Cleaning robot

Abstract

The utility model relates to a cleaning robot which comprises a controller, a distance sensor, a color sensor and a robot body, the controller, the distance sensor and the color sensor are all arranged on the robot body, and the controller is connected with the distance sensor, the color sensor and the robot body. The distance sensor detects height detection data and transmits the height detection data to the controller, the color sensor detects color data and transmits the color data to the controller, and the controller outputs a control signal to the robot body based on the height detection data and the color data. Wherein the height detection data is the distance between the side, close to the cleaning face, of the cleaning robot and the cleaning face, and the color data is signal data corresponding to the color of the cleaning face. The color of the ground where the cleaning robot is located is compensated through the color data of the color sensor, errors of distance data detected by the distance sensor are made up, the controller can accurately output control signals, and the operation stability of the cleaning robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of smart home devices, and in particular to a cleaning robot. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid advancement of science and technology and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, smart home devices have gradually become an important part of people's daily lives. Among them, sweeping robots are popular because they can clean the floor autonomously and reduce the pressure of cleaning labor in the room. Faced with the complex and changing indoor environment, cliff sensors are key components to ensure the safe operation of sweeping robots. They can detect the distance between the sweeping robot and the ground, and then detect whether the sweeping robot is in a suspended state, and change the action strategy accordingly to prevent it from falling.

[0003] However, when current sweeping robots work on dark floors or dark ground media, cliff sensors often make misjudgments due to the influence of the color depth of the ground: the cliff sensor sends out a detection light, and when the ground is a dark medium, it will absorb more light, causing the cliff sensor to receive less reflected light, thereby erroneously judging the ground height as a cliff, resulting in the normal cleaning path of the sweeping robot being restricted or even completely unable to work, reducing the operating stability of the sweeping robot. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a cleaning robot that can improve operating stability in response to the above technical problems.

[0005] The present application provides a cleaning robot, the cleaning robot comprising a controller, a distance sensor, a color sensor and a robot body, the controller, the distance sensor and the color sensor are all arranged on the robot body, and the controller is connected to the distance sensor, the color sensor and the robot body;

[0006] The distance sensor detects and obtains height detection data and transmits it to the controller. The color sensor detects and obtains color data and transmits it to the controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the robot body based on the height detection data and the color data. The height detection data is the distance between the side of the cleaning robot close to the cleaning surface and the cleaning surface. The color data is the signal data corresponding to the color of the cleaning surface.

[0007] In one embodiment, the distance sensor is arranged at a position matching the moving direction of the robot body, and the color sensor is arranged in close contact with the distance sensor.

[0008] In one embodiment, the number of the distance sensors is more than two.

[0009] In one embodiment, each of the distance sensors is respectively arranged at a position matching a different traveling direction of the robot body, and the distance between each of the distance sensors and the center position of the robot body is equal.

[0010] In one embodiment, each of the distance sensors is disposed on a bottom surface of the robot body close to a side surface of the robot body, and the bottom surface of the robot body is a side of the robot body close to a cleaning surface.

[0011] In one embodiment, the number of the color sensors is more than two.

[0012] In one embodiment, each of the color sensors is respectively disposed at a position matching a different traveling direction of the robot body, and the distance between each of the color sensors and the center position of the robot body is equal.

[0013] In one embodiment, each of the color sensors is disposed on a bottom surface of the robot body close to a side surface of the robot body, and the bottom surface of the robot body is a side of the robot body close to a cleaning surface.

[0014] In one embodiment, the color sensor is an RGB camera.

[0015] In one embodiment, the robot body includes a shell, a driving mechanism and a cleaning mechanism, and the controller, the distance sensor, the color sensor, the driving mechanism and the cleaning mechanism are all arranged in the shell.

[0016] The above-mentioned cleaning robot includes a controller, a distance sensor, a color sensor and a robot body. The controller, the distance sensor and the color sensor are all arranged on the robot body, and the controller connects the distance sensor, the color sensor and the robot body. The distance sensor detects and obtains height detection data, and transmits it to the controller. The color sensor detects and obtains color data, and transmits it to the controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the robot body based on the height detection data and the color data. Among them, the height detection data is the distance between the side of the cleaning robot close to the cleaning surface and the cleaning surface, and the color data is the signal data corresponding to the color of the cleaning surface. By using the color data of the color sensor to compensate for the color of the ground where the cleaning robot is located, the error of the distance data detected by the distance sensor is compensated, so that the controller can accurately output the control signal, and the operation stability of the cleaning robot is improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application or related technical descriptions will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 A diagram showing an application environment of a cleaning robot in one embodiment;

[0019] Figure 2 is a bottom view of a cleaning robot in one embodiment;

[0020] Figure 3 A bottom view of a cleaning robot in another embodiment;

[0021] Figure 4 is a bottom view of a cleaning robot in yet another embodiment;

[0022] Figure 5 A diagram of the application environment of the cleaning robot in another embodiment.

