Control method and apparatus for cleaning robot, medium, and electronic device

Abstract

A control method for a cleaning robot, a control apparatus for a cleaning robot, a computer readable storage medium, and an electronic device. The method comprises: in response to detecting a suspended obstacle, controlling a cleaning robot to extend an extendable / retractable cleaner, wherein there is a gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than that of the extendable / retractable cleaner; and controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle so as to clean the gap by means of the extendable / retractable cleaner. According to the method, the gap of the area where the suspended obstacle is located can be effectively and accurately cleaned.

Description

Control method and device for cleaning robot, medium and electronic equipment

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202410024160.3 filed on January 5, 2024. The contents of the above-mentioned Chinese patent application disclosure are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as part of this disclosure. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the field of smart homes, and in particular to a control method for a cleaning robot, a control device for the cleaning robot, a computer-readable storage medium, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0004] In recent years, with the rapid development of computer technology and artificial intelligence science, intelligent robot technology has gradually become a hot topic in the field of modern robotics research. Among them, cleaning robots, as the most practical type of intelligent robots, can automatically complete floor cleaning tasks with a certain degree of artificial intelligence.

[0005] Currently, during the cleaning process, cleaning robots are unable to effectively clean the gaps under suspended obstacles such as sofas and refrigerators that have gaps with the ground, resulting in poor cleaning effects of the cleaning robots.

[0006] How to accurately and effectively clean the area where the suspended obstacles are located to improve the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning robot is a problem that needs to be solved urgently in the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a control method for a cleaning robot, a control device for the cleaning robot, a computer-readable storage medium, and an electronic device to overcome the problem that the existing technology cannot effectively clean the gaps of suspended obstacles. The specific solution is as follows:

[0008] According to specific embodiments of the present disclosure, in a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a control method for a cleaning robot, wherein the cleaning robot includes a retractable cleaner, and a first projection of the retractable cleaner on a horizontal plane when extended is at least partially located outside a second projection of the body of the cleaning robot on the horizontal plane; the method includes: in response to detecting a suspended obstacle, controlling the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner; there is a gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the retractable cleaner; controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle to clean the gap through the retractable cleaner.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a height of the gap is smaller than a height of the cleaning robot.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the detecting of a suspended obstacle and controlling the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner includes: in response to detecting the presence of a suspended obstacle in the area to be cleaned and the distance between the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle does not exceed a preset distance, controlling the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in response to detecting a suspended obstacle, controlling the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner includes: in response to detecting a suspended obstacle, controlling the cleaning robot to enter a crevice cleaning mode, and controlling the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle includes: in a gap cleaning mode, controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle at a first moving speed; the first moving speed is less than a second moving speed of the cleaning robot in a normal cleaning mode.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes: in the gap cleaning mode, if the cleaning robot needs to rotate, controlling the cleaning robot to rotate at a first rotation speed; the first rotation speed is less than the second rotation speed of the cleaning robot in the normal cleaning mode.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning robot is equipped with a sensor for mapping; the method further comprises: when the cleaning robot rapidly constructs a map using the sensor, turning off the crevice cleaning mode.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the method further includes: obtaining identification data corresponding to the area in which the gap cleaning mode is running in the completed map, and sending the identification data to the display terminal so that the display terminal displays the identification data corresponding to the area in the gap cleaning mode when displaying the completed map.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, after the gap is cleaned by the retractable cleaner, the method further includes: in response to a retraction condition being met, controlling the cleaning robot to retract the retractable cleaner.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the retraction condition includes at least one of the following: detecting that the cleaning robot is away from the suspended obstacle; not detecting the suspended obstacle; the time when the retractable cleaner is extended reaches a preset time.

[0018] In second aspect, the present disclosure provides a control device for a cleaning robot, wherein the cleaning robot includes a retractable cleaner, and a first projection of the retractable cleaner on a horizontal plane when extended is at least partially located outside a second projection of the body of the cleaning robot on the horizontal plane; the device includes: an obstacle detection module, for controlling the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner in response to detecting a suspended obstacle; there is a gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the retractable cleaner; a robot control module, for controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle so as to clean the gap through the retractable cleaner.

