Pool cleaning robot detrapping method and cleaning robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a pool cleaning robot escape method and a cleaning robot, and the method comprises the steps: controlling the cleaning robot to run in a swimming pool or a pool so as to execute cleaning operation; in the driving process, operation parameters or posture information of the cleaning robot is obtained, and whether the cleaning robot is sucked and trapped or not is judged according to the operation parameters or the posture information, namely, the cleaning robot is in a sucked and trapped state; if the cleaning robot is in the adsorption clamping state, a de-trapping action is executed; wherein the escape action comprises adjustment of the magnitude and / or direction of the driving force. The situation that the cleaning robot is sucked and stuck can be detected, and the corresponding getting-out capacity is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cleaning robot technology, and in particular to a method for a pool cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation and the cleaning robot itself. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with technological advancements and the development of the internet, robotics technology has matured and is widely applied in various aspects of life. Looking at the market, a large number of specialized robots have emerged, among which pool cleaning robots have significantly helped users solve a large amount of cleaning work. They are used to clean mud, grime, algae, and other debris from the bottom and sidewalls of pools to maintain their cleanliness.

[0003] Some swimming pools are equipped with filtration systems such as sand filters and water purifiers, so there are various sizes of drain covers. When the filtration system is working, the drain outlets of the drain covers pump water, generating considerable suction. Therefore, when swimming pool cleaning robots are cleaning the bottom of the pool, they often pass by the drain outlets of the drain covers and can easily get sucked in, causing the cleaning robot to become stuck and unable to move or advance. In other words, the robot is in a stuck state and cannot continue cleaning normally.

[0004] Therefore, how to detect when a cleaning robot is stuck and how to free it from this predicament has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for a water pool cleaning robot to get out of trouble and a cleaning robot, which can detect that the cleaning robot is stuck in an adsorption state and improve its ability to get out of trouble.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for a water tank cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation, comprising: Control the cleaning robot to move within the pool to perform cleaning tasks; During operation, the robot's operating parameters or posture information are acquired, and based on these parameters or posture information, it is determined whether the robot is stuck or trapped. If the cleaning robot is stuck due to suction, it will perform an escape action; The escape action includes adjusting the magnitude and / or direction of the driving force.

[0007] Secondly, the present invention also provides a cleaning robot, the cleaning robot comprising: A filtration device is used to filter the water entering the cleaning robot; The walking mechanism is used to drive the cleaning robot to walk on the support surface; The water spray mechanism is used to provide water flow force for the cleaning robot; One or more processors; Storage device for storing one or more programs; When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the escape method as provided in the first aspect.

[0008] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: by acquiring the operating parameters or posture information of the cleaning robot during its operation, it can detect whether the cleaning robot is in a stuck state, and when a stuck state is detected, it can adjust the driving force to achieve freeing. This application can efficiently detect the stuck state and improve the cleaning robot's corresponding freeing ability. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for a water tank cleaning robot to escape from a stuck situation, provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a water tank cleaning robot's escape method according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a cleaning robot provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0010] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, and not all of the structures.

[0011] Before discussing the exemplary embodiments in more detail, it should be noted that some exemplary embodiments are described as processes or methods depicted as flowcharts. Although the flowcharts describe the steps as sequential processes, many of these steps can be performed in parallel, concurrently, or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of the steps can be rearranged. A process can be terminated when its operation is complete, but it may also have additional steps not included in the figures. A process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subprogram, etc.

[0012] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various directions, actions, steps, or elements, but these directions, actions, steps, or elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one direction, action, step, or element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, first information may be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may be referred to as first information. Both first information and second information are information, but they are not the same information. The terms "first," "second," etc., should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0013] Please refer to Figure 1 A method for a pool or swimming pool cleaning robot to escape from a stuck situation, comprising: Control the cleaning robot to move within the pool to perform cleaning tasks; During operation, the robot's operating parameters or posture information are acquired, and based on these parameters or posture information, it is determined whether the robot is stuck or trapped. If the cleaning robot is stuck due to suction, it will perform an escape action; The escape action includes adjusting the magnitude and / or direction of the driving force.

[0014] As described above, it can detect when a cleaning robot gets stuck and improve its ability to escape.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the operating parameters include the current value of the drive motor of the walking mechanism, and the attitude information includes the yaw angle change; the walking mechanism includes the wheels of the cleaning robot or wheels with tracks.

