Method and apparatus for preventing falls of self-propelled equipment

Abstract

This application discloses a method and apparatus for preventing falls of self-propelled equipment, which can be used in the technical field of self-propelled equipment to reduce the risk of falls during the operation of self-propelled equipment and to improve the intelligence level of self-propelled equipment. The method includes determining, based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled equipment, a pre-set height plane environment map corresponding to the space in which the self-propelled equipment is located in the operating environment, and history trigger records in the operating environment of a cliff sensor provided on the self-propelled equipment, wherein the environment map is marked as an inaccessible area, generating a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled equipment based on the inaccessible area and the history trigger records, and controlling the self-propelled equipment to perform a pre-set task outside the task activity prohibition area.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0006] ,

[0001] [Cross - reference to Related Applications] This application claims the priority of a Chinese patent application with the application number CN202310325162.1 and the invention title "Fall Prevention Control Method and Device for Self - propelled Equipment", which was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on March 29, 2023, and the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This application relates to the technical field of self - propelled equipment, and particularly to a method and device for preventing self - propelled equipment from falling.

Background Art

[0003] With the development of science and technology and the pursuit of a comfortable life, people's demand for self - propelled equipment is increasing, and at the same time, people's expectations and requirements for self - propelled equipment are also getting higher. When a self - propelled equipment executes a task, in order to avoid falling when encountering a step, a staircase or a height difference, usually a cliff sensor is provided on the self - propelled equipment. When the self - propelled equipment travels to a terrain with a certain height difference, it can be immediately stopped so that the self - propelled equipment does not continue to move forward, and effectively prevent the self - propelled equipment from falling from a high place and being damaged.

[0004] However, during the operation process of the self - propelled equipment, if the cliff sensor fails or the cliff sensor is shielded, the cliff sensor cannot be triggered normally. In this case, the self - propelled equipment will generate a risk of falling and cause irreparable harm.

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, this application provides a fall prevention control method and device for self - propelled equipment, and the main purpose is to reduce the risk of falling in the operation process of the self - propelled equipment and improve the intelligence level of the self - propelled equipment.

[0006] According to one aspect of this application, a fall prevention control method for a self - propelled equipment with a built - in cliff sensor is provided. The method includes: Based on the results of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, an environment map corresponding to the operating environment and the history trigger record of the cliff sensor in the operating environment are determined, and of these, the environment map is marked with an unreachable area. Based on the aforementioned inaccessible area and the aforementioned history trigger record, the task activity prohibition area of ​​the self-propelled device is determined, This includes controlling the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the task activity restriction area.

[0007] Selectively, based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, an environment map corresponding to the operating environment and a history trigger record of the cliff sensor in the operating environment are determined. The self-propelled device acquires an environment map that matches the operating environment constructed and generated in at least one task execution result, and the environment map is constructed and generated based on external environmental features extracted from the environmental data after collecting environmental data by sensors placed on the self-propelled device. This includes extracting at least one history trigger record of a cliff sensor provided on the self-propelled device based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device.

[0008] Selectively determining the task activity prohibition area of ​​the self-propelled device based on the inaccessible area and the history trigger record, To determine whether there is a region point in the aforementioned unreachable region that matches the trigger point corresponding to the history trigger record, If present, this includes marking and updating the unreachable area in the environment map as a task activity prohibited area for the self-propelled device.

[0009] Selectively, after determining the task activity prohibition area of ​​the self-propelled device based on the inaccessible area and the history trigger record, The environment map further includes displaying the task activity restriction area to the user and adjusting the position and / or size of the task activity restriction area in the environment map in response to area adjustment commands transmitted by the user.

[0010] Selectively controlling the self-propelled device to perform the pre-configured task outside the task activity restriction area is, The process includes controlling the self-propelled device to perform the pre-set task according to a fall prevention trajectory in response to the determination that the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device overlap with the contour coordinates of the task activity prohibition area, based on the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device. Among these, the fall prevention trajectory includes a trajectory in which the self-propelled device moves in any direction away from the task activity prohibition area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points, or a trajectory in which it moves along the edge of the task activity prohibition area to another area in the environment map that does not belong to the task activity prohibition area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points.

