Automatic pool cleaning system, automatic pool cleaning equipment and corresponding method

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic pool cleaning device, an automatic pool cleaning system and a method for controlling the automatic pool cleaning device. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring data about a boundary of a to-be-cleaned area in a pool; determining a path for cleaning the to-be-cleaned area; and controlling the automatic pool cleaning equipment to move according to the path so as to clean the to-be-cleaned area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to automatic pool cleaning systems and equipment in the field of automatic cleaning, and to methods for controlling automatic pool cleaning equipment. Background Technology

[0002] For pool facilities such as swimming pools, automatic pool cleaning equipment can be used for automatic or assisted cleaning. For example, automatic pool cleaning equipment can be designed to operate its cleaning mechanism while moving on the bottom, walls, and / or surface of the pool to filter pool water and absorb waste. Summary of the Invention

[0003] A method for controlling an automatic water tank cleaning device is disclosed, comprising: acquiring boundary data of a region to be cleaned in the water tank, the region to be cleaned being a portion of the water tank; determining a path for cleaning the region to be cleaned based on the boundary data; and controlling the automatic water tank cleaning device to move along the path to clean the region to be cleaned.

[0004] In one or more embodiments, the boundary data includes at least one of the following: a graphic drawn on a pool map displayed on the terminal side of the automatic pool cleaning device; multiple coordinates added to the pool map displayed on the terminal side of the automatic pool cleaning device; and multiple pixels selected on the pool map displayed on the terminal side of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0005] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes displaying the boundary of the area to be cleaned and the path on a pool map displayed on the terminal side of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0006] In one or more embodiments, the path is generated by the automatic pool cleaning device or the terminal based on the boundary data.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the starting point of the path includes: a point on the boundary of the area to be cleaned that is closest to the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device in the pool; or a point at or near a vertex of at least one boundary line of the area to be cleaned.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes: controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move to the starting point before controlling the automatic pool cleaning device to move along the path.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the method further includes sending information about the cleaning progress of the area to be cleaned to a terminal of the automatic pool cleaning device.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the boundary data is sent from the terminal of the automatic pool cleaning device to the automatic pool cleaning device via Bluetooth, WIFI, underwater acoustic communication or optical communication.

[0011] An automatic pool cleaning device is also disclosed, comprising: a transceiver configured to send and receive data with the terminal when the automatic pool cleaning device establishes a communication connection with the corresponding terminal; and a controller configured to execute the method described above by running program instructions.

[0012] A computer-readable storage medium is also disclosed, on which program instructions are stored, which, when run, can perform the methods described above.

[0013] An automatic pool cleaning system is also disclosed, including an automatic pool cleaning device and a terminal. The terminal includes: a screen configured to display a map of the pool, and the ability to specify the boundaries of areas to be cleaned in the pool by drawing graphics on the displayed map and / or adding coordinates and / or selecting pixels; and a transceiver configured to send and receive data with the automatic pool cleaning device when a communication connection is established between the terminal and the automatic pool cleaning device. The automatic pool cleaning device is configured to receive data sent by the terminal and perform the aforementioned method based on the received data.

[0014] The systems and methods in the embodiments of this disclosure enable dynamic division of cleaning areas under temporary cleaning task-driven needs, and are beneficial for improving path planning efficiency and coverage integrity, reducing operational energy consumption, and reducing duplicate paths. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 An example of an automatic pool cleaning system in an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated schematically.

[0016] Figure 2 An example of a method for controlling an automatic water tank cleaning device is illustrated schematically in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3 An example illustrating the determination of the boundary of an area to be cleaned in a pool in an embodiment of this disclosure is shown schematically.

[0018] Figure 4 An example of determining a path for cleaning an area to be cleaned is illustrated schematically in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent parts are given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are not repeated.

[0020] For automatic pool cleaning equipment, a path for performing cleaning operations is usually preset, and the pool cleaning equipment is controlled to move in the pool according to the preset path and clean the areas it passes through during the movement.

[0021] However, for complex scenarios such as reservoirs and aquariums, or for complex cleaning operations such as ship cleaning, it is often necessary to quickly designate a local area as the target area to be cleaned based on real-time task instructions, and temporarily set a path for performing the cleaning operation for that local area. Then, the automatic cleaning equipment of the pool is controlled to move along the temporarily determined path to perform a thorough cleaning operation on the designated local area.

