Walking control method of mowing robot and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a walking control method of a mowing robot and electronic equipment. The walking control method of the mowing robot comprises the following steps: controlling the mowing robot to walk in a first working area so as to perform mowing operation; when the mowing robot detects a magnetic stripe in the walking process, the type of the magnetic stripe is determined, and the type of the magnetic stripe comprises a boundary magnetic stripe and a guide magnetic stripe; when the type of the magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip and the mowing robot needs to work in a second working area, the mowing robot is controlled to walk along the guide magnetic strip to enter the second working area, the second working area and the first working area are separated from each other, and the guide magnetic strip is connected with the first working area and the second working area; and two ends of the guide magnetic strip respectively extend into the first working area and the second working area. According to the technical scheme, the mowing robot can automatically cross and separate the lawn to conduct mowing operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of intelligent control technology, specifically to a walking control method and electronic equipment for a lawnmower robot. Background Technology

[0002] Lawn-mowing robots can automatically perform lawn mowing tasks. Typically, they are confined to a fixed working area. For example, boundary lines are laid around the working area, and the robot detects the boundaries of the working area by sensing the boundary line signals, thus controlling its movement and operation within that area. However, when handling the mowing of multiple separate lawns, manual operation is required to control the robot to move from the current lawn to the next, making it difficult to achieve automatic traversal of separate lawns for mowing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a walking control method and electronic device for a lawn mowing robot, which can move from the current working area to the next working area along a guide magnetic strip, thereby enabling the lawn mowing robot to automatically cross separated lawns to perform lawn mowing operations.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a walking control method for a lawnmower robot, comprising: controlling the lawnmower robot to walk in a first working area to perform work; when the lawnmower robot detects a magnetic strip during walking, determining the type of the magnetic strip, wherein the type of the magnetic strip includes a boundary magnetic strip and a guide magnetic strip; when the type of the magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip and it needs to perform work in a second working area, controlling the lawnmower robot to walk along the guide magnetic strip to enter the second working area, wherein the second working area and the first working area are separated from each other, the guide magnetic strip connects the first working area and the second working area, and both ends of the guide magnetic strip extend into the first working area and the second working area respectively.

[0005] In conjunction with the first aspect, the method further includes: when the type of magnetic strip is a boundary magnetic strip, or the type of magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip and it is not necessary to work in the second working area, controlling the lawnmower robot to continue walking in the first working area.

[0006] In conjunction with the first aspect, when the lawnmower detects a magnetic strip during its movement, it determines the type of the magnetic strip, including: determining whether the memory stores magnetic strip type information; the magnetic strip type information is used to indicate the type of the magnetic strip; if the memory does not store magnetic strip type information, it controls the lawnmower to walk along the magnetic strip to determine the magnetic strip type information and stores the magnetic strip type information in the memory; if the memory stores magnetic strip type information, it determines the type of the magnetic strip based on the magnetic strip type information.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, controlling the lawnmower robot to walk along the magnetic strip to determine the type information of the magnetic strip includes: controlling the lawnmower robot to photograph the environment in the direction of travel while walking along the magnetic strip to obtain an environmental image; determining whether the target area in the environmental image contains grass, wherein the target area is an area in the environmental image that at least partially covers the center line of the image, the center line of the image passes through the center of the environmental image and coincides with or is parallel to a first axis, the first axis being a straight line in the environmental image representing the direction of travel of the lawnmower robot; when, during the process of the lawnmower robot walking along the magnetic strip, at least one of the environmental images acquired does not contain grass in the target area, the type information of the magnetic strip is determined to be a guide magnetic strip; otherwise, the type information of the magnetic strip is determined to be a boundary magnetic strip.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, the target region is symmetrical about the image centerline.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, the method further includes: determining whether it is necessary to perform work in a second work area based on the working time or job completion rate of the lawnmower robot in the first work area; wherein, determining whether it is necessary to perform work in the second work area based on the working time of the lawnmower robot in the first work area includes: if the working time of the lawnmower robot in the first work area is not less than the target time, then it is determined that it is necessary to perform work in the second work area; if the working time of the lawnmower robot in the first work area is less than the target time, then it is determined that it is not necessary to perform work in the second work area.

[0010] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a walking control method for a lawnmower robot, comprising: controlling the lawnmower robot to walk in a first working area to perform lawnmowing operations; when it is necessary to work in a second working area, controlling the lawnmower robot to walk to the boundary of the first working area, wherein the second working area and the first working area are separated from each other; controlling the lawnmower robot to walk along the boundary of the first working area until a magnetic strip is detected, wherein the magnetic strip connects the first working area and the second working area, and both ends of the magnetic strip extend into the first working area and the second working area respectively; controlling the lawnmower robot to walk along the magnetic strip to enter the second working area.

[0011] In conjunction with the second aspect, the extension of the magnetic strip within the first working area is arranged along the boundary of the first working area so that the lawnmower robot can detect the magnetic strip while walking along the boundary of the first working area.

[0012] In conjunction with the second aspect, the method also includes: determining whether it is necessary to perform operations in a second work area based on the working time or job completion rate of the lawnmower robot in the first work area.

