Cleaning device control method and apparatus, program product, storage medium and cleaning device

Abstract

Disclosed are a cleaning device control method and apparatus, a program product, a storage medium and a cleaning device. The cleaning device (101) comprises a robot arm (102), wherein the end of the robot arm (102) away from a chassis of the cleaning device (101) is configured to grip a cleaning member (105). The method comprises: determining on the cleaning device (101) or a base station (104) thereof a first spatial position of a component to be cleaned; and on the basis of the first spatial position, adjusting the pose of the cleaning member (105) gripped by the robot arm (102), so as to use the cleaning member (105) to clean said component.

Description

Cleaning equipment control methods, devices, programs, storage media, and cleaning equipment

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411586708X, filed on November 7, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of cleaning equipment control technology, and in particular to a cleaning equipment control method, apparatus, program product, storage medium and cleaning equipment. Background Technology

[0004] With the continuous advancement of smart home technology, cleaning equipment (such as robot vacuums and robot mops) has become a core tool for modern household cleaning. However, during long-term use, dust and dirt easily accumulate on the sensors, charging electrodes, and wheels of these devices. This not only affects the positioning accuracy and charging efficiency of the cleaning equipment but also weakens its mobility, thus hindering its normal operation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this disclosure provide a cleaning equipment control method, apparatus, program product, storage medium, and cleaning equipment, which can at least to some extent improve the efficiency of cleaning the cleaning equipment or the devices to be cleaned on its base station.

[0006] Other features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this disclosure.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device control method is provided. The cleaning device includes a robotic arm, one end of which is away from the chassis of the cleaning device for gripping a cleaning component. The method includes: determining a first spatial position of a device to be cleaned on the cleaning device or its base station; and adjusting the pose of the cleaning component gripped by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position, so as to clean the device to be cleaned by means of the cleaning component.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning equipment control device is provided. The cleaning equipment includes a robotic arm, one end of which is located away from the chassis of the cleaning equipment and is used to hold a cleaning component. The device includes: a determining unit for determining a first spatial position of a component to be cleaned on the cleaning equipment or its base station; and an adjusting unit for adjusting the posture of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position, so as to clean the component to be cleaned by means of the cleaning component.

[0009] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium and adapted to be read and executed by a processor to cause a computer device having the processor to perform operations as described in any of the first aspect embodiments described above.

[0010] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing at least one computer program instruction, the at least one computer program instruction being loaded and executed by a processor to perform the operation performed by the method described in any of the embodiments of the first aspect above.

[0011] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device is provided, the cleaning device including one or more processors and one or more memories, the one or more memories storing at least one computer program instruction, the at least one computer program instruction being loaded and executed by the one or more processors to perform the operation performed by the method as described in any of the first aspect embodiments above. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0013] Figure 1 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a cleaning equipment control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 illustrates application scenarios according to other embodiments of this disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 5 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 6 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 7 illustrates application scenarios of cleaning equipment according to other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 8 shows a block diagram of a cleaning equipment control device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present invention

[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0023] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

[0024] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices. It should also be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, certain devices in the drawings that do not affect the interpretation of the technical solutions disclosed herein have been adaptively omitted.

[0025] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative and do not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor do they necessarily need to be performed in the described order. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, while others can be combined or partially combined; therefore, the actual execution order may change depending on the specific circumstances.

[0026] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand this disclosure, the application scenarios involved in this disclosure will first be briefly explained with reference to Figure 1.

[0028] In current technical solutions, users often need to manually disassemble or use tools to clean these devices, which is cumbersome and inefficient. Therefore, improving the efficiency of cleaning equipment or the devices to be cleaned on base stations is particularly urgent and important.

[0029] Figure 1 shows a side view of an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] In some embodiments, the cleaning equipment involved may be a sweeper, a mop, or a combined sweeper and mop; this disclosure does not specifically limit it.