[0022] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure can support such temporary cleaning tasks for local areas, help users quickly designate a local area as the target area to be cleaned, intelligently realize cleaning path planning for the local area, and ensure cleaning coverage of the local area to be cleaned.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the automatic pool cleaning system 100 of the present disclosure may include an automatic pool cleaning device 110 and a terminal 120 for the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0024] The automatic pool cleaning device 110 may have a housing. For example, an inlet and an outlet may be configured on the housing, and a water pump, a filter, and a drive mechanism may be configured inside the housing. For example, the drive mechanism may include power components such as a motor, a water pump, and gears that provide and / or transmit driving force, as well as components driven by the power components such as wheels, tracks, spray nozzles, and propellers that enable the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move or swim in water, on the water surface, and / or on the pool wall.

[0025] For example, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can move on the bottom, wall, or surface of the pool using its drive mechanism. Simultaneously, a suction device, such as a water pump, draws pool water, along with debris or waste, from the inlet into the filtration device (e.g., a filter box equipped with filter elements) of the automatic pool cleaning device 110. Then, the suction device, such as a water pump, draws the pool water out of the filtration device and guides it to the outlet, ultimately discharging it back into the pool. The debris or waste in the pool water is adsorbed or trapped in the filtration device by the filter elements, thus cleaning the pool.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the automatic water tank cleaning device 110 is also equipped with a controller 112 and a transceiver 114.

[0027] The controller 112 may include any circuitry and / or module with data processing and / or instruction execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and is suitable for the automatic pool cleaning device 110. It may also be configured to operate according to the memory stored in the automatic pool cleaning device 110. Figure 1 The system uses programs (not shown) and / or signals and / or instructions from the control panel or terminal 120 of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 and / or sensing data from one or more sensors (e.g., spatial attitude sensor, lidar, ultrasonic sensor, infrared sensor, time-of-flight sensor, and vision sensor, etc.) of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to perform data processing and / or control related to the cleaning operation and / or other functions of the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0028] The transceiver 114 can be configured to send and receive data with the corresponding terminal 120 after the automatic pool cleaning device 110 has established a communication connection with the terminal 120 via any suitable communication protocol. For example, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can use the transceiver 114 to receive instructions and / or data from the terminal 120, and can also use the transceiver 114 to send operation status / progress information and / or collected / sensed data to the terminal 120.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, terminal 120 may be configured with controller 122, transceiver 124 and screen 126.

[0030] Terminal 120 can be a terminal device such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, or a control terminal specifically designed for the automatic pool cleaning equipment 110, such as a remote control.

[0031] Controller 122 may include any circuitry and / or module with data processing and / or instruction execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit, graphics processing unit, or field-programmable gate array, and is suitable for terminal 120, and may be configured to operate according to the memory stored in terminal 120. Figure 1 (not shown in the image) Programs, such as applications (APPs) that can be used to control the automatic pool cleaning device 110 and / or display the relevant status of the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0032] Transceiver 124 can be configured to send and receive data with automatic pool cleaning equipment 110 after a communication connection has been established between terminal 120 and automatic pool cleaning equipment 110 via any suitable communication protocol. For example, terminal 120 can use transceiver 124 to receive operation status / progress information and / or collected / sensed data from automatic pool cleaning equipment 110, and can also use transceiver 124 to send instructions and / or data to automatic pool cleaning equipment 110.

[0033] The screen 126 can display information such as a map of the pool being cleaned by the automatic pool cleaning device 110, a partial map of the area in the pool being cleaned by the automatic pool cleaning device 110, the operation progress or working status of the automatic pool cleaning device 110, and the cleaning path of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 in the form of images, graphics and / or text.

[0034] Additionally, screen 126 may include a touchscreen, enabling users to perform operations such as inputting control commands or parameters for the automatic pool cleaning device 110 (e.g., specifying operating modes such as surface cleaning, underwater cleaning, pool wall cleaning, waterline cleaning, etc.) and specifying the boundaries of local areas to be cleaned in the pool by drawing graphics on the displayed map and / or adding coordinates and / or selecting pixels.

[0035] Alternatively, terminal 120 may be configured with a keyboard, buttons, or pointing devices (e.g., mouse, stylus, etc.) to replace screen 126 as an input device, or as a supplementary input device to screen 126.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, wireless communication can be established and conducted between the automatic pool cleaning device 110 and the terminal 120 based on any suitable communication protocol, via any suitable means such as Bluetooth, WiFi, underwater acoustic communication, optical communication, or electromagnetic signal communication (e.g., radio frequency communication). Alternatively, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 and the terminal 120 can also be connected via any suitable means such as cable or fiber optic cable, based on any suitable communication protocol, enabling wired communication between the two.