[0013] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including: a processor and a memory; wherein the memory is connected to the processor and is used to store a computer program; wherein the processor is used to implement the above-mentioned walking control method for a lawnmower robot by running the computer program stored in the memory.

[0014] By using the above technical solution, a guide magnetic strip is set between two separate working areas. When the mowing robot detects the magnetic strip while walking in the first working area, it can be guided to automatically cross from the first working area to the second working area along the magnetic strip. Furthermore, a boundary magnetic strip can be set to divide the first working area into a non-working area. Here, the first working area can be one's own lawn, and the non-working area can be a neighbor's lawn or other areas that do not need to be mowed. When the magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip and it is necessary to work in the second working area, the mowing robot is controlled to move along the guide magnetic strip to the second working area to perform the mowing operation. When the magnetic strip is a boundary magnetic strip, or when it is not necessary to work in the second working area, it continues to perform the mowing operation in the first working area. In this way, not only can the mowing operation of multiple separate lawns be realized by using the guide magnetic strip, but it can also decide whether to go to another working area for mowing operation and when to go to another working area for mowing operation based on the type of magnetic strip and the actual mowing needs. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1a This is a schematic diagram of two separate lawns according to an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent lawns according to an embodiment of this application.

[0017] Figure 1c This is a flowchart illustrating the walking control method for a lawnmower robot provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the walking control method for a lawnmower robot provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining the type of magnetic strip provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 4a This is a schematic diagram of two separate lawns according to an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 4b A schematic diagram of the environmental image corresponding to the guide magnetic strip is shown.

[0022] Figure 4c This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent lawns according to an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 4d A schematic diagram of the environmental image corresponding to the boundary magnetic stripe is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the walking control method for a lawnmower robot provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figures 6a-6c Schematic diagrams of several magnetic strip arrangement methods are shown.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of a walking control device for a lawnmower robot provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 8 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of an electronic device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] In this application embodiment, a lawnmower robot is used as an example for illustration. It can be understood that the technical solutions in this application embodiment are also applicable to other intelligent robot systems, such as sweeping robots, snow removal robots, etc.

[0030] Typically, a lawnmower robot includes a main body, a locomotion unit, a control unit, an image acquisition unit, and a positioning unit mounted on the main body. The locomotion unit includes drive wheels, driven wheels, and a motor that drives the drive wheels; the motor controls the speed and direction of the drive wheels to enable locomotion. The image acquisition unit typically includes a camera that captures the scene within a certain field of view of the lawnmower robot. For example, the camera can capture environmental information in the direction in front of the lawnmower robot, such as lawn, non-lawn areas, and magnetic strips. The positioning unit determines the position of the lawnmower robot and the position of the magnetic strips, etc. The control unit determines the lawnmower robot's walking path, stores and analyzes the images captured by the image acquisition unit, and processes them to generate control commands for the lawnmower robot.

[0031] The lawnmower robot also includes a working mechanism (e.g., a cutting blade), a power supply, and various sensors for sensing the robot's movement, such as tilt, lift-off, and collision sensors, as well as geomagnetic sensors and gyroscopes. Additionally, the lawnmower robot includes a magnetic signal detection unit for detecting magnetic strips around it.

[0032] Typically, when mowing robots handle multiple separate lawns, manual operation is required to move the robot from the current lawn to the next. To reduce manual intervention, a feasible solution is to use electronic boundary wiring combined with Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM) and / or Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technologies to enable mowing across separate lawns. However, this solution requires setting up electronic boundary lines, increasing costs and hindering widespread adoption; furthermore, VSLAM and RTK technologies have high processor requirements, potentially requiring more powerful processors, which would also increase costs.

[0033] The inventors discovered that with the development of visual recognition technology, it is gradually being applied to multiple fields. They applied visual recognition technology to mowing operations on multiple separate lawns, using it to determine the type of magnetic strips and then determining the mowing robot's path based on those strips, enabling the robot to automatically traverse the lawn for mowing. Please refer to the following descriptions of several embodiments in this application for details.

[0034] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a walking control method for a lawn mowing robot, which is applicable to lawn mowing operations of the lawn mowing robot, and is particularly applicable to lawn mowing operations of multiple lawns.

[0035] Figure 1a This is a schematic diagram of two separate lawns according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1a As shown, lawn A and lawn B are both areas that need to be mowed (i.e., work areas). Lawn A and lawn B are separated from each other. At this time, a guide magnetic strip 10 is set between lawn A and lawn B.

[0036] Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram of two adjacent lawns according to an embodiment of this application. Lawn C and lawn D are adjacent, lawn C is the area that needs to be mowed (i.e., the working area), and lawn D is the area that does not need to be mowed (i.e., the non-working area). A boundary magnetic strip 20 is provided between lawn C and lawn D.

[0037] It should be noted that the boundary magnetic strip is placed between two adjacent areas, while the guide magnetic strip is placed between two separate work areas. Specifically, when two areas are adjacent, and only one area needs mowing (e.g., your lawn and your neighbor's lawn are connected, and you only need to mow your own lawn), the camera cannot distinguish the boundary between the two lawns. In this case, the boundary magnetic strip can be placed between the two lawns. This allows the lawnmower robot to mow only its own lawn (work area) and not its neighbor's lawn (non-work area). Conversely, when two work areas are separate, and both need to be mowed, the guide magnetic strip can be placed between them. When the lawnmower robot senses the magnetic strip in the first work area, it can follow the strip to the second work area to mow if certain conditions are met. Please refer to [link / reference needed] for details. Figure 1c The description in the text.

