CN116149307A - Self-walking equipment and obstacle avoidance method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A self-walking apparatus and obstacle avoidance method thereof, the self-walking apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body; a first light detection device provided on a side wall of the apparatus body and configured to detect an obstacle in a first area; and a second light detection device disposed on a side wall of the apparatus body and adjacent to the first light detection device, configured to detect an obstacle in a second region, the second region being located between the first region and the apparatus body.

Description

Self-walking equipment and obstacle avoidance method thereof

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to the field of self-walking equipment, in particular to self-walking equipment and an obstacle avoidance method thereof.

Background

With the development of artificial intelligence technology, various intelligent self-walking devices such as a sweeping robot, a mopping robot, a dust collector, a weeding machine and the like are developed. The cleaning robots can automatically identify surrounding obstacles in the working process and execute obstacle avoidance operation on the obstacles, so that the cleaning robots not only liberate labor force and save labor cost, but also improve cleaning efficiency.

Disclosure of Invention

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a self-walking device comprising:

An apparatus main body;

a first light detection device provided on a side wall of the apparatus body and configured to detect an obstacle in a first area; and

and a second light detection device disposed on a side wall of the apparatus body and adjacent to the first light detection device, configured to detect an obstacle in a second region, the second region being located between the first region and the apparatus body.

In some embodiments, the first light detection device comprises:

a first light emitter configured to emit a first light beam having a first light exit angle in a first direction perpendicular to a walking surface of the self-walking device, the first light beam impinging on an obstacle in the first area to generate a first feedback light; and

the light receiver is arranged adjacent to the first light emitter and is configured to receive the first feedback light, the light receiver is provided with a first light receiving angle in a first direction perpendicular to the running surface of the self-walking equipment, and the first light receiving angle is larger than the first light emitting angle.

In some embodiments, the second light detection device comprises:

a second light emitter configured to emit a second light beam that impinges on an obstacle of a second area to generate a second feedback light,

The optical receiver is further configured to receive the second feedback light.

In some embodiments, the self-receiving device further comprises a processor electrically connected to the first and second light detection means, the processor configured to control the first and second light emitters to emit the first and second light beams, respectively, the processor further configured to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking device based on the first and/or second feedback light received by the light receiver.

In some embodiments, the processor is configured to control the first and second light emitters to emit the first and second light beams, respectively, comprising:

the processor is configured to generate a first light emission signal and a second light emission signal and to transmit the first light emission signal and the second light emission signal to the first light emitter and the second light emitter, respectively, the first light emitter emitting the first light beam based on the first light emission signal and the second light emitter emitting the second light beam based on the second light emission signal.

In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking device based on the first feedback light and/or second feedback light received by the light receiver:

The processor is configured to determine a first distance between an obstacle in a first area and the device body based on the first feedback light and/or a second distance between an obstacle in a second area and the device body based on the second feedback light and to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking device based on the first distance and/or the second distance.

In some embodiments, the first light emission signal and the second light emission signal are both pulsed signals, and the first light beam and the second light beam are both pulsed light beams.

In some embodiments, the pulse period of the first light emission signal is the same as the pulse period of the second light emission signal, and the pulses of the first light emission signal are spaced apart from the pulses of the second light emission signal.

In some embodiments, the pulse period of the second light emission signal is M times the pulse period of the first light emission signal, M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, and the pulses of the second light emission signal at least partially overlap in time with the pulses of the first light emission signal.

In some embodiments, the first light beam is planar light and the second light beam is linear light.

In some embodiments, the wavelength of the first light beam is the same as or different from the wavelength of the second light beam.

In some embodiments, the intensity of the first light beam is the same as or different from the intensity of the second light beam.

In some embodiments, the second light detection device is further away from the bottom of the self-walking device than the first light detection device in a first direction perpendicular to the walking surface of the self-walking device.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an obstacle avoidance method for a self-walking device, including:

controlling a first light detection device to detect an obstacle in a first area;

controlling a second light detection device to detect an obstacle in a second area, wherein the second area is located between the first area and the apparatus main body; and

and determining an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking equipment based on detection results of the first light detection device and the second light detection device.

