Robot and charging method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses a robot and a charging method thereof, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining the positions of at least two positioning holes through at least one distance detector when the robot detects that the distance between the robot and a charging seat is smaller than a preset distance threshold value through at least one distance detector; the driving part is controlled to drive the robot to move towards the at least two positioning holes; when one distance detector detects at least two positioning holes, the robot is controlled to be aligned with the at least two positioning holes; and under the condition that the robot is aligned with the at least two positioning holes, the driving part is controlled to drive the robot to move towards the charging seat until the first charging interface is connected with the second charging interface. The at least two positioning holes are formed in the charging base, so that the robot can be aligned with the charging base by completing alignment with the at least two positioning holes, it is not needed to repeatedly obtain overall contour data of the charging base in the alignment process, and calculation consumption is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some embodiments of this application relate to robotics, including but not limited to a robot and a charging method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology, various smart home products are emerging, and users' quality of life is constantly improving. Some intelligent robots with autonomous driving capabilities have also come into being, such as robotic vacuum cleaners. The emergence of intelligent robots has greatly freed users' hands and improved their quality of life. The autonomous recharging function of intelligent robots has also followed suit. However, during the autonomous recharging process, the accuracy of the robot's identification of the charging dock greatly affects the smoothness of the charging process. Furthermore, directly identifying the entire outline of the charging dock significantly increases the computational burden on the intelligent robot. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the robot and charging method provided in some embodiments of this application can improve the accuracy of recognizing the charging dock and reduce computational consumption.

[0004] In a first aspect, some embodiments of this application provide a robot that is charged by connecting to a charging dock, the charging dock being provided with at least two positioning holes and a second charging interface, the robot comprising:

[0005] A drive unit is configured to adjust the robot's pose, which includes position and rotation angle;

[0006] At least one distance detector is configured to scan the environment in which the robot is located to obtain collected data around the robot, the collected data being used to indicate the distance between the robot and objects in the environment;

[0007] The charging unit includes a first charging interface, which is configured to connect to a second charging interface of the charging base and charge the robot through the charging current output by the charging base.

[0008] A controller, electrically connected to the drive unit, the at least one distance detector, and the charging unit, is configured to: acquire data collected from the charging dock; determine, based on the data collected from the charging dock, whether the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold; when the distance between the robot and the charging dock is determined to be less than the preset distance threshold, and the data collected detects that the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than the preset distance threshold, obtain the positions of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector, and control the drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes; when any one distance detector detects the at least two positioning holes, control the robot to align with the charging dock; when the robot is aligned with the charging dock, control the drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the charging dock until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected; when the distance between the robot and the charging dock is determined to be greater than or equal to the preset distance threshold, the step of obtaining the positions of the at least two positioning holes is not executed.

[0009] In the aforementioned robot, when the robot detects that the distance between itself and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold using at least one distance detector, it obtains the positions of at least two positioning holes using at least one distance detector and controls the drive unit to move the robot toward the at least two positioning holes. When one of the distance detectors detects at least two positioning holes, it controls the robot to align itself with the at least two positioning holes. When the robot is aligned with the at least two positioning holes, it controls the drive unit to move the robot toward the charging dock until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected. In this application, by providing at least two positioning holes on the charging dock, the robot can achieve alignment with the charging dock by completing the alignment with at least two positioning holes. This eliminates the need to repeatedly acquire the overall contour data of the charging dock during the alignment process to calculate the relative position between the robot and the charging dock, thus reducing computational overhead.

[0010] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one distance detector is at least two, and the controller is configured to control the robot to align with the charging dock when any one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, including:

[0011] When any one of the distance detectors detects at least two positioning holes, the robot's pose is adjusted by the drive unit until each of the distance detectors detects at least one positioning hole, thereby aligning the robot with the charging dock.

[0012] Understandably, by setting up the drive unit to adjust the robot's pose until each distance detector can detect at least one positioning hole, the alignment process between the robot and at least two positioning holes is simplified, thereby improving the alignment efficiency between the robot and at least two positioning holes.

[0013] In some embodiments, the pose includes position and rotation angle, and the controller is configured to adjust the robot's pose via the drive unit until each of the distance detectors detects at least one positioning hole, including:

[0014] When any one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, the drive unit controls the robot to remain within the target area, adjusting the robot's position and rotation angle until each of the distance detectors detects data in the currently collected data that meets a preset condition. The target area includes a set of positions whose distance from the target position is less than a preset threshold. The target position includes the position of the robot when one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes. The preset condition includes the distance difference between two adjacent data points being within a first threshold range.

[0015] It is understandable that when the robot detects at least two positioning holes through one of the distance detectors, it can be considered that the robot is very close to at least two positioning holes. At this point, by adjusting the robot's pose until each distance detector detects at least one positioning hole, it can be determined that the robot is aligned with at least two positioning holes.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first threshold range is determined based on parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or hole diameter;

[0017] When the first threshold range is determined based on the depth of the at least two positioning holes, the first threshold range includes a range less than or equal to the first threshold, which is determined based on the depth of the positioning holes and the detection error values ​​corresponding to the at least two distance detectors.

[0018] Understandably, by setting a first threshold range that includes ranges less than or equal to the first threshold, the robot's judgment criteria for positioning holes are limited to a numerical range related to the depth of the positioning holes, thereby reducing false detections of positioning holes.

[0019] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to, when the distance between the robot and the charging dock is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold through the collected data, obtain the positions of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector, including:

[0020] If the distance between the robot and the charging dock is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold by the collected data, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle so as to obtain the position of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector.

[0021] Understandably, by controlling the robot to remain in its current position when the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold, sufficient time can be provided for the robot to detect the positioning holes, ensuring that the robot can obtain the positions of at least two positioning holes and avoiding missed detections.

[0022] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the drive unit to move the robot toward the at least two positioning holes, including:

[0023] Based on the positions of the at least two positioning holes, obtain the target position between the at least two positioning holes;

[0024] Based on the target location, determine the target movement direction of the robot;

[0025] The drive unit is controlled to move along the target moving direction.

[0026] Understandably, by setting the robot to move along a target movement direction with the target position between the at least two positioning holes as the endpoint when the robot detects the position of at least two positioning holes, the adjustment range of the robot's pose can be reduced when the robot is aligned with the at least two positioning holes.

[0027] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one distance detector is at least two, and the controller is configured to obtain the positions of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector, including:

[0028] When a target positioning hole is detected by the target distance detector, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle until the target distance detector obtains the position of the other positioning holes among the at least two positioning holes;

[0029] Alternatively, when a target positioning hole is detected by the target distance detector, the drive unit controls the robot to remain in the current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle until the other distance detector among the at least two distance detectors obtains the position of the other positioning hole;

[0030] The target distance detector is any one of the at least two distance detectors, and the target positioning hole is any one of the at least two positioning holes.

[0031] It is understandable that when the robot detects one of the positioning holes through one of the distance detectors, it can detect the position of all positioning holes through one distance detector, or it can detect the position of at least two positioning holes through multiple distance detectors from at least two distance detectors respectively. This allows the robot to obtain the specific process of at least two positioning holes through at least two distance detectors.

[0032] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to detect one of the positioning holes via any one of the distance detectors, including:

[0033] If the controller detects, through any one of the distance detectors, that the distance difference between two adjacent data points in the collected data is within a second threshold range, it determines that one of the at least two positioning holes has been detected. The second threshold range is determined based on the parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or aperture.

[0034] Understandably, during the process of aligning the robot with at least two positioning holes, the distance between the robot and the positioning holes is already very close. Therefore, precise alignment between the robot and the positioning holes can be achieved again by detecting the position of the positioning holes.

[0035] In some embodiments, the charging dock includes a limiting structure, and the controller is configured to control the drive unit to drive the robot toward the charging dock until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected, including:

[0036] The drive unit is controlled to drive the robot toward the charging dock until the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, wherein the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected when the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure.

[0037] It is understandable that by setting a limiting structure at the charging base, the robot's movement can be restricted when it is charging with the charging base through the first and second charging interfaces, thus ensuring the stability of the charging process.

