Pool-cleaning system, and positioning method for pool-cleaning robot

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a pool-cleaning system, and a positioning method for a pool-cleaning robot. The pool-cleaning system comprises a base station and a pool-cleaning robot, wherein the pool-cleaning robot is provided with an acoustic signal transmitter I, the base station is provided with at least two acoustic signal receivers I, and the acoustic signal receivers I are used for receiving an acoustic signal transmitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I. The acoustic signal transmitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I can be received by the acoustic signal receivers I in the base station. By means of the time elapsed from the transmission of the acoustic signal to the reception of the acoustic signal, the distance between the pool-cleaning robot and the base station can be obtained. In addition, there are at least two acoustic signal receivers I, and the moments at which the acoustic signal is received by different acoustic signal receivers I are different, thus forming a time difference; by means of the time difference and the speed of sound, the difference in distance between each of the different acoustic signal receivers I and the acoustic signal transmitter I can be obtained; and in view of the position of each acoustic signal receiver I, the azimuth angle of the pool-cleaning robot relative to the base station can be obtained.

Description

Positioning methods for pool cleaning systems and pool cleaning robots

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411645246.4, filed on November 18, 2024, entitled "Pool Cleaning System and Positioning Method for Pool Cleaning Robot", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of robotics, and in particular to a pool cleaning system and a positioning method for a pool cleaning robot. Background Technology

[0003] A pool cleaning robot is a robot capable of performing cleaning tasks in pools, such as cleaning the bottom and walls of swimming pools and fish ponds. Pool cleaning robots are typically used in conjunction with a base station, which charges the robot to ensure it has sufficient power before performing its tasks.

[0004] Ideally, a pool cleaning robot should automatically return to its base station and connect after completing its task. Achieving this requires accurate positioning of the robot. However, in practice, insufficient positioning often prevents the robot from returning to the base station or successfully connecting. Furthermore, existing products suffer from low cleaning efficiency and inability to achieve comprehensive coverage due to their inability to perform accurate absolute positioning.

[0005] Therefore, how to accurately locate the pool cleaning robot is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a pool cleaning system and a positioning method for a pool cleaning robot, which aims to accurately locate the pool cleaning robot.

[0007] The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0008] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a pool cleaning system, the pool cleaning system comprising: a base station and a pool cleaning robot, the pool cleaning robot being provided with an acoustic signal transmitter I, the base station being provided with at least two acoustic signal receivers I, the acoustic signal receivers I being used to receive acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I.

[0009] In this embodiment of the water tank cleaning system, the water tank cleaning robot is equipped with an acoustic signal transmitter I, and the base station is equipped with an acoustic signal receiver I. With this configuration, when the water tank cleaning robot is in the water tank, the acoustic signal emitted by the transmitter I can be received by the acoustic signal receiver I on the base station. The distance between the water tank cleaning robot and the base station can be obtained by measuring the time it takes for the acoustic signal to travel from transmission to reception. Furthermore, the base station has at least two acoustic signal receivers I, so that different receivers I receive the acoustic signal at different times, creating a time difference. This time difference, along with the speed of sound, allows us to determine the distance difference between the different receivers I and the transmitter I. Combining this with the positional distribution of the receivers I, we can obtain the azimuth angle of the transmitter I relative to the base station, which is also the azimuth angle of the water tank cleaning robot relative to the base station. By obtaining the distance between the water tank cleaning robot and the base station, and the azimuth angle of the water tank cleaning robot relative to the base station, we can determine the position or area of ​​the water tank cleaning robot relative to the base station, thus achieving precise positioning of the water tank cleaning robot.

[0010] In some embodiments, the vibrating element of the acoustic signal transmitter I and / or the acoustic signal receiver I comprises piezoelectric ceramic;

[0011] The acoustic signal transmitter I and / or the acoustic signal receiver I include a metal housing.

[0012] In some embodiments, the acoustic signal transmitter I and / or the acoustic signal receiver I comprise annular, tubular, spherical, or hemispherical piezoelectric ceramics.

