Cleaning method of cleaning robot and related equipment thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning method of a cleaning robot and related equipment thereof. The method comprises the steps that the distance between the cleaning robot and an obstacle is controlled to be smaller than a first preset distance threshold value; driving the cleaning robot to move along a driving direction, wherein the driving direction is parallel to the edge of the obstacle; and the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate in a reciprocating mode so that a cleaning piece of the cleaning robot can swing on the two sides of the target direction, and the target direction is perpendicular to the driving direction of the cleaning robot and points to the obstacle. Through the cleaning robot control method and device, the problem that the cleaning coverage rate of a cleaning robot in the related technology is low is solved, cleaning blind areas are reduced, and therefore the cleaning coverage rate of the cleaning robot is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cleaning robot technology, and in particular to cleaning methods and related equipment for cleaning robots. Background Technology

[0002] The cleaning robots based on this technology cannot completely clean the edges of obstacles such as corners and walls, thus creating cleaning blind spots and resulting in low cleaning coverage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The control method and related equipment for the cleaning robot of the present invention at least solve the problem of low cleaning coverage of cleaning robots in the related art.

[0004] A cleaning method for a cleaning robot, the method comprising: controlling the cleaning robot to perform the following operations: controlling the distance between the cleaning robot and an obstacle to be less than a first preset distance threshold; driving the cleaning robot to move along a driving direction, the driving direction being parallel to the edge of the obstacle; controlling the cleaning robot to reciprocate to rotate so that the cleaning component of the cleaning robot swings to both sides in a target direction, the target direction being perpendicular to the driving direction of the cleaning robot and pointing towards the obstacle.

[0005] In some embodiments, the cleaning element swings at an angle of less than or equal to 90° on both sides of the target direction.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot remains stationary during reciprocating rotation, or the cleaning robot moves along the driving direction during reciprocating rotation.

[0007] In some embodiments, controlling the reciprocating rotation of the cleaning robot includes: controlling the cleaning robot to turn around once or multiple times, so that the cleaning robot faces the driving direction or the opposite direction of the driving direction, and during the turning around, the cleaning component sweeps across the area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot remains stationary during reciprocating rotation; driving the cleaning robot to move along the driving direction includes: after the cleaning robot turns around to face the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to move forward a first preset distance; and / or after the cleaning robot turns around to face the opposite direction of the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to move backward a second preset distance.

[0009] In some embodiments, both the first preset distance and the second preset distance ensure that the first cleaning area of ​​the cleaning component before the cleaning robot moves and the second cleaning area of ​​the cleaning component after the robot moves at least partially overlap, and the enclosing area formed by the first cleaning area, the second cleaning area, and the obstacle is nonexistent or the area of ​​the enclosing area is smaller than a preset area.

[0010] In some embodiments, driving the cleaning robot to move along the driving direction further includes: after the cleaning robot turns around to face the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to reverse and move a third preset distance, the third preset distance being less than the first preset distance; after the cleaning robot turns around to face the opposite direction of the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to move forward and move a fourth preset distance, the fourth preset distance being less than the second preset distance.

[0011] In some of these embodiments, the cleaning robot moves along the drive direction while reciprocating in rotation; The cleaning robot includes an inertial navigation sensor; driving the cleaning robot to move along the driving direction includes: using the inertial navigation sensor to detect the rotation angle of the cleaning robot, and controlling the movement direction of the cleaning robot based on the rotation angle, so that the cleaning robot moves along the driving direction; And / or, the cleaning robot further includes a first distance sensor, a second distance sensor, and a third distance sensor. The first distance sensor is located at the end of the cleaning robot where the cleaning component is mounted, and the first distance sensor detects the distance in the direction facing the cleaning component. The second distance sensor and the third distance sensor are respectively located on the two side surfaces of the cleaning robot and are perpendicular to the orientation of the first distance sensor. Driving the cleaning robot to move along the driving direction includes: detecting the distance of the obstacle using the first distance sensor, the second distance sensor, and the third distance sensor respectively; and controlling the movement direction of the cleaning robot based on the distances detected by the first distance sensor, the second distance sensor, and the third distance sensor, so that the cleaning robot moves along the driving direction. And / or, the cleaning robot further includes a lidar sensor located on top of the cleaning robot, used to detect the distance and orientation of objects around the cleaning robot; driving the cleaning robot to move along the driving direction includes: using the lidar sensor to detect the distance and orientation of the obstacle; based on the distance and orientation detected by the lidar sensor, controlling the movement direction of the cleaning robot so that the cleaning robot moves along the driving direction, and maintaining the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle less than the first preset distance threshold during the movement.

