Cleaning equipment and battery temperature control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of cleaning equipment, particularly provides cleaning equipment and a battery temperature control method thereof, and aims to solve the problems of how to prevent a battery of the cleaning equipment from being overheated and improve safety. In order to achieve the purpose, the method comprises the steps that the battery temperature is obtained when the cleaning equipment executes a cleaning task; in response to the battery temperature greater than the first temperature threshold, pausing execution of the cleaning task and returning to the base station to enter the first cooling mode; and selectively quitting the first cooling mode based on the judgment result of whether the quitting condition of the first cooling mode is met or not. Based on the method, the battery can be effectively prevented from being overheated when the cleaning equipment executes the cleaning task, and the safety of the battery and the cleaning equipment is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cleaning equipment technology, specifically providing a cleaning device and a method for controlling the battery temperature of the same. Background Technology

[0002] Cleaning equipment can include sweepers, floor scrubbers, etc. These devices are typically equipped with batteries, enabling them to move autonomously and perform cleaning tasks while in motion. When the battery is low and needs charging, the cleaning equipment can recharge its battery within the base station.

[0003] During cleaning operations, the battery is in a discharging state, which generates heat, causing the battery temperature to rise. If the ambient temperature is high at this time, the battery temperature may rise abnormally, leading to overheating and threatening the safety of both the battery and the cleaning equipment. Additionally, battery overheating may also occur when the cleaning equipment is charging the battery inside the base station.

[0004] Accordingly, a new technical solution is needed in this field to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects, this application is made to solve or at least partially solve the following technical problem: how to prevent the battery from overheating in the cleaning equipment and ensure the safety of the battery and the cleaning equipment.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for controlling the battery temperature of a cleaning device, the method comprising:

[0007] Obtain the battery temperature when the cleaning equipment performs a cleaning task;

[0008] In response to the battery temperature exceeding a first temperature threshold, the cleaning task is paused and the system returns to the base station to enter a first cooling mode.

[0009] Based on the determination of whether the exit conditions of the first cooling mode are met, the first cooling mode is selectively exited.

[0010] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, the step of selectively exiting the first cooling mode based on the judgment result of whether the exit condition of the first cooling mode is met includes:

[0011] Obtain the cooling duration and cooling rate under the first cooling mode;

[0012] Determine whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition;

[0013] If the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, exit the first cooling mode;

[0014] If the cooling rate does not meet the preset rate condition but the cooling duration meets the preset duration condition, exit the first cooling mode.

[0015] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, the cooling rate is the average value of multiple sampling cycles in the first cooling mode.

[0016] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, before determining whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, the method further includes:

[0017] Determine whether the battery temperature is lower than a second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is lower than the first temperature threshold, and the determination of whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition is only performed when the battery temperature is lower than the second temperature threshold.

[0018] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, before determining whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, the method further includes:

[0019] In response to the battery temperature being lower than the second temperature threshold, the required amount of electricity to be charged is calculated based on the remaining area to be cleaned before the cleaning task returns to the base station;

[0020] The battery is charged based on the required amount of charge.

[0021] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, charging the battery based on the required amount of charge includes:

[0022] Determine whether the current battery level is greater than or equal to the required charging level;

[0023] If the current battery level is greater than or equal to the required charge level, the system will re-depart and continue the cleaning task; otherwise, it will continue charging.

[0024] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, after exiting the first cooling mode, the method further includes: continuing to perform the cleaning task.

[0025] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, the method further includes:

[0026] Obtain the battery temperature of the cleaning equipment while it is charging inside the base station;

[0027] In response to the battery temperature being greater than or equal to a second temperature threshold, a second cooling mode is entered, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than the first temperature threshold.

[0028] Based on the determination of whether the exit conditions of the second cooling mode are met, the second cooling mode is selectively exited.

[0029] In one technical solution of the above-mentioned battery temperature control method, when entering the second cooling mode, the method further includes: pausing the charging of the battery and obtaining the current temperature of the battery; and pausing the drying process if it is detected that the cleaning equipment is also being dried in the base station.

[0030] The selective exit of the second cooling mode based on the determination result of whether the exit conditions of the second cooling mode are met includes:

[0031] In response to the battery temperature falling below the second temperature threshold again, the second cooling mode is exited and the battery charging continues while the drying process is resumed.

[0032] In a second aspect, a cleaning device is provided, the cleaning device being provided with a battery, the cleaning device further comprising at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores a computer program, which, when executed by the at least one processor, implements the method described in any of the technical solutions provided in the first aspect.

[0033] The above-described technical solutions of this application have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0034] In one technical solution of the battery temperature control method for the cleaning equipment provided in this application, the method may include the following steps: obtaining the battery temperature when the cleaning equipment performs a cleaning task; in response to the battery temperature being greater than a first temperature threshold, pausing the execution of the cleaning task and returning to the base station to enter a first cooling mode; selectively exiting the first cooling mode based on the judgment result of whether the exit conditions of the first cooling mode are met.

