Method and apparatus for controlling automatic cleaning device, and automatic cleaning device

Abstract

The present application discloses a method and apparatus for controlling an automatic cleaning device, and an automatic cleaning device. The method comprises: the automatic cleaning device enters a protection mode when entering a preset region, wherein a corresponding parameter for traveling along an obstacle changes from a first parameter to a second parameter, and the first parameter is an initial parameter in a non-protection mode.

Description

Control method and control device of self-cleaning equipment, and self-cleaning equipment

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202311085420.X filed on August 25, 2023. The contents of the above-mentioned Chinese patent application disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as a part of this application. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the technical field of self-cleaning equipment, and in particular to a control method, a control device and a self-cleaning equipment. Background Art

[0004] Self-cleaning devices, also known as automatic sweepers, robot vacuums, smart vacuums, sweepers, and vacuum cleaners, are smart home appliances that utilize artificial intelligence to automatically clean floors. They typically use a brushing and vacuuming process to collect debris into their own waste collection bins, completing the cleaning process. Generally speaking, any self-cleaning device that combines sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping is also categorized as a self-cleaning device.

[0005] A common problem with self-cleaning devices is that they often bump into obstacles during operation due to complex environments, affecting their efficiency. Unable to avoid obstacles, the self-cleaning devices continue to move forward and collide with them. This collision not only increases losses but can also damage the self-cleaning devices, making subsequent repairs and use difficult. Preventing damage to the self-cleaning devices and the surrounding objects caused by collisions with obstacles in complex environments is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] In response to the above situation, the embodiments of the present application propose a control method and obstacle avoidance control device for self-cleaning equipment, which can solve the problems that self-cleaning equipment sold on the market has a short lifespan due to collisions and cannot adapt to complex wall environments.

[0008] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling a self-cleaning device, the method comprising:

[0009] When the self-cleaning device enters a preset area, it enters a protection mode, and the corresponding parameter for walking along obstacles changes from a first parameter to a second parameter, where the first parameter is the initial parameter in the non-protection mode.

[0010] In the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a control device method for a self-cleaning device, including: a protection module, which enters a protection mode when the self-cleaning device enters a preset area, and is used to change the corresponding walking parameter along the obstacle from a first parameter to a second parameter, where the first parameter is the initial parameter in the non-protected area.

[0011] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a self-cleaning device, comprising a self-cleaning device body and a control device for controlling the self-cleaning device body, wherein the control device adopts the control method for the self-cleaning device provided in the first aspect.

[0012] The solution of the present application can enable the self-cleaning device to adapt to complex environments. The self-cleaning device integrates data from multiple distance sensors and uses algorithms to control its own movement posture to ensure that the distance between the self-cleaning device and the target wall is always maintained at a certain target distance dA, ensuring that the machine can not only move smoothly along the target wall, but also complete the cleaning of the corners, avoiding scratches on the wall surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute an improper limitation on the present application. In the drawings:

[0014] FIG1 is a schematic flow chart showing a method for controlling a self-cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present application.

[0015] FIG2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a control device according to a second embodiment of the present application.

[0016] FIG3 shows a schematic structural diagram of a self-cleaning device according to a third embodiment of the present application.

[0017] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the direction in which the self-cleaning device moves along the wall.

[0018] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the direction of the self-cleaning device turning along the wall.

[0019] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the wall protection mode of the self-cleaning equipment.

[0020] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the dynamic protection mode of the self-cleaning equipment along the wall.

