Autonomous mobile robot, method for docking an autonomous mobile robot, control device and smart cleaning system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous mobile robots often fail to dock smoothly due to distance-related issues with receiving homing signals from charging stations, leading to unsuccessful docking and requiring manual intervention, which lowers user experience.
Innovation Solution
A method involving determining a first effective area and an optimal point on its boundary within the homing signal coverage of the charging station, allowing the robot to move towards the charging station without obstacles, using sensors like laser distance sensors and confined area detectors to navigate and stop at a predetermined distance, ensuring reliable docking without manual operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the autonomous mobile robot uses conventional homing signal reception for docking, then the docking process is simple, but the docking fails when the distance between the robot and charging station is large
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary area detection and optimal point calculation before actual docking. The control device pre-processes environment information to identify effective areas and boundaries, then guides the robot to move to the optimal point on the boundary where homing signal reception is most reliable, ensuring successful docking before the actual docking operation begins
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from simple signal-based docking to a spatial-dimensional approach by defining effective areas and boundaries in the environment. The robot navigates to an optimal point on the boundary of the effective area, using spatial position as an additional dimension to ensure reliable homing signal reception during docking
2Reliability
If the autonomous mobile robot moves directly towards the charging station, then the docking process is fast, but the robot may encounter obstacles or fail to receive homing signals
Solution Approach 1:
The control device pre-calculates the optimal point on the effective area boundary before the robot begins movement. This preliminary calculation ensures the robot moves directly to the optimal position where homing signals are most reliable, avoiding unnecessary detours or obstacle encounters during the actual docking process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces simple mechanical navigation (moving directly toward charging station) with an intelligent control system that processes environment information, calculates effective areas and boundaries, and determines optimal docking positions. This substitution of mechanical navigation with intelligent control ensures both reliable signal reception and efficient docking
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is related to a method for docking an autonomous mobile robot. A first effective area is determined A first effective boundary is determined from the one or more first boundaries of the first effective area. An optimal point on the first effective boundary is determined. The autonomous mobile robot is controlled to move to the optimal point. The steps are repeated to make the autonomous mobile robot reach the vicinity of the charging station. The optimal point may be determined from one or more candidate optimal points. Each candidate optimal point defines a respective second effective area centering on the candidate optimal point and overlapping with the first effective area to form a respective overlapping area. The respective overlapping area associated with the optimal point is smallest among the respective overlapping areas associated with the one or more candidate optimal points.