Cleaning robot control method, cleaning robot, and storage medium

Abstract

The present application provides a cleaning robot control method, a cleaning robot, and a storage medium. The method comprises: detecting a cleaning mode to be executed of a cleaning robot; and on the basis of said cleaning mode of the cleaning robot, controlling a water pump of the cleaning robot to start at a first power, and controlling the cleaning robot to move in a region to be cleaned, wherein said cleaning mode at least comprises a water surface cleaning mode and an underwater cleaning mode. By using the method, cleaning efficiency can be improved.

Description

Cleaning robot control method, cleaning robot and storage medium

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411520432.5, filed on October 28, 2024, entitled "Control Method for Cleaning Robot, Cleaning Robot and Storage Medium", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of cleaning robots, and more particularly to a cleaning robot control method, a cleaning robot, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0003] Current cleaning robots have cleaning capabilities and can clean water bodies. However, in practical applications, cleaning robots often suffer from slow cleaning speeds, resulting in poor cleaning efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a cleaning robot control method, a cleaning robot, and a storage medium that can solve the technical problem of poor cleaning efficiency.

[0005] On one hand, this application provides a cleaning robot control method, the method comprising: detecting a cleaning mode to be executed by the cleaning robot; controlling the water pump of the cleaning robot to start at a first power according to the cleaning mode to be executed, and controlling the cleaning robot to move within the area to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning mode to be executed includes at least a surface cleaning mode and an underwater cleaning mode.

[0006] In some embodiments of this application, the method further includes: if the cleaning robot is detected to be executing a backward command, controlling the water pump of the cleaning robot to start at a second power, such that the garbage collection port of the cleaning robot is tilted upward at a first angle relative to the water surface, and the second power is greater than the first power.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the method further includes: if the cleaning robot is detected to be executing a turning command, controlling the water pump of the cleaning robot to start at a third power, such that the garbage collection port of the cleaning robot is tilted upward at a second angle relative to the water surface, wherein the third power is greater than the first power.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot includes a first drive device and a second drive device, and the method further includes: controlling the first drive device and the second drive device to rotate in different directions, and controlling the first drive device and the second drive device to rotate at different speeds, so that the cleaning robot executes the turning command.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the water pump includes a first water pump and a second water pump, which are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the cleaning robot. The method further includes: when the cleaning robot is detected to execute a left turn command, controlling the first water pump to operate at a third power greater than that of the second water pump; and when the cleaning robot is detected to execute a right turn command, controlling the first water pump to operate at a third power less than that of the second water pump.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the detection of the cleaning robot's pending cleaning mode includes: detecting a signal triggered by the cleaning robot's trash can, and determining the cleaning robot's pending cleaning mode based on the signal triggered by the trash can.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the detection of the cleaning robot's pending cleaning mode includes: receiving a user input instruction and determining the cleaning robot's pending cleaning mode based on the input instruction.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, when the water pump is started at the first power, the cleaning brush of the cleaning robot remains at least partially submerged in the water surface and the depth of the cleaning brush submerged in the water surface is within a preset depth range.

[0013] On the other hand, this application provides a cleaning robot, including a cleaning body and a drive device, a cleaning brush, a water pump, a trash can and a controller disposed on the cleaning body, wherein the controller is used to execute the cleaning robot control method.

[0014] On the other hand, this application provides a cleaning robot, which includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the cleaning robot control method when it calls the computer program.

[0015] On the other hand, this application provides a storage medium for computer-readable storage, the storage medium storing a computer program that can be invoked by a processor or controller to execute the cleaning robot control method described above.

[0016] In the cleaning robot control method of this embodiment, the water pump starts at a first power to generate suction to draw water from the trash can, creating a negative pressure inside the trash can. This negative pressure accelerates the flow rate of water flowing into the trash can from the inlet, thus speeding up the flow of trash into the trash can and improving cleaning efficiency. Based on surface cleaning and underwater cleaning modes, it can clean both the water surface and underwater, achieving comprehensive water area cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0019] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0020] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a cleaning robot control method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot cleaning the water surface according to an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a cleaning robot control method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0023] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot cleaning the water surface according to another embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a cleaning robot control method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0025] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning robot provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0026] Explanation of key component symbols: Cleaning robot 200, cleaning brush 10, drive unit 20, trash can 30, water pump 40, track wheel assembly 50, processor 60, memory 70, water inlet 101, water outlet 102, top 103, bottom 104, through hole 105, check plate 106. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] It should be noted that in this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes 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, where A and B can be singular or plural. The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, not to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0029] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0030] Current cleaning robots have cleaning capabilities and can clean water bodies. However, in related technologies, cleaning robots often suffer from slow cleaning speeds when performing cleaning tasks, resulting in poor cleaning efficiency.

