Control method, cleaning robot, and storage medium

Abstract

A control method, a cleaning robot, and a storage medium. The control method comprises: if a cleaning robot satisfies a predetermined battery capacity testing condition, acquiring a remaining capacity of a battery; and on the basis of the remaining capacity, adjusting a state of charge threshold of the battery, the state of charge threshold being configured for determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to a base station for charging when the cleaning robot is located outside the base station.

Description

Control methods, cleaning robots, and storage media

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 2024114411830, filed on October 15, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of automatic control, and more particularly to a control method, a cleaning robot, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0004] While performing tasks outside of a base station, the cleaning robot needs to determine when to return to the base station for charging based on its battery's State of Charge (SOC) strategy. Therefore, the SOC strategy affects the cleaning robot's battery life and whether it can return to the base station for charging normally. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a control method, a cleaning robot, and a storage medium, which helps to reduce the risk that the cleaning robot will be unable to return to the base station for charging due to insufficient power while maximizing battery life, thereby improving the reliability of charging control.

[0006] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a cleaning robot is provided, the cleaning robot being equipped with a battery, the method comprising: if the cleaning robot meets a preset battery capacity detection condition, obtaining the remaining capacity of the battery; and adjusting a state of charge threshold of the battery based on the remaining capacity, the state of charge threshold being used to determine whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging when the cleaning robot is located outside a base station.

[0007] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: acquiring the state of charge (SOC) value of the battery while the cleaning robot is performing a task outside the base station; and determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the SOC value and the SOC threshold.

[0008] In some embodiments, after adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the state of charge value and the state of charge threshold includes: determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the state of charge value, the state of charge threshold, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station.

[0009] In some embodiments, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the state of charge value, the state of charge threshold, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station includes: if the state of charge value reaches the state of charge threshold, then obtaining the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station; if the distance exceeds a preset distance range, then controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging; if the distance is within the preset distance range, then controlling the cleaning robot to perform a task within the area corresponding to the preset distance range, and during the process of the cleaning robot performing the task, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the state of charge value of the battery and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station.

[0010] In some embodiments, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the remaining capacity includes: determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity, the adjustment reference value being used to characterize the degree of capacity decay of the battery; and adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range.

[0011] In some embodiments, determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity includes: obtaining the ratio of the remaining capacity to a preset initial capacity, and using the ratio as the adjustment reference value; or, obtaining the difference between the preset initial capacity and the remaining capacity, and using the ratio of the difference to the initial capacity as the adjustment reference value; or, using the difference between the preset initial capacity and the remaining capacity as the adjustment reference value; or, using the remaining capacity as the adjustment reference value.

[0012] In some embodiments, the battery capacity detection conditions include: a first detection condition, which is a condition that the cleaning robot must meet for the first time to detect the remaining capacity of the battery since it begins use. If the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained, and an adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity, including: if the cleaning robot meets the first detection condition, a remaining capacity detection step is performed, the remaining capacity detection step including: obtaining the remaining capacity of the battery and determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity. And if the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, the state of charge threshold of the battery is adjusted based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range, including: if the adjustment reference value determined under the first detection condition is less than the lower limit of a first preset range, the state of charge threshold is adjusted from an initial value to a first characteristic value, the first characteristic value being greater than the initial value.

[0013] In some embodiments, when the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: if the adjustment reference value determined under the first detection condition is within the first preset range, then keeping the state of charge threshold unchanged at the initial value until the adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the first preset range.

[0014] In some embodiments, the battery capacity detection conditions further include: a second detection condition; if the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, then the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained, and an adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity; further including: after adjusting the state of charge threshold from an initial value to a first threshold, if the cleaning robot meets the second detection condition, then the remaining capacity detection step is executed again to perform another round of remaining capacity detection on the battery. And when the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: during the remaining capacity detection of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is within a second preset range, then the state of charge threshold is increased to a second characteristic value, wherein the lower limit of the second preset range is less than the lower limit of the first preset range.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: during the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the second preset range, then increasing the state of charge threshold to a third characteristic value, wherein the third characteristic value is greater than the second characteristic value.

[0016] In some embodiments, if the cleaning robot meets a preset battery capacity detection condition, the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained, and an adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity. The method further includes: after increasing the state of charge threshold to a third characteristic value, if the cleaning robot meets the second detection condition, the remaining capacity detection step is executed again to perform another round of remaining capacity detection on the battery. When the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: during the remaining capacity detection process, if the determined adjustment reference value is within a third preset range, the state of charge threshold is increased to a fourth characteristic value, wherein the lower limit of the third preset range is less than the lower limit of the second preset range.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control method further includes: during the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the third preset range, a battery abnormality alarm is issued to prompt the user to replace the battery.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first detection condition includes a first reference factor and a first reference threshold, and the second detection condition includes a second reference factor and a second reference threshold. The first reference factor and the second reference factor are correlated with the capacity decay of the battery. The first reference factor and the second reference factor include one or more of the following factors: charge-discharge cycle count, usage duration, usage frequency, and usage duration. The first reference factor and the second reference factor include the same factors, or at least one of them is different.

[0019] In some embodiments, when the first reference factor and the second reference factor include the same factors, the first reference threshold is greater than the second reference threshold.

[0020] In some embodiments, obtaining the remaining capacity of the battery includes: obtaining log information of the battery, the log information including at least one target historical record of the battery being fully charged and then discharged; and determining the remaining capacity of the battery based on the discharge amount of the battery recorded in the target historical record.

[0021] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a cleaning robot is provided. The cleaning robot is equipped with a battery. The method includes: acquiring the state of charge (SOC) value of the battery while the cleaning robot is performing a task outside a base station; if the SOC value reaches a SOC threshold, acquiring the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station; if the distance exceeds a preset distance range, controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging; if the distance is within the preset distance range, controlling the cleaning robot to perform a task within the area corresponding to the preset distance range, and determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the SOC value of the battery and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station during the execution of the task.

[0022] In some embodiments, the preset distance range includes a first sub-range and a second sub-range, wherein the upper limit of the first sub-range is the upper limit of the preset distance range, the lower limit of the first sub-range is greater than the upper limit of the second sub-range, and the lower limit of the second sub-range is the lower limit of the preset distance range. Determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the battery's state of charge (SOC) value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station includes: acquiring the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station in real time; if the battery's SOC value is less than or equal to a first reference value when the current distance is within the first sub-range, controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging; if the battery's SOC value is greater than the first reference value, controlling the cleaning robot to continue performing tasks within the area within the current distance, wherein the first reference value is less than the SOC threshold.

[0023] In some embodiments, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the state of charge value of the battery and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station further includes: if the state of charge value of the battery is greater than a second reference value when the current distance is within the second sub-range, then controlling the cleaning robot to continue performing tasks within the area within the current distance; if the state of charge value of the battery is less than or equal to the second reference value, then controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging, wherein the second reference value is less than the first reference value.