[0031] In some implementations, as shown in FIG1, the base station 104 can provide the cleaning device 101 with charging, navigation and positioning, and data transmission functions, ensuring that the cleaning device 101 can efficiently complete the cleaning task and return to charging in a timely manner. In addition, the base station 104 can also transfer sewage and replenish clean water for the cleaning device 101, while providing a safe storage space to prevent damage or contamination to the cleaning device 101.

[0032] During long-term use, dust and dirt easily accumulate on the components of the cleaning device 101 or its base station 104 (such as sensor C, sensor D, charging electrode plate B, and wheels shown in Figure 1). This not only affects the positioning accuracy and charging efficiency of the cleaning device but also weakens its mobility, thus hindering normal operation. Currently, users often need to manually disassemble or use tools to clean these components, which is cumbersome and inefficient. Therefore, this disclosure proposes a cleaning device control method to improve the efficiency of cleaning the components to be cleaned on the cleaning device or its base station.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the cleaning device 101 proposed in this disclosure may include a robotic arm 102, wherein one end of the robotic arm 102 away from the cleaning device chassis 101 may be used to hold a cleaning component 105 (such as a cleaning brush) for cleaning the device to be cleaned on the cleaning device 101 or its base station 104; in some embodiments, a gripper 103 may be installed on one end of the robotic arm 102 away from the cleaning device chassis 101, and the cleaning component 105 may be held by the gripper 103.

[0034] In some embodiments, the robotic arm 102 shown in FIG1 can be used to adjust the pose (i.e., position and orientation) of the cleaning component 105. It should be noted that the robotic arm 102 can be composed of multiple links, and its degrees of freedom can be two, three, or four. This disclosure does not specifically limit this.

[0035] Next, this disclosure will elaborate on the proposed cleaning equipment control scheme.

[0036] Figure 2 shows a flowchart of a cleaning equipment control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. This cleaning equipment control method can be executed by a device with computational processing capabilities. Referring to Figure 2, the cleaning equipment control method includes at least steps 210 to 220.

[0037] In step 210, the first spatial location of the device to be cleaned on the cleaning device or its base station is determined.

[0038] In some embodiments, the device to be cleaned may be an electrode plate located inside the base station for charging the cleaning equipment, a sensor located on the side of the cleaning equipment chassis, a sensor located at the bottom of the cleaning equipment chassis, or a wheel.

[0039] In some implementations, the cleaning equipment or its base station components can be cleaned periodically, or a user can actively trigger a cleaning command via an app or voice, causing the cleaning equipment to clean the components upon receiving the command. When the cleaning equipment needs to clean a component, it can first determine the initial spatial location of the component to be cleaned.

[0040] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the cleaning device may be equipped with a variety of sensors (such as lidar, cameras, ultrasonic sensors, etc.); through these sensors, the cleaning device can acquire environmental information of the surrounding environment, thereby identifying the device to be cleaned on the cleaning device or its base station through this environmental information, and determining the first spatial location of the device to be cleaned.

[0041] In another embodiment of this disclosure, the cleaning device may also pre-establish a spatial coordinate system and mark the spatial location of the device to be cleaned on the cleaning device or its base station, thereby determining the first spatial location of the device to be cleaned based on the spatial coordinate system.

[0042] It is understood that the first spatial location of the cleaning device or its base station to be cleaned can also be determined by other means, and is not limited to those listed above.

[0043] In step 220, the position of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm is adjusted according to the first spatial position so as to clean the device to be cleaned by the cleaning component.

[0044] In some embodiments, before adjusting the pose of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position, it can be determined whether the end of the robotic arm away from the chassis of the cleaning device is holding the cleaning component. In some embodiments, the following steps can be performed:

[0045] Step 213: If the end of the robotic arm away from the chassis of the cleaning equipment is not holding a cleaning part, then obtain the second spatial position of the cleaning part to be held by the robotic arm.

