Robot charging method, base station and cleaning robot

Abstract

This application relates to a robot charging method, a base station, and a cleaning robot. The method is applied to a base station of the cleaning robot, the base station including a microswitch. The method includes: upon detecting a switch trigger signal from the microswitch, controlling a charging pin of the base station to output a first charging voltage signal, wherein the cleaning robot stops moving after detecting the first charging voltage signal, and the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to a target charging location area; after detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, controlling the output voltage signal of the charging pin to switch from the first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal; charging the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, wherein the voltage magnitude corresponding to the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage magnitude corresponding to the first charging voltage signal. This method can reduce the probability of abnormalities occurring during in-situ detection and charging of the cleaning robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of robotics technology, and in particular to a robot charging method, a base station, and a cleaning robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of robotics technology, cleaning robot technology has emerged. Cleaning robots can automatically perform cleaning tasks such as mopping, sweeping, and dusting in the workspace. When the cleaning robot's circuit is insufficient, it will usually automatically return to the base station for charging.

[0003] In traditional technology, a charging pin is set on the base station to detect whether the cleaning robot is in place, that is, to detect whether the cleaning robot has arrived at the preset charging position, and then to charge the cleaning robot using the charging pin after the cleaning robot is detected to be in place.

[0004] However, when using the charging pin for in-situ detection and charging, a "hot-plugging" phenomenon can occur. This can cause the charging pin to be damaged after a period of use, thus affecting the cleaning robot's in-situ detection and charging, and causing abnormalities during the in-situ detection and charging process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a robot charging method, base station, and cleaning robot that can reduce the probability of abnormalities occurring during in-situ detection and charging of the cleaning robot, in order to address the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a robot charging method applied to a base station of a cleaning robot, the base station including a micro switch, the method comprising:

[0007] The state of the micro switch is detected in real time, and when the switch trigger signal of the micro switch is detected, the charging pin of the base station is controlled to output a first charging voltage signal. The cleaning robot stops moving after detecting the first charging voltage signal, and the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area.

[0008] After detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to switch from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal;

[0009] The cleaning robot is charged according to the second charging voltage signal, wherein the voltage corresponding to the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage corresponding to the first charging voltage signal.

[0010] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0011] The working status of the cleaning robot during the charging process is detected;

[0012] If the working state is the first working state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the second charging voltage signal, wherein, in the first working state, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot is less than the first vibration amplitude threshold.

[0013] If the working state is the second working state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal. In the second working state, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is greater than the second vibration amplitude threshold, and the second vibration amplitude threshold is greater than or equal to the first vibration amplitude threshold.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first working state is drying, and the second working state is any one of dust collection, mop washing, and cleaning and sewage discharge.

[0015] In one embodiment, after charging the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, the method further includes:

[0016] If a stop charging request is received from the cleaning robot, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal; if no switch trigger signal is subsequently detected, the charging pin is controlled to stop outputting the first charging voltage signal.

[0017] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0018] The charging pin is controlled to output a first charging voltage signal with a target duty cycle, wherein the target duty cycle is less than a preset duty cycle threshold.

[0019] Secondly, this application provides a robot charging method applied to a cleaning robot, wherein the cleaning robot is equipped with a triggering component for triggering a micro switch on a base station; the method includes:

[0020] The voltage signal of the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station is acquired to obtain the signal acquisition result. The charging pin is used to output the first charging voltage signal when a switch trigger signal is detected. The switch trigger signal is generated when the micro switch is triggered.

[0021] Based on the signal acquisition results, it is detected whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area;

[0022] If it is detected that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area, the cleaning robot is controlled to stop moving, wherein the switch trigger signal is in a stable state after the cleaning robot stops moving;

[0023] The base station is further configured to, after detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, switch the output voltage signal of the charging pin from the first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal for subsequent charging, wherein the voltage magnitude of the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage magnitude of the first charging voltage signal.

[0024] In one embodiment, the step of acquiring voltage signals from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station includes:

[0025] The robot is controlled to collect voltage signals from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station at a preset collection period.

[0026] The preset acquisition period is less than the duration of the high level when the charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal with a preset duty cycle.

