents listed above. Those skilled in the art can set the projected beam image and the projection position on the bottom and / or wall of the pool according to the actual situation, as long as the technical principle of this application can be achieved.

[0050] Specifically, during movement, the robot can, for example, capture images of the projected beams on the bottom and / or walls of the pool using a camera. The visibility of the projected beam images is enhanced using methods such as grayscale processing, Gaussian filtering, and edge detection. Morphological operations (such as dilation and erosion) are used to remove interference information, ensuring that the edges of the projected beam images are clearly visible. Straight lines are detected using the Hough Transform to extract the accurate position of the projected beam image, thereby identifying the projected beam image described above.

[0051] After the robot recognizes the projected beam image, it proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device is controlled based on the projected beam image.

[0052] Specifically, after recognizing the image of the projected beam, the robot uses the recognized image as a reference to dynamically adjust its own posture.

[0053] For example, in step S103, controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the projected beam image can be achieved by processing the projected beam image to identify the extension direction of the projected beam; and controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the extension direction of the projected beam.

[0054] In one example, as the robot moves towards the base station, it can process the image of the projected beam to identify its direction of extension. Then, it calculates its own offset relative to the beam's direction and uses a PID control algorithm to adjust its trajectory, ensuring the robot moves along the beam's direction. This reduces energy consumption caused by the robot needing to adjust its movements multiple times due to path deviations and pose angle errors during its return to the base station.

[0055] For example, in step S103, controlling the movement direction of the automatic water cleaning device based on the projected beam image can mean controlling the automatic water cleaning device to move towards the pool wall where the projected beam image is located or towards the pool wall closest to the projected beam image.

[0056] In one example, during the movement, the robot can identify the location of the projected beam image using a camera and calculate its own deviation. The track motion parameters are adjusted based on the center offset of the projected beam image to align the robot with the projected beam image or its direction. For instance, a base station is typically located on or at least partially on a pool wall. The robot identifies the location of the projected beam, determines the pool wall containing the projected beam image or the closest pool wall, and then controls the robot to move towards that location, ensuring docking accuracy when returning to the base station. For example, after the robot enters the base station but before docking, final fine-tuning is performed using ultrasonic or touch sensors to achieve precise docking between the robot and the base station.

[0057] Specifically, for example, in one example, such as Figure 7As shown, the projected beam image emitted by the base station is a projected pattern, projected onto either the pool wall or the pool bottom. When the projected pattern is projected onto the pool bottom, the robot identifies the pattern, calculates the distance between the projected pattern and the first pool wall, and the distance between the projected pattern and the second pool wall, and compares these two distances. For example, by comparing these two distances, the robot can identify that the projected pattern is closest to the first pool wall. In this case, the robot moves along path 1 or path 2 towards the corresponding pool wall, gradually approaching the first pool wall, and then returns to the base station.

[0058] It is understandable that, such as Figure 7 As shown, a projected pattern is formed on the first wall of the pool. After recognizing the projected pattern, the robot moves towards the first wall where the projected pattern is located. Similarly, if the projected pattern is located on the second wall, the robot moves towards the second wall where the projected pattern is located.

[0059] It should be noted that as the machine moves toward the projection beam, it can continuously detect the location of the base station through a camera or other sensors to accurately locate the base station and connect with it.

[0060] In step S103, the direction of extension of the projected beam indicates the path along which the automatic water cleaning device moves toward the base station.

[0061] For example, the robot processes the image of the projected beam to identify its extension direction. This extension direction indicates the path the robot takes towards the base station. In other words, after identifying the extension direction, it can serve as the robot's path back to the base station, allowing the robot to return along or with this path as a reference. This reduces energy consumption caused by the robot needing to adjust its movements multiple times during the return process due to path deviations and pose angle errors.

[0062] In step S103, controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the extension direction of the projection beam includes: calculating the offset of the current orientation of the automatic pool cleaning device relative to the extension direction of the projection beam; and adjusting the heading angle of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the offset, so that the automatic pool cleaning device moves along the extension direction of the projection beam.