Compared with the related art, the method has at least the following technical effects:

detecting obstacles in a first area and a second area respectively through the cooperation of the first light detection device and the second light detection device, wherein the second area is closer to the equipment main body of the self-walking equipment than the first area, so that the obstacle avoidance effect is ensured;

The first feedback light corresponding to the first light beam emitted by the first light emitter of the first light detection device and the second feedback light corresponding to the second light beam emitted by the second light emitter of the second light detection device are received by the light receiver of the first light detection device, and only one light receiver is adopted, so that the production cost is reduced;

the first light emitter emits the first light beam based on the first light emission signal, the second light emitter emits the second light beam based on the second light emission signal, and the self-walking equipment can achieve SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) image construction and has a good obstacle avoidance function through the design of the first light emission signal and the second light emission signal.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, a brief description will be given below of the drawings required for the embodiments or the description of the prior art, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present disclosure, and other drawings may be obtained according to these drawings without inventive effort for a person skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an application scenario provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a structural perspective view of the self-propelled device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the self-walking device provided by embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of detection of a self-walking device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of detection of a self-walking device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of detection of a self-walking device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 7 is a waveform diagram of a first optical transmission signal, a second optical transmission signal, and an optical reception signal of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 8 is a waveform diagram of a first optical transmission signal, a second optical transmission signal, and an optical reception signal of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of an obstacle avoidance method for a self-walking device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 10 is an electronic structure schematic diagram of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the disclosure.

Detailed Description

For the purposes of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present disclosure, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without inventive effort, based on the embodiments in this disclosure are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure.

The terminology used in the embodiments of the disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used in this disclosure of embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the "plurality" generally includes at least two.

It should be understood that the term "and/or" as used herein is merely one relationship describing the association of the associated objects, meaning that there may be three relationships, e.g., a and/or B, may represent: a exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone. In addition, the character "/" herein generally indicates that the front and rear associated objects are an "or" relationship.

It should also be noted that the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such product or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other like elements in a commodity or device comprising such element.

The present disclosure provides a self-walking device, characterized in that the self-walking device comprises: an apparatus main body; a first light detection device provided on a side wall of the apparatus body and configured to detect an obstacle in a first area; and a second light detection device disposed on a side wall of the apparatus body and adjacent to the first light detection device, configured to detect an obstacle in a second region, the second region being located between the first region and the apparatus body. The first light detection device and the second light detection device are matched to detect the obstacle in the first area and the second area respectively, wherein the second area is closer to the equipment main body of the self-walking equipment than the first area, and the SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) image building function is achieved while the good obstacle avoidance function is guaranteed.

The present disclosure is described below in terms of specific embodiments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide one possible application scenario that includes a self-walking device 100, such as a floor sweeping robot, a mopping robot, a dust collector, a weeder, and the like. In certain embodiments. In this embodiment, fig. 1 is a schematic view of an application scenario provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 1, taking a home-type sweeping robot as an example for explanation, in a working process of the sweeping robot, a detection device 130, for example, an image detection device, a light detection device, etc. at a front end of the sweeping robot obtains a front view field image in real time, performs obstacle avoidance, SLAM mapping or other operations according to analysis of the view field image, for example, identifies an obstacle 200, etc., determines a category of the obstacle according to search comparison of a storage database, and performs different schemes according to different categories. In this embodiment, the sweeping robot may be provided with a touch-sensitive display or controlled by a mobile terminal to receive an operation instruction input by a user. The sweeping robot can be provided with various sensors, such as a buffer, a cliff sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an odometer and other sensing devices, and can be further provided with a wireless communication module such as a WIFI module and a Bluetooth module so as to be connected with an intelligent terminal or a server, and receive operation instructions transmitted by the intelligent terminal or the server through the wireless communication module.

Fig. 2 is a structural perspective view of the self-walking device provided by embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 2, the self-walking device 100 may travel on the ground by various combinations of movements relative to three mutually perpendicular axes defined by the device body 110: front-rear axis X, lateral axis Y and central vertical axis Z. The forward driving direction along the front-rear axis X is denoted as "forward direction", and the backward driving direction along the front-rear axis X is denoted as "backward direction". The direction of the transverse axis Y is substantially the direction extending between the right and left wheels of the self-walking device 100 along the axle center defined by the center point of the drive wheel module 141.

The self-walking device 100 can rotate about the Y-axis. The rearward portion of the self-walking device 100 is "pitched up" when it is tilted upward, and the rearward portion is "pitched down" when it is tilted upward, as the forward portion of the self-walking device 100 is tilted downward. Additionally, the self-walking device 100 can rotate about the Z-axis. In the forward direction of the self-walking device 100, when the self-walking device 100 is tilted to the right of the X-axis, it is "right turn", and when the self-walking device 100 is tilted to the left of the X-axis, it is "left turn".

