Underwater cleaning robot

Abstract

The submersible cleaning robot (20) includes a moving device (23) for moving the submersible cleaning robot (20) underwater, a cleaning device (24) for cleaning objects (2, 3) located underwater, a control device (25) for controlling the moving device (23) and / or the cleaning device (24), and communication devices (26, 27) for receiving and / or transmitting signals from outside the submersible cleaning robot (20) and vice versa. The communication device has a first ultrasonic transducer (27) for receiving an ultrasonic signal transmitted underwater and is configured to transfer an electrical signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic signal (39) to the control device (25).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a submersible cleaning robot and a method for controlling a submersible cleaning robot. [Background technology]

[0002] Submersible cleaning robots are used to clean swimming pools more or less automatically. In this case, the cleaning robot is generally slid onto the edge of the pool on a special carriage, from which it is lowered into the water. The robot then automatically and autonomously dives into the pool and systematically navigates the bottom of the pool and partly the pool wall as well. At the rear, the robot pulls a cable for power supply and command. The robot receives the command from outside the pool by a person. Furthermore, software is used that prevents the robot from getting tangled in its own cable or moving around a floating island and thereby blocking itself. At the end of the cleaning, the robot resurfaces autonomously at the place where it was submerged or the surfacing is activated, after which the robot is often manually pulled out of the water. From there, the robot is placed back on the transport carriage and moved away. This is followed by cleaning the water filter.

[0003] In principle, all processes are carried out fully automatically, so that a person only has to carry the robot towards the water, place it in and then pull it out again, place it on the transport cart, and wash the filter after the cleaning process. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved underwater cleaning robot and a method for controlling an improved underwater robot, which makes it possible to avoid problems that may arise due to cables being pulled backwards, such as the aforementioned tangling or blocking. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] This problem is solved by an underwater cleaning robot according to claim 1, a system according to claim 5 or a method according to claim 8. Improvements of the invention are respectively defined in the dependent claims, in which case the method may be improved by the features of the apparatus described below or claimed in the dependent claims or vice versa, or the features of the method and / or the apparatus may each be used to improve one another.

[0006] The submersible cleaning robot according to the present invention includes a moving device for moving the submersible cleaning robot underwater, a cleaning device for cleaning objects located underwater, a control device for controlling the moving device and / or the cleaning device, and a communication device for receiving a signal from outside the submersible cleaning robot. The bidirectional communication means has a first ultrasonic transducer for receiving and transmitting an ultrasonic signal transmitted underwater, and is configured to transfer an electric signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic signal to the control device and, conversely, to transmit the ultrasonic signal from underwater to the communication device outside the aquarium.

[0007] Such an underwater cleaning robot makes it possible to avoid problems that may arise, for example, with cables pulled backwards, such as the aforementioned tangling or blocking.

[0008] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 shows a submersible cleaning system according to a first embodiment, with a submersible cleaning robot positioned on a dolly at the edge of the aquarium. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a submersible cleaning system according to a first embodiment, with a submersible cleaning robot positioned on the bottom of an aquarium. [Diagram 3] 2 shows a flowchart for a method of cleaning a submersible cleaning robot in a submersible cleaning system according to a first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 shows an underwater cleaning system 100 according to a first embodiment. The aquarium 1 has a bottom 2 and a side wall 3. The aquarium 1 may be, for example, a swimming pool or a chrome steel tank that is tiled, sheeted or concreted. A tank rim 4 forms the transition between the side wall 3 and a floor 5 surrounding the tank. The aquarium 1 is filled with water 6 such that the water level 7 is just below the tank rim 4.

[0012] In the state shown in FIG. 1, a submersible cleaning robot 20 is placed on a cart 10, which is placed on a floor 5 near the edge 4 of the aquarium.

[0013] The dolly 10 is configured as, for example, a transport cart. In addition to components used for holding and transporting the submersible cleaning robot 20, the dolly 10 has a control unit 11 for the submersible cleaning robot 20 and one or more charging terminals 12. As an example, Fig. 1 shows a charging plate 12a and a charging plug 12b, in which the submersible cleaning robot 20 is seated on the charging plate 12a, the charging plate 12a contacts a corresponding charging contact 22a of the submersible cleaning robot 20 in this state, and the charging plug 12b can be connected to a corresponding charging socket 22b of the submersible cleaning robot 20.