[0027] In one embodiment, detecting whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area based on the signal acquisition results includes:

[0028] If a high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected at least once within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area.

[0029] If no high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area.

[0030] Wherein, the length of the target time period is greater than the signal period length of the first charging voltage signal.

[0031] Thirdly, this application also provides a base station, including a micro switch, a charging pin, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to perform the following steps:

[0032] The state of the microswitch is monitored in real time. Upon detecting a switch trigger signal from the microswitch, the charging pin of the base station is controlled to output a first charging voltage signal. The cleaning robot stops moving after detecting the first charging voltage signal, and the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. After detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to switch from the first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal. The cleaning robot is charged according to the second charging voltage signal, wherein the voltage corresponding to the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage corresponding to the first charging voltage signal.

[0033] Fourthly, this application also provides a cleaning robot, including a triggering component, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to perform the following steps:

[0034] The base station acquires a voltage signal from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin, obtaining a signal acquisition result. The charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal when a switch trigger signal is detected, and this switch trigger signal is generated when the microswitch is triggered. Based on the signal acquisition result, it detects whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. If the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area, it controls the cleaning robot to stop moving. After the cleaning robot stops moving, the switch trigger signal is in a stable state. The base station further acquires a second charging voltage signal from the first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal used for subsequent charging, after detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state. The voltage magnitude of the second charging voltage signal is greater than that of the first charging voltage signal.

[0035] The aforementioned robot charging method, base station, and cleaning robot include a microswitch on the base station and a triggering component on the cleaning robot. When the base station detects a trigger signal from the microswitch, this signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. This means the cleaning robot's charging contact point has made contact with the charging pin, thereby controlling the base station's charging pin to output a first charging voltage signal. The voltage magnitude of this first charging voltage signal is lower than the voltage magnitude of the second charging voltage signal actually used for charging. After the cleaning robot detects the first charging voltage signal, it stops moving, and the trigger signal detected by the base station becomes stable. This proves that the cleaning robot has completed the insertion and removal process and is in place. This enables in-place detection while controlling the charging pin to output a lower voltage, reducing the probability or risk of "hot-plugging". In addition, after the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the base station will also control the output voltage signal of the charging pin to switch from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal. In this way, the base station can charge the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, realizing normal charging of the cleaning robot while reducing the risk and probability of "hot-plugging". Therefore, it can reduce the probability of abnormalities occurring during in-place detection and charging of the cleaning robot. Attached Figure Description

[0036] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0037] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a robot charging method in one embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 2 This is a waveform diagram of the first charging voltage signal in one embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating a robot charging method in another embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 4 This is an internal structure diagram of a base station in one embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the internal structure of a cleaning robot in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0043] Currently, after completing its task, the cleaning robot returns to the base station for charging. Specifically, after aligning with the target charging location area, the cleaning robot slowly moves towards it. Once the robot reaches the target charging location, its charging port comes into contact with the base station's charging pin. At this point, the base station detects the robot's presence, even though it is still moving. The charging pin outputs a charging voltage signal to the robot, instructing it to stop moving (the robot knows it is in place). However, it can be observed that during the presence detection process, there are instances where the charging pin outputs a charging voltage signal while the robot is still moving. This can easily lead to a "hot-plugging" phenomenon, affecting the robot's presence detection and charging, and causing abnormalities during these processes.

[0044] In one exemplary embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, a robot charging method is provided, which is applied to the base station of a cleaning robot. The base station includes a micro switch and includes the following steps 202 to 206. Wherein:

[0045] Step 202: Real-time detection of the state of the micro switch, and when the micro switch trigger signal is detected, control the charging pin of the base station to output the first charging voltage signal. The cleaning robot stops moving after detecting the first charging voltage signal, and the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area.

[0046] The base station is equipped with a micro switch, and the cleaning robot is equipped with a triggering component. After the cleaning robot is aligned with the target charging location area, it will slowly move towards the target charging location area. When the triggering component triggers the micro switch, the base station can determine that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area.