[0031] Therefore, this application provides a cleaning robot control method that can improve cleaning efficiency. The cleaning robot control method can be applied to one or more cleaning robots. To clearly describe some of the structure of the cleaning robot, the following description will be based on the schematic diagrams shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot provided in another embodiment of this application. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot provided in yet another embodiment of this application. Figure 2 is a top view (bottom view) of the cleaning robot in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view of the cleaning robot in Figure 1 from a side view.

[0033] In Figures 1-3, the cleaning robot 200 includes a cleaning body and a cleaning brush 10, a drive unit 20, a trash can 30, a water pump 40, and a track wheel assembly 50, all mounted on the cleaning body. The cleaning brush 10 is located at the water inlet 101 at the front end of the cleaning robot 200 and is used to sweep trash into the trash can 30. The cleaning brush 10 can roll or rotate and is also called a roller brush. The drive unit 20 is located at the water outlet 102 at the rear end of the cleaning robot 200 and is used to drive the cleaning robot 200 to move or turn. The drive unit 20 can be a spiral-shaped drive paddle. The trash can 30 is located between the cleaning brush 10 and the drive unit 20 and is used to collect trash. The inlet of the trash can 30 is aligned with the water inlet 101. A water pump 40 is located at the front end of the bottom 104 of the cleaning robot, near the trash can 30. It draws in water using negative pressure suction, sends the water to a filter for treatment, and then sprays the treated water out from the top 103 to complete the cleaning task. The track wheel assembly 50 may include tracks and drive wheels. The tracks increase the contact area between the cleaning robot 200 and the contact surface (e.g., the ground), thereby improving the robot's grip. When the drive wheels rotate, they drive the tracks in a cyclical motion, thus propelling the cleaning robot 200.

[0034] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning brush 10, the drive device 20, the track wheel assembly 50 and the water pump 40 are provided on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the cleaning robot, wherein the longitudinal axis can be referred to as VII in Figure 2.

[0035] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning brush 10, drive device 20, and track wheel assembly 50 on the same side can be driven by the same power mechanism (not shown in Figures 1 to 3), wherein the power mechanism can be an electric motor. The transmission wheel in the track wheel assembly 50 includes a main wheel and a driven wheel. The main wheel can be connected to the power mechanism via a shaft and a transmission mechanism (e.g., a gear mechanism). The track wheel assembly 50 can be connected to the drive device 20, and the cleaning brush 10 can be connected to the track wheel assembly 50 and / or the drive device 20. When the power mechanism is started, its shaft drives the transmission mechanism to rotate, the transmission mechanism drives the main wheel to rotate, the main wheel drives the track to rotate, and the track drives the driven wheel to rotate, thereby enabling the cleaning brush 10 and the drive device 20 to rotate synchronously, so that the cleaning robot 200 moves and performs cleaning work.

[0036] In other embodiments of this application, the cleaning brush 10, drive device 20, and track wheel assembly 50 on the same side can be driven by multiple power mechanisms. For example, the cleaning brush 10, drive device 20, and track wheel assembly 50 can each correspond to a motor; or, the track wheel assembly 50 can correspond to a single motor, and the drive device 20 and cleaning brush 10 can correspond to the same motor; or, the track wheel assembly 50 and cleaning brush 10 can correspond to the same motor, and the drive device 20 corresponds to a single motor. The method for driving the cleaning brush 10, drive device 20, and track wheel assembly 50 to rotate using corresponding motors can be referred to the description above, and will not be repeated here. To clearly illustrate the cleaning robot control method provided in the embodiments of this application, the following description will take the example of the cleaning brush 10, drive device 20, and track wheel assembly 50 on the same side being driven by the same power mechanism.