[0038] Figure 1c This is a flowchart illustrating a lawnmower robot walking control method according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1c As shown, the method includes the following steps.

[0039] Step S110: Control the lawnmower robot to move in the first working area to perform lawnmowing operations.

[0040] In this embodiment, a lawnmower robot is controlled to walk within a first working area (e.g., lawn A) and perform lawn mowing operations. For example, the lawnmower robot can be controlled to walk while performing lawn mowing operations. Another example is that the lawnmower robot can be controlled to walk to a specific location within the first working area and then perform lawn mowing operations; this application does not impose any limitations. The lawnmower robot can perform lawn mowing operations randomly or according to a specific walking route; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0041] Step S120: When the lawnmower detects a magnetic strip during its movement, the type of magnetic strip is determined.

[0042] In this embodiment, the magnetic strip is a permanent magnet that can cause changes in the magnetic field of the surrounding environment without an external power source, generating a magnetic field signal that can be detected by a magnetic signal detection unit installed on the lawnmower robot. When the magnetic signal detection unit detects the magnetic field signal, it can determine that there is a magnetic strip around the lawnmower robot. Detecting magnetic strips using a magnetic signal detection unit is simple, convenient, and highly accurate.

[0043] Optionally, the image acquisition unit can control the lawnmower robot to walk along the boundary of the first working area, and a magnetic signal detection unit can detect whether a magnetic strip is sensed during the walking process. For example, during the lawnmower robot's movement, the image acquisition unit (e.g., a camera) installed on the lawnmower robot captures the scene within its field of view in the direction of travel. In this embodiment, the captured scene includes: lawn, non-lawn (e.g., land outside the lawn, trees, buildings, etc.), magnetic strips, etc. Generally, lawn and non-lawn are separated by the boundary of the working area. In this embodiment, the image acquisition unit captures the scene in the direction of travel in real time or at fixed intervals (e.g., 5s, 10s) to identify the boundary of the working area.

[0044] When a magnetic stripe is detected (e.g., the scene being filmed contains a magnetic stripe, or the magnetic signal detection unit detects a magnetic field signal), the type of the magnetic stripe is determined. Specifically, this includes: determining whether the memory stores magnetic stripe type information; if the memory does not store magnetic stripe type information, controlling the lawnmower robot to walk along the magnetic stripe to determine the magnetic stripe type information and storing it in the memory; if the memory stores magnetic stripe type information, determining the type of the magnetic stripe based on that information. Please refer to this application for details on determining the type of magnetic stripe. Figure 3 The specific descriptions in the text are not repeated here. In the embodiments of this application, the types of magnetic strips include boundary magnetic strips and guide magnetic strips. Depending on the type of magnetic strip, the lawnmower robot is controlled to perform corresponding walking actions. For example, the lawnmower robot is controlled to continue mowing within a first working area, or the lawnmower robot is controlled to move to a second working area to perform mowing.

[0045] Step S130: When the type of magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip and it is necessary to work in the second working area, control the lawn mowing robot to walk along the guide magnetic strip to enter the second working area.

[0046] Optionally, the need to move to a second work area is determined based on the lawnmower robot's completion rate in the first work area. For example, a lawn grid map of the first work area is created. Before mowing, all lawn grid values ​​are marked with a first value (e.g., 0). During mowing, the values ​​of traversed lawn grids (e.g., those that have been mowed) are marked with a second value (e.g., 1). The lawnmower robot's completion rate is determined based on these values. When the completion rate in the first work area is greater than or equal to a first threshold, it is determined that mowing has been completed in the first work area, and the robot needs to move to the second work area. When the completion rate in the first work area is less than the first threshold, it is determined that mowing has not been completed in the first work area, and the robot needs to continue mowing in the first work area. In this embodiment, the first threshold can be determined according to actual conditions; for example, the first threshold is 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95%.

[0047] Optionally, the need to move to a second work area is determined based on the duration of the lawnmower robot's work in the first work area. Specifically, the target duration for each work area is determined based on the area of ​​the first and second work areas. For example, the area of ​​the first work area is 120m². 2 The area of ​​the second work area is 60m² 2 The target duration for the first working area is 4 hours, and the target duration for the second working area is 2 hours. If the lawnmower robot's working time in the first working area is not less than the target duration, it is determined that it needs to work in the second working area; if the lawnmower robot's working time in the first working area is less than the target duration, it is determined that it does not need to work in the second working area, but continues to work in the first working area. In this embodiment, the area of ​​the first working area and / or the area of ​​the second working area can be determined by the lawnmower robot. For example, the area of ​​the first working area is determined by controlling the lawnmower robot to walk through the first working area once, and the area of ​​the second working area is determined by controlling the lawnmower robot to walk through the second working area once. It is understood that other methods can also be used to determine the area of ​​the first working area and the area of ​​the second working area, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations. The target duration can be set by the user. This only describes one method for determining the target duration of the lawnmower robot in the first or second working area. Those skilled in the art can also use other methods to determine the target duration of each working area, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations.