[0023] Description of reference numerals: controller 102 , distance sensor 104 , color sensor 106 , robot body 108 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0025] It is understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. used in this application may be used herein to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish a first element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, a first resistor may be referred to as a second resistor, and similarly, a second resistor may be referred to as a first resistor. Both the first resistor and the second resistor are resistors, but they are not the same resistor.

[0026] It can be understood that the “connection” in the following embodiments should be understood as “electrical connection”, “communication connection”, etc. if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc. have electrical signals or data transmission between each other.

[0027] When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "said / the" may also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "include / comprise" or "have" and the like specify the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. At the same time, the term "and / or" used in this specification includes any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a cleaning robot, which includes a controller 102, a distance sensor 104, a color sensor 106 and a robot body 108. The controller 102, the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 are all arranged on the robot body 108, and the controller 102 is connected to the distance sensor 104, the color sensor 106 and the robot body 108. The cleaning robot can be a sweeping robot, wherein the robot body 108 is used to complete the cleaning of the cleaning surface, and can drive the cleaning robot to move under the control of the controller 102 to clean different cleaning surfaces. The cleaning surface is usually the ground, that is, the plane on which the cleaning robot moves, and can also be an object placed on the ground.

[0030] Since the distance between the cleaning surface and the cleaning robot is not fixed, when the cleaning surface is a floor, it may encounter areas with large fluctuations in the cleaning surface, such as steps. At this time, the cleaning robot may fall from a height, causing damage to the cleaning robot and making it unable to continue working. Therefore, the cleaning robot in this embodiment is provided with a sensor to continuously detect the cleaning surface, detect the distance between the side of the cleaning robot close to the cleaning surface and the cleaning surface, obtain height detection data, and transmit it to the controller 102. The controller 102 stores the existing control logic, which can control the robot body 108 to avoid the cliff area when the height detection data indicates that the distance between the cleaning surface and the cleaning robot is too large and there is a cliff area. This allows the cleaning robot to continue working and protects the operation safety of the cleaning robot itself.

[0031] However, since the height detection data collected by the distance sensor 104 is easily affected by the color change of the cleaning surface, errors may occur in the data, resulting in misjudgment of the cliff area. In this embodiment, the cleaning robot is also provided with a color sensor 106, which can also detect the cleaning surface, generate signal data corresponding to the color of the cleaning surface, mark it as color data, and transmit it to the controller 102. The controller 102 is connected to the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106, receives the height detection data and the color data, and outputs a control signal to the robot body 108 based on the height detection data and the color data, and controls the robot body 108 to avoid driving when the height detection data and the color data indicate that there is a cliff area in the direction of travel.

[0032] Exemplarily, when the controller 102 determines whether the cleaning surface is a cliff area based on the height detection data and the color data, the height detection data and the color data may be added to make the determination of the cliff area, or the height detection data and the color data may be subtracted to make the determination of the cliff area. Those skilled in the art may identify the cliff area based on common knowledge in the field.

[0033] Optionally, the distance sensor 104 may be an infrared sensor, which transmits infrared rays to the cleaning surface and receives the returned infrared rays, and calculates the height detection data according to the time and intensity of the received reflected infrared rays. In one embodiment, the color sensor 106 is an RGB camera. The RGB camera has a high resolution and can distinguish different shades of colors on the cleaning surface and generate color data.

[0034] It should be noted that the height detection data in the present application is collected by the distance sensor 104, and the color data is collected by the color sensor 106. Based on the fact that the present application does not improve the structure, form and data processing process of the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106, those skilled in the art should know how to obtain the height detection data and color data recorded in the present application.

