Map construction method and apparatus for multiple areas

Abstract

The present application is applied to the field of garden tools. Disclosed are a map construction method and apparatus for multiple areas. During the implementation of the present solution, a mobile robot first establishes a boundary map of each operation area and establishes a connecting path between different operation areas on the basis of a remote control instruction of a remote control device, so that the mobile robot can freely explore each operation area on the basis of the boundary map of each operation area and the established connecting path, so as to autonomously construct an area map of each operation area, and the construction of the area map of each operation area does not require the participation of a user. In this way, the waiting time of the user is reduced, which is user-friendly.

Description

A method and apparatus for constructing maps of multiple regions

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411815780.5, filed on December 10, 2024, entitled "A Map Construction Method and Apparatus for Multiple Regions", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of garden tools, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for constructing maps of multiple regions. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, for map building across multiple work areas, some methods involve placing a mobile robot in each work area, with each robot collecting maps of its respective area. This method requires a mobile robot for each work area, resulting in high costs. Other methods use a single mobile robot to build maps for multiple work areas, but the user must wait for the robot to complete mapping in one area before remotely controlling it to move to the next, and so on, until mapping is complete for all work areas. This leads to excessively long waiting times and is user-unfriendly. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a method and apparatus for constructing maps of multiple regions, which can save users' waiting time during the map construction process of multiple regions and is user-friendly.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a method for constructing maps of multiple regions, applied to a mobile robot. The multiple regions include a first working region and a second working region. The method includes: moving along the boundary of the first working region to generate a boundary map of the first working region; moving in response to a first remote control command from a remote control device to generate a first connecting path, the first connecting path connecting the first working region and the second working region; moving along the boundary of the second working region to generate a boundary map of the second working region; and exploring the first working region and the second working region based on the boundary map of the first working region, the boundary map of the second working region, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working region and a region map of the second working region.

[0006] In the above method, the mobile robot first establishes boundary maps of each work area and establishes connecting paths between different work areas according to remote control commands. Then, based on the connecting paths between different work areas and the boundary maps of each work area, the mobile robot can autonomously explore and construct area maps for each work area. In this scheme, the mobile robot's acquisition of work area boundary maps is quick, and after the boundary maps of each work area and the connecting paths between different areas are established, the process of building the area maps of the work areas does not require user intervention. Therefore, the user waiting time is short, making it user-friendly.

[0007] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the step of moving along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area includes: moving along the boundary of the first working area and recording first positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; and generating a boundary map of the first working area based on the first positioning information.

[0008] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the movement in response to a first remote control command of the remote control device to generate a first connected path includes: in response to the first remote control command, moving from a first position on the boundary of the first working area to a second position on the boundary of the second working area, and generating the first connected path based on second positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0009] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving an exploration and mapping instruction from the remote control device; the step of exploring the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area includes: responding to the exploration and mapping instruction, exploring the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the generation of the boundary map of the second working area is performed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are established. The step of exploring the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct the area map of the first working area and the area map of the second working area includes: exploring the second working area based on the boundary map of the second working area to generate the area map of the second working area; moving from the second working area to the first working area along the first connecting path; and exploring the first working area based on the boundary map of the first working area to generate the area map of the first working area.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, charging piles are provided in the plurality of areas, the charging piles being used to charge the mobile robot, and the charging piles being located on the boundary of the first working area or outside the first working area.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, where the charging pile is located outside the first working area, the method further includes, before moving along the boundary of the first working area: charging at the charging pile; moving in response to a second remote control command from the remote control device to generate a second connectivity path, the second connectivity path connecting the charging pile and the first working area.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the movement in response to a second remote control command of the remote control device to generate a second connectivity path includes: moving from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area in response to the second remote control command, and generating the second connectivity path based on third positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the boundary of the first working area and / or the boundary of the second working area are obtained by the mobile robot recognizing the images acquired by the vision sensor.

[0015] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the mobile robot is a lawnmower robot, and the first working area and the second working area are lawns.