[0024] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a cleaning robot is provided, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program executable on the processor, the computer program, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the control method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0025] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the control method described in the first or second aspect above.

[0026] This disclosure provides a control method for a cleaning robot in some embodiments. By pre-setting battery capacity detection conditions, the remaining battery capacity is obtained when the cleaning robot meets these conditions. Based on the remaining capacity, the State of Charge (SOC) threshold of the battery is adjusted. This allows for flexible adjustment of the SOC threshold of the SOC strategy when battery capacity decays, thereby reducing the impact of battery capacity decay on the SOC strategy. Compared to setting the SOC threshold to a fixed, low or relatively high value, this method helps to minimize the risk of the cleaning robot being unable to return to the base station for charging due to insufficient actual remaining power, while maximizing battery life, thus improving the reliability of charging control.

[0027] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution provided in this disclosure. In order to better understand the technical means of this disclosure and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other features and effects of this disclosure more obvious and understandable, the following are specific examples of the implementation methods of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of the SOC threshold adjustment process of a control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 3 shows a flowchart of step S102 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary SOC threshold adjustment flowchart according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 5 shows a charging control flowchart of a control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 6 shows an exemplary charging control flowchart according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of a control method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning robot according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present invention

[0036] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the dimensions of the components may be exaggerated in the drawings for clarity of illustration. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0037] It should be noted that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The term "at least one" includes one or more cases, while the term "multiple" includes two or more cases. The terms "first," "second," etc., are used only for distinction and do not restrict the number or sequence of objects. The terms "before," "after," "above," "below," "left," "right," etc., are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described objects changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the cleaning system 1 includes a cleaning robot 10 and a base station 20 for docking with the cleaning robot 10. The cleaning robot 10 is an intelligent cleaning device with self-moving function, such as a sweeping robot, a mopping robot, a sweeping and mopping robot, a floor polishing robot, or a weeding robot.

[0039] The cleaning robot 10 is equipped with a rechargeable battery, such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium battery. For example, a charging electrode is provided on the side or bottom of the cleaning robot 10. When the cleaning robot 10 returns to the base station 20 and the charging electrode connects with the electrode on the base station 20, the battery can be charged through the base station 20.

[0040] The base station 20 has at least a charging function to provide charging services to the cleaning robot 10. In some application scenarios, the base station 20 may also be referred to as a "charging pile" or "charging base". In some embodiments, in addition to the charging function, the base station 20 may also have other functions, such as dust collection, mop cleaning, and drying functions, depending on the needs of the actual product.

[0041] To ensure the normal operation of the cleaning robot, a battery SOC (State of Charge) strategy needs to be set to control its charging. In related technologies, the battery SOC strategy for cleaning robots includes: if the battery's SOC value reaches a threshold while performing tasks outside the base station, the cleaning robot is controlled to return to the base station for charging. The SOC threshold is fixed after manufacturing, and to ensure the cleaning robot's battery life, it is usually set to a low value, for example, 14% to 19%. For example, the SOC threshold can be set to 14%, 16%, or 19%.

[0042] However, in practical applications, it has been found that after prolonged use (e.g., two years or more), the cleaning robot may shut down or stop completely while returning to the base station for charging. This requires the user to manually return the robot, which is detrimental to the user experience. One possible reason for this is that as the frequency of use increases, the battery capacity inevitably decreases. Consequently, the method for calculating the battery's State of Charge (SOC) may deviate. When the battery capacity degrades to a certain level, if the original SOC threshold is still used to control the robot's return to the base station, the actual remaining power may be insufficient to sustain the robot until it returns, causing it to stop midway. Additionally, with prolonged use, battery capacity degrades, and the consistency of the battery cells deteriorates. If the battery is too low and the robot continues to operate or is on its way back to the base station, a lower-performing cell may experience a sharp drop in voltage at the end of discharge, eventually reaching the over-discharge protection voltage. This triggers the battery's over-discharge protection, causing the robot to shut down and cease operation.

[0043] However, if the SOC threshold for returning to the base station is set too high to avoid the risk of the cleaning robot shutting down or stopping on its way back to the base station due to battery capacity decay, the cleaning robot's battery life will be sacrificed, causing the cleaning robot to frequently return to the base station to charge before completing its task.

[0044] In view of this, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a control method for a cleaning robot. By pre-setting battery capacity detection conditions, when the cleaning robot meets the battery capacity detection conditions, the remaining battery capacity is obtained, and the battery's State of Charge (SOC) threshold is adjusted based on the remaining capacity. This allows for flexible adjustment of the SOC threshold of the SOC strategy when battery capacity decays, thereby reducing the impact of battery capacity decay on the SOC strategy. Compared to setting the SOC threshold to a fixed low or relatively high value, this method helps to minimize the risk of the cleaning robot being unable to return to the base station for charging due to insufficient actual remaining power, while maximizing battery life, thus improving the reliability of charging control.

[0045] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] This disclosure provides a control method for a cleaning robot, applicable to the cleaning robot in the cleaning system 1 described above. The control method includes a SOC threshold adjustment process for adjusting the SOC threshold of the battery's SOC strategy to accommodate battery capacity degradation. Figure 2 shows a flowchart of the SOC threshold adjustment process according to some embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, the SOC threshold adjustment process may include at least:

[0047] Step S101: If the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, then obtain the remaining battery capacity; and

[0048] Step S102: Based on the remaining capacity, adjust the SOC threshold of the battery. This SOC threshold is used to determine whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging when the cleaning robot is located outside the base station.

[0049] The battery capacity detection condition is used to trigger the remaining capacity detection step and can be set according to the application scenario. The fact that the cleaning robot meets the battery capacity detection condition indicates that it is affected by battery capacity decay. The current SOC threshold used in the SOC strategy may be inapplicable; that is, if the current SOC threshold is continued, the actual remaining power may not be sufficient to support the robot until it returns to the base station for charging. Therefore, it is necessary to further determine whether the SOC threshold needs to be adjusted based on the actual remaining battery capacity, and to adjust the SOC threshold to an appropriate value in a timely manner when necessary. This means flexibly adjusting the SOC threshold according to battery capacity decay to compensate for the impact of battery capacity decay on recharge control (i.e., controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging). This helps to minimize the risk of the cleaning robot being unable to return to the base station for charging due to insufficient power while maximizing its battery life, improving the reliability of charging control, and thus enhancing the user experience.

[0050] In some embodiments, the process of obtaining the remaining capacity of the battery may include: obtaining the battery's log information, the log information including at least one target historical record of the battery being fully charged and then discharged; and determining the remaining capacity of the battery based on the amount of discharge recorded in the target historical record.