[0035] In the present embodiment, the cleaning robot comprises a controller 102, a distance sensor 104, a color sensor 106 and a robot body 108, wherein the controller 102, the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 are all arranged on the robot body 108, and the controller 102 is connected to the distance sensor 104, the color sensor 106 and the robot body 108. The distance sensor 104 detects and obtains the height detection data, and transmits it to the controller 102, and the color sensor 106 detects and obtains the color data, and transmits it to the controller 102, and the controller 102 outputs a control signal to the robot body 108 based on the height detection data and the color data. Among them, the height detection data is the distance between the side of the cleaning robot close to the cleaning surface and the cleaning surface, and the color data is the signal data corresponding to the color of the cleaning surface. By using the color data of the color sensor 106 to compensate for the color of the ground where the cleaning robot is located, the error of the distance data detected by the distance sensor 104 is compensated, so that the controller 102 can accurately output the control signal, and the operation stability of the cleaning robot is improved.

[0036] In one embodiment, the robot body 108 includes a shell, a driving mechanism and a cleaning mechanism, and the controller 102, the distance sensor 104, the color sensor 106, the driving mechanism and the cleaning mechanism are all arranged in the shell. The shell is used to protect each device and to support the fixation of each device. Optionally, the shell is in a flat cylindrical shape as a whole, and its bottom surface is provided with holes for the driving mechanism and the cleaning mechanism to complete the driving and cleaning, which match the size of the driving mechanism and the cleaning mechanism. The controller 102, the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 are all arranged inside the shell. Optionally, the shell is provided with holes at the positions where the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 are arranged, so that the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 can detect the cleaning surface. Further, the top surface of the shell is also provided with a control panel and a display screen for interacting with the user, and the control panel and the display screen are connected to the controller 102, so that the user can control the working state of the cleaning robot. The distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 can be disposed on the bottom surface of the cylindrical housing, or on the side surface of the cylindrical housing, and disposed on one end of the side surface close to the cleaning surface, which is not limited in this embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 are disposed on the bottom surface of the housing.

[0037] The robot body 108 of the cleaning robot also includes a driving mechanism and a cleaning mechanism. The driving mechanism is used to drive the cleaning robot to move, and the cleaning mechanism is used to complete the cleaning work of the cleaning surface. Among them, the driving mechanism includes a walking driving component and a reversing mechanism. The walking driving component includes a plurality of rollers, and the reversing mechanism connects each roller and controls the rolling direction of the roller. As shown in 2, the number of rollers is three. When the cleaning robot goes straight, the roller of the walking driving component rolls, driving the cleaning robot to move forward in the rolling direction, and the traveling direction at this time is marked as "forward"; when the cleaning robot needs to turn, the reversing mechanism controls the roller of the walking driving component to turn, and the roller at this time rolls, driving the cleaning robot to move forward in the direction of turning. When the roller turns to the left, the traveling direction is controlled to be "left", and when the roller turns to the right, the traveling direction is controlled to be "right".

[0038] The distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 can be set near the outside of the shell, close to the outer edge of the cleaning robot, and the detection direction is directly below the setting position or diagonally in front of the cleaning robot. The cleaning surface can be detected in advance, giving the cleaning robot enough distance and time to avoid the cliff area.

[0039] In order to ensure the reliability of the data detected by the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106, in one embodiment, Figure 2 As shown, in the bottom view of the cleaning robot, the distance sensor 104 is set at a position matching the travel direction of the robot body 108, and the color sensor 106 is set in close contact with the distance sensor 104. Optionally, the color sensor 106 and the distance sensor 104 can be set in close contact with each other front to back or left to right. Figure 1 The color sensor 106 and the distance sensor 104 are arranged in a front-to-back manner. Figure 2 The color sensor 106 and the distance sensor 104 are arranged in a left-right fit. At the same time, by setting the detection directions of the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 to the same direction, the cleaning surface of the same area can be detected, avoiding detection errors caused by excessive color changes of the cleaning surface.

[0040] In this embodiment, by fitting the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 together and setting them at a position that matches the direction of travel of the robot body 108, it is possible to accurately detect the area to be entered and promptly determine whether it is a cliff area, thereby ensuring the safe operation of the cleaning robot.

[0041] In order to ensure the accuracy of height detection of the cleaning surface, in one embodiment, the number of distance sensors 104 is more than two. The distance sensor 104 can be arranged in close contact with the color sensor 106, for example, multiple distance sensors 104 are arranged in close contact with different positions around the color sensor 106, or arranged in the same position of the color sensor 106. The multiple distance sensors 104 respectively detect and obtain multiple height detection data, and the controller 102 can take the average or median of the multiple height detection data to further improve the accuracy of the height detection data.