[0035] Based on the above implementation scheme, when the cleaning equipment is performing a cleaning task, the task can be paused in time to cool down when the battery temperature is relatively high (i.e., the battery temperature is greater than the first temperature threshold) to prevent the battery temperature from continuing to rise and overheating. In addition, the scheme can also selectively exit the first cooling mode according to whether the exit conditions are met, and then continue to perform the cleaning task so that the cleaning task can be completed normally. Attached Figure Description

[0036] The disclosure of this application will become more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Wherein:

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of a battery temperature control method for a cleaning device performing a cleaning task outside the station, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the main steps of selectively exiting the first cooling mode according to an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature curve after the cleaning equipment enters the first cooling mode when the ambient temperature is 40°C, according to one embodiment of this application.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the temperature curve after the cleaning equipment enters the first cooling mode when the ambient temperature is 35°C, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of the main steps of a battery temperature control method for a cleaning device charging at a station according to an embodiment of this application.

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process of a battery temperature control method for a cleaning device performing cleaning tasks outside the station and charging inside the station, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Figure 7 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a battery temperature control method for a cleaning device performing a cleaning task outside the station, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0044] Figure 8 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a battery temperature control method for a cleaning device during charging at a station, according to an embodiment of this application.

[0045] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the internal memory and processor of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Some embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] First, embodiments of the battery temperature control method for the cleaning equipment provided in this application will be described. The cleaning equipment is typically equipped with a battery, enabling it to move autonomously powered by the battery's electrical energy and perform cleaning tasks during movement. Furthermore, the cleaning equipment can also charge its battery within a base station, which can at least provide power to the cleaning equipment for charging. The cleaning equipment may include sweepers, floor scrubbers, etc., and the cleaning tasks may include dry cleaning tasks and wet cleaning tasks. A dry cleaning task can be understood as cleaning the object without using water or cleaning agents, while a wet cleaning task can be understood as cleaning the object using water or cleaning agents. The object being cleaned may be a floor, a tabletop, etc.

[0048] Cleaning equipment may include a body, a processor, one or more cleaning components, one or more sensors, etc. The body can be circular, square, or other shapes. For example, the front part of the body can be circular, and the rear part can be square. The cleaning components can be circular, square, multi-branched, or other shapes (such as semicircles, arcs, triangles, etc.). Circular shapes facilitate rotating cleaning, while other shapes facilitate cleaning corner areas. Cleaning components may include side brushes, a center brush (also known as a floor brush or roller brush), and a mop tray (also known as a mop pad). The side brush gathers debris, moving it towards the center of the bottom of the self-propelled cleaning equipment for collection. The center brush sweeps up debris from the bottom of the equipment, allowing it to enter the dust collection box through the suction port. The mop tray is used for wiping or mopping the floor and contains a mop. The cleaning equipment has a water tank; water from the tank flows through holes to the mop, wetting it for mopping.

[0049] Cleaning equipment can clean foreign objects including, but not limited to, dust, hair, and pet feces. Sensors can include lidar sensors (such as triangulation sensors, TOF sensors, etc.), infrared sensors, line laser sensors, edge sensors, vision sensors (such as cameras), pose sensors, etc. Sensors are used to detect various state information about the self-moving cleaning equipment itself or its surroundings. For example, a line laser sensor is used to detect obstacle information, representing one or more obstacles. The processor can control the self-moving cleaning equipment based on the state information detected by the sensors. Among the sensors, the sensor used to detect obstacle information is defined as a ranging sensor. Different types of ranging sensors can emit specific signals (such as laser signals, infrared signals) and receive reflected signals from obstacles. Then, based on the time difference between emission and reception and the direction of emission, the relative positional relationship between the obstacle and the device is determined to complete the ranging. The specific number and type of ranging sensors are not limited.

[0050] The battery temperature control method provided in this application is applied to the cleaning equipment itself and is executed by the cleaning equipment. Specifically, see the appendix. Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the main steps of a battery temperature control method for a cleaning device according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 As shown, the control method in this application embodiment mainly includes the following steps S101 to S103.

[0051] Step S101: Obtain the battery temperature when the cleaning equipment performs the cleaning task.

[0052] The cleaning equipment is equipped with a temperature sensor that can collect battery temperature data. Furthermore, the battery temperature can be collected periodically according to a first sampling period. A shorter first sampling period results in more frequent temperature collection, and vice versa. Those skilled in the art can flexibly set the value of the first sampling period based on the real-time requirements of temperature collection; a higher real-time requirement results in a shorter first sampling period, and vice versa. This application does not specifically limit the value of the first sampling period in its embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the first sampling period is 1 second, meaning the battery temperature is collected once every second.

[0053] Step S102: In response to the battery temperature exceeding the first temperature threshold, suspend the cleaning task and return to the base station to enter the first cooling mode.

[0054] The first temperature threshold can be understood as the extreme temperature limit of the battery when the cleaning equipment performs cleaning tasks outside the base station (i.e., in an area outside the base station). If the cleaning task continues when the battery temperature exceeds this extreme temperature limit, the battery may overheat or even experience thermal runaway. Therefore, when the battery temperature is detected to be higher than the first temperature threshold, the cleaning equipment suspends the cleaning task and returns to the base station to enter the first cooling mode for cooling.

[0055] When setting the value of the first temperature threshold, those skilled in the art can use experimental methods to determine the temperature limit of the battery when the cleaning equipment performs cleaning tasks outside the station, and set the value of the first temperature threshold based on the temperature limit. Furthermore, different battery models may have different temperature limits; therefore, separate experiments can be conducted for different battery models to obtain their respective temperature limits. This application does not specifically limit the value of the first temperature threshold. For example, the first temperature threshold could be 60°C.