[0051] For example, in some applications, cleaning robots are equipped with a motherboard and a Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS can be located on a battery protection board outside the motherboard. The battery protection board reads the battery's log information and feeds it back to the motherboard, allowing the motherboard to determine the remaining battery capacity based on the target historical data contained in the log information. This allows the motherboard to adjust the SOC threshold of the SOC strategy based on the remaining capacity. In other applications, the BMS can be located on the motherboard, with the motherboard reading the battery's log information.

[0052] The discharge amount of the battery recorded in the target history is the capacity that can be released when the fully charged battery is completely discharged. In some optional implementations, the discharge amount of the battery recorded in the target history can be used as the remaining capacity of the battery. For example, if the discharge amount of the battery recorded in the target history is M mAh, then the remaining capacity of the battery is M mAh.

[0053] It should be noted that, in addition to the discharge amount, the target historical record may also include other charge and discharge related information, such as, but not limited to, one or more of the following: charging start time, initial charging capacity, charging end time, final charging capacity, charged capacity, discharging start time, initial discharging capacity, discharging end time, and final discharging capacity, depending on the actual product requirements.

[0054] In some alternative implementations, if the log information includes multiple target historical records of a battery being fully charged and then discharged, the remaining battery capacity can be determined based on the battery discharge amount recorded in the most recent target historical record.

[0055] After obtaining the remaining capacity of the battery, step S102 can be executed to adjust the battery's SOC threshold based on the remaining capacity. Figure 3 shows a flowchart of step S102 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, step S102 may include: step S201, determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity, the adjustment reference value being used to characterize the degree of capacity decay of the battery; step S202, adjusting the battery's SOC threshold based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range.

[0056] For example, the process of determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity may include: obtaining the ratio of the remaining capacity to a preset initial capacity, and using the ratio as the adjustment reference value; or, obtaining the difference between the preset initial capacity and the remaining capacity, and using the ratio of the difference to the initial capacity as the adjustment reference value; or, using the difference between the preset initial capacity and the remaining capacity as the adjustment reference value; or using the remaining capacity as the adjustment reference value. In some embodiments, the initial capacity is the capacity of the battery before capacity decay occurs, for example, it may be the capacity of the battery at the time of manufacture, which may be provided by the battery manufacturer.

[0057] The adjustment reference value and the degree of battery capacity degradation can be positively correlated, meaning a larger adjustment reference value indicates greater battery capacity degradation. Alternatively, the adjustment reference value and the degree of battery capacity degradation can be negatively correlated, meaning a larger adjustment reference value indicates less battery capacity degradation. The following explanation will primarily focus on the negative correlation between the adjustment reference value and the degree of battery capacity degradation.

[0058] In step S202, there can be one or more preset ranges, set according to the actual needs of the product. When multiple preset ranges are set, multi-level adjustments to the SOC threshold can be achieved to adapt to different degrees of battery capacity degradation. It should be noted that multiple preset ranges can be distinguished by terms such as "first," "second," and "third."

[0059] In some embodiments, the battery capacity detection conditions may include a first detection condition, which is the condition that must be met for the first battery capacity detection since the cleaning robot begins use. It should be noted that if the cleaning robot has only been used for a short time, the battery capacity may still be close to its initial capacity or show slight degradation. Therefore, it is unnecessary to detect the battery's remaining capacity prematurely, leading to unnecessary waste of computing resources. Thus, a first detection condition is set as the criterion for determining the battery's remaining capacity for the first time.

[0060] The first detection condition can be set according to the battery capacity decay pattern. In some embodiments, the first detection condition may include a first reference factor and a first reference threshold. The first reference factor is related to the battery capacity decay, and may include, for example, one or more of the following: the number of charge-discharge cycles, usage duration, usage frequency, and usage duration of the cleaning robot. The first reference threshold is set according to the correlation between the first reference factor and the battery capacity decay.

[0061] When the first reference factor includes the usage time of the cleaning robot, the first reference threshold may include a first preset duration. Therefore, the first detection condition may include: the cumulative usage time of the cleaning robot since it left the factory reaches the first preset duration. The calculation rule for the cumulative usage time can be set according to actual needs. For example, the time when the cleaning robot is first turned on after leaving the factory can be used as the starting point of the cumulative usage time, and the time interval between the current time and the starting time can be used as the cumulative usage time. The first preset duration can be set according to the relationship between battery capacity decay and usage time; for example, it can be set to two years, two and a half years, or three years, etc., and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0062] When the first reference factor includes the number of charge-discharge cycles of the cleaning robot, the first reference threshold may include a first preset number of cycles. Therefore, the first detection condition may include: the cumulative number of charge-discharge cycles since the cleaning robot left the factory reaches the first preset number of cycles. A charge-discharge cycle includes one charging process and one discharging process. For example, one full charge and one full discharge (i.e., fully charging and then completely discharging) can be recorded as one charge-discharge cycle. The terms "fully charging" and "completely discharging" can be interpreted broadly; fully charging can include being completely charged (i.e., charged to 100%) and being nearly fully charged, and completely discharging can include being completely discharged (i.e., discharged to 0%) and being nearly discharged. "Nearly" here can be understood as the difference from the target value being within an acceptable error range, for example, within 2%. Accordingly, the first preset number of cycles can be configured according to the relationship between battery capacity decay and the number of full charge-discharge cycles. For example, the first preset number of cycles can be set to 250~350 times, such as 250, 280, 300, or 350 times, etc., which will not be listed in detail here. In other embodiments, the amount of charging and discharging can be unlimited, and one charge and then discharge can be counted as one charge-discharge cycle. In this case, the first preset number of cycles can be set to be relatively larger compared to the case of full charge and discharge.

[0063] When the first reference factor includes the number of times the cleaning robot is used, the first reference threshold may include a first preset number of uses. Therefore, the first detection condition may include: the cumulative number of uses of the cleaning robot since it left the factory reaches the first preset number of uses. For example, the number of uses can be counted based on the types of tasks the cleaning robot can perform and the needs of the actual application scenario. In some application scenarios, the number of uses may be the number of times the cleaning robot performs power-intensive tasks, such as the number of times it performs cleaning tasks; or, for example, the number of times it performs tasks outside the base station. In some embodiments, the tasks performed outside the base station may include cleaning tasks and non-cleaning tasks. For example, non-cleaning tasks may include tasks such as cruising, finding pets, remote control, and fixed-point navigation, determined according to the actual product's functions. The first preset number of uses can be configured based on the relationship between battery capacity degradation and the number of uses.

[0064] It should be noted that the aforementioned first reference factor may include a single factor, or it may include multiple factors; for example, the first reference factor may include usage duration and usage frequency, thereby combining usage duration and usage frequency to set the first detection condition. In practice, it can be determined according to the needs of the application scenario, and this disclosure does not impose any restrictions on it.