[0016] Secondly, this application provides an apparatus for map construction of multiple regions, which is included in a mobile robot. The apparatus includes a communication unit and a processing unit, wherein the multiple regions include a first working region and a second working region. The processing unit is configured to perform the following operations: causing the mobile robot to move along the boundary of the first working region to generate a boundary map of the first working region; causing the mobile robot to move in response to a first remote control command received by the communication unit from a remote control device to generate a first connecting path, the first connecting path being used to connect the first working region and the second working region; causing the mobile robot to move along the boundary of the second working region to generate a boundary map of the second working region; and causing the mobile robot to explore the first working region and the second working region based on the boundary map of the first working region, the boundary map of the second working region, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working region and a region map of the second working region.

[0017] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the processing unit is specifically used to: cause the mobile robot to move along the boundary of the first working area and record the first positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; and generate a boundary map of the first working area based on the first positioning information.

[0018] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is specifically configured to: respond to the first remote control command, cause the mobile robot to move from a first position on the boundary of the first working area to a second position on the boundary of the second working area, and generate the first connecting path based on the second positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0019] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the communication unit is further configured to: receive exploration and mapping instructions from the remote control device; the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the exploration and mapping instructions, enable the mobile robot to explore the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path, so as to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area.

[0020] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the generation of the boundary map of the second working area is performed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are established. The processing unit is specifically used to: cause the mobile robot to explore the second working area according to the boundary map of the second working area to generate a region map of the second working area; cause the mobile robot to move from the second working area to the first working area along the first connecting path; and cause the mobile robot to explore the first working area according to the boundary map of the first working area to generate a region map of the first working area.

[0021] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, charging piles are provided in the plurality of areas for charging the mobile robot, and the charging piles are located on the boundary of the first working area or outside the first working area.

[0022] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, where the charging pile is located outside the first working area, before moving along the boundary of the first working area, the processing unit is further configured to: charge the mobile robot at the charging pile; and move the mobile robot in response to a second remote control command from the remote control device to generate a second connectivity path, the second connectivity path connecting the charging pile and the first working area.

[0023] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the processing unit is specifically configured to: in response to the second remote control command, move the mobile robot from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area, and generate the second connecting path based on the third positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0024] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the boundary of the first working area and / or the boundary of the second working area are obtained by the mobile robot recognizing the images acquired by the vision sensor.

[0025] In conjunction with the second aspect, in one possible implementation of the second aspect, the mobile robot is a lawnmower robot, and the first working area and the second working area are lawns.

[0026] Thirdly, this application provides a map-building chip, which includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is used to store program instructions; the processor invokes the program instructions in the memory to cause a mobile robot installed on the chip to perform the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0027] Fourthly, this application provides a mobile robot that includes the apparatus described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect, or includes the chip described in the third aspect.

[0028] Fifthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a mobile robot equipped with the processor to implement the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation thereof.

[0029] In a sixth aspect, this application provides a computer program product that, when executed by a processor, causes a mobile robot equipped with the processor to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect.

[0030] For example, the computer program product may be a software installation package. Attached Figure Description

[0031] 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.

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a map building system provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a map construction method for multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another type of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another map construction method for multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another type of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another type of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] It is understood that the terminology in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this application. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Unless the context clearly states otherwise, the singular forms "a" and "described" are also intended to include the plural forms. The term "comprising," and any variations thereof, is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. Furthermore, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The purpose of providing the following specific embodiments is to facilitate a clearer and more thorough understanding of the disclosure of this application, wherein terms indicating orientation such as up, down, left, and right refer only to the position of the illustrated structure in the corresponding drawings. In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "linked," and "set on" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] The following description provides preferred embodiments for carrying out this application; however, this description is for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0044] Referring to Figure 1, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a map building system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the map building system includes a mobile robot and a remote control device, wherein the remote control device can control the movement of the mobile robot, and the remote control device and the mobile robot communicate wirelessly.

[0045] Here, the mobile robot includes a wireless communication module, a positioning sensor, and a vision sensor. The wireless communication module can be, for example, a Long Range Radio (LoRa) module or other types of radio frequency modules. The positioning sensor enables self-localization and can be a Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) module, LiDAR, ultrasonic radar, inertial sensors (such as accelerometers and gyroscopes), etc. The vision sensor can acquire images of the surrounding environment and support target recognition and classification (e.g., the boundary of the work area). Vision sensors can be, for example, cameras or webcams.