[0056] In some implementations, the battery can be subjected to static cooling in the first cooling mode. Static cooling does not generate heat and therefore does not increase the temperature of the environment surrounding the battery, avoiding the impact of heat exchange between the battery and the environment, which is conducive to the battery cooling down quickly.

[0057] Step S103: Based on the judgment result of whether the exit conditions of the first cooling mode are met, selectively exit the first cooling mode.

[0058] Specifically, if the exit conditions are met, the first cooling mode will be exited, and the cleaning task can continue after exiting the first cooling mode; if the exit conditions are not met, the cooling will continue in the first cooling mode.

[0059] Based on the method described in steps S101 to S103 above, the cleaning device can pause the task in time to cool down when the battery temperature is relatively high during the cleaning process, preventing the battery temperature from continuing to rise and causing overheating. In addition, the method can selectively exit the first cooling mode according to whether the exit conditions are met and continue to execute the cleaning task, so that the cleaning task can be completed normally and meet the user's cleaning needs.

[0060] The following describes an embodiment of the battery temperature control method for the cleaning equipment provided in this application, specifically a method for selectively exiting the first cooling mode.

[0061] In some embodiments according to this application, it is possible to... Figure 2 The following steps S1031 to S1032 are shown to selectively exit the first cooling mode.

[0062] Step S1031: Obtain the cooling duration and cooling rate in the first cooling mode.

[0063] Cooling duration can also be understood as the duration for which the cleaning equipment operates in the first cooling mode.

[0064] Cooling rate refers to the rate at which the battery temperature decreases. The lower the cooling rate, the more gradual the battery temperature decreases and the more stable the heat exchange between the battery and the environment. When the heat exchange has basically reached a stable state, even if cooling continues, the battery temperature will not decrease significantly. Therefore, the magnitude of the cooling rate can be used to determine whether to exit the first cooling mode.

[0065] When acquiring the cooling rate, it can be periodically obtained based on the second sampling period and continuously updated. Taking one sampling period as an example, the temperature difference between the battery at the beginning and end of this sampling period can be obtained, and the ratio between this temperature difference and the duration of the sampling period can be calculated. This ratio is used as the cooling rate for this sampling period. In addition, in the first sampling period, the temperature at the beginning of the sampling period is the temperature when the cleaning equipment just enters the first cooling mode.

[0066] In practical applications, temperature sensors may exhibit abnormalities such as noise in their output temperature due to factors like sensor accuracy and instantaneous airflow disturbances, potentially leading to inaccuracies in the cooling rate for a single sampling period. To address this, some implementations use the average cooling rate across multiple sampling periods as the final cooling rate. For example, for the i-th sampling period, the average cooling rate of the i-th, (i-1), ..., (i-N+1)-th sampling periods (a total of N) can be obtained, and this average is used as the final cooling rate for the i-th sampling period. N is a positive integer greater than 1, and i is a natural number starting from 1. When i < N, the average cooling rate of the i-th sampling period and all preceding sampling periods can be obtained, and this average is used as the final cooling rate for the i-th sampling period. For example, when N=2, the final cooling rate of the first sampling period is its own actual cooling rate, the final cooling rate of the second sampling period is the average of the cooling rates of the first and second sampling periods, and the final cooling rate of the third sampling period is the average of the cooling rates of the second and third sampling periods.

[0067] This implementation method can effectively filter out random temperature fluctuations and improve the reliability of the cooling rate.

[0068] Step S1032: Determine whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition.

[0069] When the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, it indicates that the heat exchange between the battery and the environment has basically stabilized, and the first cooling mode can be exited in time to continue the cleaning task.

[0070] In practical applications, the reason why the cooling rate does not meet the preset rate condition may be that the heat exchange between the battery and the environment has not yet reached a basic stability. In this case, it is reasonable to continue operating in the first cooling mode. However, it is also possible that the heat exchange between the battery and the environment has reached a basic stability, and some unexpected situation (such as a temperature sensor malfunction) causes the cooling rate to continuously fail to meet the preset rate condition. If the first cooling mode can only be exited when the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, then because the cooling rate can never meet the preset rate condition, the cleaning equipment will not be able to exit the first cooling mode and will be unable to continue performing the cleaning task.

[0071] To avoid the situation where the cleaning equipment cannot exit the first cooling mode, if the cooling rate does not meet the preset rate condition, the cooling time can be used to determine whether to exit. If the cooling time meets the preset time condition, it indicates that the cooling time has been relatively long, and the above-mentioned unexpected situation may have caused the cooling rate to not meet the preset rate condition. In order to allow the cleaning equipment to operate normally, the first cooling mode can be exited. If the cooling time does not meet the preset time condition, it indicates that the cooling time is still within the normal range. The reason for not meeting the preset rate condition may be that the heat exchange between the battery and the environment has not yet reached a basic stability, and it is not necessary to exit the first cooling mode.

[0072] In this embodiment, the preset rate condition can be that the cooling rate is less than a preset rate threshold, and the preset duration condition can be that the cooling duration is greater than a preset duration threshold.