[0012] A cleaning robot includes: a body, a cleaning component and a drive unit disposed on the chassis of the body, and a processing unit, the processing unit including a processor and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are used to cause the processor to perform the method described above.

[0013] A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing computer instructions for causing a computer to perform the methods described above.

[0014] The cleaning method and related equipment of the cleaning robot of the present invention, in accordance with embodiments thereof, employ the following methods: controlling the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle to be less than a first preset distance threshold; driving the cleaning robot to move along a driving direction parallel to the edge of the obstacle; and controlling the cleaning robot to reciprocate and rotate so that the cleaning components of the cleaning robot swing on both sides of a target direction, wherein the target direction is perpendicular to the driving direction of the cleaning robot and points towards the obstacle. This method solves the problem of low cleaning coverage of cleaning robots in related technologies, reduces cleaning blind spots, and thus improves the cleaning coverage of the cleaning robot. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other embodiments based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a bottom view structural diagram of a cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning blind spot in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 The cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1 .

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the swing range of the cleaning component according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6a , Figure 6b and Figure 6cThis is a schematic diagram of the swing angle of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning area of ​​the cleaning robot with different swing angles, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 The cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 2 .

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning process of a cleaning robot when the cleaning component and the target direction are at a 90° angle, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the processing device of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the present invention. It should be understood that the drawings and embodiments of the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a bottom view structural diagram of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning robot includes a body 10, cleaning components mounted on the chassis, and a drive unit. The cleaning components can be any type of part capable of cleaning; for example, they may include side brushes 21 and / or mops 22. The side brushes 21 are generally located at the front end of the chassis; two side brushes 21 can be arranged side-by-side, and three or more side brushes 21 can be arranged in an arc shape convex towards the front of the body. In cleaning robots that simultaneously have side brushes 21 and mops 22, the mops 22 are typically located approximately at the rear end of the chassis. The end closest to the forward direction of movement is defined as the front end, and the opposite end is defined as the rear end.

[0028] The drive unit includes at least two drive wheels 31 and may also include steering wheels 32; the drive wheels 31 can be controlled to steer independently, and can be controlled synchronously or independently to drive the cleaning robot to move towards its front or rear end, or to move the cleaning robot at any angle between its front and rear ends, and to drive the cleaning robot to turn in place or turn along any arc.

[0029] Cleaning robots may also include environmental detection devices for detecting environmental information. These devices include, but are not limited to, distance sensors and collision sensors. The distance sensor can be one or more of the following: a Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser sensor, a laser sensor based on triangulation, an infrared-based distance sensor, an ultrasonic-based distance sensor, a binocular camera or depth camera, a structured light sensor, or other sensor devices capable of distance measurement.

[0030] Figure 1 The cleaning robot shown includes a distance sensor 41 located on the surface of its front end (i.e., the end where the side sweeper is located), a distance sensor 42 located on the surface of its rear end (i.e., the end where the mop is located), a distance sensor 43 located on one side of the cleaning robot, and a distance sensor 44 located on the surface of its other side. Distance sensor 41 is horizontally oriented towards the side sweeper; the orientation of the side sweeper refers to the direction pointing towards the front of the cleaning robot, along its center line of symmetry. Distance sensor 42 is horizontally oriented towards the mop; the orientation of the mop refers to the direction pointing towards the rear of the cleaning robot, along its center line of symmetry. The orientation of distance sensor 43 is perpendicular to the orientation of distance sensor 41 or distance sensor 42, and the orientation of distance sensor 44 is also perpendicular to the orientation of distance sensor 41 or distance sensor 42.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the cleaning robot also includes a laser sensor 50 protruding from the top of the robot. The laser sensor 50 can be a mechanical TOF lidar sensor or an LDS laser sensor capable of 360-degree rotation scanning. The laser sensor 50 is preferably located at the center of rotation of the cleaning robot. The laser sensor 50 is used to detect the distance and orientation of objects around the cleaning robot.