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the self-walking device 100 includes a device main body 110, a sensing system 120, a control system, a driving system 140, a cleaning system, an energy system, and a man-machine interaction system.

The apparatus body 110 includes a forward portion 111 and a rearward portion 112 having an approximately circular shape (both front and rear are circular), and may have other shapes including, but not limited to, an approximately D-shape of a front rear circle and a rectangular or square shape of a front rear.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the sensing system 120 includes a position determining device 121 on the apparatus main body 110, a collision sensor provided on a buffer 122 of the forward portion 111 of the apparatus main body 110, a proximity sensor, a cliff sensor provided at a lower portion of the apparatus main body, and sensing devices such as a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope (Gyro), an odometer (ODO), etc. provided inside the apparatus main body for providing various position information and movement state information of the machine to the control system. The position determining device 121 includes, but is not limited to, a camera or a laser ranging device (LDS, full scale Laser Distance Sensor).

As shown in fig. 1-3, the forward portion 111 of the device body 110 may carry a bumper 122, and the bumper 122 may detect one or more events in the travel path of the self-walking device 100 via a sensor system, such as a detection device, such as an infrared sensor, disposed thereon as the drive wheel module 141 advances the self-walking device across the floor during cleaning, and the self-walking device 100 may control the drive wheel module 141 to cause the self-walking device 100 to respond to the events, such as away from an obstacle, by the events detected by the bumper 122, such as an obstacle, a wall.

The control system is disposed on a circuit board in the device main body 110, and includes a non-transitory memory, such as a hard disk, a flash memory, a random access memory, a communication computing processor, such as a central processing unit and an application processor, and the application processor draws an instant map of the environment where the self-walking device is located according to the obstacle information fed back by the laser ranging device by using a positioning algorithm, such as an instant localization and mapping (SLAM, full name Simultaneous Localization And Mapping). And in combination with distance information and speed information fed back by sensing devices such as a sensor, a cliff sensor, a magnetometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope and/or an odometer arranged on the self-walking equipment 100, comprehensively judge what working state and position the sweeper is currently in, and the current pose of the sweeper, such as passing a threshold, applying a carpet, being positioned at the cliff, being blocked above or below, being full of dust boxes, being picked up and the like, and also giving specific next action strategies according to different conditions, so that the work of the self-walking equipment is more in accordance with the requirements of an owner, and better user experience is achieved.

As shown in fig. 1-3, the drive system 140 may maneuver the self-propelled device 100 to travel across the ground based on drive commands having distance and angle information (e.g., x, y, and θ components). The drive system 140 comprises a drive wheel module 141, which drive wheel module 141 can control both the left and right wheels simultaneously, preferably the drive wheel module 141 comprises a left drive wheel module and a right drive wheel module, respectively, in order to control the movement of the machine more precisely. The left and right drive wheel modules are disposed opposite along a lateral axis defined by the device body 110. To enable more stable movement or greater movement capability of the self-propelled device on the ground, the self-propelled device may include one or more driven wheels 142, including but not limited to universal wheels. The drive wheel module includes road wheels and a drive motor, and control circuitry to control the drive motor, and may also be connected to circuitry to measure drive current and an odometer. The driving wheel module 141 may be detachably coupled to the apparatus body 110 to facilitate disassembly and maintenance. The drive wheel may have a biased drop down suspension system movably secured, e.g., rotatably attached, to the device body 110 and receiving a spring bias biased downward and away from the device body 110. The spring bias allows the drive wheel to maintain contact and traction with the floor with a certain footprint while the cleaning elements of the self-propelled device 100 also contact the floor 10 with a certain pressure.

The cleaning system 150 may be a dry cleaning system and/or a wet cleaning system. As a dry cleaning system, a main cleaning function is derived from a cleaning system 151 composed of a roll brush, a dust box, a blower, an air outlet, and connection members between the four. The rolling brush with certain interference with the ground sweeps up the garbage on the ground and winds up the garbage in front of the dust collection opening between the rolling brush and the dust box, and then the dust box is sucked by the suction gas generated by the fan and passing through the dust box. The dry cleaning system may also include a side brush 152 having a rotating shaft that is angled relative to the floor for moving debris into the roll brush area of the cleaning system.