[0021] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the self-cleaning device turning. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clear, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of this application and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] The following describes in detail the technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Self-cleaning devices, also known as automatic sweepers, self-cleaning devices, smart vacuums, sweepers, robot vacuums, and mobile self-cleaning devices, are smart home appliances that utilize artificial intelligence to automatically clean floors in a room. They typically use a brushing and vacuuming method to collect debris into their own waste collection bins, completing the floor cleaning process. Generally speaking, self-cleaning devices that perform sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping are also categorized as self-cleaning devices.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1-8, Figure 4 shows the self-cleaning device moving along a wall, and Figure 5 shows the self-cleaning device moving around a corner. The self-cleaning device achieves edge cleaning primarily by following walls and around corners. In both states, the self-cleaning device integrates data from multiple distance sensors and uses algorithms to control its motion to maintain a constant target distance dA between the device and the target wall. This ensures that the device can smoothly move along the target wall while cleaning corners and avoiding scratches on the wall surface.

[0026] It should be noted that the “wall” in the so-called “along the wall” movement of the self-cleaning device along the wall mentioned in this application can be a strictly straight wall, or it can include a non-straight wall with a small wall curvature. That is, when the self-propelled device moves along a straight wall or a non-straight wall with a small wall curvature, it is classified as “along the wall” movement; and the so-called “turning” movement can be understood as the self-propelled device moving at a place with a large wall curvature (including a right-angle turn), that is, the movement along the wall with a large wall curvature is regarded as a turn. In normal machine cleaning, the target distance dA is fixed in all scenarios and will not be modified. This results in that if the environment of the user's home is more complex, for example, the wall is not a flat vertical wall, but has a protrusion at a height that is invisible to the sensor, then the original target distance dA may be too small, causing the machine to scratch the raised obstacles in the user's home. In the long run, the user's furniture will be damaged by the self-cleaning device, causing unnecessary losses.

[0027] Based on this, the present application is proposed. The concept of the present application is to first allow the user to select a new protection mode through the app to trigger a target distance dB along walls and corners that is farther than the target distance dA; secondly, when the protection mode is turned on, the self-cleaning device further dynamically adjusts the predetermined distance dB to a farther target distance dC under specific conditions to further protect the furniture.

[0028] The following is a specific implementation plan, which can be described from three scenarios: along the wall, turning, and turning and then along the wall.

[0029] FIG1 shows a flow chart of a control method for a self-cleaning device according to a first embodiment of the present application. The method is applicable to a wall cleaning scenario. As can be seen from FIG1 , the present application includes at least step S110 .

[0030] Step S110: When the self-cleaning device enters a preset area, it enters a protection mode, and the corresponding parameter for walking along obstacles changes from a first parameter to a second parameter, where the first parameter is an initial parameter in the non-protection mode.

[0031] In an embodiment, the preset area is obtained through intelligent recognition or manual configuration by the user based on a map established by the self-cleaning device.

[0032] Step S110 further includes: the walking along the obstacle includes walking along a wall, and in the protection mode, the first parameter for controlling the self-cleaning device to avoid collision with the obstacle is increased to a second parameter.

[0033] When walking along the obstacle is along a wall, the first parameter is the target distance dA between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the second parameter is the target distance dB between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the target distance dB is greater than the target distance dA.

[0034] When the self-cleaning device moves forward at a fixed distance relative to the current wall A, that is, along the wall, it is necessary to obtain the distance information from the wall A through the sensor of the self-cleaning device to ensure the cleaning effect of the self-cleaning device on the edge of the wall A. The sensor used at this time can be a wall sensor (wall sensor / light touch), a laser sensor (LDS), or a visual sensor (Tof, structured light, line laser, etc.). Through the use of the above sensors, in this step, the target distance dA (also called the distance along the wall) between the self-cleaning device and the wall can be understood as the distance between the center of the self-cleaning device and the wall A.

[0035] In actual application scenarios, users can turn on the protection mode through the APP of the self-cleaning device, control the self-cleaning device to move away from the current wall, and increase the target distance dA between the self-cleaning device and the current wall to the target distance dB, thereby performing the first stage of wall protection.

[0036] Step S120: Based on the collision frequency between the self-cleaning device and the obstacle, the corresponding parameter for walking along the obstacle is changed from the second parameter to a third parameter, where the third parameter is the target distance dC between the self-cleaning device and the wall.