[0046] For example, a mobile robot can be a lawnmower, snowplow, sweeping robot, or other device or apparatus that has map-building and mobility functions.

[0047] For example, the remote control device can be a terminal device (such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc.), a remote control handle, or other device capable of controlling the mobile robot. When the remote control device is a terminal device, a client for controlling the mobile robot is installed on the terminal device. The client can be software running on the terminal device, or implemented in the form of an application (APP), plugin, or other software. In some solutions, the client can also be an application client or a web client accessed via a browser.

[0048] Here, Figure 1 is merely an example of a map building system and is not intended to limit the map building system to only those shown in Figure 1. The method provided in this application embodiment can be applied to the aforementioned map building system. In some solutions, the map building system may further include a network-side device, which may be, for example, a cloud server or a server-side application, and may be deployed in a cloud environment or an edge environment. For example, the network-side device can obtain the positioning information recorded by the mobile robot during its movement from the mobile robot, and generate a boundary map of the corresponding work area, a connecting path between different work areas, or a map of the area where the corresponding work is located based on the positioning information.

[0049] Referring to Figure 2, which is a flowchart of a map construction method for multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application, this method can be applied to the map construction system shown in Figure 1, specifically between a mobile robot and a remote control device. The map construction system is used to construct maps of multiple regions. The example provided illustrates the scheme by including a first working area and a second working area, but does not limit the multiple regions to only two working areas. For example, the mobile robot is a lawnmower robot, and the first and second working areas are lawn areas.

[0050] The method shown in the embodiment of Figure 2 includes, but is not limited to, the following steps S201-S204.

[0051] S201: The mobile robot moves along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area.

[0052] In one implementation, the boundary of the first working area can be obtained by the mobile robot recognizing images captured by a vision sensor. The mobile robot then moves along the recognized boundary of the first working area. Here, the vision sensor can be integrated into the mobile robot or set up independently. The description of the vision sensor is similar to that in Figure 1 and will not be repeated here. In some solutions, the mobile robot can also move along the boundary of the first working area based on remote control commands from a remote control device. That is, the user controls the remote control device to make the mobile robot move along the boundary of the first working area, eliminating the need for a vision sensor to recognize the boundary. This reduces the data processing load on the mobile robot and saves power.

[0053] In one implementation, a mobile robot moves along the boundary of a first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area. This includes: the mobile robot moving along the boundary of the first working area and recording first positioning information during its movement; and the mobile robot generating the boundary map of the first working area based on the first positioning information. In some solutions, such as a map building system, a network-side device is also included. When the mobile robot records the first positioning information, it can send this information to the network-side device, enabling the network-side device to generate the boundary map of the first working area based on the first positioning information.

[0054] Here, the first positioning information includes the coordinates of multiple location points of the mobile robot's own position recorded during its movement along the boundary of the first working area.

[0055] For example, the localization of a mobile robot can be achieved through at least one of the following methods: RTK localization, visual localization, ultrasonic localization, and lidar localization. Visual localization can be, for example, visual-inertial odometry (VIO) localization. RTK localization is a differential localization technique based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0056] In some solutions, the mobile robot can move at least one lap along the boundary of the first working area. This increases the number of location points recorded in the first positioning information, avoids missing data at the boundary of the first working area, and helps improve the accuracy of the generated boundary map of the first working area.

[0057] Here, the boundary map of the first working area is used to represent the boundary or outline of the first working area. The boundary map of the first working area contains no obstacle information within the first working area, or only a small amount of obstacle information. An obstacle refers to an entity that affects the trajectory of the mobile robot. For example, obstacles can be tables and chairs, pools, houses, trees, flower beds, construction signs, cardboard boxes, hay frames, utility poles, etc.

[0058] S202: In response to a first remote control command from the remote control device, the mobile robot moves to generate a first connecting path, the first connecting path being used to connect a first working area and a second working area.