[0065] Based on this, if the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, the remaining battery capacity is obtained. The process of determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity may include: if the cleaning robot meets the first detection condition, the remaining battery capacity is obtained, and an adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity. For ease of description, the step of obtaining the remaining battery capacity and determining the adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity will be referred to as the remaining capacity detection step below.

[0066] After determining the adjustment reference value, step S202 can be performed to adjust the battery's SOC threshold based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range. In some embodiments, a first preset range can be set as a measure of the degree of battery capacity degradation.

[0067] When the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of battery capacity decay, the above-mentioned adjustment of the battery state of charge threshold based on the adjustment reference value and the preset range may include: comparing the adjustment reference value determined under the first detection condition with the first preset range; if the adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the first preset range, then the state of charge threshold is adjusted from the initial value to the first characteristic value, and the first characteristic value is greater than the initial value.

[0068] During this process, if the adjusted reference value is lower than the lower limit of the first preset range, it indicates that the detected battery capacity has already significantly decreased when the first detection condition is met. Using the original SOC strategy would risk insufficient remaining power to support the cleaning robot's return to the base station for charging. The original SOC strategy refers to the SOC strategy that comes with the cleaning robot at the factory, and the SOC threshold used in the original SOC strategy is called the initial value. In actual implementation, the first preset range can be determined based on the adjusted reference value and the approximate degree of battery degradation when the aforementioned first detection condition is met.

[0069] Adjusting the State of Charge (SOC) threshold from the initial value to a first characteristic value essentially increases the SOC threshold of the SOC strategy. This adapts to the battery capacity after it has degraded, ensuring that when the measured SOC value reaches the adjusted SOC threshold, the actual remaining battery capacity is sufficient to support the cleaning robot's return to the base station for charging, thus improving the reliability of charging control. For example, the first characteristic value can be pre-configured, replacing the initial value with a preset first characteristic value; alternatively, an adjustment increment can be pre-configured, adding the adjustment increment to the initial value to obtain the first characteristic value, and then replacing the initial value with the first characteristic value.

[0070] For example, in some application scenarios, the motherboard can obtain the remaining capacity of the battery, determine an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity, and compare the adjustment reference value with a first preset range. If it is determined that the adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the first preset range, a first adjustment instruction is sent to the battery protection board, so that the battery protection board can adjust the SOC threshold of the SOC strategy from the initial value to the first feature value, and the adjustment of the SOC threshold is fed back to the motherboard through log information for recording.

[0071] In some implementations, if the adjustment reference value is within the first preset range, it means that the battery capacity has decreased less; the original SOC strategy can still be applied and will not affect the normal return of the cleaning robot to the base station for charging. In this case, the SOC threshold can be kept unchanged at the initial value, that is, there is no need to adjust the SOC threshold until the adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the first preset range before adjustment is made.

[0072] Taking the adjustment reference value as the ratio of remaining capacity to a preset initial capacity as an example, the first preset range can be greater than or equal to X. X is the lower limit of the first preset range, for example, it can be 75%~85%, and for example, it can be 75%, 80%, or 85%, etc., determined according to the needs of the actual application scenario. For example, the initial value of the SOC threshold can be 14%~19%, and for example, it can be 14%, 16%, or 19%, etc. For example, the first characteristic value can be 20%~25%, and for example, it can be 20%, 22%, or 25%, etc., determined according to the needs of the actual product.

[0073] In some embodiments, after determining that the adjustment reference value is within the first preset range, the method further includes: repeatedly executing the above-mentioned remaining capacity detection step according to a preset detection strategy, comparing the adjustment reference value obtained in each detection with the first preset range, until the obtained adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the first preset range, then stopping the remaining capacity detection in this round, and executing the above-mentioned step of adjusting the SOC threshold from the initial value to the first feature value.

[0074] In some embodiments, the process of repeatedly executing the remaining capacity detection step according to a preset detection strategy may include: acquiring the battery's remaining capacity in real time at preset time intervals, or acquiring the battery's remaining capacity once every N charge-discharge cycles; and determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity acquired each time. For example, when the first reference factor includes usage time and the preset detection strategy acquires the battery's remaining capacity in real time at preset time intervals, the duration of the preset time interval is much shorter than the first preset duration. For example, the first preset duration is two years, and the preset time interval can be 10 days or one month, etc. As another example, when the first reference factor includes the number of charge-discharge cycles and the preset detection strategy acquires the battery's remaining capacity once every N charge-discharge cycles, N is much shorter than the first preset number of cycles.

[0075] Considering that even after adjusting the SOC threshold to the first characteristic value, the battery capacity will continue to decrease with the use of the cleaning robot, in order to further reduce the risk of the cleaning robot shutting down or stopping on its way back to the base station due to an excessively low SOC threshold while ensuring battery life, in addition to the first detection condition mentioned above, the battery capacity detection condition may also include: a second detection condition, so as to realize multiple rounds of remaining battery capacity detection, thereby realizing multi-level adjustment of the SOC threshold to adapt to different degrees of battery capacity decay.

[0076] The second detection condition is the criterion for initiating the next round of remaining capacity detection. In some embodiments, similar to the first detection condition, the second detection condition may also include a second reference factor and a second reference threshold. The second reference factor is related to the battery's capacity decay, and may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following: the number of charge-discharge cycles, usage duration, number of uses, and usage frequency of the cleaning robot. The factors included in the first and second reference factors may be the same, or at least one may be different. It should be noted that, unlike the first detection condition, the number of charge-discharge cycles, usage duration, number of uses, and usage frequency here are counted starting from the completion of the previous round of adjustment of the SOC threshold, for example, counting begins after the SOC threshold is adjusted to the first characteristic value.

[0077] If the second reference factor includes usage duration, then the second reference threshold includes a second preset duration. Therefore, the second detection condition includes: the cumulative usage duration of the cleaning robot reaches the second preset duration since the previous adjustment of the SOC threshold was completed.

[0078] When the second reference factor includes the number of charge-discharge cycles, the second reference threshold includes the second preset number of cycles. Therefore, the second detection condition includes: since the previous adjustment of the SOC threshold, the cumulative number of charge-discharge cycles of the cleaning robot has reached the second preset number of cycles.

[0079] When the second reference factor includes the number of uses, the second reference threshold includes a preset number of uses. Therefore, the second detection condition includes: since the previous adjustment of the SOC threshold, the cumulative number of uses of the cleaning robot has reached the preset number of uses.

[0080] It should also be noted that, considering the increasing degradation of battery capacity, the same amount of degradation has a growing impact on whether the cleaning robot can return to the base station for charging. After the first round of SOC threshold adjustment, the interval for the next round of battery capacity detection can be shorter than the interval for the first round. This facilitates timely adjustment of the SOC threshold and reduces the risk that the cleaning robot may be unable to return to the base station for charging due to insufficient actual remaining power.