[0037] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot 200 may further include a controller (not shown in Figures 1-3) for receiving relevant instructions and data, and controlling the cleaning robot to perform corresponding operations according to the received instructions. For example, the controller may be a processor, or the controller may further include a memory to store program code and various types of data that can be recognized and executed by the device.

[0038] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot 200 can move in environments such as underwater, on the water surface, and on land, thereby enabling the cleaning robot 200 to move to the target area to carry out cleaning operations.

[0039] Cleaning robots can collect garbage (such as fallen leaves, suspended matter, sand and gravel) in pools and clean the liquid, bottom and walls of the pool.

[0040] The pool can be a swimming pool, fish pond, or landscape pool. The liquid in the pool can be water or other liquids. Dirt and debris can be substances attached to the pool walls, floating objects on the water surface (e.g., fallen leaves and plastic bags), or sediment that has settled to the bottom (e.g., sand and gravel).

[0041] For example, the cleaning robot 200 can suck up liquid containing dirt, filter the liquid containing dirt, leave the dirt in the cleaning robot's trash can, and discharge the filtered liquid back into the pool, thereby achieving the collection of trash and the cleaning of liquid in the pool.

[0042] It is understood that the structures illustrated in the embodiments of this application do not constitute a specific limitation on the cleaning robot 200. In other embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot 200 may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements.

[0043] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of a cleaning robot control method according to an embodiment of this application. The order of the steps in the flowchart can be adjusted according to different needs, and some steps can be omitted. The method is applied to cleaning robots, such as those shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0044] S11 detects the cleaning robot's pending cleaning mode.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning modes to be performed include at least a surface cleaning mode and an underwater cleaning mode. In different cleaning modes, the cleaning robot can operate in different postures. For example, in surface cleaning mode, the cleaning robot can clean surface debris by being bottom-up, top-down, or floating on the water. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of surface cleaning by a cleaning robot provided in one embodiment of this application. In Figure 5, the cleaning robot cleans surface debris by being bottom-up, top-down, or floating on the water. In underwater cleaning mode, the cleaning robot can submerge underwater (e.g., at the bottom) by being top-up and bottom-down to clean underwater debris. The posture of the cleaning robot cleaning underwater can be seen in Figure 1.

[0046] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot can detect the cleaning mode to be executed through various methods, and this application does not limit the methods for detecting the cleaning mode to be executed.

[0047] For example, the cleaning robot can detect signals triggered by the trash can and determine the cleaning mode to be executed based on these signals. The cleaning robot may include multiple sensors (e.g., Hall effect sensors), each with a corresponding cleaning mode and position height. The depth of the trash can may differ for different cleaning modes. When the trash can is placed in its slot within the cleaning robot, the sensor at the corresponding position height can detect the signal triggered by the trash can, thereby determining the cleaning mode to be executed based on the cleaning mode corresponding to that sensor.

[0048] For example, the cleaning robot can receive user input commands. For instance, a user can send commands to the cleaning robot via any terminal device, or directly input commands through any physical button or virtual control set in the cleaning robot. The cleaning robot determines the cleaning mode to be executed based on the input commands. This determination of the cleaning mode can be achieved by parsing the input commands.

[0049] The examples of detection methods mentioned above are merely illustrative and are not limited to practical applications.

[0050] In this embodiment, the surface cleaning mode and the underwater cleaning mode can clean both the surface and the underwater environment, thereby achieving comprehensive water area cleaning.

[0051] S12, according to the cleaning mode to be executed by the cleaning robot, control the water pump of the cleaning robot to start at the first power, and control the cleaning robot to move within the area to be cleaned.

[0052] In some embodiments of this application, the first power can be customized, and this application does not limit it. If the cleaning mode to be executed is the surface cleaning mode, the cleaning robot can perform the surface cleaning task; if the cleaning mode to be executed is the underwater cleaning mode, the cleaning robot can perform the underwater cleaning task.

[0053] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot may have multiple drive mechanisms to adapt to diverse cleaning modes. For example, when performing surface cleaning tasks, the cleaning robot can be driven to move on the water surface by a drive device (e.g., a drive propeller). When performing underwater cleaning tasks, the cleaning robot can be driven to move underwater by tracked wheels.

[0054] In some embodiments of this application, taking water surface cleaning as an example, the cleaning robot can control the drive device to rotate along a first direction, thereby driving the cleaning robot to move forward in the area to be cleaned.