[0014] The operation of the control unit can take place at the control unit itself or via a remote control unit 15. The control unit 11 comprises or is connected to a modem 13.

[0015] The submersible cleaning robot 20 includes a battery 21 configured to deliver electrical energy, for example configured as a rechargeable storage battery. The battery 21 is connected to one or more charging terminals, for example charging contacts 22a and / or charging sockets 22b, and can be charged via the charging terminals.

[0016] Furthermore, the submersible cleaning robot 20 has a moving device 23 configured to move the submersible cleaning robot 20 in water, and a cleaning device 24 for cleaning objects located in water, such as the bottom 2 and side walls 3 of the water tank 1. The moving device 23 and the cleaning device 24 are supplied with energy from a battery 21.

[0017] 1, the locomotion device 23 is shown by a wheel, caterpillar or roller, and the cleaning device 24 is shown by a brush roller. For example, a static brush, a high pressure device or a suction device is also conceivable. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be applied to a submersible cleaning robot 20 having any locomotion device and cleaning device.

[0018] 2, the submersible cleaning robot 20 further includes a control unit 25. The control unit 25 is used to control the moving device 23 and / or the cleaning device 24. The control unit 25 includes or is connected to a modem 26. The modem 26 is connected to an ultrasonic transducer 27 mounted on the outside of the submersible cleaning robot 20.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows the submersible cleaning robot 20 positioned on the bottom 2 of the aquarium 1 .

[0020] In operation, first the battery 21 of the submersible cleaning robot 20 is charged via the charging terminal 22. Following this, the submersible cleaning robot 20 is moved on the floor 5 to the edge 4 of the aquarium using the dolly 10. Following this, the submersible cleaning robot 20 is lowered onto the bottom 2 of the aquarium 1. The cleaning robot can be maneuvered through a short distance into the water using a wireless control device outside the water.

[0021] An ultrasonic transducer 32 is positioned within the tank 1 below the water surface 7 and is connected via a cable 31 to the modem 13 on the trolley 10 .

[0022] The submersible cleaning robot 20 is driven by electric energy supplied from a battery 21, and moves underwater using a moving device 23. The submersible cleaning robot 20 travels, for example, along the bottom 2 of the aquarium 1 and cleans the bottom 2 using a cleaning device 24. The submersible cleaning robot 20 is controlled by the control unit of the cart 10 via a control device 25 of the submersible cleaning robot 20. Figure 3 shows a flowchart of this control process.

[0023] The process begins at step 101 . In step 102 , control commands and / or control data are generated in the control unit 11 . In step 103 , the control commands and / or data are modulated by the modem 13 and transmitted as electrical signals via the cable 31 to the ultrasonic transducer 32 . - In step 104, the electrical signal from the ultrasonic transducer 32 is converted into an ultrasonic signal and sent into the water. In step 105 an ultrasonic signal is transmitted via the underwater ultrasonic section 39 . - In step 106, the ultrasonic signal is received by the ultrasonic transducer 27 of the submersible cleaning robotic device 20 and converted into an electrical signal. In step 107 , the electrical signal is modulated by the modem 13 and transmitted to the controller 25 of the submersible cleaning robot 20 . In step 108, the control device 25 of the submersible cleaning robot 20 performs control in accordance with the received electrical signal. - In step 109 a check is made as to whether the command has been executed and whether the cleaning process is finished. If the cleaning process is finished (y=yes), the control process ends in step 110. If not (n=no), the process returns to step 102.

[0024] The control sequence is designed so that the submersible cleaning robot 20 returns again to the point where it was last lowered into the water, where it resurfaces, is placed on the carriage 10 and moved away, followed by the necessary maintenance and, if necessary, repair work, such as cleaning the water filter and / or recharging the battery.

[0025] Communication between the control unit 11 located on the tank edge 4 and the submersible cleaning robot 20 in the aquarium 1 is preferably via ultrasonic signals, preferably in a frequency band of 10 kHz to 400 kHz, more preferably from about 40 kHz to 55 kHz, and even more preferably about 50 kHz, suitable for propagation in the water where the various processes are carried out.

[0026] This allowed maximum communication distances of 60m to 80m (without line-of-sight) or over 100m (with line-of-sight) to be achieved when tested in various swimming pools, where the achievable distances mainly depend on the pool geometry, pool material and water composition.