[0073] When setting the aforementioned preset rate threshold value, those skilled in the art can use experimental methods to obtain the battery temperature curve after the cleaning equipment enters the first cooling mode. The battery temperature curve records the actual temperature of the battery at various times. This actual temperature can be the temperature value at a single location on the battery or the average temperature of multiple locations. When the battery temperature curve tends to be horizontal, it indicates that the heat exchange between the battery and the environment has reached a basic level, and the minimum cooling rate (or minimum effective cooling rate) has been reached. If cooling continues, the time cost of cooling will far outweigh the cooling benefits. Based on this, the moment when the cleaning equipment enters the first cooling mode can be determined. and actual battery temperature The time when the actual battery temperature reaches near the safe temperature is obtained based on the battery temperature curve. And that moment The actual battery temperature corresponding to the battery temperature curve Based on this data, the battery's performance was calculated. to cooling rate during this period The safe temperature is lower than the first temperature threshold that triggers the cleaning device to enter the first cooling mode in the aforementioned embodiment. When the battery temperature is less than or equal to the safe temperature, it indicates that the risk of battery overheating is relatively low. Analysis of the battery temperature curves obtained from multiple tests determines the actual battery temperature reached when the battery temperature curve tends to be horizontal. Typically below the safe temperature, the battery temperature is determined by... Descending to The cooling rate will also be less than the cooling rate mentioned above. Therefore, the preset rate threshold can be set to be less than the cooling rate. A numerical value. For example, The preset rate is 0.16℃ / min, and the preset rate threshold can be 0.1℃ / min.

[0074] In addition, when setting the aforementioned preset rate threshold value, the above-described experimental method can also be used to obtain the cooling rate of the battery under multiple different ambient temperatures. Then, based on the cooling rate at multiple different ambient temperatures... Set a preset rate threshold. For example, obtain these cooling rates. The average rate is set, and the preset rate threshold is set to a value that is less than this average rate.

[0075] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 3 and attached Figure 4 The method for setting the aforementioned preset rate threshold will be explained. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The x-axis represents time, and the y-axis represents temperature. The cleaning equipment is a sweeping machine, the object being cleaned is carpet, and the safe temperature is 51℃.

[0076] First, please refer to the appendix. Figure 3 , Figure 3 An example is shown illustrating the temperature curves of the cleaning equipment after entering the first cooling mode at an ambient temperature of 40°C. The temperature curves include battery temperature curves at three locations: upper, middle, and lower. They also include the ambient temperature curve and the temperature curves of multiple components within the cleaning equipment, including a MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Switch) that controls the on / off state of the battery discharge path. Figure 3 The components include the battery discharge MOSFET, microcontroller MCU, other MOSFET switches, system-on-a-chip (SoC), and sweep motor. In this embodiment, the average temperature at three locations—the top, middle, and bottom—is taken as the actual battery temperature. After 55 minutes, the actual temperature drops to near the safe temperature (51°C), at which point the test is stopped. The temperature data in Table 1 below is then obtained based on the temperature curve.

[0077] Table 1

[0078] temperature Battery discharge MOSFET Battery temperature Battery temperature Battery temperature MCU Other MOS soc Mid-sweep motor Ambient temperature Starting temperature 57.6 62.2 60.9 57.8 80 78.8 74.2 73.2 41.7 Minimum temperature 49.9 51.9 51.7 51.2 47.7 47.1 46.1 51.4 38.8

[0079] The initial temperature represents the temperature obtained from the temperature curve at the start of the test, and the minimum temperature represents the minimum temperature obtained from the temperature curve after the test ends. The actual battery temperature at the start of the test was (62.2 + 60.9 + 57.8) / 3 = 60.3℃, and the actual battery temperature at the end of the test was (51.9 + 51.7 + 51.2) / 3 = 51.6℃. The cooling rate...

[0080] Please refer to the appendix for further details. Figure 4 , Figure 4An example is shown showing the temperature curve of the cleaning equipment after entering the first cooling mode at an ambient temperature of 35°C. The meaning of the temperature curve is related to... Figure 3 The meaning of the temperature curve is the same and will not be repeated. In this embodiment, the average temperature of the three points at the top, middle and bottom of the battery is also taken as the actual temperature of the battery. After the start of the test, the actual temperature drops to near the safe temperature (51°C) after 7.5 minutes. At this point, the test is stopped, and the temperature data in Table 2 below is obtained based on the obtained temperature curve.

[0081] Table 2

[0082] temperature Battery discharge MOSFET Battery temperature Battery temperature Battery temperature MCU Other MOS soc Mid-sweep motor Ambient temperature Starting temperature 48.7 53.1 52.5 50.3 61.5 60.3 62.8 58.4 36.4 Minimum temperature 47.8 51.5 51.2 49.5 55.8 52.9 57.9 55 35.7

[0083] The actual battery temperature at the start of the test was (53.1 + 52.5 + 50.3) / 3 = 51.97℃, and the actual battery temperature at the end of the test was (51.5 + 51.2 + 49.5) / 3 = 50.7℃. The cooling rate...

[0084] The above analysis can determine the cooling rate obtained under the two ambient temperatures. They are respectively , Based on this, the preset rate threshold is set as follows: .

[0085] When setting the aforementioned preset duration threshold value, those skilled in the art can also use experimental methods to obtain the time it takes for the cleaning equipment to complete cooling under different environments, and set the preset duration threshold based on these durations. For example, the longest duration among these durations can be selected, and the preset duration threshold can be set to a value greater than this longest duration. For example, the preset duration threshold could be 90 minutes.