[0046] Step 214: Control the chassis of the cleaning equipment to move to the first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and control the robotic arm to clamp the cleaning part to be clamped.

[0047] In some embodiments, the cleaning device can be equipped with a variety of optional cleaning components made of different materials, such as cleaning components made of bristle brushes, cloth brushes, and rubber brushes. Different types of cleaning components are suitable for cleaning different devices. For example, bristle brushes are suitable for cleaning devices with delicate and easily damaged surfaces. Cloth brushes are suitable for cleaning devices where surface scratches need to be avoided. Rubber brushes are suitable for cleaning devices with hard and wear-resistant surfaces.

[0048] In some implementations, the following steps may be performed before obtaining the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be gripped by the robotic arm:

[0049] Step 211: Based on the attribute information of the device to be cleaned, determine the target material type of the cleaning component suitable for cleaning the device to be cleaned;

[0050] Step 212: The candidate cleaning part belonging to the target material type is determined as the cleaning part to be clamped.

[0051] In some embodiments, the attribute information of the device to be cleaned may include information such as the device's material, hardness, purpose, and surface abrasion resistance. The target material type of the cleaning component suitable for cleaning the device can be determined based on this attribute information. For example, a cleaning component made of a bristle brush is suitable for cleaning metal devices (such as electrode plates inside a base station used to charge cleaning equipment), while a cleaning component made of a cloth brush is suitable for cleaning glass devices (such as sensor lenses on a cleaning device).

[0052] In some implementations, selecting a cleaning component of a suitable material type for the device to be cleaned, which has the advantages of effectively protecting the surface of the device and avoiding scratches or damage caused by using an inappropriate material type of cleaning component, and improving the cleaning efficiency of the device, so that dirt and dust on the device can be removed more quickly, thereby saving time and manpower.

[0053] In some implementations, after determining the cleaning component to be gripped in the cleaning device, a second spatial position of the cleaning component to be gripped by the robotic arm can be obtained. Obtaining the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be gripped by the robotic arm can be performed according to the following step 2131:

[0054] Step 2131: Based on the feature information of the cleaning part to be clamped, obtain the second spatial position of the cleaning part to be clamped by the robotic arm through visual recognition technology.

[0055] In some embodiments, the feature information of the cleaning component to be clamped can be the outline (shape) features of the cleaning component, or it can be QR code information or light spot identification information configured for the cleaning component to be clamped. The cleaning device can obtain the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be clamped by the robotic arm through visual recognition technology. In some embodiments, the cleaning device can collect environmental images through its own camera or other visual sensors, and then analyze these image data through image processing algorithms to identify cleaning components that meet the feature information of the cleaning component to be clamped, thereby determining the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be clamped.

[0056] Furthermore, after determining the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be clamped, the chassis of the cleaning device can be controlled to move to the first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and the robotic arm can be controlled to clamp the cleaning component to be clamped. Specifically, the first preset ground area can be a ground area within a preset range centered on the projection of the second spatial position onto the ground. When the cleaning device is in the first preset ground area, the cleaning device can directly clamp the cleaning component to be clamped using the robotic arm.

[0057] In some implementations, visual recognition technology can accurately obtain the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be clamped. Then, based on the second spatial position, the walking path of the cleaning equipment chassis and the movement trajectory and clamping force of the robotic arm can be precisely controlled to ensure that the cleaning component is not damaged during the clamping process. This improves the automation level and work efficiency of the robotic arm in the clamping process, significantly reduces the need for manual intervention, and makes the cleaning equipment more intelligent and reliable.

[0058] It should be noted that in some implementations, a spatial coordinate system can be established in advance, and the spatial positions of cleaning parts of various material types can be marked. Then, the second spatial position of the cleaning part to be clamped can be determined according to the spatial coordinate system.

[0059] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the process of the robotic arm of the cleaning equipment clamping the cleaning part to be clamped, a specific embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 3.