[0013] In some embodiments, the frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I is greater than or equal to 10 kHz and less than or equal to 100 kHz.

[0014] In some embodiments, the base station is provided with at least three acoustic signal receivers I, which are used to receive acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I;

[0015] The distance between the two closest acoustic signal receivers I is L1, and the distance between the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the condition: L2≥2L1.

[0016] In some embodiments, L1 and L2 also satisfy the following condition:

[0017] L2≤50L1.

[0018] In some embodiments, L1 and L2 also satisfy the following condition:

[0019] L2≤10L1.

[0020] In some embodiments, the base station is further provided with an acoustic signal transmitter II, and the pool cleaning robot is further provided with an acoustic signal receiver II, the acoustic signal receiver II being used to receive the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter II.

[0021] In some embodiments, the number of acoustic signal transmitters II is one, and the number of acoustic signal receivers II is one.

[0022] In some embodiments, the frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter II is greater than or equal to 10 kHz and less than or equal to 100 kHz.

[0023] In some embodiments, the number of acoustic signal transmitters I is one, and the number of acoustic signal receivers I is three.

[0024] In some embodiments, the three acoustic signal receivers I are distributed along the same straight line.

[0025] In some embodiments, the two closest acoustic receivers I and the two farthest acoustic receivers I are distributed on the same straight line.

[0026] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot further includes a pose sensor and / or a depth sensor.

[0027] In some embodiments, the position or area of ​​the pool cleaning robot relative to the base station is obtained through the acoustic signal.

[0028] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot can dock with the base station.

[0029] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a positioning method for a pool cleaning robot, implemented based on the pool cleaning system of any of the above embodiments, the positioning method comprising:

[0030] Cause the sound signal transmitter I to emit a sound signal;

[0031] Acquire acoustic signal information from at least two of the acoustic signal receivers;

[0032] Based on the acoustic signal information, the area or position of the pool cleaning robot relative to the base station is obtained.

[0033] In some embodiments, the acoustic signal information includes the time difference between acoustic signals received by different acoustic signal receivers I.

[0034] In some embodiments, acquiring the acoustic signals from at least two of the acoustic signal receivers includes:

[0035] The time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two closest acoustic signal receivers I is obtained, and a set of time differences between the acoustic signals received by the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I is obtained.

[0036] In some embodiments, the positioning method includes:

[0037] Cause the sound signal transmitter I to emit a sound signal;

[0038] Obtain the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two closest acoustic signal receivers I, and obtain a set of time differences between the acoustic signals received by the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I;

[0039] Based on the location information of the two closest acoustic signal receivers I and the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I, the location information I of the pool cleaning robot relative to the base station is obtained; based on the location information of the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I and a set of time differences between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I, a set of location information II of the pool cleaning robot relative to the base station is determined.

[0040] A set of location information II is compared with location information I, and a location information II is determined from the set of location information II to be used as the current position of the pool cleaning robot. Attached Figure Description

[0041] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0042] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a base station provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a pool cleaning robot provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a base station provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a base station provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an acoustic signal transmitter I provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an acoustic signal receiver I provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the positioning method of a pool cleaning robot provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0049] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0050] An embodiment of the first aspect of this application provides a pool cleaning system, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The pool cleaning system includes a base station 10 and a pool cleaning robot 20. The pool cleaning robot 20 is equipped with an acoustic signal transmitter I21, and the base station 10 is equipped with at least two acoustic signal receivers I11. The acoustic signal receivers I11 are used to receive the acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I21.

[0051] The pool cleaning system in this embodiment can obtain the position or area of ​​the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 through sound signals.

[0052] Specifically, in the pool cleaning system of this application embodiment, the pool cleaning robot 20 is equipped with an acoustic signal transmitter I21, and the base station 10 is equipped with an acoustic signal receiver I11. With this configuration, when the pool cleaning robot 20 is in the pool, the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I21 can be received by the acoustic signal receiver I11 on the base station 10. The distance between the pool cleaning robot 20 and the base station 10 can be obtained by measuring the time it takes for the acoustic signal to travel from transmission to reception.