[0037] For applications that require specifying a local area in a pool (including but not limited to facilities such as swimming pools, reservoirs, aquariums, etc.) as the target area to be cleaned, for example, a user can run an application on terminal 120 to monitor the automatic pool cleaning device 110, wherein the application can be configured or programmed to display a map of the pool where the automatic pool cleaning device 110 is currently located and / or the real-time location of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 in the pool.

[0038] Then, it can be executed. Figure 2 The method 200 shown temporarily determines a path for performing cleaning operations on a specified local area to be cleaned, and then controls the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move along the path, and performs a thorough cleaning operation on the specified local area to be cleaned during the movement.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 may include: step 210, acquiring boundary data about the area to be cleaned in the pool, wherein the area to be cleaned may be a part of the pool; step 220, determining a path for cleaning the area to be cleaned based on the boundary data; and step 230, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move according to the path in step 220 to clean the area to be cleaned.

[0040] In the first embodiment, method 200 can be executed by the controller 112 of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 on the side of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 by running corresponding program instructions. For example, the program instructions can be pre-stored in a storage medium that can be read by the controller 112 or a computer (e.g., the memory of the automatic pool cleaning device 110, or an external storage device such as an optical disc or flash memory), and then loaded into the memory of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 by the controller 112 for execution.

[0041] In this embodiment, before step 210, such as Figure 3 As shown, the user can use the screen 126 of the terminal 120 and / or other input devices of the terminal 120 to specify a certain area in the pool as the boundary 320 of a temporary area to be cleaned on the displayed pool map 310 by one or more methods such as drawing graphics, adding multiple coordinates, or selecting multiple pixels.

[0042] For example, the boundary of the designated area to be cleaned can be characterized by one or more suitable data such as a graphic drawn on a map, multiple coordinates added to the map, or multiple pixels selected on the map, and the terminal 120 can use its transceiver 124 to send data about the boundary of the designated local area to be cleaned to the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0043] In addition, users can use the screen 126 of terminal 120 and / or other input devices of terminal 120 to specify relevant parameters and / or information such as the type of desired cleaning path (e.g., bow path, random path, etc.), the starting position of the cleaning path, the ending position of the cleaning path, the position of one or more points that the cleaning path must pass through, and the trajectory direction of the cleaning path. Terminal 120 can use its transceiver 124 to send these parameters and / or information to the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0044] In step 210, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can use its transceiver 114 to receive data about the boundary of a local area to be cleaned in the pool from the terminal 300, thereby obtaining boundary data about the specified local area to be cleaned, such as graphics drawn on a map, multiple coordinates added to the map, and multiple pixels selected on the map.

[0045] Additionally, in step 210, or before or after step 210, or in parallel with step 210, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 may also use its transceiver 114 to receive from the terminal 300 relevant parameters and / or information about the cleaning path to be used for the boundary of the local area to be cleaned, such as the type of the desired cleaning path (e.g., bow-shaped path, random path, etc.), the starting position of the cleaning path, the ending position of the cleaning path, the position of one or more points that the cleaning path must pass through, the trajectory direction of the cleaning path, etc.

[0046] Then, the controller 112 of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can perform step 220, generating any path suitable for cleaning the local area to be cleaned, such as an arc path or a random path, based on the boundary of the specified local area to be cleaned.

[0047] In step 220, for example, the starting point of the path used to clean the localized area to be cleaned can be determined first. For example, the starting point could be a point on or near the boundary of the specified localized area to be cleaned that is closest to the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 in the pool, or it could be a vertex of one or more boundary lines of the specified localized area to be cleaned, or the intersection of several boundary lines. Figure 4 The starting point is 410.

[0048] Upon receiving user-specified parameters or information from terminal 120 regarding the path, such as the type of cleaning path (e.g., bow-shaped path, random path, etc.), the starting position of the cleaning path, the ending position of the cleaning path, the positions of one or more points that the cleaning path must pass through, and the trajectory direction of the cleaning path, in step 220, the user-expected or specified path can be generated based on the boundary of the specified local area to be cleaned and the parameters from terminal 120 regarding the expected path.