[0060] Figure 3 shows a side view of an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3, the cleaning component 105 to be clamped can be mounted on the body of the base station 104. The cleaning component 105 to be clamped may include a clamping part E for being clamped by a gripper 103 mounted on the robotic arm 102. At the location of the cleaning component 105 (i.e., the second spatial position), feature points A (such as light spot markers) can also be configured for recognition by the visual sensors on the cleaning equipment, so that the cleaning equipment can accurately locate the second spatial position of the cleaning component 105 to be clamped. After the cleaning equipment locates the second spatial position of the cleaning component 105 to be clamped, the chassis 101 of the cleaning equipment can be controlled to move to the first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and the gripper 103 on the robotic arm 102 can be controlled to clamp the clamping part E of the cleaning component 105 to be clamped, thereby clamping the cleaning component 105.

[0062] In step 220 above, adjusting the position of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position can be performed as follows:

[0063] Step 221: Based on the first spatial position, adjust the attitude of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm relative to the target link to the target attitude, wherein the target link is the link used by the robotic arm to hold the cleaning component;

[0064] Step 222: Under the target posture, adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

[0065] In one embodiment of this disclosure, if the first spatial position is located inside the base station, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a first preset angle, wherein the first preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first preset angle can be 120°, 119°, or 121°. It should be noted that in practical applications, the first preset angle can be determined based on the specific structural features of the base station, cleaning equipment, and cleaning components, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on it.

[0067] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the process by which the robotic arm of the cleaning equipment clamps the object to be clamped and cleans the internal components of the base station, a specific embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 4.

[0068] Figure 4 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0069] As shown in Figure 4, the device to be cleaned can be device B located inside the base station 104 (such as an electrode plate inside the base station used to charge the cleaning device). In this case, the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target link F in the robotic arm 102 in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a first preset angle. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target link F in the robotic arm 102 in the target posture can be 180°.

[0070] In step 222 above, adjusting the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position can be performed according to the following steps:

[0071] Step 2221: Control the chassis of the cleaning equipment to move to the second preset ground area where the first spatial position is located;

[0072] Step 2222: Control the robotic arm to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

[0073] In some embodiments, the second preset ground area can be a ground area within a preset range centered on the projection of the first spatial position onto the ground. As shown in Figure 4, when the cleaning equipment chassis 101 moves to the second preset ground area, the cleaning equipment can directly control the robotic arm 102 to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component 105 to the first spatial position where the device B is located, thereby enabling the cleaning component 105 to clean the device B inside the base station 104. Since the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target link F is 180°, it is easy to control the robotic arm 102 to extend the cleaning component 105 into the narrow space inside the base station 104, making it feasible to clean the devices inside the base station by clamping the cleaning component with the robotic arm.

[0074] In one embodiment of this disclosure, if the first spatial position is located on the side of the chassis of the cleaning device, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a second preset angle; the second preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°.

[0075] In some embodiments, the second preset angle can be 120°, 119°, or 121°. It should be noted that in practical applications, the second preset angle can be determined based on the specific structural features of the base station, cleaning equipment, and cleaning components, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on it.

[0076] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the process by which the robotic arm of the cleaning equipment clamps the cleaning component to be clamped and the side device of the cleaning chassis, a specific embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 5.

[0077] Figure 5 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0078] As shown in Figure 5, the device to be cleaned can be a device C (such as a sensor for detecting environmental information) located on the side of the chassis 101 of the cleaning equipment. In this case, the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target link F in the robotic arm 102 in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a second preset angle. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target link F in the robotic arm 102 in the target posture can be 180°.

[0079] In step 222 above, adjusting the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position can be performed according to step 2223 as follows:

[0080] Step 2223: Control the robotic arm to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

[0081] As shown in Figure 5, the cleaning equipment can directly control the robotic arm 102 to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component 105 to the first spatial position where the device C is located, thereby enabling the cleaning component 105 to clean the device C on the side of the cleaning equipment chassis 101. Since the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target connecting rod F is 180°, the robotic arm 102 can be easily controlled to drive the cleaning component 105 to perform up-and-down brushing motions, thereby achieving the cleaning of the device C on the side of the cleaning equipment chassis 101.