[0038] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to:

[0039] When the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, the playback device of the target device is controlled to play a preset audio to prompt the user that the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected. The target device includes the robot or the charging dock.

[0040] Understandably, by having the drive unit abut against the limiting structure, a preset audio can be played through the playback device to notify the user that the charging process between the robot and the charging base has started.

[0041] In some embodiments, the number of at least one distance detector is at least two, the first target position relationship is the same as the second target position relationship, the first target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two distance detectors and the first charging interface, and the second target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two positioning holes and the second charging interface.

[0042] It is understandable that by setting the positional relationship between the charging electrode of the charging interface and the distance detector, the positional relationship between the robot and the positioning hole detected by the distance detector can be used to characterize the positional relationship between the charging electrode and the positioning hole, so that the robot can achieve contact between the charging electrode and the second charging interface when it achieves alignment with the positioning hole through the distance detector.

[0043] Secondly, some embodiments of this application provide a robot-based charging method, including:

[0044] If at least two distance detectors on the robot detect that the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold, the robot obtains the positions of at least two positioning holes on the charging dock through the at least two distance detectors, and controls the robot's drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes.

[0045] When one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, the robot is controlled to align with the charging dock.

[0046] When the robot is aligned with the charging dock, the drive unit is controlled to move the robot toward the charging dock until the robot's first charging port and the charging dock's second charging port are connected.

[0047] Thirdly, some embodiments of this application provide a computer device including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program that can run on the processor, and the processor executes the program to implement the methods described in some embodiments of this application.

[0048] Fourthly, some embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the methods described in some embodiments of this application.

[0049] It should be understood that the second to fourth aspects of some embodiments of this application are consistent with the technical solutions of the first aspect of some embodiments of this application, and the beneficial effects achieved by each aspect and the corresponding feasible implementation are similar, and will not be described again. Attached Figure Description

[0050] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the specification, serve to explain the technical solutions of this application.

[0051] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario for charging a robot, as provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0052] Figure 2 This application provides schematic diagrams of the structure of a robot for some embodiments.

[0053] Figure 3A This is a schematic diagram showing the positions of the distance detector and the first charging interface provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0054] Figure 3B A schematic diagram showing the positions of the positioning hole and the second charging interface provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0055] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing the position between the distance detector and the positioning hole when the first charging interface and the second charging interface are docked, provided for some embodiments of this application;

[0056] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the focal region in the sensing range of a robot provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0057] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a charging dock provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0058] Figure 7 Comparative structural diagrams of the distance detector and positioning hole provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0059] Figure 8A One of the schematic diagrams illustrating a scenario of charging a robot according to some embodiments of this application;

[0060] Figure 8B A second schematic diagram illustrating a scenario of charging a robot, as provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0061] Figure 8CThe third schematic diagram illustrating a scenario of charging a robot according to some embodiments of this application;

[0062] Figure 8D Fourth schematic diagram of a scenario for charging a robot provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a robot-based charging method provided in some embodiments of this application;

[0064] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a robot-based charging device provided for some embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 11 The diagram shows the structure of a robot provided in some embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0066] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of some embodiments of this application clearer, the specific technical solutions of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of some embodiments of this application. The following embodiments are used to illustrate this application, but are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0067] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing some embodiments of this application only and is not intended to limit this application.

[0068] In the following description, references are made to “some embodiments,” which describe a subset of all possible embodiments. However, it is understood that “some embodiments” may be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments and may be combined with each other without conflict.

[0069] It should be noted that the terms "first, second, third" used in some embodiments of this application are used to distinguish similar or different objects and do not represent a specific order of objects. It is understood that "first, second, third" can be interchanged in a specific order or sequence where permitted, so that some embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0070] In the field of robotic vacuum cleaners, they are typically designed as regular cylinders. Correspondingly, the charging dock is designed as a three-dimensional chamber that can fully accommodate the vacuum cleaner. Because the charging dock's shape is relatively regular, it doesn't require many contour recognition conditions, allowing the vacuum cleaner to align with the dock by recognizing its overall outline. However, for larger intelligent robots, such as projection robots, a charging dock that can fully accommodate them would occupy a significant amount of space. Therefore, for these types of intelligent robots, engineers usually design smaller charging docks. Different brands of charging docks have different specifications and shapes. These types of intelligent robots can only align with the charging dock by recognizing its fixed outline shape. Furthermore, the process of recognizing the outline shape consumes considerable computing resources, which is detrimental to the robot's long battery life.

[0071] Another implementation in the related technology is to install a device for reflecting light on the charging base. The intelligent robot emits laser light and, after receiving the reflected light, calculates the relative position between the intelligent robot and the charging base based on the reception time and direction of the reflected light. Then, it adjusts itself to a position that can achieve charging alignment with the charging base. However, this places high demands on the mold design of the reflective markers on the charging base, which undoubtedly increases the cost.

[0072] In view of this, some embodiments of this application provide a robot that, when the robot detects through at least one distance detector that the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold, obtains the positions of at least two positioning holes through at least one distance detector, and controls a drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes; when one of the distance detectors detects at least two positioning holes, controls the robot to align with the at least two positioning holes; when the robot is aligned with the at least two positioning holes, controls the drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the charging dock until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected. In this application, by providing at least two positioning holes on the charging dock, the robot can achieve alignment with the charging dock by completing alignment with at least two positioning holes, while eliminating the need to repeatedly obtain the overall contour data of the charging dock during the alignment process to calculate the relative position between the robot and the charging dock, thus reducing computational costs.

[0073] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario for charging a robot, as provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1As shown, this scenario includes a robot 10 and a charging dock 20. When the robot 10's battery level is below a threshold, or it receives a charging command triggered by a user, or the robot 10 triggers a charging operation after completing a task, the robot 10 needs to travel to the location of the charging dock 20 to charge. However, in practical applications, the areas where the robot 10 and the charging dock 20 are located may not be the same. For example, the robot 10 may be in room A, while the charging dock 20 may be in room B. Therefore, the robot 10 is a considerable distance from the charging dock 20. In this case, the robot 10 needs to rely on its own internal security... The robot 10 moves to the vicinity of the charging dock 20 by storing a map of the charging dock 20's location or by detecting the charging dock 20 in real time. After reaching a preset position away from the charging dock 20, it rotates at a certain angle in place (or not in place) and acquires the surrounding point cloud data through the distance detector 102. Based on the point cloud data, it obtains the relative pose between the robot 10 and at least two positioning holes on the charging dock 20. Then, based on the relative pose between the robot 10 and at least two positioning holes on the charging dock 20, it drives the robot 10 to move towards at least two positioning holes until the robot 10 achieves alignment with the charging dock 20 by detecting at least two positioning holes.

[0074] Among them, such as Figure 2 As shown, the robot 10 includes at least a drive unit 104, a distance detector 102, a charging unit 103, and a controller 101. The controller 101 is connected to the drive unit 104, at least one distance detector 102, and the charging unit 103.

[0075] The drive unit 104 drives the robot 10 to move in order to adjust the pose of the robot 10.

[0076] At least one distance detector 102 scans the environment in which the robot 10 is located to obtain collected data around the robot 10. The collected data is used to indicate the distance between the robot 10 and objects in the environment.

[0077] The charging unit 103 includes a first charging interface, which, after being connected to the second charging interface of the charging base 20, charges the robot 10 through the charging current output by the charging base 20; wherein, the charging base 20 is provided with at least two positioning holes at the position corresponding to the second charging interface.

[0078] The controller 101 acquires the collected data from the charging base 20; based on the collected data from the charging base 20, it determines whether the distance between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than a preset distance threshold; when it is determined that the distance between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than the preset distance threshold, and the collected data detects that the distance between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than the preset distance threshold, it obtains the positions of at least two positioning holes through at least two distance detectors 102, and controls the drive unit 104 to drive the robot 10 to move toward the at least two positioning holes; when any distance detector 102 detects at least two positioning holes, it controls the robot 10 to align with the charging base 20; when the robot 10 and the charging base 20 are aligned, it controls the drive unit 104 to drive the robot 10 to move toward the charging base 20 until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected.