[0086] Based on the method described in steps S1031 to S1032 above, the first cooling mode can be exited in a timely manner when the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, or the first cooling mode can be selectively exited in combination with the cooling time when the cooling rate does not meet the preset rate condition, so as to enable the cleaning equipment to continue to perform the cleaning task safely as much as possible.

[0087] The method described in steps S1031 to S1032 above will be further explained below.

[0088] In practical applications, there may be situations where the cooling rate is relatively low, but the battery temperature remains high. If the first cooling mode is exited based on the cooling rate in this case, the risk of battery overheating is relatively high when the cleaning device continues to perform its tasks. For example, if the temperature sensor malfunctions briefly and then returns to normal, the cooling rate may meet the preset rate condition, but the battery temperature may still be high. To address this, in some embodiments of this application, the first cooling mode can be selectively exited based on the battery cooling rate when the battery temperature is within a safe range, thus avoiding this situation. Specifically, before determining whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition (i.e., executing step S1032), it can be first determined whether the battery temperature is lower than a second temperature threshold. If the battery temperature is lower than the second temperature threshold (the second temperature threshold is lower than the first temperature threshold that triggers the cleaning device to enter the first cooling mode in the aforementioned embodiments), then step S1032 is executed; otherwise, step S1032 is not executed. When the battery temperature is lower than the second temperature threshold, it indicates that the risk of battery overheating is relatively low. The second temperature threshold can be the same as the safe temperature used when setting the preset rate threshold in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0089] The following describes embodiments of the battery temperature control method for the cleaning equipment provided in this application.

[0090] In some embodiments of this application, before the cleaning device returns to the base station and enters the first cooling mode, the battery will inevitably consume some power due to the cleaning task already performed for a period of time. When the cleaning device exits the first cooling mode and continues to perform the cleaning task, the remaining battery power may not be sufficient to support the cleaning device in completing the remaining cleaning task. Therefore, while the cleaning device is still in the first cooling mode, the battery can be recharged only when the battery temperature is within a safe range to ensure that the battery power is sufficient to support the cleaning device in successfully completing the cleaning task.

[0091] Specifically, the system first determines whether the battery temperature is below a second temperature threshold. If the battery temperature is below the second temperature threshold, a charging action is performed. The charging action includes: calculating the required amount of electricity to be charged based on the remaining area to be cleaned before the cleaning task returns to the base station, and charging the battery based on the required amount of electricity. The area to be cleaned is the remaining uncleaned area of ​​the object to be cleaned; for example, if the object to be cleaned is the ground, the area to be cleaned is the area of ​​the ground that has not yet been cleaned. The second temperature threshold is the same as the second temperature threshold in the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0092] As can be seen from the embodiments of the method described in steps S1031 to S1032 above, before determining whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition (i.e., executing step S1032), it can be determined whether the battery temperature is less than the second temperature threshold; if the battery temperature is less than the second temperature threshold, then step S1032 is executed. In some embodiments, the determination result of whether the battery temperature is less than the second temperature threshold in this embodiment can be reused, and the above-mentioned charging action can be selectively executed without setting an additional step to determine whether the battery temperature is less than the second temperature threshold. Specifically, before determining whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition (i.e., executing step S1032), the above-mentioned charging action can be executed in response to the determination result that the battery temperature is less than the second temperature threshold.

[0093] In this embodiment, the second temperature threshold can also be understood as a trigger condition for battery charging. Therefore, when setting the value of the second temperature threshold, the maximum temperature at which the battery is allowed to charge can be obtained, and the second temperature threshold can be set based on this maximum temperature. For example, the second temperature threshold is 51°C.

[0094] Based on the above embodiments of battery charging, in some embodiments according to this application, when charging the battery, it can be determined whether the current battery level is greater than or equal to the required charging level; if the current battery level is greater than or equal to the required charging level, the cleaning device can leave the base station to continue the cleaning task; otherwise, charging continues. Here, "leaving the base station" refers to the cleaning equipment leaving the base station. Based on this implementation, the cleaning task can be continued promptly when the battery level meets the required charging level, completing the cleaning as early as possible.

[0095] The following describes embodiments of the battery temperature control method for the cleaning equipment provided in this application.

[0096] In practical applications, battery charging generates heat, causing the battery temperature to rise. If the ambient temperature is high at this time, it may also lead to battery overheating, threatening the safety of the battery and the cleaning equipment. Therefore, in some embodiments provided in this application, the cleaning equipment can be charged within the base station using... Figure 5 The following steps S201 to S203 are shown to control the cleaning equipment to prevent battery overheating.

[0097] Step S201: Obtain the battery temperature of the cleaning equipment while it is charging inside the base station. The method for obtaining the battery temperature is the same as that for obtaining the battery temperature in step S101 above.

[0098] Step S202: In response to the battery temperature being greater than or equal to a second temperature threshold, enter a second cooling mode. In the second cooling mode, the battery can be cooled. The second temperature threshold can be the same as the second temperature threshold in the aforementioned embodiment for charging the battery.

[0099] Batteries generate heat during charging, and continued charging will cause the battery temperature to rise continuously. Therefore, in some implementations, entering a second cooling mode may include pausing battery charging and obtaining the current battery temperature. In this second cooling mode, the battery may be allowed to cool statically.

