Cleaning device control method and apparatus, and cleaning device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of smart home. Provided are a cleaning device control method and apparatus, and a cleaning device. The cleaning device control method comprises: when a steering component is extended, determining whether a cleaning device is moving backward; when it is determined that the cleaning device is moving backward, determining whether a backward movement of the cleaning device meets a backward movement requirement; when the backward movement requirement is not met, extending a movement component and / or retracting the steering component; and controlling the cleaning device to move backward again, so as to redetermine whether the backward movement of the cleaning device meets the backward movement requirement.

Description

Cleaning device control method and apparatus, and cleaning device

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411047913.9, filed on July 31, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of smart home, and more particularly, to a cleaning device control method, a cleaning device control apparatus, and a cleaning device. BACKGROUND

[0004] In the related art, when a smart cleaning device such as a sweeping robot encounters an obstacle during execution of a work process, the omnidirectional wheels are usually extended to overcome the obstacle. If the obstacle is not overcome, the sweeping robot needs to retreat and then advance again to pass the obstacle. At this time, the omnidirectional wheels may be stuck when the sweeping robot retreats, resulting in a failure of the obstacle overcoming action again.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new technical solution to solve the above technical problems.

[0006] SUMMARY

[0007] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the summary section, which will be further described in detail in the detailed description section. The summary section of the present disclosure does not mean to attempt to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, and even less to determine the protection scope of the claimed technical solution.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device control method is provided. The cleaning device includes a moving assembly and a steering assembly. The cleaning device control method includes: determining whether the cleaning device is retreating in a case where the steering assembly is extended; determining whether a retreating action of the cleaning device meets a retreating requirement in a case where it is determined that the cleaning device is retreating; extending the moving assembly and / or retracting the steering assembly in a case where the retreating requirement is not met; and controlling the cleaning device to retreat again to determine again whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement.

[0009] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device control apparatus is further provided. The cleaning device comprises a moving assembly and a steering assembly. The cleaning device control apparatus comprises: an action determination unit configured to determine whether the cleaning device is retreating when the steering assembly is extended; a requirement determination unit configured to determine whether a retreating action of the cleaning device meets a retreating requirement when it is determined that the cleaning device is retreating; an assembly control unit configured to extend the moving assembly and / or retract the steering assembly when the retreating requirement is not met; and a device control unit configured to control the cleaning device to retreat again to determine again whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement.

[0010] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device is further provided. The cleaning device comprises a processor and a memory. The memory stores computer program instructions capable of being executed by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program instructions, the steps of the cleaning device control method according to the first aspect are implemented.

[0011] The cleaning device control method of the present disclosure, other advantages, objects and features of the present disclosure will be embodied in part by the following description, and will be understood by those skilled in the art through research and practice of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure, together with the description.

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure or the prior art, brief introductions to the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art descriptions will be given below. Obviously, those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings from these drawings without any creative effort.

[0014] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a description of exemplary embodiments and are not meant to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, the same reference numerals in different drawings designate the same elements. In the drawings:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a cleaning device control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of another cleaning device control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic structural block diagram of a cleaning device control apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural block diagram of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to more clearly understand the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present disclosure, the solutions of the present disclosure will be further described below. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0020] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth" and the like in the description, claims, and drawings of the present disclosure, and the above-described figures (if any) are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily have to be described in a specific order or chronological order. It should be understood that the data thus used can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus including a series of steps or units does not have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but can include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or apparatuses. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all the embodiments.

[0021] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure can also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein; obviously, the embodiments in the specification are only a part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all the embodiments.

[0022] In order to solve the above technical problems, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device control method is provided. FIG. 1 is a schematic flow chart of a cleaning device control method 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning device control method 100 can include the following steps S110-S140.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cleaning device can include a moving assembly and a steering assembly, the moving assembly can include driving wheels, and the steering assembly can include a universal wheel. In order to facilitate description and understanding, the number of driving wheels is taken as 2, and the number of universal wheels is taken as 1 for detailed description below. In actual application, the number of driving wheels or universal wheels can be modified according to specific design requirements to achieve the same technical effects as the following solutions.

[0024] In step S110, it is determined whether the cleaning device is retreating in the case that the steering assembly is extended.