[0011] Selectively, the above method, The system further includes updating the unreachable area in the environment map based on the current task execution results in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, adjusting the task activity prohibited area in the environment map based on the updated unreachable area and the coordinates of the trigger point after the coordinates of the trigger point have been obtained, and controlling the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the adjusted task activity prohibited area.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present application, a self-propelled device having a cliff sensor and a drive module built in, A map collection module for collecting environmental data in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, The present invention provides a self-propelled device comprising: a control module for generating an environmental map in which unreachable areas are marked based on the aforementioned environmental data, and generating a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled device in combination with the history trigger recording of the cliff sensor; and controlling the drive module to drive the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the task activity prohibition area.

[0013] Selectively, the control module includes a generation unit, The generation unit is used to extract external environmental features from the environmental data and to construct and generate an environmental map of the operating environment based on the external environmental features, the environmental map of which unreachable regions are marked.

[0014] Selectively, the control module includes a decision unit and an update unit. The determination unit is used to determine whether there is one region point in the unreachable region that matches the trigger point corresponding to the history trigger record. The update unit is used to mark and update the unreachable region in the environment map as a task activity prohibited area for the self-propelled device if it is determined that there is one region point in the unreachable region that matches a trigger point corresponding to the history trigger record.

[0015] Selectively, the control module further includes a first adjustment unit. The first adjustment unit is used to display the task activity restriction area to the user in the environment map and to adjust the position and / or size of the task activity restriction area in the environment map in response to area adjustment commands transmitted by the user.

[0016] Selectively, the control module further includes a control unit. The control unit is used to control the self-propelled device to perform the pre-set task according to the fall prevention trajectory, in response to the determination that the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device overlap with the contour coordinates of the task activity prohibition area, based on the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device. Among these, the fall prevention trajectory includes a trajectory in which the self-propelled device moves in any direction away from the task activity prohibition area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points, or a trajectory in which it moves along the edge of the task activity prohibition area to another area in the environment map that does not belong to the task activity prohibition area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points.

[0017] Selectively, the control module further includes a second adjustment unit. The second adjustment unit is used to update the unreachable area in the environment map based on the current task execution results in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, adjust the task activity prohibited area in the environment map based on the updated unreachable area and the coordinates of the trigger point after the coordinates of the trigger point have been obtained, and to control the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the adjusted task activity prohibited area.

[0018] A further aspect of the present invention provides a storage medium that stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements a fall prevention control method for the self-propelled device.

[0019] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a computer device is provided that includes a storage medium, a processor, and a computer program stored in the storage medium and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements a fall prevention control method for the self-propelled device.

[0020] According to the above technical solution, the method and device for preventing the self-propelled device from falling provided by the present application first determine the corresponding environmental map in the operating environment and the historical trigger record in the operating environment of the cliff sensor based on at least one task execution result in the operating environment of the self-propelled device. Further, based on the unreachable area marked in the environmental map and the historical trigger record, a task activity prohibited area of the self-propelled device is generated. Finally, the self-propelled device can be controlled to execute a pre-set task outside the task activity prohibited area. According to the technical solution in the present application, by generating a task activity prohibited area and controlling the self-propelled device based on the task activity prohibited area, the risk of falling of the self-propelled device when the cliff sensor fails or the cliff sensor is shielded can be effectively reduced, and furthermore, the intelligence level of the self-propelled device can be improved, and the loss of the user can be reduced.

[0021] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention and be able to implement it based on the content of the specification, and in order to more clearly and easily understand the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, the following will specifically list the specific embodiments of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] The drawings described here are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the present invention. The schematic embodiments and their descriptions of the present invention are used to interpret the present invention and do not unduly limit the present application.

[0023] [Figure 1] The flowchart of the method for preventing the self-propelled device from falling provided by the embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] The flowchart of another method for preventing the self-propelled device from falling provided by the embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] The schematic diagram of the embodiment of the method for preventing the self-propelled device from falling provided by the embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 4]A schematic diagram of the structure of a self-propelled device provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram of the physical structure of a computer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] The present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. To the extent that there is no contradiction, the embodiments and features described herein can be combined with each other.

[0025] To reduce the risk of falls during the operation of self-propelled equipment and to improve the level of intelligence of self-propelled equipment, the present invention provides a fall prevention control method for self-propelled equipment, as shown in Figure 1, and the method includes the following.

[0026] 101, wherein, based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, an environment map corresponding to the operating environment and a history trigger record in the operating environment of the cliff sensor are determined, and the environment map is marked with an unreachable area.