[0100] In some implementations, the base station is equipped with a drying assembly that can dry the cleaning equipment. For example, the drying assembly includes a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater, which can be activated to dry the cleaning equipment after it returns to the base station after completing a wet cleaning task. If the cleaning equipment is dried within the base station, the heat generated during drying may also raise the battery temperature, affecting the battery's cooling efficiency. Therefore, in this implementation, entering the second cooling mode may further include pausing the drying process if it is detected that the cleaning equipment is still being dried within the base station.

[0101] Step S203: Based on the judgment result of whether the exit conditions of the second cooling mode are met, selectively exit the second cooling mode.

[0102] Specifically, if the exit conditions are met, the second cooling mode will be exited; if the exit conditions are not met, the cooling process will continue in the second cooling mode.

[0103] In some implementations, the exit condition may be that the battery temperature is lower than a second temperature threshold, which is the same as the second temperature threshold in step S202. Therefore, in this implementation, if the battery temperature is detected to be lower than the second temperature threshold again, the second cooling mode is exited, and battery charging continues; otherwise, the second cooling mode is not exited.

[0104] As can be seen from the aforementioned implementation of step S202, in some implementations, the drying process is paused when entering the second cooling mode. Therefore, when exiting the second cooling mode, the drying process can be resumed based on the remaining drying time before the pause. The drying time performed after the drying process resumes is this remaining drying time. For example, if the drying duration is 3 hours, and the drying process is paused after 1 hour of drying (e.g., by turning off the PTC heater), the remaining drying time is 2 hours. Therefore, after the drying process resumes, only another 2 hours of drying are needed.

[0105] Based on the method described in steps S201 to S203 above, during the charging process of the cleaning equipment in the base station, charging can be paused in time to cool down when the battery temperature is relatively high, preventing the battery temperature from continuing to rise and causing overheating; in addition, the method can also selectively exit the second cooling mode and continue charging the battery depending on whether the exit conditions are met.

[0106] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 6 To be continued Figure 8 This paper describes an embodiment of the battery temperature control method for the cleaning equipment provided in this application, in a specific application scenario. Figure 6 This example illustrates the overall flow of the battery temperature control method when the cleaning equipment performs cleaning tasks outside the station and charges inside the station. Figure 7 This example illustrates the specific flow of the battery temperature control method when the cleaning equipment performs cleaning tasks outside the station. Figure 8 The following are exemplary embodiments illustrating the specific flow of a battery temperature control method for cleaning equipment during in-station charging. The first and second temperature thresholds are 60°C and 51°C, respectively.

[0107] First, please refer to the appendix. Figure 6 In this embodiment, the overall process of the control method when the cleaning equipment performs cleaning tasks outside the station and charges inside the station may include the following steps S301 to S319.

[0108] Step S301: The cleaning equipment starts the cleaning task. Step S302: The battery sensor temperature value is acquired in real time, i.e., the battery temperature collected by the temperature sensor is acquired in real time. Step S303: The cleaning task continues. Additionally, if the battery temperature is equal to or lower than 60°C during the cleaning task (i.e., step S304), then steps S305 to S306 are executed; if the battery temperature is higher than 60°C (i.e., step S307), then steps S308 to S312 are executed.

[0109] Step S305: Continue the cleaning task. Step S306: The cleaning task is completed and the user returns to the station. After returning to the station, proceed to step S313.

[0110] Step S308: Execute breakpoint return to station. Step S309: Return to station and wait for cooling. Step S310: If the cooling rate meets the target (i.e., the cooling rate satisfies the preset rate condition), continue to step S311. Step S311: Power-off charging complete. Power-off charging calculates the required charge based on the remaining area to be cleaned before returning to the base station, and charges the battery based on this charge. Step S312: Return to breakpoint to continue the cleaning task, and return to station after the cleaning task is completed (i.e., execute step S306).

[0111] Step S313: After the cleaning equipment returns to the station, charging begins. If the battery temperature is equal to or lower than 51°C during charging (i.e., step S314), charging continues and is completed (i.e., step S315); if the battery temperature is higher than 51°C (i.e., step S316), steps S317 to S319 are executed.

[0112] Step S317: Disconnect charging and wait for cooling. If the battery temperature is equal to or lower than 51°C during the cooling process (i.e., step S318), then continue to step S319; Step S319: Continue charging and complete charging (i.e., step S315).

[0113] Please refer to the appendix for further details. Figure 7 In this embodiment, the specific process of the battery temperature control method when the cleaning equipment performs cleaning tasks outside the station may include the following steps S401 to S421.

[0114] Step S401: The cleaning equipment starts the cleaning task. Step S402: The battery temperature is collected at a sampling frequency of 1 second / sample. Step S403: It is determined whether the battery temperature is greater than 60℃; if it is, proceed to step S405; otherwise, proceed to step S404.

[0115] Step S404: Continue performing the cleaning task, and return to the station after the cleaning task is completed (i.e., step S421).