[0032] Cleaning robots may also include inertial navigation sensors, which are used to detect changes in the robot's attitude, such as speed, turning or rotation angles, and pitch angles. Inertial navigation sensors include, but are not limited to, one or more combinations of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and magnetometers. With the assistance of inertial navigation sensors, cleaning robots can achieve a certain degree of steering control.

[0033] It should be noted that the above Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cleaning robot shown can be applied to the cleaning methods of embodiments of the present invention; however, it is understood that some configurations of the cleaning robot described above may be unnecessary in some embodiments. Figure 1 and Figure 2The cleaning robot shown is only used to exemplify one scenario in which the embodiments of the present invention can be applied, and is not intended to limit the application scenarios of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning blind spot according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 The rectangular frame represents the mop. Because the mop's placement cannot completely cover the area between the side of the robot and the edge of the obstacle, a gap will form when the cleaning robot moves parallel to the obstacle's edge. Figure 3 The dashed line indicates the cleaning blind spot. Similarly, because the side sweeper cannot completely cover the area between the side of the robot and the edge of the obstacle, cleaning blind spots will also be formed when the cleaning robot moves in a direction parallel to the edge of the obstacle.

[0035] In order to reduce blind spots and improve the cleaning coverage of cleaning robots, the present invention provides a cleaning method for cleaning robots. Figure 4 The cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1 ,like Figure 4 As shown, the process includes the following steps: Step S401: Control the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle to be less than a first preset distance threshold.

[0036] Step S402: Drive the cleaning robot to move along the driving direction, which is parallel to the edge of the obstacle.

[0037] Step S403: Control the cleaning robot to rotate back and forth so that the cleaning parts of the cleaning robot swing on both sides of the target direction, which is perpendicular to the driving direction of the cleaning robot and points towards the obstacle.

[0038] Through the above steps, the cleaning robot is controlled to closely follow the obstacle and move along the edge of the obstacle in the driving direction. During or after the movement, the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate back and forth, so that the cleaning parts of the cleaning robot swing on both sides of the target direction, so that the cleaning area of ​​the cleaning parts covers the cleaning blind area, thereby improving the cleaning coverage of the obstacle edge.

[0039] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot first moves in a direction roughly parallel to the edge of the obstacle. A distance sensor located on the side closest to the obstacle detects the distance to the obstacle. When the distance exceeds a first preset distance threshold, the robot's movement direction is controlled, causing it to continue approaching the obstacle. This reduces the distance detected by the side distance sensor until it falls below the first preset distance threshold, indicating that the cleaning robot has come close to the obstacle surface. The first preset distance threshold can be set, for example, to 0.1cm, 0.2cm, 0.5cm, etc.

[0040] When the cleaning robot is close to the surface of the obstacle, it can be controlled to continue moving. By maintaining the distance to the obstacle detected by the distance sensor, the movement direction of the cleaning robot is kept parallel to the surface of the obstacle. In other words, when the cleaning robot moves towards the front or rear, it moves along the edge of the obstacle.