[0027] Among these, the term "self-propelled device" refers to a functional self-propelled device that can be used to perform a pre-set task and is equipped with a cliff sensor. The pre-set task varies depending on the specific application. For example, if the pre-set task is a cleaning task, the self-propelled device may be a cleaning robot that can be used to perform the cleaning task, such as a robotic vacuum cleaner or a mop robot. In this embodiment and the steps of subsequent embodiments, the self-propelled device will be described using a cleaning robot as an example, but the technology described in this application is not specifically limited. The operating environment may be the operating area when the self-propelled device performs the pre-set task, for example, a home, office, shopping mall, etc.

[0028] During the operation of the self-propelled device, it collects ambient environmental data in real time, generates an environmental map corresponding to the operating environment based on the ambient environmental data, or corrects previously generated environmental maps in real time, and finally executes a specific pre-set task based on the environmental map generated by intelligence. Among these, the environmental map is marked as an inaccessible area, which refers to an area that the self-propelled device cannot reach due to the presence of obstacles. For example, when the self-propelled device travels to the boundary position of two areas, the presence of one obstacle prevents it from entering the other area, but if the sensor on the self-propelled device can detect the presence of the other area, this area is an inaccessible area. In addition, to prevent the self-propelled device from falling during its operation, a cliff sensor is often placed on the bottom of the self-propelled device. When the self-propelled device travels to terrain that has a certain height difference below a pre-set height plane corresponding to the space in which the self-propelled device is located, it is immediately stopped to prevent it from continuing to move forward, effectively preventing the self-propelled device from falling from a height and being damaged. In this configuration, when the self-propelled device travels to the boundary of an area with a downward cliff, the cliff sensor detects the presence of the downward cliff, causing the device to stop to prevent further advancement into the downward cliff area. However, sensors above the cliff also sense the presence of the downward cliff area, making that area an "unreachable area." Specifically, the cliff sensor refers to an infrared pair tube containing one transmitting tube and one receiving tube. If the transmitting tube transmits a signal and the receiving tube cannot receive it in a timely manner, it is determined that the trigger point is relatively far from the self-propelled device, i.e., that there is a "cliff" with an altitude difference. In this embodiment, based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, it is possible to determine at least one environmental map generated by the self-propelled device during its operation and at least one historical trigger record of the cliff sensor. This allows for the determination of areas where the self-propelled device's task activity is prohibited, based on the unreachable area in the environmental map and the historical trigger record, where there is a potential risk of falling.

[0029] The implementing body of the present invention may be a control device for a self-propelled device, and may be located inside the self-propelled device, or on the client side or server side. Based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, it can determine the environment map planned and completed by the self-propelled device in the operating environment, and the history trigger records of the cliff sensor. Subsequently, it can generate a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled device based on the unreachable area and the history trigger records, and finally, it can control the self-propelled device to execute a pre-configured task outside the task activity prohibition area.

[0030] 102, which includes determining a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled equipment based on an unreachable area and a history trigger record.

[0031] Among these, the task activity prohibition area refers to a non-operational area that the self-propelled device automatically avoids when performing a pre-set task. In this embodiment, the purpose of determining the task activity prohibition area is, for example, if the cliff sensor fails or is shielded and cannot be triggered properly, and if the cliff area cannot be determined in real time, the generated task activity prohibition area can be used to effectively avoid the self-propelled device falling, ensuring the normal operation of the self-propelled device, while simultaneously reducing the risk of falling during the operation process of the self-propelled device and improving the intelligence level of the self-propelled device.

[0032] In this embodiment, since the inaccessible area is determined immediately during the task execution process of the self-propelled device, the inaccessible area changes at any time if obstacles present in the operating environment change. For example, when a bedroom door changes from closed to open, a change occurs from the inaccessible area to the accessible area of ​​the bedroom. Therefore, generating a task activity prohibition area based solely on the inaccessible area determined by the history state is likely to affect the effectiveness of task execution. Due to the special nature of the cliff sensor's detection principle, namely because an infrared (photoelectric) sensor is used as the cliff sensor, if a single light beam or infrared light is irradiated onto an object from the infrared sensor, and no echo is received at an appropriate distance, it can be determined that the self-propelled device has entered a dangerous area. If a light beam (echo) can be detected, it can be proven that it is in a safe area. If the cliff sensor malfunctions or does not operate and the cliff area cannot be detected, at this time, at least one history trigger record of the cliff sensor can be determined based on at least one task execution result in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, and further, a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled device can be generated based on at least one history trigger record. However, since the history trigger record can only reflect cliff regions in the history state and cannot accurately represent the trigger result at the present time, simply generating task activity prohibition areas based on the history trigger record is similarly inaccurate and likely to affect the effectiveness of task execution. In summary, in order to accurately control the fall prevention of self-propelled equipment and ensure that the self-propelled equipment can perform tasks better, the present invention combines inaccessible regions and history trigger records to more accurately determine task activity prohibition areas from multiple dimensions. Specifically, the task activity prohibition area must be an inaccessible region marked once or multiple times in the environment map, and at the same time, there must be a record that is triggered by the cliff sensor (recognized as a cliff region by the cliff sensor) in the history stage.