[0037] After the self-cleaning device enters protection mode, the target distance along the wall is changed to the target distance dB. A dynamic protection mode also exists. In this dynamic protection mode, the corresponding obstacle-following parameter is increased from the second parameter to the third parameter based on the collision frequency between the self-cleaning device and the obstacle. When the obstacle-following parameter is along the wall, in this dynamic protection mode, the third parameter is the target distance dC between the self-cleaning device and the wall, which is greater than the target distance dB.

[0038] In a specific scenario, step S120 is a dynamic protection mode. Refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of the dynamic protection mode of the self-cleaning device along the wall. Step S120 monitors the heading angle of the machine based on IMU data. When the heading angle change value of the self-cleaning device is within the preset value (for example, the heading angle change value is less than 15°), and the bumper is triggered multiple times (2-3 times or more) within the range of 1-2 meters of the self-cleaning device, it can be said that the self-cleaning device is on a certain wall. If there is still scratching using the dB distance, the distance between the self-cleaning device and the wall will be gradually increased from the target distance dB to the target distance dC, and the distance will be dynamically adjusted to protect the user's furniture.

[0039] In a possible implementation manner, the preset value of the heading angle change value is less than 15°.

[0040] FIG4 shows a flow chart of a control method for a self-cleaning device according to a second embodiment of the present application. The method is applicable to a corner cleaning scenario of a self-cleaning device. As can be seen from FIG4 , the present application includes at least step S210:

[0041] The turning of self-cleaning equipment is completed by designing a fixed turning arc radius. That is, whether the machine is trying to go around a pillar or a corner, it is controlled by controlling the self-cleaning equipment to walk an arc with a fixed turning radius, and then connecting multiple arcs together to complete the turn. There are two key parameters for controlling the turning process of self-cleaning equipment: the turning radius rA and the distance from the arc connection point to the corner. The larger the turning radius rA, the farther away from the target object when turning. The target object is the corner. For example, if the corner is a 90° wall corner or a straight line corner, the distance lA from the arc connection point to the corner can be understood as the distance from the arc connection point to the intersection of the straight line corner, as shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the turning process of the self-cleaning equipment.

[0042] It should be noted that the arc connection point is the intersection of adjacent arcs, and the arc is formed by the self-cleaning device moving once according to the preset turning arc radius rA.

[0043] In step S210, the self-cleaning device enters a protection mode when entering a preset area, and the corresponding parameter for walking along obstacles changes from a first parameter to a second parameter, where the first parameter is an initial parameter in the non-protection mode.

[0044] Step S210 specifically includes: when walking along the obstacle is turning, the first parameter includes the turning arc radius rA and the distance lA between the arc connection point and the inflection point; the second parameter includes the turning arc radius rB and the distance lB between the arc connection point and the inflection point; when the self-cleaning device turns on the protection mode, the turning arc radius rA and the distance lA between the arc connection point and the inflection point increase to rB and lB respectively.

[0045] Step S220, completing the turn and adjusting so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the parallel line where the new wall is located than at the previous moment.

[0046] Step S220 further includes the following steps.

[0047] Step S221: The self-cleaning device completes the turn and moves forward in the current direction for a buffer distance.

[0048] Step S222: within the buffer distance, controlling the self-cleaning device to move forward at a first forward speed and a first rotational speed, so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the wall than at the previous moment.

[0049] Step S223, after completing the buffer distance, controlling the self-cleaning device to move forward at a second forward speed and a second rotational speed, so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the parallel line where the new wall is located than the previous moment.

[0050] Since the distance from the wall increases when turning, when the self-cleaning device completes the turn and turns to the new wall, if the new wall is not within the protection mode range and the target distance along the wall is relatively close, or the previous turning distance from the wall is relatively far, or even exceeds the protection distance dB along the wall, at this time, if the machine is directly controlled to move closer to the wall, it may cause the machine to hit the wall due to excessive moving speed. Therefore, it is necessary to control the machine to dynamically control the target distance along the wall in the future to allow the machine to slowly approach the wall, so as to protect the wall and reduce missed scans.