[0047] As an example, step 202 includes: real-time detection of whether the micro switch outputs a switch trigger signal. If a switch trigger signal is detected, it indicates that the micro switch is in a triggered state. At this time, the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. Thus, the switch trigger signal can indicate to the base station that the cleaning robot is in place. In other words, the switch trigger information can represent that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. When the switch trigger signal is detected, the charging contact point of the cleaning robot is in contact with the charging pin. The base station's charging pin is controlled to output a first charging voltage signal. The voltage corresponding to the first charging voltage signal is less than the voltage used for subsequent robot charging. After the cleaning robot detects the first charging voltage signal, the first charging voltage signal can indicate that the cleaning robot is in place, and the cleaning robot will stop moving.

[0048] It should be noted that the charging pin, also known as the Pogo pin, is a precision connector widely used in electronic products to enable current transmission and signal communication between devices; the micro switch can be an infrared micro switch, and the triggering component can be a retainer.

[0049] Alternatively, the micro switch can also be a pressure micro switch, and the triggering component can be a cylindrical device, such as a cylinder or cuboid. As the cleaning robot moves closer to the base station, the cylindrical device will first contact the spring inside the pressure micro switch. As the cleaning robot continues to move, the spring is compressed, and the pressure that the pressure micro switch can detect increases until the detected pressure exceeds the preset pressure threshold. At this point, the pressure micro switch outputs a switch activation signal.

[0050] Step 204: After detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the output voltage signal of the control charging pin is switched from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal.

[0051] If the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, it means that the cleaning robot has stopped moving; if the switch trigger signal is not yet in a stable state, it means that the cleaning robot is still moving.

[0052] It should be noted that if the cleaning robot is still moving after the charging contact point makes contact with the charging pin, and the voltage output by the charging pin is relatively high, a "hot-plugging" phenomenon may occur, which may damage the charging pin.

[0053] As an example, step 204 includes: after detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, indicating that the cleaning robot has stopped moving, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is switched from a first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal, wherein the voltage magnitude corresponding to the first charging voltage signal is smaller than the voltage magnitude corresponding to the second charging voltage signal. Thus, in this embodiment, while the cleaning robot is still moving (charging contact plugging / unplugging is in progress), the smaller first charging voltage is used to indicate that the cleaning robot is in place, rather than directly using a larger voltage signal for subsequent charging to indicate that the cleaning robot is in place. This reduces the probability of "hot-plugging." Furthermore, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is switched from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal only after the switch trigger signal is detected to be in a stable state (charging contact plugging / unplugging is complete). This ensures that the charging pin outputs a larger second charging voltage signal for subsequent charging only after the cleaning robot has stopped moving (charging contact plugging / unplugging is complete), which further prevents "hot-plugging."

[0054] Step 206: Charge the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, wherein the voltage corresponding to the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage corresponding to the first charging voltage signal.

[0055] The first charging voltage signal can be an in-position indication signal, that is, the purpose of the charging pin outputting the first charging voltage signal is to indicate that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging position area, that is, it is in position, and the voltage magnitude is small; the second charging voltage signal is the voltage signal used by the cleaning robot for subsequent charging, and the voltage magnitude is large.

[0056] It should be noted that the voltage level of the second charging voltage signal can be set to be greater than that of the first charging voltage signal, while the voltage level of the first charging voltage signal is less than a preset voltage threshold, ensuring that the voltage level of the first charging voltage signal is sufficiently small. For example, assuming the voltage level of the second charging voltage signal is 25 volts, the voltage level of the first charging voltage signal can be set to 5 volts or 3 volts, etc.

[0057] In the above embodiments, a microswitch is provided on the base station, and a triggering component is provided on the cleaning robot. When the base station detects the switch trigger signal of the microswitch, the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging position area. At this time, it means that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot has made contact with the charging pin, and then controls the charging pin of the base station to output a first charging voltage signal. The voltage corresponding to the first charging voltage signal is less than the voltage corresponding to the second charging voltage signal actually used for charging. After the cleaning robot detects the first charging voltage signal, it stops moving. In this way, the switch trigger signal detected by the base station will be in a stable state. At this time, it can be proved that the cleaning robot has completed the insertion and removal action and is in place. This achieves in-place detection while controlling the charging pin to output a lower voltage, reducing the probability or risk of "hot-plugging". In addition, after the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the base station will also control the output voltage signal of the charging pin to switch from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal. In this way, the base station can charge the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, achieving normal charging of the cleaning robot while reducing the risk and probability of "hot-plugging". Therefore, it can reduce the probability of abnormalities occurring when the cleaning robot is performing in-place detection and charging.