[0025] In some embodiments, during the working process of the cleaning device, the moving assembly and the steering assembly can both perform an extending or retracting action, wherein the extending and retracting actions are both relative to the body of the cleaning device, when the moving assembly or the steering assembly moves away from the body, it means that the moving assembly or the steering assembly performs an extending action; when the moving assembly or the steering assembly moves towards the body, it means that the moving assembly or the steering assembly performs a retracting action. For example, when the moving assembly performs an extending action and the steering assembly does not perform an extending action or performs a retracting action, the body of the cleaning device is in a front-low and rear-high state, and vice versa, when the moving assembly does not perform an extending action or performs a retracting action and the steering assembly performs an extending action, the body of the cleaning device is in a front-high and rear-low state. In some embodiments, before step S110, the cleaning device control method can further include: determining whether the steering assembly is extended in the case that the cleaning device is in the obstacle crossing state. In some embodiments, when the cleaning device encounters an obstacle during the working process, the steering assembly can be extended to make the body in a front-high and rear-low state, so that the cleaning device can successfully cross the obstacle, at this time, the state of the steering assembly can be determined indirectly according to the working state of the cleaning device. In other embodiments, the state of the steering assembly can also be determined by directly obtaining the state of the steering assembly, for example, after the steering assembly performs an extending action in response to the control instruction of the controller, the corresponding state of the steering assembly at this time can be stored in the controller, and then the state information of the steering assembly can be obtained by state calling.

[0026] Taking the case that the cleaning device is currently in the obstacle crossing state as an example, the obstacle crossing failure may occur during the obstacle crossing process, for example, the cleaning device is stuck by the obstacle, at this time, the cleaning device needs to be rescued. In some embodiments, the cleaning device can first retreat and then re-advance through the obstacle. However, the steering assembly may be stuck during the retreating process, so that the cleaning device cannot try the subsequent obstacle crossing action, resulting in obstacle crossing failure. In this case, the obstacle crossing action can be optimized and adjusted. First, it is determined whether the cleaning device is in a retreating state. In this embodiment, whether the cleaning device appears obstacle crossing failure and re-tries obstacle crossing can be determined according to whether it is in a retreating state. The retreating state can be determined according to the rotation direction of the moving assembly, the moving direction or the moving speed of the cleaning device and other parameters. In some embodiments, the clockwise rotation of the moving assembly is regarded as the forward movement of the cleaning device, and the counterclockwise rotation of the moving assembly is regarded as the backward movement of the cleaning device.

[0027] In step S120, in the case that it is determined that the cleaning device is retreating, it is determined whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement.

[0028] In some embodiments, after determining that the cleaning device is in the state of retreating, it can be determined whether the action parameter of the current retreating action meets the retreating requirement. In some embodiments, the retreating requirement can include a retreating distance, a retreating position, a retreating time, etc. It should be noted that the retreating action is an optimized action after the advancing action, and thus the retreating requirement can be regarded as a prerequisite for the advancing action to be successfully completed. For example, the retreating requirement can include a starting position when the advancing action is performed, which can be the same as the aforementioned retreating position.

[0029] In step S130, the moving assembly is extended and / or the steering assembly is retracted when the retreating requirement is not met.

[0030] In some embodiments, when the retreating requirement is not met, it can indicate that the current retreating action encounters an obstacle, which affects the execution of the retreating action. According to the determination result that the current retreating action does not meet the retreating requirement, the moving assembly is extended. In combination with the foregoing description, at this time, the steering assembly is in the extended state, the cleaning device is in the state of high front and low back, and the moving assembly is also extended. The inclination angle of the body of the cleaning device can be adjusted. In some embodiments, the cleaning device can be leveled or adjusted to a state of low front and high back. In other embodiments, the steering assembly can also be retracted on the premise that the steering assembly is in the extended state, and the inclination angle of the body of the cleaning device can also be adjusted. In some embodiments, the moving assembly is extended and the steering assembly is retracted at the same time, so as to level the cleaning device or adjust the cleaning device to a state of low front and high back. Leveling can refer to adjusting the plane on which the body of the cleaning device is located to be parallel to the horizontal plane (usually the surface to be cleaned). In this state, the resistance of the steering assembly in the retreating action is reduced. When the body of the cleaning device is in the state of low front and high back, the resistance of the steering assembly in the retreating action is smaller than that when the body of the cleaning device is in the horizontal state. Thus, the probability that the retreating action meets the retreating requirement can be increased.

[0031] In step S140, the cleaning device is controlled to retreat again, so as to determine again whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement.

[0032] In some embodiments, after the state of the moving assembly or the steering assembly changes, the cleaning device can be controlled to retreat again to attempt the retreat again. For the retreat performed again, the above technical solutions can be used to determine whether it meets the retreat requirement. For the retreat action that still does not meet the retreat requirement, it can be regarded as a failed action, so as to end the entire action control; for the retreat action performed again that meets the retreat requirement, it can be regarded as a successful action, which can indicate that the retreat action again makes the steering assembly successfully pass the obstacle stuck in the retreat process, and the next advancing can be performed to attempt to complete the above obstacle passing action again.