[0051] Specifically, after the self-cleaning device completes a turn, a buffer distance L1 is first preset. Within this buffer distance L1, the PID control device controls the first forward speed and first rotational speed of the self-cleaning device using the first PID control parameter number. This ensures that the self-cleaning device can advance toward the wall from a long distance and gradually recover to a stable forward position parallel to the new wall while maintaining a long distance. At this buffer distance L1, the target distance between the self-cleaning device and the new wall is obtained in real time using a wall sensor.

[0052] Then, after the self-cleaning device completes the buffer distance L1, the target distance dA between the self-cleaning device and the new wall is reduced, and the PID control device is used to control the self-cleaning device to approach the wall, specifically including activating the second-segment PID control parameters, and using the PID device to control the second forward speed and the second rotation speed of the self-cleaning device based on the preset second-segment PID control parameters, so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the parallel line where the new wall is located than the previous moment, and the self-cleaning device is controlled to gradually approach the wall during the forward process, so as to achieve a stable forward state near the new distance along the wall, thereby realizing a smooth transition.

[0053] The reason for doing this is that the final distance from the wall is very close to the wall. If a set of PID control parameters is directly used to control the self-cleaning device to get close to the wall to the final target distance, oscillations will occur in the control, causing the self-cleaning device to exceed the target distance and get too close to the wall, resulting in scratches or even collisions with the wall.

[0054] Figure 3 shows a structural schematic diagram of the control device of the self-cleaning equipment according to the third embodiment of the present application. The control device is applied to the self-cleaning equipment. It can be seen from Figure 3 that the control device 300 includes: a protection module 210, which enters a protection mode when the self-cleaning equipment enters a preset area, and is used to change the corresponding walking parameter along the obstacle from a first parameter to a second parameter, where the first parameter is the initial parameter in the non-protection mode.

[0055] In a possible implementation, the protection module 210 is further configured to: the walking along the obstacle includes walking along a wall or turning, and in the protection mode, the first parameter for controlling the self-cleaning device to avoid collision with the obstacle is increased to a second parameter.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the protection module 210 is further configured to: obtain the preset area through intelligent recognition or manually configure the area based on a map created by the user using the self-cleaning device.

[0057] In a possible embodiment, the protection module 210 is also configured as follows: when the walking along the obstacle is along the wall, the first parameter is the target distance dA between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the second parameter is the target distance dB between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the target distance dB is greater than the target distance dA.

[0058] In a possible embodiment, the protection module 210 is further configured as follows: when the walking along the obstacle is along a wall, when the self-cleaning device turns on the dynamic protection mode, in the dynamic protection mode, based on the collision frequency between the self-cleaning device and the obstacle, the corresponding walking along the obstacle parameter is increased from the second parameter to the third parameter.

[0059] In a possible embodiment, the protection module 210 is further configured as follows: when the walking along the obstacle is along the wall, in the dynamic protection mode, the third parameter is the target distance dC between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the target distance dC is greater than the target distance dB.

[0060] In a possible embodiment, the protection module 210 is further configured as follows: when walking along an obstacle is turning, the first parameter includes the turning arc radius rA and the distance lA between the arc connection point and the turning point; the second parameter includes the turning arc radius rB and the distance lB between the arc connection point and the turning point; when the self-cleaning device turns on the protection mode, the turning arc radius rA and the distance lA between the arc connection point and the turning point increase to rB and lB respectively.

[0061] In a possible implementation, the protection module 210 is further configured to: after the turning operation is completed by walking along the obstacle, the self-cleaning device maintains the current direction and moves forward for a buffer distance.