[0079] In some embodiments, the drive unit 104 may be a wheel or a track. The specific configuration can be made by those skilled in the art according to actual needs and appearance, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0080] In some embodiments, the distance detector 102 may be a device such as an ultrasonic sensor, lidar, or camera that can indicate the location of objects within a certain range of the robot 10. The specific configuration can be made by those skilled in the art based on the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0081] For example, if the distance detector 102 is an ultrasonic sensor, the ultrasonic sensor can emit ultrasonic signals. When an object is present within the sensing range of the ultrasonic waves, the object will reflect back the ultrasonic signals. After receiving the reflected ultrasonic signals, the robot 10 calculates the position of the object relative to the robot 10 based on the receiving time difference between two adjacent pulse signals. If the distance detector 102 is a lidar, the lidar scans the objects around the robot 10 to obtain point cloud data indicating the positions of the objects around the robot 10. The robot 10 can determine the point cloud set to which the object belongs based on the point cloud data and obtain the position of the object based on the point cloud set. If the distance detector 102 is a camera, the camera captures images of objects within a certain sensing area. The robot 10 can determine the image area belonging to the object based on the pixel values ​​of each pixel in the captured image, and then determine the position corresponding to the image area.

[0082] Compared to the three detection methods of distance detector 102—ultrasonic sensors, LiDAR, and cameras—LiDAR processes the largest amount of data, consuming the most computational resources when processing point cloud data, but it offers the highest computational accuracy. Ultrasonic sensors, limited by the propagation method of ultrasonic waves, are affected by soft materials, but their cost is lower than LiDAR. Cameras have the lowest cost, but their image quality is limited, significantly impacting the detection of distant objects. When selecting a specific distance detector 102, it is necessary to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of ultrasonic sensors and LiDAR based on the specific application scenario and requirements to achieve optimal performance and effectiveness.

[0083] Accordingly, if the distance detector 102 is an ultrasonic sensor, the above-mentioned collected data is a series of pulse signals corresponding to objects in the environment; if the distance detector 102 is a lidar, the above-mentioned collected data is point cloud data; if the distance detector 102 is a camera, the above-mentioned collected data is an image.

[0084] Understandably, when the robot 10 is aligned with the charging base 20, if an obstacle suddenly appears between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 during the process of the control drive unit 104 driving the robot 10 to move toward the charging base 20, then when the robot 10 is aligned with the charging base 20, the robot 10 can complete the connection of the first charging interface and the second charging interface by moving in a straight line toward the charging base 20; if an obstacle suddenly appears between the robot 10 and the charging base 20, then the robot 10 needs to bypass the obstacle and re-align the robot 10 with the charging base 20. The re-alignment process can be that the control drive unit moves a certain distance away from at least two positioning holes and then repeats all the above control steps.

[0085] In some embodiments, the arrangement of the at least two positioning holes can form a regular shape or an irregular shape. The regular shape can be a geometric shape, such as a square, a circle, and a triangle. The irregular shape can be a shape that imitates natural objects, fragments, and terrain features, such as the shape of leaves, stones, or clouds. The specific arrangement can be determined by those skilled in the art based on the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0086] Preferably, when the number of distance detectors 102 is a single unit, in order to ensure that at least two positioning holes can be detected, it is necessary to select a detector whose detection range can cover the location of at least two positioning holes.

[0087] It should be understood that the first charging interface is an interface that matches the second charging interface. For example, when the second charging interface is a magnetic interface, the first charging interface is also a magnetic interface; when the second charging interface is a charging spring, the first charging interface is a charging electrode. The specific settings can be made by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0088] Among them, the method for determining whether the distance detector 102 has detected a positioning hole is that the positioning hole appears in the sensing range of the distance detector 102, that is, the distance detector 102 has detected a positioning hole, or the positioning hole appears in the focal sensing area of ​​the distance detector 102, that is, the distance detector 102 has detected a positioning hole. The focal sensing area is the central area of ​​the sensing range of the distance detector 102. The specific setting is determined by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and this application does not limit it.

[0089] The control logic described in this embodiment can also be applied when the charging base 20 has only one positioning hole. However, if the distance detector 102 detects another positioning hole, the detection accuracy will be reduced. This is because the relative position between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 cannot be accurately obtained by detecting the data of a single positioning hole. After the angle formed between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than a certain angle, it is not possible to obtain an accurate angle from the collected data, which is not very practical. Therefore, this application only protects the scheme of detecting at least two positioning holes so that the robot 10 can obtain the relative position relationship between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 by comprehensively considering the collected data of at least two positioning holes.

[0090] In some embodiments, when the distance between the robot 10 and the charging dock 20 is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold by collected data, the controller 101 obtains the positions of at least two positioning holes through at least two distance detectors 102, which may include one or a combination of the following methods:

[0091] In the first method, if the distance between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than a preset distance threshold when the data is collected, the drive unit 104 controls the robot 10 to maintain the current position and adjusts the rotation angle of the robot 10 so as to obtain the position of at least two positioning holes through at least two distance detectors 102.

[0092] It should be understood that the rotation angle of the robot 10 can be determined according to a preset rotation direction and angle, or it can be determined according to the position of the charging base 20 indicated in the collected data and the current position of the robot 10. The specific setting can be made by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0093] The robot 10 can know the exact number of positioning holes on the charging base 20 in advance, and then stop rotating after detecting the number of positioning holes when rotating at a certain angle; or it can not know the exact number of positioning holes on the charging base 20, but obtain the number and position of the positioning holes detected during the rotation of the robot 10 one revolution, and use the detected number and position as the standard for executing subsequent control logic.

[0094] Understandably, by controlling the robot 10 to remain in its current position when the distance between the robot 10 and the charging dock 20 is less than a preset distance threshold, sufficient time can be provided for the robot 10 to detect the positioning holes, ensuring that the robot 10 can obtain the positions of at least two positioning holes and avoiding missed detections.

[0095] Method 2: The robot 10 is controlled by the drive unit 104 to reduce its travel speed and begin to detect at least two positioning holes by at least one distance detector 102 until at least two distance detectors 102 obtain the positions of at least two positioning holes.

[0096] It should be understood that, in order for the robot 10 to continue moving at a low speed along its original direction of travel, it is sufficient to ensure that the robot 10 does not exceed the sensing range of the corresponding distance detector 102 before each distance detector 102 detects at least one positioning hole.

[0097] If the robot 10 stops moving directly when it detects that the distance between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than a preset distance threshold, it may be that the robot 10 cannot detect at least two positioning holes at the current position through the distance detector 102. In this case, it is necessary to control the robot 10 to continue moving a certain distance and then continue to detect at the new position. However, this detection process takes a long time and cannot meet the urgency of the robot 10 to charge through the charging base 20. Therefore, by controlling the robot to continue moving slowly along the original direction of travel and detecting at least two positioning holes during the movement, the detection time will be greatly reduced.

[0098] Understandably, by controlling the robot 10 to continue moving at a low speed when the distance between the robot 10 and the charging dock 20 is less than a preset distance threshold, it is possible to avoid the situation where the robot 10 cannot detect at least two positioning holes at the current position, thereby reducing the detection time.

[0099] It should be understood that by aligning the robot 10 with at least two positioning holes, driving the robot 10 towards the charging base 20 establishes a charging connection between the robot 10 and the charging base 20. This means that when the robot 10 and the charging base 20 are aligned, the position of the first charging port is also aligned with the position of the second charging port. Specific methods for controlling the alignment of the robot 10 and the charging base 20 may include the following:

[0100] Method 1: Alignment is achieved by detecting the positioning hole using the distance detector 102.

[0101] The number of at least two distance detectors 102 is at least one. When one of the distance detectors 102 detects at least two positioning holes, the controller 101 adjusts the pose of the robot 10 through the drive unit 104 until each distance detector 102 detects at least one positioning hole, thereby aligning the robot 10 with the charging base 20.