[0033] 103, which includes controlling a self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside a task activity restriction area.

[0034] In this embodiment, after the task activity prohibition area is determined, the execution of pre-set tasks by the self-propelled device can be controlled based on the task activity prohibition area. Even if the cliff sensor of the self-propelled device is not triggered, the self-propelled device will automatically avoid the task activity prohibition area and avoid the risk of falling.

[0035] According to the fall prevention control method for self-propelled equipment in this embodiment, first, based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled equipment, a corresponding environmental map in the operating environment and a history trigger record in the operating environment of the cliff sensor are determined. Furthermore, a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled equipment is generated based on the marked unreachable area in the environmental map and the history trigger record. Finally, the self-propelled equipment can be controlled to perform a pre-set task outside the task activity prohibition area. According to the technical proposal in this application, by generating a task activity prohibition area and controlling the self-propelled equipment based on the task activity prohibition area, the risk of the self-propelled equipment falling when the cliff sensor fails or is shielded can be effectively reduced, the intelligence level of the self-propelled equipment can be improved, and user losses can be reduced.

[0036] Furthermore, as a detailed and extended version of the above embodiment, and in order to fully explain the specific implementation process in this embodiment, we provide another method for preventing the fall of self-propelled equipment, as shown in Figure 2, which includes the following:

[0037] 201, wherein the self-propelled device obtains an environment map of the operating environment it has constructed and generated in the result of at least one task execution, and the environment map is marked with an unreachable area.

[0038] In specific application forms, multiple sensors may be provided on the self-propelled device itself to achieve accurate position estimation control of the self-propelled device. These multiple sensors are used to collect environmental data around the self-propelled device so that external environmental features are extracted based on the environmental data, and an environmental map of a pre-set height plane corresponding to the space in which the self-propelled device is located is constructed based on the external environmental features. Among these sensors, laser radar, vision cameras, gyroscopes, odometers, etc. Specifically, the self-propelled device can map a SLAM / VSLAM map of a height plane in the space in which the self-propelled device is located using sensors such as laser radar, vision cameras, gyroscopes, and odometers. The SLAM / VSLAM map has two-dimensional planar coordinates (XY) and one height information (Z), where Z is usually 0, which is the height of the floor, i.e., the height of the pre-set height plane is 0, but it may be any other actual height detected by the sensor, and is not specifically limited here. In this embodiment, unreachable areas can be further extracted from the environmental map, and these unreachable areas must satisfy the condition that they cannot be reached once or multiple times after complete cleaning.

[0039] 202, which includes extracting at least one historical trigger record of a cliff sensor based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device.

[0040] In this embodiment, first, the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device can be obtained. This result includes at least one history trigger record that is triggered when the cliff sensor is operating normally, and the history trigger record can reflect the cliff area in the operating environment to some extent. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the cliff area cannot be detected due to a failure or malfunction of the cliff sensor, at least one history trigger record of the cliff sensor can be extracted, and by combining this at least one history trigger record with the marked unreachable area in the environment map, the task activity prohibition area of ​​the self-propelled device can be further determined.

[0041] 203, which includes determining a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled equipment based on an unreachable area and a history trigger record.

[0042] In this embodiment, in a specific application, when determining a task activity prohibition area for an autonomous vehicle based on an inaccessible area and a history trigger record, first, trigger points related to cliff areas are extracted based on the history trigger record, and then the trigger points are matched with area points in the inaccessible area. That is, it is possible to determine whether the inaccessible area is similarly recognized as a cliff area by the cliff sensor. If it is determined that the trigger points match well with the area points in the inaccessible area, it can be determined that there is a very high probability that the inaccessible area is an area with an altitude difference, and therefore the area can be secondary marked as a task activity prohibition area for the autonomous vehicle. Accordingly, step 203 of the embodiment may specifically include determining whether there is one area point in the inaccessible area that matches the trigger points corresponding to the history trigger record, and if so, marking and updating the inaccessible area in the environment map as a task activity prohibition area for the autonomous vehicle.