[0016] The step of determining whether the cleaning robot is in a stuck state based on the operating parameters or attitude information includes: if the change in the drive motor current value or yaw angle meets a preset condition, then the cleaning robot is determined to be in a stuck state. The stuck state referred to in this application refers to the state in which the cleaning robot is stuck and unable to move while underwater.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the preset conditions include: Within a preset first time period, the average or maximum value of the drive motor current is greater than a preset current threshold. Alternatively, within a preset second time period, the change in yaw angle is less than a preset angle threshold.

[0018] As described above, when a cleaning robot is stuck in a suction-induced state, the load on the wheels will change, and the robot body may be unable to move. Therefore, the cleaning robot can be judged to be stuck in a suction-induced state by monitoring the changes in the drive motor current and yaw angle.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the driving force includes at least one of the water flow force of the spray mechanism, the force of the traveling mechanism, and the buoyancy of the cleaning robot.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, the escape action includes: adjusting the robot's buoyancy to escape the entrapment by causing the cleaning robot to float.

[0021] As described above, the cleaning robot can escape its stuck state by floating to the surface.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, the execution of the escape action includes: performing at least one of the first escape action, the second escape action, and the third escape action.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, if the cleaning robot is stuck in an adsorption state, the step of performing an escape action includes: If the cleaning robot is stuck in an adsorption state, it will perform the first escape action; If the cleaning robot is still stuck after performing the first escape action (pre-set first number), then the second escape action will be performed. If the cleaning robot is still stuck after performing the second escape action (pre-set second number), then the third escape action will be performed. If the cleaning robot remains stuck after performing the third, preset escape action, an alarm will be triggered.

[0024] As described above, the system attempts to escape the obstacle multiple times to increase the likelihood of success. If the obstacle remains unaccounted for after several attempts, an alarm is triggered to notify the user for assistance.

[0025] In an optional embodiment, the first escape action includes: Adjust the force of the water flow from the spray mechanism; Alternatively, adjust the magnitude of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism and adjust the magnitude and / or direction of the force of the traveling mechanism.

[0026] The water spraying mechanism mentioned in this application includes a water pump for a cleaning robot. The water pump is used to guide water flow from the water inlet at the bottom of the cleaning robot, through the internal filtration device of the cleaning robot, and then discharge it to the outside of the cleaning robot from the top or side drain outlet.

[0027] When the water spraying mechanism includes a water pump, reducing the magnitude of the water flow force of the water spraying mechanism, or directly turning off the water pump, can reduce the downward pressure generated by the water flowing out of the drain outlet, thereby reducing the suction force; in addition, it can also reduce the friction between the cleaning robot and the support surface, thereby increasing the traveling speed of the cleaning robot.

[0028] The water spraying mechanism can also include a water spraying propulsion mechanism independent of the water pump and drain outlet, which can improve the driving force of the cleaning robot. When it is necessary to change the direction of the water flow force of the water spraying mechanism, it can be achieved by changing the rotation direction of the blades of the water spraying propulsion mechanism, rotating the guide pipe of the water spraying mechanism, or switching the drain outlets at different positions.

[0029] By increasing the force of the propulsion mechanism and controlling the cleaning robot to move in different directions, the robot's speed can be further increased, thus improving its ability to escape obstacles.

[0030] In an optional embodiment, the second escape action includes: Adjust the direction of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism; Alternatively, adjust the direction of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism and adjust the magnitude and / or direction of the force of the traveling mechanism.

[0031] As described above, by adjusting the direction of the water flow force of the water spray structure to be backward, the downward pressure generated by the water spray mechanism can be reduced, and the traveling speed of the cleaning robot can be increased. By increasing the magnitude of the force of the traveling mechanism and controlling the cleaning robot to travel in different directions, the traveling speed of the cleaning robot can be further improved, and the possibility of getting out of trouble can be increased.

[0032] In an optional embodiment, the third escape action includes: Adjust the direction and magnitude of the water flow force of the spray mechanism; Alternatively, the direction and magnitude of the water flow force of the spray mechanism can be adjusted, as well as the magnitude and / or direction of the force of the traveling mechanism. In an optional embodiment, while adjusting the direction of the driving force of the traveling mechanism, such as the wheels, the direction can be continuously adjusted, thereby causing the cleaning robot to travel along a curve.

[0033] As described above, by adjusting the direction of the water flow force of the water spray structure to be backward and increasing the magnitude of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism, the traveling speed of the cleaning robot can be increased; by increasing the magnitude of the force of the traveling mechanism and controlling the cleaning robot to move and rotate in different directions, the traveling speed of the cleaning robot can be further improved, increasing the possibility of getting out of trouble.