[0081] Therefore, when the first and second reference factors include the same factors, the first reference threshold is greater than the second reference threshold. For example, when both the first and second reference factors include usage duration, the second preset duration is less than the first preset duration. For example, the first preset duration can be two to three years, and the second preset duration can be six months to one year. When both the first and second reference factors include charge / discharge cycle counts, the second preset cycle count can be less than the first preset cycle count. For example, the first preset cycle count can be 250 to 350 times, and the second preset cycle count can be 80 to 120 times. When both the first and second reference factors include usage counts, the second preset usage count is less than the first preset usage count.

[0082] Based on this, the process of obtaining the remaining capacity of the battery if the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions and determining the adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity may also include: after adjusting the SOC threshold from the initial value to the first threshold, if the cleaning robot meets the second detection conditions, the remaining capacity detection step described above is executed again to perform the next round of remaining capacity detection on the battery.

[0083] In some embodiments, when the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of battery capacity decay, the process of adjusting the battery's SOC threshold based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: during the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is within a second preset range, then increasing the SOC threshold to a second characteristic value. In some embodiments, the lower limit of the second preset range is less than the lower limit of the first preset range, and the second characteristic value is greater than the first characteristic value.

[0084] In some embodiments, during the detection of remaining battery capacity, if the determined adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of a second preset range, the SOC threshold is increased to a third characteristic value. The third characteristic value is greater than the second characteristic value.

[0085] It should be noted that after increasing the SOC threshold to the second characteristic value, the remaining capacity of the battery can continue to be detected and an adjustment reference value can be determined according to the above-mentioned preset detection strategy until the determined adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the second preset range. Then, the remaining capacity detection in this round is stopped, the SOC threshold is increased to the third characteristic value, and this round of SOC threshold adjustment is completed.

[0086] Taking the adjustment reference value as the ratio of the remaining capacity to the preset initial capacity as an example, the second preset range can be greater than or equal to Y, where Y is less than the lower limit X of the first preset range. For example, Y can be 65% to 75%, and can be 65%, 70%, or 75%, etc., determined according to the needs of the actual application scenario. For example, the difference between X and Y can be 5% to 20%, and can be 5%, 10%, or 20%, etc. For example, the second characteristic value can be 25% to 30%; and can be 25%, 28%, or 30%, etc. For example, the third characteristic value can be 30% to 35%; and can be 30%, 33%, or 35%, etc. In some embodiments, the difference between the third characteristic value and the second characteristic value, and between the second characteristic value and the first characteristic value, can be 5%; for example, the first characteristic value can be 20%, the second characteristic value can be 25%, and the third characteristic value can be 30%; or, for example, the first characteristic value can be 25%, the second characteristic value can be 30%, and the third characteristic value can be 35%.

[0087] In some embodiments, after increasing the SOC threshold to the third characteristic value, another round of battery capacity detection can be performed if the cleaning robot meets the second detection condition, to further adjust the SOC threshold. That is, the process of obtaining the remaining battery capacity if the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection condition and determining the adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity further includes: after increasing the SOC threshold to the third characteristic value, if the cleaning robot meets the second detection condition, the remaining capacity detection step is executed again to perform another round of remaining capacity detection on the battery. For ease of distinction, this round of remaining capacity detection will be referred to as the third round of remaining capacity detection below.

[0088] Accordingly, when the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of battery capacity decay, the process of adjusting the battery's SOC threshold based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range may further include: during the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is within a third preset range, then the SOC threshold is increased to a fourth characteristic value. In some embodiments, the lower limit of the third preset range is less than the lower limit of the second preset range. The fourth characteristic value is greater than the third characteristic value.

[0089] Taking the adjustment reference value as the ratio of the remaining capacity to the preset initial capacity as an example, the third preset range can be greater than or equal to Z; Z is less than the lower limit value Y of the second preset range mentioned above. For example, Z can be 55%~65%; exemplarily, it can be 55%, 60%, or 70%, etc., determined according to the needs of the actual application scenario. For example, the difference between Y and Z can be 5%~20%; exemplarily, it can be 5%, 10%, or 20%. For example, the fourth characteristic value can be 35%~40%; exemplarily, it can be 35%, 38%, or 40%, etc. In some embodiments, the difference between the fourth characteristic value and the third characteristic value can also be 5%; for example, the third characteristic value is 30%, and the fourth characteristic value is 35%; or, for example, the third characteristic value is 35%, and the fourth characteristic value can be 40%.

[0090] In some embodiments, if the adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of a third preset range, it indicates that the remaining battery capacity is too low. In this case, if the cleaning robot and other devices within the base station are functioning normally, it is generally recommended to replace the battery before continuing to use the cleaning robot. Therefore, in some embodiments, the control method further includes: during the process of detecting the remaining battery capacity, if the determined adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the third preset range, issuing a battery abnormality alarm to prompt the user to replace the battery.

[0091] It should be noted that the number of rounds of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment can be set according to the actual needs of the product. For example, in some application scenarios, one round of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment can be performed, that is, the remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment are performed when the first detection condition is met. In other application scenarios, two rounds of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment can be performed, that is, one round of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment is performed when the first detection condition is met; after adjusting the SOC to the first feature value, another round of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment is performed when the second detection condition is met. In still other application scenarios, three rounds of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment can also be performed, that is, after adjusting the SOC threshold to the third feature value in the second round, another round of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment is performed when the second detection condition is met. In other embodiments, more rounds of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment can also be performed according to the needs of the product, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0092] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary SOC threshold adjustment flowchart according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 shows an exemplary adjustment process taking three rounds of remaining capacity detection and SOC threshold adjustment as an example. In the exemplary adjustment process corresponding to Figure 4, the first detection condition is that the cleaning robot has been used for two years, the second detection condition is that the number of charge-discharge cycles reaches 100, the adjustment reference value is the ratio of remaining capacity to initial capacity, the lower limit of the first preset range X is 80%, the lower limit of the second preset range Y is 70%, the lower limit of the third preset range Z is 60%, the first characteristic value is 20%, the second characteristic value is 25%, the third characteristic value is 30%, and the fourth characteristic value is 35%.

[0093] As shown in Figure 4, starting from the first use after the cleaning robot leaves the factory, it is determined whether the cleaning robot has been used for two years (step S1). If the cleaning robot has been used for two years, the first round of remaining capacity detection is started (step S2): the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained, and the ratio of the remaining capacity to the initial capacity is calculated for each time the remaining capacity is obtained. It is determined whether the obtained ratio is greater than or equal to 80% (step S3). If the ratio of the remaining capacity to the initial capacity is greater than or equal to 80%, there is no need to adjust the SOC threshold, that is, the charging control is performed according to the original SOC strategy, and the remaining capacity detection continues according to the preset detection strategy until the ratio of the obtained remaining capacity to the initial capacity is less than 80%. If the ratio of the remaining capacity to the initial capacity is less than 80%, the SOC threshold is adjusted from the initial value to 20% (step S4).