[0063] In one example, such as Figure 8 As shown, the projection beam emitted by the base station forms an overall "L"-shaped projection beam image on the pool wall and bottom. After the robot recognizes the projection beam and further identifies the extension direction of the projection beam on the pool wall and bottom, it controls the robot to return to the base station according to path 1, path 2 or path 3.

[0064] For example, the robot identifies the direction of extension of the projected beam (e.g. Figure 8 As shown, the projected beam image extends from top to bottom on the pool wall surface and from left to right on the pool bottom surface. Based on the robot's current position and direction of travel, the offset of the robot's direction of travel relative to the direction of the projected beam is calculated. Based on this offset, a PID control algorithm is used to adjust the robot's heading angle, thereby adjusting the robot's trajectory so that the robot moves along... Figure 8 The robot returns to the base station via path 1, which is parallel to the extension direction of the projected beam image. At this point, the robot controls its own direction to be parallel to the extension direction of the projected beam image, moves along the bottom of the pool, climbs the wall to return to the ground where the base station is located, and then returns to the base station.

[0065] For example, the robot identifies the direction of the projected beam's extension, based on... Figure 8 The path 2 shown in the diagram controls the robot to gradually adjust its heading angle, so that the robot gradually approaches the location of the projected beam image, and controls the robot to move along the extension direction of the projected beam image (that is, the robot's movement path overlaps with at least part of the extension path of the projected beam image), so that the robot approaches and returns to the base station along the projected beam image.

[0066] For example, the robot identifies the direction of the projected beam's extension, based on... Figure 8 As shown in path 3, firstly, based on the robot's current position and direction of travel, the offset of the robot's direction of travel relative to the extension direction of the projected beam is calculated. Based on this offset, a PID control algorithm is used to adjust the robot's heading angle so that the robot's forward direction is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the extension direction, allowing the robot to reach the location of the projected beam image along the path closest to or relatively close to it. Then, the robot's heading angle is further adjusted so that the robot's forward direction is the same as the extension direction of the projected beam image, thereby enabling the robot to move back to the base station along the path shown by the projected beam image.

[0067] It should be noted that the control method 100 provided in this application includes the following steps: as the robot moves toward the base station along the extension direction, it re-identifies the projected beam image through the image acquisition device. If the projected beam image cannot be identified, the moving direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device is adjusted to re-identify the projected beam image.

[0068] Specifically, for example, during the robot's return to the base station, after recognizing the projected beam and identifying its direction of extension, the robot... Figure 8The robot returns to the base station via paths 1-3. During its movement, the robot may move to a depression or protrusion at the bottom of the pool, making it unable to recognize the projected beam image through the camera. In this case, the robot dynamically adjusts its posture as needed to re-identify the projected beam image. For example, it can re-find and recognize the projected beam image by controlling the robot to rotate, rotating the camera, or using the 360° camera. After recognizing the projected beam image, the robot continues to return to the base station along the extension direction of the projected beam image. Alternatively, the robot can travel a certain distance, leaving the location where the projected beam image was unrecognizable, and then re-find and recognize the projected beam image by controlling the robot to rotate, rotating the camera, or using the 360° camera. After recognizing the projected beam image, the robot continues to return to the base station along the extension direction of the projected beam image.

[0069] It should be noted that the above description of the robot's return path to the base station and the location of the projected beam pattern are merely exemplary. This application does not limit itself to the contents listed above. Those skilled in the art can set the robot's return path to the base station, the location of the projected beam pattern, and the shape of the projected beam according to the actual situation, as long as the technical principles of this application can be achieved.

[0070] The control method 100 provided in this application includes: during the process of the automatic water tank cleaning device moving towards the base station, acquiring projected beam images on the bottom and / or wall of the pool through the image acquisition device, including: during the movement, determining whether the automatic water tank cleaning device meets predetermined conditions; if it does, acquiring projected beam images on the bottom and / or wall of the pool through the image acquisition device.