[0059] In other words, the remote control device sends a first remote control command to the mobile robot, and the mobile robot moves based on the first remote control command to generate a first connected path.

[0060] In one implementation, the mobile robot moves based on a first remote control command to generate a first connected path, including: the mobile robot moves from a first position on the boundary of a first working area to a second position on the boundary of a second working area based on the first remote control command, and generates the first connected path according to second positioning information recorded during the movement.

[0061] Here, the first position can be any position on the boundary of the first working area, and the second position can be any position on the boundary of the second working area.

[0062] Here, the second positioning information includes the coordinate information of multiple location points recorded by the mobile robot during its movement from the first location to the second location. The first connecting path is a movement path connecting the first location on the boundary of the first working area and the second location on the boundary of the second working area. For example, the first connecting path can be a straight line or a curve.

[0063] S203: The mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second work area to generate a boundary map of the second work area.

[0064] For example, the boundary of the second working area can be obtained by the mobile robot recognizing images captured by a vision sensor. In some solutions, the mobile robot can also move along the boundary of the second working area based on remote control commands from a remote control device, in which case the boundary of the second working area does not need to be recognized by the mobile robot.

[0065] In one implementation, a mobile robot moves along the boundary of a second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area. This includes: the mobile robot moving along the boundary of the second working area and recording third positioning information during the movement; and the mobile robot generating the boundary map of the second working area based on the third positioning information. The third positioning information includes the coordinates of multiple location points of the mobile robot's own position recorded during its movement along the boundary of the second working area.

[0066] For example, the movement of the mobile robot along the boundary of the second work area can be: the mobile robot moves at least one circle along the boundary of the second work area.

[0067] The boundary map of the second working area is used to represent the boundary or outline of the second working area. The boundary map of the second working area contains no information about obstacles within the second working area, or only a small amount of information about obstacles within the second working area. Here, obstacles can be referred to in the description of the corresponding content in S201, and will not be repeated here.

[0068] For example, in S201-S203 above, S202 can be executed between S201 and S203, for example, S201, S202 and S203 can be executed sequentially, or S203, S202 and S201 can be executed sequentially. In some solutions, S202 can also be executed before S201 and S203, for example, S202, S203 and S201 can be executed sequentially, or S202, S201 and S203 can be executed sequentially.

[0069] S204: The mobile robot explores the first and second working areas based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area.

[0070] It is understandable that S204 needs to be executed after S201-S203.

[0071] In one implementation, before executing S2034, the mobile robot may also receive an exploration and mapping instruction from a remote control device; the mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area, including: in response to the exploration and mapping instruction, the mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area.

[0072] In one implementation, when S203 (i.e., generating the boundary map of the second working area) is executed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are established, the mobile robot explores the first working area and the second working area according to the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct the area map of the first working area and the area map of the second working area. This includes: the mobile robot first explores the second working area according to the boundary map of the second working area to generate the area map of the second working area; then the mobile robot moves from the second working area to the first working area along the first connecting path; and finally the mobile robot explores the first working area according to the boundary map of the first working area to generate the area map of the first working area.

[0073] Taking the example of a mobile robot exploring a first working area based on a boundary map of that first working area, "exploration" means that the mobile robot can move freely within the area restricted by the boundary map of the first working area (i.e., the unknown environment within the first working area). The mobile robot collects environmental perception information around itself through its own sensors (such as the aforementioned lidar, camera, inertial measurement unit, etc.) and processes the environmental perception information using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology to achieve localization and the construction of a regional map of the first working area.

[0074] For example, the exploration strategy of the mobile robot within the first working area can be spiral exploration, grid exploration, dynamic exploration, etc. Spiral exploration refers to starting from the starting point and moving forward in a certain spiral pattern to gradually cover the first working area; grid exploration refers to dividing the first working area into multiple grids based on the boundary map of the first working area, and the mobile robot explores the area of ​​each grid in a predetermined order; dynamic exploration refers to the mobile robot adjusting its exploration route and strategy according to changes in the environment or feedback from sensors during the exploration process.