[0053] In addition, the number of acoustic signal receivers I11 on the base station 10 is at least two. Thus, different acoustic signal receivers I11 receive acoustic signals at different times, thereby forming a time difference. By using this time difference and the speed of sound, the distance difference between different acoustic signal receivers I11 and the acoustic signal transmitter I21 can be obtained. Combined with the positional distribution of each acoustic signal receiver I11, the azimuth angle of the acoustic signal transmitter I21 relative to the base station 10 can be obtained, which is also the azimuth angle of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10.

[0054] By obtaining the distance between the pool cleaning robot 20 and the base station 10, as well as the azimuth angle of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10, the position or area of ​​the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is obtained, thereby achieving precise positioning of the pool cleaning robot 20.

[0055] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG5, the vibrating element of the acoustic signal transmitter I21 includes a piezoelectric ceramic 212, and the acoustic signal transmitter I21 includes a metal housing 211.

[0056] For a low-frequency acoustic signal transmitter I21, its vibrating element is often large, which is detrimental to the structural design and positioning accuracy of the transmitter. The applicant discovered that having a metal casing 211 and incorporating piezoelectric ceramic 212 into the acoustic signal transmitter I21 helps to lower the overall resonant frequency, thereby reducing the size of the vibrating element. This improves the flexibility of the structural design and also enhances positioning accuracy.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6, the vibrating element of the acoustic signal receiver I11 includes a piezoelectric ceramic 112, and the acoustic signal receiver I11 includes a metal housing 111.

[0058] For a low-frequency acoustic signal receiver I11, the size of its vibrating element is often large, which is detrimental to the structural design and positioning accuracy of the acoustic signal receiver I11. The applicant has found that when the acoustic signal receiver I11 has a metal housing 111 and its vibrating element includes a piezoelectric ceramic 112, it is beneficial to lower the overall resonant frequency, thereby reducing the size of the vibrating element. This improves the flexibility of the structural design and also enhances positioning accuracy.

[0059] Furthermore, the metal casing 211 of the acoustic signal transmitter I21 can be fitted with one or more layers of other materials, such as ABS (acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene terpolymer) or PP (polypropylene), for further waterproofing, oxidation resistance, or corrosion resistance. Similarly, the metal casing 111 of the acoustic signal receiver I11 can also be fitted with one or more layers of other materials, such as ABS or PP.

[0060] Furthermore, the acoustic signal transmitter I21 and / or acoustic signal receiver I11 comprise annular, tubular, spherical, or hemispherical piezoelectric ceramics. The applicant has also discovered that by optimizing the shape of the piezoelectric ceramic, for example, by setting its shape to annular, tubular, spherical, or hemispherical, the resonant frequency can be reduced, thereby achieving the goal of reducing the size of the vibrating element. Simultaneously, compared to sheet-shaped piezoelectric ceramics, annular, tubular, spherical, or hemispherical piezoelectric ceramics have a wider receiving / transmitting angle. Among these, annular or tubular piezoelectric ceramics offer advantages such as low cost and ease of manufacturing.

[0061] In some embodiments, the frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by acoustic signal transmitter I is greater than or equal to 10 kHz and less than or equal to 100 kHz.

[0062] Higher frequency acoustic signals exhibit stronger directivity, which generally improves positioning accuracy. However, excessively high directivity can also lead to positioning difficulties or low efficiency. Therefore, in practical positioning processes, it is crucial to consider not only the directivity of the acoustic signal but also its propagation range. The applicant has conducted extensive testing and determined that acoustic signals with frequencies between 10kHz and 100kHz are the optimal choice, ensuring both good directivity and a reasonable propagation range, thus balancing positioning accuracy and efficiency.

[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3, the base station 10 is provided with at least three acoustic signal receivers I11, which are used to receive acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I21. The distance between the two closest acoustic signal receivers I11 is L1, and the distance between the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I11 is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the condition: L2≥2L1.