[0071] Specifically, for example, when the robot needs to return to a base station, it first locates and identifies the base station using its camera, and then continuously moves closer to it. That is, during the process of controlling the robot to return to the base station, when the robot is far from the base station, or when the robot can identify the base station through the camera, it can directly identify the base station through the camera and control the robot to move towards it. As the robot continuously approaches the base station, when predetermined conditions are met, the camera then captures images of the projected beams of light projected onto the bottom and / or walls of the pool.

[0072] The predetermined conditions include: the distance between the automatic water tank cleaning device and the base station is less than or equal to a preset value, or the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot receive the ultrasonic signal from the base station, or the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot identify the base station through the image acquisition device.

[0073] For example, the predetermined condition could be that the distance between the automatic pool cleaning device and the base station is less than or equal to a preset value. Since the base station is typically located on the ground near the pool's edge, when the robot approaches the base station, if the distance between the robot and the base station is less than or equal to the preset value (e.g., the preset distance is set to 2.5m, or the preset distance value is set according to the field of view of the robot's camera), the base station target may be obscured by the pool wall or exceed the robot's camera's field of view after the robot enters the area, making it impossible for the robot to detect the base station.

[0074] For example, the predetermined condition could be that the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot receive the ultrasonic signal from the base station or that the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot identify the base station through the image acquisition device.

[0075] In one example, for instance, due to energy loss during propagation in water, the ultrasonic wave signal may attenuate, potentially rendering it undetectable by the robot's sensors, or even impossible for the robot's sensors to receive the signal. Alternatively, the ultrasonic wave may be blocked by obstacles during propagation, preventing the robot from receiving the signal and thus failing to identify the base station.

[0076] In another example, for instance, insufficient light may prevent the image acquisition device from recognizing the base station, or a complex lighting environment may interfere with the image acquisition device, preventing the base station from being captured by the image acquisition device and thus preventing the robot from recognizing the base station.

[0077] It should be noted that the above description of the predetermined conditions is merely exemplary, and the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the contents listed above. Those skilled in the art can set the predetermined conditions according to the actual situation, as long as they can achieve the technical principles of this application.

[0078] The control method 100 provided in this application includes: during the movement, determining whether the automatic cleaning device for the pool meets the predetermined conditions; if it does, acquiring images of the projected beams on the pool bottom and / or pool wall through the image acquisition device; further including: during the movement, determining whether the automatic cleaning device for the pool meets the predetermined conditions; if it does, sending a signal to the base station to turn on the projection light, and acquiring images of the projected beams on the pool bottom and / or pool wall through the image acquisition device.

[0079] Specifically, when the robot meets the predetermined conditions described above, the robot sends a signal to the base station to turn on the projection light. Upon receiving the signal, the base station controls the projection light to turn on, projecting a beam image onto the pool bottom and / or pool wall, thereby projecting, for example... Figures 3 to 6The image shown is of the projected beam. The robot acquires the image of the projected beam via a camera.

[0080] It should be noted that the projection lamp can be triggered to turn on by the robot sending a signal to the base station, and the projection lamp can be turned off after the robot returns to the base station, thereby reducing energy consumption.

[0081] This application also discloses an automatic water tank cleaning device, which includes an image acquisition device capable of recognizing the projected beam image described above, and the automatic water tank cleaning device capable of executing the control method of any of the above examples.

[0082] This application also discloses a base station for an automatic water tank cleaning device. The base station includes a positioning module, a projection lamp, and a controller. The positioning module can send a positioning signal to the automatic water tank cleaning device or receive a positioning signal from the automatic water tank cleaning device. The controller can control the projection lamp to turn on and off. The projection lamp can project a projected beam image onto the bottom and / or wall of the water tank. The projected beam image enables the automatic water tank cleaning device to control its direction of movement toward the base station.

[0083] Specifically, for example, the base station sends a positioning signal to the robot through the positioning module. When the robot determines that the predetermined conditions described above are met, the robot sends a signal to the base station to turn on the projection lamp. The base station controls the projection lamp to turn on via a controller, projecting a projected beam image onto the bottom and / or wall of the pool. The robot returns to the base station based on the projected beam image. After the robot returns to the base station, the base station controls the projection lamp to turn off via a controller and recharges the robot.