[0049] For example, the specified local area to be cleaned can be divided into an equidistant grid, and then a path for cleaning the specified local area to be cleaned can be generated by using path planning strategies such as the Boustrophedon or improved Zamboni algorithm, combined with information such as the body size of the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0050] For example, a sequence of rules can be temporarily determined such that when the automatic pool cleaning device 110 is controlled to move from a determined starting point according to this sequence of rules (e.g., starting from a certain rule in the sequence and repeatedly executing the sequence of rules), the automatic pool cleaning device 110 will move according to the following... Figure 4 The indicated arc-shaped trajectory movement:

[0051] The first rule is to control the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move in a certain direction (e.g., horizontally to the left, horizontally to the right, vertically upward, vertically downward, or the current orientation of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 in a top view of the pool) until it touches an obstacle and can no longer move forward (e.g. until it is detected that it has reached the pool wall in front) or reaches the boundary or near the boundary of the designated local area to be cleaned (e.g., within the boundary and within a predetermined threshold distance from the boundary, or on the boundary, or outside the boundary and within a predetermined threshold distance from the boundary).

[0052] The second rule controls the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to the position at the end of its movement according to the first rule (e.g., ...). Figure 4 Rotate at a predetermined angle (e.g., 90 degrees) at position 420 or 430 in the middle, wherein, for example, when the second rule is first executed (e.g., at... Figure 4 (At position 420 in the middle), the automatic water tank cleaning device 110 can be controlled to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise (for example, in Figure 4 Rotate counterclockwise at position 420 in the middle, and when the second rule is executed again later (e.g., in...) Figure 4 (At position 430 in the middle), the automatic water tank cleaning device 110 can be controlled to rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation direction in the previous second rule (e.g., in Figure 4The position at 420 is rotated in a clockwise direction (opposite to the counterclockwise direction at position 430).

[0053] The third rule controls the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move a maximum specified distance after completing its rotation according to the second rule. This specified distance can be determined, for example, based on the width of the automatic pool cleaning device 110's body. It can be less than the width of the automatic pool cleaning device 110's body, or a multiple of the width of the automatic pool cleaning device 110's body, but it cannot move the automatic pool cleaning device 110 beyond the boundary of the specified local cleaning area or beyond a predetermined threshold range.

[0054] The fourth rule controls the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to the position at the end of its movement according to the third rule (e.g., Figure 4 At position 440 in the middle, according to the rotation direction in the most recent second rule (e.g., in Figure 4 The automatic water tank cleaning device 110 rotates counterclockwise at position 420 and by a predetermined angle (e.g., 90 degrees) so that the head of the device after the rotation faces the opposite direction of movement in the most recent first rule.

[0055] Then, the controller 112 of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can execute step 230, controlling the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move according to the path in step 220, so as to clean the designated local area to be cleaned.

[0056] For example, the automatic water tank cleaning device 110 can be controlled to move to the starting point 410 of the path in step 220, and then the automatic water tank cleaning device 110 can be controlled to move according to the path in step 220 to clean the specified local area to be cleaned.

[0057] During the process of controlling the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move along the path in step 220, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can also use the transceiver 114 to send (e.g., at predetermined time intervals) information such as the cleaning progress of the designated local area to be cleaned, the real-time location information of the automatic pool cleaning device 110, and the real-time status information of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to the terminal 120, so that the terminal 120 can display the cleaning progress and / or the real-time location and / or real-time status of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to the user on its screen 126, so that the user can monitor the operation status and / or progress of the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0058] In the first embodiment, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can temporarily determine a path for cleaning the local area to be cleaned, based on the boundary of the local area to be cleaned specified by the user using the terminal 120, and then move according to the temporarily determined path, and achieve thorough cleaning of the specified local area to be cleaned during the movement.

[0059] In the second embodiment, method 200 is also executed on the side of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 by the controller 112 of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 by running corresponding program instructions.

[0060] Unlike the first embodiment, in the second embodiment, the path for cleaning a localized area to be cleaned in the pool is generated by the controller 122 of the terminal 120 after the user specifies the boundary of the localized area to be cleaned on the terminal 120 side, or it is specified by the user using the screen 126 of the terminal 120 and / or other input devices of the terminal 120 by drawing a path on the specified localized area to be cleaned, specifying multiple location points and / or directions, or in one or more other ways. The starting point of the path can be specified by the user, or it can be the point on or near the boundary of the specified localized area to be cleaned that is closest to the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 in the pool, or it can be the vertex (including the vicinity of the vertex) or the intersection point (including the vicinity of the intersection point) of one or more boundary lines of the specified localized area to be cleaned.