[0082] In one embodiment of this disclosure, if the first spatial position is located at the bottom of the chassis of the cleaning device, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to a third preset angle and greater than or equal to a fourth preset angle; the third preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°, and the fourth preset angle is less than 90° and greater than 0°.

[0083] In some embodiments, the third preset angle can be 135°, 134°, or 136°. It should be noted that in practical applications, the third preset angle can be determined based on the specific structural features of the base station, cleaning equipment, and cleaning components, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on it.

[0084] In some embodiments, the fourth preset angle can be 45°, 44°, or 46°. It should be noted that in practical applications, the fourth preset angle can be determined based on the specific structural features of the base station, cleaning equipment, and cleaning components, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on it.

[0085] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the process of adjusting the posture of the cleaning part to be clamped, a specific embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 6.

[0086] Figure 6 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0087] As shown in Figure 6, the device to be cleaned can be a device D located at the bottom of the chassis 101 of the cleaning equipment (such as a cliff sensor used to detect the height of a cliff). In this case, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the robotic arm in the target posture is less than or equal to a third preset angle and greater than or equal to a fourth preset angle. For example, as shown in sub-figure (b) of Figure 6, the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target link F in the robotic arm 102 in the target posture can be 90°.

[0088] In some embodiments, during the process of adjusting the posture of the cleaning part to be clamped, as shown in sub-figures (a) to (b) of FIG6, the cleaning device can control the gripper 103 on the robotic arm 102 to clamp the clamping part E of the cleaning part 105, using a certain point on the chassis 101 of the cleaning device as a fulcrum, and pressing the head of the cleaning part 105 against the fulcrum; then by controlling the rotation of the target link F in the robotic arm 102, the cleaning part 105 is deformed (i.e., the cleaning part 105 changes from an "L" shape to an "I" shape), thereby driving the adjustment of the posture of the cleaning part 105 relative to the target link F to the target posture (i.e., the angle between the cleaning part 105 and the target link F in the robotic arm 102 in the target posture is 90°).

[0089] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the attitude of the cleaning component relative to the target link can be adjusted to the target attitude through other actions, rather than by deforming the cleaning component. The specific method needs to be determined based on the structural characteristics of the cleaning equipment and the cleaning component; this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this.

[0090] In step 222 above, adjusting the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position can be performed according to step 2224 below:

[0091] Step 2224: Control the robotic arm to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

[0092] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the process by which the robotic arm of the cleaning equipment clamps the cleaning component to be clamped and cleans the bottom device of the chassis, a specific embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 7.

[0093] Figure 7 illustrates an application scenario of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0094] As shown in Figure 7, since the angle between the cleaning component 105 and the target link F is 90°, the robotic arm 102 can be easily controlled to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component 105 to the first spatial position where the device D is located, and the robotic arm 102 can be controlled to drive the cleaning component 105 to perform back and forth brushing motions, thereby realizing the cleaning component 105 cleaning the device D at the bottom of the cleaning equipment chassis 101.

[0095] In some implementations, it should be noted that the method of adjusting the pose of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position of the device to be cleaned is related to the specific structural features of the base station, the robotic arm in the cleaning equipment, and the cleaning component; if these structural features are different, the adjusted pose of the cleaning component may also be different.

[0096] In some implementations, the following steps may also be performed:

[0097] Step 231: During the process of adjusting the position and orientation of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm, monitor whether there are any obstacles in the activity areas of the cleaning equipment chassis, the robotic arm, and the cleaning component.

[0098] Step 232: If there are obstacles in the activity area, control the cleaning equipment to avoid the obstacles.