[0034] In an optional embodiment, prior to performing the escape action, the method further includes: To determine whether a cleaning robot is close to a wall, for example, by using distance sensors at the front or rear of the cleaning robot to determine whether the front or rear of the robot is close to a wall; If the robot is close to a wall, it will rotate to a preset angle and then perform the escape action to avoid colliding with the wall during the escape process.

[0035] As described above, when the cleaning robot approaches a wall, it is first controlled to rotate before performing an escape maneuver to prevent the robot from crashing into the wall during the escape maneuver, thus ensuring the robot's safety.

[0036] The present invention also provides a cleaning robot, the cleaning robot comprising: A filtration device is used to filter the water entering the cleaning robot; The walking mechanism is used to drive the cleaning robot to walk on the support surface; The water spray mechanism is used to provide water flow force for the cleaning robot; One or more processors; Storage device for storing one or more programs; When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the escape method as described above.

[0037] Figure 2 A method for a water tank cleaning robot to escape from a stuck situation is shown, including the following steps: S1: Controls the cleaning robot to move within the pool, either along the edge or to perform cleaning tasks.

[0038] S2: During the movement, determine whether the cleaning robot is stuck in an adsorption state. If yes, proceed to step S3. If no, continue moving along the edge or performing cleaning operations.

[0039] In some optional embodiments, the presence or absence of the cleaning robot in a stuck state is determined based on its operating parameters during operation. Specifically, during operation, the cleaning robot's operating parameters are acquired. If these parameters meet preset conditions, the cleaning robot is determined to be stuck. In optional embodiments, the operating parameters include the current value of the drive motor of the walking mechanism. The preset condition is that the average or maximum value of the drive motor current within a preset first time period is greater than a preset current threshold. The preset current threshold can be a fixed value or determined based on the drive motor current during normal robot operation. For example, the drive motor current is acquired at a certain frequency and filtered. If the cleaning robot is in a normal walking state, the drive motor current is constant. When the cleaning robot is stuck, the load increases, and the drive motor current changes significantly. Therefore, if the average value of the drive motor current over a period of time is greater than the preset current threshold, the cleaning robot is considered to be stuck. It should be noted that the drive motor current value referred to in this application is the current value after removing abnormal data.

[0040] In some optional embodiments, the presence or absence of the cleaning robot in a stuck state is determined based on its posture information during operation. Specifically, during operation, the robot's posture information is acquired, and if the posture information meets preset conditions, the robot is determined to be stuck. In optional embodiments, the posture information includes the change in yaw angle, and the preset condition is that the change in yaw angle within a preset second time period is less than a preset angle threshold. It should be noted that the change in yaw angle detected in this application is calculated based on yaw angle values ​​after removing abnormal data.

[0041] If the cleaning robot is in normal walking mode or in a non-adhesive stuck state, it will slip underwater, causing a change in its yaw angle, for example, from 0° to 5°. If walking normally, the cleaning robot will automatically adjust its angle. Since the yaw angle provided by the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is relatively accurate, the change in yaw angle can be detected by the IMU to determine whether the cleaning robot has slipped. If it has not slipped, it is considered that an adhesive stuck phenomenon has occurred. In this case, the yaw angle detected by the IMU does not change for a long time or the change is small.

[0042] S3: Perform the escape maneuver. This maneuver includes adjusting the magnitude and direction of the driving force, which may include at least one of the following: the water flow force from the water jet structure, the force from the propulsion mechanism, and the buoyancy of the cleaning robot. Since the escape maneuver has already been described, it will not be repeated here.

[0043] Furthermore, in some embodiments, after successfully escaping the obstacle, the cleaning robot is controlled to search for the pool wall or continue cleaning operations.

[0044] Furthermore, if the robot still fails to escape after performing the above escape actions, meaning it remains stuck in the suction state, it indicates that the suction force of the suction port is too strong, and the robot cannot escape on its own. In this case, an alarm message needs to be sent to the application to inform the user that the escape attempt has failed and that the user needs to manually help the robot escape.