[0042] The robot body 108 has a different direction of travel, such as "front", "left", "right" and "back", which means that the cliff area around the cleaning robot may affect the operation of the cleaning robot. In order to provide all-round protection for the operation safety of the cleaning robot and avoid approaching the cliff area, a distance sensor 104 can be provided in each direction of travel.

[0043] In one embodiment, each distance sensor 104 is respectively disposed at a position matching a different moving direction of the robot body 108 , and the distance between each distance sensor 104 and the center position of the robot body 108 is equal.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, there are three distance sensors 104, which are respectively arranged at corresponding positions of the "front", "left" and "right" in the travel direction of the cleaning robot, and the distance between each distance sensor 104 and the center position of the robot body 108 is equal. The color sensor 106 is arranged in the "front" travel direction of the cleaning robot, and is arranged in close contact with the distance sensor 104 arranged in the "front".

[0045] The color sensor 106 is arranged in front of the roller, detecting forward and downward, having a wide lateral detection range, and detecting and obtaining color data. One of the distance sensors 104 is arranged in close contact with the color sensor 106, and the other two are arranged symmetrically at the bottom of the housing, with a detection range downward, and detecting and obtaining height detection data.

[0046] Furthermore, in one embodiment, each distance sensor 104 is disposed on a bottom surface of the robot body 108 close to a side surface of the robot, and the bottom surface of the robot body 108 is a side of the robot body 108 close to a cleaning surface.

[0047] In order to extend the cleaning robot's sensing lead time for the cliff area, the distance sensor 104 needs to be set as far as possible outside the robot body 108, that is, outside the shell. Therefore, the distance sensor 104 can be set at the junction of the bottom and side of the shell, and the detection direction is set to detect downward. By setting the distance sensor 104 at the outermost periphery of the cleaning robot, the cleaning surface can be detected as early as possible, leaving more processing time for the controller 102, and the cliff area can be avoided more timely.

[0048] Similarly, in order to ensure the accuracy of color detection of the cleaning surface, in one embodiment, the number of color sensors 106 is more than two. When there is only one distance sensor 104, the color sensor 106 can be attached to the distance sensor 104, for example, multiple color sensors 106 are attached to different positions around the distance sensor 104, or arranged in sequence at the same position of the distance sensor 104. When there are multiple distance sensors 104, the number of color sensors 106 can match the number of distance sensors 104, and they are attached to the distance sensors 104 respectively, that is, one distance sensor 104 is attached with one color sensor 106. Multiple color sensors 106 detect and obtain multiple color data respectively, and the controller 102 can take the average or median of the multiple color data to further improve the accuracy of the color data.

[0049] Based on the fact that the robot body 108 has multiple directions of travel, that is, the cliff area around the cleaning robot may affect the operation of the cleaning robot. In order to provide all-round protection for the operation safety of the cleaning robot and avoid approaching the cliff area, a color sensor 106 can be provided in each direction of travel.

[0050] In one embodiment, each color sensor 106 is respectively disposed at a position matching a different moving direction of the robot body 108 , and the distance between each color sensor 106 and the center position of the robot body 108 is equal.

[0051] like Figure 4 As shown, there are three color sensors 106, which are respectively arranged at the corresponding positions of the "front", "left" and "right" in the travel direction of the cleaning robot, and the distance between each color sensor 106 and the center position of the robot body 108 (or shell) is equal. Optionally, the distance sensor 104 can be only arranged in the "front" travel direction of the cleaning robot, and be arranged in close contact with the color sensor 106 arranged in the "front". There can also be three distance sensors 104, such as Figure 3As shown, they are respectively arranged at the corresponding positions of the "front", "left" and "right" in the traveling direction of the cleaning robot, and are all arranged in close contact with the color sensor 106 arranged in the corresponding traveling direction.

[0052] In this embodiment, by setting up multiple color sensors 106 and multiple distance sensors 104 to detect the cleaning surface, the accuracy of height detection data and color data is further improved, and cliff areas can be discovered in time, ensuring the stable and safe operation of the cleaning robot.

[0053] Furthermore, in one embodiment, each color sensor 106 is disposed on the bottom surface of the robot body 108 close to the side surface of the robot body 108 , and the bottom surface of the robot body 108 is the side of the robot body 108 close to the cleaning surface.