[0043] In specific application forms, to avoid misrecognition, when generating a task activity restriction area for a self-propelled device, the area may be displayed in a form visible to the user so that it can be edited and deleted by the user. Accordingly, the steps of the embodiment may further include displaying the task activity restriction area to the user in an environment map and adjusting the position and / or size of the task activity restriction area in the environment map in response to area adjustment commands sent by the user.

[0044] 204, which includes controlling the self-propelled device to perform a pre-set task according to a fall prevention trajectory in response to the determination that the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device overlap with the contour coordinates of a task activity prohibition area, based on the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device.

[0045] In a specific application, if the cliff sensor fails or is shielded and cannot be triggered properly, the self-propelled device can be controlled to move away from the task activity prohibited area by planning a fall prevention trajectory for the self-propelled device in real time based on the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device. Correspondingly, as shown in Figure 3, as one optional method, the fall prevention trajectory may include a first fall prevention trajectory: first, a contour coordinate point A where the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device and the task activity prohibited area overlap is determined, and then the first fall prevention trajectory may be planned as A-B1, A-C1, ..., A-N1, that is, the self-propelled device moves in any direction away from the task activity prohibited area (B1, C1, ..., N1) starting from the overlapping contour coordinate point A. Alternatively, the fall prevention trajectory may include a second fall prevention trajectory: first, a contour coordinate point A is determined where the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device overlap with the task activity prohibition area; and then a second fall prevention trajectory is planned as A-B2, A-C2, ..., A-N2, that is, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate point A, the device moves along the edge direction of the task activity prohibition area (B2, C2, ..., N2) to other areas in the environment map that do not belong to the task activity prohibition area. For illustrative purposes, Figure 3 provides only some optional trajectories of the first and second fall prevention trajectories, but the specific fall prevention trajectories to which the self-propelled device can move are not limited to these.

[0046] In response to this, during the execution of pre-configured tasks by the self-propelled device, the marked inaccessible areas on the environment map can be updated in accordance with changes in the operating environment. In some embodiments, when the self-propelled device performs a pre-configured task in the original operating environment, if it recognizes that the bedroom door is closed before cleaning the bedroom, it marks the bedroom as an inaccessible area during the execution of that historical task. When the bedroom door changes from closed to open during subsequent task execution, the self-propelled device can update the bedroom from an inaccessible area to an accessible area, or conversely, update the bedroom from an accessible area to an inaccessible area, based on the current task execution result in the operating environment.

[0047] In specific application scenarios, task activity prohibition zones are determined based on unreachable areas in the environment map and historical trigger records from the cliff sensor, making them prone to misplanning and omissions. Therefore, once the cliff sensor recovers to normal operation, after acquiring the coordinates of the trigger point where the cliff sensor was triggered, the task activity prohibition zone in the environment map is further adjusted based on the updated unreachable area and trigger point coordinates. This ensures the truthfulness and accuracy of the planned task activity prohibition zone and allows for more precise control of the autonomous vehicle to perform pre-configured tasks outside the adjusted task activity prohibition zone. According to the steps of this embodiment, bidirectional verification optimization can be performed on trigger results and pre-generated task activity prohibition zones, further improving the autonomous vehicle's recognition performance of cliff areas. At the same time, the task activity prohibition zone can be dynamically adjusted based on the real-time trigger results of the cliff sensor so that real-time trigger results match the environmental layout of the operating environment in real time.

[0048] In response to this, when adjusting the task activity prohibition area in the environment map based on the updated inaccessible areas and trigger point coordinates, one optional method is to first determine the inaccessible areas that are marked as inaccessible once or more times in the environment map (these inaccessible areas have been marked as inaccessible at least once in the history task execution results and the current task execution results), then, after the coordinates of the trigger point triggered by the cliff sensor are obtained, determine one inaccessible area whose coordinates overlap with the coordinates of the trigger point, and further determine whether that inaccessible area is marked as a task activity prohibition area (i.e., verify whether a history trigger record exists for that inaccessible area), and if not, determine that inaccessible area as a newly added task activity prohibition area. For example, area A is marked as an inaccessible area once or more times in the environment map, but there is no history trigger record for the cliff sensor, so in step 203 of the embodiment, area A is not determined as a task activity prohibition area. When the cliff sensor recovers to normal operation, and it is determined that the coordinates of a trigger point that triggers are located in area A, considering that area A has been marked as an unreachable area once or multiple times in the environment map, it is possible to update area A to a task activity prohibition area at this time.