[0055] In this embodiment, by controlling the drive device to rotate in the first direction, the water flow can be reversed, causing the reversed water flow to generate a forward thrust on the cleaning robot, thereby driving the cleaning robot forward. When the cleaning robot moves forward, the water flow flows from the cleaning robot's inlet into the trash can, flows through the trash can, and flows out from the outlet, thus forming a smooth water flow path, allowing the trash to follow the water flow to the inlet. Here, "reversed" refers to the direction opposite to the cleaning robot's forward direction.

[0056] In other embodiments of this application, when the driving device and the cleaning brush are driven by the same power mechanism (e.g., a motor), if the driving device rotates in the first direction, the cleaning brush will also rotate in the first direction. When the waste follows the water flow to the inlet, the waste located at the inlet can enter the waste bin under the sweeping action of the cleaning brush, thereby achieving waste collection and / or water cleaning and filtration. Furthermore, since the cleaning brush and the driving device rotate in the same direction, the rotation of the cleaning brush can also assist in driving the cleaning robot forward.

[0057] In this embodiment, the control drive device and cleaning brush rotate along the first direction, so that the cleaning robot can sweep the garbage it encounters while moving forward into the garbage bin.

[0058] In some embodiments of this application, the water pump is controlled to start at a first power. The suction generated after the water pump starts can draw water from the trash can to the water pump, so that there is a negative pressure in the trash can. The negative pressure in the trash can can draw water from the inlet to the trash can, thereby accelerating the flow rate of water at the inlet.

[0059] In other embodiments of this application, when the cleaning robot is cleaning the water surface, the water pump is started at a first power. Since the water pump is underwater, the started water pump can exert a force on the cleaning robot. This force can be decomposed into an upward force and a horizontal force (e.g., to the left and right). The upward force can lift the front end of the cleaning robot, thereby causing the cleaning brush to rise slightly away from the water surface. To ensure the efficiency of the cleaning brush in collecting surface debris, the depth of the cleaning brush immersed in the water surface must be maintained between 5mm and 15mm. It should be noted that the cleaning brush is used to contact the water surface to push the debris on the water surface into the trash can. If the contact depth between the cleaning brush and the water surface is too low, the cleaning brush will not be able to push the debris on the water surface into the trash can. The horizontal force can assist the cleaning robot in turning. For example, a leftward force can assist the cleaning robot in turning to the left, and a rightward force can assist the cleaning robot in turning to the right.

[0060] In this embodiment, by controlling the water pump to start with the first power, the depth of the cleaning brush immersed in the water can be controlled, thereby ensuring that the cleaning brush can efficiently sweep the garbage into the garbage bin. This avoids the risk that the cleaning robot will be immersed in the water too deeply, resulting in too much of the cleaning brush and water inlet being submerged below the water surface, and also avoids the risk that the cleaning brush and water inlet will be immersed in the water too shallowly, resulting in too little of the cleaning brush and water inlet being submerged below the water surface. As a result, the cleaning brush can successfully sweep the garbage on the water surface into the garbage bin.

[0061] In some embodiments of this application, the rear end of the cleaning robot is provided with a through hole, the position of which can be referred to as 105 in Figure 5. A rotatable anti-reverse plate is provided at the through hole, the position of which can be referred to as 106 in Figure 5.

[0062] In one embodiment, the through-hole and anti-reverse plate enable the cleaning robot to submerge in water to perform underwater cleaning tasks. Since the front end of the cleaning robot is heavier than the rear end, its center of gravity is closer to the front. When the cleaning robot enters the water in the posture corresponding to the underwater cleaning mode, because the front end is heavier than the rear end, it sinks faster than the rear end, causing the front end to be lower than the rear end. When the front end is lower than the rear end, gas inside the cleaning robot accumulates at the rear end and presses against the anti-reverse plate, causing the anti-reverse plate to separate from the through-hole. This allows the gas to escape from the inside of the cleaning robot, enabling it to sink into the water for cleaning.