[0058] It should be noted that when the cleaning robot is charging, the charging pin of the base station and the charging contact point of the cleaning robot are in contact with each other. If there is a relative displacement between the charging pin and the charging contact point at this time, a "hot-plugging" phenomenon may occur, which may damage the charging pin.

[0059] In one embodiment, the robot charging method further includes:

[0060] The working status of the cleaning robot during charging is detected. If the working status is the first working status, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the second charging voltage signal. In the first working status, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is less than the first vibration amplitude threshold. If the working status is the second working status, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal. In the second working status, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is greater than the second vibration amplitude threshold, and the second vibration amplitude threshold is greater than or equal to the first vibration amplitude threshold.

[0061] When the cleaning robot is in the base station, it will be in many working states, such as sewage discharge, cleaning and drying. When the cleaning robot is in some working states, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot itself will be relatively large, which will cause a relative displacement between the charging pin of the base station and the charging contact point of the cleaning robot, resulting in a "hot plugging" phenomenon.

[0062] Specifically, the current working state of the cleaning robot during charging is detected. If the current working state is the first working state, it means that the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is less than the first vibration amplitude threshold. At this time, the vibration of the cleaning robot is unlikely to cause relative displacement between the charging contact point of the cleaning robot and the charging pin of the base station. Therefore, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is kept at the second charging voltage signal to ensure normal power supply to the cleaning robot by the base station. If the current working state is the second working state, it means that the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is greater than the second vibration amplitude threshold, where the second vibration amplitude threshold is greater than or equal to the first vibration amplitude threshold. At this time, the vibration of the cleaning robot is likely to cause relative displacement between the charging contact point of the cleaning robot and the charging pin of the base station. Therefore, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal.

[0063] As an example, the first working state is drying, and the second working state is any one of dust collection, mop washing, and cleaning and sewage discharge.

[0064] It should be noted that when the cleaning robot is detected to be fully charged, its working status is also detected. If the cleaning robot is in the drying state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal. In this way, when the cleaning robot is fully charged, the base station can control the charging pin to output a low-voltage first charging voltage signal to maintain the power consumption of drying. This also ensures that the cleaning robot is fully charged at the same time. This ensures that the cleaning robot can dry normally while also maintaining a good (fully charged) standby state.

[0065] In this embodiment, when the cleaning robot is charging, the base station will monitor the current working status of the cleaning robot in real time. When the current working status is the first working status, which will not cause the cleaning robot to vibrate significantly, the output voltage signal of the charging pin will be controlled to the second charging voltage signal, thus ensuring that the base station can supply power to the cleaning robot normally. However, when the current working status is the second working status, which will cause the cleaning robot to vibrate significantly, in order to prevent the relative displacement between the charging contact point and the charging pin caused by such vibration from causing a "hot-plugging" phenomenon, this embodiment will promptly adjust the output voltage signal of the charging pin to the first charging voltage signal with a smaller voltage magnitude to reduce the probability of a "hot-plugging" phenomenon.

[0066] In one embodiment, after charging the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, the robot charging method further includes:

[0067] If a charging stop request is received from the cleaning robot, the output voltage signal of the charging pin will be controlled to the first charging voltage signal; if no switch trigger signal is detected afterward, the charging pin will be controlled to stop outputting the first charging voltage signal.

[0068] In particular, when the cleaning robot exits the charging state, if the cleaning robot moves directly out of the base station while the charging pin outputs the second charging voltage signal, the charging contact point of the cleaning robot will be relatively displaced with the charging pin, which may easily lead to a "hot-plugging" phenomenon.