[0033] According to the above technical solutions, in the case that the steering assembly is extended, it is determined whether the cleaning device is retreating, and if so, it is determined whether the retreat action meets the retreat requirement. In the case that the retreat requirement is met, it indicates that the retreat of the cleaning device is successful; in the case that the retreat requirement is not met, the tilt angle of the body of the cleaning device is adjusted by extending the moving assembly or retracting the steering assembly, or by the operation of extending the moving assembly and retracting the steering assembly synchronously, so as to reduce the resistance of the steering assembly in the retreat action, and then the retreat of the cleaning device is controlled again, and it is determined again whether the retreat action meets the retreat requirement. If the retreat requirement is still not met, it indicates that the retreat fails. Thus, the problem that the cleaning device is stuck in the retreat process is solved to a great extent, the complete execution of the retreat action is realized, and the subsequent action of the cleaning device is facilitated.

[0034] In some embodiments, the retreat requirement can include a distance requirement and a time requirement. In some embodiments, the distance requirement can indicate the retreat distance requirement that needs to be completed by the retreat action, and the time requirement can indicate the execution time requirement of the retreat action.

[0035] Step S120 of determining whether the retreat action of the cleaning device meets the retreat requirement can include steps S121 to S122.

[0036] In step S121, it is determined whether the retreat distance of the cleaning device meets the distance requirement.

[0037] In some embodiments, the retreat distance of the retreat action can be determined by the rotation parameters of the moving assembly, such as the number of rotation turns, the rotation speed, the rotation time, etc. The retreat distance is compared with the distance parameter in the distance requirement. In the case that the retreat distance is greater than or equal to the distance parameter in the distance requirement, it is determined that the retreat distance of the cleaning device meets the distance requirement, and otherwise, it is determined that the retreat distance of the cleaning device does not meet the distance requirement.

[0038] In step S122, in the case that the distance requirement is not met, it is determined whether the retreat time corresponding to the retreat action meets the time requirement.

[0039] In some embodiments, the timing operation of the retreating action can be started when the retreating action starts to be performed, and after it is determined according to step S121 that the retreating distance does not meet the distance requirement, the time counted by the aforementioned timing operation is compared with the time parameter in the time requirement to determine whether the retreating action is timed out, and if the time counted by the retreating action is greater than or equal to the time parameter in the time requirement, it is considered that the retreating time corresponding to the retreating action in the timeout case does not meet the time requirement, otherwise it is considered to meet the time requirement. If it is not timed out, the retreating action is continued to be performed, and the retreating distance of the retreating action is judged again, if the retreating distance meets the distance requirement, the retreating action can be stopped, and the retreating action is considered to be a successful action; if the retreating distance still does not meet the distance requirement, it is determined again whether the retreating time of the current retreating action meets the time requirement, and the above steps are repeated until the retreating time is timed out, and the subsequent optimization adjustment action is performed.

[0040] In this way, the current retreating action can be determined whether it meets the retreating requirement by combining the distance requirement and the time requirement, which is beneficial to improve the accuracy of the retreating action judgment result, reduce the contingency, and facilitate the execution of the subsequent optimization action.

[0041] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method can further include: obtaining relevant working parameters in the case that the steering assembly is extended to determine the retreating requirement. In some embodiments, in the case that the steering assembly is in the extended state, the relevant working parameters in this state are obtained, i.e., the relevant working parameters of the action performed by the cleaning device before to make the steering assembly in the extended state. In some embodiments, the cleaning device has performed an obstacle crossing action before, and before the obstacle crossing action is performed, the steering assembly is first extended to facilitate the subsequent successful obstacle crossing. At this time, the relevant working parameters of the obstacle crossing action can be obtained, which can include obstacle type, obstacle size, planned time to pass through the obstacle, and the like. Based on the relevant working parameters of the obstacle crossing action, the corresponding retreating requirement can be determined, for example, the obstacle size can be determined according to the minimum bounding rectangle, and in the case that the obstacle size is determined, the distance parameter in the distance requirement can be determined, and in this embodiment, the distance parameter can be set to be greater than the value corresponding to the longer side of the minimum bounding rectangle. For example, the time parameter in the time requirement can be set in combination with the obstacle type and the planned time to pass through the obstacle, which is not limited here.

[0042] In this way, the retreating requirement can be set correspondingly according to the relevant working parameters corresponding to the extended state of the steering assembly, which ensures that the judgment of the retreating action is more targeted, reduces the judgment result error, ensures the accuracy of the judgment result of the retreating action, and thus the corresponding optimization action is performed more targetedly, which improves the optimization efficiency.

[0043] In some embodiments, before the control of the cleaning device to retreat again in step S140, the cleaning device control method can further include: updating the timing of the retreat action.

