Automatic pool cleaning device and control method

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic pool cleaning device and a control method, the automatic pool cleaning device is used for cleaning a pool, the bottom of the pool comprises a platform, the platform comprises a platform side wall and a platform surface, and the control method comprises the steps that the position of the platform in the pool is determined; controlling the cleaning device to move towards the platform based on the position; after the cleaning device arrives at the platform, the cleaning device is controlled to climb on the side wall of the platform and move upwards along the side wall of the platform; and judging whether the cleaning device can reach the platform surface or not within a preset time period, and if the cleaning device does not reach the platform surface within the preset time period, controlling the cleaning device to laterally move below the platform, then climb onto the side wall of the platform again and move upwards along the side wall of the platform until the cleaning device reaches the platform surface, and cleaning the platform surface. By means of the method, the robot can clean all the platform surfaces of the multi-platform pool bottom with the complex terrain, and more comprehensive pool bottom cleaning is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cleaning device technology, and in particular to an automatic cleaning device and control method for a water tank. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of computer technology, robotics technology has also developed rapidly. Currently, underwater robots are being used more and more widely in various fields, assisting people in underwater operations, including underwater cleaning, underwater exploration, and underwater tourism.

[0003] Pool cleaning robots need to clean the bottom, surface, and walls of pools. When cleaning the bottom of a pool, the robot usually cleans the surface it is on. However, some pools may have multiple platforms at different heights, resulting in multiple surfaces on the bottom. Cleaning only the surface on which the robot is currently located will make it difficult to thoroughly clean the entire bottom of the pool. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of this application, a control method for an automatic water tank cleaning device is provided. The cleaning device is used to clean a water tank, the bottom of which includes a platform. The platform includes a platform sidewall and a platform surface. The control method includes: determining the position of the platform in the water tank; controlling the cleaning device to move toward the platform based on the position; after the cleaning device arrives at the platform, controlling the cleaning device to climb onto the platform sidewall and move upward along the platform sidewall; determining whether the cleaning device has arrived at the platform surface within a predetermined time period, wherein if it is determined that the cleaning device has not arrived at the platform surface within the predetermined time period, then controlling the cleaning device to move laterally below the platform and climb onto the platform sidewall again, and move upward along the platform sidewall until it arrives at the platform surface, and cleans the platform surface.

[0005] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an automatic water tank cleaning device is provided, which is capable of performing any of the control methods described above.

[0006] The embodiments described in this application have the following beneficial effects: The control method for the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application can identify the position of the platform at the bottom of the pool, and then control the robot to move towards the platform according to the platform's position, so that the robot can "climb" onto the platform surface by passing through the platform's side wall, thereby achieving the robot's cleaning of the platform surface. This control method enables the robot to clean the platform surfaces of multi-platform pools with complex terrain, achieving more comprehensive pool bottom cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. The accompanying drawings in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0008] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart of the control method for the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application is shown; Figure 2 One of the schematic diagrams of the automatic water tank cleaning device climbing platform provided in this application is shown; Figure 3 The second schematic diagram of the automatic water tank cleaning device climbing platform provided in this application is shown; Figure 4 One of the schematic diagrams showing the lateral movement of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application is shown; Figure 5 This is the second schematic diagram showing the lateral movement of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0009] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0010] This application provides a control method for an automatic pool cleaning device. The automatic pool cleaning device of this application can clean a pool. The pool is, for example, a pool-shaped structure, such as a swimming pool, water storage tank, spa pool, water tank, or water reservoir. The automatic pool cleaning device can be a device such as an automatic cleaning device or a pool cleaning robot, capable of cleaning the pool-shaped structure. It is understood that the bottom of the pool has at least one platform, which may include platform sidewalls and a platform surface. The platform protrudes from the bottom surface of the pool, and the platform sidewalls may be perpendicular (or substantially perpendicular) to the bottom surface of the pool, while the platform surface may be parallel (or substantially parallel) to the bottom surface of the pool. The platform in the pool will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0011] Unless otherwise specified, the following description will use a robot as an example of an automatic pool cleaning device, a swimming pool as an example of a pool or pool-shaped structure, and a water pump as an example of a water flow propulsion device. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "pool bottom," "pool bottom surface," and "pool base" all refer to the bottom surface of a swimming pool. The term "lateral movement" refers to the robot's movement on a supporting surface below the platform (e.g., the pool bottom surface) to adjust its position when it climbs back onto the platform's sidewall. During this lateral movement, the robot can move in the direction its head points or in the direction its tail points.