[0094] After adjusting the SOC threshold to 20%, the count of charge-discharge cycles of the cleaning robot's battery begins, determining whether the cleaning robot's battery has completed 100 charge-discharge cycles (step S5). If the cleaning robot's battery has completed 100 charge-discharge cycles, the second detection condition is met, and the second round of remaining capacity detection begins (step S6). The ratio obtained from the second round of remaining capacity detection is then determined to be greater than or equal to 70% (step S7). If the ratio obtained from the second round of remaining capacity detection is greater than or equal to 70%, the SOC threshold is adjusted to 25% (step S8), and the remaining capacity detection continues according to the preset detection strategy until the obtained ratio is less than 70%. If the ratio obtained from the second round of remaining capacity detection is less than 70%, the SOC threshold is adjusted to 30% (step S9).

[0095] After adjusting the SOC threshold to 30%, the count of charge-discharge cycles for the cleaning robot's battery restarts, and it is determined whether the cleaning robot's battery has completed 100 charge-discharge cycles (step S10), i.e., the second detection condition is met again, and the third round of remaining capacity detection begins (step S11). It is determined whether the ratio obtained from the second round of remaining capacity detection is greater than or equal to 60% (step S12). If the ratio obtained from the second round of remaining capacity detection is greater than or equal to 60%, the SOC threshold is adjusted to 35% (step S13), and the remaining capacity detection continues in this round according to the preset detection strategy until the obtained ratio is less than 60%; if the ratio obtained from the second round of remaining capacity detection is less than 60%, a battery abnormality alarm is issued (step S14) to prompt the user that the remaining battery capacity is too low; if the cleaning robot and other devices in the base station can be used normally, it is recommended to replace the battery before continuing to use the cleaning robot.

[0096] The above process can gradually adjust the SOC threshold as the remaining battery capacity decreases, so as to ensure the battery life as much as possible while allowing the cleaning robot to retain enough remaining power to return to the base station for charging when working outside the base station, thereby improving the reliability of the charging control of the cleaning robot.

[0097] In some embodiments, in addition to the SOC threshold adjustment process, the control method further includes a charging control process. Figure 5 shows a charging control flowchart of a control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the charging control process may include: step S301, acquiring the SOC value of the battery while the cleaning robot is performing a task outside the base station; step S302, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the SOC value and the SOC threshold.

[0098] In step S301, there are various methods for calculating the SOC of the battery. For example, the ampere-hour integration method, the open-circuit voltage method, the Kalman filter method, or the neural network method can be used, and this disclosure does not limit the method.

[0099] In step S302, the SOC threshold can be adjusted according to the above-described SOC threshold adjustment process to adapt to the degradation of the battery's remaining capacity. For example, before the first detection condition is met, the SOC threshold in step S302 can be a preset initial value; after the first detection condition is met and the first round of SOC threshold adjustment is completed, the SOC threshold in step S302 can be a first characteristic value; after the second round of SOC threshold adjustment is completed, the SOC threshold in step S302 can be a third characteristic value. In some embodiments, when the battery's SOC value reaches the SOC threshold, the cleaning robot can be controlled to end its ongoing task (such as a cleaning task) and return to the base station for charging.

[0100] In other embodiments, after adjusting the battery's SOC threshold according to the above-described SOC threshold adjustment process, the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, along with the SOC value and the adjusted SOC threshold, can be used to jointly determine whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging. This helps to better utilize the remaining battery power of the cleaning robot, thereby improving its battery life. In other words, after adjusting the battery's SOC threshold, the process of determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the SOC value and the SOC threshold can include: determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the SOC value, the SOC threshold, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station.

[0101] It should be noted that when adjusting the SOC threshold in multiple levels, for each adjusted SOC threshold, the decision to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging can be based on the SOC value, the SOC threshold itself, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station. Alternatively, for some adjusted SOC thresholds, the decision can be based on the SOC value, the SOC threshold itself, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station; while for other adjusted SOC thresholds, the cleaning robot can be controlled to return to the base station for charging when the battery's SOC value reaches the SOC threshold. The specific settings should be configured according to the needs of the actual application scenario.

[0102] In some embodiments, the process of determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the SOC value, the SOC threshold, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station may include: if the battery's SOC value reaches the SOC threshold, then obtaining the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station; if the distance exceeds a preset distance range, then controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging; if the distance is within the preset distance range, then controlling the cleaning robot to perform tasks within the area corresponding to the preset distance range, and during the process of the cleaning robot performing tasks, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the battery's SOC value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station.

[0103] There are several ways to obtain the distance between a cleaning robot and a base station. For example, the robot's position can be determined using the ranging function of a line laser module on its top. If the cleaning robot has a pre-built map of its work area, and the location of the base station is marked on the map, the distance between them can be calculated based on their positions. Alternatively, if the cleaning robot has not built a map of its work area, or if the map does not show the location of the base station, the base station can be identified using laser point clouds measured by the line laser module, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station can be measured. This disclosure does not limit the scope of the method.

[0104] For example, a SOC threshold for determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging can be pre-defined based on the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, thus pre-configuring the correspondence between the SOC threshold and the preset distance range. Taking the embodiment corresponding to Figure 4 as an example, assuming that for each adjusted SOC threshold, it is necessary to further consider the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station to determine whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging, then preset distance ranges corresponding to the first feature value, second feature value, third feature value, and fourth feature value need to be configured respectively. For example, when the SOC threshold is adjusted to the first feature value, the corresponding preset distance range is within a1 meters; when the SOC threshold is adjusted to the second feature value, the corresponding preset distance range is within a2 meters, where a2 is less than a1; when the SOC threshold is adjusted to the third feature value, the corresponding preset distance range is within a3 meters, where a3 is less than a2; when the SOC threshold is adjusted to the fourth feature value, the corresponding preset distance range is within a4 meters, where a4 is less than a3. For example, a1 can be 5 meters, a2 can be 4 meters, a3 can be 3 meters, and a4 can be 2 meters, which can be configured according to the needs of the application scenario.

[0105] Therefore, based on the above correspondence, the preset distance range corresponding to the current SOC threshold can be determined. After the battery's SOC value reaches the SOC threshold and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is obtained, it can be determined whether the obtained distance exceeds the preset distance range corresponding to the current SOC threshold.

[0106] If the battery's SOC value reaches the current SOC threshold and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is within a preset distance range, the cleaning robot can continue to perform its tasks within the area corresponding to the preset distance range, that is, it can perform its tasks near the base station and is not allowed to move to a location farther away from the base station.

[0107] In some embodiments, the preset distance range may include a first sub-range and a second sub-range. The upper limit of the first sub-range is the upper limit of the preset distance range. The lower limit is greater than the upper limit of the second sub-range. The lower limit of the second sub-range is the lower limit of the preset distance range.