[0041] The target direction is perpendicular to the driving direction of the cleaning robot and points towards the obstacle. With the assistance of an inertial navigation sensor, the cleaning robot can rotate its body 90°, thereby changing its orientation from parallel to the obstacle surface to perpendicular to the obstacle surface, to confirm the location of the target direction. Preferably, in other embodiments, a distance sensor located at one end of the cleaning component is used to determine whether the cleaning robot has rotated to the target direction. The cleaning robot rotates by controlling the drive device. During rotation, the distance sensor at one end of the cleaning component detects the distance to the obstacle. When the detected distance to the obstacle is less than a second preset distance threshold, it indicates that the cleaning robot has turned 90° and reached the target direction. The second preset distance threshold can be set, for example, to 0.1cm, 0.2cm, 0.5cm, etc.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the swing range of the cleaning component according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, when the cleaning component of the cleaning robot swings to both sides in the target direction, the included angles of the swing to both sides in the target direction are α and β, respectively, where the values ​​of α and β are both greater than 0 and less than or equal to 90°. The values ​​of α and β may be equal or unequal.

[0043] The angle between the two sides of the cleaning component swinging in the target direction can also be measured by data detected by inertial navigation sensors or radar sensors.

[0044] In some embodiments of this invention, the included angle is calculated from the distance to the obstacle detected by the distance sensor of the cleaning robot. Figure 6a , Figure 6b and Figure 6cThis is a schematic diagram of the swing angle of an embodiment of the present invention. Taking a circular cleaning robot as an example, the rotation center of the cleaning robot is the center O of the circle. The backward extensions of the measurement directions of the distance sensors 41, 43, and 44 intersect at point O, and the distance to point O is d0 for each sensor. When the cleaning robot is close to an obstacle and the cleaning part is facing the target direction, the distance detected by distance sensor 41 is 0. Figure 6a In the process, the cleaning robot deflects a small angle α from the target direction. At this time, the distance detected by distance sensor 41 increases to d1, while distance sensors 43 and 44, being outside their range, do not detect the distance to the obstacle. Based on the data detected by the distance sensors, the distance from the obstacle to the rotation center O can be determined to be d0 + d1; the value of α can be calculated using the law of cosines and inverse trigonometric functions. Figure 6b In the process, the cleaning robot continues to rotate counterclockwise by a large angle until distance sensor 41 can no longer detect the obstacle due to exceeding its range. At this point, distance sensor 44 detects the obstacle at a distance of d4, so the distance from the obstacle to the rotation center O can be determined to be d0 + d4. Using the cosine theorem and inverse trigonometric functions, the angle γ between the detection direction of distance sensor 44 and the target direction can be calculated. Therefore, the angle α between the orientation of the cleaning component and the target direction is 90° - γ. Figure 6c In the process, after the cleaning robot rotates counterclockwise to its maximum angle, it begins to rotate clockwise until the cleaning component's orientation passes the target direction, after which it continues to rotate clockwise. During this process, distance sensor 41 begins to detect the distance to the obstacle. As the clockwise rotation angle increases, distance sensors 44 and 41 gradually exceed their range and cease to detect the obstacle's distance. Before this, distance sensor 43 begins to detect the obstacle distance d3, so the distance from the obstacle to the rotation center O can be determined as d0 + d3. According to the cosine theorem and inverse trigonometric functions, the angle θ between the detection direction of distance sensor 43 and the target direction can be calculated. Therefore, the angle β between the orientation of the cleaning component and the target direction is 90° - θ.

[0045] Furthermore, given the angle between the orientation of the cleaning component and the target direction, if the cleaning robot moves along the edge of an obstacle while rotating, the driving direction of the cleaning robot during this process (the angle between the front end of the cleaning robot and the direction of movement) can be determined using the aforementioned angle. For example, in... Figure 6a If the cleaning component is defined as being positioned at the front end of the cleaning robot, then the driving direction of the cleaning robot is -(90°+α). Figure 6b In the diagram, the driving direction of the cleaning robot is -(90°+α). Figure 6c In the diagram, the driving direction of the cleaning robot is -(90°-β).

[0046] In some embodiments, while driving the cleaning robot to move in one direction along the edge of an obstacle, the cleaning robot is controlled to reciprocate, causing the cleaning component of the cleaning robot to swing to both sides in the target direction. That is, the cleaning robot moves along the driving direction simultaneously during the reciprocating rotation.