[0012] The control method 100 of the automatic water tank cleaning device of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating the control method of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the control method 100 includes steps 101 to 103. Steps 101 to 103 will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Step 101: Determine the location of the platform in the pool.

[0015] Specifically, the bottom of a swimming pool may have multiple uneven platforms. When the robot identifies multiple platforms on the bottom, it can choose any one and determine its location. Alternatively, the robot can first determine the distance between each platform and then select the closest platform as the next to be cleaned and determine its location.

[0016] For example, in one scenario, the platform's location can be transmitted to the robot by other devices (such as the robot's base station or smart terminal), or the platform's location can be pre-stored in the robot. For instance, other devices can transmit a pool map to the robot, which includes the coordinates of each platform. Once the robot has determined its own position on the pool map, it can determine the platform's position relative to the robot. In another scenario, the robot can also determine the platform's location itself. For example, the robot can use its onboard sensors (such as distance sensors, vision sensors, etc.) to sense the platform and determine its location.

[0017] For example, the cleaning device includes an image acquisition component, and determining the position of the platform in the pool includes: acquiring a pool image of the pool through the image acquisition component; determining whether the platform exists in the pool image, and if so, obtaining the orientation of the platform.

[0018] Specifically, when the robot is located at the bottom of the pool, it can be controlled to acquire images of the pool using an image acquisition component mounted on it. This allows for subsequent determination of whether a platform exists within the pool image. The image acquisition component can include at least one camera to capture images of the pool, enabling functions such as obstacle recognition, path planning, and detection of objects to be cleaned.

[0019] The camera can be one or more of the following types depending on actual needs: visible light camera (RGB camera), used to acquire color images under sufficient lighting conditions; low light camera (such as a high-sensitivity sensor camera), suitable for image acquisition in low-light environments; infrared camera (IR camera), combined with infrared supplementary lighting, capable of operating in turbid water or low visibility conditions; underwater-specific camera, possessing waterproof, pressure-resistant, and corrosion-resistant characteristics, suitable for long-term underwater operations; 3D camera or depth camera (such as binocular vision, structured light, or ToF camera), used to acquire three-dimensional spatial information of obstacles; multispectral or polarization camera, used to enhance image recognition capabilities in specific scenarios (such as stain classification or reflection suppression); panoramic camera, providing a wider field of view to improve environmental perception capabilities. The cameras mentioned above are only a limited list; other types of cameras can be used in practice, as long as they can realize the technical concept of this application. It should be noted that the camera used should have a sealed waterproof function to ensure that it can be submerged in water for a long time and operate stably.

[0020] For example, the image acquisition component described above can be a monocular image acquisition component, a binocular image acquisition component, or a panoramic image acquisition component, and there can be one or more image acquisition components. Of course, the image acquisition component can also be suspended above the pool to acquire images of the pool from a top-down perspective.

[0021] Understandably, after acquiring an image of a pool, it's possible to determine whether a platform exists within it. Before making this determination, the pool image can be preprocessed. Image preprocessing is a crucial step before image analysis (feature extraction, segmentation, and matching, etc.). Its purpose is to eliminate irrelevant information, restore useful real-world information, enhance the detectability of relevant information, and simplify the data to the maximum extent possible, thereby improving the reliability of feature extraction, image segmentation, and matching. When determining whether a platform exists based on the pool image, deep learning models can be used to determine the presence of a platform at the bottom of the pool. Deep learning models include, but are not limited to, R-CNN, Faster R-CNN, SSD, and YOLO series models. If a platform is determined to exist in the pool image, its orientation can be further obtained through image coordinate system transformation and spatial parameter calibration. This orientation indicates the platform's location.