[0019] In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program implements the above method when executed by a processor.

[0020] In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic device, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the above method by executing the executable instructions.

[0021] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have the following beneficial effects:

[0022] In response to detecting a suspended obstacle, the cleaning robot is controlled to extend a retractable cleaner; a gap exists between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the retractable cleaner; the cleaning robot is controlled to move along the suspended obstacle to clean the gap with the retractable cleaner. On the one hand, this exemplary embodiment provides a new control method for a cleaning robot, which can control the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner when the cleaning robot detects a suspended obstacle, thereby expanding the cleaning range of the cleaning robot by extending the retractable cleaner beyond the projection of the cleaning robot body on the horizontal plane, and effectively cleaning the gap of the suspended obstacle, which is a special application scenario. On the other hand, this exemplary embodiment can control the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner into the gap of the suspended obstacle, and while extending the retractable cleaner, move and clean within the gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, so that the retractable cleaner coordinates with the movement state of the cleaning robot, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning robot within the gap.

[0023] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0025] FIG1 schematically shows a structural diagram of a cleaning robot in this exemplary embodiment;

[0026] FIG2 schematically shows a flow chart of a control method of a cleaning robot in this exemplary embodiment;

[0027] FIG3 schematically shows a schematic diagram of the cleaning robot cleaning the area where the refrigerator is located in this exemplary embodiment;

[0028] FIG4 schematically shows a sub-flowchart of a control method of a cleaning robot in this exemplary embodiment;

[0029] FIG5 schematically shows a structural block diagram of a control device of a cleaning robot in this exemplary embodiment;

[0030] FIG6 schematically shows an electronic device for implementing the above method in this exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present disclosure more clear, the present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is apparent that the embodiments described are only a portion of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without creative effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0032] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, and unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, "a plurality" generally includes at least two.

[0033] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein is merely a description of the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," and "third" may be used to describe various types of information in the embodiments of the present disclosure, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information.

[0035] As used herein, the words "if" and "if" may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined" or "if (stated condition or event) is detected" may be interpreted as "when it is determined" or "in response to the determination" or "when detecting (stated condition or event)" or "in response to detecting (stated condition or event)," depending on the context.

[0036] It should also be noted that the terms "comprises," "includes," or any other variations thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such product or device. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or device comprising the element.

[0037] Cleaning robots are smart home appliances that use artificial intelligence to automatically clean floors. They can sweep and / or vacuum, collecting debris into their own trash bins to complete the cleaning process.

[0038] However, when a cleaning robot encounters a suspended obstacle during the cleaning process, such as a refrigerator or bed with a gap between the ground and the ground, the robot is often unable to effectively clean the gap area, resulting in missed areas and affecting the cleaning effect.

[0039] Based on this, an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a control method for a cleaning robot, which can be applied to the cleaning robot, and the cleaning robot can implement the method through hardware and / or software. In this exemplary embodiment, the cleaning robot includes a retractable cleaner, and a first projection of the retractable cleaner on a horizontal plane when extended is at least partially located outside a second projection of the cleaning robot body on the horizontal plane, so as to ensure that the cleaning range of the retractable cleaner exceeds the projection of the cleaning robot body on the horizontal plane when the retractable cleaner is extended. Among them, a retractable cleaner refers to a cleaning device that can be retracted and extended. The cleaning device can clean the environment through cleaning media of different materials or forms, such as cleaning cloths or cleaning brushes. The retractable cleaner can be a rotational retractable method. For example, as shown in Figure 1, with a reference point a on the body of the cleaning robot P as the center of the circle and a robotic arm of a preset length as the radius, the other end b of the robotic arm located at the center a is rotated out from the S2 or S3 position to the S1 position outside the body of the cleaning robot, so that the cleaning task can be performed through the cleaning medium configured on the robotic arm, or retracted to the S2 / S3 position inside the body, etc. When the rotational telescopic method is adopted, the telescopic state of the telescopic cleaner can be determined by the sensor data collected by the sensors configured by the cleaning robot. For example, in the cleaning robot shown in Figure 1, when the telescopic cleaner is in position S2, it can be considered as the reset position, corresponding to the sensor data, such as the mark "1", the position S1 can be considered as the extended target position, corresponding to the mark "0", and the position S3 can be considered as the safety position, corresponding to the mark "0". When the telescopic cleaner of the cleaning robot is squeezed or pushed by an obstacle, it can be forced to retract to the safety position. In addition, the telescopic method can also be sliding telescopic, for example, based on the push-pull operation between the telescopic inner rod and the pipe sleeve, the telescopic arm is extended or retracted. In addition, the above-mentioned cleaning robot can also include other devices, such as a cleaning roller configured at the bottom of the cleaning robot to clean the floor.