[0102] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the distance detector 102 of the robot 10 detects the position of the positioning hole in real time. When each distance detector 102 detects at least one positioning hole, it is considered that the alignment between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 has been achieved. That is, structurally, it is necessary to set the positional relationship between the distance detector 102 and the first charging interface and the positional relationship between the positioning hole and the second charging interface. For example, the first relative position and the second relative position are the same or similar. The first relative position is the relative position between the distance detector 102 and the first charging interface, and the second relative position is the relative position between the positioning hole and the second charging interface. The relative position includes direction and distance.

[0103] For example, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3BAs shown, robot 10 includes a first distance detector 102a and a second distance detector 102b, and charging base 20 includes a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole. The first charging interface on robot 10 is located at position A, the first distance detector 102a is located at position B, and the second distance detector 102b is located at position C. The second charging interface on charging base 20 is located at position D, the first positioning hole is located at position E, and the second positioning hole is located at position F. Position B is located at a 30° angle to the lower left of position A, and position C is located at a 30° angle to the upper right of position A. The distance between positions A and B, and between positions A and C, is 10 cm. Position E is located at a 31° angle to the lower left of position D, and position F is located at a 31° angle to the upper right of position D. The distance between positions D and E, and between positions D and F, is 13 cm. Since the first relative position is the same as the second relative position, when robot 10 and charging base 20 are aligned, it can be guaranteed that the first distance detector 102a can detect the first positioning hole, and the second distance detector 102b can detect the second positioning hole.

[0104] In some embodiments, the arrangement of at least two positioning holes can be the same as the arrangement of at least two distance detectors 102, to ensure that each distance detector 102 can detect at least one positioning hole when the robot 10 and the charging dock 20 are close together. For example, the first positioning hole is located at the lower right of the second charging interface, the first distance detector 102a is also located at the lower right of the first charging interface, the second positioning hole is located at the lower left of the second charging interface, and the second distance detector 102b is also located at the lower left of the first charging interface. Specific examples can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 3A and Figure 3B .

[0105] In other embodiments, while ensuring that the target areas where at least two positioning holes are located are covered by the detection range of each distance detector 102, the arrangement of at least two positioning holes may also be different from the arrangement of at least two distance detectors 102, so as to provide users with a variety of positioning hole arrangement methods.

[0106] For example, such as Figure 4As shown, both the first distance detector 102a and the second distance detector 102b can detect objects within a radius of 6 centimeters. The first distance detector 102a can be positioned 30° to the upper right of the first charging port and 10 centimeters away, while the second distance detector 102b can be positioned 30° to the upper left of the first charging port and 10 centimeters away. The first positioning hole is positioned 30° to the upper right of the second charging port and 6 centimeters away, and the second positioning hole is positioned 45° to the upper left of the second charging port and 5 centimeters away. When the first and second charging ports are aligned, the first distance detector 102a can detect the first positioning hole, and the second distance detector 102b can detect the second positioning hole.

[0107] Understandably, by setting the drive unit 104 to adjust the pose of the robot 10 until each distance detector 102 can detect at least one positioning hole, the alignment process between the robot 10 and at least two positioning holes is simplified, and the alignment efficiency between the robot 10 and at least two positioning holes is improved.

[0108] Method 2: Align according to the preset alignment method:

[0109] When any distance detector 102 detects at least two positioning holes, the drive unit 104 controls the robot 10 to remain in the current position, and determines the corresponding target alignment method according to the detection order of the distance detector 102, the at least two positioning holes, and the detection interval of each positioning hole, and executes the target alignment method to achieve alignment between the robot 10 and the charging base 20.

[0110] It should be understood that the robot 10 can pre-set the correspondence between the alignment method and the detection order of at least one distance detector 102, at least two positioning holes, and the detection interval of each positioning hole. When one of the distance detectors 102 detects at least two positioning holes, the robot 10 then determines the target alignment method through the detected distance detector 102 and the obtained detection order and detection interval. The alignment method may include the adjustment direction and adjustment distance of the robot 10.

[0111] For example, at least two positioning holes include a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole, and at least one distance detector 102 includes a first distance detector 102a and a second distance detector 102b. The robot 10's pre-set correspondence indicates that if the first positioning hole is detected first by the first distance detector 102a, and then the second positioning hole is detected, with a corresponding detection interval of 1 millisecond, the robot needs to adjust to the upper right corner of the current travel direction at a 45° angle and travel 1 meter, then adjust to the upper left corner of the current travel direction at a 15° angle to continue traveling; similarly, if the second positioning hole is detected first by the first distance detector 102a, and then the first positioning hole is detected, with a corresponding detection interval of 1 millisecond, the robot needs to adjust to the upper right corner of the current travel direction at a 45° angle to continue traveling. After moving 1.2 meters at a 60° angle to the top corner, adjust to a 30° angle to the top left corner of the current direction of travel and continue moving. If the second distance detector 102b detects the second positioning hole first and then the first positioning hole, with a detection interval of 1 millisecond, it needs to move 1 meter at a 45° angle to the top left corner of the current direction of travel, and then adjust to a 15° angle to the top right corner of the current direction of travel and continue moving. If the second distance detector 102b detects the first positioning hole first and then the second positioning hole, with a detection interval of 1 millisecond, it needs to move 1.2 meters at a 60° angle to the top left corner of the current direction of travel, and then adjust to a 30° angle to the top right corner of the current direction of travel and continue moving.

[0112] The specific values ​​in the correspondence between the above alignment method and the detection sequence of at least two positioning holes and the detection interval of each positioning hole can be obtained by those skilled in the art through multiple experiments on the robot 10 at different positions and in different directions of travel, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0113] It is understandable that by setting the correspondence between the alignment method and the detection order of at least two positioning holes and the detection interval of each positioning hole, it is not necessary to perform real-time detection of the positioning holes or charging base 20, thus saving alignment execution time and improving alignment efficiency.

[0114] In some embodiments, in the first method of aligning the robot 10 with the charging dock 20 described above, the pose includes position and rotation angle. The controller 101 adjusts the pose of the robot 10 through the drive unit 104 until each distance detector 102 detects at least one positioning hole. This method may include:

[0115] When any distance detector 102 detects at least two positioning holes, the drive unit 104 controls the robot 10 to remain within the target area, adjusting the position and rotation angle of the robot 10 until each distance detector 102 detects data in the currently collected data that meets the preset conditions. The target area includes a set of positions whose distance from the target position is less than a preset threshold. The target position includes the position of the robot 10 when one of the distance detectors 102 detects at least two positioning holes.

[0116] It should be understood that when any distance detector 102 can detect at least two positioning holes, it means that the distance between the robot 10 and at least two positioning holes is relatively close, resulting in at least two positioning holes being detected within the detection range of a single distance detector 102. In this case, using the detection of at least two positioning holes by the distance detector 102 as the trigger condition for controlling the robot 10 to remain within the target area can reduce the calls to other devices and save the processing resources of the controller 101.

[0117] The detection of at least two positioning holes by any distance detector 102 can be either simultaneous detection of at least two positioning holes at the same location by the distance detector 102, or detection of at least two positioning holes at different locations along the travel direction. Since the positions of at least two positioning holes are fixed and both are on the charging base 20, considering that the travel direction of the robot 10 may be different during different charging processes, both of the aforementioned situations are possible. That is, during the first charging process, the distance detector 102 simultaneously detects at least two positioning holes at the same location, and during the second charging process, the distance detector 102 detects at least two positioning holes at different locations along the travel direction.

[0118] In some embodiments, the above-described method of controlling the robot 10 to remain within the target area by the drive unit 104 can be either controlling the robot 10 to stop at the current position by the drive unit 104, or controlling the robot 10 to continue moving at a low speed along the original direction of travel by the drive unit 104. As long as the robot 10 does not exceed the target area before each distance detector 102 detects at least one positioning hole, this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0119] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned preset conditions may include at least one or a combination of the following conditions:

[0120] Condition 1: The distance difference between two adjacent data points is within the first threshold range.

[0121] The aforementioned first threshold range can be determined based on the depth or diameter of at least two positioning holes, thereby limiting the robot 10's judgment criteria for positioning holes to a numerical range related to the size of the positioning holes and reducing false detections of positioning holes.