[0022] For example, the platform's position may include the platform's orientation relative to the robot and the platform's distance relative to the robot. It is understood that the robot can adjust the orientation of its head when moving towards the platform using this relative orientation; and the robot can adjust its speed when moving towards the platform using this distance information.

[0023] For example, since the platform may be a large area, the orientation of the platform relative to the robot can be the orientation of "a certain point" on the platform relative to the robot, and the distance of the platform relative to the robot can also be the distance of "a certain point" on the platform relative to the robot, where "a certain point" can be, for example, the location on the platform closest to the robot.

[0024] It should be noted that the above description of the platform's location is merely exemplary, and the location of the platform protected by this application is not limited to the contents listed above. Those skilled in the art can set and plan the platform's location according to the actual situation, as long as the technical principles of this application can be realized.

[0025] The step of acquiring a pool image through the image acquisition component includes: controlling the cleaning device or the image acquisition component to rotate by a predetermined angle; and acquiring a pool image through the image acquisition component during the rotation of the cleaning device or the image acquisition component.

[0026] Specifically, when controlling the image acquisition component to acquire images of the pool, the robot or the image acquisition component can be rotated by a predetermined angle. During this rotation, the image acquisition component acquires images of the pool surrounding the robot. The robot's rotation can be achieved, for example, by the speed difference between its left and right wheels. During the rotation of the robot or the image acquisition component by the predetermined angle, the image acquisition function of the image acquisition component can be activated to accurately acquire images of the pool surrounding the robot.

[0027] For example, the robot can rotate in place (i.e., the robot rotates around its current position), or it can be controlled to move a certain distance before rotating (e.g., the robot moves a certain distance in a certain direction and then rotates in place), or it can be controlled to remain stationary while the image acquisition component rotates by a predetermined angle to acquire an image of the pool. Alternatively, the robot can be controlled to move a certain distance and then remain stationary before the image acquisition component rotates by a predetermined angle to acquire an image of the pool. The predetermined angle can be, for example, 360 degrees or close to 360 degrees. This application does not specifically limit the angle of robot rotation or image acquisition component rotation, as long as the angle of robot rotation or the angle of image acquisition component rotation achieves the technical principles of this application.

[0028] Next, step 102 is performed, in which the cleaning device is controlled to move toward the platform based on the position.

[0029] Specifically, after determining the platform's position, the robot can be controlled to move towards it. This can involve controlling the robot to move from the bottom of the pool towards the platform. For example, if the robot is at the bottom, the platform might be directly in front of the robot's current direction of travel, or diagonally in front of or to the side of it. Therefore, based on the platform's position, the robot's rotation angle must first be determined. The robot is then controlled to rotate based on this angle so that its direction of travel is directly facing the platform. It can be understood that when the platform is directly in front of the robot's direction of travel, the rotation angle is 0°, and controlling the robot's rotation based on this angle keeps it stationary. Once the robot has rotated according to the rotation angle to adjust its direction of travel so that it is directly facing the platform, it can then be further controlled to move along its current direction of travel towards the platform.

[0030] During the process of the cleaning device moving toward the platform, if it is determined that the distance between the cleaning device and the obstacle in front decreases, and / or if it is determined that the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning device is greater than a first predetermined threshold, the cleaning device is determined to have arrived at the platform.

[0031] Understandably, during the process of controlling the robot to move towards the platform, distance sensors (such as ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, or lidar) located at the robot's front end can be used to detect whether there is an "obstacle" in front of the robot. Since the robot is moving towards the platform, any "obstacle" detected during the movement can be considered as the platform itself. As the robot moves, the distance between the robot and the platform decreases. During the process of the robot moving towards the platform's sidewall from the bottom of the pool, the robot's attitude also changes, for example, its pitch angle increases. Therefore, during the process of controlling the robot to move towards the platform, the distance between the robot and the "obstacle" in front can be detected, and / or the robot's attitude can be detected by an inertial measurement unit to determine whether there is a platform sidewall in front of the robot. If it is confirmed that the distance between the robot and the "obstacle" in front has decreased, for example, to less than a predetermined distance threshold, or if the change in the robot's pitch angle is detected to be greater than a first predetermined threshold, then it can be determined that there is a platform sidewall in front of the robot, and the robot has reached the platform.