[0063] In other embodiments, the through-hole and check valve increase the flow rate and volume of water flowing from the inlet into the trash can during surface cleaning mode. When the cleaning robot is cleaning the surface, the through-hole is submerged and connected to the outlet. In this case, the presence of the through-hole may cause some water to flow into the trash can through the through-hole instead of the inlet. The diversion effect of the through-hole will reduce the flow rate and volume of water flowing into the trash can from the inlet. To reduce the impact of the through-hole on the water flow from the inlet, the water pump is started at a first power level. The negative pressure generated by the pump's startup can cause the check valve to block the through-hole, thereby reducing the amount of water flowing into the trash can through the through-hole and allowing more water to flow into the trash can from the inlet, thus increasing the flow rate and volume of water flowing into the trash can from the inlet.

[0064] In the cleaning robot control method of this embodiment, the water pump starts at a first power to generate suction to draw water from the trash can, creating a negative pressure inside the trash can. This negative pressure accelerates the flow rate of water flowing into the trash can from the inlet, thus speeding up the flow of trash into the trash can and improving cleaning efficiency. Based on surface cleaning and underwater cleaning modes, it can clean both the water surface and underwater, achieving comprehensive water area cleaning.

[0065] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot may activate an obstacle avoidance mechanism and perform operations such as reversing when it detects an obstacle ahead. However, the reversing operation will create a water flow from the outlet to the inlet, which may cause garbage in the trash can to flow out of the trash can through the garbage collection port, resulting in garbage overflow. Since the garbage enters the trash can with the water flow, the garbage collection port can be the water inlet. To solve this problem, taking water surface cleaning as an example, Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a cleaning robot control method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0066] S21, Detect whether the cleaning robot has executed the reverse command.

[0067] In some embodiments of this application, a backward command is used to control the cleaning robot to move backward. This application does not limit the method for triggering the backward command. For example, when an obstacle is detected in the forward direction, the cleaning robot can generate a backward command, and in response to the backward command, the cleaning robot can perform a backward operation.

[0068] In some embodiments of this application, various methods can be used to detect whether the cleaning robot has executed a reverse command. For example, the cleaning robot can acquire information such as the rotation direction and speed of the drive unit, track wheel assembly, cleaning brush, and other mechanisms, and based on the acquired information, it can determine whether the cleaning robot has executed a reverse command.

[0069] In some embodiments of this application, the execution of the backward command includes: the cleaning robot controlling the drive device to rotate in a second direction, thereby driving the cleaning robot to move backward.

[0070] In this embodiment, the control drive device rotates in the second direction, which can propel the water flow in the forward direction, causing the propelled water flow to exert a backward thrust on the cleaning robot, thereby driving the cleaning robot to move backward. When the cleaning robot moves backward, a water flow path is formed from the outlet to the inlet, causing the garbage in the trash can to flow out of the trash can through the garbage collection port, resulting in garbage outflow. Here, the forward direction is the same as the forward direction of the cleaning robot.

[0071] In other embodiments of this application, when the driving device and the cleaning brush are driven by the same power mechanism, if the driving device rotates in the second direction, the cleaning brush will also rotate in the second direction. Since the rotation of the driving device and the cleaning brush in the second direction will both cause the water flow to be reversed, the rotation of the cleaning brush and the driving device in the same direction may cause more garbage to flow out of the garbage bin.

[0072] In this embodiment, if the cleaning robot is detected to have executed a backward command, step S22 is executed; if the cleaning robot is detected not to have executed a backward command, step S23 is executed.

[0073] S22, control the water pump of the cleaning robot to start at the second power, so that the garbage collection port of the cleaning robot is tilted upward at a first angle relative to the water surface.

[0074] In some embodiments of this application, the second power is greater than the first power. For example, Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot cleaning the water surface according to another embodiment of this application. In Figure 7, the front end of the cleaning robot is raised, causing the garbage collection port (water inlet 101) to tilt upward relative to the water surface.

[0075] In this embodiment, since the water pump is located at the front end of the cleaning robot, controlling the water pump to start with a second power greater than the first power can generate a greater upward force on the front end of the cleaning robot, causing the garbage collection port of the cleaning robot to rise and tilt upward at a first angle relative to the water surface, thereby preventing the garbage in the garbage bin from flowing out.

[0076] S23, control the cleaning robot to maintain its current state of motion.

[0077] In this embodiment, if it is detected that the cleaning robot has not executed the backward command, controlling the cleaning robot to maintain its current movement state can ensure the normal cleaning operation of the cleaning robot.