[0075] It is understandable that after the mobile robot executes S203, it will be in the second working area. Considering the principle of proximity, the mobile robot can first explore the second working area to generate a map of the second working area, then move to the first working area along the first connecting path, and then explore the first working area to generate a map of the first working area. This reduces the number of times the mobile robot travels back and forth between the first and second working areas, which is conducive to improving the efficiency of map construction.

[0076] Taking the area map of the first working area as an example, it can be understood that the area map of the first working area not only includes the boundary map of the first working area, but also the map information within the first working area. The area map of the first working area can be a high-precision map.

[0077] For example, the map information within the first working area includes obstacle information within the first working area, wherein the obstacles within the first working area include one or more of the following: tables and chairs, pools, houses, trees, flower beds, construction signs, cardboard boxes, hay frames, utility poles, etc. Similarly, the area map of the second working area can be described similarly to the area map of the first working area, and for the sake of brevity, it will not be repeated here.

[0078] Referring to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application, Figure 3 shows two working regions and the connecting path between them. The two working regions are the first working region and the second working region, respectively. Position A is a first position on the boundary of the first working region, and position B is a second position on the boundary of the second working region. The path connecting position A and position B is called the first connecting path, which connects the first working region and the second working region.

[0079] In Figure 3, the user controls the remote control device to make the mobile robot move from the first working area to the second working area or from the second working area to the first working area based on the remote control instructions of the remote control device. Thus, the mobile robot generates the first connected path based on the positioning information recorded during the process of moving from the first working area to the second working area, or the mobile robot generates the first connected path based on the positioning information recorded during the process of moving from the second working area to the first working area.

[0080] As shown in Figure 3, the first connecting path is the shortest path connecting the first working area and the second working area. In some schemes, the first connecting path can also be other paths connecting the first working area and the second working area.

[0081] For example, in Figure 3, the process of the mobile robot performing map building for multiple areas is described in A11 and A12 below.

[0082] A11: The mobile robot establishes a boundary map of the first working area, a boundary map of the second working area, and a first connecting path for connecting the first working area and the second working area.

[0083] For example, the mobile robot first moves along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; then the mobile robot moves from position A in Figure 3 to position B in Figure 3 based on the first remote control command from the remote control device, and stores its own walking trajectory from position A to position B as the first connected path; then the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area.

[0084] A12: The mobile robot freely explores the first and second working areas based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path, so as to construct the area map of the first working area and the area map of the second working area respectively.

[0085] For example, assuming the mobile robot stops in the second working area after executing A11, the mobile robot first freely explores the second working area based on the boundary map of the second working area to generate a regional map of the second working area. After the regional map of the second working area is established, it moves from position B in Figure 3 to position A in Figure 3 along the first connecting path. Finally, it freely explores the first working area based on the boundary map of the first working area to generate a regional map of the first working area.

[0086] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the mobile robot first establishes boundary maps of each work area and creates connecting paths between different work areas according to remote control commands. Then, based on these connecting paths and the boundary maps of each work area, the mobile robot autonomously explores and constructs the area maps of each work area. In this scheme, the mobile robot's acquisition of work area boundary maps is quick. After the boundary maps of each work area and the connecting paths between different areas are established, the mobile robot can freely explore and autonomously construct the area maps of each work area without user intervention. Therefore, the user waiting time is short, making it user-friendly.

[0087] In some possible embodiments, charging stations are provided in the aforementioned multiple areas for charging the mobile robot. The charging stations can be located on the boundary of any of the working areas, or they can be located outside the working areas.

[0088] Referring to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of another type of multiple regions provided in the application embodiment. Compared to Figure 3, the multiple regions shown in Figure 4 also include charging piles. The charging piles are set on the boundary of the first working area. Before executing the aforementioned S201, the mobile robot first charges at the charging piles to ensure that the mobile robot has sufficient power when building the map of multiple regions.

[0089] In some solutions, the charging pile is located outside the first working area. The map construction method for multiple areas provided in this application embodiment is shown in Figure 5. The method shown in Figure 5 includes, but is not limited to, the following steps S501-S506, wherein S503 is the same as S201, S504 is the same as S202, S505 is the same as S203, and S506 is the same as S204. For the sake of brevity, these steps will not be repeated here. The following mainly describes S501 and S502.