[0032] In this application, a body coordinate system (i.e., a three-dimensional orthogonal rectangular coordinate system) can be constructed for the robot. In this body coordinate system, the robot's center of mass is the origin O, the direction pointed to by the robot's head is the OX axis, the direction to the right of the robot's body is the OY axis, and the upward direction perpendicular to the XY plane of the body is the OZ axis. During the robot's rotation, the angle between the OX axis and the horizontal plane is the robot's pitch angle.

[0033] Step 103: After the cleaning device arrives at the platform, control the cleaning device to climb up the side wall of the platform and move upward along the side wall of the platform.

[0034] Specifically, after the robot arrives at the platform, it can be controlled to climb up the platform's sidewall and continue moving upwards along it to reach the platform surface, thus cleaning the surface. For example, as the robot moves upwards along the platform's sidewall (in this example, the sidewall is perpendicular to the pool bottom), it experiences an upward buoyancy force, a downward gravity force, a driving force in the same direction of travel, and a frictional force in the opposite direction. When controlling the robot to move upwards along the platform's sidewall, especially if the sidewall is smooth, the robot may have difficulty climbing onto the platform surface smoothly, or it may tip over during the climb. The robot's underside typically houses a drive mechanism (e.g., drive wheels, tracks, etc.). By providing a thrust perpendicular to the robot's back, the friction between the drive mechanism and the contact surface (i.e., the platform sidewall) can be increased; by providing a thrust along the direction of travel, the robot's speed can be increased. Therefore, when controlling the robot to move upward along the platform sidewall, a water-driven propulsion device can be used to provide the robot with a thrust towards the platform sidewall, or a thrust towards the platform sidewall and an upward thrust, thereby enabling the robot to move smoothly upward along the platform sidewall. The water-driven propulsion device may include, for example, a water pump and / or a water spray mechanism, and the thrust can be adjusted by suction and discharge.

[0035] Further, step 104 is executed to determine whether the cleaning device has reached the platform surface within a predetermined time period. If it is determined that the cleaning device has not reached the platform surface within the predetermined time period, the cleaning device is controlled to move laterally below the platform and then climb up the platform sidewall again, and move upward along the platform sidewall until it reaches the platform surface and cleans the platform surface.

[0036] Understandably, in special circumstances such as an incorrectly determined platform position, or the robot slipping or encountering obstacles while moving upwards along the platform sidewall, making it difficult to continue moving upwards, the robot's upward movement along the platform sidewall may not be able to reach the platform surface smoothly. This would make cleaning the platform surface difficult. Therefore, before cleaning the platform surface, it is necessary to determine whether the robot has reached the platform surface. Since the water depth, platform height, and robot speed are known, a predetermined time period can be set to determine whether the robot has reached the platform surface within the predetermined time period. If the robot has not reached the platform surface within the predetermined time period, it means that the robot cannot reach the platform surface using its current upward movement path along the platform sidewall. The length of the predetermined time period can be determined based on one or more of the information such as the water depth, platform height, and robot speed; this embodiment does not specify a particular time period.

[0037] If it is determined that the robot has not reached the platform surface within the predetermined time, it is necessary to control the robot to move to the bottom of the platform and move it to the side below the platform so that it can climb the platform side wall again after changing the position of climbing the platform side wall. Then, the robot is further controlled to move upward along the platform side wall so that the robot can reach the platform surface.

[0038] Of course, after the robot moves sideways under the platform once, it may not be able to reach the platform surface smoothly. At this time, the robot can be controlled to move under the platform again, move sideways under the platform again, and climb up the platform side wall again. This process is repeated until the robot reaches the platform surface and completes the cleaning of the platform surface.