[0084] This application also discloses a non-volatile computer storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the control method of any of the above examples. The control method includes: controlling the automatic water tank cleaning device to move underwater toward a base station; during the movement, identifying projected beam images on the pool bottom and / or pool wall using the image acquisition device; and controlling the movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device based on the projected beam images.

[0085] It should be understood that the above description of the components and functions of various sensors is merely exemplary and does not constitute a limitation on the various parameters and functions of the above components. Those skilled in the art can select and set the above various sensors and their components, parameters, and functions according to actual needs, as long as the principle of this application can be achieved.

[0086] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0087] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0088] In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up" and "down" are generally used in relation to the direction shown in the accompanying drawings, or in relation to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" are generally used in relation to the left and right shown in the accompanying drawings; "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not intended to limit this application.

[0089] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope described in this application, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an automatic water tank cleaning device, the automatic water tank cleaning device including an image acquisition device, the control method comprising: Control the automatic cleaning device of the water tank to move underwater toward the base station; During the movement, the image acquisition device identifies the projected beam images on the pool bottom and / or pool wall; The movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device is controlled based on the projected beam image.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, Controlling the movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device based on the projected beam image includes: The image of the projected beam is processed to identify the direction of extension of the projected beam; The movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device is controlled based on the extension direction of the projected beam.

3. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, Controlling the movement direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device based on the projected beam image includes: The automatic cleaning device for the water tank is controlled to move towards the pool wall where the projected beam image is located or the pool wall closest to the projected beam image.

4. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, The projected beam image is formed by a single-color visible beam or by multiple-color visible beams.

5. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, During the process of the automatic water tank cleaning device moving towards the base station, the image acquisition device acquires images of the projected beams on the bottom and / or walls of the tank, including: During the movement, it is determined whether the automatic cleaning device for the pool meets the predetermined conditions. If it does, the image acquisition device acquires the projected beam image on the bottom and / or wall of the pool.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein, The predetermined conditions include: the distance between the automatic water tank cleaning device and the base station is less than or equal to a preset value, or the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot receive the ultrasonic signal from the base station, or the automatic water tank cleaning device cannot identify the base station through the image acquisition device.

7. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, The direction of the projection beam indicates the path along which the automatic water cleaning device moves toward the base station.

8. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, Controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the extension direction of the projected beam includes: Calculate the offset of the current orientation of the automatic water tank cleaning device relative to the extension direction of the projected beam; The heading angle of the automatic pool cleaning device is adjusted based on the offset, so that the automatic pool cleaning device moves along the extension direction of the projected beam.

9. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, Controlling the movement direction of the automatic pool cleaning device based on the extension direction of the projected beam includes: During the movement towards the base station along the extended direction, the image of the projected beam is identified again by the image acquisition device. If the image of the projected beam cannot be identified, the moving direction of the automatic water tank cleaning device is adjusted to re-identify the image of the projected beam.

10. The control method according to claim 5, wherein, During the movement, it is determined whether the automatic water cleaning device meets the predetermined conditions. If it does, the image acquisition device acquires the projected beam image on the bottom and / or wall of the pool. The process further includes determining whether the automatic water cleaning device meets the predetermined conditions during the movement. If it does, a signal to turn on the projection device light is sent to the base station, and the image acquisition device acquires the projected beam image on the bottom and / or wall of the pool.

11. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, The projected beam includes an infrared beam and a near-infrared beam.

12. An automatic water tank cleaning device, wherein, The automatic water tank cleaning device is capable of performing the control method according to any one of claims 1-11.

13. A base station for an automatic water tank cleaning device, the base station comprising a positioning module, a projection device, and a controller, the positioning module being capable of sending a positioning signal to or receiving a positioning signal from the automatic water tank cleaning device, the controller being capable of controlling the opening and closing of the projection device, the projection device being capable of projecting a projected beam image onto the bottom and / or wall of the water tank, the projected beam image enabling the automatic water tank cleaning device to control its direction of movement toward the base station.

14. A non-volatile computer storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the control method according to any one of claims 1-11.

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