[0122] When the first threshold range is determined based on the depth of at least two positioning holes, since the distance detector 102 detects the distance value between the robot 10 and the bottom surface inside the positioning hole when detecting the positioning hole, the first threshold range can be set for this distance value, including a range less than or equal to the first threshold. The first threshold is determined based on the depth of the positioning hole and the detection error value corresponding to the at least two distance detectors 102.

[0123] When the first threshold range is determined based on the apertures of at least two positioning holes, since there is an angular offset between the robot 10 and the positioning hole when the distance detector 102 detects the positioning hole, if the aperture of the positioning hole is small or the offset angle is large, the robot 10 may not be able to detect the distance value between the robot 10 and the bottom surface inside the positioning hole through the distance detector 102. Therefore, the first threshold range can be set to include a range that is less than or equal to the second threshold. The second threshold is determined based on the aperture of the positioning hole and the detection error value corresponding to the at least two distance detectors 102.

[0124] Both of the above methods for determining the value of the first threshold range are applicable, and the specific setting shall be made by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation. This application does not impose any restrictions.

[0125] Condition 2: The relative position between any two of the at least two positioning holes detected is the same as the first relative position. The first relative position is the relative position between any two of the at least two positioning holes obtained when the distance between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than a preset distance threshold.

[0126] It should be understood that when the distance between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 is less than a preset distance threshold, the relative position between at least two positioning holes is obtained for the first time, i.e., the first relative position. At this time, the arrangement of at least two positioning holes, the shape formed by at least two positioning holes, the included angle and distance between any two positioning holes, and other relative position parameters can be known based on the first relative position. After obtaining the first relative position for the first time, the robot 10 can record it. After each distance detector 102 detects at least one positioning hole, the at least one positioning hole detected by each distance detector 102 is combined into at least two positioning holes according to the positional relationship between the distance detectors 102. Then, it is determined whether the combined at least two positioning holes have the first relative position. If so, it is determined that each distance detector 102 has detected at least one positioning hole.

[0127] For example, based on the positional relationship between the distance detectors 102, combining at least one positioning hole detected by each distance detector 102 into at least two positioning holes may include: at least two distance detectors 102 include a first distance detector 102a and a second distance detector 102b, the first distance detector 102a and the second distance detector 102b are on the same horizontal line, when the robot 10 detects the first positioning hole at the center position of the sensing area through the first distance detector 102a and the second positioning hole at the center position of the sensing area through the second distance detector 102b, it is determined that the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole are also on the same horizontal line, and the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole are combined into two horizontally arranged positioning holes.

[0128] It is understandable that when robot 10 detects at least two positioning holes through one of the distance detectors 102, it can be considered that robot 10 is very close to at least two positioning holes. At this time, by adjusting the pose of robot 10 until each distance detector 102 detects at least one positioning hole, it can be determined that robot 10 is aligned with at least two positioning holes.

[0129] In some embodiments, when the controller 101 drives the robot 10 to move toward at least two positioning holes, it may move toward a target position in the at least two positioning holes. The target position may be any position between the at least two positioning holes, such as the center point of the at least two positioning holes or one-third of the position on the straight line formed by any two positioning holes, or it may be one of the at least two positioning holes. The specific setting is determined by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0130] If the target position is the middle position of at least two positioning holes, then the process of the controller 101 driving the robot 10 to move toward at least two positioning holes may include:

[0131] Based on the positions of at least two positioning holes, obtain the midpoint position of at least two positioning holes;

[0132] Based on the intermediate position, determine the target movement direction of robot 10;

[0133] The control drive unit 104 moves along the target movement direction.

[0134] In some embodiments, the controller 101 determines the target movement direction of the robot 10 based on the target position in one or a combination of the following ways:

[0135] Method 1: After obtaining the target position, rotate robot 10 to the target direction. The data collected in the target direction indicates that the target position is in the center position, so the target direction is used as the target movement direction.

[0136] It should be understood that, such as Figure 5 As shown, the data collected by the distance detector 102 of robot 10 indicates the relative positions of different objects in the surrounding area and robot 10. That is, the center position in the collected data is the focal position of distance detector 102. If there is a target object at the focal position, then controller 101 drives robot 10 to move in a straight line in the current direction. In fact, it is a movement process with the position of the target object as the target movement direction.

[0137] Therefore, after adjusting the robot 10 to the target direction, the robot 10 can move with the target position as the target location.

[0138] Method 2: After obtaining the target position, the current position of robot 10 is further obtained, and the target movement direction is determined based on the current position and the target position.

[0139] In some embodiments, the current position of the robot 10 may be obtained by the positioning sensor or determined by the surrounding objects in the collected data and the positional relationship between the surrounding objects and the charging dock 20. The specific settings can be made by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0140] The positioning sensor can be a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, or it can be positioned via a cellular network or a mobile hotspot (Wi-Fi). The specific settings can be made by those skilled in the art based on the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0141] If the determination is based on the surrounding objects in the collected data and the positional relationship between the surrounding objects and the charging dock 20, the implementation process may include:

[0142] Determine the target object in the collected data and the positional relationship between the target object and the charging dock 20;

[0143] Based on the positional relationship between robot 10 and target object, determine the positional relationship between robot 10 and charging dock 20;

[0144] The positional relationship between robot 10 and charging dock 20 is taken as the current position of robot 10.

[0145] For example, if the surrounding objects in the collected data include a table and a chair, and the table and chair are located at a distance of 5 meters from the upper right corner of the charging base 20 within a range of 45° to 60°, then the robot 10 can determine its current position, i.e., its relative position to the charging base 20, based on its relative position to the table and chair respectively.

[0146] Both of the above methods can be implemented, and the specific settings can be determined by those skilled in the art based on the actual situation. This application does not impose any restrictions.

[0147] It is understandable that by setting the robot 10 to move along the target movement direction with the target position between the at least two positioning holes as the target location when the robot 10 detects the position of at least two positioning holes, the adjustment range of the robot 10's pose can be reduced when the robot 10 is aligned with the at least two positioning holes.

[0148] It should be noted that the process by which the controller 101 controls the drive unit 104 to drive the robot 10 to move toward other target positions between at least two positioning holes can refer to the process of moving toward the middle position described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0149] In some embodiments, the controller 101 obtains the positions of at least two positioning holes through at least one distance detector 102, which may include:

[0150] When the target positioning hole is detected by the target distance detector 102, the drive unit 104 controls the robot 10 to maintain the current position and adjusts the rotation angle of the robot 10 until the target distance detector 102 obtains the position of the other positioning holes among at least two positioning holes;

[0151] Alternatively, when a target positioning hole is detected by the target distance detector 102, the robot 10 is controlled by the drive unit 104 to maintain the current position and adjust the rotation angle of the robot 10 until the other distance detectors 102 of at least two distance detectors 102 obtain the position of the other positioning hole;

[0152] The target distance detector 102 is any one of at least two distance detectors 102, and the target positioning hole is any one of at least two positioning holes.

[0153] It should be understood that when the target positioning hole is detected by the target distance detector 102, after the robot 10 is rotated, the target distance detector 102 may continue to detect other positioning holes, or after the target distance detector 102 detects one of the positioning holes, other distance detectors 102 may also detect other positioning holes. That is, the position of at least two positioning holes can be obtained by one distance detector 102 or by multiple distance detectors 102 respectively.

[0154] In the process of obtaining the positions of at least two positioning holes through a distance detector 102, the robot 10 can mark different positioning holes to ensure that the robot 10 obtains the positions of all positioning holes. For example, the at least two positioning holes include a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole. When the robot 10 detects a certain positioning hole through the distance detector 102, it marks the positioning hole as A and records the position of the positioning hole. Then it continues to rotate until it detects another positioning hole, marks the positioning hole as B, and records the position of the positioning hole, thereby completing the detection of the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole and obtaining the positions of the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole.