The energy system includes rechargeable batteries, such as nickel metal hydride batteries and lithium batteries. The rechargeable battery can be connected with a charging control circuit, a battery pack charging temperature detection circuit and a battery under-voltage monitoring circuit, and the charging control circuit, the battery pack charging temperature detection circuit and the battery under-voltage monitoring circuit are connected with the singlechip control circuit. The host computer charges through setting up the charging electrode in fuselage side or below and charging pile connection. If dust is attached to the exposed charging electrode, the plastic body around the electrode is melted and deformed due to the accumulation effect of the electric charge in the charging process, and even the electrode itself is deformed, so that normal charging cannot be continued.

The man-machine interaction system comprises keys on a panel of the host machine, wherein the keys are used for users to select functions; the system also comprises a display screen and/or an indicator light and/or a loudspeaker, wherein the display screen, the indicator light and the loudspeaker show the current state or function selection item of the machine to a user; a cell phone client program may also be included. For the path navigation type self-walking equipment, the map of the environment where the equipment is located and the position where the machine is located can be displayed to the user at the mobile phone client, and richer and humanized functional items can be provided for the user.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of detection of a self-walking device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 1-4, the self-walking device 100 includes: a device main body 110, a first light detecting means 131 and a second light detecting means 132. The device body 110 is substantially flat and cylindrical and may include a chassis, upper cover, bumper, decorative cover, etc. of the self-propelled device. Other components in the self-walking device 100, such as a dust box, a motor, etc., may be disposed inside the device body 110. The first light detecting means 131 is provided on a side wall of the apparatus body 110 and configured to detect an obstacle in the first area AR 1. Since the apparatus main body 110 includes more structures, the first light detecting device 131 may include a plurality of possible structures disposed on the side wall of the apparatus main body 110, and may be located on any one of the structures included in the apparatus main body 110, for example, in one embodiment, the first light detecting device 131 may be disposed on the side wall of the buffer, in another embodiment, the first light detector 131 may be disposed on the side wall of the chassis and exposed to the outside of the self-walking apparatus through the opening on the buffer, so that the first light detector 131 may detect the obstacle in the first area AR1, and in other embodiments, the first light detector 131 may be disposed on any one of the structures included in the apparatus main body 110, which is not limited in the disclosure. The second light detecting device 132 is disposed on a sidewall of the apparatus body and adjacent to the first light detecting device 131, and configured to detect an obstacle in a second area AR2, the second area AR2 being located between the first area AR1 and the apparatus body 110. The positional relationship between the second light detecting means 132 and the apparatus main body 110 may be set with reference to the position between the first light detecting means 131 and the apparatus main body 110. The first area AR1 shown in fig. 4 is a detectable area of the first light detecting device on the ground, and the second area AR2 is a detectable area of the second light detecting device on the ground. Although only the relative positional relationship between the first and second areas AR1 and AR2 on the floor and the apparatus main body is shown in the drawings, it is understood that on a plane parallel to the floor, which is not higher than any one of the first light detecting means 131 on the self-walking apparatus, the detection areas of the second light detecting means on the plane are located between the detection areas of the first light detecting means on the plane and the apparatus main body. The first light detecting device 131 and the second light detecting device 132 are matched to detect the obstacles in the first area AR1 and the second area AR2 respectively, so that the self-walking equipment can achieve SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) mapping and has a good obstacle avoidance function.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-4, the first light detection device 131 includes a first light emitter 1311 and a light receiver 1312. The first light emitter 1311 is configured to emit a first light beam, e.g. a planar light, the first light emitter 1311 having a first light exit angle α1 in a first direction, e.g. a vertical direction, the first light beam impinging on an obstacle within the first area AR1 generating a first feedback light. The optical receiver 1312 is disposed adjacent to the first optical transmitter 1311, for example, disposed adjacent to the first optical transmitter 1311 in a horizontal direction, and is configured to receive the first feedback light, and the optical receiver 1312 has a first light receiving angle β1 in a first direction, for example, in a vertical direction, the first light receiving angle β1 being greater than the first light emitting angle α1. The first light exit angle α1 is, for example, 10 ° -30 °, and the first light receiving angle β1 is, for example, 70 ° -90 °, so as to ensure that the first light beam emitted by the first light emitter 1311 is substantially received by the light receiver 1312 in response to the first feedback light.