[0090] S501: The mobile robot is charging at the charging station.

[0091] S502: The mobile robot moves in response to a second remote control command from the remote control device to generate a second connectivity path, which connects the charging station and the first working area.

[0092] In one implementation, the mobile robot moves in response to a second remote control command from a remote control device to generate a second connected path, including: the mobile robot receiving the second remote control command from the remote control device; the mobile robot moving from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area based on the second remote control command; and recording fourth positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; and the mobile robot generating the second connected path based on the fourth positioning information.

[0093] Here, the fourth positioning information includes the coordinates of multiple location points of the mobile robot's own position recorded during the process of the mobile robot moving from the charging pile to any location on the boundary of the first working area.

[0094] In some solutions, once the area maps for each work area are established, the mobile robot can also go to a charging station to charge.

[0095] Referring to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of another type of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application. Compared to Figure 3, the multiple regions shown in Figure 6 include a charging pile, which is located outside the first working area. In this case, the mobile robot charges at the charging pile first. After charging is completed, the mobile robot moves from the charging pile to position C in Figure 6 based on the second remote control command of the remote control device. Position C is any position on the boundary of the first working area. The walking path of the mobile robot during the process of moving from the charging pile to position C is stored as the second connected path. Then the mobile robot can execute the aforementioned S201-S204 (or S503-S506), or refer to the relevant description in Figure 3 above, which will not be repeated here.

[0096] The application of the above method is illustrated below using Figure 7 as an example, with multiple regions including a first working region, a second working region, and a third working region. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of another type of multiple regions provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0097] For example, in Figure 7, the process of the mobile robot performing map building for multiple areas is described in B11 and B12 below.

[0098] B11: The mobile robot establishes boundary maps of the first working area, the second working area, the third working area, connecting path 1, and connecting path 2, wherein connecting path 1 is used to connect the first working area and the second working area, and connecting path 2 is used to connect the second working area and the third working area.

[0099] For example, the mobile robot first moves along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area. After the boundary map of the first working area is generated, the mobile robot moves from position A in Figure 3 to position B in Figure 7 based on the remote control command of the remote control device, and stores its own walking trajectory from position A to position B as connected path 1. Next, the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area. After the boundary map of the second working area is generated, the mobile robot moves from position C in Figure 7 to position D in Figure 3 based on the remote control command of the remote control device, and stores its own walking trajectory from position C to position D as connected path 2. Finally, the mobile robot moves along the boundary of the third working area to generate a boundary map of the third working area. It can be seen that the generation order is as follows: boundary map of the first working area → connected path 1 → boundary map of the second working area → connected path 2 → boundary map of the third working area.

[0100] B12: The mobile robot freely explores the first, second, and third working areas based on the boundary maps of the first, second, and third working areas, as well as connecting path 1 and connecting path 2, to construct area maps of the first, second, and third working areas respectively.

[0101] For example, assuming the mobile robot stops in the third working area after executing B11, the mobile robot first freely explores the third working area based on its boundary map to generate a region map of the third working area. After the region map of the third working area is established, the mobile robot can plan its movement path from its current position to position D in Figure 7 based on the region map of the third working area, navigate to position D according to the movement path, and then move from position D in Figure 7 to position C in Figure 7 along connected path 2. The mobile robot freely explores the second working area based on its boundary map to generate a region map of the second working area. After the region map of the second working area is established, the mobile robot can plan its movement path from its current position to position B in Figure 7 based on the region map of the second working area, navigate to position B according to the movement path, and then move from position B in Figure 7 to position A in Figure 7 along connected path 1. The mobile robot freely explores the first working area based on its boundary map to generate a region map of the first working area. It can be seen that the generation order of the region maps is as follows: region map of the third working area → region map of the second working area → region map of the first working area.

[0102] In this way, the number of times the mobile robot travels between different work areas and the area maps of each work area can be minimized during the process of generating boundary maps and area maps of each work area. This also reduces the number of paths the mobile robot takes outside the work area, which helps to improve the mapping efficiency of multiple areas. Moreover, the map building process of the work area does not require user intervention, which reduces user waiting time and is user-friendly.