[0040] 2 , a flow chart of a method for controlling a cleaning robot according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The method may include the following steps S210 to S220 :

[0041] Step S210 , in response to detecting a suspended obstacle, controlling the cleaning robot to extend a retractable cleaner; there is a gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the retractable cleaner.

[0042] A suspended obstacle is one that impedes the cleaning robot's cleaning work and has a gap between the bottom of the obstacle and the ground. Examples include a cabinet supported by legs so that the cabinet body does not directly contact the ground; a refrigerator supported by wheels so that the refrigerator does not directly contact the ground; and sofas and beds with similar structures. To facilitate the cleaning robot's extended retractable cleaner to reach into the gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, the height of the gap needs to be greater than the height of the retractable cleaner. For example, the distance from the bottom of a refrigerator to the ground is greater than the retractable cleaner of the cleaning robot.

[0043] In one exemplary embodiment, the height of the gap can be smaller than the height of the cleaning robot. This ensures that when the cleaning robot is cleaning an area where a suspended obstacle is located, the retractable cleaner can reach areas that the cleaning robot cannot reach. By retracting the retractable cleaner, the cleaning range of the cleaning robot is expanded, thereby improving cleaning efficiency.

[0044] When the cleaning robot is in working state, it can perform positioning tasks or target detection tasks through various sensors or functional modules, such as laser ranging sensors, visual sensors, proximity sensors or collision sensors, to determine the position of the cleaning robot or identify or detect objects in the environment. For example, the laser ranging sensor can be used to identify suspended obstacles and determine whether the cleaning robot needs to clean the area where the suspended obstacle is located. When a suspended obstacle is detected, the cleaning robot can be controlled to extend a retractable cleaner.

[0045] In an exemplary embodiment, the above step S210 may include:

[0046] In response to detecting that there is a suspended obstacle in the area to be cleaned and the distance between the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle does not exceed a preset distance, the cleaning robot is controlled to extend the retractable cleaner.

[0047] The "area to be cleaned" refers to the area where the cleaning robot needs to perform cleaning tasks. It can be the entire area of ​​the environment, an area that has not been cleaned, or a pre-set area. In this exemplary embodiment, when a suspended obstacle is detected in the area to be cleaned and the distance between the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle does not exceed a preset distance, the cleaning robot can be controlled to extend the retractable cleaner. The preset distance refers to a pre-configured trigger distance, which can be set randomly or determined based on the actual scenario or the type of suspended obstacle. For example, the preset distance can be set to 10 cm (centimeter).

[0048] This exemplary embodiment can detect suspended obstacles in the area to be cleaned in the following manner. Considering the gap between the bottom of a suspended obstacle and the ground, this exemplary embodiment can detect obstacles in the area to be cleaned and measure the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle at at least two heights to determine whether the obstacle is a suspended obstacle. The at least two heights include a first height and a second height, with the first height being greater than the second height; the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle at the first height is the first distance, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle at the second height is the second distance; if it is determined that the first distance is less than the second distance, and the difference between the two is greater than a preset value, the obstacle is determined to be a suspended obstacle, and the first distance is used as the distance between the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, in response to detecting a suspended obstacle, controlling a cleaning robot to extend a retractable cleaning device includes:

[0050] In response to detecting a suspended obstacle, the cleaning robot is controlled to enter a crevice cleaning mode, and the cleaning robot is controlled to extend a retractable cleaner.