[0099] In some implementations, the cleaning device can acquire real-time information about its surrounding environment using sensors such as LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, or 3D TOF sensors. By analyzing the sensor feedback, it can monitor the presence of obstacles, such as furniture, walls, or other objects, within the operating area of ​​the cleaning device's chassis, robotic arm, and cleaning components. If an obstacle is detected, the cleaning device can immediately control the chassis and / or robotic arm to perform obstacle avoidance maneuvers. For example, it can change the chassis's movement path, decelerate, or stop, or adjust the robotic arm's trajectory to avoid collisions with obstacles. This not only protects the cleaning device itself but also prevents damage to surrounding objects, ensuring the safety and reliability of the chassis and / or robotic arm during cleaning operations. Conversely, if no obstacles are detected within the operating area, the cleaning device can continue to adjust the posture of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm. This monitoring and dynamic response mechanism allows the cleaning device to flexibly respond to complex environments, ensuring both safe obstacle avoidance and effective adjustment of the posture of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm, thereby improving the user experience.

[0100] Furthermore, in some implementations, step 241 may also be performed:

[0101] Step 241: After cleaning the device to be cleaned by the cleaning component, control the chassis of the cleaning equipment to move to the first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and control the robotic arm to put the cleaning component back to the second spatial position.

[0102] In some implementations, after cleaning the device to be cleaned, the cleaning equipment chassis can be controlled to return to a previously determined first preset ground area, and the robotic arm can be controlled to place the cleaned item back to its original position (i.e., the second spatial position). It should be noted that this process also relies on visual recognition technology and precise motion control to ensure that the cleaned item is placed securely without damage or displacement. The cleaning equipment can adjust the chassis's walking path according to the second spatial position and control the robotic arm's movement trajectory and placement force. This ensures the automation level and work efficiency of the cleaning equipment, reduces reliance on manual operation, and improves the intelligence and reliability of the cleaning equipment. In this way, the cleaning equipment can return to its initial state after completing the cleaning task for the device to be cleaned, awaiting the next cleaning session.

[0103] Based on the technical solution proposed in this disclosure, by determining the position of the device to be cleaned on the cleaning equipment or its base station and adjusting the posture of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm based on that position, the device to be cleaned can be cleaned using the cleaning component. This eliminates the need for manual disassembly or the use of tools by the user to clean the device, thereby improving the efficiency of cleaning the device on the cleaning equipment or its base station to a certain extent. Simultaneously, the technical solution proposed in this disclosure also improves the cleaning efficiency and effectiveness of the device on the cleaning equipment or its base station, saves the user's time and effort, ensures the high-performance operation of the cleaning equipment and base station, extends their service life, and has strong adaptability and versatility, significantly improving the intelligence level of the cleaning equipment and the user experience.

[0104] The following describes an embodiment of the apparatus disclosed herein, which can be used to execute the cleaning equipment control method in the above embodiments of the present disclosure. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of the present disclosure, please refer to the embodiments of the cleaning equipment control method described above.

[0105] Figure 8 shows a block diagram of a cleaning equipment control device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the cleaning equipment including a robotic arm, one end of which is located away from the chassis of the cleaning equipment for gripping cleaning components.

[0106] As shown in FIG8, the cleaning equipment control device 800 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a determining unit 801 and an adjusting unit 802.

[0107] In some embodiments, a determining unit 801 is used to determine a first spatial position of the device to be cleaned on the cleaning device or its base station; and an adjusting unit 802 is used to adjust the pose of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position, so as to clean the device to be cleaned by the cleaning component.

[0108] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the device further includes: a control unit, configured to, before adjusting the pose of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position, if the end of the robotic arm away from the cleaning equipment chassis is not holding a cleaning component, obtain a second spatial position of the cleaning component to be held by the robotic arm; control the cleaning equipment chassis to travel to a first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and control the robotic arm to hold the cleaning component to be held.