[0049] Alternatively, the cliff sensor may recognize whether a trigger point still exists in the determined task activity prohibited area, and if it is determined that no trigger point exists in the original task activity prohibited area (for example, the cliff area in the original task activity prohibited area is removed), the task activity prohibited area can be further deleted from the environment map. For example, if it is determined that no trigger point exists in the original task activity prohibited area, the environment map may display information indicating that an anomaly exists in the task activity prohibited area, and the environment map may be adjusted in response to an area adjustment command sent by the user (for example, the task activity prohibited area may be deleted). For example, since area B has been marked as an unreachable area once or more times in the environment map and there is a history trigger record from the cliff sensor, area B is determined to be a task activity prohibited area in step 203 of the embodiment. When the cliff sensor recovers to normal operation, if it detects that there are no coordinates for a trigger point that triggers in area B, it can display information to the user indicating that there is an anomaly in the task activity prohibited area determined by area B in the environment map, prompting the user to confirm whether or not a cliff area exists in area B. If it is determined that there is indeed no cliff area in area B, the indicator that area B is a task activity prohibited area can be removed from the environment map based on the area adjustment command sent by the user, and area B can be restored to a normal task execution area.

[0050] According to the aforementioned fall prevention control method for self-propelled equipment, first, based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled equipment, a pre-set height plane environment map corresponding to the space in which the self-propelled equipment is located in the operating environment, and history trigger records in the operating environment of the cliff sensor are determined. Furthermore, based on the marked unreachable areas in the environment map and the history trigger records, a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled equipment is generated. Finally, the self-propelled equipment can be controlled to perform a pre-set task outside the task activity prohibition area. According to the technical proposal in this application, cliff areas where altitude differences exist in the operating environment can be comprehensively determined from multiple dimensions, further improving the accuracy of cliff area recognition, effectively reducing the risk of the self-propelled equipment falling when the cliff sensor fails or is shielded, further improving the intelligence level of the self-propelled equipment, and minimizing user losses.

[0051] Furthermore, as an embodiment of the method shown in Figures 1 and 2, the present invention provides a self-propelled device incorporating a cliff sensor 31 and a drive module 32, and as shown in Figure 4, includes a map acquisition module 33 and a control module 34. The map collection module 33 can be used to collect environmental data in the operating environment of self-propelled equipment. The control module 34 can be used to generate an environmental map with inaccessible areas marked based on environmental data, and in combination with the history trigger recording of the cliff sensor to generate task activity prohibition areas for the self-propelled equipment, and to control the drive module to drive the self-propelled equipment to perform a pre-configured task outside the task activity prohibition areas.

[0052] In a specific application, as shown in Figure 4, the control module 34 includes a generation unit 341. The generation unit 341 can be used to extract external environmental features from environmental data and to construct and generate an environment map of the operating environment based on these external environmental features, in which unreachable regions are marked.

[0053] In a specific application, as shown in Figure 4, the control module 34 includes a decision unit 342 and an update unit 343. The decision unit 342 can be used to determine whether there is one region point in the unreachable region that matches the trigger point corresponding to the historical trigger record. The update unit 343 can be used to mark and update the unreachable region in the environment map as a task activity prohibited area for the self-propelled equipment if it is determined that there is one region point in the unreachable region that matches a trigger point corresponding to a history trigger record.

[0054] In a specific application, the control module 34 further includes a first adjustment unit 344. The first adjustment unit 344 can be used to display task activity restriction areas to the user in the environment map and to adjust the position and / or size of the task activity restriction areas in the environment map in response to area adjustment commands sent by the user.

[0055] In a specific application, as shown in Figure 4, the control module 34 further includes a control unit 345. The control unit 345 can be used to control the self-propelled device to perform a pre-set task according to a fall prevention trajectory in response to the determination that the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device overlap with the contour coordinates of the task activity prohibition area, based on the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device. Among these, the fall prevention trajectory includes a trajectory in which the self-propelled device moves in any direction away from the task activity prohibited area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points, or a trajectory in which it moves along the edge of the task activity prohibited area to another area in the environment map that does not belong to the task activity prohibited area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points.

[0056] In a specific application, as shown in Figure 4, the control module 34 further includes a second adjustment unit 346. The second adjustment unit 346 can be used to update the unreachable area in the environment map based on the current task execution results in the operating environment of the self-propelled equipment, adjust the task activity prohibition area in the environment map based on the updated unreachable area and trigger point coordinates after the coordinates of the trigger point where the cliff sensor was triggered, and control the self-propelled equipment to perform a pre-configured task outside the adjusted task activity prohibition area.