In other embodiments, the light receiver 1312 and the first light emitter 1311 may also be disposed adjacent in the vertical direction. Although the optical receiver 1312 and the first optical transmitter 1311 are shown as separate elements, it is understood that in other embodiments, both may be integrated into one element.

The first light detection device 131 realizes detection of an obstacle and SLAM mapping by emitting a surface light beam and receiving a feedback light beam of the surface light beam. Specifically, for example, the first light detecting device 131 may measure a distance between an object in a working space Of the self-walking apparatus and the self-walking apparatus by a TOF (Time Of Flight) method, locate the object in the space, and acquire a topographical feature Of the detection area based on the feedback light Of the planar light beam, for example, a topographical feature including an obstacle object, and implement construction and perfecting Of a map based on the topographical feature. In order to achieve a better SLAM mapping function, the first light detecting device 131 needs to perform detection imaging on objects relatively far away, for example, objects far away around 6m, which requires that the first light emitting angle α1 of the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detecting device 131 should not be too large, typically 10 ° -30 °.

Since the first light emitting angle α1 of the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detecting device 131 is relatively small, as shown in fig. 4, the boundary of the surface-type light beam emitted from the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detecting device 131 near the ground intersects the ground GND at the point P, and the surface-type light beam emitted from the first light emitter 1311 can detect only the obstacle in the first area AR1, so that a large detection dead zone exists. An obstacle between the P point and the device body (i.e., an obstacle within the second area AR 2) may not be detected.

The present disclosure thus contemplates a second light detection device 132, which in some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1-4, the second light detection device 132 is further away from the bottom of the self-walking device in a first direction, e.g., a vertical direction, than the first light detection device 131. The second light detecting device 132 includes a second light emitter 1321 configured to emit a second light beam, for example, a line-shaped light beam, which irradiates the obstacle in the second area AR2 to generate second feedback light for detecting the obstacle in the second area AR to compensate for the detection dead zone existing in the first light detecting device 131.

In other embodiments, the second light detecting device 132 is closer to the bottom of the self-walking apparatus than the first light detecting device 131 in a first direction, e.g., a vertical direction.

In some embodiments, the optical receiver 1312 is further configured to receive the second feedback light to enable detection of an obstacle of the second area AR 2. In the present disclosure, the reception of the first light beam and the second light beam is completed by using one light receiver 1312, which reduces the manufacturing cost. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in other embodiments, the second light detection device 132 may also include a separate light receiver for receiving the second feedback light.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of detection of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, which shows a horizontal detection angle of the first light detection device 131. As shown in fig. 5, the horizontal light emitting angle of the first light emitter 1311 of the first light detecting device 131 is, for example, 110 ° -120 °, and the horizontal light emitting angle of the light receiver 1312 of the first light detecting device 131 is, for example, 120 ° -130 °, so that the first light detecting device 131 has a wide detection viewing angle in the horizontal direction.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of detection of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the disclosure, which shows the horizontal detection angle of the second light detection device 132. As shown in fig. 6, the horizontal light emitting angle of the second light emitter 1321 of the second light detecting device 132 is, for example, 115 ° -125 °, so that the second light detecting device 132 has a wider detection viewing angle in the horizontal direction.

In some embodiments, referring to fig. 1-6, the self-receiving device 100 further comprises a processor 160, a portion of a control system, the processor 160 electrically connected to the first light detection device 131 and the second light detection device 132, the processor 160 configured to control the first light emitter 1311 and the second light emitter 1321 to emit the first light beam and the second light beam, respectively, the processor 160 further configured to perform SLAM mapping and determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking device 100 based on the first feedback light and/or the second feedback light received by the light receiver 1312.

Specifically, the processor is configured to generate a first light emission signal S1 and a second light emission signal S2, and to transmit the first light emission signal S1 and the second light emission signal S2 to the first light emitter 1311 and the second light emitter 1321, respectively, the first light emitter 1311 emitting the first light beam based on the first light emission signal S1, and the second light emitter 1321 emitting the second light beam based on the second light emission signal S2.

The processor may determine a first distance between the obstacle in the first area AR1 and the device main body based on the first feedback light, determine a second distance between the obstacle in the second area AR2 and the device main body based on the second feedback light, and comprehensively determine an obstacle avoidance policy of the self-walking device 100 based on the first distance and/or the second distance, so as to realize a SLAM mapping function and simultaneously ensure a good obstacle avoidance function.