[0109] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the cleaning device is equipped with a variety of optional cleaning parts of different material types. The control unit is configured to: before obtaining the second spatial position of the cleaning part to be clamped by the robotic arm, determine the target material type of the cleaning part suitable for cleaning the device to be cleaned based on the attribute information of the device to be cleaned; and determine the optional cleaning part belonging to the target material type as the cleaning part to be clamped.

[0110] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the control unit is configured to: obtain the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be clamped by the robotic arm using visual recognition technology based on the feature information of the cleaning component to be clamped.

[0111] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the adjustment unit 802 is configured to: adjust the attitude of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm relative to the target link to a target attitude according to the first spatial position, wherein the target link is the link used by the robotic arm to hold the cleaning component; and adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position under the target attitude.

[0112] In some embodiments of this disclosure, if the first spatial position is located inside the base station, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a first preset angle, wherein the first preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°.

[0113] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the adjustment unit 802 is configured to: control the chassis of the cleaning equipment to move to the second preset ground area where the first spatial position is located; and control the robotic arm to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

[0114] In some embodiments of this disclosure, if the first spatial position is located on the side of the chassis of the cleaning device, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a first preset angle, wherein the first preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°.

[0115] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the adjustment unit 802 is configured to control the robotic arm to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

[0116] In some embodiments of this disclosure, if the first spatial position is located at the bottom of the chassis of the cleaning device, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to a third preset angle and greater than or equal to a fourth preset angle, wherein the third preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°, and the fourth preset angle is less than 90° and greater than 0°.

[0117] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the adjustment unit 802 is configured to control the robotic arm to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

[0118] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the device further includes: a monitoring unit, configured to monitor whether there are obstacles in the active areas of the cleaning equipment chassis, the robotic arm, and the cleaning component during the adjustment of the position of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm; and if there are obstacles in the active areas, control the cleaning equipment to avoid the obstacles.

[0119] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the control unit is configured to: after cleaning the device to be cleaned by the cleaning component, control the chassis of the cleaning equipment to move to the first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and control the robotic arm to put the cleaning component back to the second spatial position.

[0120] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product including computer instructions stored thereon, the computer instructions being stored in a computer-readable storage medium and adapted to be read and executed by a processor to cause a computer device having the processor to perform to implement the cleaning equipment control method as described above.

[0121] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium including at least one computer program instruction stored thereon, the at least one computer program instruction being loaded and executed by a processor to implement the cleaning equipment control method as described above.

[0122] Based on the same inventive concept, this disclosure also provides a cleaning device. Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a cleaning device according to some embodiments of this disclosure. The cleaning device includes one or more memories 904, one or more processors 902, and at least one computer program (computer program instructions) stored in the memory 904 and executable on the processor 902. When the processor 902 executes the computer program, it implements the cleaning device control method as described above.

[0123] In Figure 9, a bus architecture (represented by bus 900) is shown. Bus 900 may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, linking various circuits including one or more processors represented by processor 902 and memory represented by memory 904. Bus 900 may also link various other circuits such as peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. Bus interface 905 provides an interface between bus 900 and receiver 901 and transmitter 903. Receiver 901 and transmitter 903 may be the same element, i.e., a transceiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. Processor 902 is responsible for managing bus 900 and general processing, while memory 904 can be used to store data used by processor 902 during operation.

[0124] Based on the technical solution proposed in this disclosure, by determining the position of the device to be cleaned on the cleaning equipment or its base station and adjusting the posture of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm based on that position, the device to be cleaned can be cleaned using the cleaning component. In this way, there is no need for the user to manually disassemble or use tools to clean the device, thereby improving the efficiency of cleaning the device to be cleaned on the cleaning equipment or its base station to a certain extent.

[0125] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and embodiments are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the functional units may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0126] In the several embodiments provided in this disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units can be a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings, direct couplings, or communication connections may be through some interfaces; indirect couplings or communication connections between units or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0127] The units described as separate devices may or may not be physically separate. Similarly, the control devices may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment, depending on actual needs.