[0048] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 1aAs shown, the first working area (lawn A) and the second working area (lawn B) are separated from each other. A guide magnetic strip 10 connects the first working area (lawn A) and the second working area (lawn B), and both ends of the guide magnetic strip 10 extend to the first working area (lawn A) and the second working area (lawn B), respectively. When it is determined that the type of magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip and it is necessary to work in the second working area, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the guide magnetic strip to enter the second working area.

[0049] Optionally, when the magnetic strip is a boundary magnetic strip, or a guide magnetic strip and there is no need to work in the second working area, the lawnmower robot is controlled to continue walking within the first working area. In this case, the lawnmower robot does not need to walk along the boundary magnetic strip, but continues to walk along the predetermined walking route to perform the mowing operation.

[0050] In this embodiment, since the magnetic strip can generate a magnetic signal without a power source, it can be arranged as needed, the arrangement method is simple and easy to operate, and the cost is low. A guiding magnetic strip (such as...) is set between two separate working areas. Figure 1a As shown), when the lawnmower detects a magnetic strip while moving through the first working area, it can be guided to automatically cross from the first working area to the second working area along the magnetic strip. Furthermore, boundary magnetic strips (such as...) can also be set. Figure 1b As shown, a boundary magnetic strip divides the working area and non-working area (i.e., neighboring lawn or non-lawn) into zones, and classifies the magnetic strip type. When the magnetic strip is a guide strip and the lawnmower needs to move to the second working area, it moves along the guide strip to perform the mowing operation. When the magnetic strip is a boundary strip, or when the lawnmower does not need to move to the second working area, it continues to perform the mowing operation in the first working area. In this way, the guide magnetic strip enables the mowing of multiple lawns. This embodiment of the application can determine whether to move to another working area for mowing, and when to move to another working area for mowing, based on the type of magnetic strip and the actual mowing needs.

[0051] Figure 2 This is another embodiment of the lawnmower robot walking control method provided in this application. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes the following steps.

[0052] Step S210: Control the lawnmower robot to move in the first working area to perform lawnmowing operations.

[0053] Step S220: When the lawnmower detects a magnetic strip during its movement, the type of magnetic strip is determined. The types of magnetic strips include guide magnetic strips and boundary magnetic strips.

[0054] For details of steps S210 and S220, please refer to steps S110 and S120, which will not be repeated here.

[0055] Step S230: Determine whether the type of magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip.

[0056] Please refer to this application for information on determining the type of magnetic stripe. Figure 3 The specific descriptions are not repeated here. If the magnetic strip is not a guide strip but a boundary strip, step S260 is executed, in which the mowing robot is controlled to continue moving within the first working area. If the magnetic strip is a guide strip, step S240 is executed. In step S240, it is determined whether it is necessary to work in the second working area. Optionally, the determination of whether it is necessary to work in the second working area is based on the working time or job completion rate of the mowing robot in the first working area. If it is determined that it is necessary to work in the second working area, step S250 is executed. In step S250, the mowing robot is controlled to walk along the guide strip to enter the second working area. If it is determined that it is not necessary to work in the second working area, step S260 is executed, that is, the mowing robot is controlled to continue moving within the first working area.

[0057] Optionally, step S240 can be performed before step S220. Specifically, during its movement in the first working area, the lawnmower robot periodically determines whether the conditions for moving to the second working area are met. For example, it periodically determines the working time or completion rate of the lawnmower robot in the first working area. When the working time of the lawnmower robot in the first working area meets the target time, or the completion rate of the lawnmower robot in the first working area is greater than or equal to a first threshold, it is determined that it needs to move to the second working area. At this time, the lawnmower robot is controlled to continue moving within the first working area. When the lawnmower robot detects a magnetic strip during its movement, the type of the magnetic strip is determined. If the type of the magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the guide magnetic strip to enter the second working area.

[0058] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining the type of magnetic stripe according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 As shown, the method includes the following steps.

[0059] Step S310: Determine whether the memory stores magnetic stripe type information. Magnetic stripe type information is used to indicate the type of magnetic stripe.

[0060] In this embodiment of the application, the memory stores feature information of multiple magnetic strips and corresponding type information of the magnetic strips. When determining whether the memory stores type information of a magnetic strip, firstly, the feature information of the magnetic strip is matched with the feature information of all magnetic strips stored in the memory. If it can be successfully matched with the feature information of any magnetic strip, it is determined that the memory stores the type information of the magnetic strip, the type information of the magnetic strip is obtained, and step S330 is executed; when the memory does not store the magnetic strip, step S320 is executed.