In some embodiments, the first light emission signal S1 and the second light emission signal S2 are both pulse signals, and the first light beam and the second light beam are both pulse light beams.

Fig. 7 is a waveform diagram of a first optical transmission signal, a second optical transmission signal, and an optical reception signal of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in fig. 7, the first light emission signal S1 is a pulse signal, for example, a rectangular wave, and has a pulse width of, for example, 10 μs to 2000 μs and a duty ratio of, for example, 1:1.25 to 1:1.75. The second light emission signal S2 is a pulse signal, for example, a rectangular wave, and has a pulse width of, for example, 10 μs to 2000 μs and a duty ratio of, for example, 1:1.25 to 1:1.75. As shown in fig. 7, in some embodiments, the pulse period of the first light emission signal S1 is the same as the pulse period of the second light emission signal S2, and the pulses of the first light emission signal S1 are spaced apart from the pulses of the second light emission signal S. At this time, the light receiving signal R is also a pulse signal, and the pulse period is half of the pulse period of the first light emitting signal S1 and the second light emitting signal S2. Since the time taken for the light beam emitted by the light reflector to encounter the feedback light reflected by the obstacle to return to the light receiver is extremely short, the pulse signal of the emitted light beam substantially overlaps in time with the pulse signal of the received corresponding feedback light.

The pulses of the first light emission signal S1 and the pulses of the second light emission signal S2 are set at intervals, the light receiving signal may determine the pulses of the light receiving signal of the first feedback light corresponding to the first light beam according to the pulses of the first light emission signal S1, and determine the pulses of the light receiving signal of the second feedback light corresponding to the second light beam according to the pulses of the second light emission signal S1. As shown in fig. 7, for example, in the light reception signal R, the odd-numbered pulses are pulses of the light reception signal of the second feedback light, and the even-numbered pulses are pulses of the light reception signal of the first feedback light. Through the mode of time-sharing multiplexing, the processor can obtain SLAM data according to the pulse of the light receiving signal of the first feedback light, determine whether the first area AR1 has an obstacle or not and calculate the distance between the obstacle and the self-walking equipment, determine whether the second area AR2 has the obstacle or not and calculate the distance between the obstacle and the self-walking equipment according to the pulse of the light receiving signal of the second feedback light, therefore, the SLAM and obstacle avoidance function can be realized by only setting one light receiver, and the obstacle avoidance accuracy is improved and the intelligence of the self-walking equipment is improved based on the signal of the second light emitting device. Based on the result, the processor determines an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking equipment, and achieves a good obstacle avoidance effect.

In some embodiments, the wavelength of the first light beam is the same as or different from the wavelength of the second light beam, e.g., the first light beam and the second light beam are both infrared light, having the same wavelength. In this case, the processor may determine the pulse of the light reception signal of the first feedback light and the pulse of the light reception signal of the second feedback light according to the above-described time division multiplexing principle.

Fig. 8 is a waveform diagram of a first optical transmission signal, a second optical transmission signal, and an optical reception signal of the self-walking device according to the embodiment of the disclosure. As shown in fig. 8, the first light emission signal S1 is a pulse signal, for example, a rectangular wave, and has a pulse width of, for example, 10 μs to 2000 μs and a duty ratio of, for example, 1:1.25 to 1:1.75. The second light emission signal S2 is a pulse signal, for example, a rectangular wave, and has a pulse width of, for example, 10 μs to 2000 μs and a duty ratio of, for example, 1:1.25 to 1:3.5. As shown in fig. 8, in some embodiments, the pulse period of the second light emission signal S2 is M times the pulse period of the first light emission signal S1, M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, the pulse of the second light emission signal S2 and the pulse of the first light emission signal S1 overlap in time at least partially, for example, the pulse period of the second light emission signal S2 is 2 times the pulse period of the first light emission signal S1, and the pulse of the second light emission signal S2 overlaps with the odd pulse of the first light emission signal S1. At this time, the light receiving signal R is also a pulse signal, and the pulse period thereof is the same as that of the first light emitting signal S1, for example, half of that of the second light emitting signal S2. Since the time taken for the light beam emitted by the light reflector to encounter the feedback light reflected by the obstacle to return to the light receiver is extremely short, the pulse signal of the emitted light beam substantially overlaps in time with the pulse signal of the received corresponding feedback light.