[0044] In some embodiments, in the case that the retreat time corresponding to the current retreat action has expired, at least one of the actions of extending the moving assembly or retracting the steering assembly can be performed. For example, the moving assembly can be extended first to level the body of the cleaning device. After the moving assembly is extended, the timing of the previous retreat action can be updated, the time can be reset or replaced by other reasonable values to complete the time update, and the time update method is not limited here. After the time is updated, a new retreat action can be performed, and the retreat action is re-timed, and it is determined whether the retreat action meets the distance requirement. Similar to the foregoing scheme, in the case that the retreat distance of the retreat action does not meet the distance requirement, it is further determined whether the retreat time corresponding to the retreat action meets the time requirement, and in the case that the time requirement is also not met, the steering assembly is retracted, the body of the cleaning device can be adjusted from the horizontal state to the state of low front and high back, and the resistance of the steering assembly in the retreat action is further reduced. After the steering assembly is retracted, the timing of the previous retreat action is updated again by using the foregoing similar method, the retreat action is performed again after the time is updated, and the timing is restarted, and it is determined whether the distance requirement and the time requirement are met in a new round, so as to obtain the corresponding result.

[0045] In this way, the timing of the retreat action is updated, which facilitates the judgment of whether the subsequent new retreat action meets the time requirement, and ensures the accuracy of the judgment result.

[0046] In some embodiments, before the steering assembly is retracted in step S130, the cleaning device control method can further include: controlling the cleaning device to advance by a first preset distance.

[0047] In some embodiments, as described above, in the case that the steering assembly is in the extended state and the retreat action performed by the cleaning device does not meet the retreat requirement, it can represent that the steering assembly is stuck by an obstacle during the retreat of the cleaning device, and in this embodiment, the cleaning device can be controlled to advance by a first preset distance before the steering assembly is retracted, and the first preset distance can be any reasonable value such as 2 cm. Then the steering assembly is retracted, so as to ensure that the steering assembly can be retracted smoothly, and avoid the case that the steering assembly is stuck by the obstacle and cannot be retracted.

[0048] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method can further include: obtaining the type of the obstacle on the side and / or below the cleaning device; and determining the adjustment strategy of the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly based on the type of the obstacle.

[0049] In some embodiments, the image of the obstacle around the cleaning device, i.e. the four sides, or under the body of the cleaning device, can be acquired by an image acquisition device arranged on the cleaning device, and then the acquired image of the obstacle can be subjected to image recognition by a controller, and then the image recognition result can be matched with the pre-stored obstacle types to determine the type of the obstacle corresponding to the acquired image of the obstacle.

[0050] In some embodiments, the obstacle type can include a threshold, a step, etc., for example, the step surface is provided with protruding anti-skid strips, which can block the steering assembly when the cleaning device retreats, so that the cleaning device cannot attempt the subsequent obstacle crossing action, resulting in failure to cross the obstacle, at this time, the moving assembly can be extended, the steering assembly can be retracted, and the retreat action can be performed again, so that the steering assembly can smoothly pass through the obstacle and avoid being blocked. There is no order restriction on the execution of extending the moving assembly and retracting the steering assembly. In other embodiments, the obstacle type can also include toys, carpets and other low obstacles. When such obstacles are stuck under the body of the cleaning device, the cleaning device can be unable to retreat, at this time, the moving assembly can be extended to lift the body of the cleaning device relative to the ground, and then the cleaning device can attempt to retreat again to cross the low obstacle and avoid being blocked.

[0051] In this way, the adjustment strategy of the moving assembly and the steering assembly can be selected according to the type of the obstacle actually encountered by the cleaning device, so that the adjustment strategy of the moving assembly and the steering assembly is the optimal choice in the actual scene, and unnecessary adjustment actions are avoided, thereby improving the optimization efficiency.

[0052] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method can further include determining the length of the first preset distance based on the obstacle type.

[0053] In some embodiments, the obstacle type can be determined based on the foregoing method, and the length of the first preset distance in which the cleaning device advances can be determined when the obstacle type is determined. For example, when the obstacle type is a threshold, a step, etc., the length of the first preset distance can be determined to be any reasonable value in, for example, 1-2 cm, and when the obstacle type is a low obstacle, the length of the first preset distance can be lengthened and set to any reasonable value in, for example, 2.5-3 cm. It should be noted that the low obstacle is more likely to block the steering assembly when the steering assembly is retracted, compared with the threshold, the step and other types of obstacles. Therefore, in order to avoid the steering assembly being blocked, different first preset distances are set for different obstacles to ensure the effective retraction of the steering assembly.

[0054] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method can further include retracting the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly in the case that the distance requirement is met or the retreat action after the retreat again still does not meet the retreat requirement.