[0103] Referring to Figure 8, which is a schematic diagram of a control device provided in an embodiment of this application, the computing device 30 includes a communication unit 310 and a processing unit 312. This computing device 30 can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.

[0104] Here, the computing device 30 is included in the mobile robot. The processing unit 312 is configured to perform the following operations: move the mobile robot along the boundary of a first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; in response to a first remote control command received from a remote control device by the communication unit 310, move the mobile robot to generate a first connecting path, the first connecting path connecting the first working area and the second working area; move the mobile robot along the boundary of a second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area; and, based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path, enable the mobile robot to explore the first and second working areas to construct a region map of the first and second working areas.

[0105] The computing device 30 can be used to implement the method on the mobile robot side described in FIG2. In the embodiment of FIG2, the communication unit 310 and the processing unit 312 jointly execute S202, and the processing unit 312 is also used to execute S201, S203, and S204. In some embodiments, the computing device 30 can be used to implement the method on the mobile robot side described in the embodiment of FIG5, which will not be described again here.

[0106] One or more of the units in the computing device 30 shown in Figure 8 above can be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof. The software or firmware includes, but is not limited to, computer program instructions or code, and can be executed by a hardware processor. The hardware includes, but is not limited to, various integrated circuits, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0107] Referring to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application, the electronic device 40 includes a processor 411, a communication interface 412, a memory 413, and a bus 414. The processor 411, the memory 413, and the communication interface 412 communicate with each other via the bus 414. It should be understood that this application does not limit the number of processors and memories in the electronic device 40.

[0108] In one implementation, the electronic device 40 may be the aforementioned mobile robot or may be included within the mobile robot.

[0109] Bus 414 can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, only one line is used in Figure 9, but this does not indicate that there is only one bus or one type of bus. Bus 414 can include pathways for transmitting information between various components of electronic device 40 (e.g., memory 413, processor 411, communication interface 412).

[0110] Processor 411 may consist of one or more general-purpose processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), or a combination of a CPU and hardware chips. The aforementioned hardware chips may be application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or combinations thereof. The aforementioned PLDs may be complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), generic array logic (GALs), or any combination thereof.

[0111] Memory 413 provides storage space, which can store data such as the operating system and computer programs. Memory 413 can be one or a combination of several of the following: random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), read-only memory (ROM), or compact disc read memory (CD-ROM). Memory 413 can exist independently or be integrated within processor 411.

[0112] The communication interface 412 can be used to provide information input or output to the processor 411. Alternatively, the communication interface 412 can be used to receive and / or send data to externally transmitted data, and can be a wired link interface including an Ethernet cable, or a wireless link interface (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, general wireless transmission, etc.). Alternatively, the communication interface 412 may also include a transmitter (such as an RF transmitter, antenna, etc.) or a receiver coupled to the interface.

[0113] The processor 411 in the electronic device 40 is used to read the computer program stored in the memory 413 to execute the aforementioned method, such as the method on the mobile robot side described in the embodiments of FIG2 and FIG5.

[0114] In one possible design, electronic device 40 may be one or more modules in an execution subject (e.g., a mobile robot) performing the method shown in FIG2, and processor 411 may be used to read one or more computer programs stored in memory for performing the following operations:

[0115] Move along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area;

[0116] The device moves in response to a first remote control command from the remote control device to generate a first connectivity path, which connects a first working area and a second working area.

[0117] Move along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area;

[0118] Explore the first and second working areas based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path, so as to construct the area map of the first working area and the area map of the second working area respectively.

[0119] In the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0120] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative logical blocks (ILBs) and steps described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0121] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0122] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0123] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0124] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved, in whole or in part, through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it can be implemented, in whole or in part, as a computer program product. A computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the flow or function according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state drive), etc.