[0039] For example, it is determined that the cleaning device has not reached the platform surface within the predetermined time period if any of the following conditions are met: during the upward movement of the cleaning device along the side wall of the platform, the cleaning device is at least partially exposed above the water surface but the platform surface is not detected; and during the upward movement of the cleaning device along the side wall of the platform, the cleaning device detects the platform surface but does not reach the platform surface within the predetermined time period.

[0040] Specifically, in one scenario, such as when there is a deviation or error in image recognition or when there is a deviation or error in platform positioning, the robot may not move towards the platform, but instead move to another location, such as the pool wall of a swimming pool, and thus mistake the pool wall for the side wall of the platform. Figure 2 One of the schematic diagrams of the automatic pool cleaning device climbing platform provided in this application is shown, such as... Figure 2As shown, in the above scenario, moving upwards along the pool wall when the robot moves to another location does not allow it to reach the platform. Furthermore, as the robot moves upwards along the pool wall, it gradually emerges from the water as its height increases. Therefore, if it is detected that the robot has at least partially emerged from the water but the platform is still not detected (e.g., the downward-facing sensor on the bottom of the robot is not triggered or the reading of the downward-facing sensor is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold during the robot's upward movement along the pool wall), it is considered that the robot's current upward path is unlikely to "climb" onto the platform.

[0041] In another scenario, for example, there may be obstructions such as wall lamps on the side wall of the platform. Under the interference of such obstructions, even if the robot detects the platform surface within the predetermined time, the robot may have difficulty "climbing" onto the platform surface smoothly. Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram of the automatic water tank cleaning device climbing platform provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown in the diagram, under the aforementioned circumstances, it is difficult for the robot to reach the platform when there are obstacles. Prolonged and repeated attempts could quickly deplete the robot's battery, affecting its cleaning efficiency. Therefore, it can be concluded that in this situation, the robot's current upward path is unlikely to "climb" onto the platform.

[0042] Wherein, during the upward movement of the cleaning device along the sidewall of the platform, if the cleaning device is at least partially exposed above the water surface but the platform surface is not detected, the step of controlling the cleaning device to move laterally below the platform and then climb back up the sidewall of the platform includes: controlling the cleaning device to move downward from the sidewall of the platform to below the platform; controlling the cleaning device to move a first predetermined distance along a first predetermined direction below the platform and then climb back up the sidewall of the platform, wherein the angle between the first predetermined direction and the sidewall of the platform is less than or equal to a first angle.

[0043] Specifically, when the robot is at least partially above the water surface but the platform surface is not detected, the robot can be controlled to move downwards along the platform sidewall to below the platform. Then, the robot can be controlled to move a first distance in a first predetermined direction below the platform before climbing back up the platform sidewall and moving upwards again along the sidewall to reach the platform surface. This process continues until the robot reaches the platform surface for cleaning (see below). Figure 4(Example illustration). It is understood that if the robot has at least partially emerged from the water but has not yet detected the platform, it usually means the robot has not located the platform correctly. Therefore, the robot needs to move a considerable distance to the side to relocate the platform. In this case, the robot can be controlled to move a first predetermined distance along a first predetermined direction below the platform and then climb back onto the platform sidewall, where the angle between the first predetermined direction and the platform sidewall is less than or equal to a first angle. The magnitude of the first angle and the first predetermined distance can be preset as needed. The first angle can be, for example, a relatively small angle (e.g., between 0 and 25 degrees). The smaller the first angle, the closer the robot's movement direction is to being parallel or equal to the platform sidewall, allowing the robot to move a relatively long distance more quickly in a direction relatively parallel to the platform sidewall.