[0051] This exemplary embodiment can set multiple working modes for the cleaning robot. When a suspended obstacle is detected, the cleaning robot can be controlled to enter the gap cleaning mode, which is mainly used to clean the gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground. The non-gap cleaning mode can be other modes, such as the default mode, the corner mode, etc. In addition, this exemplary embodiment can set specific control parameters for the gap cleaning mode to distinguish it from the non-gap cleaning mode. For example, when the cleaning robot moves at a certain speed in the normal mode, it can enter the gap cleaning mode when a suspended obstacle is detected, and reduce its movement speed to the movement speed corresponding to the gap cleaning mode.

[0052] Step S220 , controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle to clean the gap with the retractable cleaner.

[0053] When a suspended obstacle is detected and the retractable cleaner is controlled to extend, the cleaning robot can be controlled to move along the suspended obstacle to clean the gap using the retractable cleaner. When controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle, it can be kept at a small distance from the suspended obstacle, or it can move almost close to the suspended obstacle. When moving, it can move forward, backward, reciprocate, or rotate, etc. During movement, since the cleaning robot extends the retractable cleaner, it can use the retractable cleaner to clean the gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground. When cleaning the area where the suspended obstacle is located, the cleaning robot can maintain a continuous movement state without stopping. In this way, the retractable cleaner, when extended, can coordinate with the movement of the cleaning robot to continuously clean the gap area. Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot cleaning the gap between the bottom of a suspended obstacle, a refrigerator, and the ground. It can be seen that when the cleaning robot P extends the retractable cleaner, since the retractable cleaner can extend beyond the range of the body and since the height of the retractable cleaner is less than the height of the gap, the retractable cleaner can extend into the gap under the refrigerator Q to perform cleaning work.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, controlling a cleaning robot to move along a suspended obstacle includes:

[0055] In the gap cleaning mode, the cleaning robot is controlled to move along the suspended obstacle at a first moving speed; the first moving speed is less than the second moving speed of the cleaning robot in the normal cleaning mode.

[0056] Taking into account that the gap area is more difficult to clean than the regular area, in order to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the cleaning robot's cleaning, this exemplary embodiment can be set. When a suspended obstacle is detected, the cleaning robot can be controlled to move at a first moving speed, and the first moving speed is less than the second moving speed of the cleaning robot in the regular cleaning mode. By controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle at the first moving speed, it can be ensured that the cleaning robot moves at a low speed in the gap cleaning mode to ensure the cleaning efficiency of the gap. Among them, the size of the first moving speed can be customized as needed, for example, the first moving speed can be set to 15cm / s (centimeter / second); it can also be set according to the size of the second moving speed, for example, the first moving speed is set to half or two-thirds of the second moving speed, etc., and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations on this.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment, the control method of the cleaning robot may further include:

[0058] In the crevice cleaning mode, if the cleaning robot needs to rotate, the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate at a first rotation speed; the first rotation speed is lower than the second rotation speed of the cleaning robot in the normal cleaning mode.

[0059] Considering that when the cleaning robot rotates in a conventional area, most of the time it is to change direction, and in this exemplary embodiment, when the cleaning robot rotates in the gap cleaning mode, in addition to being able to change direction, it can also improve the cleaning perfection of the gap area. Therefore, in order to ensure cleaning efficiency, when the cleaning robot needs to rotate, this exemplary embodiment can limit the rotation speed. Specifically, it can be to control the cleaning robot to rotate at a first rotation speed, and the first rotation speed is less than the second rotation speed of the cleaning robot in the conventional cleaning mode. The settings of the first rotation speed and the second rotation speed can be set according to specific needs. The first rotation speed and the second rotation speed can have a correlation relationship, for example, the first rotation speed is half of the second rotation speed, or the first rotation speed and the second rotation speed may not have a corresponding relationship, etc. This disclosure does not make specific limitations on this.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, the cleaning robot is equipped with a sensor for mapping; the control method of the cleaning robot may further include:

[0061] Turn off crevice cleaning mode while the cleaning robot is quickly building a map using its sensors.

[0062] In this exemplary embodiment, a variety of sensors can be configured for the cleaning robot to achieve different functions, such as configuring a wall sensor to actually measure the distance to the wall; configuring an identification and obstacle avoidance sensor (such as a dual-line laser or a single-line laser sensor) on the front collision part of the cleaning robot to identify the environment or avoid obstacles; a laser ranging sensor can also be configured to build a map and perform real-time positioning of the cleaning robot; and the above-mentioned multiple sensors can also be combined to perform scene judgment, such as judging the gap area between the bottom of suspended obstacles such as the bottom of the sofa and the bottom of the refrigerator and the ground.