[0069] Specifically, if a request to stop charging is received from the cleaning robot, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is first controlled to the first charging voltage signal. At this time, the cleaning robot begins to move slowly away from the target charging location area. However, a switch trigger signal can still be detected, indicating that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot is in contact with the charging pin. If no switch trigger signal is detected afterward, it means that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot is not in contact with the charging pin. At this time, the charging pin can be controlled to stop outputting the first charging voltage signal.

[0070] It should be noted that the reason why the charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal at this time is to indicate that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot is still in contact with the charging pin, that is, to indicate that the cleaning robot is still in place. At this time, it should move away from the base station slowly at the first speed. After the cleaning robot can no longer receive the first charging voltage signal, the cleaning robot will know that the charging contact point and the charging pin are no longer in contact, and the cleaning robot is not in place. At this time, the cleaning robot can move away from the base station more quickly at the second speed, where the second speed is greater than the first speed.

[0071] In this embodiment, when the cleaning robot requests to leave the base station after charging is complete, the base station first controls the output voltage signal of the charging pin to the first charging voltage signal. This ensures that even if there is a relative displacement between the charging contact point of the cleaning robot and the charging pin during the process of the cleaning robot leaving the base station, the voltage of the first charging voltage signal is relatively small, and it is not easy to cause a "hot-plugging" phenomenon, which reduces the probability or risk of "hot-plugging". Furthermore, if no switch trigger signal is detected afterward, the base station can know that the charging pin is no longer in contact with the charging pin of the cleaning robot and can control the charging pin to stop outputting the first charging voltage signal, that is, turn off the charging pin to save energy. At the same time, after the cleaning robot does not receive the first charging voltage signal, it can know that the charging pin is no longer in contact with the charging pin of the cleaning robot and can quickly leave the base station.

[0072] In one embodiment, the robot charging method further includes:

[0073] The first charging voltage signal is output from the charging pin with a target duty cycle, wherein the target duty cycle is less than a preset duty cycle threshold.

[0074] In this embodiment, by setting a target duty cycle to control the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin, the energy density of the first charging voltage signal can be made lower. Therefore, when the charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal, even if the charging pin of the base station is in contact with the charging contact point of the cleaning robot and there is a relative displacement, the probability or risk of "hot plugging" will be low, and the charging pin will not be damaged.

[0075] As an example, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 The waveform diagram of the first charging voltage signal in some embodiments shows that the duty cycle of the first charging voltage signal is 0.2.

[0076] Reference Figure 3 This embodiment also provides a robot charging method applied to a cleaning robot. The cleaning robot is equipped with a triggering component, which is used to trigger a micro switch on a base station. The method includes:

[0077] Step 302: The voltage signal of the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station is acquired to obtain the signal acquisition result. The charging pin is used to output the first charging voltage signal when a switch trigger signal is detected. The switch trigger signal is generated when the micro switch is triggered.

[0078] The cleaning robot is equipped with a triggering component, and the base station is equipped with a micro switch. As the cleaning robot moves towards the target charging location, the triggering component will trigger the micro switch. At this time, the micro switch will output a switch trigger signal, which can indicate to the base station that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location and that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot has made contact with the charging pin. Then, the base station can control the charging pin to output a first charging voltage signal, and the cleaning robot will collect the voltage signal from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station.

[0079] Step 304: Based on the signal acquisition results, detect whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area.

[0080] If the cleaning robot detects the first charging voltage signal, it can be determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area; if the cleaning robot does not detect the first charging voltage signal, it can be determined that the cleaning robot has not yet moved to the target charging location area.

[0081] As an example, voltage signal acquisition is performed on the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station, including:

[0082] The robot is controlled to collect voltage signals from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station using a preset collection period. The preset collection period is less than the duration of the high level when the charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal with a preset duty cycle.

[0083] It should be noted that when the base station controls the charging pin to output the first charging voltage signal with the target duty cycle, in order to ensure that the cleaning robot can accurately collect the high-level signal of the first charging voltage signal, the preset acquisition period needs to be set to be less than the duration of the high level when the charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal with the preset duty cycle.