[0054] In order to extend the sensing lead time of the cleaning robot to the cleaning surface, the color sensor 106 can be arranged as much as possible on the periphery of the robot body 108, that is, on the periphery of the shell. Therefore, the color sensor 106 can be arranged at the junction of the bottom surface and the side surface of the shell, and the detection direction is set to detect outward and downward.

[0055] Furthermore, in order to extend the cleaning robot's sensing lead time for the cliff area, the distance sensor 104 and the color sensor 106 are both arranged as much as possible on the periphery of the robot body 108. At this time, the adjacent distance sensors 104 and color sensors 106 are arranged in close proximity and are in close proximity to the side of the outer shell.

[0056] In this embodiment, by arranging the color sensor 106 at the outermost periphery of the cleaning robot, the color of the cleaning surface is detected as early as possible, leaving more processing time for the controller 102. At the same time, the color sensor 106 and the distance sensor 104 are arranged at the outermost periphery of the cleaning robot, so that the color and height of the cleaning surface can be detected as early as possible, and the cliff area can be avoided more timely, ensuring the safe operation of the cleaning robot.

[0057] In order to better understand the above scheme, combined with Figure 5 The application scenario shown is explained in detail below in conjunction with a specific embodiment.

[0058] In one embodiment, Figure 3As shown, the cleaning robot is a sweeping robot, including a controller 102, a distance sensor 104, a color sensor 106 and a robot body 108. The robot body 108 includes a shell, a driving mechanism and a cleaning mechanism. The distance sensor 104 is a cliff sensor, such as an infrared sensor, and the color sensor 106 is an optical color sensor, such as an RGB camera. There is one RGB camera, which is arranged in front of the sweeping robot. There are three infrared sensors, which are respectively arranged in front, on the left and on the right of the sweeping robot, and the infrared sensor arranged in front of the sweeping robot is arranged in close contact with the RGB camera. Each sensor is arranged on the periphery of the shell, that is, the bottom surface of the shell is close to the side of the robot body. The infrared sensor detects height detection data, the RGB camera detects color data, and the controller outputs a control signal to the driving mechanism of the robot body based on the height detection data and the color data, so that the sweeping robot can avoid the cliff area.

[0059] In this embodiment, by setting up an RGB camera and an infrared sensor, the influence of the color depth of the cleaning surface on the operation of the sweeping robot is reduced, and the presence of a cliff can be judged more accurately, thereby ensuring the safe operation of the sweeping robot.

[0060] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, 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.

[0061] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be noted that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning robot, characterized in that: The cleaning robot comprises a controller, a distance sensor, a color sensor and a robot body, wherein the controller, the distance sensor and the color sensor are all arranged on the robot body, and the controller is connected to the distance sensor, the color sensor and the robot body; The distance sensor detects and obtains height detection data and transmits it to the controller. The color sensor detects and obtains color data and transmits it to the controller. The controller outputs a control signal to the robot body based on the height detection data and the color data. The height detection data is the distance between the side of the cleaning robot close to the cleaning surface and the cleaning surface. The color data is the signal data corresponding to the color of the cleaning surface.

2. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance sensor is arranged at a position matching the traveling direction of the robot body, and the color sensor is arranged in close contact with the distance sensor.

3. The cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the distance sensors is more than two.

4. The cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the distance sensors is respectively arranged at a position matching with a different traveling direction of the robot body, and the distance between each of the distance sensors and the center position of the robot body is equal.

5. The cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the distance sensors is arranged at a position on the bottom surface of the robot body close to the side surface of the robot body, and the bottom surface of the robot body is a side of the robot body close to the cleaning surface.

6. The cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the color sensors is more than two.

7. The cleaning robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the color sensors is respectively arranged at a position matching with a different traveling direction of the robot body, and the distance between each of the color sensors and the center position of the robot body is equal.

8. The cleaning robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: Each of the color sensors is arranged at a position on the bottom surface of the robot body close to the side surface of the robot body, and the bottom surface of the robot body is a side of the robot body close to the cleaning surface.

9. The cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The color sensor is an RGB camera.

10. The cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The robot body comprises a shell, a driving mechanism and a cleaning mechanism, and the controller, the distance sensor, the color sensor, the driving mechanism and the cleaning mechanism are all arranged on the shell.

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