[0027] The control commands and / or control data generated by the control unit 11 are made suitable for transmission by modulation in the modem 13. As modulation for the data and commands to be transmitted, for example a multi-tone modulation, also called orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), for example 50 tones spaced at intervals of approximately 100 Hz, can be selected, whereby each single tone can be modulated with a standard modulation such as frequency shift keying (FSK), for example with a stroke of approximately 25 Hz.

[0028] This combination of modulation types is designed for stable communication with long reverberation and Doppler frequency shift up to 25 Hz. For example, in a chrome steel tank, there is a reverberation of several 100 ms, and the aforementioned range of Doppler frequency shift takes into account real water flow, for example near a water nozzle, and typical robot speeds during underwater cleaning.

[0029] The communication may take place, for example, in half-duplex communication, alternating data transmission on two separate frequency bands, each with a bandwidth of 5 kHz, or in simplex communication, alternating data transmission on a single frequency band of 10 kHz.

[0030] During transmission, small data packets containing, for example, about 30 information bits are exchanged for controlling and monitoring the robot, with a data packet latency of much less than one second.

[0031] For example, a data packet may consist of a 50-bit multitone with a duration between 100 ms and 200 ms, which can be efficiently demodulated using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The 30 information bits in the data packet can be protected against transmission errors using a forward error correction function (FFC), for example a Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem Code (BCH code), with approximately 20 additional bits. Additionally, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) may be implemented to detect unrecognized transmission errors.

[0032] After a data packet is sent, a waiting time (guard time) of about 200 ms or time for reverberation to decay must be waited until a data packet of the same half band can be sent again.

[0033] By equipping the submersible cleaning robot with a battery as an energy source and by wireless communication via ultrasonic signals, the submersible cleaning system avoids problems that may arise from cables pulled backwards, such as the aforementioned tangling or blocking. The submersible cleaning robot has maximum freedom of movement, which allows automatic cleaning with full coverage of the aquarium, even in difficult tank shapes with attachments and islands.

[0034] In this case, underwater wireless communication using ultrasound has proven to be particularly advantageous. In a manner similar to that described above for the transfer from the control unit to the underwater cleaning robot, the transfer in the reverse direction can also take place.

[0035] In general, ultrasonic transducers may be single-beam or multi-beam transducers, which may extend the emission angle up to omnidirectional transducers that emit in all directions.

[0036] The submersible cleaning robot may be programmed to turn around and return to where the submersible cleaning robot had previous good reception if reception becomes too weak or absent. The submersible cleaning robot may be programmed to stop if communication is interrupted (e.g., due to power loss in the control unit) and wait for a signal to be provided again. Additionally, the submersible cleaning robot may be programmed to return autonomously to its initial position after finishing cleaning. Additionally, the submersible cleaning robot may be programmed to return autonomously to its initial position if the remaining capacity of the battery falls below a predetermined value.

[0037] The ultrasonic signals may be used to measure distances and aid in the navigation of the submersible cleaning robot within the aquarium. Thus, the submersible cleaning robot can determine, for example, the distance to the side walls of the aquarium from the transmitted and received ultrasonic signals and automatically turn around near the walls. The submersible cleaning robot can also recognize, for example, by multiple measurements, whether the side walls are straight and aligned accordingly, or whether the side walls have an arbitrary free shape.

[0038] Furthermore, the ultrasonic transducer may be used to capture data regarding the quality of the water and the quality of the pool, so that certain reference data, for example before and after cleaning, can be determined and compared. For example, the reference data can be obtained by a teaching operation under given conditions (clean tank and water), and in case of discrepancy, a corresponding notification can be output and / or measures can be taken.

[0039] To make the underwater cleaning robot float, air can be sucked in from above the water surface and pumped into the floatation bell. This can be done, for example, by an air pump through a hose, the free end of which is held by a buoy on the water surface. Alternatively, air compressed within the robot can be released into the floatation bell, for example by an air expansion cartridge.

[0040] For diving, the air in the floating bell can be released by a suction pump of the submersible cleaning robot, for example used for cleaning, which allows the submersible cleaning robot to first achieve a defined floating state at the water surface and then slowly descend to the bottom.