[0155] Correspondingly, during the process of obtaining the positions of at least two positioning holes through multiple distance detectors 102, the robot 10 can also distinguish the multiple positioning holes obtained by different distance detectors 102 to identify different positioning holes. For example, the at least two positioning holes include a first positioning hole, a second positioning hole, and a third positioning hole. When the robot 10 detects the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole through the first distance detector 102a, it identifies the first positioning hole as hole A and the second positioning hole as hole B, and records the positions of hole A and hole B. Then it continues to rotate until it detects the second positioning hole and the third positioning hole through the second distance detector 102b, and identifies the second positioning hole as hole C and the third positioning hole as hole D, and records the positions of hole C and hole D. The positions of hole A, hole B, hole C, and hole D are integrated according to the positional relationship between the first distance detector 102a and the second distance detector 102b to obtain the positions of the first positioning hole, the second positioning hole, and the third positioning hole, thereby completing the detection of the first positioning hole, the second positioning hole, and the third positioning hole.

[0156] One way to distinguish different positioning holes is by the positional relationship of a certain positioning hole in the charging base 20. For example, at least two positioning holes include a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole, and the first positioning hole and the second positioning hole are arranged horizontally on the charging base 20. Then the positional relationship of the first positioning hole relative to the charging base 20 is different from that of the second positioning hole relative to the charging base 20. The controller 101 can distinguish whether the detected at least two positioning holes are the same positioning hole on the charging base 20 or different positioning holes based on the positional relationship of the target positioning hole relative to the charging base 20.

[0157] It is understandable that by setting up a system where, when any distance detector 102 detects a positioning hole, the system controls that distance detector 102 or other distance detectors 102 to continue detecting other positioning holes, the robot 10 can obtain at least two positioning holes through at least two distance detectors 102.

[0158] In some embodiments, the controller 101 detects one of the positioning holes via one of the distance detectors 102, including:

[0159] If the controller 101 detects through one of the distance detectors 102 that the distance difference between two adjacent data points in the collected data is within a second threshold range, it determines that one of the at least two positioning holes has been detected. The second threshold range is determined based on the parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or aperture.

[0160] Since both the second threshold range and the first threshold range are determined based on the parameters of at least two positioning holes, the second threshold range may have the same numerical range as the first threshold range, or it may be different.

[0161] When the second threshold range is the same as the first threshold range, both can have the same value as the parameters of the positioning hole, including depth or hole diameter, so that the robot 10 can accurately determine whether the positioning hole exists in the collected data.

[0162] When the second threshold range is different from the first threshold range, since the first threshold range is the judgment value when the robot 10 is far away from at least two positioning holes, while the second threshold range is the judgment value when the robot 10 is close to at least two positioning holes, the first threshold included in the first threshold range can be smaller than the threshold corresponding to the second threshold range, so as to narrow the judgment range of the robot 10.

[0163] Understandably, during the process of aligning robot 10 with at least two positioning holes, the distance between robot 10 and the positioning holes is already very close. Therefore, precise alignment between robot 10 and the positioning holes can be achieved again by detecting the position of the positioning holes.

[0164] In some embodiments, the controller 101 controls the drive unit 104 to drive the robot 10 to move toward the charging dock 20 until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected. The robot 10 may confirm whether the first charging interface is connected to the second charging interface in one or a combination of the following ways:

[0165] In one method, the charging base 20 includes a limiting structure, and the control drive unit 104 drives the robot 10 to move toward the charging base 20 until the drive unit 104 abuts against the limiting structure. When the drive unit 104 abuts against the limiting structure, the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected.

[0166] It should be understood that in order to ensure that the first charging interface and the second charging interface can be connected, a limiting structure can be set on the charging base 20 so that when the first charging interface of the robot 10 approaches the second charging interface of the charging base 20, the limiting structure can be used to know whether the first charging interface is connected to the second charging interface.

[0167] For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the charging base 20 may include a charging base 20 body, legs, charging springs, and at least two positioning holes. The charging springs are disposed on the legs for connecting to the first charging interface of the robot 10. The legs and at least two positioning holes are disposed on the charging base 20 body. When the first charging interface is connected to the second charging interface, the space inside the legs can be used to accommodate the drive unit 104 of the robot 10. In this embodiment, the drive unit 104 is a omnidirectional wheel. The omnidirectional wheel can drive into the leg and be restricted in its movement by the leg when it contacts the leg. At this time, the first charging interface of the robot 10 can automatically contact the charging springs to charge through the charging base 20.

[0168] It is understandable that by setting a limiting structure at the charging base 20, the movement of the robot 10 can be restricted when the robot 10 is being charged with the charging base 20 through the first charging interface and the second charging interface, thus ensuring the stability of the charging process.

[0169] Method 2: If the controller 101 detects charging current at the charging unit 103, it determines that the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected.

[0170] It is understandable that by detecting the charging current at the charging unit 103, an implementation scheme can be provided to determine whether the first charging interface is connected to the second charging interface, without the need to add any additional structure.

[0171] In some embodiments, the controller 101 is further configured to:

[0172] When the drive unit 104 abuts against the limiting structure, the playback device of the target device is controlled to play a preset audio to prompt the user that the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected. The target device includes the robot 10 or the charging base 20.

[0173] In some embodiments, the playback device may be a device built into the target device or an external playback device that establishes a communication connection with the target device. The specific configuration shall be determined by those skilled in the art based on the actual situation, and this application does not impose any restrictions.

[0174] In some embodiments, the target device may be equipped with a detection sensor. When the drive unit 104 abuts against the limiting structure, pressure can be applied to the detection sensor by the drive unit 104 or the limiting structure so that the detection sensor sends a control signal to the controller 101 so that the controller 101 controls the playback device to play a preset audio.

[0175] Understandably, by having the drive unit 104 abut against the limiting structure, a preset audio can be played through the playback device to notify the user that the charging process between the robot 10 and the charging base 20 has started, thereby optimizing the user experience.

[0176] In some embodiments, the number of at least two distance detectors 102 is at least one, the first target position relationship is the same as the second target position relationship, the first target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two distance detectors 102 and the first charging interface, and the second target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two positioning holes and the second charging interface.

[0177] It should be understood that when the first target position relationship and the second target position relationship are the same, it can be guaranteed that when the robot 10 detects at least two positioning holes through at least two distance detectors 102, the first charging interface and the second charging interface can be aligned, that is, the positions of the first charging interface and the second charging interface are indirectly represented by at least two distance detectors 102 and at least two positioning holes.

[0178] For example, such as Figure 7 As shown, two positioning holes with a diameter of 50mm and a depth of about 100mm are designed on the charging base 20. The height of the positioning holes is the same as the installation height of the distance detector 102 of the robot 10. The center distance between the two holes is also the same as the center distance between the two distance detectors 102 on the robot 10, so that the robot 10 can be accurately aligned with the charging base 20.

[0179] It is understandable that by setting the positional relationship between the charging electrode of the charging interface and the distance detector 102, the positional relationship between the robot 10 and the positioning hole detected by the distance detector 102 can be used to characterize the positional relationship between the charging electrode and the positioning hole, so that the robot 10 can achieve contact between the charging electrode and the second charging interface when it achieves alignment with the positioning hole through the distance detector 102.

[0180] The following describes an exemplary application of some embodiments of this application in a practical application scenario.

[0181] Figures 8A to 8D This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario for charging the robot 10 provided in some embodiments of this application. For example... Figures 8A to 8D As shown, in this embodiment, the distance detector 102 is taken as an example of a Time of Flight (TOF) module.

[0182] When the robot 10 is idle or under low battery warning, it automatically triggers a charging command. This command can also be initiated by the user via an application. After the charging command is triggered, the robot 10 locates the charging dock 20 based on the current environment map and plans its path. The robot 10 then moves along the planned path, avoiding obstacles using the TOF module. When the robot 10 detects that the distance to the charging dock 20 is less than a first threshold, it stops moving forward. Figure 8A As shown.

[0183] Robot 10 rotates left and right in place, as follows: Figure 8B As shown, two TOF modules are used to quickly scan the surrounding objects to obtain point cloud data that indicates the distance between the robot 10 and the surrounding objects. When the difference between two adjacent point cloud data scanned by any TOF module meets the depth dimension of the positioning hole, it is considered that a hole has been captured. The robot 10 continues to rotate left and right until the positions of both holes are captured.