[0057] For further explanation, please refer to the corresponding descriptions in Figures 1 and 2 for other corresponding descriptions of the functional units related to the self-propelled equipment provided in this embodiment, and such descriptions are omitted here.

[0058] Based on the methods shown in Figures 1 and 2, this embodiment further provides a non-volatile storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, realize a fall prevention control method for self-propelled equipment as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0059] Based on this understanding, the technical proposal of the present application may be embodied in the form of a software product that can be stored on a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, USB flash drive, or mobile hard disk), which includes several instructions for causing a computer device (such as a personal computer, server, or network device) to execute the methods of each embodiment of the present application.

[0060] Based on the methods shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the embodiment of the self-propelled device shown in Figure 4, in order to achieve the above objective, this embodiment further provides a computer device including a processor 41, a communications interface 42, a memory 43, and a communications bus 44, as shown in Figure 5. Of these, the processor 41, the communications interface 42, and the memory 43 communicate with each other via the communications bus 44. The communications interface 44 is used to communicate with network elements of other devices, such as a client or other server. The processor 41 is used to execute a program and can specifically perform the relevant steps in the embodiment of the fall prevention control method for the self-propelled device. Specifically, the program may include program code that includes computer operation instructions. The processor 41 may be a processor CPU, a specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits.

[0061] Optionally, the computer equipment may further include a user interface, a network interface, a camera, a radio frequency (RF) circuit, a sensor, an audio circuit, a Wi-Fi module, and so on. The user interface may include an input unit such as a display or keyboard, and optional user interfaces may further include a USB interface, a card reader interface, and so on. The network interface may optionally include a standard wired interface, a wireless interface (e.g., a Wi-Fi interface), and so on.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of the computer equipment provided by this embodiment is not limiting to the physical equipment, and may include more or fewer components, combine certain components, or arrange different components.

[0063] The non-volatile storage medium may further include an operating system and a network communication module. The operating system is a program that manages the hardware and software resources of the computer equipment and supports the execution of information processing programs and other software and / or programs. The network communication module is used to enable communication between each assembly within the non-volatile storage medium and with other hardware and software in the information processing equipment.

[0064] From the above description of the embodiments, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present application can be realized by combining software and a necessary general-purpose hardware platform, and also by hardware.

[0065] By using the present invention, compared to conventional technologies, the present invention first determines a pre-set height plane environment map corresponding to the space in which the self-propelled device is located in the operating environment, and history trigger records in the operating environment of the cliff sensor, based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device. Furthermore, it generates a task activity prohibition area for the self-propelled device based on the marked unreachable area in the environment map and the history trigger records. Finally, it controls the self-propelled device to perform a pre-set task outside the task activity prohibition area. According to the present invention, the risk of the self-propelled device falling when the cliff sensor fails or is shielded can be effectively reduced, and the level of intelligence of the self-propelled device can be effectively improved, reducing user losses.

[0066] Those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings are merely schematic diagrams of preferred embodiments and that modules or processes shown in the drawings are not necessarily required to carry out the present application. Those skilled in the art will understand that modules in the apparatus of an embodiment may be distributed across the apparatus of the embodiment as described in the embodiment, or they may be located in one or more different apparatuses with corresponding modifications. The modules of the embodiment may be combined as a single module or further divided into multiple submodules.

[0067] The aforementioned application numbers are for illustrative purposes only and do not indicate any preference for any particular embodiment. The foregoing disclosures represent only a few specific embodiments of the present application, but the application is not limited thereto, and any modifications that a person skilled in the art could conceive should be included in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for preventing falls of self-propelled equipment equipped with a cliff sensor, Based on the results of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, an environment map corresponding to the operating environment and the history trigger record of the cliff sensor in the operating environment are determined, and the environment map is marked with an inaccessible area. Based on the aforementioned inaccessible area and the aforementioned history trigger record, the task activity prohibition area of ​​the self-propelled device is determined, This includes controlling the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the task activity restriction area, A method for controlling the fall prevention of self-propelled equipment.

2. Based on the results of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, determining the environment map corresponding to the operating environment and the history trigger record of the cliff sensor in the operating environment is: The self-propelled device acquires an environment map that matches the operating environment constructed and generated in at least one task execution result, and the environment map is constructed and generated based on external environmental features extracted from the environmental data after collecting environmental data by sensors placed on the self-propelled device. This includes extracting at least one history trigger record of a cliff sensor provided on the self-propelled device based on the result of at least one task execution in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, A method for preventing falls of a self-propelled device as described in claim 1.