[0061] Optionally, the feature information of the magnetic strip includes one or more feature points of the magnetic strip. These feature points include feature points of the magnetic strip itself and feature points of the surrounding environment. Optionally, the presence of the magnetic strip in the memory is determined based on its feature points. Specifically, upon detection of the magnetic strip, a first image containing the magnetic strip is captured using a camera. The first image contains partial information about the magnetic strip and information about the surrounding environment. Optionally, multiple first images can be captured, each containing partial information about the magnetic strip and information about the surrounding environment. In this embodiment, feature extraction is performed on the first image to determine one or more target feature points; these target feature points are then matched with one or more feature points of each magnetic strip stored in the memory; if a match is successful, it is determined that the memory stores the type information of the magnetic strip; if a match is unsuccessful, it is determined that the memory does not store the type information of the magnetic strip. Optionally, in this embodiment, the ORB (oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF) algorithm is used for feature point extraction and matching. It is understood that other feature point extraction / matching algorithms may also be used in the embodiments of this application, and no limitation is imposed here. In the embodiments of this application, "successful matching" means that more than 30% of the target feature points in the first image can be matched with the feature points of the magnetic strips stored in the memory. Optionally, when multiple first images are included, the magnetic strips in each first image can be matched with the magnetic strips stored in the memory, or any first image can be selected and the magnetic strips in that image can be matched with the magnetic strips stored in the memory. This application does not impose any limitation.

[0062] Optionally, the location information of the magnetic strip is used to determine whether the memory stores the magnetic strip and its type information. In this embodiment, the characteristic information of the magnetic strip includes its location information. The location information of the magnetic strip is determined by a positioning device on the lawnmower robot. Specifically, the location information of the magnetic strip is determined; the location information of the magnetic strip is compared with the location information of each magnetic strip stored in the memory; if the location information of the magnetic strip is the same as the location information of any magnetic strip, it is determined that the memory stores the type information of the magnetic strip; if the location information of the magnetic strip is different from the location information of multiple magnetic strips, it is determined that the memory does not store the type information of the magnetic strip. In this embodiment, the location information of the magnetic strip may include one or more coordinates associated with the magnetic strip.

[0063] Step S320: When the type information of the magnetic strip is not stored in the memory, control the lawnmower robot to walk along the magnetic strip to determine the type information of the magnetic strip, and store the type information of the magnetic strip in the memory.

[0064] In this embodiment of the application, when the type information of the magnetic strip is not stored in the memory, it is necessary to walk along the magnetic strip, use a visual recognition method to determine the type information of the magnetic strip, and store the type information of the magnetic strip in the memory so that when the magnetic strip is encountered again in the future, the type information of the magnetic strip can be directly determined.

[0065] Specifically, the lawnmower robot is controlled to photograph the environment along the magnetic strip while moving forward to obtain environmental images. Optionally, during the movement along the magnetic strip, multiple environmental images are acquired using an image acquisition unit (camera) on the lawnmower robot. The camera is mounted on the central axis of the lawnmower robot, and the captured environmental images include the surrounding environment in front of the lawnmower robot and symmetrically along the forward direction. Since the camera has a large shooting range, when two separate lawns are close together, the camera can capture images of the opposite lawn and the current lawn. In this case, directly determining the type of magnetic strip based on whether the environmental image contains lawn might misidentify the guide magnetic strip as a boundary magnetic strip, leading to identification errors. Therefore, a portion of the environmental image can be delineated, covering a portion of the environmental area on both sides of the lawnmower robot's forward direction. For example, this area represents an environmental range extending a certain length along the forward direction of the lawnmower robot (wherein this length is less than the distance between the two separate lawns, for example, less than 0.5m), and extending a certain width on both sides perpendicular to the forward direction.

[0066] Specifically, a target region is defined in the environmental image. The target region is an area in the environmental image that at least partially covers the image's center line. The image's center line passes through the center of the environmental image and coincides with or is parallel to a first axis, which is a straight line in the environmental image representing the direction of travel of the lawnmower robot. Optionally, the target region covers a portion of the image's center line, for example, 30%, 40%, 50%, etc. Optionally, the target region is symmetrical about the image's center line. Figure 4b As shown, line t1 is the center line of the environmental image, and rectangle n1 is the target region. The target region n1 covers part of the image center line t1, for example, 30% of the image center line. Figure 4b In the image, the target region n1 is symmetrical about the image center line t1. For example... Figure 4d As shown, line t2 is the center line of the environmental image, and rectangle n2 is the target region. The target region n2 covers part of the image center line t2, for example, 30% of the image center line. Figure 4d In the image, the target region n2 is symmetrical about the image center line t2.

[0067] For example, such as Figure 4a As shown, for two separate lawns A and B, a guiding magnetic strip 10 is placed between lawns A and B. While walking along the magnetic strip, the lawnmower robot takes multiple environmental images and determines a target area from these images. The target area represents an environmental range extending a certain length along the robot's forward direction and extending a certain width on both sides perpendicular to the forward direction. Figure 4a As shown, when the lawnmower is at the first position P1, it takes the first environmental image and determines the target area M1 in the first environmental image; when the lawnmower is at the second position P2, it takes the second environmental image and determines the target area M2 in the second environmental image; when the lawnmower is at the third position P3, it takes the third environmental image and determines the target area M3 in the third environmental image. The target area M2 does not include the lawn. Figure 4b A schematic diagram of the environmental image corresponding to the guide magnetic strip is shown. For example... Figure 4b As shown, the target region n1 is symmetrical about the image center line t1, and the target region does not include grass. That is, when the magnetic strip is a guide strip, the target region in at least one environmental image does not include grass. It can be understood that this explanation only uses the capture of three environmental images as an example; environmental images can be captured continuously as the lawnmower moves along the shape of the magnetic strip.