[0055] In some embodiments, in the foregoing judgment process, whenever the retreat distance of a retreat action meets the distance requirement, the corresponding retreat action can be considered as a successful action, if the turning assembly retracting action has been performed before the retreat action, only the moving assembly retracting action can be performed, if the turning assembly retracting action has not been performed, both the moving assembly and the turning assembly are retracted. In some embodiments, if the moving assembly has been extended and the turning assembly has been retracted, and the retreat action still does not meet the distance requirement and the time requirement, the retreat action can be considered as a failed action, and the moving assembly is retracted.

[0056] In the foregoing technical solution, whether the retreat action is successful or not, the moving assembly and the turning assembly are retracted at the end, so that the moving assembly and the turning assembly are in the retracted state (original state), facilitating the execution of subsequent actions, simplifying the control logic, and avoiding errors.

[0057] In some embodiments, the moving assembly includes two drive wheels, and the cleaning device control method can further include: in the case that the retreat action performed after the moving assembly is extended and / or the turning assembly is retracted still does not meet the retreat requirement, controlling the two drive wheels to rotate at different parameters to move the cleaning device to the oblique front by a third preset distance, and controlling the turning assembly to rotate in the process of moving the cleaning device.

[0058] In some embodiments, the moving assembly can include two drive wheels, one of the two drive wheels is a steering wheel, after the steering wheel rotates by a certain angle, the two drive wheels can rotate at the same speed in different directions to control the cleaning device to move to the oblique front by a third preset distance, wherein the third preset distance can be set to any reasonable value greater than the first preset distance. The angle of rotation of the steering wheel is the included angle between the direction of moving to the oblique front of the cleaning device and the direction of moving to the front of the cleaning device, and the steering wheel rotation angle and the third preset distance can be set according to the type of the obstacle, wherein the rotation angle can be set to any reasonable value between 5°-15°, for example. Thus, in the process of moving the cleaning device to the oblique front, the turning assembly can rotate accordingly, and for the rotated turning assembly, the probability of passing through the obstacle can be improved, and it is less likely to be stuck.

[0059] In some embodiments, before determining that the cleaning device is retreating in step S110, the cleaning device control method can further include: first controlling the cleaning device to advance by a second preset distance, and then controlling the cleaning device to retreat.

[0060] In some embodiments, before determining whether the cleaning device is retreating, the cleaning device is first controlled to advance by a second preset distance, which can be reasonably set according to experience, and then the cleaning device is controlled to retreat, and then the above technical solution is used to determine whether the cleaning device is retreating, and the cleaning device that does not meet the retreat requirement for performing the retreat action is optimized.

[0061] Therefore, by first controlling the cleaning device to advance before determining that the cleaning device is retreating, the success rate of the retreat action can be improved, the retreat action is more likely to be successful at one time, and the optimization efficiency is improved.

[0062] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of another cleaning device control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, in the case where the steering assembly is extended, it is determined whether the cleaning device is retreating, and when the cleaning device is retreating, it is determined whether the retreat action meets the retreat requirement, the retreat requirement including a distance requirement and a time requirement. First, it is determined whether the retreat distance of the retreat action meets the distance requirement. If the distance requirement is met, the retreat action is successful. If the distance requirement is not met, it is determined whether the retreat time corresponding to the retreat action meets the time requirement. If the time requirement is not met, it is further determined whether the movement assembly has been extended. If the movement assembly has not been extended, the movement assembly is extended, the timing of the previous retreat action is updated, a new retreat action is started, and it is determined again whether the new retreat action meets the retreat requirement. If the movement assembly has been extended, it is determined whether the steering assembly has been retracted. If the steering assembly has not been retracted, the steering assembly is retracted, the timing of the previous retreat action is updated, a new retreat action is started, and it is determined again whether the new retreat action meets the retreat requirement. If the steering assembly has been retracted, the retreat action at this time is considered to be a failed action. Whether the retreat is successful or the retreat fails, the movement assembly and the steering assembly are retracted at the end. The specific embodiments in the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 are described in detail above, and will not be described here.

[0063] The numerical values mentioned in the above embodiments are exemplary and do not mean limitation of specific numerical values. The corresponding numerical values can be reasonably set according to actual conditions or experience.

[0064] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device control apparatus is also provided. FIG. 3 is a schematic structural block diagram of a cleaning device control apparatus 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning device control apparatus 300 can include an action determination unit 310, a requirement judgment unit 320, a component control unit 330, and a device control unit 340. The action determination unit 310 is configured to determine whether the cleaning device is retreating when the steering component is extended. The requirement judgment unit 320 is configured to determine whether the retreat action of the cleaning device meets a retreat requirement when it is determined that the cleaning device is retreating. The component control unit 330 is configured to extend the movement component and / or retract the steering component when the retreat requirement is not met. The device control unit 340 is configured to control the cleaning device to retreat again to determine whether the retreat action of the cleaning device meets the retreat requirement again.