[0063] In order to ensure the accuracy of rapid map construction, this exemplary embodiment can be configured to turn off the crevice cleaning mode when the cleaning robot is performing rapid map construction through sensors, that is, the crevice cleaning mode cannot be entered when the cleaning robot is performing rapid map construction.

[0064] When the cleaning robot completes the rapid map construction and moves on the constructed map, it can enter the gap cleaning mode when it detects a suspended obstacle.

[0065] In an exemplary embodiment, the control method of the cleaning robot may further include:

[0066] Obtain identification data corresponding to the area running the gap cleaning mode in the completed map, and send the identification data to the display terminal so that the display terminal displays the identification data corresponding to the area running the gap cleaning mode when displaying the completed map.

[0067] In this exemplary embodiment, when constructing a map, the cleaning robot can record identification data corresponding to the area where the gap cleaning mode is running. The identification data can be annotation information or location information that can reflect the area where the gap cleaning mode is running, such as the size, dimensions, location coordinates, etc. of the area.

[0068] The display terminal refers to a control device that can be used to control the cleaning robot, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, TV or wearable device. After the map is built, the identification data corresponding to the area of ​​the gap cleaning mode can be sent to the display terminal, so that when the user uses the display terminal to open the completed map, the display terminal can automatically display the identification data corresponding to the area of ​​the gap cleaning mode while displaying the map, such as automatically marking the area corresponding to the gap cleaning mode, such as box selection, highlighting or text / voice marking prompts.

[0069] In an exemplary embodiment, after the gap is cleaned by the retractable cleaner, the control method of the cleaning robot may further include:

[0070] In response to the retraction condition being met, the cleaning robot is controlled to retract the retractable cleaner.

[0071] When the cleaning robot detects that the retractable cleaner's retraction conditions are met, it can be controlled to retract the retractable cleaner. The retraction conditions can be time conditions, such as when the cumulative time since the retractable cleaner was extended reaches a preset time length. The retraction conditions can also be target detection conditions, such as when the area where the suspended obstacle is located is no longer detected. The specific retraction conditions can be configured according to actual needs, and can be one or more combinations. Specific implementation can be achieved with the help of specific hardware devices, such as a timer or laser range sensor.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, the retraction condition is satisfied, including at least one of the following: the cleaning robot is detected to be away from a suspended obstacle; no suspended obstacle is detected; the retractable cleaner is extended for a preset time.

[0073] In actual applications, the cleaning robot can continuously or periodically detect the surrounding environment through its configured device or sensor equipment for target detection. When it is detected that the cleaning robot is away from the suspended obstacle, for example, when the distance between the robot and the suspended obstacle is increasingly farther through laser ranging, or when the suspended obstacle cannot be detected, it can be determined that the retraction condition is met and the retraction operation of the retractable cleaner is executed. Detecting that the cleaning robot is away from the suspended obstacle may include detecting that the distance between the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle exceeds a preset distance, for example, when the distance between the edge or center of the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle is increasingly farther, and the distance between the two exceeds 10 cm, determining that the retraction condition is met and triggering the cleaning robot to retract the retractable cleaner. In addition, it can also be set that when the time the retractable cleaner is extended reaches a preset time, the retraction of the retractable cleaner is triggered, wherein the preset time can be determined based on the time spent cleaning the area where the suspended obstacle is located in the past, or it can be a pre-set custom time, or it can be the estimated time required to complete the cleaning based on the size of the suspended obstacle, etc., and the present disclosure does not make specific limitations on this.