[0184] Based on the positions of the two holes detected, the robot 10 is controlled to move towards the middle of the two holes, such as... Figure 8C As shown, when one of the TOF modules detects two holes consecutively, the robot stops moving and records its current position (angle). The robot 10 is then fine-tuned based on its current position until each TOF module can detect a hole and the difference in the measured distance information meets the depth dimension of the positioning hole. At this point, the robot 10 is considered aligned with the charging base 20. Figure 8DAs shown; after the robot 10 is aligned with the charging base 20, the robot 10 is controlled to continue moving forward and start detecting the battery charging current; when the detected charging current is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold, it indicates that the battery is charging normally, that is, the robot 10 is considered to have correctly completed the mounting.

[0185] Figure 9 This application provides a robot-based charging method for some embodiments. For example... Figure 9 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0186] Step S901: If the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold when detected by at least one distance detector of the robot, the position of at least two positioning holes on the charging dock is obtained by at least one distance detector, and the drive unit of the robot is controlled to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes.

[0187] Step S902: When any distance detector detects at least two positioning holes, control the robot to align with the charging dock;

[0188] In step S903, with the robot aligned with the charging dock, the control drive unit drives the robot to move toward the charging dock until the robot's first charging port and the charging dock's second charging port are connected.

[0189] In some embodiments, the number of at least one distance detector is at least two. In step S902 above, when any one distance detector detects the at least two positioning holes, controlling the robot to align with the charging dock may specifically include:

[0190] When any one of the distance detectors detects at least two positioning holes, the robot's pose is adjusted by the drive unit until each of the distance detectors detects at least one positioning hole, thereby aligning the robot with the charging dock.

[0191] In some embodiments, the pose includes position and rotation angle. The aforementioned adjustment of the robot's pose via the drive unit until each distance detector detects at least one positioning hole may specifically include:

[0192] When any one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, the drive unit controls the robot to remain within the target area, adjusting the robot's position and rotation angle until each of the distance detectors detects data in the currently collected data that meets preset conditions. The target area includes a set of positions whose distance from the target position is less than a preset threshold. The target position includes the position of the robot when one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes. The preset conditions include the distance difference between two adjacent data points being within a first threshold range.

[0193] In some embodiments, the first threshold range is determined based on parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or hole diameter;

[0194] When the first threshold range is determined based on the depth of the at least two positioning holes, the first threshold range includes a range less than or equal to the first threshold, which is determined based on the depth of the positioning holes and the detection error values ​​corresponding to the at least two distance detectors.

[0195] In some embodiments, in step S901 above, when the distance between the robot and the charging dock is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold through the collected data, the positions of the at least two positioning holes are obtained through the at least one distance detector, including:

[0196] If the distance between the robot and the charging dock is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold by the collected data, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle so as to obtain the position of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector.

[0197] In some embodiments, step S901 above, controlling the drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes, may include:

[0198] Based on the positions of the at least two positioning holes, obtain the target position between the at least two positioning holes;

[0199] Based on the target location, determine the target movement direction of the robot;

[0200] The drive unit is controlled to move along the target moving direction.

[0201] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one distance detector is at least two. In step S901 above, obtaining the positions of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector may include:

[0202] When any one of the positioning holes is detected by any distance detector, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle until the same distance detector obtains the position of the at least two positioning holes; or until other distance detectors among the at least two distance detectors obtain the position of other positioning holes.

[0203] In some embodiments, detecting one of the positioning holes by any one of the distance detectors may include:

[0204] If the controller detects, through any one of the distance detectors, that the distance difference between two adjacent data points in the collected data is within a second threshold range, it determines that one of the at least two positioning holes has been detected. The second threshold range is determined based on the parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or aperture.

[0205] In some embodiments, the charging dock includes a limiting structure. Step S903 above, controlling the drive unit to drive the robot toward the charging dock until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected, may include:

[0206] The drive unit is controlled to drive the robot toward the charging dock until the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, wherein the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected when the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure.

[0207] In some embodiments, the above method may further include:

[0208] When the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, the playback device of the target device is controlled to play a preset audio to prompt the user that the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected. The target device includes the robot or the charging dock.

[0209] In some embodiments, the number of at least one distance detector is at least two, the first target position relationship is the same as the second target position relationship, the first target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two distance detectors and the first charging interface, and the second target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two positioning holes and the second charging interface.

[0210] It should be understood that, although Figure 9 The steps in the flowchart are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, but these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless otherwise specified herein, there is no strict order in which these steps are executed, and they can be performed in other orders. Figure 9At least some of the steps in the process may include multiple sub-steps or multiple stages. These sub-steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these sub-steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be executed in turn or alternately with other steps or at least some of the sub-steps or stages of other steps.

[0211] Based on the foregoing embodiments, some embodiments of this application provide a robot-based charging device, which includes various modules and units included in each module, and can be implemented by a processor; of course, it can also be implemented by specific logic circuits; in the implementation process, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor (MPU), digital signal processor (DSP) or field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0212] Figure 10 This application provides schematic diagrams of the structure of a robot-based charging device according to some embodiments, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the device is installed in the robot, and the device may include:

[0213] The motion control module 1001 is used to obtain the positions of at least two positioning holes on the charging base through at least one distance detector when the distance between the robot and the charging base is less than a preset distance threshold detected by at least one distance detector of the robot, and control the drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes.

[0214] The alignment control module 1002 is used to align the robot with the charging dock when any distance detector detects at least two positioning holes.

[0215] The charging connection module 1003 is used to control the drive unit to drive the robot toward the charging base when the robot is aligned with the charging base, until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected.

[0216] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one distance detector is at least two, and the alignment control module 1002 described above can be specifically used for:

[0217] When any one of the distance detectors detects at least two positioning holes, the robot's pose is adjusted by the drive unit until each of the distance detectors detects at least one positioning hole, thereby aligning the robot with the charging dock.

[0218] In some embodiments, the pose includes position and rotation angle, and the alignment control module 1002 described above can be specifically used for:

[0219] When any one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, the drive unit controls the robot to remain within the target area, adjusting the robot's position and rotation angle until each of the distance detectors detects data in the currently collected data that meets preset conditions. The target area includes a set of positions whose distance from the target position is less than a preset threshold. The target position includes the position of the robot when one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes. The preset conditions include the distance difference between two adjacent data points being within a first threshold range.

[0220] In some embodiments, the first threshold range is determined based on parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or hole diameter;

[0221] When the first threshold range is determined based on the depth of the at least two positioning holes, the first threshold range includes a range less than or equal to the first threshold, which is determined based on the depth of the positioning holes and the detection error values ​​corresponding to the at least two distance detectors.

[0222] In some embodiments, the above-described motion control module 1001 may be specifically used for:

[0223] If the distance between the robot and the charging dock is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold by the collected data, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle so as to obtain the position of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector.

[0224] In some embodiments, the above-described motion control module 1001 may be specifically used for:

[0225] Based on the positions of the at least two positioning holes, obtain the target position between the at least two positioning holes;

[0226] Based on the target location, determine the target movement direction of the robot;

[0227] The drive unit is controlled to move along the target moving direction.

[0228] In some embodiments, the number of the at least one distance detector is at least two, and the aforementioned motion control module 1001 can be specifically used for:

[0229] When any one of the positioning holes is detected by any distance detector, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle until the same distance detector obtains the position of the at least two positioning holes; or until other distance detectors among the at least two distance detectors obtain the position of other positioning holes.

[0230] In some embodiments, the above-described motion control module 1001 may be specifically used for:

[0231] If the controller detects, through any one of the distance detectors, that the distance difference between two adjacent data points in the collected data is within a second threshold range, it determines that one of the at least two positioning holes has been detected. The second threshold range is determined based on the parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or aperture.

[0232] In some embodiments, the charging dock includes a limiting structure, and the charging connection module 1003 described above can be specifically used for:

[0233] The drive unit is controlled to drive the robot toward the charging dock until the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, wherein the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected when the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure.