[0078] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot may activate an obstacle avoidance mechanism and perform turning operations when it detects an obstacle ahead. However, considering that the cleaning robot uses differential steering, during turning, the drive device on one side will reverse the water flow, forming a water flow path from the outlet to the inlet, causing garbage in the trash can to flow out of the trash collection port, resulting in garbage overflow. To solve this problem, taking water surface cleaning as an example, Figure 8 shows a flowchart of a cleaning robot control method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0079] S31, detect whether the cleaning robot executes the turning command.

[0080] In some embodiments of this application, the turning commands may include left-turn commands and right-turn commands. The left-turn command controls the cleaning robot to turn to the left, and the right-turn command controls the cleaning robot to turn to the right. The driving mechanism of the cleaning robot may include a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism, located on opposite sides of the cleaning robot's longitudinal axis. For example, the first driving mechanism may be located on the right side of the cleaning robot, and the second driving mechanism may be located on the left side of the cleaning robot.

[0081] In some embodiments of this application, various methods can be used to detect whether the cleaning robot has executed a steering command. For example, the cleaning robot can acquire information such as the rotation direction and speed of the drive unit, track wheel assembly, cleaning brush, and other mechanisms, and based on the acquired information, it can determine whether the cleaning robot has executed a steering command.

[0082] In some embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot can turn in various ways, and this application does not limit the method of controlling the cleaning robot to turn.

[0083] In some embodiments of this application, the execution of the turning command includes: the cleaning robot controlling the first drive device and the second drive device to rotate in different directions, and controlling the first drive device and the second drive device to rotate at different speeds, so that the cleaning robot executes the turning command.

[0084] For example, the right-side drive unit is controlled to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, while the left-side drive unit is controlled to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the left. Alternatively, the left-side drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, while the right-side drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the right. The first direction and the second direction are opposite, and the first speed can be greater than the second speed.

[0085] In this method, the right-side drive unit is controlled to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, while the left-side drive unit is controlled to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed. Based on the principle of differential steering, this generates a leftward rotational torque, causing the robot to rotate to the left around its center of mass, thus turning it to the left. Conversely, controlling the left-side drive unit to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, while controlling the right-side drive unit to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed, also generates a rightward rotational torque, causing the robot to rotate to the right around its center of mass, thus turning it to the right. These examples of methods for controlling the steering of a cleaning robot are merely illustrations and are not limited to practical applications.

[0086] When the steering is performed, the drive device on one side reverses the water flow, forming a water flow path from the outlet to the inlet, which causes the garbage in the garbage bin to flow out of the garbage collection port, resulting in garbage overflow.

[0087] In other embodiments of this application, when the driving device and the cleaning brush are driven by the same power mechanism, when the driving device on one side reverses the water flow, the cleaning brush on the same side will also reverse the water flow. Therefore, the cleaning brush and the driving device rotating in the same direction may cause more garbage to flow out of the garbage bin.

[0088] In other embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot may also achieve steering in other ways.

[0089] In this embodiment, if the cleaning robot is detected to be executing a turning command, step S32 is executed; if the cleaning robot is detected not to be executing a turning command, step S32 is executed.

[0090] S32 controls the water pump of the cleaning robot to start at the third power, causing the garbage collection port of the cleaning robot to tilt upward at a second angle relative to the water surface.

[0091] In some embodiments of this application, the third power is greater than the first power. The water pump of the cleaning robot includes a first water pump and a second water pump, which are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the cleaning robot. For example, the first water pump may be located on the right side of the cleaning robot, and the second water pump may be located on the left side of the cleaning robot. A schematic diagram of the garbage collection port tilted upward at a second angle relative to the water surface can be found in Figure 7.

[0092] In some embodiments of this application, when a cleaning robot is detected to be executing a left-turn command, the first water pump can be controlled to operate at a third power greater than that of the second water pump. When a cleaning robot is detected to be executing a right-turn command, the first water pump can be controlled to operate at a third power less than that of the second water pump.