Claims

1. In the underwater cleaning robot (20), a moving device (23) for moving the underwater cleaning robot (20) in water; a cleaning device (24) for cleaning objects (2, 3) located in water; A control device (25) for controlling the moving device (23) and / or the cleaning device (24); a communication device (26, 27) for receiving and / or transmitting signals from outside the submersible cleaning robot (20) and vice versa; Equipped with The communication device includes a first ultrasonic transducer (27) for receiving ultrasonic signals transmitted underwater; The communication device is configured to transmit an electrical signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic signal to the control device.

2. 2. The submersible cleaning robot (20) of claim 1, further comprising a first modem (26) that demodulates an electrical signal corresponding to a received ultrasonic signal (39) and transmits the demodulated signal to the control device.

3. 2. The submersible cleaning robot (20) of claim 1, wherein the communication device (26, 27) is configured to transmit again via the first ultrasonic transducer (27) an ultrasonic signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic signal.

4. The submersible cleaning robot (20) further comprises a battery (21) for supplying electrical energy to the moving device (23) and / or the cleaning device (24); The battery (21) is preferably configured to be rechargeable; The submersible cleaning robot (20) according to claim 1, further comprising external terminals (22a, 22b) connected to the battery (21) for recharging the battery (21) with electrical energy supplied from an external source.

5. A system (100) for underwater cleaning, comprising: A submersible cleaning robot (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4; A control unit (11) for controlling the underwater cleaning robot (20); a second ultrasonic transducer (32) connected to the control unit (11) for converting the signal output by the control unit into an ultrasonic signal and for emitting an ultrasonic signal in water.

6. 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a modem (13) provided in or connected to the control unit (11) for modulating the signal output by the control unit (11) and for transferring the modulated signal to a second ultrasonic transducer (32).

7. The system according to claim 5, comprising two or more submersible cleaning robots (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. A method for controlling a submersible cleaning robot (20) operating below the water surface (7), preferably a submersible cleaning robot (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising the steps of: converting (104) an electrical signal into an ultrasonic signal for controlling the submersible cleaning robot (20) using a second ultrasonic transducer (32) mounted below the water surface (7); transmitting (105) an ultrasonic signal to the submersible cleaning robot (20) via an underwater ultrasonic section (39); receiving (106) the transmitted ultrasonic signal by a first ultrasonic transducer (27) attached to the submersible cleaning robot (20) and converting the received ultrasonic signal into an electrical signal for controlling the submersible cleaning robot (20); The method comprising:

9. modulating (103) an electrical signal for controlling the submersible cleaning robot (20) by a second modem (13) before converting it into an ultrasonic signal; 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising demodulating (107) the electrical signal output from the first ultrasonic transducer (27) by a first modem (26).

10. Use multi-tone modulation for modulation, preferably with 50 tones spaced about 100 Hz apart; 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein each single tone is preferably modulated with Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), more preferably with a stroke of about 25 Hz.

11. outputting a data packet having a predetermined number of bits for transmission; 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising maintaining a predetermined waiting time between outputting successive data packets, preferably to compensate for reflections of the ultrasonic signal.

12. 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting data both from a control unit (11) to the submersible cleaning robot (20) and from the submersible cleaning robot (20) to the control unit (11).

13. half-duplex data transmission on two separate frequency bands of a given bandwidth; or 13. The method of claim 12, comprising performing simplex data transmission in one frequency band of a predetermined bandwidth.

14. The submersible cleaning robot (20) turns around and returns to a location where the submersible cleaning robot (20) previously had good reception when reception of the ultrasonic signal becomes too weak or is lost; and / or When the submersible cleaning robot (20) no longer receives an ultrasonic signal, it stops and waits until it receives an ultrasonic signal again; and / or The submersible cleaning robot (20) automatically returns to its initial position when the remaining capacity of the battery falls below a predetermined value; and / or The method of claim 8, wherein the submersible cleaning robot (20) automatically returns to the initial position after finishing cleaning.

15. Ultrasonic signals are used to aid in distance measurement and navigation of the submersible cleaning robot (20) within the aquarium (1); and / or 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is used to obtain data regarding water quality and pool quality.

16. In order to make the submersible cleaning robot (20) float, air is drawn from above the water surface and sent to a floating bell; and / or Releasing the air compressed by the air expansion cartridge into a floating bell to float the submersible cleaning robot (20); and / or 9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: sucking out air from within a floating bell by a suction pump to submerge the submersible cleaning robot.

Images