[0065] In some embodiments, the retreat requirement includes a distance requirement and a time requirement. The requirement judgment unit 320 is further configured to determine whether the retreat distance of the cleaning device meets the distance requirement, and determine whether the retreat time corresponding to the retreat action meets the time requirement when it is determined that the distance requirement is not met.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control apparatus can further include a time updating unit (not shown in the figure) configured to update the timing of the retreat action.

[0067] In some embodiments, the device control unit 340 is further configured to control the cleaning device to advance by a first preset distance.

[0068] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control apparatus can further include an information acquisition unit (not shown in the figure) configured to acquire the type of obstacle on the side and / or below the cleaning device, and a strategy determination unit (not shown in the figure) configured to determine an adjustment strategy of the movement component and / or the steering component based on the type of obstacle.

[0069] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control apparatus can further include a parameter determination unit (not shown in the figure) configured to determine the length of the first preset distance based on the type of obstacle.

[0070] In some embodiments, the component control unit 330 is further configured to control the movement component and / or the steering component to retract when the retreat action still does not meet the retreat requirement after the distance requirement is met or the retreat action after the retreat again.

[0071] In some embodiments, the moving assembly includes two driving wheels, and the assembly control unit 330 can be further configured to, in a case that the backward movement after the moving assembly is extended and / or the steering assembly is retracted still fails to meet the backward requirement, control the two driving wheels to rotate at different parameters to move the cleaning device to a third preset distance in a diagonal forward direction, and control the steering assembly to rotate during the movement of the cleaning device.

[0072] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control apparatus can further include a state determination unit (not shown in the figure) configured to determine whether the steering assembly is extended in a case that the cleaning device is in the obstacle crossing state.

[0073] In some embodiments, the device control unit 340 can be further configured to control the cleaning device to move forward by a second preset distance, and then control the cleaning device to move backward.

[0074] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control apparatus can further include a requirement determination unit (not shown in the figure) configured to obtain relevant working parameters in a case that the steering assembly is extended, to determine the backward requirement.

[0075] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device is further provided for performing the control method as described above.

[0076] FIG. 4 is a schematic structural block diagram of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning device can include a processor 410, a memory 420, a moving assembly 430, and a steering assembly 440. The memory 420 stores computer program instructions, which are executed by the processor 410 to perform the control method 100 described above.

[0077] In the several embodiments provided in the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and / or method can be implemented in other manners. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is only a logical function division. For another example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections between different units, or the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections illustrated or discussed with reference to the embodiments can be implemented in electronic, mechanical, or other forms, without being limited to the combination of the electrical couplings, the mechanical couplings, or the communication connections.

[0078] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, i.e., they may be located in one place, or distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiments.

[0079] In addition, each function unit in various embodiments of the present disclosure can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can be physically present separately, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. The integrated unit can be realized in the form of hardware or in the form of a software function unit.

[0080] When the integrated unit is realized in the form of a software function unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present disclosure, essentially or in part, or all or part of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, and includes several instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods in the various embodiments of the present disclosure. The foregoing storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk or optical disk, and various media that can store program codes.

[0081] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device control method is provided. The cleaning device includes a moving assembly and a steering assembly. The cleaning device control method includes: determining whether the cleaning device is retreating in a case where the steering assembly is extended; determining whether a retreating action of the cleaning device meets a retreating requirement in a case where it is determined that the cleaning device is retreating; extending the moving assembly and / or retracting the steering assembly in a case where the retreating requirement is not met; and controlling the cleaning device to retreat again to determine whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement again.

[0082] In some embodiments, the retreating requirement includes a distance requirement and a time requirement; determining whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement includes: determining whether a retreating distance of the cleaning device meets the distance requirement; and determining whether a retreating time corresponding to the retreating action meets the time requirement in a case where it is determined that the distance requirement is not met.

[0083] In some embodiments, before controlling the cleaning device to retreat again, the cleaning device control method further includes: updating timing of the retreating action.

[0084] In some embodiments, before retracting the steering assembly, the cleaning device control method further includes: controlling the cleaning device to advance by a first preset distance.

[0085] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method further includes: obtaining a type of an obstacle on a side and / or below the cleaning device; and determining an adjustment strategy of the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly based on the type of the obstacle.

[0086] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method further comprises: determining the length of the first preset distance based on the type of the obstacle.

[0087] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method further comprises: retracting the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly in the case that the backward movement still does not meet the backward requirement after the distance requirement is met or the backward movement again.

[0088] In some embodiments, the moving assembly comprises two driving wheels, and the cleaning device control method further comprises: in the case that the backward movement still does not meet the backward requirement after the moving assembly is extended and / or the steering assembly is retracted, rotating the two driving wheels at different parameters to move the cleaning device to a third preset distance in a slanting forward direction, and rotating the steering assembly in the process of moving the cleaning device.