[0234] In some embodiments, the above-described apparatus may further include:

[0235] An audio playback module is used to control the playback device of the target device to play preset audio when the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, so as to prompt the user that the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected, wherein the target device includes the robot or the charging dock.

[0236] In some embodiments, the number of at least one distance detector is at least two, the first target position relationship is the same as the second target position relationship, the first target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two distance detectors and the first charging interface, and the second target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two positioning holes and the second charging interface.

[0237] The descriptions of the above device embodiments are similar to those of the above method embodiments, and have similar beneficial effects. For technical details not disclosed in the device embodiments of this application, please refer to the descriptions of the method embodiments of this application for understanding.

[0238] It should be noted that in some embodiments of this application Figure 10The module division shown in the robot-based charging device is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division; in actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a single processing unit, exist as separate physical units, or be integrated into a single unit. The integrated units can be implemented in hardware, as software functional units, or a combination of both.

[0239] It should be noted that in some embodiments of this application, if the above-described methods are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of some embodiments of this application, essentially or in other words, the parts that contribute to related technologies, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause an electronic device to execute all or part of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), magnetic disks, or optical disks. Thus, some embodiments of this application are not limited to any specific hardware and software combination.

[0240] Some embodiments of this application provide a robot, the internal structure of which can be shown in the following diagram: Figure 11 As shown, the computer device includes a processor, memory, and a network interface connected via a system bus. The processor provides computing and control capabilities. The memory includes non-volatile storage media and internal memory. The non-volatile storage media stores the operating system, computer programs, and a database. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer programs stored in the non-volatile storage media. The database stores data. The network interface communicates with external terminals via a network connection. When executed by the processor, the computer program implements a robot-based charging method.

[0241] Some embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0242] Some embodiments of this application provide a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps in the method provided in the above-described method embodiments.

[0243] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 11The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the present application and does not constitute a limitation on the computer device to which the present application is applied. Specific computer devices may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0244] In one embodiment, the robot-based charging device provided in this application can be implemented as a computer program, which can be configured as follows: Figure 11 The computer device shown operates on the computer. The computer device's memory can store various program modules that make up the electronic device. The computer program, composed of the various program modules, causes the processor to execute the steps in the robot-based charging methods of the various embodiments of this application described in this specification.

[0245] In one embodiment, a computer device is provided, including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program, the processor executing the computer program to implement the steps of the robot-based charging method described above.

[0246] It should be noted that the descriptions of the storage medium and device embodiments above are similar to the descriptions of the method embodiments above, and have similar beneficial effects. For technical details not disclosed in the storage medium, storage medium, and device embodiments of this application, please refer to the descriptions of the method embodiments of this application for understanding.

[0247] It should be understood that the phrases "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "some embodiments" throughout the specification mean that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, "in one embodiment," "in one embodiment," or "in some embodiments" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence numbers of the above-described processes do not imply a sequential order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of some embodiments of this application. The sequence numbers of some embodiments of this application are merely descriptive and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments. The descriptions of the various embodiments above tend to emphasize the differences between the various embodiments; their similarities or commonalities can be referred to mutually, and for the sake of brevity, they will not be repeated here.

[0248] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0249] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart illustrations. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0250] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0251] The methods disclosed in the several method embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method embodiments.

[0252] The features disclosed in the several method or device embodiments provided in this application can be arbitrarily combined without conflict to obtain new method or device embodiments.

[0253] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot, characterized in that, The robot is charged by connecting to a charging dock, which has at least two positioning holes and a second charging interface. The robot includes: The drive unit is configured to drive the robot to move; At least one distance detector is configured to scan the environment in which the robot is located to obtain data collected from the charging dock, the data collected being used to indicate the distance between the robot and the charging dock; The charging unit includes a first charging interface, which is configured to connect to a second charging interface of the charging base and charge the robot through the charging current output by the charging base. The controller is electrically connected to the drive unit, the at least one distance detector, and the charging unit, respectively, and the controller is configured to: Acquire the collected data from the charging dock; Based on the data collected from the charging dock, determine whether the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold; When it is determined that the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold, the position of the at least two positioning holes is obtained through the at least one distance detector, and the drive unit is controlled to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes; when any one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, the robot is controlled to align with the charging dock; when the robot is aligned with the charging dock, the drive unit is controlled to drive the robot to move toward the charging dock until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected; When it is determined that the distance between the robot and the charging dock is greater than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the step of obtaining the position of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector is not executed.

2. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the at least one distance detector is at least two, and the controller is configured to align the robot with the charging dock when any one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, including: When any one of the distance detectors detects at least two positioning holes, the robot's pose is adjusted by the drive unit until each of the distance detectors detects at least one positioning hole, thereby aligning the robot with the charging dock.

3. The robot as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The pose includes position and rotation angle, and the controller is configured to adjust the robot's pose via the drive unit until each of the distance detectors detects at least one positioning hole, including: When any one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes, the drive unit controls the robot to remain within the target area, adjusting the robot's position and rotation angle until each of the distance detectors detects data in the currently collected data that meets a preset condition. The target area includes a set of positions whose distance from the target position is less than a preset threshold. The target position includes the position of the robot when one of the distance detectors detects the at least two positioning holes. The preset condition includes the distance difference between two adjacent data points being within a first threshold range.

4. The robot as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first threshold range is determined based on parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or hole diameter; When the first threshold range is determined based on the depth of the at least two positioning holes, the first threshold range includes a range less than or equal to the first threshold, which is determined based on the depth of the positioning holes and the detection error values ​​corresponding to the at least two distance detectors.

5. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is configured to, when the distance between the robot and the charging dock is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold through the collected data, obtain the positions of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector, including: If the distance between the robot and the charging dock is detected to be less than a preset distance threshold by the collected data, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle so as to obtain the position of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector.

6. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is configured to control the drive unit to drive the robot toward the at least two positioning holes, including: Based on the positions of the at least two positioning holes, obtain the target position between the at least two positioning holes; Based on the target location, determine the target movement direction of the robot; The drive unit is controlled to move along the target moving direction.

7. The robot as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the at least one distance detector is at least two, and the controller is configured to obtain the positions of the at least two positioning holes through the at least one distance detector, including: When a target positioning hole is detected by the target distance detector, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts its rotation angle until the target distance detector obtains the position of the other positioning hole among the at least two positioning holes; or, When a target positioning hole is detected by the target distance detector, the drive unit controls the robot to maintain its current position and adjusts the robot's rotation angle until the other distance detector among the at least two distance detectors obtains the position of the other positioning hole; The target distance detector is any one of the at least two distance detectors, and the target positioning hole is any one of the at least two positioning holes.

8. The robot as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The controller is configured to detect one of the positioning holes via any one of the distance detectors, including: If the controller detects through any distance detector that the difference between two adjacent data points in the collected data is within a second threshold range, it determines that one of the at least two positioning holes has been detected. The second threshold range is determined based on the parameters of the at least two positioning holes, including depth or aperture.

9. The robot as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The charging dock includes a limiting structure, and the controller is configured to control the drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the charging dock until the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected, including: The drive unit is controlled to drive the robot toward the charging dock until the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, wherein the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected when the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure.

10. The robot as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The controller is also configured to: When the drive unit abuts against the limiting structure, the playback device of the target device is controlled to play a preset audio to prompt the user that the first charging interface and the second charging interface are connected. The target device includes the robot or the charging dock.

11. The robot as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The number of at least one distance detector is at least two, the first target position relationship is the same as the second target position relationship, the first target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two distance detectors and the first charging interface, and the second target position relationship is the position relationship between the at least two positioning holes and the second charging interface.

12. A robot-based charging method, characterized in that, The method includes: If at least one distance detector of the robot detects that the distance between the robot and the charging dock is less than a preset distance threshold, the robot obtains the positions of at least two positioning holes on the charging dock through the at least one distance detector, and controls the robot's drive unit to drive the robot to move toward the at least two positioning holes; When any one of the distance detectors detects at least two positioning holes, the robot is controlled to align with the charging dock. When the robot is aligned with the charging dock, the drive unit is controlled to move the robot toward the charging dock until the robot's first charging port and the charging dock's second charging port are connected.

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