[0093] For example, when the cleaning robot executes a left-turn command, the right-side water pump is controlled to operate at a third power level greater than that of the left-side water pump. This allows both the right and left-side water pumps to exert a force on the front end of the cleaning robot. The force generated by the right-side water pump can be decomposed into upward and leftward forces, while the force generated by the left-side water pump can be decomposed into upward and rightward forces. The upward force generated by the right and left-side water pumps lifts the front end of the cleaning robot, causing the garbage collection port to protrude above the water surface and tilt upward at a second angle relative to the water surface, thereby preventing garbage from flowing out. Since the right-side water pump operates at a third power level greater than that of the left-side water pump, the leftward force generated by the right-side water pump is greater than the rightward force generated by the left-side water pump. Therefore, the resultant force on the cleaning robot is to the left, which helps the cleaning robot turn to the left.

[0094] For example, when the cleaning robot executes a right-turn command, the left-side water pump is controlled to operate at a third power level greater than that of the right-side water pump. This allows both the left and right water pumps to exert a force on the front end of the cleaning robot. The force generated by the left-side water pump can be decomposed into upward and rightward forces, while the force generated by the right-side water pump can be decomposed into upward and leftward forces. The upward force generated by the left and right water pumps lifts the front end of the cleaning robot, causing the garbage collection port to protrude above the water surface and tilt upward at a second angle relative to the water surface, thereby preventing garbage from flowing out. Since the left-side water pump operates at a third power level greater than that of the right-side water pump, the rightward force generated by the left-side water pump is greater than the leftward force generated by the right-side water pump. Therefore, the resultant force on the cleaning robot is to the right, which helps the cleaning robot turn to the right.

[0095] In other embodiments of this application, since controlling the water pump of the cleaning robot to start has the effect of assisting the cleaning robot in turning, turning can be achieved by controlling only the water pump to start, or by controlling both the drive device and the water pump to start simultaneously.

[0096] In the scheme of controlling only the water pump start-up, the water pump on one side can be controlled to start, or both water pumps on both sides can be controlled to start simultaneously. For example, the water pump on the left side can be controlled to run at the third power, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the right; or the water pump on the right side can be controlled to run at the third power, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the left. The method for controlling both water pumps to start simultaneously to achieve turning is described above and will not be repeated here.

[0097] For example, in a scheme that simultaneously controls the start of the drive unit and the water pump, the right drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, the left drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed, and the right water pump can be controlled to operate at a third power, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the left. Alternatively, the right drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, the left drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed, and the right water pump can be controlled to operate at a third power greater than that of the left water pump, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the left. Alternatively, the left drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, the right drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed, and the left water pump can be controlled to operate at a third power greater than that of the right water pump, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the right. Alternatively, the left drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a first direction and at a first speed, the right drive unit can be controlled to rotate along a second direction and at a second speed, and the left water pump can be controlled to operate at a third power greater than that of the right water pump, causing the cleaning robot to turn to the right. Wherein, the first direction is opposite to the second direction, and the first speed can be greater than the second speed.

[0098] S33 controls the cleaning robot to maintain its current state of motion.

[0099] In this embodiment, if it is detected that the cleaning robot has not executed the turning command, controlling the cleaning robot to maintain its current motion state can ensure the normal cleaning operation of the cleaning robot.

[0100] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of a cleaning robot in one embodiment of this application. In Figure 9, the cleaning robot 200 includes a processor 60 and a memory 70.

[0101] Processor 60 may include one or more processing units, such as application processors (APs), modem processors, graphics processing units (GPUs), image signal processors (ISPs), controllers, video codecs, digital signal processors (DSPs), and / or neural network processing units (NPUs). These different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0102] The processor 60 provides computing and control capabilities; for example, the processor 60 is used to execute computer programs stored in the memory 70 to implement the cleaning robot control method described above.

[0103] The memory 70 may include one or more random access memory (RAM) and one or more non-volatile memory (NVM). The RAM can be directly read and written by the processor 60 and can be used to store executable programs (e.g., machine instructions) of other running programs, as well as user and application data. The RAM may include static random-access memory (SRAM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random-access memory (DDR SDRAM), etc.

[0104] Non-volatile memory can also store executable programs and user and application data, and can be pre-loaded into random access memory for direct reading and writing by the processor 60. Non-volatile memory can include disk storage devices and flash memory. For example, flash memory can be Nand Flash.

[0105] The memory 70 is used to store one or more computer programs. The one or more computer programs are configured to be executed by the processor 60. The one or more computer programs include multiple instructions, which, when executed by the processor 60, enable a cleaning robot control method to be executed on the cleaning robot 200.