[0074] FIG4 shows a flow chart of a control method for a retractable cleaner, which may specifically include the following steps:

[0075] Step S402, when a suspended obstacle is detected, the robot enters a crevice cleaning mode and controls the cleaning robot to extend a retractable cleaner;

[0076] Step S404, determining whether the retractable cleaner has an abnormal extension;

[0077] Whether the retractable cleaner has an abnormal extension can be determined by current detection. Specifically, before issuing an extension control command, a first current value A of the retractable cleaner is recorded, and during the extension process, a second current value B is monitored. For example, the second current value B is recorded every 20 ms within 600 ms. By comparing whether the difference between the second current value B and the first current value A reaches a threshold, it is determined whether the retractable cleaner has an abnormal extension. For example, the formula: second current value B - first current value A ≥ k can be used to determine whether the retractable cleaner has an abnormal extension. Here, k can be set according to the specific situation or calculated according to a specific formula. In this exemplary embodiment, k can be set to a preset parameter / A, where the preset parameter can be set to k = 0.4.

[0078] Step S406: If there is an extension abnormality, the cleaning robot is controlled to retract the retractable cleaner and extend it again;

[0079] Step S408, determining whether the extension of the retractable cleaner is abnormal for each of the M consecutive times of extension;

[0080] Step S410: If there is an extension anomaly in both cases, then the extension of the retractable cleaner is abandoned;

[0081] Step S412: If there is no extension abnormality, the control of the cleaning robot is normally operated;

[0082] Step S414, when the detection meets the retraction condition, the cleaning robot is controlled to retract the retractable cleaner;

[0083] Step S416, determining whether there is any abnormality in the retraction of the retractable cleaner;

[0084] Among them, whether there is a retraction abnormality can be judged by whether a reset signal is received. For example, when the retractable cleaner is retracted to the original position, the reset signal flag of the sensor is at "1", then the judgment of the reset signal can be used to determine whether the retractable cleaner has completed the retraction operation;

[0085] Step S418: If there is a retraction abnormality, the cleaning robot is controlled to extend the retractable cleaner and retract it again;

[0086] Step S420, determining whether there is any abnormality in the retraction of the retractable cleaner;

[0087] Step S422: If the retractable cleaner is retracted again and there is still a retraction abnormality, the cleaning robot is controlled to rotate a preset angle and then retract the retractable cleaner;

[0088] Step S424: If there is no retraction abnormality, the control of the cleaning robot is operated normally.

[0089] In this exemplary embodiment, when the cleaning robot enters the crevice cleaning mode, the retractable cleaner is extended, and the extension duty cycle may be 65%; when the cleaning robot exits the crevice cleaning mode, the retractable cleaner is retracted, and the retraction duty cycle may be 65%.

[0090] Based on the above description, in this exemplary embodiment, in response to detecting a suspended obstacle, the cleaning robot is controlled to extend a retractable cleaner; a gap exists between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the retractable cleaner; and the cleaning robot is controlled to move along the suspended obstacle to clean the gap with the retractable cleaner. On the one hand, this exemplary embodiment provides a new control method for a cleaning robot, which can control the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner when the cleaning robot detects a suspended obstacle. This method can extend the retractable cleaner beyond the horizontal projection of the cleaning robot body, thereby expanding the cleaning range of the cleaning robot and effectively cleaning the gap between suspended obstacles, a special application scenario. On the other hand, this exemplary embodiment can control the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner into the gap between the suspended obstacle and, while extending the retractable cleaner, move and clean within the gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, so that the retractable cleaner coordinates with the movement of the cleaning robot, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the cleaning robot within the gap.

[0091] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a control device for a cleaning robot is also provided. As shown in Figure 5, the control device 500 of the cleaning robot may include: an obstacle detection module 510, for controlling the cleaning robot to extend a retractable cleaner in response to detecting a suspended obstacle; there is a gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the retractable cleaner; a robot control module 520, for controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle to clean the gap with the retractable cleaner.

[0092] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the height of the gap is smaller than the height of the cleaning robot.

[0093] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the obstacle detection module includes: a cleaner control unit for controlling the cleaning robot to extend a retractable cleaner in response to detecting that there is a suspended obstacle in the area to be cleaned and the distance between the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle does not exceed a preset distance.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the obstacle detection module includes: a cleaning mode control unit for controlling the cleaning robot to enter a crevice cleaning mode and to extend a retractable cleaner in response to detecting a suspended obstacle.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot control module includes: a moving speed control unit for controlling the cleaning robot to move along a suspended obstacle at a first moving speed in a gap cleaning mode; the first moving speed is less than the second moving speed of the cleaning robot in a normal cleaning mode.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the control device of the cleaning robot also includes: a rotation control unit, which is used to control the cleaning robot to rotate at a first rotation speed if the cleaning robot needs to rotate in the gap cleaning mode; the first rotation speed is less than the second rotation speed of the cleaning robot in the normal cleaning mode.