[0064] As mentioned earlier, the distance between the sound signal transmitter I21 and the different sound signal receivers I11 can be obtained based on the time difference between the transmission of the sound signal and its reception by the different sound signal receivers I11 on the base station 10. After obtaining the above distance, the azimuth angle of the sound signal transmitter I21 relative to the base station 10 can be further obtained. It is easy to understand that in order to achieve the above positioning process, the number of sound signal receivers I11 on the base station 10 must be at least two.

[0065] Taking the case where base station 10 has two acoustic signal receivers I11 as an example, the distance between the two acoustic signal receivers I11 should not be too small; otherwise, the accuracy of the calculation results will be insufficient due to the close proximity of the two acoustic signal receivers I11. However, the applicant also found that when the distance between the two acoustic signal receivers I11 is large, when using conventional sine wave phase detection, taking the time when the acoustic signal arrives at one acoustic signal receiver I11 as the timing start point and the time when the acoustic signal arrives at the other acoustic signal receiver I11 as the timing end point, it is difficult to distinguish the number of cycles that can be identified within the time period from the timing start point to the timing end point. This is mainly because the amplitude of the first wave is not necessarily the same, so it is difficult to give a very accurate result. If the number of cycles is not accurately determined, the time difference between the arrival of the acoustic signal at different acoustic signal receivers I11 will be inaccurate, which in turn leads to an inaccurate calculation of the distance between the acoustic signal transmitter I21 and the acoustic signal receiver I11, affecting the final positioning accuracy. In summary, when the base station 10 is equipped with two acoustic signal receivers I11, if the distance between the two acoustic signal receivers I11 is too small, it will affect the positioning accuracy; if the distance is too large, it will affect the positioning accuracy.

[0066] To resolve the contradiction between positioning accuracy and positioning precision, the applicant proposed the following solution:

[0067] Base station 10 is equipped with at least three acoustic signal receivers I11, wherein the distance between the two closest acoustic signal receivers I is L1, and the distance between the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the condition: L2≥2L1.

[0068] Based on the above settings, when the sound signal transmitter I transmits a sound signal, it can obtain the time difference between the sound signals received by the two closest sound signal receivers I, as well as a set of time differences between the sound signals received by the two farthest sound signal receivers I.

[0069] Based on the location information of the two closest acoustic signal receivers I and the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I, the location information I of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is obtained. It can be understood that the timing starts when the acoustic signal arrives at one of the acoustic signal receivers I11 and ends when the acoustic signal arrives at the other acoustic signal receiver I11. Since the distance between the two acoustic signal receivers I is small, the number of cycles during the time period from the timing start to the timing end will be relatively small. Therefore, this is advantageous for determining the number of cycles.

[0070] Based on the location information of the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I and the time difference between the acoustic signals received by these two receivers I, a set of location information II of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is determined. In determining the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I, the number of cycles in the time interval from the start to the end of the timing period is relatively large, making identification difficult. Therefore, several values ​​with a number of cycles can be determined, such as two or three. This results in a set of time differences (e.g., containing two to three time differences), and correspondingly, the final location information II of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is a set of results (e.g., containing two to three possible results).

[0071] Finally, a set of location information II is compared with location information I, and one location information II is determined from the set of location information II to be the current position of the pool cleaning robot 20. Thus, the final determined current position of the pool cleaning robot 20 can balance accuracy and precision.

[0072] In some of these embodiments, L1 and L2 also satisfy the condition: L2≤50L1.

[0073] If the value of L2 is large, the size of base station 10 also needs to be designed to be large, which will significantly increase the material cost of base station 10. In addition, if the base station 10 is large, it will also face problems such as inconvenient transportation and unsightly appearance after installation. Therefore, in this embodiment, L1 and L2 also satisfy the condition: L2≤50L1, thereby avoiding the problem of base station 10 being too large.

[0074] Furthermore, L1 and L2 also satisfy the condition: L2≤10L1.