[0061] Then, terminal 120 uses its transceiver 124 to send the generated path for cleaning a local area to be cleaned in the pool to the pool automatic cleaning device 110.

[0062] Accordingly, in step 220, for example, the transceiver 114 of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 can be used to receive information related to the path for cleaning a local area to be cleaned in the pool from the terminal 120 (e.g., the starting coordinates of the path, the sequence of movement rules, the coordinates of key points on the path, etc.), thereby determining the path for cleaning the area to be cleaned.

[0063] Other aspects of the second embodiment can be referred to the relevant content of the first embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0064] In this second embodiment, for the boundary of the local area to be cleaned specified by the user using the terminal 120, the automatic pool cleaning device 110 receives relevant information about the path temporarily determined on the terminal 120 side for cleaning the local area to be cleaned, and then moves in the specified local area to be cleaned in the pool according to the path, and achieves thorough cleaning of the specified local area to be cleaned during the movement.

[0065] In the third embodiment, method 200 can be executed on the terminal 120 side by the controller 122 of the terminal 120 by running corresponding program instructions. For example, the program instructions can be pre-stored in a storage medium readable by the controller 122 or a computer (e.g., the memory of the terminal 120, or an external storage device such as an optical disc or flash memory), and then loaded into the memory of the terminal 120 by the controller 122 for execution. For example, the program instructions can be an application that can run on the terminal 120 side.

[0066] In this embodiment, in step 210, as Figure 3 As shown, the user can use the screen 126 of the terminal 120 and / or other input devices of the terminal 120 to specify a certain area in the pool as the boundary of a temporary area to be cleaned on the displayed map of the pool by one or more methods such as drawing graphics, adding multiple coordinates, or selecting multiple pixels, thereby obtaining data about the boundary of the specified local area to be cleaned.

[0067] For example, the boundary of the designated area to be cleaned can be characterized by one or more suitable data such as a graphic drawn on a map, multiple coordinates added to the map, or multiple pixels selected on the map, and in or after step 210, terminal 120 can use its transceiver 124 to send data about the boundary of the designated local area to be cleaned to the automatic pool cleaning device 110.

[0068] Then, the controller 122 of the terminal 120 can execute step 220, generating any path suitable for cleaning the local area to be cleaned, such as an arc path or a random path, based on the boundary of the specified local area to be cleaned.

[0069] In step 220, for example, the controller 122 may first determine the starting point of the path used to clean the localized area to be cleaned. For example, the starting point could be a point on or near the boundary of the designated localized area to be cleaned that is closest to the current position of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 in the pool, or it could be a vertex (including vicinity of the vertex) or an intersection point (including vicinity of the intersection) of one or more boundary lines of the designated localized area to be cleaned. Figure 4 The starting point is 410.

[0070] Additionally, in step 220, the user may use the screen 126 of terminal 120 and / or other input devices of terminal 120 to specify relevant parameters and / or information such as the type of cleaning path (e.g., bow path, random path, etc.), the starting position of the cleaning path, the ending position of the cleaning path, the positions of one or more points that the cleaning path must pass through, and the trajectory direction of the cleaning path.

[0071] Then, the controller 122 of the terminal 120 can generate a path for cleaning the specified local area to be cleaned based on the parameters and / or information specified by the user, and the boundary of the local area to be cleaned specified in step 210. For example, the same or similar method as in the first embodiment can be used to generate the path.

[0072] Then, the controller 122 of the terminal 120 can execute step 230, for example, in response to the user inputting instructions such as "confirm boundary and / or path" or "start cleaning" on the screen 126 or through other input devices of the terminal 120, sending the relevant data of the path determined in step 220 (optionally, and the relevant data of the boundary determined in step 210) to the automatic pool cleaning device 110, and instructing or controlling the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to start moving along the indicated path to clean the specified local area to be cleaned.

[0073] As the automatic pool cleaning device 110 moves along the indicated path, the terminal 120 can receive information about the cleaning progress and / or the real-time location / status of the automatic pool cleaning device 110 from the automatic pool cleaning device 110, and can display information such as a complete map of the pool, a partial map of the pool related to the specified local area to be cleaned, the boundary of the specified local area to be cleaned, and the cleaning progress of the specified local area to be cleaned on the screen 126, so as to facilitate user monitoring.

[0074] Other aspects of the second embodiment can be referred to the relevant content of the first embodiment and / or the second embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated here.