[0068] like Figure 4cAs shown, for two adjacent lawns C and D, a boundary magnetic strip 20 is set between lawns C and D. While walking along the magnetic strip, the lawnmower robot takes multiple environmental images and determines a target area from these images. The target area represents an environmental range extending a certain length along the robot's forward direction and extending a certain width on both sides perpendicular to the forward direction. Figure 4c As shown, when the lawnmower is at position P1, it takes the first environmental image, and the target area M1 is determined in the first environmental image. When the lawnmower is at position P2, it takes the second environmental image, and the target area M2 is determined in the second environmental image. When the lawnmower is at position P3, it takes the third environmental image, and the target area M3 is determined in the third environmental image. It can be understood that this explanation only uses taking three environmental images as an example; as the lawnmower moves along the shape of the magnetic strip, it can continuously take environmental images. It can be seen that when the magnetic strip is a boundary strip, the target area in each environmental image includes the lawn. Figure 4d A schematic diagram of the environmental image corresponding to the boundary magnetic stripe is shown. Figure 4d As shown, the target region n2 is symmetrical about the image center line t2, and the target region contains grass. Furthermore, it can be seen that since the area to the left of the image center line t2 is all grass, the target region will always contain grass, regardless of where the surrounding image is located or where the target region is selected. Therefore, the type of magnetic stripe can be determined based on whether the target region contains grass.

[0069] Specifically, it determines whether the target area in the environmental image contains grass. If, during the lawnmower's movement along the magnetic strip, at least one environmental image acquired does not contain grass as the target area, the magnetic strip is classified as a guide magnetic strip. Otherwise, it is classified as a boundary magnetic strip.

[0070] In this embodiment, after determining the type of magnetic strip, the type of magnetic strip is stored in the memory. Optionally, to facilitate identification of the magnetic strip upon encountering it again, feature information of the magnetic strip is determined based on an environmental image during the movement along the magnetic strip. Specifically, feature extraction is performed on the environmental image to determine one or more feature points of the magnetic strip. For example, the ORB algorithm is used to determine one or more feature points of the magnetic strip, and these feature points are stored in the memory. Optionally, the feature information of the magnetic strip includes its position information. The lawnmower robot is controlled to move along the magnetic strip and determine its position information (i.e., determine one or more coordinates associated with the magnetic strip), and the position information of the magnetic strip is stored in the memory as its feature information.

[0071] Step S330: When the type information of the magnetic strip is stored in the memory, the type of the magnetic strip is determined based on the type information of the magnetic strip.

[0072] In this embodiment, when the type information of the magnetic strip is stored in the memory, the type of the magnetic strip is directly determined based on this type information. When the feature information of the magnetic strip is not stored in the memory, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the magnetic strip to determine the type information and / or feature information of the magnetic strip, and then the type information and / or feature information of the magnetic strip are stored in the memory. Thus, when the same magnetic strip is encountered again, the type information of the magnetic strip can be directly determined without having to walk along the magnetic strip again, improving the lawnmower robot's mowing efficiency. Furthermore, in this embodiment, visual recognition technology is used to determine the feature information of the magnetic strip, resulting in high accuracy.

[0073] In some embodiments, it is not necessary to determine the type of magnetic strip; instead, when conditions are met, the magnetic strip is directly controlled to move along the magnetic strip to enter the second working area. Please refer to the description in the following embodiments for details.

[0074] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a walking control method for a lawn mowing robot, which is applicable to lawn mowing operations of the lawn mowing robot, and is especially applicable to lawn mowing operations of multiple lawns.

[0075] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the walking control method for a lawnmower robot according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 As shown, the method includes the following steps.

[0076] Step S510: Control the lawnmower robot to move in the first working area to perform lawnmowing operations.

[0077] In this embodiment, the lawnmower robot is controlled to move within a first working area and perform lawnmowing. Further description of step S510 is provided in step S110 of Figure 1 of this application, and will not be repeated here.

[0078] Step S520: When it is necessary to work in the second work area, control the lawnmower robot to walk to the boundary of the first work area.

[0079] In this embodiment, the first working area and the second working area are separated from each other. Optionally, the need to move to the second working area is determined based on the working time or job completion rate of the lawnmower robot in the first working area. Specifically, when the job completion rate in the first working area is greater than or equal to a first threshold, it is determined that the lawnmower job has been completed in the first working area, and the robot needs to move to the second working area. When the job completion rate in the first working area is less than the first threshold, it is determined that the lawnmower job has not been completed in the first working area, and the robot needs to continue mowing in the first working area. Alternatively, when the working time in the first working area reaches (is greater than or equal to) the target time, it is determined that the robot needs to move to the second working area; when the working time in the first working area does not reach (is less than) the target time, it is determined that the robot does not need to move to the second working area, and the robot continues mowing in the first working area. For a more detailed description of determining whether the robot needs to move to the second working area, please refer to step S130 in Figure 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0080] When it is necessary to move to the second working area, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk to the boundary of the first working area. In this embodiment, the boundary of the first working area is determined by a visual recognition method. Alternatively, an electronic boundary line is set, and the boundary of the first working area is determined based on the electronic boundary line.