[0044] Figure 4 One of the schematic diagrams of the lateral movement of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application is shown, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the robot can move laterally under the platform (e.g., on the bottom of a pool) in a "bow" shaped path. For example, the robot could be controlled to move under the platform first (i.e.,... Figure 4 The path ① in the middle); thus, it is possible to control the robot to retreat a certain distance below the platform (i.e. Figure 4 After following path ②), the platform makes its first turn, which can be a turn in a first predetermined direction. The angle between the first predetermined direction and the side wall of the platform can be equal to a first angle (the first angle can be 0 degrees or close to 0 degrees, for example); then it moves a first predetermined distance along the first predetermined direction (i.e., Figure 4 After following path ③), the robot can climb the platform sidewall again. This can be done by controlling the robot to make a second turn, which can be in the opposite direction to the first turn, and the degree of the second turn can be the same as the first turn. After the second turn, control the robot to move towards the platform sidewall (i.e.,...). Figure 4 (Path ④) and climb up the platform sidewall again. Here, one lateral movement may not be enough to move the robot to the platform surface; it may take multiple attempts to get the robot to the platform surface. Therefore, it is necessary to control the robot to laterally move at least once.

[0045] Wherein, during the upward movement of the cleaning device along the sidewall of the platform, if the cleaning device detects the platform surface but does not reach it within the predetermined time period, the step of controlling the cleaning device to move laterally below the platform and then climb back up the sidewall of the platform includes: controlling the cleaning device to move downward from the sidewall of the platform to below the platform; controlling the cleaning device to move a second predetermined distance along a second predetermined direction below the platform and then climb back up the sidewall of the platform, wherein the angle between the second predetermined direction and the sidewall of the platform is greater than or equal to a second angle.

[0046] Specifically, if the robot detects the platform surface within a predetermined time period (e.g., the downward-facing sensor on the bottom of the robot is triggered or the reading of the downward-facing sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold while the robot is moving upward along the pool wall), but fails to reach the platform surface, the robot can be controlled to move downward along the platform side wall to below the platform. Then, the robot can be controlled to move a first distance in a first predetermined direction below the platform before climbing back up the platform side wall and moving upward again via the platform side wall to reach the platform surface. This process continues until the robot reaches the platform surface for cleaning (see below). Figure 5 (This is illustrated by an example.) It is understood that if the robot detects the platform surface but has difficulty reaching it, it indicates that the robot's determined platform position is correct. The difficulty in reaching the platform surface from the current position may be due to obstacles or other reasons. Therefore, the robot only needs to move a short distance to the side to avoid the obstacle before moving towards the platform surface again. In this case, the robot can be controlled to move a second predetermined distance along a second predetermined direction below the platform and then climb onto the platform sidewall again, where the angle between the second predetermined direction and the platform sidewall is greater than or equal to a second angle. The size of the second angle and the second predetermined distance can be preset as needed. The second angle can be, for example, a relatively large angle (e.g., between 30 and 60 degrees). The larger the second angle, the larger the angle between the robot's movement direction and the platform sidewall. Thus, by moving in this second predetermined direction, the robot can smoothly move a relatively short distance in a direction parallel to the platform sidewall.

[0047] Figure 5 This is shown as a second schematic diagram of the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in this application during lateral movement, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the robot can move laterally in a "V" shaped path under the platform. For example, it can first be controlled to move the robot to the bottom of the platform (i.e., Figure 5 The path ① in the middle); thus, it is possible to control the robot to retreat a certain distance below the platform (i.e. Figure 5After following path ②), the robot makes its first turn, which can be a rotation in a second predetermined direction. The angle between the second predetermined direction and the platform sidewall can be, for example, equal to a second angle (the second angle can be, for example, 60 degrees). After the first turn, the robot moves a second predetermined distance (i.e., ...) towards the platform sidewall. Figure 5 (Path ③) After moving the second predetermined distance, control the robot to climb onto the platform sidewall again. Here, one lateral movement may not necessarily move the robot to the platform surface; it may require multiple attempts to get the robot to the platform surface. Therefore, it is necessary to control the robot to laterally move at least once.

[0048] The control method for the automatic pool cleaning device provided in this application can identify the position of the platform at the bottom of the pool, and then control the robot to move towards the platform according to the platform's position, so that the robot can "climb" onto the platform surface by passing through the platform's side wall, thereby achieving the robot's cleaning of the platform surface. This control method enables the robot to clean the platform surfaces of multi-platform pools with complex terrain, achieving more comprehensive pool bottom cleaning.