[0047] To ensure that the cleaning robot can clean the area between itself and obstacles, it is only necessary to ensure that the area to be cleaned is within the cleaning area of ​​the cleaning robot, regardless of the angle to which the cleaning robot swings. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning area of ​​the cleaning robot with different swing angles according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 7 As shown, when the swing angle is small, the area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is within the cleaning area of ​​the cleaning component; when the swing angle is too large, the area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is no longer within the cleaning area, but exists as... Figure 7 The shaded area indicates the cleaning blind spot. Therefore, in some embodiments, when the cleaning component swings to a maximum angle on both sides of the target direction, the area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle can be placed within the cleaning area of ​​the cleaning component. This ensures that the area to be cleaned is cleaned by the cleaning robot regardless of its moving speed, preventing the occurrence of cleaning blind spots.

[0048] However, in other embodiments, when the cleaning component swings to its maximum angle on both sides of the target direction, the area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle may not be within the cleaning component's cleaning area. This is addressed by controlling the cleaning robot's movement speed to ensure that any missed areas are cleaned during the component's return swing. Specifically, when the cleaning component swings to an angle where the current area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is no longer within the component's cleaning area, the robot's movement speed along one direction of the obstacle's edge is controlled so that the area to be cleaned is within the component's cleaning area when the component returns towards the target direction. A specific scenario involves stopping the cleaning robot when it swings to an angle where the current area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is no longer within the component's cleaning area. Then, when the cleaning component returns towards the target direction and the area to be cleaned is within the component's cleaning area, the robot continues to move along one direction of the obstacle's edge, ensuring no areas are missed.

[0049] In some embodiments, when a cleaning robot moves while the cleaning component rotates, an inertial navigation sensor can be used to detect the robot's rotation angle, and the robot's movement direction can be controlled based on this angle, allowing the robot to move along one direction of the obstacle's edge. Since inertial navigation sensors are commonly found in cleaning robots, this approach is the most cost-effective, but its control accuracy is lower than that of lidar sensors or distance sensors. In other embodiments, a distance sensor can be used to determine the cleaning robot's movement direction (i.e., the driving direction mentioned above). Distance sensors 41, 42, 43, and 44 are used to detect the distance to the obstacle. Based on the distance detected by one or more of these distance sensors, the cleaning robot's movement direction is controlled, allowing it to move along one direction of the obstacle's edge. The specific process can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 6a , Figure 6b and Figure 6c The relevant descriptions will not be repeated here. In some other embodiments, a lidar sensor is used to detect the distance and orientation of the obstacle; based on the distance and orientation detected by the lidar sensor, the movement direction of the cleaning robot is controlled so that the cleaning robot moves along one direction of the edge of the obstacle, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is kept less than a first preset distance threshold during the movement.

[0050] In the above embodiments, when the driving direction of the cleaning robot has a certain angle with its front or rear end, the cleaning robot may gradually move away from the edge of the obstacle as control errors accumulate. Therefore, this embodiment also provides a method for calibrating the relative position between the cleaning robot and the obstacle. When the angle between the cleaning component's swing on both sides of the target direction reaches 90°, the distance to the obstacle is detected using distance sensor 43 or distance sensor 44. Based on the distance detected by the distance sensor (when the cleaning component is positioned at the front end, distance sensor 43 detects the distance when the left side of the cleaning robot is close to the obstacle; distance sensor 44 detects the distance when the right side of the cleaning robot is close to the obstacle), the cleaning robot is controlled to move towards the obstacle so that the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is less than a first preset distance threshold.

[0051] In other embodiments, to reduce control complexity, the cleaning robot remains stationary during its reciprocating rotation. Figure 8 The cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 2 ,like Figure 8 As shown, the process includes the following steps: Step S801: Control the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle to be less than a first preset distance threshold.

[0052] Step S802: Drive the cleaning robot to move along the driving direction.