3. Determining the task activity prohibition area of ​​the self-propelled device based on the aforementioned inaccessible area and the aforementioned history trigger record is: To determine whether there is a single region point in the aforementioned unreachable region that matches the trigger point corresponding to the historical trigger record, If present, this includes marking and updating the unreachable area in the environment map as a task activity prohibited area for the self-propelled device, A method for preventing falls of a self-propelled device as described in claim 1.

4. After determining the task activity prohibition area of ​​the self-propelled device based on the aforementioned inaccessible area and the aforementioned history trigger record, The environment map further includes displaying the task activity restriction area to the user and adjusting the position and / or size of the task activity restriction area in the environment map in response to a restriction adjustment command transmitted by the user. A method for preventing falls of a self-propelled device as described in claim 1.

5. Controlling the self-propelled device to perform the pre-configured task outside the task activity prohibition area is, The process includes controlling the self-propelled device to perform the pre-set task according to a fall prevention trajectory in response to the determination that the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device overlap with the contour coordinates of the task activity prohibition area, based on the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device. The fall prevention trajectory includes a trajectory in which the self-propelled device moves in any direction away from the task activity prohibited area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points, or a trajectory in which it moves along the edge of the task activity prohibited area to another area in the environment map that does not belong to the task activity prohibited area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points. A method for preventing falls of a self-propelled device as described in claim 1.

6. The fall prevention control method for the aforementioned self-propelled equipment is as follows: The system further includes updating the unreachable area in the environment map based on the current task execution results in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, adjusting the task activity prohibited area in the environment map based on the updated unreachable area and the coordinates of the trigger point after the coordinates of the trigger point have been obtained, and controlling the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the adjusted task activity prohibited area. A method for preventing falls of a self-propelled device as described in claim 1.

7. A self-propelled device incorporating a cliff sensor and a drive module, A map collection module for collecting environmental data in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, Includes a control module for generating an environmental map with inaccessible areas marked based on the aforementioned environmental data, generating task activity prohibition areas for the self-propelled device in combination with the history trigger recording of the cliff sensor, and controlling the drive module to drive the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the task activity prohibition areas, Self-propelled equipment.

8. The control module includes a generation unit, The generation unit is used to extract external environmental features from the environmental data and to construct and generate an environmental map of the operating environment based on the external environmental features, and the environmental map is marked with inaccessible regions. The self-propelled device according to claim 7.

9. The control module includes a decision unit and an update unit, The determination unit is used to determine whether there is one region point in the unreachable region that matches the trigger point corresponding to the history trigger record. If the update unit determines that there is one region point in the unreachable region that matches a trigger point corresponding to the history trigger record, it is used to mark and update the unreachable region in the environment map as a task activity prohibited area for the self-propelled device. The self-propelled device according to claim 7.

10. The control module further includes a first adjustment unit, The first adjustment unit is used to display the task activity restriction area to the user in the environment map and to adjust the position and / or size of the task activity restriction area in the environment map in response to area adjustment commands transmitted by the user. The self-propelled device according to claim 7.

11. The control module further includes a control unit, The control unit is used to control the self-propelled device to perform the pre-set task according to a fall prevention trajectory, in response to the determination that the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device overlap with the contour coordinates of the task activity prohibition area, based on the current position coordinates of the self-propelled device. The fall prevention trajectory includes a trajectory in which the self-propelled device moves in any direction away from the task activity prohibited area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points, or a trajectory in which it moves along the edge of the task activity prohibited area to another area in the environment map that does not belong to the task activity prohibited area, starting from the overlapping contour coordinate points. The self-propelled device according to claim 7.

12. The control module further includes a second adjustment unit, The second adjustment unit is used to update the unreachable area in the environment map based on the current task execution results in the operating environment of the self-propelled device, adjust the task activity prohibited area in the environment map based on the updated unreachable area and the coordinates of the trigger point after the coordinates of the trigger point have been obtained, and to control the self-propelled device to perform a pre-configured task outside the adjusted task activity prohibited area. The self-propelled device according to claim 7.

13. At least one executable instruction is stored, and the executable instruction causes the processor to execute the fall prevention control method for self-propelled equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6. storage medium.

14. A computer device comprising a storage medium, a processor, and a computer program stored in the storage medium and executable by the processor, When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the fall prevention control method for self-propelled equipment described in any one of claims 1 to 6. Computer equipment.

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