[0045] Figure 3 A cleaning robot is shown, the cleaning robot comprising: Filter device 301 is used to filter the water flow entering the cleaning robot; The walking mechanism 302 is used to drive the cleaning robot to walk on the support surface; The water spray mechanism 303 is used to provide water flow force for the cleaning robot; One or more processors 304; Storage device 305 is used to store one or more programs; When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors 304, the one or more processors 304 implement the various processes in the above-described embodiment of the method for escaping a water tank cleaning robot, and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0046] In summary, the pool cleaning robot escape method and cleaning robot provided by the present invention can efficiently detect the trapped state and improve the corresponding escape ability of the cleaning robot.

[0047] Based on the above description of the implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the present invention can be implemented using software and necessary general-purpose hardware, and of course, it can also be implemented using hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, 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 a computer floppy disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, hard disk, or optical disk, etc., including 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 of the present invention.

[0048] It is worth noting that in the embodiments of the above-mentioned device, the various units and modules included are only divided according to functional logic, but are not limited to the above division, as long as the corresponding functions can be achieved; in addition, the specific names of each functional unit are only for easy distinction between each other and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any combination or substitution of technical features in various embodiments are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

[0049] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modifications made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for a water tank cleaning robot to escape from a difficult situation, characterized in that, include: Control the cleaning robot to move within the pool to perform cleaning tasks; During operation, the robot's operating parameters or posture information are acquired, and based on these parameters or posture information, it is determined whether the robot is stuck or trapped. If the cleaning robot is stuck due to suction, it will perform an escape action; The escape action includes adjusting the magnitude and / or direction of the driving force.

2. The escape method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operating parameters include the current value of the drive motor of the walking mechanism, and the attitude information includes the yaw angle change. The step of determining whether the cleaning robot is stuck in an adsorption state based on the operating parameters or attitude information includes: if the change in the current value or yaw angle of the drive motor meets the preset conditions, then the cleaning robot is determined to be stuck in an adsorption state.

3. The escape method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The preset conditions include: The drive motor current value is greater than a preset current threshold, or the yaw angle change is less than a preset angle threshold.

4. The escape method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive motor current value includes the maximum current value or the average current value within a preset first time period; the yaw angle change includes the change in yaw angle within a preset second time period.

5. The escape method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving force includes at least one of the following: the water flow force of the spray mechanism, the force of the traveling mechanism, and the buoyancy of the cleaning robot.

6. The escape method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The extrication action includes: adjusting the robot's buoyancy to extricate the cleaning robot from its predicament by causing it to float.

7. The escape method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The water spraying mechanism includes a water pump, which guides water to flow in from the water inlet at the bottom of the cleaning robot, and after passing through the internal filtration device of the cleaning robot, it is discharged to the outside of the cleaning robot from the drain outlet at the top or side of the cleaning robot.

8. The escape method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The adjustment of the driving force includes adjusting the power of the water pump to 0.

9. The escape method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The execution of the escape action includes: performing at least one of the first escape action, the second escape action, and the third escape action.

10. The escape method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, If the cleaning robot is stuck in an adsorption state, an escape action will be performed, including: If the cleaning robot is stuck in an adsorption state, it will perform the first escape action; If the cleaning robot is still stuck after performing the first escape action (pre-set first number), then the second escape action will be performed. If the cleaning robot is still stuck after performing the second escape action (pre-set second number), then the third escape action will be performed. If the cleaning robot remains stuck after performing the third, preset escape action, an alarm will be triggered.

11. The escape method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first escape action includes: Adjust the force of the water flow from the spray mechanism; Alternatively, adjust the magnitude of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism and adjust the magnitude and / or direction of the force of the traveling mechanism; The second escape action includes: Adjust the direction of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism; Alternatively, adjust the direction of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism and adjust the magnitude and / or direction of the force of the traveling mechanism; The third escape action includes: Adjust the direction and magnitude of the water flow force of the spray mechanism; Alternatively, adjust the direction and magnitude of the water flow force of the water spray mechanism and adjust the magnitude and / or direction of the force of the traveling mechanism.

12. The escape method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The direction of the force applied by the adjusting mechanism includes the direction of continuous adjustment.

13. The escape method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Before performing the escape maneuver, the following also applies: Determine if the front or back of the cleaning robot is close to a wall; If it gets close to a wall, control the cleaning robot to rotate to a preset angle and then perform the escape action.

14. A cleaning robot, characterized in that, The cleaning robot includes: A filtration device is used to filter the water entering the cleaning robot; The walking mechanism is used to drive the cleaning robot to walk on the support surface; The water spray mechanism is used to provide water flow force for the cleaning robot; One or more processors; Storage device for storing one or more programs; When the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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