[0053] Step S803: Control the cleaning robot to turn around once or multiple times, so that the cleaning robot faces the driving direction or the opposite direction of the driving direction. During the turning process, the cleaning component sweeps across the area to be cleaned between the cleaning robot and the obstacle.

[0054] It should be noted that the execution order of steps S801 to S803 is not limited to the fixed order described above, but can be executed sequentially or simultaneously. For example, step S801 can be executed throughout the entire cleaning process; or step S802 can be executed after step S803: after the cleaning robot turns around to face the driving direction, the cleaning robot is controlled to move forward a first preset distance; and / or after the cleaning robot turns around to face the opposite direction of the driving direction, the cleaning robot is controlled to move backward a second preset distance. Using this method, the cleaning robot does not move in the driving direction during rotation, and the direction of movement of the cleaning robot is exactly the same as or exactly opposite to the orientation of the cleaning part. This reduces the configuration requirements of the cleaning robot's drive device. By using a drive device with adjustable forward and reverse rotation and individually adjustable drive wheel speeds, the movement control of the cleaning robot can be achieved.

[0055] Specifically, after the cleaning robot moves forward in the driving direction, it is controlled to turn around once or multiple times. If an odd number of turns are made, the cleaning robot faces the opposite direction of the driving direction and then moves backward in the driving direction. After the cleaning robot moves forward in the driving direction, it is controlled to turn around once or multiple times. If an even number of turns are made, the cleaning robot faces the driving direction and then moves forward in the driving direction.

[0056] Specifically, after the cleaning robot moves backward along the driving direction, it is controlled to turn around once or multiple times. If an odd number of turns are made, the cleaning robot faces the driving direction and moves forward along that direction. After the cleaning robot moves backward along the driving direction, it is controlled to turn around once or multiple times. If an even number of turns are made, the cleaning robot faces the opposite direction of the driving direction and moves backward along that direction.

[0057] The aforementioned first and second preset distances both ensure that the first cleaning area of ​​the cleaning component before the cleaning robot moves and the second cleaning area of ​​the cleaning component after the moving robot move at least partially overlap, and that the first cleaning area, the second cleaning area, and the enclosed area formed by the obstacle do not exist or the area of ​​the enclosed area is smaller than the preset area. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second preset distances are both 20% to 50% of the body length of the cleaning robot.

[0058] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning process of the cleaning robot when the cleaning component and the target direction are at a 90° angle, as described in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 As shown, when the cleaning component is located at the rear end of the cleaning robot, the cleaning component of the cleaning robot swings to α and stops after reaching 90°, and then the cleaning robot moves forward along the edge of the obstacle; the cleaning component of the cleaning robot swings to β and stops after reaching 90°, and then the cleaning robot moves backward along the edge of the obstacle.

[0059] In some embodiments, the cleaning robot also uses a distance sensor 43 or 44 located on its side to correct the distance to the obstacle surface. When the angle between the cleaning component's swings on both sides in the target direction reaches 90°, the distance sensor 43 or 44 is used to detect the distance to the obstacle. Based on the distance detected by the distance sensor 43 or 44, the cleaning robot is controlled to move towards the obstacle so that the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle is less than a first preset distance threshold.

[0060] To prevent missed areas along the obstacle edge due to the cleaning robot's rotation, some embodiments include controlling the cleaning robot to reverse a third preset distance (less than a first preset distance) after turning back towards the driving direction; and controlling the cleaning robot to move forward a fourth preset distance (less than a second preset distance) after turning back towards the opposite direction of the driving direction. This allows the cleaning robot to perform supplementary cleaning of any missed areas as needed. Because the third and fourth preset distances are less than the first and second preset distances, even if the cleaning robot moves in the opposite direction of the driving direction, the distance of the reverse movement is less than the distance moved along the driving direction. Therefore, the cleaning robot generally still moves along the driving direction, thus completing the cleaning of the obstacle edge.

[0061] It should be noted that the above embodiments are described using a wet cleaning component located at the rear end of the cleaning robot chassis as an example. However, the embodiments created by the present invention are not limited to this. For example, the cleaning component being swung can also be a dry cleaning component located at the front end of the cleaning robot.