[0097] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning robot is equipped with a sensor for mapping; the control device of the cleaning robot further includes: a crevice cleaning mode shutoff unit for shutting off the crevice cleaning mode when the cleaning robot rapidly constructs a map through the sensor.

[0098] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the control device of the cleaning robot also includes: an identification data acquisition unit, which is used to acquire identification data corresponding to the area running the gap cleaning mode in the completed map, and send the identification data to the display terminal so that the display terminal displays the identification data corresponding to the area running the gap cleaning mode when displaying the completed map.

[0099] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, after the gap is cleaned by the retractable cleaner, the control device of the cleaning robot further includes: a retraction condition judgment unit for controlling the cleaning robot to retract the retractable cleaner in response to the retraction condition being met.

[0100] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, satisfying the retraction condition includes at least one of the following: detecting that the cleaning robot is away from a suspended obstacle; not detecting a suspended obstacle; and the time the retractable cleaner is extended reaches a preset time.

[0101] The specific details of the control device modules of each of the above-mentioned cleaning robots have been described in detail in the control method of the corresponding cleaning robot, so they will not be repeated here.

[0102] It should be noted that although several modules or units of the device for execution are mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, the features and functions of two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided into multiple modules or units to be embodied.

[0103] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device capable of implementing the above method is further provided. For example, the electronic device may be a cleaning robot capable of implementing the above method.

[0104] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented as systems, methods, or program products. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in the following forms: a complete hardware implementation, a complete software implementation (including firmware, microcode, etc.), or a combination of hardware and software implementations, which may be collectively referred to herein as "circuits," "modules," or "systems."

[0105] The electronic device 600 according to this exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described below with reference to Figure 6. The electronic device 600 shown in Figure 6 is merely an example and should not limit the functions and scope of use of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0106] As shown in FIG6 , electronic device 600 is implemented as a general-purpose computing device. Components of electronic device 600 may include, but are not limited to, the aforementioned at least one processing unit 610, the aforementioned at least one storage unit 620, a bus 630 connecting various system components (including storage unit 620 and processing unit 610), and a display unit 640.

[0107] The storage unit stores program code, which can be executed by the processing unit 610, so that the processing unit 610 performs the steps described in the "Exemplary Method" section above according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the processing unit 610 can perform the steps shown in Figure 2, etc.

[0108] The storage unit 620 may include a readable medium in the form of a volatile storage unit, such as a random access memory unit (RAM) 621 and / or a cache memory unit 622 , and may further include a read-only memory unit (ROM) 623 .

[0109] The storage unit 620 may also include a program / utility 624 having a set (at least one) of program modules 625, such program modules 625 including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each of which or some combination may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0110] Bus 630 may represent one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processing unit, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures.

[0111] The electronic device 600 can also communicate with one or more external devices 700 (e.g., a keyboard, a pointing device, a Bluetooth device, etc.), one or more devices that enable a user to interact with the electronic device 600, and / or any device that enables the electronic device 600 to communicate with one or more other computing devices (e.g., a router, a modem, etc.). Such communication can occur via an input / output (I / O) interface 650. Furthermore, the electronic device 600 can communicate with one or more networks (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a public network such as the Internet) via a network adapter 660. As shown, the network adapter 660 communicates with other modules of the electronic device 600 via a bus 630. It should be understood that, although not shown in the figure, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the electronic device 600, including but not limited to microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0112] Through the description of the above embodiments, it is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that the example embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by combining software with necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (which can be a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, and includes several instructions to enable a computing device (which can be a personal computer, a server, a terminal device, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0113] In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, on which is stored a program product capable of implementing the aforementioned methods of this specification. In some possible implementations, various aspects of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a program product comprising program code. When the program product is executed on a terminal device, the program code is configured to cause the terminal device to execute the steps described in the "Exemplary Methods" section of this specification according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0114] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a program product for implementing the above-mentioned method can be a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and include program code, and can be run on a terminal device, such as a personal computer. However, the program product of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this document, a readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program, which can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0115] The program product may be implemented in any combination of one or more readable media. The readable medium may be a readable signal medium or a readable storage medium. The readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or component, or any combination thereof. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of readable storage media include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0116] A computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, which carries readable program code. Such propagated data signals may take a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination thereof. A readable signal medium may also be any readable medium other than a readable storage medium that can transmit, propagate, or transfer a program for use by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0117] The program code embodied on the readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0118] The program code for performing the operations of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, C++, and the like, as well as conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server. In cases involving a remote computing device, the remote computing device may be connected to the user computing device via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computing device (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0119] Furthermore, the figures above are merely illustrative of the processes included in the methods according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to be limiting. It is readily understood that the processes illustrated in the figures above do not indicate or limit the temporal order of these processes. Furthermore, it is readily understood that these processes may be executed synchronously or asynchronously, for example, in multiple modules.