[0084] For example, refer to Figure 2 If the high-level duration of the first charging voltage signal is 10 milliseconds, then the preset acquisition period can be set to be less than 10 milliseconds, for example, the preset acquisition period can be set to 5 milliseconds.

[0085] As an example, based on the signal acquisition results, detecting whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area includes:

[0086] If a high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected at least once within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area; if no high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has not moved to the target charging location area; wherein, the length of the target time period is greater than the signal period length of the first charging voltage signal.

[0087] Specifically, the target time period can be set to be longer than the signal period length of the first charging voltage signal. This signal period length can be the sum of the high-level duration and the low-level duration of the first charging voltage signal, for example, referring to... Figure 2 The signal period length is 50 milliseconds; the end time of the target time period can be the current time.

[0088] Specifically, if a high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected at least once within the target time period, it indicates that the base station has controlled the charging pin to output the first charging voltage signal because it detected a switch trigger signal. This means that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot is still in contact with the charging pin of the base station, and therefore it can be determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. If no high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected within the target time period, it indicates that the base station has controlled the charging pin to stop outputting the first charging voltage signal because it did not detect a switch trigger signal. This means that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot is not in contact with the charging pin of the base station, and therefore it can be determined that the cleaning robot has not moved to the target charging location area.

[0089] Step 306: If it is detected that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area, the cleaning robot is controlled to stop moving. After the cleaning robot stops moving, the switch trigger signal is in a stable state. The base station is also used to switch the output voltage signal of the charging pin from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal used for subsequent charging after detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state. The voltage magnitude of the second charging voltage signal is greater than that of the first charging voltage signal.

[0090] Specifically, if the cleaning robot is detected to have moved to the target charging location area, the cleaning robot is controlled to stop moving. Since the cleaning robot has stopped moving, the switch trigger signal will not change, that is, the waveform is in a stable state. In this way, the base station can detect that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, and thus switch the output voltage signal of the charging pin from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal used for subsequent charging. That is, switch the output voltage signal of the charging pin from the first charging voltage signal with a small voltage to the second charging voltage signal with a larger voltage to charge and power the cleaning robot.

[0091] In this embodiment, a microswitch is installed on the base station, and a triggering component is installed on the cleaning robot. When the base station detects the switch trigger signal of the microswitch, the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging position area. At this time, it means that the charging contact point of the cleaning robot has made contact with the charging pin, and then controls the charging pin of the base station to output a first charging voltage signal. The voltage corresponding to the first charging voltage signal is less than the voltage corresponding to the second charging voltage signal actually used for charging. After the cleaning robot collects the first charging voltage signal, it stops moving. In this way, the switch trigger signal detected by the base station will be in a stable state. At this time, it can be proved that the cleaning robot has completed the insertion and removal action and is in place. This achieves in-place detection while controlling the charging pin to output a lower voltage, reducing the probability or risk of "hot-plugging". In addition, after the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the base station will also control the output voltage signal of the charging pin to switch from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal. In this way, the base station can charge the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, realizing normal charging of the cleaning robot while reducing the risk and probability of "hot-plugging". Therefore, it can reduce the probability of abnormalities during in-place detection and charging of the cleaning robot.

[0092] It should be understood that although the steps in the flowcharts of the embodiments described above are shown sequentially according to the arrows, these steps are not necessarily executed in the order indicated by the arrows. Unless explicitly stated herein, there is no strict order restriction on the execution of these steps, and they can be executed in other orders. Moreover, at least some steps in the flowcharts of the embodiments described above may include multiple steps or multiple stages. These steps or stages are not necessarily completed at the same time, but can be executed at different times. The execution order of these steps or stages is not necessarily sequential, but can be performed alternately or in turn with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages of other steps.