[0089] In some embodiments, in the case that the steering assembly is extended, before determining whether the cleaning device is moving backward, the cleaning device control method further comprises: determining whether the steering assembly is extended in the case that the cleaning device is in the obstacle-crossing state.

[0090] In some embodiments, before determining whether the cleaning device is moving backward, the cleaning device control method further comprises: controlling the cleaning device to move forward by a second preset distance, and then controlling the cleaning device to move backward.

[0091] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control method further comprises: obtaining relevant working parameters in the case that the steering assembly is extended to determine the backward requirement.

[0092] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device control apparatus is further provided. The cleaning device comprises a moving assembly and a steering assembly. The cleaning device control apparatus comprises: a movement determination unit configured to determine whether the cleaning device is moving backward in the case that the steering assembly is extended; a requirement judgment unit configured to determine whether a backward movement of the cleaning device meets a backward requirement in the case that the cleaning device is determined to be moving backward; an assembly control unit configured to extend the moving assembly and / or retract the steering assembly in the case that the backward requirement is not met; and a device control unit configured to control the cleaning device to move backward again to determine whether the backward movement of the cleaning device meets the backward requirement again.

[0093] In some embodiments, the backward requirement comprises a distance requirement and a time requirement; the requirement judgment unit is configured to determine whether a backward distance of the cleaning device meets the distance requirement; and is further configured to determine whether a backward time corresponding to the backward movement meets the time requirement in the case that the distance requirement is determined not to be met.

[0094] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control apparatus further comprises: a time updating unit configured to update the timing of the backward movement.

[0095] In some embodiments, the cleaning device device control unit is further configured to control the cleaning device to advance by a first preset distance.

[0096] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control device further comprises an information acquisition unit configured to acquire a type of an obstacle on the side and / or below the cleaning device, and a strategy determination unit configured to determine an adjustment strategy of the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly based on the type of the obstacle.

[0097] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control device further comprises a parameter determination unit configured to determine a length of the first preset distance based on the type of the obstacle.

[0098] In some embodiments, the assembly control unit is further configured to control the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly to retract in a case where the distance requirement is met or the retracting action after the retraction again does not meet the retracting requirement.

[0099] In some embodiments, the moving assembly comprises two drive wheels, and the assembly control unit is further configured to control the two drive wheels to rotate at different parameters to move the cleaning device by a third preset distance in a diagonal forward direction and control the steering assembly to rotate in a case where the retracting action after the moving assembly is extended and / or the steering assembly is retracted does not meet the retracting requirement.

[0100] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control device further comprises a state determination unit configured to determine whether the steering assembly is extended in a case where the cleaning device is in an obstacle surmounting state.

[0101] In some embodiments, the device control unit is further configured to control the cleaning device to advance by a second preset distance and then control the cleaning device to retract.

[0102] In some embodiments, the cleaning device control device further comprises a requirement determination unit configured to acquire a relevant working parameter in a case where the steering assembly is extended to determine the retracting requirement.

[0103] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device is further provided, which is configured to execute the cleaning device control method described above.

[0104] In some embodiments, the cleaning device comprises a processor and a memory, the memory stores computer program instructions capable of being executed by the processor, and the processor executes the computer program instructions to implement the steps of the cleaning device control method according to the first aspect.

[0105] According to the technical solution, when the steering assembly is extended, it is determined whether the cleaning device is retreating, and if so, it is determined whether the retreat action meets the retreat requirement. If the retreat requirement is met, the cleaning device retreats successfully. If the retreat requirement is not met, the tilt angle of the cleaning device body is adjusted by extending the moving assembly or retracting the steering assembly, or by extending the moving assembly and retracting the steering assembly synchronously, to reduce the resistance of the steering assembly during the retreat action. Then, the retreat of the cleaning device is controlled again, and it is determined whether the retreat action meets the retreat requirement. If the retreat requirement is still not met, the retreat fails. Thus, the problem of the cleaning device being stuck during the retreat process is solved to a great extent, the complete retreat action is implemented, and the subsequent action of the cleaning device is facilitated.