[0081] Step S530: Control the lawnmower robot to walk along the boundary of the first working area until the magnetic strip is detected.

[0082] In this embodiment, a magnetic strip connects a first working area and a second working area, with both ends extending into the first and second working areas respectively. Optionally, the extension of the magnetic strip within the first working area is arranged along the boundary of the first working area, so that the lawnmower robot can detect the magnetic strip while moving along the boundary of the first working area. In this embodiment, the magnetic strip can be identified by a camera on the lawnmower robot, or by a magnetic signal detection unit installed on the lawnmower robot; this application does not impose any limitations.

[0083] Figures 6a-6c Schematic diagrams of several magnetic strip arrangement methods are shown. Figures 6a-6c In this configuration, the extension of the magnetic strip within the first working area A is arranged along the boundary of the first working area A, and the extension of the magnetic strip within the second working area B is arranged along the boundary of the second working area B. Figure 6a In the middle, the magnetic strip is C-shaped; in Figure 6b In the middle, the magnetic strip is "L" shaped; in Figure 6c In the diagram, the magnetic strip is a straight line segment.

[0084] In step S540, control the lawnmower robot to walk along the magnetic strip to enter the second working area.

[0085] In this embodiment, two separate lawns (e.g., a first working area and a second working area) are connected by magnetic strips. Since the magnetic strips generate magnetic signals without a power source, they can be deployed as needed, the deployment method is simple and easy to operate, and the cost is low. When it is necessary to perform lawn mowing operations in the second working area, the lawn mowing robot is controlled to walk to the boundary of the first working area, and when the magnetic strip is detected, it moves along the magnetic strip to the second working area to perform lawn mowing operations, thus realizing automatic lawn mowing operations across lawns.

[0086] Optionally, after detecting the magnetic strip at the boundary, it can be determined whether to proceed to the second working area. Specifically, if the lawnmower robot detects a magnetic strip at the boundary of the first working area while moving within it, it is determined whether to proceed to the second working area. If it is necessary to proceed to the second working area, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the magnetic strip to enter the second working area. If it is not necessary to proceed to the second working area, the lawnmower robot is controlled to cross the magnetic strip and continue moving within the first working area.

[0087] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a walking control device for a lawnmower robot.

[0088] Figure 7 This is a structural block diagram of a walking control device for a lawnmower robot provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application. Figure 7 As shown, the walking control device 700 of the lawnmower robot includes a control module 710 and a determination module 720.

[0089] The control module 710 is used to control the lawnmower robot to move within the first working area to perform lawnmowing operations.

[0090] The control module 710 is also used to control the lawnmower robot to walk along the guide magnetic strip to enter the second working area when the magnetic strip is of the type of guide magnetic strip and it needs to go to the second working area for operation.

[0091] The control module 710 is also used to control the lawnmower robot to continue moving within the first working area when the type of magnetic strip is a boundary magnetic strip, or the type of magnetic strip is a guide magnetic strip and it is not necessary to go to the second working area to perform operations.

[0092] Optionally, the control module 710 is also used to control the mowing robot to walk in the first working area to perform mowing operations; when it is necessary to go to the second working area to perform operations, control the mowing robot to walk to the boundary of the first working area; control the mowing robot to walk along the boundary of the first working area until the magnetic strip is detected; and control the mowing robot to walk along the magnetic strip to enter the second working area.

[0093] The determination module 720 is used to determine the type of magnetic strip when the lawnmower detects a magnetic strip during its movement. The types of magnetic strips include boundary magnetic strips and guide magnetic strips.

[0094] Optionally, the determining module 720 is further configured to: determine whether the memory stores the type information of the magnetic strip; when the memory does not store the type information of the magnetic strip, control the lawnmower robot to walk along the magnetic strip to determine the type information of the magnetic strip and store the type information of the magnetic strip in the memory; when the memory stores the type information of the magnetic strip, determine the type of the magnetic strip based on the type information of the magnetic strip.

[0095] Optionally, the determining module 720 is also used to determine whether it is necessary to go to the second work area for work based on the working time or job completion rate of the lawnmower robot in the first work area.

[0096] The working principle and benefits of the lawnmower walking control device provided in this application embodiment are similar to those of the lawnmower walking control method provided in this application embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0097] Below, for reference Figure 8 This describes an electronic device according to embodiments of the present application. Figure 8 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of an electronic device provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0098] like Figure 8 As shown, the electronic device 800 includes one or more processors 801 and memory 802.

[0099] The processor 801 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or other form of processing unit with data processing capabilities and / or instruction execution capabilities, and may control other components in the electronic device 800 to perform desired functions.

[0100] The memory 802 may include one or more computer program products, which may include various forms of computer-readable storage media, such as volatile memory and / or non-volatile memory. The volatile memory may include, for example, random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The non-volatile memory may include, for example, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. One or more computer program instructions may be stored on the computer-readable storage medium, and the processor 801 may execute the program instructions to implement the walking control methods of the lawnmower robot described in the various embodiments of this application above, and / or other desired functions. Various contents, such as magnetic stripe type information, may also be stored in the computer-readable storage medium.