[0062] In a possible embodiment, the protection module 210 is further configured to: within the buffer distance, control the self-cleaning device to move forward at a first forward speed and a first rotational speed, so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the wall than at the previous moment.

[0063] In a possible embodiment, the protection module 210 is also configured to: after completing the buffer distance, control the self-cleaning device to move forward at a second forward speed and a second rotational speed, so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the parallel line where the new wall is located than the previous moment.

[0064] It should be noted that the above-mentioned control device can implement the control method of the self-cleaning device in the second embodiment one by one, and the technical features that are the same as the control method of the self-cleaning device are not repeated here.

[0065] The present application also discloses a self-cleaning device according to a fifth embodiment. The self-cleaning device 300 includes a self-cleaning device body 310 and a control device 200 for controlling the self-cleaning device body. The control device adopts the control method of the self-cleaning device in the first embodiment.

[0066] The above-mentioned device and method embodiments correspond to each other and have the same technical effects as the method embodiments. For detailed descriptions, please refer to the method embodiments. The device embodiments are obtained based on the method embodiments. For detailed descriptions, please refer to the method embodiments section and will not be repeated here. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the accompanying drawings are only schematic diagrams of one embodiment, and the modules or processes in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily required to implement the present disclosure.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the apparatuses of the embodiments may be distributed in the apparatuses of the embodiments as described in the embodiments, or may be located in one or more apparatuses different from the embodiments with corresponding changes. The modules in the above embodiments may be combined into one module or further divided into multiple sub-modules.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than to limit them. Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a self-cleaning device, the method comprising: When the self-cleaning device enters a preset area, it enters a protection mode, and the corresponding parameter for walking along obstacles changes from a first parameter to a second parameter, where the first parameter is an initial parameter in the non-protection mode.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The walking along the obstacle includes walking along a wall or turning a corner. In the protection mode, the first parameter for controlling the self-cleaning device to avoid collision with the obstacle is increased to the second parameter.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The preset area is obtained through intelligent recognition or manual configuration by a user based on a map established by the self-cleaning device.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: When the walking along the obstacle is along a wall, the first parameter is the target distance dA between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the second parameter is the target distance dB between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the target distance dB is greater than the target distance dA.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: When the walking along the obstacle is along a wall, when the self-cleaning device turns on the dynamic protection mode, in the dynamic protection mode, the corresponding walking along the obstacle parameter is increased from the second parameter to the third parameter based on the collision frequency between the self-cleaning device and the obstacle.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: When the walking along the obstacle is walking along a wall, in the dynamic protection mode, the third parameter is a target distance dC between the self-cleaning device and the wall, and the target distance dC is greater than the target distance dB.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein: When walking along an obstacle is turning, the first parameter includes the turning arc radius rA and the distance lA between the arc connection point and the inflection point, and the second parameter includes the turning arc radius rB and the distance lB between the arc connection point and the inflection point. When the self-cleaning device turns on the protection mode, the turning arc radius rA and the distance lA between the arc connection point and the inflection point increase to rB and lB respectively.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: After the turning operation is completed by walking along the obstacle, the self-cleaning device maintains the current direction and moves forward for a buffer distance; Within the buffer distance, the self-cleaning device is controlled to move forward at a first forward speed and a first rotational speed, so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the wall than at a previous moment.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: After completing the buffer distance, the self-cleaning device is controlled to move forward at a second forward speed and a second rotational speed, so that the forward direction of the self-cleaning device is closer to the parallel line where the new wall surface is located than at the previous moment.

10. A control device for a self-cleaning device, comprising: The protection module enters the protection mode when the self-cleaning device enters the preset area, and is used to change the corresponding walking parameter along the obstacle from the first parameter to the second parameter, wherein the first parameter is the initial parameter in the non-protection mode.

11. A self-cleaning device, comprising a self-cleaning device body and a control device for controlling the self-cleaning device body, wherein the control device adopts the control method for the self-cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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