[0075] In this third embodiment, the user can use the terminal 120 to specify the boundary of a local area to be cleaned and determine the path for cleaning the specified local area to be cleaned. Then, the user can send the data or information related to the specified boundary and / or path to the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to control or instruct the automatic pool cleaning device 110 to move along the path within the specified local area to be cleaned in the pool, and achieve thorough cleaning of the specified local area to be cleaned during the movement.

[0076] In addition, regardless of whether the path to be cleaned in the area is generated by the automatic pool cleaning equipment or the terminal, the generated path can be displayed on the pool map on the terminal screen. Similarly, the boundary of the area to be cleaned can also be displayed on the pool map on the terminal screen for easy viewing by the user.

[0077] This solution allows users to send information about areas requiring separate cleaning to the automatic pool cleaning system via a terminal, or to specify areas with only localized dirt. This enables the automatic pool cleaning system to precisely clean specific areas without cleaning the entire pool, improving cleaning efficiency. It also allows for additional, separate cleaning of heavily soiled areas, preventing incomplete cleaning of certain areas during overall cleaning and achieving flexible pool cleaning.

[0078] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of the various embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, the foregoing details are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations; the foregoing details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to its implementation.

[0079] The block diagrams of devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems disclosed herein are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the block diagrams. In various embodiments, these devices, apparatuses, devices, and systems may be connected, arranged, and configured in any suitable manner.

[0080] Additionally, words such as "including," "containing," and "having" in the text are open-ended terms meaning "including but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably. The words "or" and "and" used here refer to the words "and / or," and can be used interchangeably unless the context explicitly indicates otherwise. The word "such as" used here refers to the phrase "such as but not limited to," and can be used interchangeably.

[0081] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, devices, and methods of this disclosure, the components or steps can be disassembled and / or recombined. These disassemblies and / or recombinations should be considered as equivalent solutions to this disclosure.

[0082] In this article, modifiers without quantifiers, such as "first" and "second," are intended to distinguish different components / parts / circuits / modules / devices / steps, rather than to emphasize order, positional relationship, importance, or priority. In contrast, modifiers with quantifiers, such as "first" and "second," can be used to emphasize the order, positional relationship, importance, or priority of different components / parts / circuits / modules / devices / steps.

[0083] The above description is given for illustrative and descriptive purposes only. This description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations therein.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an automatic water tank cleaning device, comprising: Obtain the boundary data of the area to be cleaned in the pool, wherein the area to be cleaned is a portion of the pool. A path for cleaning the area to be cleaned is determined based on the boundary data; as well as The automatic water tank cleaning device is controlled to move along the path to clean the area to be cleaned.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The boundary data includes at least one of the following: A graphic drawn on a water tank map displayed on the terminal side of the automatic water tank cleaning device; Multiple coordinates were added to the pool map displayed on the terminal side of the automatic pool cleaning equipment; as well as Multiple pixels are selected on the pool map displayed on the terminal side of the automatic pool cleaning device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: The boundary of the area to be cleaned and the path are displayed on the pool map shown on the terminal side of the automatic pool cleaning device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, The path is generated by the automatic water tank cleaning device or the terminal based on the boundary data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The starting point of the path includes: The point on the boundary of the area to be cleaned that is closest to the current position of the automatic cleaning device in the pool; or The vertex of at least one boundary line of the boundary of the area to be cleaned.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: Before controlling the automatic water tank cleaning device to move along the path, control the automatic water tank cleaning device to move to the starting point.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Information about the cleaning progress of the area to be cleaned is sent to the terminal of the automatic water tank cleaning equipment.

8. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The boundary data is sent from the terminal of the automatic pool cleaning device to the automatic pool cleaning device via Bluetooth, WIFI, underwater acoustic communication or optical communication.

9. An automatic water tank cleaning device, comprising: The transceiver is configured to send and receive data with the terminal when the automatic pool cleaning equipment establishes a communication connection with the corresponding terminal; and The controller is configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 by running program instructions.

10. An automatic water tank cleaning system, comprising automatic water tank cleaning equipment and a terminal, wherein, The terminal includes a screen and a transceiver. The screen is configured to display a map of the pool and to specify the boundaries of the area to be cleaned in the pool by drawing graphics on the displayed map and / or adding coordinates and / or selecting pixels. The transceiver is configured to send and receive data with the automatic pool cleaning device when the terminal establishes a communication connection with the automatic pool cleaning device. The automatic pool cleaning device is configured to receive data sent by the terminal and perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 based on the received data.

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