[0093] In one exemplary embodiment, a base station is provided, the internal structure of which can be shown in the following diagram. Figure 4As shown. The base station includes a micro switch, a charging pin, a processor, a memory, an input / output interface, a communication interface, a display unit, and an input device. The processor, memory, and input / output interface are connected via a system bus, and the communication interface, display unit, and input device are also connected to the system bus via the input / output interface. The processor provides computing and control capabilities. The memory includes a non-volatile storage medium and internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores the operating system and computer programs. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer programs in the non-volatile storage medium. The input / output interface is used for exchanging information between the processor and external devices. The communication interface is used for wired or wireless communication with external terminals; wireless communication can be achieved through Wi-Fi, mobile cellular networks, Near Field Communication (NFC), or other technologies. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements a robot charging method. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 4 The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the solution of this application and does not constitute a limitation on the base station to which the solution of this application is applied. A specific base station may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0094] In one exemplary embodiment, a base station is provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to perform the following steps:

[0095] The system monitors the state of the microswitch in real time, and upon detecting a switch trigger signal from the microswitch, controls the charging pin of the base station to output a first charging voltage signal. The cleaning robot stops moving after detecting the first charging voltage signal, and the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. After detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the system controls the output voltage signal of the charging pin to switch from the first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal. The cleaning robot is charged according to the second charging voltage signal, wherein the voltage magnitude corresponding to the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage magnitude corresponding to the first charging voltage signal.

[0096] In one embodiment, the processor, when executing a computer program, also performs the following steps:

[0097] The working state of the cleaning robot during charging is detected; if the working state is a first working state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the second charging voltage signal, wherein, in the first working state, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is less than a first vibration amplitude threshold; if the working state is a second working state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal, wherein, in the second working state, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is greater than a second vibration amplitude threshold, and the second vibration amplitude threshold is greater than or equal to the first vibration amplitude threshold.

[0098] In one embodiment, the first working state is drying, and the second working state is any one of dust collection, mop washing, and cleaning and sewage discharge.

[0099] In one embodiment, the processor, when executing a computer program, also performs the following steps:

[0100] If a stop charging request is received from the cleaning robot, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal; if no switch trigger signal is subsequently detected, the charging pin is controlled to stop outputting the first charging voltage signal.

[0101] In one embodiment, the processor, when executing a computer program, also performs the following steps:

[0102] The charging pin is controlled to output a first charging voltage signal with a target duty cycle, wherein the target duty cycle is less than a preset duty cycle threshold.

[0103] In one exemplary embodiment, a cleaning robot is provided, the internal structure of which can be shown in the diagram below. Figure 5As shown. The cleaning robot includes a triggering component, a processor, a memory, an input / output interface, a communication interface, a display unit, and an input device. The triggering component triggers a microswitch on the base station. The processor, memory, and input / output interface are connected via a system bus. The communication interface, display unit, and input device are also connected to the system bus via the input / output interface. The processor provides computing and control capabilities. The memory includes a non-volatile storage medium and internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores the operating system and computer programs. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer programs in the non-volatile storage medium. The input / output interface allows the processor to exchange information with external devices. The communication interface allows wired or wireless communication with external terminals. Wireless communication can be achieved through Wi-Fi, mobile cellular networks, Near Field Communication (NFC), or other technologies. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it implements a robot charging method. Those skilled in the art will understand that... Figure 5 The structure shown is merely a block diagram of a portion of the structure related to the present application and does not constitute a limitation on the cleaning robot to which the present application is applied. A specific cleaning robot may include more or fewer parts than shown in the figure, or combine certain parts, or have different part arrangements.

[0104] In one exemplary embodiment, a cleaning robot is provided, including a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to perform the following steps:

[0105] The base station acquires a voltage signal from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station, obtaining a signal acquisition result. The charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal when a switch trigger signal is detected, and the switch trigger signal is generated when a microswitch is triggered. Based on the signal acquisition result, it detects whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. If the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area, it controls the cleaning robot to stop moving. After the cleaning robot stops moving, the switch trigger signal is in a stable state. The base station further switches the output voltage signal of the charging pin from the first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal for subsequent charging after detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state. The voltage magnitude of the second charging voltage signal is greater than that of the first charging voltage signal.

[0106] In one embodiment, the processor, when executing a computer program, also performs the following steps:

[0107] The robot is controlled to collect voltage signals from the charging pin on the base station by means of a preset acquisition period; wherein the preset acquisition period is less than the duration of the high level when the charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal with a preset duty cycle.