[0116] Step S405: Report the exception, record the breakpoint, and return to the station. Step S406: Return to station successful; the host actively disconnects charging; the host is now a cleaning device. Step S407: Start the cooling timer t=0. Additionally, the data buffer can be initialized. Step S408: Collect the battery temperature at a sampling frequency of 1 minute / sample. Step S409: Obtain the current battery temperature T_i, which can also be understood as the battery temperature in the i-th sampling period. Step S410: Obtain the current cooling rate Ri, which can also be understood as the cooling rate in the i-th sampling period. Ri=(T_(i-1)-T_i) / Δt, where T_(i-1) is the cooling rate in the (i-1)-th sampling period, and Δt is the duration of one sampling period (i.e., 1 minute). Step S411: Store the cooling rate Ri in the data buffer. Step S412: Obtain the smooth cooling rate R_smooth for N cycles, where R_smooth is the average cooling rate of the i-th, i-1, ..., i-N+1 sampling cycles, and N=5. Step S413: Determine whether the current battery temperature T_i is less than the second temperature threshold T_safe (i.e., 51℃); if it is, proceed to step S414; otherwise, proceed to step S408.

[0117] Step S414: Initiate intelligent breakpoint charging based on remaining area. Specifically, calculate the required charging power based on the remaining area to be cleaned before the cleaning task returns to the base station, and charge the battery based on the required charging power. Step S415: Determine whether the smooth cooling rate R_smooth is less than a preset rate threshold, which can be 0.1℃ / min; if it is less, proceed to step S417; otherwise, proceed to step S416.

[0118] Step S416: Determine whether the cooling duration t recorded by the cooling timer is greater than the preset duration threshold t_max; if it is greater, proceed to step S417; otherwise, proceed to step S408.

[0119] Step S417: Cooling ends and proceed to step S418. Step S418: Determine if the actual battery charge is greater than the target charge, where the target charge is calculated based on the remaining area to be cleaned before returning to the base station. If the actual charge is greater than the target charge, proceed to step S420; otherwise, proceed to step S419 to continue charging at the breakpoint. Step S420: Return to the breakpoint after exiting the station to continue the cleaning task. After the cleaning task is completed, return to the station (i.e., step S421).

[0120] Please refer to the appendix for further details. Figure 8 In this embodiment, the specific process of the battery temperature control method when the cleaning equipment is charging in the station may include the following steps S501 to S516.

[0121] Step S501: Start charging. Step S502: Collect battery temperature data at a sampling frequency of 1 second / sample. Step S503: Determine if the battery temperature is greater than 51℃; if so, proceed to step S504; otherwise, proceed to step S512 to continue charging.

[0122] Step S504: Disconnect charging and wait for cooling. Step S505: Determine if the base station is drying the cleaning equipment; if yes, proceed to S506; otherwise, proceed to step S507.

[0123] Step S506: Pause drying, record the time breakpoint, and then proceed to step S507. Step S507: Collect battery temperature data at a sampling frequency of 1 minute / sample. Step S508: Determine if the current battery temperature T_i is less than the second temperature threshold T_safe (i.e., 51℃); if it is, proceed to step S509; otherwise, proceed to step S504.

[0124] Step S509: Cooling ends, then proceed to step S510. Step S510: Determine whether drying was paused after disconnecting charging; if yes, proceed to step S511 to continue drying; if no, proceed to step S512 to continue charging, then proceed to step S513.

[0125] Step S513: Determine whether this charging is a breakpoint charging, where a breakpoint charging is when the cleaning task is paused during the cleaning process and the charging is returned to the base station; if yes, proceed to step S515; otherwise, proceed to step S514 and continue charging until charging is completed.

[0126] Step S515: Determine whether the battery power meets the standard, that is, whether the actual battery power is greater than the amount of power required to charge based on the remaining area to be cleaned before returning to the base station; if yes, proceed to step S516 and continue the cleaning task after leaving the station; otherwise, proceed to step S512 to continue charging.

[0127] The following describes embodiments of the battery temperature control method for the cleaning equipment provided in this application.

[0128] In some embodiments of this application, the status of cleaning equipment can be monitored using electronic devices. These devices are equipped with a monitoring app (Application) for the cleaning equipment. This app displays the working status of the cleaning equipment, and users can also remotely control the cleaning equipment via the app, such as stopping or resuming the cleaning task. The electronic devices include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers, laptops, handheld computers, and notebook computers; this application does not limit the types of devices used.

[0129] In some implementations, the cleaning equipment is a sweeper. The working status and actions of the sweeper in both the external cleaning and internal charging scenarios are shown in Table 3 below:

[0130] Table 3

[0131] Scene Work status Execute action 1 Execute action 2 Battery temperature too high during off-site cleaning When returning to the station, the system displays: "Waiting to resume scanning"; when cooling down, the system displays: "Waiting to resume scanning"; when a smart breakpoint is reached, the system displays: "Waiting to resume scanning". Execute the relevant operations for the first cooling mode The error message card is titled "Battery Overheating." The message states: "To protect battery safety, please allow the battery to cool to a suitable temperature before continuing the task / charging." Battery temperature too high when charging in the station The message displayed is: Charging. Execute the relevant operations for the second cooling mode none

[0132] Specifically, excessively high battery temperature during external cleaning can be defined as the battery temperature exceeding the first temperature threshold, while excessively high battery temperature during internal charging can be defined as the battery temperature exceeding the second temperature threshold.

[0133] In some implementations, in the scenarios of cleaning outside the station and charging inside the station, the cleaning equipment can perform corresponding actions in response to possible abnormal operations, as shown in Table 4 below.