[0106] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, rather than limit them. Although the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments can be modified, or some technical features can be replaced equivalently. These modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a cleaning device, the cleaning device comprising a moving assembly and a steering assembly, the method comprising: determining whether the cleaning device is retreating while the steering assembly is extended; determining whether a retreating action of the cleaning device meets a retreating requirement, in a case where it is determined that the cleaning device is retreating; extending the moving assembly and / or retracting the steering assembly, in a case where the retreating requirement is not met; and controlling the cleaning device to retreat again to determine whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement again. the retreating requirement comprises a distance requirement and a time requirement; 2. The cleaning device control method of claim 1, wherein, the determining whether the retreating action of the cleaning device meets the retreating requirement comprises: determining whether a retreating distance of the cleaning device meets the distance requirement; and determining whether a retreating time corresponding to the retreating action meets the time requirement, in a case where it is determined that the distance requirement is not met. 3.The method of claim 2, before the controlling the cleaning device to retreat again, the method further comprising: updating a timing of the retreating action. 4.The method of claim 1, before the retracting the steering assembly, the method further comprising: controlling the cleaning device to advance a first preset distance. 5.The method of claim 4, further comprising: obtaining a type of an obstacle on a side and / or below the cleaning device; and determining an adjustment strategy of the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly based on the type of the obstacle. 6.The method of claim 5, further comprising: determining a length of the first preset distance based on the type of the obstacle. 7.The method of claim 2, further comprising: retracting the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly, in a case where the distance requirement is met or the retreating action after retreating again still does not meet the retreating requirement. the moving assembly comprises two drive wheels, the method further comprising: controlling the two drive wheels to rotate at different parameters to move the cleaning device to a third preset distance in a diagonal forward direction and controlling the steering assembly to rotate in a process of moving the cleaning device, in a case where the retreating action after the moving assembly is extended and / or the steering assembly is retracted still does not meet the retreating requirement. 9.The method of claim 1, before the determining whether the cleaning device is retreating while the steering assembly is extended, the method further comprising:

8. The cleaning device control method of claim 1, wherein, determining whether the steering assembly is extended, in a case where the cleaning device is in an obstacle surmounting state. 10.The method of claim 9, before the determining whether the cleaning device is retreating, the method further comprising: controlling the cleaning device to advance a second preset distance first and then controlling the cleaning device to retreat. 11.The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining relevant working parameters in a case where the steering assembly is extended to determine the retreating requirement. ​ ​ ​ 12. A cleaning device control apparatus, the cleaning device comprising a moving assembly and a steering assembly, the apparatus comprising: an action determination unit configured to determine whether the cleaning device is retreating in a case where the steering assembly is extended; a requirement determination unit configured to determine whether a retreating action of the cleaning device satisfies a retreating requirement in a case where it is determined that the cleaning device is retreating; an assembly control unit configured to extend the moving assembly and / or retract the steering assembly in a case where the retreating requirement is not satisfied; and a device control unit configured to control the cleaning device to retreat again to determine again whether the retreating action of the cleaning device satisfies the retreating requirement.

13. The cleaning device control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, the retreating requirement comprises a distance requirement and a time requirement; the requirement determination unit is configured to determine whether a retreating distance of the cleaning device satisfies the distance requirement, and further configured to determine whether a retreating time corresponding to the retreating action satisfies the time requirement in a case where it is determined that the distance requirement is not satisfied.

14. The cleaning device control apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a time updating unit configured to update a timing of the retreating action.

15. The cleaning device control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, the device control unit is further configured to control the cleaning device to advance by a first preset distance.

16. The cleaning device control apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: an information acquisition unit configured to acquire a type of an obstacle on a side and / or below the cleaning device; and a strategy determination unit configured to determine an adjustment strategy of the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly based on the type of the obstacle.

17. The cleaning device control apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a parameter determination unit configured to determine a length of the first preset distance based on the type of the obstacle. the assembly control unit is further configured to control the moving assembly and / or the steering assembly to retract in a case where the distance requirement is satisfied or the retreating action after the retreat again still does not satisfy the retreating requirement.

18. The cleaning device control apparatus of claim 13, wherein, the moving assembly comprises two drive wheels, and the assembly control unit is further configured to control the two drive wheels to rotate at different parameters to move the cleaning device by a third preset distance in a diagonal forward direction and control the steering assembly to rotate in a process in which the cleaning device moves in a case where the retreating action after the moving assembly is extended and / or the steering assembly is retracted still does not satisfy the retreating requirement.

19. The cleaning device control apparatus of claim 12, wherein, 20. The cleaning device control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a state determination unit configured to determine whether the steering assembly is extended in a case where the cleaning device is in an obstacle surmounting state. the device control unit is further configured to control the cleaning device to advance by a second preset distance and then control the cleaning device to retreat.

21. The cleaning device control apparatus of claim 20, wherein, 22. The cleaning device control apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a requirement determination unit configured to acquire relevant working parameters in a case where the steering assembly is extended to determine the retreating requirement. ​ 23. A cleaning device comprising a processor and a memory, wherein, The memory stores computer program instructions capable of being executed by the processor, and the processor executes the computer program instructions to implement the steps of the cleaning device control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The memory stores computer program instructions capable of being executed by the processor, and the processor executes the computer program instructions to implement the steps of the cleaning device control method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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