[0128] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this disclosure, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing computer program instructions, such as USB flash drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0129] The above description is merely an embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of the claims of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a cleaning device, the cleaning device including a robotic arm, one end of the robotic arm away from the chassis of the cleaning device being used to grip a cleaning component, the method comprising: Determine the first spatial location of the device to be cleaned on the cleaning equipment or its base station; as well as Based on the first spatial position, the position and orientation of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm are adjusted so as to clean the device to be cleaned through the cleaning component.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before adjusting the pose of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position, the method further includes: If the end of the robotic arm away from the chassis of the cleaning equipment is not holding a cleaning component, then the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be held by the robotic arm is obtained; The chassis of the cleaning equipment is controlled to move to the first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and the robotic arm is controlled to clamp the cleaning part to be clamped.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The cleaning equipment is equipped with a variety of cleaning parts of different materials. Before obtaining the second spatial position of the cleaning part to be gripped by the robotic arm, the method includes: Based on the attribute information of the device to be cleaned, determine the target material type of the cleaning component suitable for cleaning the device to be cleaned; The candidate cleaning parts belonging to the target material type are identified as the cleaning parts to be clamped.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The step of obtaining the second spatial position of the cleaning component to be gripped by the robotic arm includes: Based on the feature information of the cleaning part to be clamped, the second spatial position of the cleaning part to be clamped by the robotic arm is obtained through visual recognition technology.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Adjusting the pose of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position includes: Based on the first spatial position, the attitude of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm relative to the target link is adjusted to the target attitude, wherein the target link is the link used by the robotic arm to hold the cleaning component; Under the target posture, adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, If the first spatial position is located inside the base station, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a first preset angle, wherein the first preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, Adjusting the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position includes: Control the chassis of the cleaning equipment to move to the second preset ground area where the first spatial position is located; The robotic arm is controlled to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein, If the first spatial position is located on the side of the chassis of the cleaning equipment, the angle between the cleaning component and the target link in the target posture is less than or equal to 180° and greater than or equal to a second preset angle, wherein the second preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein, If the first spatial position is located at the bottom of the chassis of the cleaning equipment, the angle between the cleaning component and the target connecting rod in the target posture is less than or equal to a third preset angle and greater than or equal to a fourth preset angle, wherein the third preset angle is less than 180° and greater than 90°, and the fourth preset angle is less than 90° and greater than 0°.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, Adjusting the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position includes: The robotic arm is controlled to adjust the spatial position of the cleaning component to the first spatial position.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: During the process of adjusting the position and orientation of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm, it is monitored whether there are any obstacles in the activity areas of the cleaning equipment chassis, the robotic arm, and the cleaning component. If there are obstacles in the activity area, the cleaning equipment is controlled to avoid the obstacles.

12. The method according to claim 2, further comprising: After the cleaning device is cleaned by the cleaning component, the chassis of the cleaning equipment is controlled to move to the first preset ground area where the second spatial position is located, and the robotic arm is controlled to put the cleaning component back to the second spatial position.

13. A control device for a cleaning device, the cleaning device including a robotic arm, one end of the robotic arm remote from the chassis of the cleaning device being used to grip a cleaning component, the device comprising: A determining unit is used to determine the first spatial location of the device to be cleaned on the cleaning equipment or its base station; An adjustment unit is used to adjust the position and orientation of the cleaning component held by the robotic arm according to the first spatial position, so as to clean the device to be cleaned through the cleaning component.

14. A computer program product comprising computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium and adapted to be read and executed by a processor to cause a computer device having the processor to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising at least one piece of program code stored thereon, said at least one piece of program code being loaded and executed by a processor to perform the operations performed by the method of any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. A cleaning device comprising one or more processors and one or more memories, wherein at least one piece of program code is stored in the one or more memories, the at least one piece of program code being loaded and executed by the one or more processors to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.

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