[0075] This configuration, while meeting positioning accuracy and precision requirements, also facilitates the miniaturization of the base station 10.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the base station 10 is further provided with an acoustic signal transmitter II 12, and the pool cleaning robot 20 is further provided with an acoustic signal receiver II 22, which is used to receive the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter II 12.

[0077] The sound signal receiver I is located at the base station 10. The base station 10 can know the time when the sound signal is received through the sound signal receiver I. However, since the sound signal transmitter I is located at the pool cleaning robot 20, the time when the sound signal is transmitted is difficult to know. Thus, it is difficult to obtain the time that the sound signal takes from transmission to reception.

[0078] In this embodiment, base station 10 is further equipped with an acoustic signal transmitter II 12, and pool cleaning robot 20 is further equipped with an acoustic signal receiver II 22. When positioning of pool cleaning robot 20 is required, acoustic signal transmitter II 12 first emits an acoustic signal. After receiving the acoustic signal, acoustic signal receiver II 22 on pool cleaning robot 20 immediately emits an acoustic signal from acoustic signal transmitter I. After the acoustic signal is received by acoustic signal receiver I on base station 10, base station 10 can obtain the total time from the emission of acoustic signal from acoustic signal transmitter II 12 to the receipt of acoustic signal by acoustic signal receiver I. Based on this total time and the speed of sound, the distance between pool cleaning robot 20 and base station 10 can be obtained. Of course, the moment when acoustic signal transmitter I emits an acoustic signal can also be indirectly obtained through the above total time.

[0079] Furthermore, there is only one acoustic signal transmitter II12 and one acoustic signal receiver II22. In other words, there is no need for redundant arrangement of acoustic signal transmitter II12 and acoustic signal receiver II22, which helps to save costs.

[0080] In some embodiments, the frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter II12 is greater than or equal to 10KHz and less than or equal to 100KHz.

[0081] As mentioned earlier, acoustic signals with frequencies in the range of 10kHz to 100kHz are preferred, as they ensure good directivity and a reasonable propagation range, balancing positioning accuracy and efficiency. Therefore, the acoustic signals emitted by acoustic signal transmitter II12 are preferably within the aforementioned frequency range.

[0082] In some embodiments, the number of acoustic signal transmitters I is one, and the number of acoustic signal receivers I is three.

[0083] By using any two of the three acoustic signal receivers I, a calculated result representing the position of the pool cleaning robot 20 can be obtained. By comparing multiple calculation results, the optimal solution that balances accuracy and precision can be determined.

[0084] Furthermore, the three acoustic signal receivers I are distributed along the same straight line.

[0085] When calculating the position information of the pool cleaning robot 20, a reference plane is typically determined by two of its acoustic signal receivers I, and the coordinates of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to this reference plane are then calculated. If the three acoustic signal receivers I are located on different straight lines, then the three acoustic signal receivers I can determine multiple reference planes, and these multiple reference planes have angles between them. This makes the calculation process more complex and increases the amount of computation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the three acoustic signal receivers I are distributed on the same straight line. In this way, the three acoustic signal receivers I can only determine one reference plane, which simplifies the calculation process and reduces the amount of computation.

[0086] Similarly, when at least three acoustic signal receivers I are set on base station 10, the two closest acoustic signal receivers I and the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I are distributed along the same straight line. In other words, if there are three acoustic signal receivers I, then the three acoustic signal receivers I are distributed along the same straight line. If there are more than three acoustic signal receivers I, and none of the two closest or two farthest acoustic signal receivers I are shared, then there will be four acoustic signal receivers I, and these four acoustic signal receivers I are distributed along the same straight line. This simplifies the calculation process and reduces the amount of computation.

[0087] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot 20 further includes a pose sensor and / or a depth sensor. This allows for the acquisition of pose and depth information of the pool cleaning robot 20. Using the position, pose, and depth information of the pool cleaning robot 20, its path can be better planned and adjusted, enabling it to return to the base station 10 after completing its task.