[0062] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a cleaning robot. The cleaning robot includes: a body, a cleaning component and a drive unit disposed on the chassis of the body, and a processing unit. The processing unit includes a processor and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are used to cause the processor to execute the cleaning method of the cleaning robot described above.

[0063] An embodiment of the present invention also provides a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing computer instructions for causing a computer to perform the cleaning method of the cleaning robot described above.

[0064] A processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory stores computer instructions executable by the at least one processor, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the processing apparatus to perform the method of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0065] refer to Figure 10 The present invention will now be described in the form of a structural block diagram of a server or client processing device that can serve as an embodiment of the present invention, and is an example of a hardware device that can be applied to various aspects of the present invention. The processing device is intended to represent various forms of digital electronic computer devices, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The processing device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processors, cellular phones, smartphones, wearable devices, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0066] like Figure 10 As shown, the processing device includes a computing unit 1001, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to computer instructions stored in read-only memory (ROM) 1002 or computer instructions loaded into random access memory (RAM) 1003 from storage unit 1008. The RAM 1003 may also store various programs and data required for the operation of the processing device. The computing unit 1001, ROM 1002, and RAM 1003 are interconnected via a bus 1004. An input / output (I / O) interface 1005 is also connected to the bus 1004.

[0067] Multiple components in the processing device are connected to the I / O interface 1005, including: an input unit 1006, an output unit 1007, a storage unit 1008, and a communication unit 1009. The input unit 1006 can be any type of device capable of inputting information to the processing device. The input unit 1006 can receive input numerical or character information and generate key signal inputs related to user settings and / or function control of the processing device. The output unit 1007 can be any type of device capable of presenting information and may include, but is not limited to, a display, speaker, video / audio output terminal, vibrator, and / or printer. The storage unit 1008 may include, but is not limited to, a hard disk and an optical disk. The communication unit 1009 allows the processing device to exchange information / data with other devices through computer networks such as the Internet and / or various telecommunications networks, and may include, but is not limited to, a modem, network card, infrared communication device, and / or wireless communication transceiver, such as Bluetooth devices, WiFi devices, WiMax devices, cellular communication devices, and / or the like.

[0068] The computing unit 1001 can be a variety of general-purpose and / or special-purpose processing components with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the computing unit 1001 include, but are not limited to, CPUs, graphics processing units (GPUs), various special-purpose artificial intelligence (AI) computing units, various computing units running machine learning model algorithms, digital signal processors (DSPs), and any suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The computing unit 1001 performs the various methods and processes described above. For example, in some embodiments, the method embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as computer instructions tangibly contained in a machine-readable medium, such as storage unit 1008. In some embodiments, some or all of the computer instructions can be loaded and / or mounted onto the processing device via ROM 1002 and / or communication unit 1009. In some embodiments, the computing unit 1001 can be configured to perform the methods described above by any other suitable means (e.g., by means of firmware).

[0069] Computer instructions for implementing the methods of embodiments of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer instructions may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the computer instructions cause the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed. The computer instructions may be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine as a standalone software package, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0070] In the context of embodiments of this invention, a machine-readable medium can be a tangible medium that may contain or store a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable signal medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or infrared systems, apparatus, or devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media include electrical connections based on one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0071] It should be noted that the term "comprising" and its variations used in the embodiments of this invention are open-ended, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". The modifications of "one" and "a plurality" mentioned in the embodiments of this invention are illustrative and not restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that unless explicitly indicated otherwise in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0072] The steps described in the method embodiments of this invention can be performed in different orders and / or in parallel. Furthermore, the method embodiments may include additional steps and / or omit the steps shown. The scope of protection of this invention is not limited in this respect.

[0073] The term "embodiment" in this specification refers to a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment that may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily imply the same embodiment, nor does it imply independence or alternativeity from other embodiments. The various embodiments in this specification are described in a related manner, with reference to each other for similar or identical parts. In particular, for apparatus, device, and system embodiments, since they are substantially similar to method embodiments, the description is relatively simple, and relevant details are referred to in the description of the method embodiments.