[0106] In other embodiments, the cleaning robot 200 shown in FIG9 also includes an external memory interface for connecting to an external memory to expand the storage capacity of the cleaning robot 200.

[0107] It is understood that the structure shown in Figure 9 does not constitute a specific limitation on the cleaning robot 200. In other embodiments of this application, the cleaning robot 200 may include more or fewer components than shown, or combine some components, or separate some components, or have different component arrangements.

[0108] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which includes program instructions. When the program instructions are executed, the method implemented can refer to the methods in the above embodiments of this application.

[0109] The computer-readable storage medium can be the internal memory of the cleaning robot described in the above embodiments, such as the cleaning robot's hard drive or memory. Alternatively, the computer-readable storage medium can be an external storage device for the cleaning robot, such as a plug-in hard drive, a Smart Media Card (SMC), a Secure Digital (SD) card, or a Flash Card.

[0110] In some embodiments, a computer-readable storage medium may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store an operating system, an application required for at least one function, etc.; and the data storage area may store data created based on the use of the cleaning robot, etc.

[0111] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts that are not described in detail or recorded in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0112] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0113] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control method for a cleaning robot, wherein, The method includes: Detect the cleaning robot's pending cleaning mode; According to the cleaning mode to be executed by the cleaning robot, the water pump of the cleaning robot is controlled to start at a first power, and the cleaning robot is controlled to move within the area to be cleaned; The cleaning modes to be executed include at least the surface cleaning mode and the underwater cleaning mode.

2. The cleaning robot control method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: If the cleaning robot is detected to be executing a backward command, the water pump of the cleaning robot is controlled to start at a second power, so that the garbage collection port of the cleaning robot is tilted upward at a first angle relative to the water surface, and the second power is greater than the first power.

3. The cleaning robot control method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: If the cleaning robot is detected to be executing a turning command, the water pump of the cleaning robot is controlled to start at a third power, so that the garbage collection port of the cleaning robot is tilted upward at a second angle relative to the water surface, and the third power is greater than the first power.

4. The cleaning robot control method according to claim 3, wherein, The cleaning robot includes a first drive unit and a second drive unit, and the method further includes: The first drive device and the second drive device are controlled to rotate in different directions and at different speeds, so that the cleaning robot executes the turning command.

5. The cleaning robot control method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The water pump includes a first water pump and a second water pump, which are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the cleaning robot. The method further includes: When the cleaning robot is detected to be executing a left turn command, the first water pump is controlled to operate at a third power greater than that of the second water pump; When the cleaning robot is detected to be executing a right turn command, the first water pump is controlled to operate at a third power level lower than that of the second water pump.

6. The cleaning robot control method according to claim 1, wherein, The cleaning modes to be executed by the detection cleaning robot include: Detecting the signal triggered by the trash can of the cleaning robot; The cleaning mode to be executed by the cleaning robot is determined based on the signal triggered by the trash can.

7. The cleaning robot control method according to claim 1, wherein, The cleaning modes to be executed by the detection cleaning robot include: Receive user input commands; Based on the input instructions, the cleaning mode to be executed by the cleaning robot is determined.

8. The cleaning robot control method according to claim 1, wherein, When the water pump is started at the first power, the cleaning brush of the cleaning robot remains at least partially submerged in the water and the depth of the cleaning brush submerged in the water is within a preset depth range.

9. A cleaning robot, wherein, The system includes a cleaning body and a drive unit, a cleaning brush, a water pump, a trash can, and a controller disposed on the cleaning body, the controller being used to perform the cleaning robot control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The cleaning robot according to claim 9, wherein, The cleaning robot has a through hole at its rear end, and a rotatable anti-reverse plate is installed at the through hole.

11. The cleaning robot according to claim 9, wherein, The cleaning robot also includes tracked wheels mounted on the cleaning body. The drive device is used to drive the cleaning robot to move on the water surface, and the tracked wheels are used to drive the cleaning robot to move underwater.

12. A cleaning robot, wherein, The cleaning robot includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the cleaning robot control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 when it invokes the computer program.

13. A storage medium for computer-readable storage, wherein, The storage medium stores a computer program that can be invoked by a processor or controller to execute the cleaning robot control method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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