As shown in fig. 8, the pulses of the second light emission signal S2 overlap with the odd-numbered pulses of the first light emission signal S1, and in this case, the pulses of the light reception signal of the second feedback light also overlap with the odd-numbered pulses of the first feedback light. In order that the light receiver can distinguish between the pulses of the light reception signal of the second feedback light and the pulses of the light reception signal of the first feedback light, the first light beam and the second light beam may be set to different wavelengths, or the first light beam and the second light beam may be set to different light intensities. For example, the intensity of the second light beam is set to 5-10 times the intensity of the first light beam.

The processor may obtain SLAM data according to the pulse of the light receiving signal of the first feedback light and determine whether the first area AR1 has an obstacle and calculate a distance between the obstacle and the self-walking device, and determine whether the second area AR2 has an obstacle according to the pulse of the light receiving signal of the second feedback light and calculate a distance between the obstacle and the self-walking device. Based on the result, the processor determines an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking equipment, and achieves a good obstacle avoidance effect.

In the above embodiment, as shown in fig. 8, since the pulse period of the first light emission signal S1 is small, and coincides with the pulse period of the light reception signal R, the light receiver can obtain more feedback light of the first light emission signal in a unit time, so that more precise SLAM construction can be realized.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an obstacle avoidance method of the self-walking device as in the foregoing embodiments, as shown in fig. 9, where the obstacle avoidance method includes the following steps:

s110: controlling a first light detection device to detect an obstacle in a first area;

s130: controlling a second light detection device to detect an obstacle in a second area, wherein the second area is located between the first area and the apparatus main body;

s150: and determining an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking equipment based on detection results of the first light detection device and the second light detection device.

Specifically, in steps S110 and S130 may be performed simultaneously, the processor generates a first light emission signal S1 and a second light emission signal S2, and sends the first light emission signal S1 and the second light emission signal S2 to the first light emitter 1311 and the second light emitter 1321, respectively, where the first light emitter 1311 emits the first light beam based on the first light emission signal S1, the second light emitter 1321 emits the second light beam based on the second light emission signal S260, and the processor determines a first distance between an obstacle in the first area AR1 and the device body based on the first feedback light, determines a second distance between an obstacle in the second area AR2 and the device body based on the second feedback light, and comprehensively determines an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking device 100 based on the first distance and/or the second distance, for example, where the self-walking device 100 may perform a planned obstacle avoidance function according to a planned obstacle plan function according to a well-guaranteed obstacle avoidance path.

The disclosed embodiments also provide a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer program instructions which, when invoked and executed by a processor, implement the method steps of any of the above.

The disclosed embodiments also provide an electronic device, such as an electronic structure of a self-walking apparatus, comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer program instructions executable by the processor, the processor implementing the method steps of any of the foregoing embodiments when executing the computer program instructions.

As shown in fig. 10, the electronic device may include a processing device (e.g., a central processor, a graphics processor, etc.) 1001 that may perform various appropriate actions and processes according to a program stored in a Read Only Memory (ROM) 1002 or a program loaded from a storage device 1008 into a Random Access Memory (RAM) 1003. In the RAM 1003, various programs and data necessary for the operation of the electronic apparatus 1000 are also stored. The processing device 1001, the ROM 1002, and the RAM 1003 are connected to each other by a bus 1004. An input/output (I/O) interface 1005 is also connected to bus 1004.

In general, the following devices may be connected to the I/O interface 1005: input devices 1006 including, for example, a touch screen, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, camera, microphone, accelerometer, gyroscope, and the like; an output device 1007 including, for example, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), speaker, vibrator, etc.; storage 1008 including, for example, a hard disk; and communication means 1009. Communication device 1009 may allow the electronic device to communicate wirelessly or by wire with other devices to exchange data. While fig. 10 illustrates an electronic device having various devices, it is to be understood that not all illustrated devices are required to be implemented or provided. More or fewer devices may be implemented or provided instead.

In particular, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, the processes described above with reference to flowcharts may be implemented as a self-walking device software program. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure include a software program product comprising a computer program embodied on a readable medium, the computer program comprising program code for performing the method shown in the flow chart. In such an embodiment, the computer program may be downloaded and installed from a network via the communication device 1009, or installed from the storage device 1008, or installed from the ROM 1002. The above-described functions defined in the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure are performed when the computer program is executed by the processing device 1001.