[0074] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning method of a cleaning robot, characterized by, The method comprises: controlling the cleaning robot to perform the following operations: controlling the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle to be less than a first preset distance threshold; driving the cleaning robot to move in a driving direction, the driving direction being parallel to the edge of the obstacle; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein, controlling the cleaning robot to rotate back and forth so that the cleaning member of the cleaning robot swings on both sides of a target direction, the target direction being perpendicular to the driving direction of the cleaning robot and pointing to the obstacle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, The included angle at which the cleaning member swings on both sides of the target direction is less than or equal to 90°.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The cleaning robot remains stationary during the back-and-forth rotation, or the cleaning robot moves in the driving direction during the back-and-forth rotation. The control of the cleaning robot to rotate back and forth comprises:

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, controlling the cleaning robot to make one or more U-turns so that the cleaning robot faces the driving direction or the opposite direction of the driving direction, and during the U-turns, the cleaning member sweeps the to-be-cleaned area between the cleaning robot and the obstacle. The cleaning robot remains stationary during the back-and-forth rotation; the driving of the cleaning robot to move in the driving direction comprises:

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, after the cleaning robot makes a U-turn to face the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to move forward by a first preset distance; and / or after the cleaning robot makes a U-turn to face the opposite direction of the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to move backward by a second preset distance.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The first preset distance and the second preset distance are both such that the first cleaning area of the cleaning member before the cleaning robot moves and the second cleaning area of the cleaning member after the cleaning robot moves at least partially overlap, and there is no enclosed area or the area of the enclosed area formed by the first cleaning area, the second cleaning area, and the obstacle is less than a preset area. The driving of the cleaning robot to move in the driving direction further comprises: after the cleaning robot makes a U-turn to face the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to move backward by a third preset distance, the third preset distance being less than the first preset distance; 8. The method of claim 3, wherein, after the cleaning robot makes a U-turn to face the opposite direction of the driving direction, controlling the cleaning robot to move forward by a fourth preset distance, the fourth preset distance being less than the second preset distance. The cleaning robot moves in the driving direction during the back-and-forth rotation; The cleaning robot comprises an inertial navigation sensor; the driving of the cleaning robot to move in the driving direction comprises: detecting the rotation angle of the cleaning robot by using the inertial navigation sensor, and controlling the moving direction of the cleaning robot based on the rotation angle, so that the cleaning robot moves in the driving direction; And / or, the cleaning robot further comprises a first distance sensor, a second distance sensor and a third distance sensor, the first distance sensor is located at one end of the cleaning robot where the cleaning member is arranged, the first distance sensor faces the detection direction of the distance; the second distance sensor and the third distance sensor are respectively located on the two side surfaces of the cleaning robot, and are respectively perpendicular to the direction of the first distance sensor; driving the cleaning robot to move in a driving direction comprises: detecting the distance of the obstacle by the first distance sensor, the second distance sensor and the third distance sensor respectively; based on the distance detected by the first distance sensor, the second distance sensor and the third distance sensor, controlling the moving direction of the cleaning robot, so that the cleaning robot moves in the driving direction; And / or, the cleaning robot further comprises a laser radar sensor, the laser radar sensor is located at the top of the cleaning robot, for detecting the distance and position of the object around the cleaning robot; driving the cleaning robot to move in a driving direction comprises: detecting the distance and position of the obstacle by the laser radar sensor; based on the distance and position detected by the laser radar sensor, controlling the moving direction of the cleaning robot, so that the cleaning robot moves in the driving direction, and keeping the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle less than the first preset distance threshold during movement.

9. A cleaning robot characterized by Comprise: A machine body, a cleaning member arranged on the bottom plate of the machine body and a driving device, and a processing device, the processing device comprising a processor and a non-transient machine readable medium storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions are used to make the processor execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon computer instructions, wherein: The computer instructions are used to make the computer execute the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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