[0088] In some embodiments, the pool cleaning robot 20 is capable of docking with the base station 10. It is understood that, based on the location capabilities of the pool cleaning robot 20, the pool cleaning system can plan a path for the robot to return to the base station 10, and can adjust the robot's direction of travel based on this path and real-time positioning results. Ultimately, the robot returns to the location of the base station 10 and docks with it. When the pool cleaning robot 20 is docked with the base station 10, the base station 10 can charge the robot.

[0089] An embodiment of the second aspect of this application provides a positioning method for a pool cleaning robot 20. This positioning method is implemented based on the pool cleaning system described in any of the above embodiments, as shown in FIG7. The positioning method includes:

[0090] Step S100: Cause the sound signal transmitter I21 to emit a sound signal;

[0091] Step S200: Acquire acoustic signal information from at least two acoustic signal receivers I11;

[0092] Step S300: Based on the acoustic signal information, obtain the area or position of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10.

[0093] The positioning method of the pool cleaning robot 20 in this embodiment can obtain the distance between the pool cleaning robot 20 and the base station 10, as well as the azimuth angle of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10, thereby obtaining the position or area of ​​the pool cleaning robot 20 and achieving precise positioning of the pool cleaning robot 20.

[0094] In some embodiments, the acoustic signal information includes the time difference between the acoustic signals received by different acoustic signal receivers I11.

[0095] By using the aforementioned time difference and sound speed, the distance difference between different sound signal receivers I11 and sound signal transmitters I21 can be obtained. Based on this distance difference and combined with the positional distribution of each sound signal receiver I11, the azimuth angle of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 can be obtained.

[0096] In some embodiments, acquiring the acoustic signals from at least two acoustic signal receivers includes:

[0097] Obtain the time difference between the sound signals received by the two closest sound signal receivers I, and obtain a set of time differences between the sound signals received by the two farthest sound signal receivers I.

[0098] This makes it easier to determine the optimal solution for characterizing the position information of the pool cleaning robot 20 through comparison.

[0099] In some embodiments, the positioning method includes:

[0100] Cause the sound signal transmitter I to emit a sound signal;

[0101] Obtain the time difference between the sound signals received by the two closest sound signal receivers I, and obtain a set of time differences between the sound signals received by the two farthest sound signal receivers I;

[0102] Based on the location information of the two closest acoustic signal receivers I and the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I, the location information I of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is obtained; based on the location information of the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I and a set of time differences between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I, a set of location information II of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is determined.

[0103] A set of location information II is compared with location information I, and a location information II is determined from the set of location information II to be used as the current position of the pool cleaning robot 20.

[0104] In this embodiment, the position information I of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is obtained based on the position information of the two closest acoustic signal receivers I and the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I. It can be understood that the timing start is the time when the acoustic signal arrives at one of the acoustic signal receivers I11, and the timing end is the time when the acoustic signal arrives at the other acoustic signal receiver I11. Since the distance between the two acoustic signal receivers I is small, the number of cycles in the time period from the timing start to the timing end will be relatively small. Therefore, it is more advantageous for determining the number of cycles.

[0105] Based on the location information of the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I and the time difference between the acoustic signals received by these two receivers I, a set of location information II of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is determined. In determining the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I, the number of cycles in the time interval from the start to the end of the timing period is relatively large, making identification difficult. Therefore, several values ​​with a number of cycles can be determined, such as two or three. This results in a set of time differences (e.g., containing two to three time differences), and correspondingly, the final location information II of the pool cleaning robot 20 relative to the base station 10 is a set of results (e.g., containing two to three possible results).

[0106] Finally, a set of location information II is compared with location information I, and one location information II is determined from the set of location information II to be the current position of the pool cleaning robot 20. Thus, the final determined current position of the pool cleaning robot 20 can balance accuracy and precision.

[0107] In the accompanying drawings of this embodiment, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the accompanying drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting this patent. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0108] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A pool cleaning system, wherein, include: Base station; as well as A pool cleaning robot is provided, wherein the pool cleaning robot is equipped with an acoustic signal transmitter I, and the base station is equipped with at least two acoustic signal receivers I, wherein the acoustic signal receivers I are used to receive the acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I.