It should be noted that the computer readable medium described in the present disclosure may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. The computer readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or a combination of any of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a Random Access Memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In the present disclosure, however, the computer-readable signal medium may include a data signal propagated in baseband or as part of a carrier wave, with the computer-readable program code embodied therein. Such a propagated data signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable signal medium may also be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: electrical wires, fiber optic cables, RF (radio frequency), and the like, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

The computer readable medium may be embodied in the self-walking device; or may be present alone without being fitted into the self-walking device.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the present disclosure may be written in one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Java, smalltalk, C ++ and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any kind of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the elements illustrated as separate elements may or may not be physically separate, and the elements shown as elements may or may not be physical elements, may be located in one place, or may be distributed over a plurality of network elements. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and implement the present invention without undue burden.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the technical solution of the present disclosure, and are not limiting thereof; although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: the technical scheme described in the foregoing embodiments can be modified or some technical features thereof can be replaced by equivalents; such modifications and substitutions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the corresponding technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims (14)

1. A self-walking device, characterized in that it comprises:

An apparatus main body;

a first light detection device provided on a side wall of the apparatus body and configured to detect an obstacle in a first area; and

and a second light detection device disposed on a side wall of the apparatus body and adjacent to the first light detection device, configured to detect an obstacle in a second region, the second region being located between the first region and the apparatus body.

2. The self-walking device of claim 1, wherein said first light detection means comprises:

a first light emitter configured to emit a first light beam having a first light exit angle in a first direction perpendicular to a walking surface of the self-walking device, the first light beam impinging on an obstacle in the first area to generate a first feedback light; and

the light receiver is arranged adjacent to the first light emitter and is configured to receive the first feedback light, the light receiver is provided with a first light receiving angle in a first direction perpendicular to the running surface of the self-walking equipment, and the first light receiving angle is larger than the first light emitting angle.

3. The self-walking device of claim 2, wherein said second light detection means comprises:

A second light emitter configured to emit a second light beam that impinges on an obstacle of a second area to generate a second feedback light,

the optical receiver is further configured to receive the second feedback light.

4. The self-walking device of claim 3, wherein said self-receiving device further comprises a processor electrically connected to said first and second light detection means, said processor configured to control said first and second light emitters to emit said first and second light beams, respectively, said processor further configured to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of said self-walking device based on said first and/or second feedback light received by said light receiver.

5. The self-walking device of claim 4, wherein the processor configured to control the first and second light emitters to emit the first and second light beams, respectively, comprises:

the processor is configured to generate a first light emission signal and a second light emission signal and to transmit the first light emission signal and the second light emission signal to the first light emitter and the second light emitter, respectively, the first light emitter emitting the first light beam based on the first light emission signal and the second light emitter emitting the second light beam based on the second light emission signal.

6. The self-walking device of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking device based on the first feedback light and/or second feedback light received by the light receiver:

the processor is configured to determine a first distance between an obstacle in a first area and the device body based on the first feedback light and/or a second distance between an obstacle in a second area and the device body based on the second feedback light and to determine an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking device based on the first distance and/or the second distance.

7. The self-walking device of claim 5, wherein said first and second light emission signals are pulsed signals, and said first and second light beams are pulsed light beams.

8. The self-walking device of claim 7, wherein the pulse period of said first light emission signal is the same as the pulse period of said second light emission signal, the pulses of said first light emission signal being spaced apart from the pulses of said second light emission signal.

9. The self-walking device of claim 7, wherein the pulse period of said second light-emitting signal is M times the pulse period of said first light-emitting signal, M being a positive integer greater than or equal to 2, the pulses of said second light-emitting signal at least partially overlapping in time with the pulses of said first light-emitting signal.

10. The self-walking device of any of claims 3-9, wherein said first light beam is a planar light and said second light beam is a linear light.

11. The self-walking device of any of claims 3-9, wherein the wavelength of said first light beam is the same or different than the wavelength of said second light beam.

12. The self-walking device of any of claims 3-9, wherein the light intensity of said first light beam is the same as or different from the light intensity of said second light beam.

13. The self-walking device of any of claims 3-9, wherein said second light detection means is further away from the bottom of said self-walking device than said first light detection means in a first direction perpendicular to the walking surface of said self-walking device.

14. A method of obstacle avoidance of a self-walking device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising:

controlling a first light detection device to detect an obstacle in a first area;

controlling a second light detection device to detect an obstacle in a second area, wherein the second area is located between the first area and the apparatus main body; and

and determining an obstacle avoidance strategy of the self-walking equipment based on detection results of the first light detection device and the second light detection device.

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