[0108] In one embodiment, the processor, when executing a computer program, also performs the following steps:

[0109] If a high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected at least once within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area; if no high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area; wherein, the length of the target time period is greater than the signal period length of the first charging voltage signal.

[0110] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided having a computer program stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0111] In one embodiment, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps in the above method embodiments.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above methods. Any references to memory, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can take many forms, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). The databases involved in the embodiments provided in this application may include at least one type of relational database and non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include, but are not limited to, blockchain-based distributed databases. The processors involved in the embodiments provided in this application may be general-purpose processors, central processing units, graphics processing units, digital signal processors, programmable logic devices, quantum computing-based data processing logic devices, artificial intelligence (AI) processors, etc., and are not limited to these.

[0113] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this application.

[0114] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for charging a robot, characterized in that, A base station for use in a cleaning robot, the base station including a micro switch, the method comprising: The state of the micro switch is detected in real time, and when the switch trigger signal of the micro switch is detected, the charging pin of the base station is controlled to output a first charging voltage signal. The cleaning robot stops moving after detecting the first charging voltage signal, and the switch trigger signal indicates that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. After detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to switch from the first charging voltage signal to the second charging voltage signal; The cleaning robot is charged according to the second charging voltage signal, wherein the voltage corresponding to the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage corresponding to the first charging voltage signal.

2. The robot charging method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: The working status of the cleaning robot during the charging process is detected; If the working state is the first working state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the second charging voltage signal, wherein, in the first working state, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot is less than the first vibration amplitude threshold. If the working state is the second working state, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal. In the second working state, the vibration amplitude of the cleaning robot during operation is greater than the second vibration amplitude threshold, and the second vibration amplitude threshold is greater than or equal to the first vibration amplitude threshold.

3. The robot charging method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first working state is drying, and the second working state is any one of dust collection, mop washing, and cleaning and sewage discharge.

4. The robot charging method according to claim 2, characterized in that, After charging the cleaning robot according to the second charging voltage signal, the method further includes: If a stop charging request is received from the cleaning robot, the output voltage signal of the charging pin is controlled to the first charging voltage signal; If the switch trigger signal is not detected subsequently, the charging pin is controlled to stop outputting the first charging voltage signal.

5. The robot charging method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: The charging pin is controlled to output a first charging voltage signal with a target duty cycle, wherein the target duty cycle is less than a preset duty cycle threshold.

6. A method for charging a robot, characterized in that, The method is applied to a cleaning robot, which is equipped with a triggering component for triggering a microswitch on a base station; the method includes: The voltage signal of the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station is acquired to obtain the signal acquisition result. The charging pin is used to output the first charging voltage signal when a switch trigger signal is detected. The switch trigger signal is generated when the micro switch is triggered. Based on the signal acquisition results, it is detected whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area; If it is detected that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area, the cleaning robot is controlled to stop moving, wherein the switch trigger signal is in a stable state after the cleaning robot stops moving; The base station is further configured to, after detecting that the switch trigger signal is in a stable state, switch the output voltage signal of the charging pin from the first charging voltage signal to a second charging voltage signal for subsequent charging, wherein the voltage magnitude of the second charging voltage signal is greater than the voltage magnitude of the first charging voltage signal.

7. The robot charging method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The step of acquiring voltage signals from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station includes: The robot is controlled to collect voltage signals from the first charging voltage signal output by the charging pin on the base station at a preset collection period. The preset acquisition period is less than the duration of the high level when the charging pin outputs the first charging voltage signal with a preset duty cycle.

8. The robot charging method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of detecting whether the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area based on the signal acquisition results includes: If a high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected at least once within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. If no high-level signal in the first charging voltage signal is detected within the target time period, it is determined that the cleaning robot has moved to the target charging location area. Wherein, the length of the target time period is greater than the signal period length of the first charging voltage signal.

9. A base station, comprising a micro switch, a charging pin, a memory, and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. A cleaning robot, comprising a triggering component, a cleaning component, a memory, and a processor, wherein the triggering component is used to trigger a microswitch on a base station, and the memory stores a computer program, characterized in that, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 6 to 8.

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