[0134] Table 4

[0135]

[0136] Specifically, excessive battery temperature during external cleaning can be defined as the battery temperature exceeding a first temperature threshold, while excessive battery temperature during internal charging can be defined as the battery temperature exceeding a second temperature threshold. The triggering method can be any one of the following: button triggering, APP triggering, or voice triggering. Button triggering is achieved by controlling the buttons on the cleaning equipment / base station; APP triggering is achieved through the monitoring APP of the cleaning equipment; and voice triggering is achieved by issuing voice commands to the cleaning equipment / base station.

[0137] It should be noted that although the steps in the above embodiments are described in a specific order, those skilled in the art will understand that in order to achieve the effect of this application, different steps do not necessarily have to be executed in such an order. They can be executed simultaneously (in parallel) or in other orders. These adjusted solutions are equivalent to the technical solutions described in this application and therefore will also fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0138] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the method of the above-described embodiment can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable file, or some intermediate form. The computer-readable storage medium can include any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory, a random access memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc.

[0139] Another aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium.

[0140] In one embodiment of a computer-readable storage medium according to this application, the computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store a program for performing a battery temperature control method of a cleaning device according to the above-described method embodiments. This program can be loaded and run by a processor to implement the above-described method. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of this application are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of this application. The computer-readable storage medium can be a storage device comprising various electronic devices. Optionally, in the embodiments of this application, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0141] Another aspect of this application provides a cleaning device.

[0142] In one embodiment of a cleaning device according to this application, the cleaning device is provided with a battery, and the cleaning device may further include at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores a computer program, which, when executed by the at least one processor, implements the method described in any of the above embodiments. See Appendix Figure 9 , Figure 9 The example illustrates a memory and processor connected via a bus communication connection.

[0143] In the description of this application, "processor" can include hardware, software, or a combination of both. A processor can be a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, or any other suitable processor. A processor has data and / or signal processing capabilities. A processor can be implemented in software, in hardware, or a combination of both. Computer-readable storage media includes any suitable medium capable of storing program code, such as magnetic disks, hard disks, optical disks, flash memory, read-only memory, random access memory, etc. The term "A and / or B" means all possible combinations of A and B, such as only A, only B, or A and B.

[0144] Another aspect of this application provides a cleaning system.

[0145] In one embodiment of a cleaning system according to this application, the cleaning system may include a base station and the cleaning equipment described in the foregoing device embodiments, wherein the base station is at least used for charging the battery of the cleaning equipment. In some embodiments, the base station is further provided with a drying assembly, which can dry the cleaning equipment. The cleaning equipment includes, but is not limited to, sweepers, floor scrubbers, etc.

[0146] The technical solutions of this application have been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of this application is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of this application, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the battery temperature of a cleaning device, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain the battery temperature when the cleaning equipment performs a cleaning task; In response to the battery temperature exceeding a first temperature threshold, the cleaning task is paused and the system returns to the base station to enter a first cooling mode. Based on the determination of whether the exit conditions of the first cooling mode are met, the first cooling mode is selectively exited.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The selective exit from the first cooling mode based on the determination result of whether the exit conditions of the first cooling mode are met includes: Obtain the cooling duration and cooling rate under the first cooling mode; Determine whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition; If the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, exit the first cooling mode; If the cooling rate does not meet the preset rate condition but the cooling duration meets the preset duration condition, exit the first cooling mode.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cooling rate is the average value of multiple sampling cycles under the first cooling mode.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before determining whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, the method further includes: Determine whether the battery temperature is lower than a second temperature threshold, wherein the second temperature threshold is lower than the first temperature threshold, and the determination of whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition is only performed when the battery temperature is lower than the second temperature threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Before determining whether the cooling rate meets the preset rate condition, the method further includes: In response to the battery temperature being lower than the second temperature threshold, the required amount of electricity to be charged is calculated based on the remaining area to be cleaned before the cleaning task returns to the base station; The battery is charged based on the required amount of charge.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The charging of the battery based on the required amount of charge includes: Determine whether the current battery level is greater than or equal to the required charging level; If the current battery level is greater than or equal to the required charge level, the system will re-depart and continue the cleaning task; otherwise, it will continue charging.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After exiting the first cooling mode, the method further includes: continuing to perform the cleaning task.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the battery temperature of the cleaning equipment while it is charging inside the base station; In response to the battery temperature being greater than or equal to a second temperature threshold, a second cooling mode is entered, wherein the second temperature threshold is less than the first temperature threshold. Based on the determination of whether the exit conditions of the second cooling mode are met, the second cooling mode is selectively exited.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, When entering the second cooling mode, the method further includes: pausing the charging of the battery and obtaining the current temperature of the battery; and pausing the drying process if it is detected that the cleaning equipment is also being dried inside the base station. The selective exit of the second cooling mode based on the determination result of whether the exit conditions of the second cooling mode are met includes: In response to the battery temperature falling below the second temperature threshold again, the second cooling mode is exited and the battery charging continues while the drying process is resumed.

10. A cleaning device, characterized in that, The cleaning device is equipped with a battery, and the cleaning device further includes: At least one processor; and, A memory that is communicatively connected to the at least one processor; The memory stores a computer program that, when executed by the at least one processor, implements the battery temperature control method of the cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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