[0049] Furthermore, when the cleaning device reaches the platform surface, the cleaning device is controlled to move on the platform surface until the cleaning of the platform surface is completed.

[0050] Understandably, once the robot reaches the platform surface, it can be controlled to move and clean the surface. For better and more comprehensive cleaning, a full-coverage cleaning path can be used to move and clean the platform surface.

[0051] For example, a full-coverage cleaning path can include a bow-shaped cleaning path or a U-shaped cleaning path. The cleaning path is not necessarily a pre-planned movement trajectory; in this field, a cleaning path typically refers to a pre-defined movement rule. A bow-shaped cleaning path involves moving longitudinally in a first direction within the target area, then turning laterally as you approach the edge of the target area. After moving a certain distance, you continue moving longitudinally in the opposite direction, repeating this process until the target area is cleaned. The longitudinal and lateral paths are perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to each other. A U-shaped cleaning path involves moving along the edge of the target area, forming a closed or semi-closed "U" shape. Its core principle is a cyclical movement of "outer wrapping, inner nesting."

[0052] It should be noted that the above description of the full-coverage cleaning path is merely exemplary, and the full-coverage cleaning path protected by this application is not limited to the contents listed above. Those skilled in the art can set up and plan the full-coverage cleaning path according to the actual situation, as long as it can achieve the technical principles of this application.

[0053] Furthermore, after cleaning the platform surface, the control method further includes: determining the water depth at the location of the cleaning device; and if the water depth is less than a predetermined depth threshold, controlling the cleaning device to move through the side wall of the platform to below the platform.

[0054] Specifically, after the robot cleans the platform surface, the water depth at the robot's current location can be determined.

[0055] If the water depth is less than a predetermined threshold, it indicates that the robot is about to emerge from the water or has already partially emerged. In this case, the robot no longer needs to find a higher platform for cleaning and can be controlled to move along the side wall of the platform to below it. After moving below the platform, it can continue to identify and clean platforms located in other directions.

[0056] If the water depth is greater than the predetermined depth threshold, it means that the robot is completely submerged in the water. At this time, the robot can be controlled to continue to identify platforms on the current platform to identify other platforms located on the current platform and at a higher height, and then the robot can be further controlled to clean the other platforms.

[0057] According to a second aspect of this application, an automatic water tank cleaning device is also provided. The automatic water tank cleaning device is capable of performing the control methods described in the various embodiments above. The principles and schemes of the control methods are as described above in conjunction with the various embodiments and accompanying drawings, and will not be repeated here.

[0058] According to a third aspect of this application, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which a computer program is stored. When executed by a processor, the computer program implements a control method for the automatic water tank cleaning device provided in the above embodiments. The control method includes: determining the position of a platform in the water tank; controlling the cleaning device to move toward the platform based on the position; after the cleaning device arrives at the platform, controlling the cleaning device to climb up the side wall of the platform and move upward along the side wall; determining whether the upward movement of the cleaning device can reach the platform surface; if the cleaning device cannot reach the platform surface, controlling the cleaning device to move laterally below the platform and then climb up the side wall of the platform again, and move upward along the side wall until reaching the platform surface, thus completing the cleaning of the platform surface. The principle and scheme of the control method are described above in conjunction with the various embodiments and accompanying drawings, and will not be repeated here.

[0059] Fourthly, this application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program that can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the computer can execute the control method for the automatic water tank cleaning device provided by the above methods. The control method includes: determining the position of a platform in the water tank; controlling the cleaning device to move towards the platform based on the position; after the cleaning device reaches the platform, controlling the cleaning device to climb up the side wall of the platform and move upward along the side wall; determining whether the upward movement of the cleaning device can reach the platform surface; if the cleaning device cannot reach the platform surface, controlling the cleaning device to move laterally below the platform and then climb up the side wall of the platform again, and move upward along the side wall until reaching the platform surface, thus completing the cleaning of the platform surface. The principle and scheme of the control method are described above in conjunction with various embodiments and accompanying drawings, and will not be repeated here.