[0101] In one example, the electronic device 800 may also include an input device 803 and an output device 804, which are interconnected via a bus system and / or other forms of connection mechanism (not shown).

[0102] The input device 803 may include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.

[0103] The output device 804 can output various information to the outside, including information about the type of magnetic stripe. The output device 804 may include, for example, a display, a speaker, a printer, and a communication network and its connected remote output devices.

[0104] Of course, for the sake of simplicity, Figure 8 Only some of the components of the electronic device 800 relevant to this application are shown in this illustration; components such as buses and input / output interfaces are omitted. In addition, the electronic device 800 may include any other suitable components depending on the specific application.

[0105] In addition to the methods and devices described above, embodiments of this application may also be computer program products, which include computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the walking control methods for lawnmower robots according to various embodiments of this application described above.

[0106] The computer program product can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​to perform the operations of the embodiments of this application. The programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, as well as conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0107] Furthermore, embodiments of this application may also be computer-readable storage media storing computer program instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the walking control method for a lawnmower robot according to various embodiments of this application described above.

[0108] The computer-readable storage medium may be any combination of one or more readable media. A readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. A readable storage medium may, for example, include, but is not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatuses, or devices, or any combination thereof. More specific examples of readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: electrical connections having one or more wires, portable 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 thereof.

[0109] The basic principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this application are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the application to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0110] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems involved in this application are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the terms “and / or” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0111] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, equipment, and methods of this application, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions of this application.

[0112] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0113] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A walking control method for a lawnmower robot, characterized in that, include: Control the lawnmower robot to move in the first work area to perform lawnmowing operations; When the lawnmower detects a magnetic strip during its movement, it determines the type of the magnetic strip, which includes boundary magnetic strips and guide magnetic strips. When the magnetic strip is of the type of guide magnetic strip and needs to work in the second working area, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the guide magnetic strip to enter the second working area, wherein the second working area and the first working area are separated from each other, the guide magnetic strip connects the first working area and the second working area, and the two ends of the guide magnetic strip extend into the first working area and the second working area respectively.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: When the type of the magnetic strip is the boundary magnetic strip, or the type of the magnetic strip is the guide magnetic strip and there is no need to work in the second working area, the lawn mowing robot is controlled to continue walking in the first working area.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the lawnmower detects a magnetic strip during its movement, determining the type of the magnetic strip includes: Determine whether the memory stores the type information of the magnetic stripe, the type information of the magnetic stripe being used to indicate the type of the magnetic stripe; When the memory does not store the type information of the magnetic strip, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the magnetic strip to determine the type information of the magnetic strip, and then the type information of the magnetic strip is stored in the memory; When the memory stores the type information of the magnetic strip, the type of the magnetic strip is determined based on the type information of the magnetic strip.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The control of the lawnmower robot to walk along the magnetic strip to determine the type information of the magnetic strip includes: The lawnmower robot is controlled to photograph the environment in its forward direction while walking along the magnetic strip, in order to obtain environmental images; Determine whether the target area in the environmental image contains a lawn. The target area is an area in the environmental image that at least partially covers the center line of the image. The center line of the image passes through the center of the environmental image and coincides with or is parallel to a first axis. The first axis is a straight line in the environmental image that represents the forward direction of the lawn mowing robot. When the lawnmower robot is walking along the magnetic strip, if at least one of the environmental images acquired does not contain a lawn in the target area, the type information of the magnetic strip is determined to be a guide magnetic strip; otherwise, the type information of the magnetic strip is determined to be a boundary magnetic strip.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The target region is symmetrical about the center line of the image.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Whether it is necessary to go to the second work area to perform work is determined based on the working time or job completion rate of the lawn mowing robot in the first work area. The determination of whether the lawnmower needs to operate in the second work area based on the working time of the lawnmower robot in the first work area includes: If the working time of the lawnmower robot in the first working area is not less than the target time, then it is determined that it needs to work in the second working area. If the lawnmower robot's working time in the first working area is less than the target time, it is determined that it does not need to work in the second working area.

7. A walking control method for a lawnmower robot, characterized in that, include: The lawnmower robot is controlled to move within the first working area to perform lawnmowing operations; When it is necessary to work in the second work area, the lawnmower robot is controlled to walk to the boundary of the first work area, wherein the second work area and the first work area are separated from each other; The lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the boundary of the first working area until a magnetic strip is detected, wherein the magnetic strip connects the first working area and the second working area, and both ends of the magnetic strip extend into the first working area and the second working area, respectively; The lawnmower robot is controlled to walk along the magnetic strip to enter the second working area.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The extension of the magnetic strip within the first working area is arranged along the boundary of the first working area so that the mowing robot can detect the magnetic strip while walking along the boundary of the first working area.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: Whether it is necessary to move to the second work area is determined based on the working time or job completion rate of the lawnmower robot in the first work area.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: A processor and a memory; wherein the memory is connected to the processor and is used to store computer programs; The processor is used to implement the walking control method of the lawnmower robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 by running the computer program stored in the memory.

Images