[0125] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A method for constructing maps of multiple regions, characterized in that, The method is applied to a mobile robot, wherein the plurality of areas includes a first working area and a second working area, and the method includes: Move along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area; The device moves in response to a first remote control command from the remote control device to generate a first connectivity path, the first connectivity path being used to connect the first working area and the second working area; Move along the boundary of the second working area to generate a boundary map of the second working area; Explore the first and second working areas based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a region map of the first working area and a region map of the second working area.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of moving along the boundary of the first working area to generate a boundary map of the first working area includes: The robot moves along the boundary of the first working area and records its first positioning information during the movement. Based on the first location information, a boundary map of the first working area is generated.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The movement in response to a first remote control command from the remote control device to generate a first connected path includes: In response to the first remote control command, the device moves from a first position on the boundary of the first working area to a second position on the boundary of the second working area, and generates the first connecting path based on the second positioning information recorded during the movement.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive exploration and mapping instructions from the remote control device; The step of exploring the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a regional map of the first working area and a regional map of the second working area includes: in response to the exploration and mapping instruction, exploring the first working area and the second working area based on the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and the first connecting path to construct a regional map of the first working area and a regional map of the second working area.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The generation of the boundary map of the second working area is performed after the boundary map of the first working area and the first connecting path are established. The step of exploring the first and second working areas based on the boundary maps of the first and second working areas, and the first connecting path, to construct the area maps of the first and second working areas, includes: Explore the second working area based on the boundary map of the second working area to generate a region map of the second working area; Move from the second work area to the first work area along the first connecting path; Explore the first working area based on the boundary map of the first working area to generate a region map of the first working area.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, Charging piles are provided in the multiple areas. The charging piles are used to charge the mobile robot. The charging piles are located on the boundary of the first working area or outside the first working area.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, When the charging station is located outside the first working area, the method further includes, before moving along the boundary of the first working area: Charge at the charging station; The device moves in response to a second remote control command from the remote control device to generate a second connectivity path, the second connectivity path being used to connect the charging pile with the first working area.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The movement in response to a second remote control command from the remote control device to generate a second connectivity path includes: In response to the second remote control command, the device moves from the charging pile to any position on the boundary of the first working area and generates the second connection path based on the third positioning information recorded during the movement.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The boundaries of the first working area and / or the second working area are obtained by the mobile robot recognizing the images acquired by the vision sensor.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The mobile robot is a lawnmower robot, and the first and second working areas are lawns.

11. A method for constructing maps of multiple regions, characterized in that, The plurality of regions include a first working region and a second working region, and the method includes: The mobile robot acquires the boundary map of the first working area, the boundary map of the second working area, and a first connecting path for connecting the first working area and the second working area; The mobile robot autonomously explores the area defined by the boundary map of the second work area to generate a regional map of the second work area; The mobile robot moves from the second work area to the first work area along the first connecting path; The mobile robot autonomously explores within the area defined by the boundary map of the first work area to generate a regional map of the first work area.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: the mobile robot moving along the boundary of the first working area and recording the first positioning information of the mobile robot during the movement; The mobile robot generates a boundary map of the first working area based on the first positioning information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The movement of the mobile robot along the boundary of the first working area includes: the mobile robot moving along the boundary of the first working area based on remote control commands from a remote control device.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The method further includes: the mobile robot moving from the first working area to the second working area based on the remote control command of the remote control device, and generating the first connecting path according to the second positioning information recorded during the movement.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11-14, characterized in that, The mobile robot autonomously explores within the area restricted by the boundary map of the first working area to generate a region map of the first working area, including: the mobile robot moves within the area restricted by the boundary map of the first working area, and collects environmental perception information of its surroundings through sensors, and processes the environmental perception information to generate a region map of the first working area.

16. An apparatus for map construction, characterized in that, The device is a mobile robot or is included in the mobile robot. The device includes a communication unit and a processing unit. The device is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-10 or 11-15, or the device causes the mobile robot to implement the method according to any one of claims 1-10 or 11-15.

17. A chip for map building, characterized in that, The chip includes a processor and a memory, the memory being used to store instructions, and the processor being used to execute the instructions stored in the memory to enable a mobile robot equipped with the chip to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 or 11-15.

18. A mobile robot, characterized in that, The mobile robot includes the device as described in claim 16, or the chip as described in claim 17.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, Includes computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a mobile robot equipped with the processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 or 11-15.

Images