[0060] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0061] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments or some parts of the embodiments.

[0062] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of those different embodiments or examples.

[0063] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0064] In this application, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up" and "down" are generally used in relation to the direction shown in the accompanying drawings, or in relation to the vertical, perpendicular, or gravitational direction; similarly, for ease of understanding and description, "left" and "right" are generally used in relation to the left and right shown in the accompanying drawings; "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself, but the above directional terms are not intended to limit this application.

[0065] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various variations or substitutions within the technical scope described in this application, and these should all be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A control method for an automatic water tank cleaning device, the cleaning device being used to clean a water tank, the bottom of the water tank including a platform, the platform including platform sidewalls and platform surface, the control method comprising: Determine the location of the platform within the pool; Based on the location, the cleaning device is controlled to move toward the platform; After the cleaning device arrives at the platform, control the cleaning device to climb up the side wall of the platform and move upward along the side wall of the platform; Determine whether the cleaning device reaches the platform surface within a predetermined time period, wherein, If it is determined that the cleaning device has not reached the platform surface within the predetermined time period, the cleaning device is controlled to move laterally below the platform and then climb up the platform sidewall again, and move upward along the platform sidewall until it reaches the platform surface and cleans the platform surface.

2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, If any of the following conditions are met, it is determined that the cleaning device has not reached the platform surface within the predetermined time period: As the cleaning device moves upward along the side wall of the platform, the cleaning device is at least partially exposed above the water surface but the platform surface is not detected. as well as, During the upward movement of the cleaning device along the side wall of the platform, the cleaning device detects the platform surface but does not reach it within the predetermined time period.

3. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, During the upward movement of the cleaning device along the platform sidewall, if the cleaning device is at least partially exposed above the water surface but the platform surface is not detected, controlling the cleaning device to move laterally below the platform and then climb back up the platform sidewall includes: Control the cleaning device to move downwards from the side wall of the platform to below the platform; The cleaning device is controlled to move a first predetermined distance along a first predetermined direction below the platform and then climb up the side wall of the platform again, wherein the angle between the first predetermined direction and the side wall of the platform is less than or equal to a first angle.

4. The control method according to claim 2, wherein, During the upward movement of the cleaning device along the platform sidewall, if the cleaning device detects the platform surface but does not reach it within the predetermined time period, controlling the cleaning device to move laterally below the platform and then climb back up the platform sidewall includes: Control the cleaning device to move downwards from the side wall of the platform to below the platform; The cleaning device is controlled to move a second predetermined distance along a second predetermined direction below the platform and then climb up the side wall of the platform again, wherein the angle between the second predetermined direction and the side wall of the platform is greater than or equal to a second angle.

5. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, The cleaning device includes an image acquisition component, and determining the position of the platform in the pool includes: The image acquisition component acquires an image of the pool; Determine whether a platform exists in the pool image; if so, obtain the location of the platform.

6. The control method according to claim 5, wherein, The process of acquiring images of the pool using the image acquisition component includes: Control the cleaning device or the image acquisition component to rotate by a predetermined angle; During the rotation of the cleaning device or the image acquisition component, the image acquisition component acquires images of the pool.

7. The control method according to claim 1, wherein, During the movement of the cleaning device toward the platform, if it is determined that the distance between the cleaning device and the obstacle in front decreases, and / or if it is determined that the change in the pitch angle of the cleaning device is greater than a first predetermined threshold, the cleaning device is determined to have reached the platform.

8. The control method according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein, When the cleaning device reaches the platform surface, control the cleaning device to move on the platform surface until the cleaning of the platform surface is completed.

9. The control method according to any one of claims 1-7, further comprising, after cleaning the platform surface is completed: Determine the water depth at the location of the cleaning device; If the water depth is less than a predetermined depth threshold, the cleaning device is controlled to move through the side wall of the platform to below the platform.

10. A cleaning device comprising a memory and a processor, the memory storing computer program instructions, the processor executing the control method of any one of claims 1-9 when processing the program instructions.

Images