[0108] Based on this, the process of determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging, based on the battery's SOC value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, may include: acquiring the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station in real time; if the current distance is within a first sub-range and the battery's SOC value is less than or equal to a first reference value, controlling the cleaning robot to stop performing its task and return to the base station for charging; if the battery's SOC value is greater than the first reference value, controlling the cleaning robot to continue performing its task within the area within the current distance, and not allowing it to move to a location farther from the base station; if the current distance is within a second sub-range and the battery's SOC value is greater than a second reference value, controlling the cleaning robot to continue performing its task within the area within the current distance, and not allowing it to move to a location farther from the base station; if the battery's SOC value is less than or equal to the second reference value, controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging.

[0109] In some implementations, the first reference value is less than the current SOC threshold, and the second reference value is less than the first reference value but greater than or equal to the initial value of the SOC threshold. It should be noted that "real-time" in the above process can be understood as executing the step of acquiring the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station according to a preset sampling time interval. Each time the distance is acquired, it is used as the current distance, and it is determined whether it is in the first sub-range or the second sub-range. The sampling time interval can be set relatively short so that when the cleaning robot's battery SOC value is low and it continues to perform tasks near the base station, the current distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is updated in a timely manner, thereby allowing the robot to stop performing tasks and return to the base station for charging.

[0110] For example, the current SOC threshold, the first reference value, and the second reference value can decrease in a gradient, with the gradient being 2%. Taking a current SOC threshold of 20% as an example, the first reference value could be 18%, and the second reference value could be 16%.

[0111] Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary charging control flowchart according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 uses an example where the SOC threshold has been adjusted to a first characteristic value of 20%, the preset distance range corresponding to the first characteristic value is within 5 meters (i.e., greater than 0 and less than 5 meters), the first sub-range is greater than or equal to 3 meters and less than 5 meters, the second sub-range is within 3 meters (i.e., greater than 0 and less than 3 meters), the first reference value is 18%, and the second reference value is 16%, to illustrate the charging control flow after adjusting the SOC threshold.

[0112] As shown in Figure 6, after adjusting the SOC threshold to 20% (step S4), while the cleaning robot is performing a task outside the base station, it is determined whether the battery's SOC value has reached 20% (step S21). If the battery's SOC value reaches 20%, the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is obtained (step S22), and it is determined whether the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is ≥5 meters (step S23). If the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is ≥5 meters, the cleaning robot is controlled to return to the base station for charging (step S24). If the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is not ≥5 meters, the cleaning robot is controlled to perform a task within 5 meters of the base station (step S25), and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is continuously obtained during the task execution. Step S26: Determine if the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is ≥3 meters and <5 meters. If the distance is ≥3 meters and <5 meters, determine if the battery's SOC value is ≤18% (Step S27). If the battery's SOC value is ≤18%, control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging (Step S24). If the battery's SOC value is >18%, continue controlling the cleaning robot to perform tasks within the current distance range near the base station (Step S28), and do not allow it to move to a location farther than the current distance. For example, if the current distance is 4 meters, control the cleaning robot to continue performing tasks within a 4-meter range near the base station. Step S29: Determine if the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is less than 3 meters. If the battery's SOC value is >16%, continue controlling the cleaning robot to perform tasks within the current distance range near the base station (Step S30). For example, if the current distance is 2 meters, control the cleaning robot to continue performing tasks within a 2-meter range near the base station. If the battery's SOC value is ≤16%, control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging (Step S24).

[0113] Figure 7 illustrates a flowchart of a control method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the control method may include at least:

[0114] Step S401: While the cleaning robot is performing a task outside the base station, the SOC value of the battery is obtained;

[0115] Step S402: If the SOC value reaches the SOC threshold, then obtain the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station.

[0116] Step S403: If the distance exceeds a preset range, control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging; and

[0117] Step S404: If the distance is within a preset distance range, control the cleaning robot to perform tasks within the area corresponding to the preset distance range. During the process of the cleaning robot performing tasks, determine whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the battery's SOC value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station.

[0118] Once the State of Charge (SOC) value reaches the SOC threshold, the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, along with the battery's SOC value, is used to determine whether the robot should continue performing tasks near the base station or return to recharge. This ensures that the cleaning robot has sufficient remaining power to return to the base station for charging, while also making fuller use of the remaining battery power to extend its runtime.

[0119] It should be noted that the implementation process of steps S401 to S404 above can refer to the relevant description in the embodiments above, and will not be repeated here. The SOC threshold refers to the SOC threshold used by the cleaning robot's battery SOC strategy. For example, the SOC threshold in step S402 can be a pre-configured fixed value. Alternatively, the SOC threshold in step S402 can be the SOC threshold adjusted through the SOC threshold adjustment process in the embodiments above. That is, after adjusting the SOC threshold, charging control is performed according to steps S401 to S404 above. Before adjusting the SOC threshold, if the SOC value reaches the SOC threshold, the cleaning robot can be controlled to return to the base station for charging.

[0120] In some embodiments, the preset distance range may include a first sub-range and a second sub-range. The upper limit of the first sub-range is the upper limit of the preset distance range, the lower limit of the first sub-range is greater than the upper limit of the second sub-range, and the lower limit of the second sub-range is the lower limit of the preset distance range. In step S504, the process of determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the battery's SOC value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station may include: real-time acquisition of the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station; if the battery's SOC value is less than or equal to a first reference value when the current distance is within the first sub-range, then controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging; if the battery's SOC value is greater than the first reference value, then controlling the cleaning robot to continue performing its task within the area within the current distance. The first reference value is less than the SOC threshold. Specific implementation processes can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the embodiments above, and will not be repeated here.

[0121] In some embodiments, the process of determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging based on the battery's SOC value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station may further include: if the battery's SOC value is greater than a second reference value when the current distance is within a second sub-range, then controlling the cleaning robot to continue performing its task within the area within the current distance; if the battery's SOC value is less than or equal to the second reference value, then controlling the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging. The second reference value is less than the first reference value. Specific implementation details can be found in the descriptions in the embodiments above, and will not be repeated here.

[0122] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning robot according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, some embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a cleaning robot 10, which includes a processor 101 and a memory 102. The memory 102 stores a computer program that can run on the processor 101. When the computer program is executed by the processor 101, it implements the control method of the cleaning robot provided in any of the above method embodiments and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0123] This disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium in some embodiments. The computer-readable storage medium includes computer instructions stored thereon. When executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the control method for the cleaning robot provided in any of the above-described method embodiments and achieve the same technical effect; therefore, to avoid repetition, further details are omitted here. For example, the computer-readable storage medium may be a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0124] Some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a computer program product, including computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the control method for the cleaning robot provided in any of the above method embodiments and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, these will not be described again here.