[0120] Other embodiments of the present disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow from the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the claims.

[0121] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control method for a cleaning robot, characterized in that, The cleaning robot includes a telescopic cleaner, and when the telescopic cleaner extends, at least part of the first projection on the horizontal plane is located outside the second projection of the body of the cleaning robot on the horizontal plane; the method includes: In response to detecting a suspended obstacle, controlling the cleaning robot to extend the telescopic cleaner; there is a gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the telescopic cleaner; Controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle to clean the gap through the telescopic cleaner.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The height of the gap is less than the height of the cleaning robot.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detecting the suspended obstacle and controlling the cleaning robot to extend the telescopic cleaner includes: In response to detecting the suspended obstacle in the area to be cleaned and the distance between the cleaning robot and the suspended obstacle not exceeding a preset distance, controlling the cleaning robot to extend the telescopic cleaner.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The responding to detecting the suspended obstacle and controlling the cleaning robot to extend the telescopic cleaner includes: In response to detecting the suspended obstacle, controlling the cleaning robot to enter the gap cleaning mode and controlling the cleaning robot to extend the telescopic cleaner.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle includes: In the gap cleaning mode, controlling the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle at a first moving speed; the first moving speed is less than the second moving speed of the cleaning robot in the normal cleaning mode.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein The method further includes: In the gap cleaning mode, if the cleaning robot needs to rotate, controlling the cleaning robot to rotate at a first rotation speed; the first rotation speed is less than the second rotation speed of the cleaning robot in the normal cleaning mode.

7. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cleaning robot is configured with a sensor for map building; the method further includes: When the cleaning robot quickly constructs a map through the sensor, turning off the gap cleaning mode.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein The method further includes: Obtaining identification data corresponding to the area where the gap cleaning mode is run in the completed constructed map, and sending the identification data to a display terminal, so that when the display terminal displays the completed constructed map, it displays the identification data corresponding to the area of the gap cleaning mode.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein After cleaning the gap through the telescopic cleaner, the method further includes: In response to meeting the retraction condition, controlling the cleaning robot to retract the telescopic cleaner.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein The retraction condition includes at least one of the following: detecting that the cleaning robot is away from the suspended obstacle; not detecting the suspended obstacle; the duration of the extension of the telescopic cleaner reaches a preset duration.

11. A control device for a cleaning robot, characterized in that, The cleaning robot includes a telescopic cleaner, and when the telescopic cleaner extends, at least part of the first projection on the horizontal plane is located outside the second projection of the body of the cleaning robot on the horizontal plane; the device includes: An obstacle detection module, configured to control the cleaning robot to extend the retractable cleaner in response to detecting a suspended obstacle; there is a gap between the bottom of the suspended obstacle and the ground, and the height of the gap is greater than the height of the retractable cleaner; A robot control module, configured to control the cleaning robot to move along the suspended obstacle so as to clean the gap through the retractable cleaner.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the control method of the cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1-10.

13. An electronic device, characterized in that, Comprising: A processor; And A memory, configured to store executable instructions of the processor; Wherein, the processor is configured to execute the control method of the cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1-10 by executing the executable instructions.

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