2. The pool cleaning system of claim 1, wherein, The vibrating element of the acoustic signal transmitter I and / or the acoustic signal receiver I includes piezoelectric ceramic; The acoustic signal transmitter I and / or the acoustic signal receiver I include a metal housing.

3. The pool cleaning system of claim 2, wherein, The acoustic signal transmitter I and / or the acoustic signal receiver I comprise annular, tubular, spherical, or hemispherical piezoelectric ceramics.

4. The pool cleaning system of claim 2, wherein, The acoustic signal transmitter I and / or the acoustic signal receiver I comprise annular or tubular piezoelectric ceramics.

5. The pool cleaning system of claim 1, wherein, The frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I is greater than or equal to 10KHz and less than or equal to 100KHz.

6. The pool cleaning system of claim 1, wherein, The base station is equipped with at least three acoustic signal receivers I, which are used to receive acoustic signals emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter I; The distance between the two closest acoustic signal receivers I is L1, and the distance between the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I is L2. L1 and L2 satisfy the condition: L2≥2L1.

7. The pool cleaning system of claim 6, wherein, L1 and L2 also satisfy the condition: L2≤50L1.

8. The pool cleaning system of claim 7, wherein, L1 and L2 also satisfy the condition: L2≤10L1.

9. The pool cleaning system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The base station is also equipped with an acoustic signal transmitter II, and the pool cleaning robot is also equipped with an acoustic signal receiver II, which is used to receive the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter II.

10. The pool cleaning system of claim 9, wherein, The number of sound signal transmitters II is one, and the number of sound signal receivers II is one.

11. The pool cleaning system of claim 9, wherein, The frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the acoustic signal transmitter II is greater than or equal to 10KHz and less than or equal to 100KHz.

12. The pool cleaning system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The number of sound signal transmitters I is one, and the number of sound signal receivers I is three.

13. The pool cleaning system of claim 12, wherein, The three acoustic signal receivers I are distributed along the same straight line.

14. The pool cleaning system of claim 6, wherein, The two closest acoustic signal receivers I and the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I are distributed on the same straight line.

15. The pool cleaning system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The pool cleaning robot also includes a pose sensor and / or a depth sensor.

16. The pool cleaning system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The location or area of ​​the water tank cleaning robot relative to the base station is obtained through the acoustic signal.

17. The pool cleaning system of claim 1, wherein, The pool cleaning robot can dock with the base station.

18. A method of positioning a pool cleaning robot, implemented on the basis of a pool cleaning system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein, The positioning method includes: Cause the sound signal transmitter I to emit a sound signal; Acquire acoustic signal information from at least two of the acoustic signal receivers; Based on the acoustic signal information, the area or position of the pool cleaning robot relative to the base station is obtained.

19. The positioning method of claim 18, wherein, The acoustic signal information includes the time difference between the acoustic signals received by different acoustic signal receivers I.

20. The positioning method of claim 18, wherein, Acquiring acoustic signals from at least two of the acoustic signal receivers includes: The time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two closest acoustic signal receivers I is obtained, and a set of time differences between the acoustic signals received by the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I is obtained.

21. The positioning method of a pool cleaning robot according to claim 18, wherein, The positioning method includes: Cause the sound signal transmitter I to emit a sound signal; Obtain the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two closest acoustic signal receivers I, and obtain a set of time differences between the acoustic signals received by the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I; Based on the location information of the two closest acoustic signal receivers I and the time difference between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I, the location information I of the pool cleaning robot relative to the base station is obtained; based on the location information of the two farthest acoustic signal receivers I and a set of time differences between the acoustic signals received by the two acoustic signal receivers I, a set of location information II of the pool cleaning robot relative to the base station is determined. A set of location information II is compared with location information I, and a location information II is determined from the set of location information II to be used as the current position of the pool cleaning robot.

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