[0125] It should be noted that each embodiment in this disclosure focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to mutually. Where there is no conflict, features of the same embodiment and different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0126] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this disclosure is limited to these examples; within the framework of this disclosure, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of one or more embodiments of this disclosure as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0127] Although exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make further changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the exemplary embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A control method for a cleaning robot, wherein the cleaning robot is equipped with a battery, the method comprising: If the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, then the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained; as well as Based on the remaining capacity, the state of charge threshold of the battery is adjusted. The state of charge threshold is used to determine whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging when the cleaning robot is located outside the base station.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: While the cleaning robot is performing its task outside the base station, the state of charge value of the battery is acquired; as well as Based on the state of charge value and the state of charge threshold, it is determined whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, After adjusting the battery's state of charge threshold, based on the state of charge value and the state of charge threshold, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging includes: Based on the state of charge value, the state of charge threshold, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, it is determined whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, Based on the state of charge value, the state of charge threshold, and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging includes: If the state of charge value reaches the state of charge threshold, then the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is obtained; If the distance exceeds a preset range, the cleaning robot is controlled to return to the base station for charging; and If the distance is within a preset distance range, the cleaning robot is controlled to perform tasks within the area corresponding to the preset distance range. During the process of the cleaning robot performing tasks, based on the state of charge value of the battery and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, it is determined whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, Based on the remaining capacity, adjust the state of charge threshold of the battery, including: An adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity, the adjustment reference value being used to characterize the degree of capacity decay of the battery; and Based on the aforementioned adjustment reference value and preset range, the state of charge threshold of the battery is adjusted.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, Determining the adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity includes: Obtain the ratio of the remaining capacity to the preset initial capacity, and use the ratio as the adjustment reference value; or, Obtain the difference between the preset initial capacity and the remaining capacity, and use the ratio of the difference to the initial capacity as the adjustment reference value; or, The difference between the preset initial capacity and the remaining capacity is used as the adjustment reference value; or, The remaining capacity is used as the adjustment reference value.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, The battery capacity detection conditions include: a first detection condition, which is the condition that the cleaning robot needs to meet for the first time to detect the remaining capacity of the battery since it has been used; If the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, then the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained, and an adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity. This includes: if the cleaning robot meets the first detection condition, then a remaining capacity detection step is executed, the remaining capacity detection step including: obtaining the remaining capacity of the battery, and determining an adjustment reference value based on the remaining capacity; and When the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, the state of charge threshold of the battery is adjusted based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range, including: if the adjustment reference value determined under the first detection condition is less than the lower limit of the first preset range, the state of charge threshold is adjusted from the initial value to a first feature value, where the first feature value is greater than the initial value.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, When the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: If the adjustment reference value determined under the first detection condition is within the first preset range, then the state of charge threshold is kept unchanged at the initial value until the adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the first preset range.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, The battery capacity detection conditions further include: a second detection condition; if the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, then the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained, and an adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity; further including: after adjusting the state of charge threshold from the initial value to the first threshold, if the cleaning robot meets the second detection condition, then the remaining capacity detection step is executed again to perform a next round of remaining capacity detection on the battery; and When the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: During the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is within the second preset range, the state of charge threshold is increased to the second characteristic value, wherein the lower limit of the second preset range is less than the lower limit of the first preset range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, When the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: During the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the second preset range, the state of charge threshold is increased to a third characteristic value, which is greater than the second characteristic value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, If the cleaning robot meets the preset battery capacity detection conditions, the remaining capacity of the battery is obtained, and an adjustment reference value is determined based on the remaining capacity. The method further includes: after increasing the state of charge threshold to the third characteristic value, if the cleaning robot meets the second detection conditions, the remaining capacity detection step is executed again to perform the next round of remaining capacity detection on the battery. When the adjustment reference value is negatively correlated with the degree of capacity decay of the battery, adjusting the state of charge threshold of the battery based on the adjustment reference value and a preset range further includes: During the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is within a third preset range, the state of charge threshold is increased to a fourth characteristic value, wherein the lower limit of the third preset range is less than the lower limit of the second preset range.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: During the process of detecting the remaining capacity of the battery, if the determined adjustment reference value is less than the lower limit of the third preset range, a battery abnormality alarm will be issued to prompt the user to replace the battery.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, The first detection condition includes a first reference factor and a first reference threshold; the second detection condition includes a second reference factor and a second reference threshold; the first reference factor and the second reference factor are correlated with the capacity decay of the battery; and the first reference factor and the second reference factor include one or more of the following factors: Charge / discharge cycle count, usage duration, number of uses, and usage frequency; The first reference factor and the second reference factor include the same factors, or at least one of them is different.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, When the first reference factor and the second reference factor include the same factors, the first reference threshold is greater than the second reference threshold.

15. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The process of obtaining the remaining battery capacity includes: Obtain the battery's log information, including at least one historical record of the battery being fully charged and then completely discharged; and The remaining capacity of the battery is determined based on the discharge amount of the battery recorded in the target historical record.

16. A control method for a cleaning robot, wherein the cleaning robot is equipped with a battery, the method comprising: While the cleaning robot is performing its task outside the base station, the state of charge (SOC) value of the battery is acquired. If the state of charge value reaches the state of charge threshold, then the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station is obtained; If the distance exceeds the preset distance range, the cleaning robot is controlled to return to the base station for charging; as well as If the distance is within a preset distance range, the cleaning robot is controlled to perform tasks within the area corresponding to the preset distance range. During the process of the cleaning robot performing tasks, based on the state of charge value of the battery and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, it is determined whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The preset distance range includes a first sub-range and a second sub-range. The upper limit of the first sub-range is the upper limit of the preset distance range, the lower limit of the first sub-range is greater than the upper limit of the second sub-range, and the lower limit of the second sub-range is the lower limit of the preset distance range. Based on the battery's state of charge (SOC) value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging includes: Real-time acquisition of the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station; and If the battery's state of charge (SOC) value is less than or equal to a first reference value when the current distance is within the first sub-range, the cleaning robot is controlled to return to the base station for charging. If the SOC value is greater than the first reference value, the cleaning robot is controlled to continue performing tasks within the area of ​​the current distance, wherein the first reference value is less than the SOC threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, Determining whether to control the cleaning robot to return to the base station for charging, based on the battery's state of charge value and the distance between the cleaning robot and the base station, further includes: If the battery's state of charge (SOC) is greater than the second reference value when the current distance is within the second sub-range, the cleaning robot is controlled to continue performing its task within the area of ​​the current distance. If the SOC is less than or equal to the second reference value, the cleaning robot is controlled to return to the base station for charging, wherein the second reference value is less than the first reference value.

19. A cleaning robot, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program executable on the processor, the computer program, when executed by the processor, implementing the control method as described in any one of claims 1-18.

20. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the control method of any one of claims 1-18.

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